Boys, Girls, and Other Hazardous Materials by Rosalind Wiseman

Title: Boys, Girls, and Other Hazardous Materials
Author: Rosalind Wiseman
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (January 12, 2010)
Pages: 288
Source: Publisher/Editor
Reading Level: Young Adult

Charlie Healey thinks Harmony Falls is the beginning of a whole new life. Middle School was brutal. Mean girls were all around her. But High School’s going to be Charlie’s big chance to start over and stay out of drama, except that on her first day who does she run into? None other than Will, her ex-best friend, who had moved away. Now he’s back, looking a lot cuter and hanging out with a questionable crew. But Charlie doesn’t understand just how questionable until an innocent delivery guy falls victim to a near-deadly hazing prank.

All Charlie wanted to do was have a drama-free freshman year, but now she must decide whether to turn in her very best friend, who just told her he loves her, or live with the guilt of knowing what he did.

Rosalind Wiseman’s first novel for young adults is a fresh, funny, and juicy read about friendship, betrayal, and how far some will go to be accepted.

Boys, Girls, and Other Hazardous Materials is a humorous, realistic, unique novel about a typical girl's life in high school with friendship and acceptance. I absolutely loved this book. Wiseman just kept me so absorbed that I consumed this in one sitting.

Wiseman's writing is amazing. It's unique and it's addicting. She knows exactly what teenagers want to read. She talks about issues, friendship, anything that happens in high school. I could relate to this book so easily since I go through these types of things on a day-to-day basis.

Charlie was a fun, kind, and a tiny bit shy. I loved her personality. She had a rough time all throughout her middle school life. There was peer pressure, and her friends were mean, popular such-ups. But when she got into high school, everything had changed. She knew more about the teen world based on her previous, not-so-nice middle school experiences. Her character wasn't unique or original, but Wiseman makes her unique and original, Wiseman is that good. She turns her into someone totally new. You think she's one of those "wanna-be's," but in the end, she's not. Sydney and Nidhi were fun and quirky characters. Yes, they'd get into fights about boys, Charlie's ex-best friends, but in the end, everything just works out fine.

I recommend this to all teenagers. This is definitely reminiscent of your high school life. An amazing and unforgettable YA debut from Rosalind Wiseman.

Cover: .5

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