{"schema_version":"bf_book_companion_v1","release_id":"20261010T034321Z-reviewed-full-unique-works","book":{"amazon_purchase_url":"https://www.amazon.com/dp/0147512549?tag=bookfrontie00-20","asin":"0147512549","authors":["Maya Van Wagenen"],"book_id":"9780147512543","canonical_url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/popular-9780147512543","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780147512543.jpg?v=0951e137f86ff23b","description":"New York Times Bestseller A breakout teen author explores the true meaning of popularity and how to survive middle school in this hysterically funny, touchingly honest contemporary memoir. “I was inspired by [Maya's] journey and made a point of saving a copy of ‘Popular’ for my sister, who starts middle school this fall. Maybe if I had read it when I was her age, it could have saved me from a world of hurt, or at least put that world in perspective.” —Maude Apatow, New York Times Book Review Can curlers, girdles, Vaseline, and a strand of pearls help a shy girl become popular? Maya Van Wagenen is about to find out. Stuck near the bottom of the social ladder at “pretty much the lowest level of people at school who aren’t paid to be here,” Maya has never been popular. But before starting eighth grade, she decides to begin a unique social experiment: spend the school year following a 1950s popularity guide, written by former teen model Betty Cornell. The real-life results are hilarious, painful, and filled with unexpected surprises. Told with humor and grace, Maya’s journey offers readers of all ages a thoroughly contemporary example of kindness and self-confidence, along with a better understanding of what it means to be popular.","forthcoming":false,"isbn13":"9780147512543","publication_date":"20150421","publisher":"Penguin Young Readers Group","slug":"popular","subtitle":"How a Geek in Pearls Discovered the Secret to Confidence","title":"Popular"},"discovery":{"categories":{"all":[{"bisac_code":"YAN051020","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Bullying for Teens","score":0.7989,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"YAN051110","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Friendship for Teens","score":0.794,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"YAN051200","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Self-Esteem & Independence for Teens","score":0.7904,"source":"bisac_hint_model"}],"hint":[{"bisac_code":"YAN051020","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Bullying for Teens","score":0.7989,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"YAN051110","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Friendship for Teens","score":0.794,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"YAN051200","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Self-Esteem & Independence for Teens","score":0.7904,"source":"bisac_hint_model"}],"publisher":[{"bisac_code":"YAN006040","confidence_band":"high","label":"Writers' Lives","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"YAN028000","confidence_band":"high","label":"Humor for Teens","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"YAN051200","confidence_band":"high","label":"Self-Esteem & Independence for Teens","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"}]},"genres":[{"label":"Bullying for Teens","score":0.7989,"slug":"bullying-for-teens"},{"label":"Friendship for Teens","score":0.794,"slug":"friendship-for-teens"},{"label":"Self-Esteem & Independence for Teens","score":0.7904,"slug":"self-esteem-independence-for-teens"}],"reader_fit":["Good for readers interested in middle school social dynamics","Readers who enjoy humorous, honest memoirs"],"related_lists":[],"series":null,"similar_books":[{"authors":["Caprice Crane"],"book_id":"9781250044334","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781250044334.jpg?v=6b35bb7524747db9","score":0.7373,"title":"Confessions of a Hater","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781250044334"},{"authors":["Elise Allen"],"book_id":"9780547721965","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780547721965.jpg?v=c3646655515fda83","score":0.72,"title":"Populazzi","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780547721965"},{"authors":["Katty Kay","Claire Shipman","JillEllyn Riley"],"book_id":"9780062796981","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780062796981.jpg?v=8fed4508ff7de28e","score":0.7125,"title":"The Confidence Code for Girls","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780062796981"},{"authors":["Amy Holder"],"book_id":"9780547363066","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780547363066.jpg?v=72026d0a0146282f","score":0.7117,"title":"The Lipstick Laws","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780547363066"},{"authors":["Julia DeVillers"],"book_id":"9780761563631","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780761563631.jpg?v=c1459f0d9eb2d5e1","score":0.7094,"title":"Girlwise","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780761563631"},{"authors":["Marcella Pixley"],"book_id":"9781250027429","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781250027429.jpg?v=b317eedf47ab499c","score":0.7041,"title":"Freak","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781250027429"}],"topics":[{"evidence_refs":["keyword:teen memoir"],"label":"Teen","score":0.1318,"slug":"teen"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:middle school"],"label":"School","score":0.1154,"slug":"school"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:middle school"],"label":"Middle","score":0.0679,"slug":"middle"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:teen memoir"],"label":"Memoir","score":0.0385,"slug":"memoir"},{"evidence_refs":["phrase_map_match"],"label":"Book Club","score":0.0215,"slug":"book-club"}],"what_you_get":["Themes: Popularity and belonging, Kindness, Self-confidence.","Themes: Teen, School, Middle.","Reading lane: Bullying for Teens and Friendship for Teens."]},"llm_signals":{"confidence":0.95,"pacing":"unknown","reader_fit":["Readers interested in middle school social dynamics","Readers who enjoy humorous, honest memoirs"],"themes":["Popularity and belonging","Kindness","Self-confidence"],"tropes":[]},"source_presence":{"amazon":true,"book_detail":true,"goodreads":true,"llm_signals":true,"similarity_seed":true},"stats":{"amazon_ratings_count":644,"goodreads_ratings_count":11948,"goodreads_reviews_count":2373,"quality_score":0.9849}}