Review Detail

TBH, This is SO Awkward

Middle Grade Fiction 779

OMG, you'll LOL

January 27, 2018 (Updated: June 10, 2026)

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

N/A

Writing Style

N/A

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Gabby, Priyanka and Cecily have been friends for a long time, but settling into middle school is taking some time. They aren't supposed to be texting during school hours, but they manage to use the small moments they can find to keep each other updated by text or e mail on everything that is going on. They all have their issues-- Gabby's parents are divorced and she may have to move, Priyanka has a crush on a boy, and Cecily gets caught in them middle of new girl Victoria's attempt to break into her social circle by getting involved in the dance committee the girls are on. Victoria is a bit pushy, as is her mother, who e mails the principal and the PTA when she feels her daughter is being ignored. The principal decides that if students can't be kind to each other while using social media, there will be no school dance, so the girls have to band together to make sure that the dance is a reality. This is told entirely through text with a LOT Of emojis.

Good Points

Today's readers will be very familiar with this format, and trying to read a story about people they don't know might be an interesting exercise in determining how much is NOT conveyed through text messages! It is kind of amazing how much of the characters' personalities is conveyed in very few words, and I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, not being overly literate in text speak!

Drama, problems with friends, and misunderstandings are a very large part of the middle school experience, and it's interesting to see that while the technology of communication can change, the problems with it never do! I especially liked the character of the overly protective mother who keeps e mailing the principal-- readers will be all too familiar with this type of parent, and will either cringe with understanding or be very glad that THEIR parents aren't this overbearing!

Readers who like Greenwald's work or similar stories like Myracle's ttyl series will enjoy this fast paced story. It even has an on trend aqua green color highlighting the text messages!