★ 10/10/2022
As inadvertent confidante to oversharer Tyler Harris, 12-year-old narrator Hazel Hill knows all about the hassle of friendships: “Someone is always mad at someone, or hiding something from someone, or pretending not to care when they do.” So instead of bonding with other students, she focuses on an upcoming speech contest. But something shifts when Tyler shares another secret: his ex Ella Quinn, who’s also Hazel’s biggest speech competitor, is interested in Hazel. When Hazel, who likes girls, speaks with Ella, another truth comes to the fore: Ella lied about the crush to get Tyler to stop viciously harassing her online. Hazel’s knowledge of Tyler soon corroborates Ella’s claim, but when Hazel unites with Ella and her best friend to report Tyler’s actions, none of the adults they approach will listen. Instead, the girls realize they must take action to expose the truth. Via Hazel’s funny, self-aware voice and a fully rendered secondary cast, Horne’s debut realistically limns the seventh graders’ plight—including the very real fear of shaming and retaliation—alongside Hazel’s organic arc toward friendship and empowerment. Characters default to white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Claire Friedman, Inkwell Management. (Oct.)
"Via Hazel’s funny, self-aware voice and a fully rendered secondary cast, Horne’s debut realistically limns the seventh graders’ plight [...] alongside Hazel’s organic arc toward friendship and empowerment." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"The serious subject matter this novel covers is mediated well through Hazel’s wry narration: She is funny, smart, and well adjusted even if she hasn’t managed to make friends in middle school. The portrayal of the girls’ concerns is also remarkably realistic, from their own reactions and considerations about when to speak up or remain silent to the varied and sometimes-disappointing responses of their parents and teachers." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Horne does a wonderful job of keeping the characters true to age while dealing with the realities of online sexual harassment [...] This topical novel is a must-read for tweens and their parents; a recommended first purchase for middle school collections." — School Library Journal (starred review)
“Not only is Horne’s debut novel hilarious and queer and the book I wish I had in middle school, it also made me self-righteously angry in the best way. This is a book that will validate so many kids’ experiences and change lives. I'm so thankful for Hazel, for getting people to listen.” — Jake Maia Arlow, Stonewall Honor-winning author of Almost Flying
“Hazel Hill is gonna win hearts and minds in this funny, fiercely feminist story that challenges readers to set aside assumptions, seek out allies, and speak up against injustice when society demands silence. Empowering and immensely satisfying.” — Lisa Jenn Bigelow, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of Hazel’s Theory of Evolution and Drum Roll, Please
“Maggie Horne has crafted a story that is funny, moving, and wholly believable. Without ever feeling like a lecture, this book honestly explores the injustices young girls face—and the incredible resilience they possess. Hazel Hill is the friend I wish I had.” — Sarah Kapit author of Get A Grip, Vivy Cohen! And The Many Mysteries of the Finkel Family
"Horne's voice-driven and thoughtful debut will encourage kids who feel powerless to find their own voices [...] The themes of online bullying and unwanted attention will resonate, unfortunately, with many middle-graders, and if Hazel's brave choices can inspire more acts of bravery, all the better." — Booklist
★ 10/01/2022
Gr 5–8— What would you do if you were being sexually harassed online in seventh grade? What would you do if adults didn't believe you, or even blamed you for it? Well, Hazel Hill is going to take matters into her own hands and is determined to not let Tyler get away with his disgusting behavior. Tyler used to talk at Hazel all the time about girls he liked—but when he tells Hazel that her archnemesis Ella Quinn has a crush on her, she realizes how manipulative he can be. Hazel decides to talk to Ella about it (which kind of freaks Hazel out, as she hasn't told anyone she's gay yet), and Ella confides that Tyler has been sexually harassing her online. When they band together with Ella's best friend Riley, they quickly discover that the odds are against them—not only are they not believed by adults, but Ella is victim-blamed for the messages, most of the other girls he's harassing don't want to come forward, and Hazel keeps getting detention. Finally, in the biggest mic drop possible, the girls receive the start of what could be justice. Horne does a wonderful job of keeping the characters true to age while dealing with the realities of online sexual harassment. VERDICT This topical novel is a must-read for tweens and their parents; a recommended first purchase for middle school collections.—Kerri L. Williams
Tara Sands’s narration brings this middle school examination of #BelieveWomen to life. Loner Hazel Hill is gay, but no one else knows. So when homeroom neighbor Tyler Harris, a serial kiss-and-teller, informs Hazel that his ex-girlfriend Ella Quinn is crushing on her, she’s confused. Ella Quinn is Hazel’s chief competition in the upcoming speech contest, but Hazel’s awkward investigation of Tyler’s claim results in both an unexpected friendship and a cause: Tyler is sending Ella Quinn horrible, hateful messages via social media, but the principal blames her for her own harassment! Sands voices this all-too-realistic scenario with empathy and precision; listeners will ache and rage with Hazel and Ella Quinn as they take on both toxic masculinity and skeptical adults. A winner indeed. V.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
DECEMBER 2022 - AudioFile
Tara Sands’s narration brings this middle school examination of #BelieveWomen to life. Loner Hazel Hill is gay, but no one else knows. So when homeroom neighbor Tyler Harris, a serial kiss-and-teller, informs Hazel that his ex-girlfriend Ella Quinn is crushing on her, she’s confused. Ella Quinn is Hazel’s chief competition in the upcoming speech contest, but Hazel’s awkward investigation of Tyler’s claim results in both an unexpected friendship and a cause: Tyler is sending Ella Quinn horrible, hateful messages via social media, but the principal blames her for her own harassment! Sands voices this all-too-realistic scenario with empathy and precision; listeners will ache and rage with Hazel and Ella Quinn as they take on both toxic masculinity and skeptical adults. A winner indeed. V.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
DECEMBER 2022 - AudioFile
★ 2022-07-27
Twelve-year-old Hazel Hill has spent seventh grade focusing on how to win the speech contest and how best to ignore Tyler Harris’ incessant talking, until the day Tyler tells her that Ella Quinn, her speech contest nemesis, has a crush on her. No one knows Hazel likes girls, and she doesn’t know what to do with this information about Ella. As it turns out, there’s more Hazel doesn’t know: Tyler has been harassing Ella online. Based on everything Tyler tells Hazel, the two girls, along with Riley Beckett, Ella’s best friend, realize that he’s probably harassed many other girls. When the three try to report Tyler, they find that the adults they approach don’t listen or don’t care. Left with no other options, the girls decide to take matters into their own hands. The serious subject matter this novel covers is mediated well through Hazel’s wry narration: She is funny, smart, and well adjusted even if she hasn’t managed to make friends in middle school. The portrayal of the girls’ concerns is also remarkably realistic, from their own reactions and considerations about when to speak up or remain silent to the varied and sometimes-disappointing responses of their parents and teachers. All main characters are assumed to be White.
Cleareyed, empowering, and hopeful while still frankly tackling sexual harassment. (notes) (Fiction. 10-13)
