"Pollet's first novel trenchantly evokes middle school social life in all it's hazards and perplexities...Pollet gets all the details right, from how a clique attacks a victim to the trappings of a fancy bat mitzvah, and then delves beneath the surface to explore the pressures on the protagonists and even their parents, delivering a full-bodied and compassionate work." |
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"Cass, the quirky, self-confident girl who appeared in ...Nobody Was Here ... is trying in 8th grade to sort out who she really is:orphaned child; invincible girl; third wheel? She's discovering that at 13 things start clanging around in disharmonious earnest. The garrulous boy seated behind Cass in English class seems to voice some of this turmoil. Rod is bold and not at all perfect, but their friendship is a gift, and his abrupt departure challenges Cass to try to find her own missing pieces.Pollet steers a neat course through the troubled and murky waters of middle school.Readers will recognize Cass's lack of perspective and experience as their own...moments of genuine warmth and humor." Kirkus Review |
