All About Middle Grade Review: Confessions of a So-Called Middle Child

Confessions of a So-Called Middle Child (Confessions of a So-Called Middle Child, 1) by Maria T. Lennon, August 27, 2013. 288 pages. Published by Harpercollins. Source: Blue Slip Media/publisher.

It's Mean Girls for tweens in the tradition of Paula Danziger's Cat That Ate My Gymsuit and Judy Blume! Watch out, world: here comes Charlie C. Cooper-computer whiz, reformed bully, and so-called middle child-in this seriously funny debut tween novel from screenwriter Maria T. Lennon.

Confessions of a So-Called Middle Child stars the hilariously cheeky reformed bully and tween hacker Charlie Cooper as she tries to ditch her middle-child reputation and make cool friends at her new school in Los Angeles. But being cool isn't as easy as it looks. Charlie has to face down the mean girls and decide between right and wrong once and for all when she learns the terrible truth behind Marta the Farta's bad attitude and loner status. And Charlie has to do it all in outfits meant for the runways!

First Sentence:

9:00 A.M. What twelve-year-old kid is forced to spend her last day of summer vacation reading books in her room?

Being a middle child myself, I couldn't say no to picking up Maria T. Lennon's Confessions of a So-Called Middle Child. This book was such a fun and funny read and Charlie C. Cooper was one crazy middle child to read about.

Charlie was definitely an interesting character as she was a reformed bully and hacker, which is quite combo for one character to carry. But, I think that the author did a great job of balancing the two sides, as well, as in showing the depth of change that Charlie went through in the book. While she may still be a little out there, and maybe still a little self-serving in trying to gain release from her past and therapy, I thought she made so much progress...plus she was just so much fun to read about.
   Even though Charlie had a lot of issues, one of the reasons I enjoyed reading about her would have to be that when the wrong people were about to fall to the prank, the one that changed her life, were in jeopardy she stepped up and took the blame. So, yeah, much to like about her even though she has some rough edges.

Maria T. Lennon, well, I for one think she did a fantastic job creating the characters in Confessions of a So-Called Middle Child. I really enjoyed the dynamics of the less than perfect sibling relationship that she brought to the table; and it was nice to see the (poor "forgotten") middle child being the star of the book. But more than just the family dynamics, I enjoyed the way she portrayed Charlie and how she was able to make her such a fun and interesting character to read about...especially since she is a bit of a loose cannon.
 
Between the writing and the plot Confessions of a So-Called Middle Child was a delightfully fun read. I had so much fun reading this one and seeing where the author, Maria T. Lennon, would take the story and how her characters would evolve.

Final Verdict: Confessions of a So-Called Middle Child- You really cannot go wrong with this one; fun and well written!

Confessions of a So-Called Middle Child earns

This book was received in exchange for an honest review.