What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this novel is the sixth in a
series about wealthy, privileged girls who are obsessed with
material items, boys, and themselves as the center of their own
small universe. This book continues the degradation of the
"new" girl, a middle-class "nerd" who's desperate to fit in.
Most of the dialogue is about nonstop purchasing of designer
labels, finding ways to "lip-kiss" boys, or scheming to bring
another kid down. Perhaps these are realistic fantasies of
seventh grade girls, but it's presented in such a way that it
lacks any life lessons about maturation or, at the very least,
reflecting on your actions. This is a poor choice for tweens --
especially when other great coming-of-age novels are
available.
Families can talk about the Pretty Committee as an example of cliques. Is the depiction of this group of friends realistic? Why do you think this series is so successful? Is it realistic for kids to have such easy access to money and so few limits placed on them by parents? Why does the "nerdy" girl stick with the clique? What would you do in her shoes? Does anyone you know act like this in real life?
Common Sense Media Review
Writing realistic books for the tween female genre isn't a
simple assignment. The characters and dialogue must seem real,
or the book will be shut faster than a new cell phone. And it's
easy to fall into the traps of creating predictable,
one-dimensional characters and developing a plot line that
exploits common fantasies of this age range.
Such is the case with L is for Losers. There's no doubt that author Lisi Harrison, a writer for MTV, knows this crowd -- what appeals, what's trendy, what's enticing. And clearly with the following of the Clique series, she's touched a nerve with this demographic.
But instead creating a novel that helps girls see through the shallow world of cliques like the book's Pretty Committee, Dial L For Losers, perpetuates stereotypes of kids, specifically girls, being malicious, gossipy, jealous, materialistic, and unable to learn from experiences in a way that shows maturation and taking responsibility for yourself.
While the "nerdy" (and most sympathetic) character does appear to get a taste of popularity and learn something about herself, the others are as self involved at the end of the book as they were in the beginning.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
