/Megan McCaffertyshelf | Sloppy Firsts

When her best friend, Hope, moves away from Pineville, New Jersey, 16-year-old Jessica Darling is devastated. Jessica is a fish out of water at school, a stranger at home, and now — with the only person with whom she could really communicate gone — more lost than ever. How is she supposed to deal with the boy-and-shopping-crazy girls at school, her dad’s obsession with her track meets, and her nonexistent love life? Sloppy Firsts is an insightful, true-to-life look at Jessica’s predicament, from the dark days following Hope’s departure to her hopelessly mixed-up feelings about the intelligent and mysterious bad-boy who works his way into her life. Sloppy Firsts is right in line with some of the great teen crossover works of popular culture, like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and is sure to appeal to readers of all ages who appreciate the inherent humor of high school angst.