“My long lost friend Jessica Darling is back! I feel so lucky to have a peek into her middle school years in Megan McCafferty’s sparkly new series. How I’ve missed you so, Jessica Darling!”
–Jenny Han, New York Times bestselling author of the Summer series and Shug
“Jessica Darling won’t really tell you how to be popular; instead she’ll mock and subvert the entire middle-school popularity system while you laugh hysterically. Trust me, you’ll adore her ten different ways.”
“Not only were books three, four, and five bestsellers, but Jessica and her fictional friends have spawned fan fiction, more than one Jessica Darling-themed Tumblr, and even a tribute video set to Barry Manilow’s “Can’t Smile Without You.”
What gets readers hooked on this character? Ask McCafferty’s editor, Elizabeth Bewley, a longtime fan who has been a Jessica Darling fan since reading Sloppy Firsts not long after it came out. She cited Jessica’s sense of humor and personality quirks; this is a character who says her number one hobby is “thinking about things,” after all. “I also love that she is sort of a salty and sweet character,” Bewley said. “She has her moments where she is not proud of herself for decisions that she’s made. And I think that most of us can relate to that.”
My middle grade sequel to SLOPPY FIRSTS goes on sale on September 3rd! But for a limited time you can download the first seven chapters for FREE. It’s your opportunity to get a sneak peek at the novel Kirkus called a “humorously spot-on” take on junior high!
Jessica Darling, who first appeared as a high-schooler in Sloppy Firsts (2001), is back in this prequel series opener that sees her poised for the first day of seventh grade. And is she freaking out about starting Pineville Junior High? Of course. Luckily, or unluckily as it turns out, big sis Bethany provides her with a cheat sheet that’s a “Guaranteed Guide to Popularity, Prettiness, and Perfection.” These four items (get out your notepads) are as follows: “Wear something different every day”; “Make the CHEER TEAM!!!”; “Pick your first boyfriend wisely”; and “Stick with the IT clique.” This is easier said than done, as Jess becomes the cheer team mascot and finds she is not interested in any boys. On top of all that, her BFF Bridget is suddenly pretty and popular. While this doesn’t break tween ground, Jessica is a winning heroine, and as she stumbles and fumbles (and literally falls flat on her face), readers will laugh alongside her and, yes, cheer as she comes into her authentic self.
HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The Jessica Darling series was a New York Times best-seller, so the prequels, backed by a solid marketing campaign, should be similarly well received.
Introducing the middle grade prequel to SLOPPY FIRSTS.
I hadn’t even gotten to homeroom yet and I’d already discovered five hard truths about junior high:
1. My best friend had turned pretty. 2. She didn’t know it yet. 3. It wouldn’t be long before she did. 4. That knowledge would change everything between us. 5. And there wasn’t a thing I could do about it.
It’s the first day of seventh grade. Is Jessica Darling doomed for dorkdom?
New York Times bestselling author Megan McCafferty’s hilarious series opener will have you laughing, cringing, and cheering for Jessica Darling as she learns that being herself beats being popular, pretty & perfect any day.
ADVANCE PRAISE:
“My long lost friend Jessica Darling is back! I feel so lucky to have a peek into her middle school years in Megan McCafferty’s sparkly new series. How I’ve miss you so, Jessica Darling!”
–Jenny Han, New York Times bestselling author of the Summer series and Shug
“Jessica Darling won’t really tell you how to be popular; instead she’ll mock and subvert the entire middle-school popularity system while you laugh hysterically. Trust me, you’ll adore her ten different ways.”
— E. Lockhart, author of The Boyfriend List and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
“I first fell in love with Megan McCafferty’s irrepressible and hilarious Jessica Darling in Sloppy Firsts. I’m thrilled to turn back the clock and watch her navigate the highs and lows of seventh grade. I laughed and cheered for her and so will a new generation of readers.”
–Wendy Mass, author of The Candymakers
“If I had to do seventh grade all over again, there’s nobody I’d rather have by my side than Jessica Darling. Funny, winning, and completely relatable, she makes for delightful company as she navigates her way through a new school, and it’s impossible not to root for her through all her misadventures. I’m already excited to find out what the next chapter of her story might bring!”
–Jennifer E. Smith, author of This is What Happy Looks Like, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and The Storm Makers
The (Totally Not) Guaranteed Guide to Stressing, Obsessing & Second-Guessing
Crazy teachers; best friends turning pretty overnight; “The Unbreakable Laws of Cafeteria Line Cutting”…. Junior high is rough, and Jessica Darling needs help! Enter older sister Bethany and her “It List,” meant to help Jessica uphold “The Darling Domination of Popularity.”
In Jessica Darling’s It List 3, Jessica faces the potentially mortifying outcome of the Top Secret Pineville Junior High Crushability Test. Plus, she’s kind of stuck in the middle, as smarties and skaters unite to collect signatures on a petition to bring back the school’s annual dance. Will the dramarama of seventh grade be Jessica’s downfall? Not if she can help it.
Due to popular demand, ARCs of JESSICA DARLING’S IT LIST #1 will be distributed from booth 1829 only on 5/30 from 10-11AM and 5/31 from 9-9:30AM. (If you can’t make it during those times it can’t hurt to ask for IT, though.)
“My long lost friend Jessica Darling is back! I feel so lucky to have a peek into her middle school years in Megan McCafferty’s sparkly new series. How I’ve missed you so, Jessica Darling!”