What Gloria Wants

In the high-school-girl pecking order, doll-faced Shawna's the queen, dragging Gloria along as her lady-in-waiting no matter what Gloria wants. Scheming Shawna has it all worked out: she'll be the first to have a boyfriend, and Gloria will have to wait for her best friend to find her someone to date. They even play games with Barbies to reinforce Shawna's iron rule over her friend. But as ninth grade begins, things take a surprising shift. It's Gloria who catches the eye of Marc, the hottest boy in the class. She quickly discovers how difficult it is to juggle a jealous friend and a romance with a fast guy like Marc -- especially with complicating factors like Marc's creepy best friend, Hamish. This lively novel by an award-winning writer deals with common adolescent issues: love, boyfriends who want more than the girl is willing to give, loyalty, school, and popularity. Compellingly narrated by the title character, "What Gloria Wants" captures the heady world of high school and a girl trying to survive it with humor and candor.