As ninth grade begins, April faces new familial conflicts, and her closest friend grows angry and jealous over new girl Sophie, April's cousin. While this fifth volume lacks the character development of some of the previous books, it's an approachable early-high-school story; April and her friends, by now firmly teenagers, experience slightly more sophisticated romantic situations and entanglements.

Fourteen-year-old April is entering high school along with her new friend and "almost cousin" Sophie (they share a grandfather), whose mother has just moved to Faraway. Excited and fearful, April wonders if seeing her ex-boyfriend Matt will be weird, but she looks forward to continuing on the dance team and sharing fun with her best friend, Brynn. Brynn, who is crazy about Billy, becomes jealous of Sophie when those two begin spending time together on the Student Government Association. Although April tries to convince Brynn that Billy and Sophie are not romantic, Brynn makes April's life difficult. What is more, April's mom, who is opening a boutique, fights daily with April's father about finances and the family schedule. April finds more babysitting duties thrust upon her. One bright spot is a new friendship with Leo, a teen she meets while ordering lunch at the shop next to her mother's store.This is the fifth in Friedman's The Mostly Miserable Life of April Sinclair series. Written in diary format and harmlessly fun, the short, easy-to-read books focus on friendships, family relationships, and innocent romantic attractions. Happy endings prevail. Preteen and early teen girls will probably relate well to these stories.Laura Woodruff.