Gr 7 Up—Louise Rennison returns with a sassy new heroine—14-year-old Tallulah Casey, younger cousin of Georgia Nicholson and, hopefully, a future star of stage and screen—in this charming novel (HarperTeen, 2011). While attending summer classes at a prestigious Yorkshire performing arts academy, Tallulah hopes to hone her budding talents and blossom into an artistic genius. Unfortunately, nothing goes as planned. Her host family is obsessed with squirrels and bowl haircuts, her teachers are quite insane, her crush thinks she's a kid, and her abundance of knees—and lack of corkers—are a constant source of insecurity. Plus, there's a certain bad boy always lurking below her window, and Tallulah can't decide whether to lust after or despise him. Despite a few disasters, the teen makes amazing new friends, experiences her first snog (with a real actual boy-person!), and finally learns what it means to fill her tights. Tallulah is absolutely delightful, and her snarky observations will have listeners laughing out loud. The British slang takes some getting used to, however. Peppered throughout are references to the Bronte sisters. As with the author's "The Confessions of Georgia Nicholson" series (HarperTeen), quirky characters and hilarious situations abound, but it's not necessary to be familiar with Georgia's misadventures to enjoy Tallulah's antics. Rennison's narration sounds far too mature for Tallulah and her friends, and she does little to distinguish between male and female voices. Although distracting, this doesn't diminish the absolute brilliance of this coming-of-age story, the first title in a new series.—
Alissa LeMerise, Oxford Public Library, MIMathematics
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