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

Meet the Misfits and Odd Girl Out cover 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 thoughts

These books took me back to my pre-teen years…those moments of insecurity, awkwardness, and longing for acceptance. Both stories focus on a girl named Zoey, who just moved in with her grandparents after her mom decided to pursue her dreams of becoming a rockstar. Zoey encounters bullies and peer pressure and also comes to know Jesus.

I really enjoyed these books as an adult and know that I would also have loved them as a child. Zoey was very relateable…she was reserved and didn’t like to stand out. She also struggled to fit in. The first book, “Meet the Misfits”, focuses on the summer before 6th grade and Zoey’s adjustment to living with her grandparents. She also goes to church camp, which was a lot of fun to read about…I have many memories (good and bad) about church camp…I can attest to the fact that mean girls go to church camp too. The second book, “Odd Girl Out” revolves around Zoey’s 6th grade year…her friend is sick and she makes a new friend that wants to be part of the popular crowd.

These stories contain themes that are great for middle school girls, many lessons can be learned and the faith content is subtle but powerful.

I highly recommend these books to the middle school aged girl in your life, I’m sure she will love them!

I received this book from the publisher/author to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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.