Flashcards of My Life: A Novel
by Charise Mericle Harper
Published by Little Brown and Company
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Reviewed by Maria Hoeffer
Oh, those awkward days of junior high! Friendships teeter-totter, crushes make you crazy and your parents really just don't get it at all. For her birthday, Emily receives Flashcards of My Life--Cards All About You a type of journal on small cards.
At first it seems kind of lame, but then Emily really gets into it, stirring up her creative juices and spilling her juicy secrets (ohmigod, wait till you read the kiss card!). The cards give Emily a place to really explore how she is feeling and discover new insights about herself.
Emily is totally authentic about her feelings and her self doubts. She struggles with the popular girls ("the Sarahs"), with crushes on boys and with her family, but through it all she writes her insights and feelings, carrying us along with her. The best touches to this book are the illustrations. Emily doodles in her journal and provides us with a real sense that she is just a regular kid we can all relate to.
This book is great for a middle schooler or someone in junior high who could use a laugh and a reminder that others feel the way they do. It is also a great read for adults who want/need a reminder about just how tough it is to be in the "tween" years.
Armchair Interviews says: The book is full of laughs but also gives hope about surviving those tough times when it feels like nobody understands.