Shreve, Susan. Goodbye, Amanda the good.

Random House, Dell Yearling. 136p. c2000. 0-44041646-9. $4.99. J

To quote KLIATT's January 2000 review of the hardcover edition:

"Just months ago, Amanda had been living an ordinary, easy, predictable life ... " But now that she has started seventh grade at Alice Deal Junior High, everything has changed. Not longer cheerful and studious, Amanda is unhappy and ill at ease with her life and her changing body, and her grades are dropping. She snaps at her parents and tries to dye her hair black, though it comes out purple. At school, she longs to join the Club, a group of rebellious girls, and she attracts the attention of Slade, a handsome ninth-grader with a dangerous reputation. When Fern, the leader of the Club, befriends Amanda, she finds herself skipping school, smoking cigarettes, and becoming an accomplice to Fern's shoplifting. Is this the kind of person she wants to be, Amanda wonders? And can she believe all the gossip about Slade that Fern is so eager to pass on?

Shreve, author of several popular books about Amanda's younger brother Joshua, understands what it's like to be 13 and unsure of your identity. Lucky for Amanda, she has warm and patient parents, and her brother Joshua is a sympathetic listener. She finds that Slade is a true friend, and that Fern is not, and she comes to her own conclusions about whether the Club, with all its snobbish rules and restrictions, is right for her. Shreve's direct tone moves the story along swiftly, and middle school and junior high girls will be enthralled by Amanda's walk on the wild side.

Paula Rohrlick, KLIATT