Jessica Darling's It List

Jessica Darling's It List #1: The (Totally Not) Guaranteed Guide to Popularity, Prettiness & Perfection

By Megan McCafferty

Published on September 3rd 2013
Published by Poppy
Source: Publisher

I hadn't even gotten to homeroom yet and I'd already discovered five hard truths about junior high:

1. My best friend had turned pretty.
2. She didn't know it yet.
3. It wouldn't be long before she did.
4. That knowledge would change everything between us.
5. And there wasn't a thing I could do about it.

It's the first day of seventh grade. Is Jessica Darling doomed for dorkdom?

I read the Jessica Darling series back when it first came out- it was my first foray into YA Contemporary fiction.  I absolutely loved the story of Jessica Darling and Marcus Flutie.  I was pretty excited when I saw that this was indeed the same Jessica Darling of that series.

Jessica Darling's It List is a middle grade book that doesn't read like a middle grade book.  Yes, Jessica is 12 in the book, but the author writes with a maturity that felt like a YA book.  Jessica is witty and I found myself literally laughing out loud at some of the plot points.  (The author is very good at writing humorous scenes).  The book is very short, I read the entire book in about an hour and a half.  I have to repeat, I typically really dislike middle grade books- this absolutely proved me wrong.  It was such a good book.

We do get to meet up with Marcus Flutie in this book- but not the way I expected. I have to admit, I let out a little squeal when I realized he was in the book.  Jessica Darling's It List really focuses on Jessica's friendships and realization that she doesn't have to be this popular person that other people want her to be- that who she is is fine with her.

Jessica Darling's It List was a fun read and I am looking forward to the next book in the series!