Praise for Unfriended "Hearkens back to Vail's wonderful The Friendship Ring series in its opportunity to see how various characters delight, suffer, and rationalize, complicating the portrayals. . . Clear and compelling. . . This will be an irresistible starter to a discussion of ethics and values, and readers will appreciate both the cautionary tale and the message of survival's possibility." --
BCCB,
starred review "With keen insight, Vail reveals the internal struggles with uncertainty and self-doubt that can plague young teens regardless of popularity status. . . With a resolution that is both realistic and hopeful, Vail captures the complexity of middle school social challenges, insightfully addressing the issues of friendships and integrity." --
Publishers Weekly "Vail has a great ear for dialogue, and her characters. . . are well differentiated and realistic." --
VOYA "A realistic portrayal of middle school life. Truly is depicted as a complex young adult, not a single-minded social climber. . . [and] the other characters are multidimensional; they have struggles and worries, and are not the flat, stereotypical popular kids that are sometimes portrayed in YA novels. . . A solid choice that will ignite meaningful discussion." --
School Library Journal "Vail brings her sharp observations and wry humor to the world of eighth-grade friendships." --
Horn Book "Mean girls, misunderstood girls, awkward boys, friendship, popularity, social misfits, all play into this book that epitomizes the roller coaster that is middle school." --
LMC Praise for Rachel Vail: "
Wonder is wonderful! It's got energy, humor and heart." --Judy Blume, for
Wonder "The writing is sharp, unpredictably clever" --Avi, Newbery Medalist, for
Justin Case: School, Drool, and other Daily Disasters "Vail again demonstrates a penetrating insight into the concerns of young teen girls ... Readers will absorb this in one fell swoop." --
Publishers Weekly,
starred review, for
Lucky "Vail proves that first love is anything but simple and sweet. Her razor-sharp wit will keep readers turning pages." --
Publishers Weekly, for
If We Kiss
Rachel Vail is the author of more than twenty books for young readers, including her first book, Wonder, about which Judy Blume said: "Wonder is wonderful. It's got energy, humor, and heart." Her four-book series, The Friendship Ring, will be reissued in Puffin in Fall 2014. Rachel grew up in New Rochelle and attended Georgetown University. She has two sons; they and their friends provide her with a wealth of material for her writing. She lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.