Nerd Girls

May 30, 2011
Mean Girls meets Revenge of the Nerds, middle-school style, in a novel that peeks into the lives of an offbeat cast of 13-year-olds in suburban California. Self-proclaimed "anti-cool" Maureen, who's embarrassed about her weight, reluctantly bonds with two other eighth-grade outcastsâhypersensitive Allergy Alice Applebee and clumsy Beanpole Barbaraâover their dislike of the ThreePees, a trio of girls who are "Pretty, Popular, and Perfect." After much trash talk, ridicule, and the cruel posting of a humiliating YouTube video starring Maureen, the two groups of girls prepare for a showdown in the school's talent contest. Sitomer's (The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguez) characters mostly remain one-note caricatures: Alice's constant use of her "scuba tank" inhaler (with "wheeesh-whooosh" sound effects); Beanpole's refrain "Don't worry, I'm okay. I'm okay" after bumping into things; and ditzy ThreePee Sofes's malapropisms and non sequiturs. But notes of tenderness and warmth eventually give (some) depth to Maureen and her crew. If the characters and situations feel simplified, there's enough emotional heft to the girls' insecurities, as well as humor and snark in Maureen's thoughts and conversations, to compensate. Ages 11âup.

June 15, 2011

Wise-cracking eighth-grader Maureen is the self-described "anti-cool" heroine of this droll tale of a talent-show showdown.

When Maureen impetuously foils the nefarious lunchtime plot of the ThreePees, the reigning triumvirate of the "Pretty, Popular, and Perfect" crowd, a unique alliance comes together. Suddenly Maureen becomes an unwilling co-conspirator with fellow social misfits Allergy Alice and Beanpole Barbara to wrest talent-show victory from the ThreePees. With a keen eye, Sitomer portrays the callous social hierarchy of middle school. Although Maureen wields her often self-deprecating humor as a shield, Alice and Barbara, along with readers, see the girl behind the bravado. In their bid to take a stand, a fragile friendship forms among the trio. As tensions increase, the girls' histories are revealed: Maureen struggles with her feelings over her father's long-ago abandonment, and Alice harbors a devastating secret. Despite her somewhat abrasive humor, Maureen remains a likable character. Unfortunately, the ThreePees remain flatly one dimensional, never breaking out of their stereotypical roles.

Even though the story's resolution is slightly contrived, readers will be cheering for these girls as they bravely go forth, proudly proclaiming their nerdiness. (Fiction. 11-13)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

June 1, 2011

Gr 5-8-Self-proclaimed dork-a-saurus Maureen tries to stay below the radar of the ThreePees (Pretty, Popular, Perfect) -Kiki, Brittany, and Sophia. But when they have fun with Allergy Alice by sitting next to her at lunch and eating foods Alice is allergic to, Maureen shocks herself by grabbing the peanut butter-laden sandwiches and stuffing them into her own mouth to protect Alice. Of course, Brittany gets the whole thing on video, and Maureen's heroic act becomes fat-girl YouTube fodder. As if that weren't bad enough, Alice is so grateful that she and Beanpole Barbara start joining Maureen at lunch and decide that the trio should take on the ThreePees in the school's annual talent show. Though she's initially resistant to their overtures of friendship, Maureen finally agrees that the ThreePees need to be brought down a couple of notches when their harassment shows no sign of stopping. As the newly christened Nerd Girls prepare for their act, Kiki, Brittany, and Sophia ramp up the pranks, and in the final hours before the talent show, things look bleak. While the narrative includes flashes of humor and unexpected twists, slapstick events and caricatured characters prove distracting. Sitomer's middle-school characters' voices never click: phrases such as "meanie snobs" and a tendency to give every character a nickname are too juvenile for 14-year-olds. Maureen's often-caustic narration will keep readers at arm's length. What could have been a touching, clever friendship story is an additional purchase at best.-Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2012
Three nerdy eighth graders--Maureen, Alice, and Barbara--form an alliance to take down the popular mean-girls of Grover Park Middle School. Their plan: win first prize in the annual talent show and upset the social rankings. What begins as a no-strings-attached pact blossoms into long-lasting friendship. In this self-acceptance story, Maureen's humorous voice (heavy on the sarcasm) helps distract from the caricature-heavy cast.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)