Caroline Bennett

Caroline Bennett
Bessica Lefter Bites Back
Kristen Tracy
Realistic Fiction
Holiday
p. 136

      Rights now in Bessica Lefter Bites Back, by Kristen Tracy, isn't Bessica's grandmother has just returned from her road trip with her boyfriend. Bessica is very close with her grandmother and for the past 6 weeks she has been on a road trip with her boyfriend. The problem is that Bessica really hates her grandmother's boyfriend. I don't know if that is because she just doesn't want her grandmother to have a boyfriend or if she really doesn't like Willy (her grandmother's boyfriend). Another good thing about her grandmother coming back is that it gets her mind off of Sandra. Sandra is Bessica's best friend but they recently got in a text fight that left Bessica very upset. In the beginning of the book, Bessica's school calls and asks why she isn't at mascot practice. Bessica wanted to become the school mascot really badly so she was scared to talk to the principal when she called. So, Sandra picked up but when the principle asked why Bessica wasn't in school Sandra panicked and said she had a foot fungus. Bessica got very mad, left Sandra's house, and wouldn't return any of her texts for about a week. Finally she texted Sandra back and they both said awful things to each other. I think the main reason that Bessica got so mad at Sandra was because the mascot practice was really important to her. Bessica feels that being the school mascot will make her more popular. There is however one person who is standing in her way. Alice Potgeiser is her co-mascot and she is a bit jealous and very mean to Bessica. Alice was very upset that she had to share the mascot role with Bessica. So far, there hasn't been a real plot other than stuff is going wrong in Bessica's life (text fight, hates her grandmother's boyfriend, nervous about mascoting).
       Overall, I really don't like this book. The plot is pretty much nonexistent and the challenges that Bessica has to overcome are rather stupid and are not easy to relate to. For example, how many middle school kids are mascots for their school's football team? The characters are very flat, Bessica doesn't talk or act how middle schooler's do, the author makes her act and talk like she is in third grade. I'm actually not sure how this book got published. I think I will definitely drop this book because I really don't enjoy reading it. I have not read anything else by this author and I don't think I ever will. The only reason I started reading this book was because I had just finished my last book and needed a new one so I just grabbed this off the shelf in the library. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
        I would say the theme that stands out to me the most is probably friendship, but since friendship isn't allowed the theme in this book is acceptance. Bessica has to accept the fact that her grandmother has a boyfriend, even if she doesn't like him. She also has to eventually accept Sandra's apology, even if it is really hard to. And she has to accept the fact that she is co-mascoting with Alice and that Alice isn't always going to be nice to her.
        I guess my favorite character is probably Sandra. I'm not a big fan of any of the characters in this book because none of them are super likable. However, I feel bad for Sandra because Bessica overreacted a ton when Sandra lied to her principal. First of all, Bessica told Sandra to say that she was in the hospital so it didn't really make sense that she would get mad when Sandra said she only had a foot fungus. Second, Sandra texted her about 10 times apologizing for telling the principal a lie. Also, Sandra seems really nice. For example, when Bessica came to Sandra's house she was really excited to see her.
      My least favorite character is Bessica. I know that she is the protagonist and I think suppose to be likable, but I think she complains too much. Also she is a little bit of a bully. I first started disliking her when she sent really mean texts to Sandra. And when she saw her grandmother's boyfriend she was very cold to him. He gave her a key chain and she took it and just walked away without saying anything. I don't think it was a smart move to have the protagonist be rude to pretty much everyone around her.
     I have a few predictions about what will happen next in the book. First, I think Bessica's grandmother and Willy will get married. I did accidentally see this when I was trying to find my page, but I think I would have already predicted it. It would make sense because it will force Bessica to deal with not liking her grandmother's boyfriend and go along with the theme of acceptance. Second, I think something bad will happen at Bessica's first game as a mascot. It would make make sense because every other thing that has had to do with being a mascot has gone wrong. And third, Sandra and Bessica will end up making up because that is what happens in most books.