Up till now, Bindy's life has been ok. She had a best friend, Janey, who was practically like a sister, she lived with her easygoing Dad, and her brother Kyle wasn't too big of a pain. But suddenly, everything is changing. Janey is no longer her best friend, Dad is dating Janey's mom Liz, and Bindy's workaholic and absent mother is trying to get back into her life. And then there was the Very Worst Day at school. Followed by an Even Worse Day at school. And Bindy makes some surprising discoveries about her family and friends.

I really sympathized with Bindy's character - she's always the one asked to compromise, to forgive, to move on. Other people have "issues" that seem to entitle them to special treatment, although they're not flatly stereotyped characters, but do show depth and change. Bindy gets angry but always calms down and gets up and keeps going. While it may not be much consolation to her now, in the future she's probably going to have a better life - and fewer ulcers - than the others. So there. (Yeah, I felt strongly about Bindy)

Verdict: Kids that feel like everything's happening to them and no one cares will appreciate Bindy's low-key drama. I enjoyed reading it, but have no major regrets that it's out of print.

ISBN: 978-0385732949; Published April 2006 by Delacorte; Borrowed from the library

Bindy's year at secondary school starts badly, her best friend turns into her No. 1 enemy, and worse, may even become her sister if her mother has her way! ( )

Lifelong best friends Janie and Belinda, aka “Bindy” have parted ways because Janie has become interested in clothes and boys and Bindy still wants to watch cartoons. What starts as a minor disagreement turns into a full blown war. Just when things couldn’t get worse, Janie’s mother and Bindy’s father start dating – and it turns serious. Bindy has to do whatever it takes to make sure she doesn’t get Janie as a stepsister. ( )

Yr 7 - Yr 8
Life is about to get rocky for Bindy and her innocent bewilderment is our introduction to the complexities of relationship. Initially, the focus of the novel centres on Bindy and janey, her best friend. However, we soon find that moving to a new year level creates a rift between the friends. For both girls the realisation that Bindy's father and Janey's mother are an item contributes to adolescent hysteria.

An exploration of the challenges of renegotiating relationships. ( )

Bindy and her best friend Janey are entering high school, but Janey soons drops Bindy to start hanging out with a new crowd. A new and meaner crowd. Soon, Janey and her friends are tormenting Bindy. And, to make things worse, her dad starts dating Janey's mom. Somehow Bindy manages to find a place for herself and survive her freshman year. I really liked the end of this one a lot!! If you want to know why, read it and ask me. ( )