Wow! Very realistic portrayal of sexual harassment at the middle school level and how difficult it is for the subject of the harassment to deal with insults and physical bullying. The impact it has on friendships, self-esteem, and family life are detailed very convincingly. It sounds so easy to "just say no" yet in reality it is quite difficult and even when the words come out somehow the meaning doesn't always get conveyed...why?!? This book not only empowers both genders to examine the issue, but also looks at what causes it and how to deal with it on both ends. Very well done and a must read for all middle schoolers.

Mila is a seventh grader who lives with her mom and her younger sister. Her parents are divorced and she rarely sees or hears anything from her dad anymore, it only comes up when she hears the phone calls of her mom with him, when apparently it is about money that isn't there. Her mom has a hard time making ends meet on her own.

At school everything is normal until something is starting that looks quite innocent in the beginning, but it is anything but; it all starts when a few of the guys, mostly Callum and Dante who are in band from her class and who are in band practice with her block her way and give her an unwanted hug on the school blacktop. The next days and weeks it goes on; weird comments about her body, more unwanted hugs on the school bus, grabbing. and a lot of smirks and laughing from the boys. Mila isn't sure where to place these things, it all feels weird. Very weird. But when she tells her friend Zara, who just like her other friends Omi and Max seen it happen, she acts just over sensitive and immature, because according to Zara this is what flirting looks like. But for Mila it just doesn't feel like this and it certainly feels not ok, especially when she learns that someone has seen the boys involved have a scorecard on their phone for harrassing Mila and it's like a serious game for them..
Luckily she gets the chance to follow a karate class at the center where her mom is going to for jazzercise class. It's her that Mila learns self defence and makes friends with Samira, who is also in her school. But when she turns the karate lessons into practice when Callum want's to touch her again, she is suspended and things turn into more trouble, untill they get completely out of hand during the school band performance. But then she get's help from an unexpected place..

It's just amazing how author Barbara Dee includes very actual topics in her books for middle grade readers. In her previous book Star Crossed, the main character Mattie has a crush on another girl, and in this book, bullying and even more specific sexual harassment, which is quite actual since the whole #metoo subject.
Mila is a very likeable main character you can relate too, especially if you have experienced bullying and/or harassment yourself. Her feelings and insecurities on how to give what's happening to her a place in her mind is very realistic. If you are the victim, especially in the beginning phase, it's hard to realize that what's happening is not ok, even if you know deep inside it's not. Especially when everyone around you says that you are just ''too sensitive'' or ''overreacting''. I am glad though that the guys who harassed Mila in the book are handled the right way in the end, I can tell you that doesn't happen always in real life.
I also loved how the author portrayed Mila's life at home, which was also very real and not always easy with a single, very hard working mom, and a little sister she has to take care of when her mom is at work.
Overall, this is a very good, very different and more serious middle grade read, which in a great way can teach young readers that it's never ever ok if someone touches you when you are not okay with it, and that it's okay to talk about it and seek help when it happens, which can truly be difficult when you are young and ther is a lot of peer pressure.
I truly recommend reading it!

Amazing middle grade novel about boundaries and consent. Should be required reading for middle schoolers.

This book took me right back to seventh grade. I believe it should be a must read for middle school. Really incredible. 5 stars. Thanks @netgalley for the ARC.