ALA Booklist

Sixth grader Elyse suffers from a bizarre (and fictional) disease: cognadjivisibilitis, or the visual appearance of words on one's skin when someone levels a compliment or insult. In addition to all of the expected perils of middle school, such as dealing with mean girls, coping with a failed romance, and relating to parents, Elyse must live with itchy skin rashes that spell out the adjectives that others use to describe her. When she receives a mysterious offer to help with her condition, she discovers just how powerful words can be, especially those that are hurtful. Throughout her daily dermatological irritation, Elyse manages to maintain an insightful humor. Cooper's debut novel is sweet and sincere, offering up a fantastically far-fetched metaphor that reminds readers why they must be kind to themselves and to others. Without being heavy-handed or sad, the book encourages resilience and addresses the pervasive self-esteem issues that plague so many young people today.

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

Sixth-grader Elyse was born with "cognadjivisibilitis," a disorder in which the words that anyone uses to describe Elyse appear on her body for weeks at a time. While nice words like "awesome" or "cool" are soothing, unkind words such as "dork" or "loser" itch a lot, and they're more prevalent now that Elyse's protective best friend has abandoned her for the mean popular girls. When someone starts leaving Elyse notes encouraging her to participate more in school, she learns to overcome her fears, make new friends, and become a leader. Self-acceptance is the key in Cooper's debut, but Elyse's struggle to get there is painfully realistic. Her interior thoughts and monthly letters to herself reveal a healthy sense of humor ("Holy high heels, he had eyeballs! That was a surprise considering he was such a furry guy"), but it's Elyse's kindness, perseverance, and smarts that help her rebuild her self-esteem. Cooper's stance on bullying is clear: words can-and do-hurt, but their power over you is only as strong as you allow them to be. Ages 10-12. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (July)

Voice of Youth Advocates (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

For new sixth grader Elyse Everett, words have dominated her life. She is the victim of a rare genetic disorder, Cognadjivisibilitis, in which every word used to describe her appears on her arms and legs. When she was a baby, the words were positive, but as she becomes older, kids have become meaner and the words have become hurtful"loser," "pathetic," and "freak." Elyse is sure, however, that middle school will be "different" and "normal," because she has a cute boyfriend and an amazing best friend. Sadly, best friend Jeg is gravitating towards Snotty Ami and her Loud Crowd, just as would-be boyfriend Liam dumps her for being too weird. Elyse now seems to have only one chance to change her life. If the principal picks her to be Explorer Leader for the all-important class trip, she can offer everyone new words like "smart," "brave," and "awesome."In a not entirely successful mingling of magical realism and middle school anguish, Cooper looks at the way in which words, like sticks and stones, wound and destroy us. While Elyse's condition is, of course, imaginary, the idea that the labels we are assigned can be as visible on our skin as they are on our souls is an intriguing one. Elyse is a quirky and appealing protagonist, although the other characters, including her parents, are less well defined. Although the first-person narrative rambles and the ending is slightly contrived, this title is a good addition to middle school collections.Jamie Hansen.