Geek Chic: The Zoey Zone

My grand daughter who is 10 struggles a bit with reading. It usually takes her a while to finish a book. This one she zipped through--very pleased with herself.

Eleven-year-old (Okay, more like ten and seven-eighths) Zoey Zinevich has figured out exactly what she needs before sixth grade starts in 198 days: a fairy godmother! A good FG could fix up her hair, help her accessorize and make her "chic" (which can be used as both a noun and an adjective). Maybe with that kind of outside help, she and her friend, Venus, could eat lunch at The Table Bashley (ruled by Brittany and Ashley) instead of being banished to Table Ten, where Alex Shemtob inhales his food and exhales it again. Woe to those not wearing an art smock. A surprise photo shoot at Harry S. Truman School by U GrL magazine brings Zoey's interests in presidents and molto retro clothing (molto means "very" in Italian, and retro means Zoey's grandpop's bowling shirt and fedora) to the spotlight. The creative director, a chic Lady in Black named Jazz, seems especially taken with Zoey's hat. Could Jazz be the FG Zoey's been waiting for, or will she be stuck at Table Ten with bad hair forever? Told in an almost multi-media format, using TV scripts and stills from "ZTube" videos produced by Zoey herself, this story will appeal to younger female fans of books like DIARY OF A WIMPY KID and MIDDLE SCHOOL IS WORSE THAN MEATLOAF. The ending may be a bit unrealistic, but I'm anxious to see if this might lead to more Zoey stories in the future. Reviewed by: Allison Fraclose

Meet Zoey Zinevich. She's almost eleven years old and eager to start eighth grade. She's only got one problem--Zoey is a bit of a geek, and in order to survive middle school (as she has heard), she's got to become cool. With less than two hundred days to magically transform her appearance, Zoey doesn't know what to do. And that fairy godmother hasn't appeared yet to give her a makeover. In this short but hilarious novel, readers and Zoey Zinevich will learn to love who they are. Normally, I don't think I'd ever pick up this book because it is aimed at the middle school crowd or lower ages. However, I found Geek Chic to be a very funny and heartwarming read. Zoey's character is intelligent and quirky, and I enjoyed her unique narrations. Zoey's character authentically captures what it's like to be an awkward tween. Zoey is easy to relate to, because I'm sure we've all, at one point or another, wanted to be cooler than we are now. I have to say that I immensely liked the creativity in the layout of this novel. I've become so used to standardized text that the illustrations and interesting fonts were surprising and refreshing. Overall, Geek Chic was a quick and enjoyable book that younger readers will love and enjoy. The plot and story may be a bit too simplistic for older readers though.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer on 09/22/2008 Zoey Zinevich is almost-but-not-quite eleven years old. It's less than 200 days until sixth grade, which means it's less than 200 days to get molto chic. If she isn't by the time sixth grade starts, she will never be cool! That's what Venus's (read: Zoey's magnifico best friend) sister says. It seems like nothing Zoey and Venus do can get the other kids--especially the Bashleys--to admit they're cool. What's not cool about catching bullfrogs, or bowling shirts with fedoras, or owl pellets? Zoey's only hope lies in getting a fairy godmother. It worked for Cinderella! So what if other ten-almost-eleven-year-old-double-digit kids don't believe in that kind of stuff anymore?! This is a very creative middle-grade novel that deals with the preteen's most pressing concern: coolness. Author Margie Palatini enters into Zoey's story with great intentions and a sense of offbeat style. Unfortunately, there's a little too much style. Literally. There are so many font styles and embedded sketches that the pages--just as literally--made my head hurt worse than it already was. The pages are so busy that the reader's eye jumps helter skelter all over the place. It distracts from the story. The story is full of heart. It speaks to the basic need for most American preteen girls to fit in with the popular crowd. Zoey is a free spirit who can't be leashed, and this will become quite apparent, especially toward the end. The end of the story is one that parents will appreciate, even if it's a touch unrealistic. Even though the pages are visually busy, I recommend this for all preteen girls.