Finally

( 596 )

Overview

Turning 12 isn't all it's cracked up to be!

Get a cell phone. Stay home alone. Go to the mall with best friend and No Parents. Wear makeup. Get contact lenses. Attend a boy-girl party. Rory Swenson has been waiting her whole life to turn twelve. And she's got a list to prove it. Whenever Rory asks her parents for something, they always say, "When you're twelve . . ." Well, in exactly, 18 hours, 36 minutes, and 52 seconds it will finally happen....

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Finally

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More About This Book

Overview

Turning 12 isn't all it's cracked up to be!

Get a cell phone. Stay home alone. Go to the mall with best friend and No Parents. Wear makeup. Get contact lenses. Attend a boy-girl party. Rory Swenson has been waiting her whole life to turn twelve. And she's got a list to prove it. Whenever Rory asks her parents for something, they always say, "When you're twelve . . ." Well, in exactly, 18 hours, 36 minutes, and 52 seconds it will finally happen. Rory's life will officially begin!

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Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble

Rory Swenson has been waiting her entire life to be twelve. Of course, when she reaches that magical age, she discovers that all its intensely imagined coolness and independence is intertwined with complications that she hadn't anticipated. This novel by Wendy Mass (11 Birthdays; Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life) burns as brightly as the very best birthday cake a young girl could ever receive. Now in paperback.

From the Publisher
“Finally is a treat–a delicious story about fitting in, falling down, and growing up. Wendy Mass has done it again!”–Rebecca Stead, author of When You Reach Me

A Washington Post KidsPost Summer Book Club selection

“Author Wendy Mass captures the frustration of pre-teens as they reach the magical time that allows them to begin experiencing tidbits from the grown-up world. Finally will have readers laughing, nodding in agreement, and sighing in sympathy as they follow Rory's tale of reaching 12.”–Teensreadtoo.com

“Children will relate to this warm, funny story of a heroine who can't wait to grow up.”–School Library Journal

“Rory's lively first-person narrative clearly expresses her emotions as she seesaws between longing and fear, confidence and insecurity. The jacket photo will attract tween readers.”–Booklist

“Rory's chatty, friendly voice and relentless optimism in the face of her many mishaps are heartwarming.”–Publishers Weekly

“A funny story that will appeal particularly to girls who are just learning what it means to begin growing up.”–Rave Reviews Log, blog review

“I was either smiling, chuckling, or outright laughing all through this book.”–Everead, blog review

“Finally is a fast-paced, hilarious novel…Mass captures an authentic 12-year-old here that never once feels forced, too old, or too young.”–Stacked, blog review

Publishers Weekly
Mass revisits Willow Falls (the setting of 11 Birthdays) for this entertaining treatment of the weeks following Rory Swenson's eagerly anticipated 12th birthday. Upon turning 12, Rory begins working through a list of fervent wishes she's been compiling since she was seven: owning a cellphone, going to the mall without parents, and getting her ears pierced, to name a few. Each wish's fulfillment, however, is predictably accompanied by a minor disaster (an allergic reaction to a gold stud, an unusually aggressive pet bunny). The plot is bolstered by the filming of a movie at Rory's school, starring the “coolest, hottest fourteen-year-old boy in this or any other universe,” with students playing extras. Angelina, the wizened, ageless seer of 11 Birthdays, appears to Rory early on with a prophetic warning, “You won't get what you want... until you see what you need,” but Rory's wishes are trivial enough to make the final scene of self-discovery fall flat. Though long on page count, the book feels slight, but Rory's chatty, friendly voice and relentless optimism in the face of her many mishaps are heartwarming. Ages 8–12. (Mar.)
Kirkus Reviews
Rory Swenson just cannot wait to be 12, that magical age at which her parents will lighten up and allow her some independence. She's been promised that she can get her own cell phone, get contact lenses and attend a boy-girl party, among other things. Just as the long-awaited birthday arrives, Rory and her friend are selected to be extras in a movie being filmed at their school. As Rory begins to tick off items from her list, catastrophes begin. She learns that she is highly allergic to both gold and plant-based make-up, and she mangles her legs when she tries shaving. None of this makes her look good on camera. Rory's amusing disasters foreshadow the lessons she learns at her first boy-girl party, from which she escapes rather than participate in a kissing game: Growing up doesn't have to happen all at once, and it isn't always all it's cracked up to be. A couple of clunky plot points notwithstanding, Mass provides a pretty entertaining and solidly worthwhile read. (Fiction. 8-12)
Chantelle Pritchett
Finally introduces Rory, a spunky and clumsy preteen who finds herself in awkward social situations. Rory's story is sparked when she finally turns twelve, and can do all the things her parents promised that she could do at that age. On B-Day, Rory finally gets to work on her goals. Get her own house key. Check Shave her legs. Check Get a cell phone, wear makeup, and get a pet. Check, Check, and Check. If only accomplishing her list was so easy! Along the way, Rory gets into some scary situations and always seems to land in a less than graceful manner. Rory's family and friends keep her laughing and teach her that turning twelve means more than just checkmarks on a page. Mass's writing style is witty; she gets into the mind of a twelve-year-old girl spinning a humorous story that makes readers laugh out loud. Reviewer: Chantelle Pritchett
Children's Literature - Sue Poduska
The author's charm shines through again in this sequel to the popular 11 Birthdays. Amanda and Leo appear as a teaser, but the reader is left wondering what happened to them in the previous book. This time, nearly-invisible Rory is turning twelve, and she wants to make the most of her newly advanced age. For as long as she remembers, her parents have told that her she has to wait until she's twelve to do certain things: stay home alone, get her ears pierced, get a cell phone, go to a girl-boy party, babysit, and more. In anticipation of her birthday, Rory makes a list of these items and informs her parents that she's ready to try them. Disaster strikes with each item Rory crosses off the list, but she learns a lot about being a responsible person and makes many new friends along the way. The journey is an amusing, fast-paced good read. Reviewer: Sue Poduska
School Library Journal
Gr 4–7—Rory Swenson just can't catch a break. She's been waiting for what seems like forever for her 12th birthday. According to her parents' rules, that is the magical age when she'll finally be able to partake in many formerly forbidden activities such as wearing contact lenses, getting a pet, owning a cell phone, piercing her ears, and staying home alone. Now that the day has finally come, she finds that growing up isn't as satisfying as she imagined. She's completely unprepared for the minor disasters that result: her new pet bunny seems homicidal; staying home alone is scarier than she thought; and her attempt at having her ears pierced reveals an allergy to gold. The only silver lining is her growing friendship with movie-star Jake Harrison, who is filming at her school. There's a nice twist at the end, when the many good deeds Rory has done without thinking of herself pay off, and she realizes that her misfortunes are minor. This novel pairs well with Mass's 11 Birthdays (Scholastic, 2009), but it stands on its own. Children will relate to this warm, funny story of a heroine who can't wait to grow up.—Madigan McGillicuddy, Los Angeles Public Library
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780545052436
  • Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
  • Publication date: 6/1/2011
  • Pages: 304
  • Sales rank: 43,994
  • Age range: 8 - 12 Years
  • Product dimensions: 5.30 (w) x 7.60 (h) x 0.90 (d)

Meet the Author

Wendy Mass

Wendy Mass is the author of the award-winning books for readers A MANGO-SHAPED SPACE, LEAP DAY, JEREMY FINK AND THE MEANING OF LIFE, HEAVEN LOOKS A LOT LIKE THE MALL, EVERY SOUL A STAR, and the Twice Upon a Time series. She tells people her hobbies are photography and hiking, but they're really collecting candy bar wrappers and searching for buried treasure with her metal detector. Wendy lives with her family in New Jersey. Visit her at www.wendymass.com.

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 596 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(456)

4 Star

(67)

3 Star

(31)

2 Star

(10)

1 Star

(32)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 597 Customer Reviews

  • Posted November 13, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    11 Birthdays
    Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall

    BEST BOOK EVER!!!

    This book is so good, I read it in a half a day.I also reccomend reading 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass first because it sorta connects. Please Wendy Mass.....Write more books!

    123 out of 148 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted October 8, 2011

    You should

    Whoever is a fan of 11 birthdays should read this at any age. Its a really good book.

    96 out of 118 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted April 14, 2010

    Loved it!

    My daughter, who is turning 12 in a couple of weeks, loved this book! She read the entire book in one day. Perfect book for an awkward age!

    76 out of 99 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 12, 2012

    Hilarious!!!

    This book is about a girl named Rory who has waited for her
    twelth birthday to finally come. Her overprotective parents have made promises to her since she was seven that when she was twelve she could have that thing or do that. Rory writes all of these down and keeps them over and FINALLY on her twelth birthday her long anticipated wishes come true. But Rory finds that all of these privilages are not so glorious and usual ends up either hurting herself, being smothered by her escape artist of a pet, almost having to open a pizza business, or losing something. I like the message that the Wendy Mass delivers because in the end Rory finds that it is alright to not be able to have the same things as every other person her age. She also finds out that the people that she has helped throughout the story all come together in the end. I laughed a lot of times at the results of Rory's 12 year old promises. I highly recommend this book for anyone from ages 10-14 although it can be very entertaining for readers of all ages (eapecially if you are eleven and just dying to be twelve ( = ). I also highly recommend Wendy Mass' other two books 11 Birthdays and 13 gifts which all tie together.

    68 out of 78 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted June 18, 2011

    A little disappointing for Mass.

    I must admit-- I adore Wendy Mass. She is one of my favorite authors, so when one of my friends got me this book for my twelfth birthday, I was quite excited. However, once I dug into it, I discovered it was a bit disappointing from such a great author. At times the plot seemed tedious to slog through, and the exciting parts were over too quickly and did not make much sense. I could not connect with Rory as well as I felt I had with Jeremy from Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life. It was a great follow-up to 11 Birthdays, but sometimes seemed overly sweet and glossed. Pick it up for light reading, but not if you're looking for a truly stellar novel.

    56 out of 99 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 4, 2011

    Luv

    It was the best book in the world. LOVE WENDY MASS!!!!!!!!:)

    47 out of 83 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 31, 2012

    Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)

    This book is sssoooo good! Wendy Mass really did a fantastic job writing this book! The story is about this eleven-year-old girl, Rory makes a wishlist of the twelve topmost things she wants to do/have when she's twelve. When the day finally comes this lady makes a prediction to Rory and it comes true. But the cool thing about this book is how Wendy Mass added some twists and turns. Sooo I really think you should read this book!!!!!!!!!!!! I would give this book a 5/5 star rating!!!!! :-)

    39 out of 47 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 25, 2011

    Okay

    It was a bit confusing at the beginning but otherwise it was good.

    37 out of 74 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 26, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    11 Birthdays

    GREAT BOOK!

    I can totally relate to this book and just everything happening to the main character- 'Rory'. I read this book SO fast which is Super unusual for me normally I'm a slow reader but I just couldn't stop. I just HAD to find out what happened next!

    31 out of 40 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 18, 2012

    Great

    I loved the book i could not put it down

    28 out of 44 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 10, 2011

    A little boring but still pretty good

    This book can get a little boring and a lot of the same stuff happens. I WOULD REccomend it for girls ages to nine to eleven.

    15 out of 39 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 9, 2012

    "Finally" A Good Book to Read!

    Rory's life is like any twelve year old girls life. Except for a few TWIST!!! When she was twelve she could every she always wanted, but those things are just what she wants, not what she needs.

    13 out of 18 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 27, 2011

    Anoymous

    I haven't read the book yet but it sounds good. I just got this nook for christmas.

    12 out of 29 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 15, 2012

    AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    This is an AWESOME book! It is definitly worth reading. I also LOVE Wendy Mass's other books. She is an amazing author. I love her books because I can totally relate to the characters in them. Like Judy Blume she TOTALLY knows that we are at a wierd time. I really agree with you Jennie Wells. READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    11 out of 14 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 8, 2012

    AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!

    When I got this book for the nook tablet on xmas, I loved it so much that I finished it really fast! All of the birthday novels by Wendy Mass are so good, but this is my favorite so far! I can't wait to find out how that turns out, but I totally recomend this book to everyone who wants to read a book you'll never forget!

    11 out of 14 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 25, 2011

    FINALLY! OH!

    Ok i feel 11 birthdays was better though. Wendy mass could do better

    10 out of 24 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 2, 2011

    What the heck!!!!!!!!

    It won't download.I'm sooo mad because I really wanted to read it.Everyone who is wondering if they should buy this or not,don't waste your time or your money.Go to the library or buy it at a store.

    10 out of 32 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 5, 2012

    Mocha

    I loved this book it has great detail and I love the character Rory. This is my favorite book in the trilogy. I would reccomend this book to all ages who like Wendy Mass she is a great author!

    9 out of 10 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 11, 2012

    Extra, extra, read all about

    It's best if you read the book to find out.

    8 out of 17 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 16, 2012

    AWESOME!!!

    So entertaning, has a great plot and is really good! <3

    7 out of 10 people found this review helpful.

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