Review by Booklist Review
Entering seventh grade can be, let's face it, traumatic. For Mackenzie (Zee for short), the transition is especially nerve-racking because her BFF, Ally, moved to France. Zee's an all-American girl who is keen on environmentalism, accessorizing her school uniform, and practicing for the Teen Sing contest. Aside from Zee and her new friends the overly proper Brit, Jasper; and the sporty southern girl, Chloe most of the rest of the supporting cast fall a bit flat: the manipulative mean girl, Kathi; Zee's nebulous crush, Landon; and a generically supportive family, complete with a dad whose cool job provides Zee with the latest in fashion and cosmetics. However, Zee's realistically paranoid response to the theft of her diary grounds the main plot thread, and she learns a valuable lesson about trust and true friendship. A glossary is provided for readers lost amid all the TTYLs and LYLASs, and fans are treated to a sneak peek of The Secret Crush, the next book in this lighthearted series, sure to please girls all too aware of the impending approach of middle school.--Jones, Courtney Copyright 2009 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
With a lot of exclamation points and online shorthand (glossary included for newbies), Wells begins her saga of Mackenzie (Zee) Blue Carmichael, whose main goal is surviving junior high. Her BFF has moved "ALL THE WAY to PARIS," her dad drops her off every morning in a smog-friendly SUV (the horror!), a rich and popular student is determined to make Zee's life miserable, and Zee's diary gets stolen and quoted on the whiteboard in music class. Wells throws in a lot of typical teen insecurity ("Zee felt like the newest inductee into the Geek Hall of Fame"), friendship troubles, fashion turmoil and some not-so-subtle soapboxing on "going green." Young female tweens will enjoy the IM chats and earnest lists that Zee writes, e.g., "Ways My Life Could Get Worse." Still, Wells is perhaps trying a bit too hard, with gratuitous pop culture references and frequent use of text-message lingo. As might be expected, things end well for Zee and her gang, but the characters are unlikely to linger with readers. Ages 8-12. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-As in many other books for this audience, the protagonist's best friend moves away; she makes a quirky new friend or two; a mean girl is the nemesis; and diary entries, lists, and IMing cut through the text. Throw in comic-book art with big-eyed characters and you have Mackenzie Blue. Zee is starting seventh grade in Brookdale Academy with Jasper, an awkward Brit she befriended that summer. She is a guitar player who is looking forward to Teen Sing, a national contest that offers its winner a recording contract. Auditions will take place in her school's auditorium. Zee enters instrumental class expecting a famous classical teacher and finds Mr. P., a nervous rock enthusiast. Kathi, the mean girl, is mean to him. Chloe, a girl from the South who plays cello, becomes perky friend number two. So why, when Zee's diary is lost, does she suspect her friends and not Kathi? With its pop credentials, the book will have some appeal to tweens, but it's nothing special.-Tina Zubak, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
It's Harriet the Spy meets School of Rock: all seventh grader Mackenzie ("Zee") can think about is the Teen Sing contest...until she loses her diary at school. Zee enlists the aid of--and then (unrealistically) accuses--her two friends; readers will spot the real culprit from miles away. Hip black-and-white illustrations and creative details bolster the telegraphed plot. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
