Representation: Black characters
Trigger warnings: Bullying
Score: Seven points out of ten.
This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.

This was a book that was part of the library reading challenge of the month. The goals were to read a poetry book, a graphic novel and a horror book. This meets the second goal.
I picked this up only because I had to and also I read the third and fourth books in the series, the second one was nowhere to be found at the time I read this and the fifth one is coming soon, and guess what, I enjoyed it like the other instalments in the series. It starts with the main character Natalie or Nat for short and she before moving to another school in book four she arrives at her then-new school which I will call Midway from this point onward and here's the most significant aspect about Nat: at first she doesn't feel like enough, hence the title, and she keeps telling me that she isn't athletic enough, cool enough, you get the idea. Did I mention her friend abandoned her for another one (that sounds familiar) and I felt sympathetic towards Nat. The middle part of the novel is slightly more intriguing when Nat tries to do things but that doesn't work out too well but eventually Nat starts making friendships with new characters, unfortunately I struggled to remember them due to character soup and them not being well written I suppose. The end was enjoyable to read, the theatre part was okay but the creative writing part is where Nat shines as an artist and now she feels like enough. Oh and that jelly frog scene, so entertaining! That's it. The only book I haven't read is the second one so I'll get it if it's there. ( )

Representation: Black characters
Trigger warnings: Bullying
Score: Seven points out of ten.
This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.

This was a book that was part of the library reading challenge of the month. The goals were to read a poetry book, a graphic novel and a horror book. This meets the second goal.
I picked this up only because I had to and also I read the third and fourth books in the series, the second one was nowhere to be found at the time I read this and the fifth one is coming soon, and guess what, I enjoyed it like the other instalments in the series. It starts with the main character Natalie or Nat for short and she before moving to another school in book four she arrives at her then-new school which I will call Midway from this point onward and here's the most significant aspect about Nat: at first she doesn't feel like enough, hence the title, and she keeps telling me that she isn't athletic enough, cool enough, you get the idea. Did I mention her friend abandoned her for another one (that sounds familiar) and I felt sympathetic towards Nat. The middle part of the novel is slightly more intriguing when Nat tries to do things but that doesn't work out too well but eventually Nat starts making friendships with new characters, unfortunately I struggled to remember them due to character soup and them not being well written I suppose. The end was enjoyable to read, the theatre part was okay but the creative writing part is where Nat shines as an artist and now she feels like enough. Oh and that jelly frog scene, so entertaining! That's it. The only book I haven't read is the second one so I'll get it if it's there. ( )

When they enter middle school, Natalie's best friend Lily drops her like a hot potato for cool girl Alex. Natalie is unable to see or believe that Lily is not still her best friend, and tailors her every action/dress/speech to try to get Lily back. Nat's new friends, Zoe and Flo, finally help her see the truth: Lily has never been a good friend to Nat, and Nat has new friends right in front of her - and the talent to win a story contest with her graphic novel.

See also: Berrybrook Middle School series by Svetlana Chmakova, Invisible Emmie series by Terri Libenson

Quotes

"You're a bigger bully to yourself than any of those people" (the woman in the mirror to Nat, 74)

"Why would you want to be friends with someone who is so mean to you?" (Zoe to Nat, 123)

"Why do you care what people think?...Maybe you should focus on who you are instead of who you aren't." (girl with hair in her face to Nat, 154-156)

How to Make A Book instructions, 199

"I'm pretty sure the weirdest people have the most fun." (Flo, 215) ( )

Recommended Ages: Gr. 5-8

Plot Summary: Natalie's first day of junior high isn't what she expects. After moving to another neighborhood over the summer, her best friend Lily ignores her, hangs out with another super cool girl, and isn't kind to Natalie. Natalie focuses on how to get Lily back as her best friend, trying a new hat to be stylish, auditioning for the school play, and trying ballroom dancing like everyone else at school. Will any of these things work? Will Natalie find her way in junior high?

Setting:

Characters:
Natalie -
Lily - Natalie's best friend, bossed Natalie around
Alex - AKA magazine girl, Lily's new best friend, super cool hairdo
Zoe - helps Natalie up after she falls in gym, sit together at lunch, blunt yet kind about how Lily treats Natalie
Derek - Natalie's crush, in advanced classes with Natalie, likes comics
Shawn - always grumpy, bully tendencies, calls Nat a dog and barks at her

Recurring Themes: confidence, self-discovery, friendship, first crush, popularity, nerd

Controversial Issues: none

Personal Thoughts: This book had many clever one liners and one-page animal cartoons that made me laugh. I think this book is more appropriate for the ages above because of the changes of switching to a junior high and the negative self-talk. Even with the negative self-talk, Natalie somehow manages to have confidence as she tries new things. The humor and light-heartedness is less intense than the friendships in Raina's books and the Best Friends series, but they're still real and relatable.

Genre: realistic fiction

Pacing: fast, graphic novel
Characters: some characters not developed that well but that could be because Nat doesn't know them yet either
Frame:
Storyline:

Activity: ( )