calamitywindpetal's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sophie_hboff's review against another edition
3.0
A cute book with a nice moral, although a rather simplistic read in terms of plot.
In this book, Addie Bell is a 7th Grade girl just wishing she could grow up. Her older sister, Rory, makes her feel like being 16 would be perfect-- no problems! Just lots of boys, lots of friends, and makeup. And since all Addie wants is to stop feeling so immature and young. So when she has the chance to make a wish with a magical box, of course she makes one!
But what Addie realizes is that being 16 isn't as easy as it seems.
This book is a nice read for any middle-school aged girls who wish they were in high school already, or feel like their age doesn't fit with the person they are. Although there appears to be a deus ex machina and the plot lacks in complexity, it has a good moral: appreciate the age that you are, and don't take anything or anyone for granted!!
It was also filled with a lot of humour and I found myself laughing out loud at times. The author's writing is very engaging and fun-- although I found myself rolling my eyes at the immaturity of even the sixteen-year-olds in this story (particularly their obscene use of emojis when they text each other! It's incomprehensible, insensible, and exhausting, and completely unrealistic). Sometimes I couldn't tell the difference between the twelve-year-olds and the sixteen-year-olds in this story!
This book is funny, thoughtful, and a nice read for middle-schoolers. Although I didn't appreciate it as much as I could have, it was still a very good read and perhaps a finer example of middle-school novels aimed towards girls.
In this book, Addie Bell is a 7th Grade girl just wishing she could grow up. Her older sister, Rory, makes her feel like being 16 would be perfect-- no problems! Just lots of boys, lots of friends, and makeup. And since all Addie wants is to stop feeling so immature and young. So when she has the chance to make a wish with a magical box, of course she makes one!
But what Addie realizes is that being 16 isn't as easy as it seems.
This book is a nice read for any middle-school aged girls who wish they were in high school already, or feel like their age doesn't fit with the person they are. Although there appears to be a deus ex machina and the plot lacks in complexity, it has a good moral: appreciate the age that you are, and don't take anything or anyone for granted!!
It was also filled with a lot of humour and I found myself laughing out loud at times. The author's writing is very engaging and fun-- although I found myself rolling my eyes at the immaturity of even the sixteen-year-olds in this story (particularly their obscene use of emojis when they text each other! It's incomprehensible, insensible, and exhausting, and completely unrealistic). Sometimes I couldn't tell the difference between the twelve-year-olds and the sixteen-year-olds in this story!
This book is funny, thoughtful, and a nice read for middle-schoolers. Although I didn't appreciate it as much as I could have, it was still a very good read and perhaps a finer example of middle-school novels aimed towards girls.
jbrooxd's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. Great story about growing up. Really enjoyed this!
ajillionbooks's review
5.0
This is a sweet story about 12-year-old Addie who wishes she was 16. Addie watches her older sister (who is 16) and just knows that being 16 holds all the freedom and fun that she longs for. She wants to be pretty, popular, and experience all the exciting things she sees her sister is doing. When Addie's wish mysteriously comes true, she has to learn to navigate life as a 16-year-old, with no memory about the intervening 4 years! This means she has no idea how to handle trigonometry, speak French for class, or even how to find her locker. Worst of all, her best friend at 12 is no longer her best friend - or even speaking to her - and she has no idea what happened. Addie has to solve all of this while trying to maintain life at 16 - not an easy feat!
This is my first Jessica Brody book and now I have no idea why. Her writing is fantastic and the story was so much fun. I liked Addie from the first page and even though I knew the story was going to be a bit painful, having to watch Addie blunder through things, it was fun at the same time. The character grows a lot through the pages and it was a satisfying read overall. Now I'm off to check out all of Brody's other books!
This is my first Jessica Brody book and now I have no idea why. Her writing is fantastic and the story was so much fun. I liked Addie from the first page and even though I knew the story was going to be a bit painful, having to watch Addie blunder through things, it was fun at the same time. The character grows a lot through the pages and it was a satisfying read overall. Now I'm off to check out all of Brody's other books!
nataliesboooks's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars, rounded up
Jessica Brody has done it again. She’s one of my favorite authors, and this might be my favorite middle grade book ever. It was so cute, with vibes of 13 going on 30. There was less romance than I would have liked (because he was great and I loved him) and it didn’t seem feasible that 12 year old Addie (in 16 year old Addie’s body) could teach herself to drive using only YouTube videos, but those were my only complaints. I loved Addie’s relationship with the old lady Mrs. Toodles, I loved Grace, and I loved the love interest. Addie had a lot of growth as well.
I can’t wait for Jessica Brody’s next book.
Jessica Brody has done it again. She’s one of my favorite authors, and this might be my favorite middle grade book ever. It was so cute, with vibes of 13 going on 30. There was less romance than I would have liked (because he was great and I loved him) and it didn’t seem feasible that 12 year old Addie (in 16 year old Addie’s body) could teach herself to drive using only YouTube videos, but those were my only complaints. I loved Addie’s relationship with the old lady Mrs. Toodles, I loved Grace, and I loved the love interest. Addie had a lot of growth as well.
I can’t wait for Jessica Brody’s next book.
maebelina's review against another edition
4.0
bahahahhaa i read this like three times when i was like six because it was the only this i had in my kindle. i remember thinking i was so cool when i found out how to say trigonometry in this book
More...