Laura Toffler-Corrie

Fourteen-year-old Jenna is the world’s most awkward middle schooler and babysitter. She spends half the book bemoaning the ugly clothes her “communist” mothers buys in bulk, while stumbling and mumbling her way awkwardly through every situation (including babysitting) in the other half.

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This story was a fun read filled with all sorts of humor. Jenna Bloom is a geeky middle schooler. She is certain she is a genetic throwback to a long-lost princess. Unfortunately she has to deal with a father who always has his iPod cranked and consequently has checked out of the family except to read lips once in a while, a mom who shops at the Bulk Emporium instead of Maud's Chic Fashion Boutique, and a brother who is always eating or emitting "airy bodily emissions." Jenna also has to deal with the neighborhood boy named Jared Needleman who has a major crush on Jenna but who is also an oblivious know-it-all and David Lipski, the out-of-control child that she babysits for.

Jenna's birthday celebration marks a turning point for her. On the down side, her parents give her an ugly family heirloom pendant instead of her desired gift certificate. But on the upside, her waiter is Luke who is absolutely adorable. Jenna immediately falls in love. When she meets him again at school she learns that he is an angel who was sent to protect her at this time of equinox when something evil is coming for her. Then Adam shows up. It quickly becomes clear that he is the evil that Luke was talking about. He kidnaps David and turns into a wolf or a crow. He demands that Jenna give him the ugly necklace.

Along with this rivalry and the danger is the community theater's production of Fiddler on the Roof with teenage actors. Jenna winds up doing costumes despite the fact that she has no experience or skills. Adam and Luke both wind up with main roles. Jenna's former friend who dumped her for the popular crowd is cast as the lead and immediately makes a play for both boys. One running joke through the book is that the director can't remember anyone's name and constantly calls everyone by some similar name.

Another running joke is that Jared is constantly talking about the documentaries he and father make for the local cable access channel. They have titles like Fowl Friends: Birds Who Give a Hoot. They give Jared a chance to be a know-it-all.

I liked the characters in this story especially Jenna. She was kind-hearted and loyal. She accepted her family's and friends foibles as though they were normal. I liked that she was klutzy and constantly having injuries in Phy Ed. which she treated as normal. I liked her self-deprecating humor.

This was an enjoyable story that middle graders and young adults should like. The humor is what stands out. Both the romance plot and the plot about the pendant seem to take a backseat to it.… (meer)