This was such a cute book that I’d be eating up if I was in 8th grade right now. It gave me “She’s All That” vibes and is perfect for young teens. Even being in my mid-30’s, I really enjoyed it and the feelings it gave me.

Sofia wanted a glow-up from her “goody two-shoes” image in order for her crush, Mark, to notice her. Holden, a more popular and rich classmate was able to help her with her transformation. They become really close and were able to truly be themselves around each other, more than any other classmate of theirs. Will Mark be worth all of this? Will Sofia lose herself during this process? Or should she take a chance on someone everyone thinks lowly about?

There also were multiple life lessons throughout this novel that is a great learning experience for this age group. It’s a reminder to always be kind, especially because you don’t know what someone else is going through in life, and to always be yourself.

There are many great topics for teens covered in this book. It covers crushes, self esteem, friendship and more. I highly recommend for grades 6-8. It is a clean romance without profanity.