Synopses & Reviews
In middle school, nothing is more important than friendship.
When Truly is invited to sit at the Popular Table with the group she has dreamed of joining, she can hardly believe her luck. Everyone seems so nice, so kind to one another. But all is not as it seems with her new friends, and soon she's caught in a maelstrom of lies, misunderstandings, accusations and counter-accusations, all happening very publicly in the relentless, hyperconnected social media world from which there is no escape.
Six eighth-graders, four girls and two boys, struggle to understand and process their fractured glimples into one another's lives as they find new ways to disconnect, but also to connect, in Rachel Vail's richest and most searching book.
Review
Praise for Rachel Vail:
"Wonder is wonderful! It's got energy, humor and heart." —Judy Blume, for Wonder
“The writing is sharp, unpredictably clever” —Avi, Newbery Medalist, for Justin Case: School, Drool, and other Daily Disasters
“Vail again demonstrates a penetrating insight into the concerns of young teen girls … Readers will absorb this in one fell swoop.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review, for Lucky
“Vail proves that first love is anything but simple and sweet. Her razor-sharp wit will keep readers turning pages.” —Publishers Weekly, for If We Kiss
Review
Praise for Unfriended:
"Hearkens back to Vails wonderful The Friendship Ring series in its opportunity to see how various characters delight, suffer, and rationalize, complicating the portrayals. . . Clear and compelling. . . This will be an irresistible starter to a discussion of ethics and values, and readers will appreciate both the cautionary tale and the message of survivals possibility." —BCCB, starred review
"With keen insight, Vail reveals the internal struggles with uncertainty and self-doubt that can plague young teens regardless of popularity status. . . With a resolution that is both realistic and hopeful, Vail captures the complexity of middle school social challenges, insightfully addressing the issues of friendships and integrity." —Publishers Weekly
"Vail has a great ear for dialogue, and her characters. . . are well differentiated and realistic." —VOYA
"A realistic portrayal of middle school life. Truly is depicted as a complex young adult, not a single-minded social climber. . . [and] the other characters are multidimensional; they have struggles and worries, and are not the flat, stereotypical popular kids that are sometimes portrayed in YA novels. . . A solid choice that will ignite meaningful discussion." —School Library Journal
"Vail brings her sharp observations and wry humor to the world of eighth-grade friendships." —Horn Book
"Mean girls, misunderstood girls, awkward boys, friendship, popularity, social misfits, all play into this book that epitomizes the roller coaster that is middle school." —LMC
Praise for Rachel Vail:
"Wonder is wonderful! It's got energy, humor and heart." —Judy Blume, for Wonder
“The writing is sharp, unpredictably clever” —Avi, Newbery Medalist, for Justin Case: School, Drool, and other Daily Disasters
“Vail again demonstrates a penetrating insight into the concerns of young teen girls … Readers will absorb this in one fell swoop.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review, for Lucky
“Vail proves that first love is anything but simple and sweet. Her razor-sharp wit will keep readers turning pages.” —Publishers Weekly, for If We Kiss
Synopsis
If anyone tried to determine the most common rite of passage for preteen girls in North America, a girl's first reading of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret would rank near the top of the list. Adolescents are often so relieved to discover that someone understands their body-angst that they miss one of the book's deeper explorations: a young person's relationship with God. Margaret has a very private relationship with God, and it's only after she moves to New Jersey and hangs out with a new friend that she discovers that it might be weird to talk to God without a priest or a rabbi to mediate. Margaret just wants to fit in Who is God, and where is He when she needs Him?
Synopsis
Originally published: Scarsdale, N.Y.: Bradbury Press, 1970.
About the Author
Rachel Vail is the author of more than twenty books for young readers, including her first book, Wonder, about which Judy Blume said: "Wonder is wonderful. It's got energy, humor, and heart." Her four-book series, The Friendship Ring, will be reissued in Puffin in Fall 2014. Rachel grew up in New Rochelle and attended Georgetown University. She has two sons; they and their friends provide her with a wealth of material for her writing. She lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.