Critics' Opinion:
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Published Jan 2010
288 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
Looking for a new beginning after a terrible mean girl past, Charlie Healey realizes there’s no escaping high school drama.
Charlie Healey thinks Harmony Falls is the beginning of a whole new life. Middle school was brutal. But high school is Charlie's big chance to start over and stay out of drama, except that on her first day she runs into Will, her ex–best friend, who had moved away. Now a varsity athlete and hotter than Charlie remembered, Will hangs with the crowd running the school. But Charlie doesn’t understand their power until an innocent delivery guy falls victim to a near-deadly hazing prank.
Torn between doing what's right and her secret feelings for Will, Charlie must decide whether to turn in her very best friend or live with the guilt of knowing what he did.
Rosalind Wiseman's first novel for young adults is a fresh, funny, and juicy read about friendship, betrayal, and how far some will go to be accepted.
"....although some of the plot particulars and her first-person narrative...are sometimes more reminiscent of high school sitcoms than real life ... Wiseman has created an honest story of the convoluted workings of teenage friendships and relationships. Ages 12–up." - Publishers Weekly
"The story reads like a public-service announcement on the hazards of hazing... But Charlie and her friends are outspoken and engaging..." - Kirkus Reviews
"While high school can seem 'life and death' dramatic, Wiseman reveals the nasty business of bullying and the ugly (sometimes life-threatening) turns that questing for acceptance can take." - School Library Journal
"A must-read! Funny as well as painfully familiar. I really wish I'd had this book as an incoming high school freshman." - Meg Cabot
"Rosalind Wiseman once again writes with humor, compassion and accuracy about the high school experience. You can't put this book down... or it will talk about you while you're out of the room." - Tina Fey
This information about Boys, Girls and Other Hazardous Materials was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo © Linda Badami
Rosalind Wiseman has had only one job since graduating from college—to help communities shift the way we think about children and teens' emotional and physical well-being. As a teacher, thought leader, author, and media spokesperson on bullying, ethical leadership, the use of social media, and media literacy, she is in constant dialogue and collaboration with educators, parents, children, and teens.
She is the author of Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and the New Realities of Girl World—the groundbreaking, best-selling book that was the basis for the movie Mean Girls. Her latest book, Masterminds & Wingmen: Helping Our Boys Cope with Schoolyard Power, Locker-Room Tests, Girlfriends, and the New Rules of Boy World was ...
... Full Biography
Author Interview
Link to Rosalind Wiseman's Website
Name Pronunciation
Rosalind Wiseman: wize-men
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