Fetching by Kiera Stewart stars Olivia a girl who lives with her grandmother a dog trainer. Olivia and her friends have been bullied by the popular group at school so they decide to train them like dogs. The girls find success with their methods but things are not as good on the top as they seem.
I really enjoyed this book. While it's not the most original concept for adults it has a plot that teen and tween girls will love. The story of girls coming up with a plan to knock the popular mean girls off the top rungs of middle school society is one that kids will love. I enjoyed the varying characters. The subplot about a girl who feels abandoned by her mother who is in a mental hospital is fantastic and really rounds out Olivia's character.
While some of the methods the girls (and boy) use aren't realistic there are some good lessons in the book. The girls look for signs that the bullies are going to "attack" and deflect their behavior with distraction. The girls have a bit of a physical transformation but nothing extreme. Olivia gets some mascara, new jeans and some hair product, one of her friends starts wearing her hair away from her face which causes her acne to clear up a bit while another maintains her original way of dress which helps their self confidence.
Appropriateness: This book has no adult content. There is no romance beyond a couple crush comments. The characters are eighth graders and nice kids. I would recommend this book to girls 9-14.
Review copy provided by netgalley
