Fly on the Wall: How One Girl Saw Everything
Grade 8 Up–Gretchen Yee, 16, feels painfully ordinary in a school where everyone is an overachiever. Teachers at The Manhattan School for Art and Music dont appreciate her artistic skill, and she feels like she doesnt fit in with the students. She longs to understand what others think of her, and her wish to be a fly on the wall of the boys locker room comes true. She spends a week there observing her classmates, learning and seeing more than she ever expected. In addition to humorously discovering the mysteries of male anatomy, the teen sees the casual cruelty of her ex-boyfriend, and that her best friend sacrifices her own happiness to keep from upsetting her. She also discovers that there are boys who like her and some who are hiding painful secrets. With this knowledge, Gretchen gains confidence, which ultimately allows her to be a better person. When the insect character emerges, Lockharts writing style moves from prose to near poetry as she weaves in and out of Gretchens mind. This technique allows readers to know what the protagonist is thinking, keeps the pace of the quickly moving story, and suspends disbelief with the very absurd concept. Although containing some strong language and mature situations, this novel is a good choice for teens who are unsure of their place in the world, including reluctant readers.–Stephanie L. Petruso, Anne Arundel County Public Library, Odenton, MDCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.