Reviewer: Amy Lignor
Title: Awkward
Author: Marni Bates
Publisher: Kensington
ISBN-13: 978-0-7582-6937-9
Release Date: December 2011
Genre/Sub-genre: YA Fiction
Publisher’s Age/Grade Recommendation: 13 and up
OUAR’s Age/Grade Recommendation: 13 and up
Year/Setting: Present/Forest Grove, OR
Overall Rating: 4.5
Sexual Content Rating: None/Subtle
Language (Profanity/Slang) Content Rating: None/Mild
Violent Content Rating: None/Minimal
Marni's Website/Blog: www.marnibates.com
Dear Readers:
This novel really shows you the power of Youtube and all those other technological programs and devices we all seem to love so much. In fact, it will remind you of all those news programs that talk about how the government watches our every move each and every day.
Mackenzie Wellesley was one of those quiet, brilliant nerds who liked to stay far away from the spotlight. In fact, she has named her ‘side’ the Invisibles, and spends a great deal of time avoiding the ‘Notables,’ so she doesn’t have to deal with the teasing or the snooty girls who are a real pain-in-the-butt. The only contact she even has with a ‘Notable’ is when she works with Logan Beckett. He is one of the extremely hot guys in the super-cool crowd who she tutors in history so that he can keep his grades up. Mackenzie not only does this so that she’s more or less off-limits by the ‘Notables’ teasing, but she is also saving up for a Macbook that she really wants. Besides, Logan isn’t the guy she dotes on or dreams about - that honor is saved for Patrick Bradford who, in Mackenzie’s eyes, is simply dreamy.
One day, however, her calm, quiet life is thrown into a tailspin. Hitting one of the football players with her seriously heavy backpack by mistake, the player hits the cement. Without thinking, Mackenzie begins to go into hysterics, screaming about CPR and whether or not the boy is dead. Unfortunately, this extremely comic episode is filmed by someone’s cell, and by the next morning Mackenzie’s moment of sheer embarrassment has more hits on Youtube than Justin Bieber’s latest concert.
Mackenzie soon misses the invisible part of her life, as reporters take up residence on her lawn. Her younger brother is extremely angry at her for being the family embarrassment. The only ones standing up for Mackenzie are her best friends Jane and Corey, who want her to learn to dress better so that when the Late Night shows put up a video of her, at least she’ll look good.
Soon the video becomes part of a rock band’s song and life goes from just odd to utter nonsense. Logan is talking to her more and more, trying his best to help her through this situation. All of a sudden Mackenzie is on the ‘A’ list at school, even being invited to parties. But going from a nobody to a somebody overnight has just as many risks as it does rewards, and watching Mackenzie try to figure out her new life is absolutely hysterical.
Readers, you’re gonna’ love this one!
Until next time,
Amy
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