THANK YOU, LUCKY STARS

A predictable plot, vague setting and characters that never quite come to life all weaken this tween saga of broken friendships and personal growth. The story arc sounds achingly familiar: Fifth-grader Ally is dumped by her best friend on the first day of school. Since Betsy was her only friend (readers aren’t quite sure why), Ally is now lonely and vulnerable. She forges a friendship, somewhat unwillingly, with Tina, the new girl in town. A quirky iconoclast, Tina doesn’t notice—or seem to care—whether or not she fits in. Ally, though, still yearns to belong, so her decision to abandon Tina when offered the chance to join members of the in-crowd in a talent show comes as no surprise. Also unsurprising is Ally’s subsequent recognition of Tina’s loyalty and their reconciliation. Unfortunately for Ally, Tina will probably garner more interest and sympathy from most readers. Ally, even with her unlikely fascination with disco dancing and breathless first-person narration, just can’t compete. (Fiction. 9-12)