Review - Boys, Girls, and Other Mazardous Materials by Rosalind Wiseman

Published by Putnam Juvenile
Published 12 January 2010

Summary from Goodreads - Looking for a new beginning after a terrible mean girl past, Charlie Healey realizes there’s no escaping high school drama 

Charlie Healey thinks Harmony Falls is the beginning of a whole new life. Middle school was brutal. But high school is Charlie’s big chance to start over and stay out of drama, except that on her first day she runs into Will, her ex–best friend, who had moved away. Now a varsity athlete and hotter than Charlie
remembered, Will hangs with the crowd running the school. But Charlie doesn’t understand their power until an innocent delivery guy falls victim to a near-deadly hazing prank.

Torn between doing what’s right and her secret feelings for Will, Charlie must decide whether to turn in her very best friend or live with the guilt of knowing what he did. 

When I realised that Wiseman was writing a book for teens, I was immensely excited.  I mean, this is the woman was the inspiration behind the movie Mean Girls, which resonated with teens everywhere.  I expected this book to be a smart witty insight into the mind of a teenager and one which captures the heart of teenagers and portrays them unlike any other.  I really really wanted to love this book, but I was left with a bitter aftertaste.

I found the characters to be rather two dimensional, and there was never anything about them that really stood out to me as a reader.  I even had to read the summary again to remind myself what the characters were called.  Charlie in particular didn't have many redeeming aspects to her character, she was plain in all senses of the word.  The plotline was unimpressive and rather lacklustre and full of cliches that should've worked, but just didn't capture my attention.

One thing that did resonate with me was the message it projects to its readers. Peer Pressure is something that affects nearly every teenager, whether to stay out past curfew, to smoke behind the bike shed or even to loose your virginity.  I'm glad this was incorporated into the novel.  I think if the characters had been more life like and relateable and the plotline was woven into something beleivable and rivetting, I would've loved this book.  But don't take my word for it, try it yourself.