Review: Dawn: Diary One by Ann M. Martin

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Can Dawn find a life in California to match the one she left behind in Connecticut—or has too much changed between her friends?
At Vista, eighth graders are required to write personal journals about their experiences. Meet thirteen-year-old Dawn Schafer, the crunchy and health conscious member of the Baby-Sitters Club, who has returned to California to live with her father, stepmother, and brother. Dawn is thrilled to be reunited with her old friends Sunny, Maggie, and Jill.
It’s not always easy to keep the group together, though—things are changing fast since they moved the eighth-grade classes into the high school. With new social demands and decisions to make, Dawn sees just how much her old friends have changed since she moved away. Or is she the one who is different now? It’s time for this independent girl to let go of the life she had across the country and figure out just where she belongs now.
This ebook features an illustrated personal history of Ann M. Martin, including rare images from the author’s collection.

MY TAKE:
My favorite Baby-sitters Club members are Kristy, Mary Anne and Claudia, but I really can't resist reading anything from the BSC series so I gave this book a try.

In Dawn: Diary One, it's a new school year for Dawn and her friends in California. However, instead of being the rulers of middle school as eighth-graders, they're now at the bottom of the food chain in the high school building. Some of Dawn's friends welcome the chance to change and grow up, but while Dawn is excited, she's also not too sure about some things.

I've always thought of Dawn as Mary Anne's sister. In this book, I got to learn more about her and was able to see her personality.

Dawn has some interesting friends in California. Sunny is a bit of a rebel, Maggie is a perfectionist, and Jill is immature. She also meets two new friends, Ducky and Amalia. It was then that I remembered that several years ago, I read a book told from Amalia's point-of-view. That's probably one of the reasons I liked her right away.

The plot is pretty simple, I guess. It's about friends growing up and changing. Dawn's main conflict here is dealing with the changes in her friends and within her family. It's a little bit after-school-special-ish, but it's still a fun read. I did get thrown a little bit when the girls thought about watching movies on a VCR. I don't think kids nowadays have ever seen one in person.

Thanks to NetGalley and Open Road Media Teen & Tween for the e-copy.

THE GOOD:

1. Young girls can relate easily to the story.
2. The characters are interesting.
3. It's a fun and easy read.

THE BAD:

1. Dawn's conflict isn't too heavy.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

My body is a temple. I put only the purest of things into it. Like Mountain Dew and Pez.

READ IT IF:

1. You liked the Baby-sitters Club series.
2. You are a fan of Dawn.
3. You like after-school specials.

RATING:


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