Reviews

This Is Me From Now On by Barbara Dee

mari_escapeinabook's review against another edition

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4.0

A sort of synopsis of This is me from now on
Evie and her two best friends, Nisha and Lily, are happy with their lives and friendship until the day Evie gets a new neighbor, Francesca. Francesca is different, she is not like the other girls Evie knows, she both dresses and acts differently. When Evie is forced to work with Francesca on a school project it's a life changing experience.

The girls suddenly has this brilliant idea, they're doing a project on the side, matchmaking for their teacher. It is so obvious who the lady is in love with, the woman just needs a few pushes in the right direction. Everyone needs a bit of happiness and needs to feel loved, right? What harm can they possibly do?

Nisha and Lily doesn't like that Evie spends so much time with the new girl and the three of them have a fall out. On top of every thing that's going on in Evie's life her big crush asks her out on a date.

My thoughts:
This is me from now on is a sweet and funny story and I bet tween girls would love it. The book reminded me of the time when I was the same age as the main character, Evie. I loved reading the book and remembering things from the time when I was younger, it was great fun.

I think most girls can relate to some of the issues Barbara Dee writes about, such as dealing with jealousy when you feel like your best friend is drifting away and bonds with another girl. You get scared, hurt and insecure which in some cases will result in anger(even when you're not really angry).

Evie is a sensible girl, perhaps a bit to sensible? When she meets Francesca it's like she got a vitamin shot. It changes Evie view on what she wants and she learns to be more true to herself as a person. Sometimes we need to take some chances and get our butt out of our comfort zone.

Francesca lives with her aunt and the family quarrels about where she's best of staying. Her parents have almost abandoned her, the just visit when they feel like it. It just broke my heart, no wonder she is so obsessed with making everyone she likes happy.

The one thing I would have liked to be explored a bit further in the novel was Francesca and her life. Perhaps there is room for a sequel?

This is me from now on is recommended for tween girls or adult girls like me who likes to remember those days ;) It is a light read that I bet young girls would devour on a warm summer day.

The cover:
Gives me all the right associations, summer, friends and fun.

kaitrosereads's review against another edition

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4.0

This Is Me From Now On was a great book. It is a middle grade title but I am 18 and had no trouble getting into the story. In fact, I got into it more than I have some other YA books. It was realistic, fun, and full of fantastic characters.

Evie is tired of her boring life but she doesn't realize it until Francesca moves in next door. Francesca is everything that Evie is not and at first she can't stand her. Of course things change and Evie begins to become friends with her. The only problem is that her two best friends, Nisha and Lily, can't seem to handle that.

Evie was a hugely realistic character. She was just starting seventh grade and she wanted to change herself. I think everybody goes through that at some point and it made me really like her. Francesca was crazy but she was exactly what Evie needed. She added fun to both Evie's life and the book. She got on my nerves some but I pretty much liked her. Nisha was my biggest problem. She just didn't seem like a good friend until the end of the book. But i do know how friendships are so I can kind of understand that.

I wasn't so sure about the plot at first but I was never bored. It was fun and funny. I couldn't help laughing at some of Evie and Francesca's antics. They were crazy but totally believable of two seventh grade girls. =]

Overall, This Is Me From Now On is the perfect light read and just in time for summer. If you are looking for something fun and quick this is a book for you!

book_nut's review against another edition

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Kind of quirky in a good way.

booksforlosers's review against another edition

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3.0

Sure this book was entertaining but ultimately it didn't do anything for me. Nisha and Lily were kind of mean to Evie and Francesca was nice. Idk but this book was just kind of weird so.....

greenbeanteenqueen's review against another edition

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4.0

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

This book is so perfectly tween! It's such a cute read and it a ton of fun. Francesca is a great character and I love how the author keeps the reader guessing about Francesca all along. We, like Evie, are never really sure what to think about her which makes reading about her that much more fun.

The back of the book makes it seem like this is a story about two girls playing matchmaker, but that's more a side plot. This Is Me From Now On is more a story about tween girls, friendships, and how things can change as you get older. There's also a touch of a "be who you are" theme, which I think is always great for tweens to read.

My only complaint is that I felt like the story never really new what it wanted to be, so it jumped around a little. Was it a story about matchmaking? Was it a book about friendship? These two storylines come together, but it felt a little jostled at times.

But tween girls will love it. Francesca reminded me somewhat of a younger Stargirl (from Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli) Give this one to tween readers who enjoy realistic fiction and don't be surprised if they have it finished in one sitting.

andye_reads's review against another edition

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4.0

Evie is a sweet, kind, normal 7th grade girl....translation (according to Francesca, her new neighbor): BORING! Francesa is eccentric, quirky, and sometimes just plain weird. But Evie is finding her more and more intriguing. As Francesa and Evie's friendship develops, Evie finds herself doing increasingly more questionable things, like trying to set up two of her teachers by sending them fake notes and gifts from each other, and slacking off on homework assignments that she needs to complete. But when the tables are turned, and Evie is on the receiving end of Francesca's "help", their friendship, and Evie's values, are put to the test.

I don't read a lot of Middle Grade books, but this one looked cute, and the wonderfully sweet author, Barbara Dee, sent it to me, so I thought I'd read it and do a review. What I didn't expect was to enjoy this book so much! I found myself transported back in time, to the days of Middle School, and relating so much to the Main Character, Evie. Like Evie, I had a rebellious friend who wasn't afraid to "cross the line" from time to time, and I found myself having to make tough choices. I also just really loved Evie's character. She is a strong, intelligent, girl, and she made me laugh throughout the entire book. I thought it was really well written, not too young and kiddish, and not too mature, just the right mixture of fun, excitement, and friendship!

I think this is a great book for Middle Schoolers, but I don't think you have to be in Middle School to enjoy it. I was highly entertained!

~Andye

Parents need to know: There is no sexual content in this book, though there is some talk of crushes and dating. There are also some words that might be a problem for some parents. For more details go to This is Me from Now On on http://ParentalBookReviews.com/

sammeehicks's review

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I loved this! It is a really sweet and fun read that tweens and teens would really enjoy.

Barbara Dee is a great writer and I found myself easily immersed in the story. Evie and Francesca are wonderful characters - I loved how real they felt. Evie comes across as really sweet and kind, very witty with her observations. I enjoyed her journey - about friendships and discovering who you are and who you want to be. I absolutely adored Francesca. I loved her individuality and although she is slightly ...er...economical with the truth I do think she has people's best interests at heart. I thought she was really good for Evie, bringing her out of her shell and really seeing her for who she is rather than who she wanted her to be, and I thought Evie was good for Francesca too. She is a stable influence in her life that could have otherwise be lacking.

The plot is simple but really enjoyable. It's more about the characters and how they grow, and about the friendships you have when you are still discovering who you are. It brought back memories of my friendships at that age, and of the boys I really liked . I'd loved to catch up with Evie and Francesca at a later date and see how they are getting on, but in the meantime I plan to track down some more of Barbara Dee's work!
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