The Forever Crush

Gr 5—8—In this third installment in the series, middle-schooler Jemma helps out her crush by pretending to be his girlfriend so that other girls will give him some peace. She thinks it's the perfect arrangement: surely now that they're spending time together, Forrest will realize how much he likes her. Meanwhile, since the principal shut down the Pink Locker Society, the girls will have to hold their meetings in secret while advising the girls of Margaret Simon Middle School through the Society's website. Things get complicated when someone starts writing threatening notes and distributing anti-Pink Locker Society bookmarks. Frequent references to events in the previous titles may confuse those who haven't read those books, but a related website provides readers the chance to learn about the characters, write in with questions, and try recipe and craft ideas. Jemma and her friends deal with typical tween concerns, and the protagonist's realization that Forrest isn't necessarily crush-worthy is well-handled.—Laurie Slagenwhite Walters, Baldwin Public Library, Birmingham, MI