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Book Review of How to Be Popular

How to Be Popular
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Helpful Score: 1


Steph Landry has been unpopular ever since she accidentally spilled a slurpee over queen bee Lauren Moffat's skirt in sixth grade. Now, nearly 5 years later, Lauren has still not forgiven Steph, and everyone in town uses the phrase "Don't pull a Steph!" when talking about doing something stupid or klutzy.

But Steph has had enough of it. She's going to be popular, with the help of a book she found in her best friend Jason's grandmother's attic. The book's going to teach her how to be popular, including but not limited to, wardrobe fixes, being nice, fixing bad reputations, maintaining old friendship, and so on.

So what if her old friends Jason and Becca think she's going crazy by ditching the "criminal mastermind" she used to be? She's friends with Darlene now, the prettiest girl in school! So what if Becca's developing a misconstrued crush on Jason? Steph's making friends with Mark Finley, the most popular and nicest senior in school, who is also Her One. (Only he doesn't know it yet.) So what if it really bugs her that Becca's obsessed with Jason? She's got Mark.

Or does she?

Does Steph really have anything at all? She plans an amazing fundraiser for the senior class, and even Lauren Moffat is being nicer to her. But when Steph is forced to choose between staying loyal to her family and old friends, and being on her new friends' good side by holding a party, which will she choose?

With a memorable cast of minor characters and a sweet ending everyone will root for, Meg Cabot has delivered another crowd-pleaser. HOW TO BE POPULAR is not a book on ditching one's true character in order to be accepted. The book actually contains some good advice in addition to being a good read, too.