Parents' Guide to

Surviving High School

By Amanda Nojadera, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Vine star's superficial novel has mixed messages for teens.

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A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 14+

Based on 1 parent review

age 14+

Deluded Narcissist Writes a Piece of Garbage

Now, I have never been a fan of Lele Pons. I don't think she's funny, she comes across as incredibly full of herself and shallow, and her content has always been a confusing mix of "I'm better than you" and "Look how relatable I am!!" I had hoped (foolishly, I suppose) that this book would help me to see her on a different level, and get me to respect her more as a creator. Yah... Not exactly. The whole story is basically just Lele explaining how awesome she was in high school, how famous she was and is, and how amazing she is because of her fame. It's self-obsession to the extreme and I can't believe it was able to get through editing.

This title has:

Too much consumerism

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Vine star Lele Pons relies on her self-deprecating humor, annoying acronyms and hashtags, and an abundance of pop culture references to tell a superficial high school story. While she celebrates her individuality and encourages others to do the same, her obsession with her appearance negates the positive body-image messages she may be trying to impart to her readers.

Although the Lele in the book is fictional, her #DoItForTheVine mentality comes across as selfish and arrogant especially when she neglects her friends and schoolwork and provides insincere apologies and excuses for her behavior. While there aren't many useful tips for surviving high school, Lele's rise in popularity -- both online and offline -- and self-esteem issues show teens how important it is to find a healthy balance with media and technology.

Book Details

  • Authors: Lele Pons, Melissa de la Cruz
  • Genre: Coming of Age
  • Topics: Friendship, High School
  • Book type: Fiction
  • Publication date: April 5, 2016
  • Publisher's recommended age(s): 13 - 18
  • Number of pages: 272
  • Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
  • Last updated: September 25, 2020

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