Part of Dork Diaries, book 7
First published 2011
Nikki Maxwell guards a mortifying secret at her new school. She attends on scholarship because her father works as the exterminator, a fact that would destroy her already fragile social standing. When administrators announce a major talent competition with a full scholarship as the grand prize, Nikki sees her chance to escape the arrangement that threatens her reputation daily. She throws herself into preparing a singing and dancing routine, hoping her performance will earn the scholarship and free her father from his embarrassing job at the school. The competition becomes more than just a talent show for Nikki. Victory would solve her biggest problem and let her attend school without the constant fear of exposure. As she rehearses and competes, Nikki must overcome her insecurities about her abilities while navigating the social pressures that make middle school treacherous territory. The stakes feel enormous because they are enormous for a girl trying to find her place in a world where image seems to matter more than anything else.
Genres: fiction, family, contemporary, adolescence, school, young-adult
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water, found-family
336 pages · Hardcover · Aladdin