The writing was good, but I just couldn't get into it. Although the story has merit, I think this might skew too mature for my students.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

After her closest friend has a kidney transplant and has to be out of school. Serena finds her way in school while also learning how to still be friends with JC who has seemed to change after her time away. As a vlogger, Serena is trying to find her voice both online and in school.

I really wanted to enjoy this story, but there were parts that felt disconnected to me. There were parts that are sweet, like helping her fellow student earn back points lost on an assignment. I liked how Serena learned more about herself as the school year continued. This would be a wonderful book to share with students that are new or had a few changes as they became older elementary students.

Thanks for the free NetGalley ARC which didn't influence this review.

This book is a great reminder of the benefits of true friendship, being yourself & speaking up. Serena finds her inner voice and is navigating what it means to have a true friend.

I loved Serena! She is a new voice that I welcome to my library and I love sharing this book. The right balance of friendship, growing up, and good use of technology. I love how this book uses her vlog attempts to. capture the essence of her voice. This is one that I have already purchased and kids are loving!

I really enjoyed reading this middle grade book.

The main character, Serena, is lost and trying to find her way as she begins vlogging. Her best friend undergoes a kidney transplant, and as Serena realizes that they aren't as close as she thought. Amongst all of this she is also trying to navigate the new 6th grade world, which comes with its own challenges. As she grows and gains confidence, you see Serena begin to stand out and speak up for herself. I loved watching her grow as a character throughout this book!

I loved how Davis portrays that friendships grow and change, but that does not mean they have to end.

Serena is a bit of a shadow call of best friend JC. Serena is a vlogger who is trying to find her voice.

I really enjoyed the middle-grade book. The main character is lost and is trying to find her way. She will not speak up for herself and it's very depressing.

The author's writing style was clear and understandable. The characters I could relate to. The storyline was as realistic because that is what preteens go through. The dialogue between the characters was real, relatable, and funny. The things of this book were friendships, trust, self-esteem, peer pressure, and siblings. I really enjoyed the story. I am eager to learn more about this author. I recommend this book to tweens and young adults. I give this book five stars.

Serena and JC have been best friends for years, but 6th grade brings lots of changes. JC gets a kidney transplant, she and Serena are not as close, and everything seems to be changing. Serena Says absolutely gets the character arc for Serena right: Serena makes mistakes, she grows and learns, she makes new friends, and learns that even though friendships change they do not have to end. 5/5 stars.

The first thing I note about this book is that both Serena and JC are at fault for the change in their relationship. Both have changed and both of their decisions are making things worse between them. Additionally, we're dealing with a kid post-transplant. She doesn't feel like a new person - she's trying to go back to "normal" and thus ignores medical advice. She skips her meds and struggles with feelings that divide her from her life the ways she wants it to be. But the central focus, of course, is on Serena and her exploration of herself. She's learning to define herself apart from her friend, deciding what kind of person she wants to be. While these are typical goals for middle grade fiction, Davis acknowledges that the emotions involved are not clean cut, that somethings are not fixable and that the best we can hope for is a new normal.

Serena deals with a changing best friendship, some times with more maturity than at other times. Her former best friend is recovering from a kidney transplant and somehow their best friend status seems to be slipping away. Another friend is dealing with a brother with mental illness, and Serena is also trying to figure out how to be a good friend to him. And then there is figuring out where she belongs in the 6th grade hierarchy...so much to figure out! but Serena does it all with grace. As she gains confidence in her writing, her voice, and her self, she eventually publishes the vlog posts she's been practicing. Serena Says features a diverse group of 6th grade kids, and though it doesn't ignore race, it mainly focuses on the universality of middle school relationships.

Tanita Davis nails the character arc in this one! Serena gathers confidence and maturity throughout the book, finally getting brave enough to post her vlogs and stand up for and believe in herself.

GAHHHH! I loved this book! I love Serena's character and her big sis, Fallon. The mom is fan-freaking-tastic! There were multiple times I approached my fifth grade daughter saying 'look, look at this passage! This is exactly what I told you!' What a beautiful tale of friends growing up - and the harsh, emotional reality when friends grow apart. I am seeking out more of this author's books!

Serena's voice is strong, unique, and relatable. I loved reading an MG book about a black girl that focuses on something other than trauma! Serena's experiences with family, friends, school, etc. are appropriate and largely universal.

Serena Says by Tanita S. Davis, 2020
Recommended for grades 4-8; realistic fiction

Serena St. John’s long-time best friend JC is in the hospital recovering from a kidney transplant, and as class ambassador, Serena is excited to get to go visit her. But then Serena gets a bit of a cold, and JC’s weakened immune system means that she can’t have sick visitors. So the new kid, Leilani, goes to visit her instead. What’s worse, once JC finally gets out of the hospital, she starts hanging out with Leilani more. Serena doesn’t get to see her BFF very often, and when they do hang out, Leilani is usually there, too. JC even backs out of the project that the girls were planning to do together for the school’s annual WinterFest. Serena feels like she’s been replaced. It doesn’t help that Leilani is somewhat of an overachiever at school.

Then the vice principal Mrs. Henry puts Serena on Student Senate. Serena is not happy; everyone knows that Student Senate is “pointless” because “everyone knows that teachers and Mrs. Henry are the ones who make the rules.” Serena thought it was stupid when her older sister Fallon was involved in revising the student constitution, and she doesn’t think any more highly of her own new role in student government. But Mrs. Henry tells her that it’s a good opportunity for her to “stand out and speak up”, so Serena grumpily allows herself to be given tasks and put on a subcommittee. Together with Harrison, a classmate she doesn’t especially like, Serena is in charge of planning student activities for Red Ribbon Week, another of the many special events designed to emphasize school spirit. Harrison clearly doesn’t expect much participation from Serena, so it comes as a surprise to him when she’s full of spontaneous ideas.

As the story progresses, the plot starts to lose its cohesiveness. Halloween, school events, and bickering between the sisters are added without any real connection to other elements of the story. At one point, Serena finds out that Harrison’s older brother is a patient at the mental health facility where her mother works. Serena can’t resist the urge to share this piece of gossip with JC for a little attention. Although she feels extremely guilty for a couple chapters, there are no consequences and the incident is quickly forgotten by everyone. WinterFest preparations play a recurring role in the story, and a major school project about Ancient Egypt becomes a major focus towards the end of the book. There’s also a short-lasted subplot involving JC’s birthday party and a special heirloom dress she wants Serena to wear so that she doesn’t have to wear it herself. But again, none of these elements are really tied together, and the order of events seems somewhat random.

Throughout all of these school events, friendship crises, and family squabbles, Serena regularly records a practice vlog called Serena Says in which she shares personal anecdotes, gives advice, and sometimes talks about books or DIY projects. These videos are included in the book in the form of transcripts. I know I’ve seen that a few reviewers didn’t like the vlog element, and the SLJ review said that their “purpose” is “unclear”, but I actually felt that they contributed to the thematic consistency of the story and added a significant appeal factor for middle-grade readers. (Like it or not, most kids in that age range spend a lot of time on Youtube and get a lot of ideas and advice from their favorite vloggers) And I think it’s worth acknowledging that the vlog sections are where Serena’s character development really shows.

At the beginning of the book, her confidence and self-worth are heavily tied to her identity as “student ambassador” and JC’s BFF. In fact, she’s oblivious to the fact that her teachers and peers see a lot of leadership potential in her. But by the end of the book, she’s gained the confidence to start uploading some of her videos and she’s enjoying using them to showcase her creativity. She also frequently makes comments about “speaking up” or sharing her story, which starts out as something of a catchphrase that she says without meaning. But later in the story, she does learn when and how to speak her mind. Whether it’s asking for group extra credit in school, expressing herself to JC, or communicating her crafty ideas on her vlog, she acquires the skills to actually “stand out and speak up” as Mrs. Henry encouraged her to do earlier in the book.

My overall opinion is that this book is a little lacking in the quality of the plot, but it more than makes up for that in Serena’s believable, likable character and the real-life lessons she learns along the way. It also deserves credit for being an “own voices” book about an African American protagonist while also depicting Filipino-American culture (that is, JC’s family) and tactfully portraying both physical long-term illness and mental health problems. This combination of appeal factors and relevant messages make the book well worth the read.

Serena Says is a slice of life story about Serena's 1st semester of 6th grade after her best friends gets a kidney transplant. Serena and JC lose touch after a new girl comes to school.

The best thing about this book is the effortless diversity. Most of the characters are different from each other and it's not a big deal. I also like that Serena is a Black character and her story doesn't revolve around Black pain.

I found that the student's actions in student senate seemed a little too old for middle schoolers. They came off too old and responsible.

The story is cute overall. I liked the vlogging elements and the characters.

Serena and JC have been best friends since fourth grade. Why should sixth grade be any different? But it is. Serena soon learns that friendships can change and she needs to find her own voice instead of depending on others to speak for her. I loved this book!!

Serena is trying to navigate middle school while dealing with the critical illness of her best friend, JC. JC’s recent kidney transplant has kept the two girls apart, and on the day Serena can finally see her in person again, she comes down with a cold. Instead, the new girl, Lani, is sent as class ambassador. Lani and JC strike up a friendship which leaves Serena on the outside. Lani permanently takes over Serena’s spot as class ambassador and JC’s best friend. Serena is instead placed on the nerdy Student Senate, As Serena works through her hurt feelings with the help of her sister, mother and new friends she makes on Student Senate, she realizes she does have leadership skills, and new friends can be found in middle school. The reader follows Serena’s thoughts and struggles through the script of a vlog that Serena has been working on and is trying to find the courage to share publicly.

This is a mild, but good middle grade story of dealing with change in middle school, and having the courage to be yourself and try new things. This would be a good addition to school libraries that are trying to diversify their collections.

Serena and JC have been best friends for a long time, but their relationship seems to be changing. JC who is recovering from a kidney transplant has been spending more time with another classmate. Serena is navigating this changing friendship, as well as challenges of a group project at school. This is a relatable middle grade novel about friendship and finding one's voice.

This was a really sweet story about chronic illness and friendship. I loved what it had to say about the experience we all have-when our best friends acquire new best friends, and the emotions we experience when that happens. Serena was such a realistic and relatable main character-I will be recommending this to many of my middle grade aged patrons!

What a great book! It is geared towards middle graders but if you are reading it as an adult, you may find some things reminiscent of your growing up. This was true for me and I found myself discovering along with Serena and cheering for her every step of the way. For Serena, there is never a dull middle school moment! Serena is so likable - she's smart, funny, creative, and trying to navigate the ups and downs of life at home and at school. At the beginning of the book, Serena is beginning to delve into the world of vlogging (her big sister Fallon - a.k.a. Flea - is the vlogging queen), wondering if she and her childhood friend JC are still best friends, and struggling with understanding how Lelani (Lani) fits into everything. If this is not enough to worry about, JC is getting a new kidney, Winterfest is coming and she has no project not to mention...there will be a very important group project to contend with! Through the ups and downs, with the support of her family, "the Boy Mutant Giant," and others "Hobbit" just may discover her voice where, if this happens, no one will be more surprised than Serena herself! Will Serena's vlogs ever be published? Will she ever be able to speak up and will she ever believe in herself?! You will have to read this book to find out and, in so doing, you may start to reflect on and believe in YOUR own story and voice. I finished this book with a smile. Throughout this book, there were times when I felt sad, worried, wondered, and other times when I laughed out loud. I look forward to reading more books by this author!