Author: Leigh-Ann Kidwell

 Publisher: PublishAmerica

ISBN: 1413783767

The following review was contributed by: *Jennifer Murray Somerset:  Click Here To Read Jennifer's Reviews

Leigh-Ann Kidwell’s book, The Year I Lost My Popularity tells the story of
Elizabeth, who just two weeks prior to her thirteenth birthday moves to a new
town about an hour away from everyone and everything she has known all her life.
As with all changes in life, especially ones during the teen years, it’s a hard
one to adjust to. In the end Elizabeth learns that all that matters most is
being true to yourself and your beliefs and to give people a chance to like you
for who you are and vice versa. You tend to meet the truest of friends under the
strangest of circumstances and those are the ones to treasure the most.

I found Kidwell’s book to be a realistic depiction of junior high and high
school, at least what I remember it to be. The being picked on and ostracized
for the strangest of things and the confusion about it all is conveyed well
through the character of Elizabeth. I personally would have liked to have a bit
more observation about the friends that this character made from her point of
view during her realization about popularity. Overall I think Kidwell did a good
job imparting to the reader what’s really important about popularity in a way
that teens and adults as well can relate to without being heavy handed about it.

I also appreciated that Kidwell allowed Elizabeth to come to the realization
about friends and what’s important in a realistic evolution of understanding for
a teenager. In other instances I’ve seen, adult author’s tend to forget that in
our youth, understanding what is important in the long run is sometimes very
difficult to see even if it’s staring you in the face. The quick judgment that
comes with many years of experience is applied to characters that are not
presented as having that experience, thus making them seem hollow for the sake
of tying up loose ends. With the character of Elizabeth, Kidwell allows her to
keep making the same similar mistakes in judgment often made with inexperience.
Thus the character was allowed to be her “age” and not an adult trapped in the
body of a youth.

Even though the story itself is a short one, the evolution that is so important
to the story was addressed in a way that progressed the story along quickly yet
not make you as the reader feel rushed to a conclusion. I also recommend it to
parents of teenagers as a refresher as to what it was like at the age of
thirteen and trying to find your place in your world.