Mates, Dates, and Mad Mistakes
Grade 6-9–The mates are approaching Year Ten at school and Izzie has decided that she wants a whole new image, including a belly-button ring and a dangerous boyfriend. Then along comes Josh, who is older, rides a motorcycle, and is a stranger to her friends and parents. Izzie experiments with drinking and smoking pot, and sneaks out of the house while searching for her grown-up self. She swings between trying to have a good time being bad and quarreling with her mum and friends about her behavior. She is thrilled to land a singing gig at a local club, but her enchanted evening turns to disaster when Josh tries to get beyond snogging and she throws up on him. This embarrassing moment, along with his continued pressure to get her drunk, makes her realize that growing up means being true to one's self and not trying to be someone different. Izzie's mid-teen crisis and interactions with her mates, mother, and stepdad are authentic, and it's refreshing to see a stepparent portrayed as a good guy. Fans of the series will gobble this up.–Linda L. Plevak, Saint Mary's Hall, San Antonio, TXCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.