Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me free access to the digital advanced copy of this book.

I loved this book. It was similar to Maybe He Just Likes You. I love how the different characters interacted and how the main character handled all the situations that came up. This is a book that needs to be in every classroom and recommended to boys and girls alike to show the effects of harassment. This is a book I will be getting for my classroom.

I usually steer away from dress-code-protest-type plots or books that are very focused on youth activism, just because there are so many chances for them to get too didactic and I really can't stand that---but this book was so lovely! I found Hazel to be a compelling protagonist, there was a good number of twists and turns, and good wins out over evil in the way any reader would hope.

Hazel Hill has gumption! And this book has an important message about being a helpful bystander when you see something not right.

This one felt a little forced to me. Hazel was an odd character to me. I appreciated the strength it took her to take down the harassment in the school, but things seemed to happen in a fast way, such as Hazel becoming friends with Riley and Ella really quickly, especially after calling Ella her nemesis early in the book. I also wish some of the topics, like the messages on the app, would've been explored on a deeper level. I also wish that Hazel's family would've been explored more. Her relationship with her parents was a little weird, especially when they were over-the-top excited for her to go to a sleepover. I may to have process this one a little more, but it wasn't my favorite.

This reviewer supports the HarperCollins Union. I've read and written a review, but won't be uploading it here or on any other platforms until the HarperCollins Union has a fair contract.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Maggie Horne, and Clarion Books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I think I have found a new favorite middle grade author!! I would have never guessed this was a debut novel, and I think this book will be SO important for young readers. Between having a queer protagonist, realistic portrayals of anxiety, and an age-appropriate storyline about speaking up against sexual harassment, this book has a bit of everything and doesn't take liberties that middle schoolers are exempt from these issues just because they are young. Hazel, Riley, and Ella are each so charming and unique, and I loved the blossoming friendship that develops as the book progresses. There is something for all readers in here, and I loved that Horne wrote in an authentic voice that didn't talk down to younger readers. At times, because of the content, it did read a bit young adult rather than middle grade to me, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. I adored the parenting style that Hazel's parents exhibited throughout, and I think that this is a great read for any adults who work with or parent middle schoolers. It is extremely eye-opening about just what exactly goes on when parents aren't around and shows how important it is to not just believe women but believe YOUNG women as well. I enthusiastically recommend and can't wait for more from Maggie Horne!

I really enjoyed this story starring the quirky, independent, and smart Hazel Hill as she learns the meaning of true friendship and how to stand up for others when it counts. The book tackles a hard and important subject - sexual harassment - in a very kid-appropriate way. I also like that Hazel's identity as queer was not the central focus of the book. It's great to see queer characters with more developed storylines. I recommend this to middle schoolers who like realistic fiction about contemporary issues.

Adorable with a lot of heart. You can't help but root for Hazel even through her missteps, and I loved watching her find her voice and seeing her new friendships blossom by the end.

I loved this book. The voice is pitch perfect and Hazel is a very appealing, endearing character. The story is powerful and touches on important themes. A wonderful debut and I look forward to more from Maggie Horne!

An amazing LGBTQ+ book for the middle school age group. This will empower girls to speak their mind, stand up to harassers, and overcome prejudice. An inspiring story for a very important age.

This is a powerful book that every young girl should read! This is a coming of age book, but it is so much more than that.

It breaks my heart that so many girls and women end up putting up with harassment just because they think that no one will believe them. This book is powerful since Hazel sticks up for others and really shows her self confidence. It is so important to feel seen and heard.

My 4th grade daughter read this book and I hope that it had a positive impact on her. Her biggest comment was that Hazel and her friends are true superheros since they don't need silly outfits or a cape to make a difference. Hazel Hill wins!

Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

Thank you to Harper Collins Children’s Books/Clarion Books, the author, and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will release October 18, 2022.

“If it’s not worth it, that means we aren’t worth it,” Ella Quinn says. “And I can’t just . . . keep living in a world where we aren’t worth it.”

The last thing Hazel Hill needs this year is to make friends—especially not with Ella Quinn, Hazel’s self-declared nemesis and biggest threat to her winning the school-wide speech competition. But that’s exactly what begins to happen after Hazel learns that Tyler, the golden boy who treats her like a human diary, has been sexually harassing Ella Quinn online. When it turns out that Ella Quinn isn’t the only victim of his vicious behavior, Hazel and her new friends (and maybe a crush, too?) band together to figure out a way to take down Tyler.

I love Hazel. I love love love her. I love how motivated she is, and her disdain for middle school “relationships,” and her desire to be an expert on many different subjects, and just her whole personality. And I like the loneliness that she tries to hide—she says she doesn’t want friends, but she watches friends interact and is just baffled by how people fit together. She just feels like a fully realized character and one I would have found deeply relatable as a kid her age. I still do, actually! (Relate to her, that is.)

The author does an amazing job here of exploring a web of several issues all tied together by the main problem of that cheesecake Tyler’s sexual harassment, including Hazel not feeling like she can tell her parents the full extent of the situation, disbelieving adults that talk down to her and her friends and accuse them of perpetrating harassment instead, and girls reluctant to speak up. There were times when I wanted to throttle teacher characters, especially the principal. But thankfully not everyone in authority in the book is a monster. I also thought that the anger and tension resulting from a lie Ella Quinn told (solely to get Tyler to stop harassing her) was handled well, because it’s a tricky situation to pull off without ending up disliking Ella Quinn for her lie and Hazel for her immediate reaction. And I adore that the end had Hazel winning in more ways than one—and being okay with the fact that it might not have been in the way she expected.

Hazel Hill is not only "gonna win this one." She is going to do it with a hilarious point of view, a strong ethical code, and the social awkwardness that impacts every middle school student. In this exceptional novel, Maggie Horne has created a character who shines. Hazel's bravery and willingness to stand up for her friends will inspire readers to do the same.

Hazel Hill hasn't had friends in quite a while. Her hobbies are school work and the school's speech contest. And reading. The only person she talks to at school, talks AT her more then talks to her, and that's Tyler Harris, best boy extraordinaire. In theory.
When Tyler tells her something she did not see coming, she is embarked in some very unlikely friendships and will do anything to bring that boy's actions to light.

This was so great. I laughed, a lot. Even took some screenshots of a couple quotes cause they were just so funny.
I also loved the main character, Hazel, she was everything. Funny, smart, hilarious, sarcastic. Everything I want a main character to be. I also loved her relationship with her parents and loved seeing her grow.
I also really really loved the secondary characters in Ella Quinn and Riley. And the main themes in the book. I loved seeing how Hazel handled everything thrown at her.
This was also a very short read, with short chapters, but it still felt like the plot and the pacing was perfect.
I honestly loved everything about this and I cannot wait to hold a physical copy in my hand and make everyone I know read this.
Just an amazing time from beginning to end, I'm so looking forward to reading more by Maggie Horne.

This is a FANTASTIC middle-grade book about middle school, not having friends, being a kid and growing up is hard, and making friends and defending them in the face of a great injustice, even at great personal cost. It also tackles the subject of sexual harassment in middle school, which I think is really important. This book is full of heart, and incredible funny, and very important. Five stars. Booksweet link. Storygraph link.

Fantastic!!! A refreshing middle school book that is age appropriate and covers important topics. Hazel Hill is bright and her biggest goal this year is to win the speech competition. She is befriended by Ella and Riley and learns that Ella is being sexually harassed online by a boy in their grade. Together they take on the challenge to try and prove it and get him to stop. The fight is realistic as is the fact that adults aren’t always helpful. This is a perfect read in a me too era for both girls and boys. I love how supportive Ella’s parents are, but she still can’t communicate all that is going on with her. This made me feel good as I finished the story and it has a realistic conclusion. Hazel herself isn’t interested in boys but that isn’t the focus of the story. It does add wonderful representation that is often missing for younger readers.

Sadly some of the statistics included say that 25% of students experience some sort of verbal of physical sexual harassment in middle school. I love the authors notes at the end telling of her own experience where she was made to feel uncomfortable. It reminded me of Shannon Hale writing similarly in her graphic novel Friends Forever last year. The message is clear we need to do better in believing and encouraging young people to speak up when they don’t feel safe or are uncomfortable.

Happy to recommend for upper elementary grades and middles schoolers. Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children’s Books, Clarion Book and the author for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Maggie Horne has knocked it out of the park with her debut middle grade novel. This book is funny and heartfelt and takes on sexual harassment in middle school without feeling like you're in the middle of an after school special.

Hazel is a wonderful twelve-year-old who is both prickly and idealistic even as the adults around her prove to be major disappointments. This book is perfect for any of the tweens in your life (I will be handing it over to my 11 and 13 year olds). It gets at the particular ways adults can mean well (like Hazel's parents) and completely screw up. It also allows for kids, like Hazel, to realize they have done things they aren't proud of and to find ways to apologize, make amends, and deepen their friendships by being honest about their mistakes.

On top of all of that (but wait, there's more) Hazel's identity as a lesbian is central to how she interacts with the world. Her fears about how she will be treated and perceived directly affect some of her actions. It's wonderful to see such a sensitive and nuanced view of the ways homophobia affect the ways Hazel act and reacts to the world.

I loved this book. If you liked REVENGE OF THE RED CLUB or MOXIE you're going to love HAZEL HILL IS GONNA WIN THIS ONE.

I received an ARC for this book.

In a better world, one where boys were not encouraged in so many ways to treat girls as targets, where social media wasn't used as a tool for Harrassment and abuse, and where adults and those in power listened, this book wouldn't be needed.

Unfortunately, it is. This book would be an excellent shared reading experience to discuss issues of consent and to discuss "Me too" in an age appropriate manner for middle school students. While this book centers the female characters, it's an important lesson for all students.. It is also refreshing to see a young protagonist who is aware that she isn't interested in boys in the way her classmates seem to be, but the book isn't focused on that. It is the sort of representation that books that include LGBT main characters often miss.

Overall, this is an excellent book that sorely needs to be included in classrooms and libraries. I wish there weren't a need for it, but since there is, I am glad it exists.

An important and enjoyable read about feminism, how young girls (and, later, women) are all too often ignored and blamed for sexual harassment, and how men and boys sometimes are excused from responsibility for their own actions. LGBTQIA2S+ content is minimal, while Hazel's sexuality occasionally comes up this is not a book about a fraught coming out. I