Robin Palmer
Puffin Books (2008)
ISBN 9780142403921
Reviewed by Casey Holt (age 14) for Reader Views (3/08)
“Cindy Ella” is about an average, unpopular, teenage girl. Cindy thinks that prom is silly, but her step-mom and step-sisters think otherwise. They can’t wait for it, and they are constantly talking about it and shopping for it and planning for it. So she writes a letter to her school newspaper complaining about the prom, and how it’s just a giant scam to make girls feel bad about themselves. Her letter gets printed! This just makes her more unpopular.
As everyone is getting ready for the prom, she is crushing on three boys, or so she thinks. She spills her feelings out to brklynboy, her IM buddy, thinking that he lives in Brooklyn and will never meet her. On the night of the prom, she gets a huge surprise! Cindy gets on IM, and brklynboy says, “How ’bout I pick you up at 7?” Cindy is so confused! “What? I thought you lived in Brooklyn.” Brooklynboy tells her that he lived in Brooklyn until he was four, and that he now lives in NicholsCanyon. Where she lives! THEN he tells her that he is Adam Silver, the most popular boy in her entire school, that she’s had a crush on for ages! “Wow!” She can’t believe it. “Can you pick me up at 8 instead of 7? Oh yeah, and where are we going?” “It’s a surprise.” Adam tells her that Noah, her tutor whom she recently learned was gay, had set them up. In a panic, she calls her tutor, Noah. “I think that you and Craig have a prom to go to, but seeing that you set this up, I think it’s only fair that you get your butts over here and help me get ready.” Noah and Craig come as fast as they can, and with the help of her step-mom’s credit card and makeup, she’s ready to go! She goes, and gets her first real kiss, and her second, and third, and fourth, and fifth…….
I thought “Cindy Ella” was a really good book! I enjoyed it a lot. I would recommend this book to girls ages 12 and up.
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