Review by Kirkus Book Review
The Art of War meets Mean Girls. Olivia Chang knows how to navigate a new high school. Her mother is in the military, and they're constantly moving, so she's comfortable being known as The New Girl. Olivia knows exactly how to be invisible and avoid attention from the popular crowd. But in her junior year in Plainstown, Ohio, in what she hopes will be her last new school, she finds herself violating her own rules and bantering with a guy from French class--and landing right in the crosshairs of No. 1 popular girl Mitzi Clarke. Events take a turn for the unexpected as Olivia learns of (and eventually helps lead) a movement to topple the school's social power structure. The story's blend of romance, action, humor, and social issues comes together with mixed success. Olivia's invocation of her Taiwanese immigrant grandfather's experiences as she faces anti-Asian racism is heartfelt and effective (the school seems to be predominantly White). The neat pairing off of central characters feels convenient to the plot, but the romances are endearing. While there are allusions to more serious incidents, the novel largely avoids showing the deeper impacts of bullying, making its tackling of tough topics feel inconsistent in tone. Still, the narrative's quick pace and creative turns should keep readers' interest all the way to the thoughtful ending. An entertaining, if lightweight exploration of high school social hierarchies. (Fiction. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
