October 1, 2007
Gr 7-10-Haley and her gang are back, and once again readers must navigate their way through the novel and select their own outcome. Like the earlier installments, this title has several lackluster possibilities involving family problems, boyfriend decisions, what to do for spring break, and a shoplifting scandal. It is also didactic. For instance, turning in your friends is invariably the wrong answer, and readers are "punished" for bad choices by being forced to reread the book. Many sections end, "Hang your head and go back to page 1." Furthermore, some of the options celebrate the vacuous: "Go to page 120 if you think Haley should try a bolder look with mascara and berry red lipstick." Worse, at times the book fails on the sensitivity meter: "That one must be special ed, poor thing." This title ultimately begs the question, What if]you picked something else for your chick lit needs?"Leah Krippner, Harlem High School, Machesney Park, IL"
Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2008
Sophomore Haley has got to be the most indecisive teen ever. In this, her third "choose your own adventure"style novel, she's [cf2]still[cf1] debating her friend, boyfriend, and outfit choices, this time in the context of her sixteenth birthday. The format is confusing, the story nonexistent, and the social commentary obvious; the aggressively hip attitude comes off as just shallow.
(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)