Can You Say Catastrophe?

In this witty and empathic first book in Friedman’s Mostly Miserable Life of April Sinclair series, 13-year-old April is endlessly irritated by her younger sisters, May and June, as well as her ever-embarrassing parents. April is mortified when her sisters expose her crush on new neighbor Matt in front of Matt himself, but that’s just the beginning. In a journal-style narrative that spans several months, April recounts being kissed (and then ignored) by her best friend Billy, suffering “complete humiliation” when her sisters catch her examining herself naked in the mirror (April is self-conscious about her “tiny” butt and uneven breasts), and having her sister June point out the tampon string hanging from April’s bikini bottom at the pool (once again in front of neighbor Matt). The final straw: being forced to “re-bond” with her family on a road trip instead of attending summer camp. Friedman (the Mallory series) makes April believably melodramatic, self-absorbed, and insecure, yet keeps her fully sympathetic as she faces the confusion of growing up, changing relationships, and figuring out what truly matters. Ages 10–15. (Oct.)