Sophomore Annisa has moved from New Jersey to Florida, where she gets off on the wrong foot almost immediately, especially with the cheerleading squad. She attracts one girl's boyfriend, moves into another's recently vacated home, and hits a third in the nose with a door. So when she makes the squad, the welcome mat is not exactly out. Her most visible difference is her dark, short hair; even the team's African American coach is a blonde. In generalities, the story is predictable. By the end of the book, Annisa, the narrator, is spouting lines such as, It didn't even matter how we did at regionals on Saturday because at that moment we weren't just a squad. We were friends. Still, the specifics are fun and definitely au courant, as Annisa discovers love, friendship, and backflips as she deals with prank wars, unsupervised parties, and cheerleading crises. Since there's a lot about competitive cheerleading, the pom-pom inclined will especially like this.

Transplanted mid-year to Florida, brunette Anissa struggles to fit in on the all-blonde and mostly all-cruel cheerleading team. After inadvertently making fast enemies with most of the squad, a resilient Anissa relies on the strength of knowing herself to overcome obstacles. The lesson is a familiar one, but the likable characters and above-average writing recommend this book.

The excellent writing in this new offering from Scott, who wrote The V Club (2004) as Kate Brian, belies its silly title. Sophomore Annisa Gobrowski has moved from New Jersey to Florida, and experiences a disastrous first day at Sand Dune High School where every girl in the school is blonde. She makes quick friends with the school outcast and attracts the attention of a wonderful boy, but inadvertently alienates all of the popular girls. Alas, all of them are members of the school's crack cheerleading squad, Annisa's particular enthusiasm. Despite their hostility, she makes the squad, but suffers constant attacks from most of her teammates. Additional problems develop in a prank war with a rival school and slumping grades. The story follows Annisa's efforts to uphold her individuality while trying to make friends. Scott shows incisive insight into the culture of adolescent girls while delivering suspense and well-developed emotional conflicts that should hold young readers' interest throughout. (Fiction. YA)

Gr 7-10-Annisa, a New Jersey transplant, quickly realizes that she is the only brunette in her Florida high school full of glamorous blondes. Whether natural or bottle, none of these Barbie-doll clones are interested in Annisa, except to put her down about her looks. To make matters worse, her new best friend is a punk rebel, she is falling for a popular girl's boyfriend, and she accidentally breaks the nose of the captain of the cheerleading team. When a spot opens up on the squad, Annisa decides to go for it, even though most of the team already hates her. This is a great novel about the trials and tribulations of high school life and about being the new kid. There are good lessons to be learned about stereotyping, courage, friendship, and even time management. Scott's funny, fast-paced narrative will leave readers smiling. They, like Annisa, will realize that people are very different under their fa ades, and that it is more important to be true to oneself than to be popular. The plotline and main character are definitely "cool" enough to entice teen readers.-Marianne Fitzgerald, Severna Park High School, MD Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.