This book is fantastic. I'm not sure how great it is on the scale of awesome nonfiction, but the way it is written will suck you in. It'll make you feel like you're going through high school again. If you dread that feeling, well, I think the book does a good job of explaining why this might be so. At 22, I think that I am still young enough to remember everything that happened to me in high school, and old enough to reflect on the emotions that I had back then. I don't think I would give myself a label, because I almost always felt comfortable in school, but I could relate to almost every one of the "characters" presented in the book.

At times I had to wonder if the scenarios were real, because it would read like some kind of teenage drama. This is not surprising to me, because...well, they're teenagers, with an exception here or there. Yes. Situations like this ACTUALLY happen. And yes. Teens CAN be that eloquent. Dialogue CAN be that dramatic. It's high school, people!

That being said, Robbins brings up some things that you probably already know but didn't have a name for. In fact, a lot of the book will seem like common sense. Preps will sit with preps, but might not actually like being a prep, everyone should celebrate their difference, all that great stuff. The point, though, is that schools to this day aren't stepping up to the challenge of actually integrating kids. Or even caring about the kids themselves.

Whether you agree with her or not, I think the book brings up a lot of valid points, and puts you in the shoes of those who felt like an outsider at some point in their lives. It's a great read for teens, parents, and teachers. Perhaps you might actually feel like thinking about how you were treated or how you treated others in high school...or even the work place.