Readers will notice that McCafferty has taken a different approach to writing Jessica’s inner thoughts in this book.

There is some focus on liking boys and what not but it doesn’t take over Jessica’s life which I really love. And even if Jessica does go to extremes in her ideas of how to solve friendship problems, it’s all done with such heart and innocence that you just want to hug her. There are things that Jessica thinks and feels that brought me back to that time in my life where friendships were constantly growing, changing, or completely disappearing. it was so cringey and even the clothes were shitty, the actors didn't know how to act, the plot and storyline was dull and boring, the characters lacked depth and their stupid jokes didn't make any sense. Jessica’s dressed in her trying-to-fit-in clothes rather than the vintage band tees she grows to love in the book.Enter older sister Bethany and her “It List,” meant to help Jessica uphold “The Darling Domination of Popularity. I’m disappointed in this cover because the whole point of a Jessica Darling book is that it is a literary haven for girl readers who aren’t girly frou-frou types. Plus, she's kind of stuck in the middle, as smarties and skaters unite to collect signatures on a petition to bring back the school's annual dance. Yet as Jessica's sister confides in her a huge secret to do with school, Jess realises she maybe doesn't have it as bad as she thinks.

Also, Marcus Flutie has been introduced and I MUST KNOW MORE about what Marcus Flutie was like in junior high. Parents need to know that Jessica Darling's It List is a movie based on the book for older kids and tweens by Megan McCafferty. The writing is simple, the humor is aimed for younger readers, and the characters are not very mature.I think a lot of readers, young and old, will relate to Jessica’s situation and I appreciated how the author conveyed that what the reader may be experiencing in this own life is completely real and normal. If you haven't read it, did this movie inspire you to check it out and/or read other Megan McCafferty books? I'm envious of all the young girls who will get a chance to grow up with Jessica from the beginning, but I hope they fall in love with the series the way I did. I've always loved Bridget as a friend, and I really liked her in this book - in fact, it makes me sad that eventually teenage Jessica lumps her in with Manda and Sara as a member of the Clueless Crew, especially when they seemed so close in this book. I could see how Dori and Bridget might envy Manda’s persuasive personality or Sara’s all-knowingness.

I loved the setting because Jessica Darling’s character timeline is on par with my personal experience. If you know a young reader entering middle school, think about how fun it will be to get her started on Jessica Darling now and gradually introduce her to the other books as she grows older. For Jess, her sister Bethany guides her with a list of things to accomplish to have a great school experience, she needs to choose a great boyfriend, join cheer group and make the right friends.In fact, her biggest seventh grade fails occur when she stops being Jessica, like when she signs up for CHEER TEAM! Part of this is explained in an early conversation between Jessica and Bethany where her older sister points out that popular people are too busy being popular to keep a journal – ironic given that’s exactly what Jessica ends up doing.