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Mostly Miserable Life of April Sinclair #5
Not What I Expected
At first, high school is off to a surprisingly good start for April. She and Brynn are on the dance team. April's almost-cousin Sophie has moved to Faraway. Running into Matt Parker hasn't been as weird as April thought it might be. And then there's her new friendship with cute, quirky Leo. But just as April settles in, her life begins to unravel. Brynn doesn't want anything to do with Sophie. April's mom is busy opening a boutique in downtown Faraway, and she and Dad are constantly fighting. When events at a party catch April off guard, she feels like life has hit a new low. Is it possible that things can turn around when you least expect it?
176 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2015
8 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
Laurie B. Friedman
175Ìýbooks140ÌýfollowersLaurie Friedman is the author and ghostwriter of over 300 award-winning picture books, easy readers, chapter books, and novels for young readers including the bestselling Mallory McDonald series, the Moose the Dog easy reader series, the Camp Creepy Lake and Wendy & Willow chapter books, and may picture books including Cows in the House and Love, Ruby Valentine.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 9, 2015
This was a cute and quick read.
Not what I expected starts of with April going into high school and starts off to a surprisingly good start. She and Brynn are on the dance team. April's almost-cousin Sophie has moved to Faraway. Running into Matt Parker hasn't been as weird as April thought it might be. And then there's her new friendship with cute, quirky Leo. But just as April settles in, her life begins to unravel.
Brynn doesn't want anything to do with Sophie. April's mom is busy opening a boutique in downtown Faraway, and she and Dad are constantly fighting. When events at a party catch April off guard, she feels like life has hit a new low. Is it possible that things can turn around when you least expect it?
This is a light, quick, and cute read for mostly a middle school audience. All about a girl starting high school and how she survives the constant obstacles her life is getting, but in the end has a happily ever after.
Not what I expected starts of with April going into high school and starts off to a surprisingly good start. She and Brynn are on the dance team. April's almost-cousin Sophie has moved to Faraway. Running into Matt Parker hasn't been as weird as April thought it might be. And then there's her new friendship with cute, quirky Leo. But just as April settles in, her life begins to unravel.
Brynn doesn't want anything to do with Sophie. April's mom is busy opening a boutique in downtown Faraway, and she and Dad are constantly fighting. When events at a party catch April off guard, she feels like life has hit a new low. Is it possible that things can turn around when you least expect it?
This is a light, quick, and cute read for mostly a middle school audience. All about a girl starting high school and how she survives the constant obstacles her life is getting, but in the end has a happily ever after.
September 7, 2017
I think this was a good book because it was relatable. This just carried on the same story from the other books in the series. If you like realistic fiction and are in upper elemtery or middle school you will probably like this book. In this April Is in one of the biggest dance shows of the year in her home town Faraway Alabama, and her mom also opens a new store called "Flora's Fashions". Witch causes her to meet a boy named Leo who works next door to her moms shore at a sandwich shop. I would recommend reading the other books in the series that come before this book before reading this one.
June 6, 2018
Cute book, quick read.
October 21, 2020
April Sinclair is a 14 year old girl starting high school. It is written in the style of a diary and relatable, I enjoyed it as a light hearted read. It is well suited for it's target audience of tweens and teens, I have not read the prior books in the series but found it to be a book you can jump in and totally enjoy at the book 5 stage. I have ordered the next books from the library to give them a try and see if the enjoyment continues.
December 19, 2016
April Sinclair has started high school and it is not quite what she expected. She is thrilled that her cousin Sophie has moved to her town and goes to her school, but she hates that Sophie and her best friend Brynn don't get along. She is proud of her mom for opening a new business downtown, but she is troubled by her parents' constant arguing over the decision. And though she is happy to be free from her relationship with Matt Parker, she is not crazy about the idea of seeing him with someone new, even if she also has her eye on a new guy.
Just like the earlier books of the Mostly Miserable Life of April Sinclair series, book five is complete literary candy. Laurie Friedman has a great ear for the gossipy language of young teens, and all the details of high school life ring very true. Readers can't help but get sucked into the drama of April's day-to-day experiences. New characters Leo (April's homeschooled love interest) and Sophie add new dimensions to April's social life, which provide new opportunities for her character to grow and change as she gets older. Unlike Mallory (the often-irritating star of the author's chapter book series), April is actually evolving and becoming less annoying and self-involved as the books go on.
This particular story does not have much of a plot, and it ends on sort of a plain note as compared with the earlier installments. Still, it is completely engrossing and takes very little time to breeze through. There is some sexual content (between Brynn and her boyfriend Billy) which seems gratuitous and stars pushing the series more toward YA, but it's nothing that hasn't been covered by Phyllis Reynold Naylor's popular Alice series, so readers who have already read those won't be shocked. While I will never allow my own child to read books like this (they model behavior I don't want to promote) I do enjoy them as an adult, especially when longer, more literary books seem daunting. I would absolutely purchase them for a library, knowing how much the diary format, contemporary voice, and high-interest content appeal to the target age group in general, and specifically to reluctant readers.
Just like the earlier books of the Mostly Miserable Life of April Sinclair series, book five is complete literary candy. Laurie Friedman has a great ear for the gossipy language of young teens, and all the details of high school life ring very true. Readers can't help but get sucked into the drama of April's day-to-day experiences. New characters Leo (April's homeschooled love interest) and Sophie add new dimensions to April's social life, which provide new opportunities for her character to grow and change as she gets older. Unlike Mallory (the often-irritating star of the author's chapter book series), April is actually evolving and becoming less annoying and self-involved as the books go on.
This particular story does not have much of a plot, and it ends on sort of a plain note as compared with the earlier installments. Still, it is completely engrossing and takes very little time to breeze through. There is some sexual content (between Brynn and her boyfriend Billy) which seems gratuitous and stars pushing the series more toward YA, but it's nothing that hasn't been covered by Phyllis Reynold Naylor's popular Alice series, so readers who have already read those won't be shocked. While I will never allow my own child to read books like this (they model behavior I don't want to promote) I do enjoy them as an adult, especially when longer, more literary books seem daunting. I would absolutely purchase them for a library, knowing how much the diary format, contemporary voice, and high-interest content appeal to the target age group in general, and specifically to reluctant readers.
September 22, 2015
Not What I Expected may appeal to the audience for which it was intended - namely, tweens and teens, but a few things about it bothered me. April is 14 and just starting high school, yet she has already had multiple boyfriends. Most 14 year olds are not ready for hand holding, let alone kissing more than one boy. The diary format was an interesting way to give the reader a snapshot of April's life. This series may appeal to tween readers, especially those who are dealing with some of the issues that April and her friends or family face.
July 1, 2015
I was lucky enough to get a copy from netgalley.
It was a quick read and it was a cute story.
It was a quick read and it was a cute story.
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January 22, 2016From the series "The Mostly Miserable Life of April Sinclair" book 5 -- Quick, light read filled with freshman year problems. Can be read without reading previous books.
January 26, 2016
Part of a series: The Mostly Miserable Life of April Sinclair
Subjects: high school, parents starting a business, friendship,
Subjects: high school, parents starting a business, friendship,
October 3, 2018
It was a really good book! I enjoyed it.
January 18, 2024
Didn't know I was reading the fifth book in this series until I finished the book LOL.
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November 16, 2017Does Lina like Leo or Matt
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
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