Weirdos vs. Quimboids

As so many teen books tell us, life can be a nightmare at school if you don’t fit in and for Blossom and Petrina this is definitely the case.  Their initials spell out BUM and POO so they have suffered from bullying throughout their school lives. Nor has it helped that their fashion taste is edging towards Goth and that they don’t get on with the ‘in crowd’.  Then they become involved in the school radio station and develop grand plans to conquer the airwaves with their own band which they decide to call  Camel Toe. (I have just looked that up on the net – I learn something new every day it seems.)

The girls’ adventures, their relationships and the underlying desire to fit in with their peers is central to the story of the book, its message to be content with yourself because there is a whole world out there where you will fit in.

This book is definitely aimed at the young adult market and the language, situations and aspirations all speak to the intended audience.  It has had a lot of positive reviews on many teen blogs and will connect with many readers.  Perhaps one of the main advantages is that this is set in the UK; it is not an American import with all the differing cultural  connotations.  Librarians will need to consider where they place this book and perhaps read it before deciding to limit any access in the school context.