Her older sister, Anaïs, joined the Peace Corps and moved to Africa in order to escape her mother, whom she calls The Queen of Denial.

One Reviewer noted that the "pacing is excellent and Mackler perfectly conveys the nuances of teen insecurity in all its painfully glory."

Kirkus reviews, LLC calls the novel "easy read with substance and spirit," "eminently accessible," and "sexuality, refreshingly, is treated as a good thing."

Gail Richmond of The School Library Journal gave the novel a positive review: "Told through first-person narrative, journal entries, and e-mail, Virginia's story will interest readers who are looking for one more book with teen angst, a bit of romance, and a kid who is a bit like them or their friends.

"[1] Jennifer M. Brabander of Horn Book Magazine also lauded the novel, saying, "Mackler does a fine job introducing girls to a very cool chick with a little meat on her bones.

"[2] A Publishers Weekly review says, "The e-mails she exchanges with Shannon, and the lists she makes (e.g., "The Fat Girl Code of Conduct") add both realism and insight to her character.

[3] The book has also sparked some negative responses, Diane Roback goes so far as to say, "Mackler occasionally uses a heavy hand when it comes to making her points."