Description
Zoey’s pretty sure her life is over when her wannaba-rockstar mother uproots her from from their home in Seattle and deposits her in Nowheresville, Oregon to live with her whackadoodle grandparents. Things start to look up, though, when she reconnects with Louisa, the girl from across the street. Maybe, just maybe, Louisa won’t mind that Zoey’s always been a bit of a misfit. Louisa’s ex-BFF, however, doesn’t seem too happy to welcome Zoey to the neighborhood. And when they all end up at church camp together, it’s not just a matter of whether or not Zoey can fit in…it becomes a firsthand lesson in what it really means to “love your enemy.”
nashpredsfan –
What eleven-year-old girl wouldn’t be upset about being taken away from not only her best friend but also the home she’s always known to be dropped off with grandparents she hardly knows?
Young readers will relate to Zoey and her uncertainty with a move and plenty of friendship drama. Melody Carlson expertly weaves some important lessons into these 250 pages.
Zoey learns she can make new friends wherever she is, her grandparents and uncle aren’t as weird as she believed when she gets to know them and being bullied is no fun.
The first book in Carlson’s Being Zoey series is a wonderful introduction to Zoey, her friends, family, and new town while also leaving room for more adventures (and possible trouble) to come.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
mouttet.menagerie –
Being the new kid is never easy – neither is being uprooted from all you’ve known and being “dumped” with your grandparents. Melody Carlson does a great job of getting into the mind of an entering sixth-grade girl and expressing what is going on in her life. Main character Zoey is treated poorly by some characters in the book – she’s being bullied by them. A summer camp experience introduces Zoey to Jesus – things don’t get better but she does learn how Jesus wants her to behave. Meet the Misfits is book one in Carlson’s Being Zoey series.
I will be adding Meet the Misfits to my k-12 Christian school library.
I want to thank Celebrate Lit for the complimentary copy of Meet the Misfits. This is my honest review.
Deana –
Meet The Misfits starts a series that is geared towards pre-teens. I found Zoe to be a perfect example of how most of us felt going to middle school. This is the age where you want to be cool and fit in. Zoe has come to live with her grandparents while her mom goes off to be in a rock band. That was kinda silly but it does show how some parents still have a dream they want to pursue.
I remember how awkward I felt in school with cat glasses , permed hair and clothing that was made by my mother. I was definitely an outcast and hated even speaking in class. I was bullied everyday until I decided to stand up to them. It deflated my bullies and they stopped bothering me. One thing I do remember is that even though the bullying stopped, it did leave a scar on me for many years.
Zoe meets a great friend in Louisa. Louisa is a great character who helps Zoe believe in herself and encourages her to trust in God. I loved the part about camp and how Zoe was a changed person because of something special that happens to her while at camp. Louisa is someone we would all want to be friends with. her family life is good and she shares her faith with Zoe and accepts her for who she is. One of the things I took away from this book was how this age group is vulnerable to finding their worth and wanting to be liked. The author does a good job of showing the struggles that every young person has experienced.
The author does an excellent job of showing how difficult it is to overcome bullying. There were times I wanted to give Zoe a hug as the bullying became almost too much to handle. The story is good but mostly light hearted and doesn’t go into the extremes of bullying. I was hoping for a more realistic look at bullying and how hard it can be.
Zoe and Louisa become great friends and along the way try to fit in with their peers. It is a great lesson in self-esteem and loving each other even your enemies. The author does achieve the surface of what bullying is about and the struggle for someone to fit in at a new place. Zoe not only has been dumped on her grandparents but seem to be mostly on her own at times. The interaction with her grandparents is good, but i was hoping the author would explore the relationship better and have more hands on with Zoe and her struggles.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
calamity_manda –
Meet the Misfits is a delightful, middle school age book about Zoey, a young girl trying to find her place in the new community she has been deposited in by her mom. When she meets Louisa, things seem to be looking up, but then their friendship puts her in the crosshairs of a couple of bullies. I thought that this book did an excellent job of dealing with relevant problems, like bullying and how to deal with them. I also enjoyed the Christian message that the story has.
Debbie –
“Meet the Misfits ” by Melody Carlson is a book that are really good, and the age description on Amazon says ages 8-12 but I really think younger teens would like these books as well. Ok, I am almost 60 and I enjoyed reading them.
“Meet the Misfits” is about bullying in a minor way, trying to get someone to change who they are so that they fit into the popular class. I think the lessons in both of these books are we should “Be just who we are! I don’t know if there are other books coming that feature Zoey and her friends but if there is, I will definitely be reading them and I whole heartily recommend these books, not to just preteens but all readers who likes stories with a message of hope.
I was given complimentary copy by the author and Celebrate Lit. These are my own opinions.