About the Book

Book: Zoey: Meet the Misfits & Zoey: Odd Girl Out

Author: Melody Carlson

Genre: Middle grade fiction for girls

Release Date: April 15/ August 15, 2019

Zoey’s pretty sure her life is over when her wannaba-rockstar mother uproots her from from their home in Seattle and deposits her in Nowheresville, Oregon to live with her whackadoodle grandparents. Things start to look up, though, when she reconnects with Louisa, the girl from across the street. Maybe, just maybe, Louisa won’t mind that Zoey’s always been a bit of a misfit. Louisa’s ex-BFF, however, doesn’t seem too happy to welcome Zoey to the neighborhood. And when they all end up at church camp together, it’s not just a matter of whether or not Zoey can fit in…it becomes a firsthand lesson in what it really means to “love your enemy.”

When the school year begins, Zoey’s terrified to go without Louisa—who’s out with a nasty flu. The same enemies she made over the summer are there to haunt her, but she and another new girl stick together…and even seem to find a place among the in-crowd. But is this who Zoey wants to be? Are they really her friends? Who’s going to stick beside her when cyber bullying leaves her as the odd girl out?

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My Review:

Meet the Misfits - Boy, haven't most of us been in a situation like this? Moving is plain hard. Sometimes it's harder to figure out if that transition is more difficult on adults or children. In this book, Zoey has moved. I totally identified with her, because I've been there and done that. You don't fit in, you aren't comfortable, it's not fun. But then, if you let God move, you might find a friend. Or, in Zoey's case, you could wind up at camp with your worst enemy. Ah, a perfect set up for personal growth and Christ-like development.

This book was well worth reading and I would highly recommend it.

5 Stars

Odd Girl Out - This is book two in the series. Zoey is starting to fit in better, well she should have been. With her best friend sick, she's on her own. Thinking she will get to add a few new "A-lister" type friends should improve matters. But at what cost? What does it really take for her to be one of "them"? Then the cyber-bullying and ID theft start and I started to wonder if Zoey was going to make it through this part of her school year. She's got to keep a Christ-like frame around what she's going through if she wants to stay in one piece and mercy me, I REALLY get what this child was going through. This could have been not set in the sixth grade and still be every bit just as realistic as it is! I can easily recommend this series. I would read them in order so you don't lose any part of the back story, though if you didn't, you could still read this book.

5 Stars

About the Author:

Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books for teens, women, and children. That’s a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a “storyteller.” Her young adult novels appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She’s won a number of awards (including RT’s Career Achievement Award, the Rita and the Gold Medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog.

More from Melody

Being a tween these days is more complicated than ever. With our culture’s fast pace, social networking, peer pressure . . . growing up is hard to do. So I wanted to create a relatable character with some tough challenges. And Zoey Petrizzo definitely gets more than her fair share. About to start middle-school, Zoey is forced to relocate her life with her less than conventional grandparents. And it’s not easy! My hope is that readers will either relate to Zoey, or develop more empathy for ‘misfit’ kids like her.