Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

Charlotte and Frankie are typical high school sophomores struggling to be interesting in a land of boring. Nothing ever happens to them, so when Charlotte decides to write a book chronicling their lives, she suspects it's going to be pretty tedious. Shopping at the mall, hanging out with friends—this is the stuff of life as a 15-year-old but perhaps not the stuff of great literature. Except…in chronicling her life, Charlotte discovers that perhaps things aren't as boring as they thought. After all, the two white teens get to host their own New Year's Eve fancy dinner (even if it is attended by only the two of them), and they even embark on an epic road trip that might just lead to a longer adventure. The result is a charming novel about the daily ups and downs of school, love interests, friends, families, and social media. Barrows turns her keen observational eye toward teenagers, and the results are authentic and funny, filled with highly recognizable moments of teen angst and earned epiphanies. A moment in English class when some students of color question negative representation to their martinet of a teacher shines. Her characters—both teens and adults—are endowed with smart, realistic (and realistically foulmouthed) dialogue, and the problems they encounter both are believable and feel like glimpses into lives beyond the written page. Anyone who suspects their life is the most boring ever? Check out this book. (Fiction. 14-18)

ALA Booklist (Sat Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

In Barrows' (the Ivy + Bean series) new novel, Charlotte is out to prove that absolutely nothing ever happens to her and her best friend, Frankie. Charlotte starts chronicling their mundane sophomore year of high school as an ironic twist on the countless contemporary YA novels they've read. Though the focus of each chapter alternates between the two friends, their voices are similar enough that it's confusing to distinguish who is speaking from time to time. The novel's conceit at Charlotte is writing the entire thing uld account for the homogeneous characterization, since both perspectives are filtered through Charlotte's writing. Infused with witty dialogue, Barrow's novel feels incredibly genuine to the high-school experience of two best friends. From finally getting the admiration of Frankie's older brother and his friends to supporting Charlotte on a road trip to meet her longtime pen pal, the two friends learn from Charlotte's reflective manuscript that unexpected, fulfilling things do happen to them.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Charlotte and Frankie are typical high school sophomores struggling to be interesting in a land of boring. Nothing ever happens to them, so when Charlotte decides to write a book chronicling their lives, she suspects it's going to be pretty tedious. Shopping at the mall, hanging out with friends—this is the stuff of life as a 15-year-old but perhaps not the stuff of great literature. Except…in chronicling her life, Charlotte discovers that perhaps things aren't as boring as they thought. After all, the two white teens get to host their own New Year's Eve fancy dinner (even if it is attended by only the two of them), and they even embark on an epic road trip that might just lead to a longer adventure. The result is a charming novel about the daily ups and downs of school, love interests, friends, families, and social media. Barrows turns her keen observational eye toward teenagers, and the results are authentic and funny, filled with highly recognizable moments of teen angst and earned epiphanies. A moment in English class when some students of color question negative representation to their martinet of a teacher shines. Her characters—both teens and adults—are endowed with smart, realistic (and realistically foulmouthed) dialogue, and the problems they encounter both are believable and feel like glimpses into lives beyond the written page. Anyone who suspects their life is the most boring ever? Check out this book. (Fiction. 14-18)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Fifteen-year-old best friends Charlotte and Frankie believe that their lives are hopelessly dull compared to those of the characters in most of the YA literature they read. As if to prove her point, Char decides to write a novel based on their day-to-day existence. Though the girls are certain that the book will be as interesting as watching paint dry, they are surprised to learn that sophomore year can be exciting, if you pay attention. In her first work for teens, Barrows (the Ivy & Bean series) writes a realistic story about girls growing up in a suburban California town: Char and Frankie hang out, sometimes drink or smoke a bit, and think about kissing, growing up, taking chances, and feeling awkward. Their story unfolds through third-person chapters that alternate and overlap with Char-s borderline stream-of-consciousness book project: some readers will love her brash honesty, while others will find it distractingly rambling. And while plenty happens to Barrows-s characters, contrary to their own expectations, the book never exposes much about the secret lives of teenage girls. Ages 14-up. Agent: Liza Dawson, Liza Dawson Associates (Sept.)