Enjoyable but maybe a touch preachy

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dino27 Avatar

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I always enjoyed the diary-style books when I was younger, I found them very readable. This book is based on the protagonist using a journalling app, which works well and helps her document everything that's happening. I liked the thread of the 100 football games unbeaten challenge throughout the book, but I found the 'Glow-Up' bits to be a bit preachy in places - obviously the message the author is trying to give has good intentions: girls can be sporty and look good, feel confident in yourself but don't have a makeover just to attract boys, stand up to bullies etc, but sometimes the 'you are amazing just as you are' gets a bit much. There were a few other things which grated a bit on me - overuse of the word 'like' (which I know a lot of kids overuse anyway, but it felt wrong to be reading it in a book), and when Lara's teacher took her phone off her in a lesson, she says she 'feels kind of empty, having to be without her phone for the rest of the lesson'. Doesn't strike me as a responsible thing to have in a book, to normalise having your phone on you at all times.