Tween Tuesday: Finally by Wendy Mass

4 adorable sugar cookies with pink frosting.

Cover Love:
Yes. Colorful and eye catching! I like books that don't show the face of the main character because that allows you to put someone in there from your own imagination.

Why I Wanted to Read This:
I really liked the first book in Wendy's "birthday" series, 11 Birthdays. She has released two more: Finally and 13 Gifts. Here's the synopsis from Good Reads:

You can pierce your ears when you're twelve. You can go to the mall with your friends when you're twelve. You can babysit little Timmy next door when you're twelve. You can get a cell phone when you're twelve. Hey, you can even ride in the front passenger-side seat when you're twelve.

When you're twelve, when you're twelve, when you're twelve . . .

My name is Rory Swenson, and I've been waiting to turn twelve my whole life. In exactly 18 hours, 36 minutes, and 52 seconds, it will finally happen.

My life will officially begin.

Romance?: Nope.

I Kept Reading Because:
I wanted to get to that "A-ha" moment with Rory.

What I Liked (& Didn't):
Wendy Mass does a great job writing for middle school girls. Her characters are so relate-able! I think that Rory is pretty typical of a sixth grade girl. She believe that turning 12 will make her grown up. Of course it doesn't, and to see her realize that things will come as she is ready for them instead of because she is 12 is a fun journey!

Rory is just so sweet. She has got a great heart and I enjoyed being in her world.

I loved seeing Leo and Amanda from 11 Birthdays. I loved their story in that book so it was nice to see them a year later.

Leo and Amanda's story definitely had a mystical element to it. Rory's didn't but it was so nice to see her learn about herself and growing up in the book.

I also liked how Wendy tied up Rory's friendship with her best friend Annabelle. During the whole book I wondered why they were friends and could see them growing apart. In the end, though, Annabelle is the one to sum up their friendship in a neat way.

To Sum Up: I can see many, many of my middle school girls enjoying and relating to this book! Can't wait to booktalk it.

Book bought for my school library.