Anatomy of a Misfit is one of this fall’s most buzzed about books; of course, when a book is touted as “Mean Girls meets The Perks of Being a Wallflower” it’s easy to see why people might be excited about it. Already, there is talk about a movie adaptation; Sullivan coined this as the “start of the “TFiOS’ effect.”
Anatomy of a Misfit
by Andrea Portes
336 p. HarperTeen. September 2, 2014.
Gr 9 Up
In the book, 15-year-old Anika Dragomir, the third most popular girl in school, struggles to accept the “spider stew” of her true self which is in opposition to her precarious social rank. Anika knows her friend Becky Vilhauer, the most popular girl in school, is a bully, yet she tolerates her cruelties to avoid destroying her own social persona. Her secret relationship with nerd turned hottie, Logan McDonough, complicates things even further, especially when Anika begins to get glimpses of his troubling home life. It is not until the bad boy everyone wants to date, Jared Kline, flatters Anika into a date that she realizes her true feelings for Logan.
The Feels
When I started the book, I was immediately charmed by Anika’s insightful, snarky, and refreshing narration. For 300 pages, I was laughing out loud until the end when the book ripped my heart out, and then I may or may not have been vocally and embarrassingly crying when the emotional punch of a conclusion hit me.
Anika’s self-deprecating narration reveals her faults, doubts, and questionable ethics, making her all the more endearing and relatable. Ultimately, her triumph and bravery in the face of devastating and heartbreaking tragedy will have readers cheering. The novel stands up well against other coming-of-age stories of its kinds and is perfect for lovers of John Green.
Literary Feels 