The one weird thing I've noticed, though, is a lack of siblings. Adults are supportive, for the most part - no Dahlian parents or teachers here! You know, had my middle school been peopled with these characters, I'd have had crushes on 90% of the population, both teachers and students! Shyness, bullying, social acceptance, competition, working together, friendship, forgiveness, parental pressure to succeed, family fighting, and daily middle school survival are all themes in this story.Ĭharacters have defined personalities beyond the way they're drawn, which are built up further in Brave. Regardless, it's a great start, following the very likeable and relatable Penelope as she enters a new school and makes a mistake the very first day, a gaffe that haunts her for weeks to come. Everything that comes off so gracefully in the next book - diverse characters, middle-school problems, family problems - feel a little more forced, less organic, in this first volume. Awkward is a little awkward, it doesn't quite have its flow, yet. That leaves a spot for Jazmine, who was already one of Olivia's good friends.I'm glad I read the second book, Brave, first because it put this one into a more favorable context I think I'd have been peevish in my reading had I not known what comes next. He leaves his best friends for James, the top quarterback in the entire school.
He soon realizes that he's completely speechless when he's around her, and he has no idea why, until he realizes that he likes her.Īs the story goes on, Garrett, Jorge's friend seems to separate from the group. He's a middle schooler, like everyone else, but everyone knows not to mess with him because of his size.īut one day, Jorge runs into Jazmine, a girl from the drama club. Jorge is the bully-preventor at Berrybrook Middle School. But when the group dynamic among the boys starts to shift, will Jorge be able to balance what his friends expect of him versus what he actually wants? The only time he ever really feels off his game is when he crosses paths with a certain girl. He's big enough that nobody really messes with him. Following the overwhelming success of Awkward and Brave, Svetlana Chmakova's award winning Berrybrook Middle School series continues with its next installment - CRUSH!
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