As someone who volunteered at countless middle school book fairs and was on the author visit committee for years, please hear me when I say this is the kind of contemporary fiction book many, many kids ages 8-12 want and share with their friends.

CRUSHED realistically gets into the heads of middle schoolers who navigate so many changes at once.

(OMG middle school can be TOUGH, right?)

This book will make so many kids and adults feel seen and feel better equipped to stand up for themselves and others.

It’s a story about growing pains between best friends, while gently, clearly and (in age-appropriate ways) weaving in topics like:

- Consent (digital and physical)
- Social media “challenges”
- Rumors
- Peer pressure
- Consequences
- Navigating middle school social structures
- Firsts! (dance, crush, new friend)
- Empathy
- Mental health
- Trusting your gut and when to trust other people (peers and adults)

There’s also a real mystery unraveling as the students learn forensic skills in class, adding an undercurrent that keeps the reader turning the page, trying to figure it out along with the characters.

I felt the influence of a less-dramatic, younger Mean Girls (the new one) in the storytelling, making it engaging, relatable and you come out of it thinking about everyone’s choices (windows & mirrors!).

Vibes like WONDER, but addressing social media and #metoo for this age group.

I’m so glad this book exists, and hope it finds its way into many, many readers’ hands.