Boys, Girls, and other Hazardous Materials by Rosalind Wiseman

Title: Boys, Girls, & Other Hazardous Materials

Author: Rosalind Wiseman

Published: January 2010 by Putnam

Pages: 288

ISBN: 9780399247965

Source: ARC provided by Around The World Tours

Description:  Looking for a new beginning after a terrible mean girl past, Charlie Healey realizes there’s no escaping high school drama.  Charlie Healey thinks Harmony Falls is the beginning of a whole new life. Middle school was brutal. But high school is Charlie’s big chance to start over and stay out of drama, except that on her first day she runs into Will, her ex–best friend, who had moved away. Now a varsity athlete and hotter than Charlie remembered, Will hangs with the crowd running the school. But Charlie doesn’t understand their power until an innocent delivery guy falls victim to a near-deadly hazing prank. Torn between doing what’s right and her secret feelings for Will, Charlie must decide whether to turn in her very best friend or live with the guilt of knowing what he did.



I Give This ...

I liked this book, it just felt like the intended audience was a little younger than I was expecting.  The main character is a freshman in high school so I'm not sure why I was expecting a little bit more mature YA.  I liked Charlie though.  She's just learning who she is and how not to let people walk over her.  I thought she was very brave for going to a brand new school to try and overcome what happened in the past.  She handled herself extremely well for the situations she was put in.  She didn't compromise herself to fit in with the "it" crowd.  I liked her group of friends.  They provided the comic and occasionally the voice of reason.  I also felt like they acted their age.  I was happy to see her make friends with someone she unintentionally hurt in the past.  I did feel it was a little predictable, but not enough to make me feel like putting the book down.  It had just enough drama and surprises to keep the story going.  I'm intrigued to read the author's book that is the basis for the movie Mean Girls.