Book was great for high schoolers, not for middle schoolers! I'm guessing it received Sequoyah nomination as Intermediate because of reading level, but should have received for HS Level in my opinion. Great book to discuss bullying, diversity, socioeconomic levels. Really shows the mind set of an unhappy teenage girl. ( )

4.5 stars

I haven't worked in a public school in many years, but this struck me as a realistic portrayal of bullying. It doesn't end with the kind of resolution I cheer for in the movies, where the bullied triumphs over the bully in a dazzling display of genius, talent or newly developed ninja skills. But I was happy with how it was resolved. It was very persuasive, comparing Piddy's not wanting to report Yaqui to the school and Joey's mom not wanting to report her abusive husband to the police. I hope having a protagonist make the choice Piddy made will set an example for readers who are also victims of bullying.

Not my usual choice of book topics, but I read it for the library's teen book club, and I think it's going to generate good discussion. ( )

With the first sentence of the book Piddy Sanchez is informed by a stranger named Vanessa that Yaqui Delgado wants to kick her ass. Piddy does not even know Yaqui Delgado because she and her single mom just moved to a new neighborhood in Queens, NY and therefore a new school. Within the next two pages, she learns that she is stuck up and shakes her ass. This information comes from her new, nerdy friend Darlene who is in all her honors classes, and who also happens to be a student aide in the guidance office. “Interesting. I’ve only had an ass for about six months, and now it seems it has a mind of its own.” (3) The title and this remark might lead one to think that this will be a lighthearted exploration of bullying but the girls will end up being best friends in the end. That is not what unfolds because this is a powerful, realistic look at bullying and how it can quickly and dramatically change a great student's life. As the threats and violence escalate, Piddy does not know where to turn even though her mother is loving and Lila, her mother’s best friend, is a supportive presence in both their lives and she slowly disintegrates beneath the pressure. Medina addresses myriad issues such as domestic violence, friendship, romantic awakening, an absent father, and coming of age which could have become cumbersome but she deftly weaves it all together in a plausible and affecting way. ( )

middlegrade/teen fiction. Great characters and a high school bullying experience that is all too real, but fortunately ends happily, thanks to Piddy's friend Rob (who is, himself, being teased/called a homosexual) giving school officials an anonymous tip. Aside from not getting along with her schoolmates, Piddy also gets into a situation with another boy that could very well have left her pregnant (parents, talk to your kids about setting boundaries before they get in these situations!) but, also fortunately for her, it stops before it gets much past 2nd (or is that 3rd?) base. ( )

Really great novel about life as a teenager. Piddy is a smart Latina who is being bullied at school. As the bullying continues, Piddy begins changing in heartbreaking and self-destructive ways. Medina creates an incredibly realistic character and we understand why she does what she does, even though we don't want her to do them. ( )