Book Review: 10 Steps to Girlfriend Status

This story quickly pulled me in, and though I’m in my thirties now, this novel brought me back to age fourteen like it was yesterday. Wendy, the main character in 10 Steps to Girlfriend Status, is easy to identify with, and her authentic teen girl’s voice carried this story along at an enjoyable, breezy pace. She’s fresh with hopes and dreams as she begins ninth grade with many changes on the horizon: some exciting, some mysterious, and some worrisome. How she deals with them makes for a lovely story of growth and discovery.

The author wields words well, immersing the reader in the moment, with no unnecessary verbosity clouding the novel. The story deals with some heavy issues in a sensitive way without making the story depressing, including Alzheimer’s, blended families, and first time dating. Lessons are learned about remaining true to oneself and remaining a caring, kind person—even when things don’t go the way one wants.

While this book is second in The Bird Face Series, it can easily be read as a standalone novel (I didn’t read the first one yet, and this didn’t present any issues for me). 10 Steps to Girlfriend Status is a wonderful read for preteen and teen girls, with many themes they can relate to and learn from, all in a highly enjoyable and entertaining form.

10 Steps to Girlfriend Status is available in paperback and as a Kindle ebook.