A humorous coming-of-age story about advice, secrecy and the disruption caused when celebrity attention enters a small-town school community. Jenny’s position between other people’s problems and her own gives the book a strong interpersonal focus.
More about this book
Ask Annie your most complex interpersonal relationship questions. Go on, we dare you!All letters to Annie are subject to publication in the Clayton High School Register. Names and e-mail addresses of correspondents guaranteed confidential.High school junior Jenny Greenley is good at solving problems ... so good she's the school newspaper's anonymous advice columnist. Even if solving other people's problems doesn't make her own -- like not having a boyfriend -- go away, it's still fun. But when nineteen-year-old screen sensation Luke Striker comes to Jen's small town to research a role, he creates havoc that even levelheaded Jenny isn't sure she can repair ... especially since she's right in the middle of it.Can Jen, who always manages to be there for everybody else, learn to take her own advice, and find true love at last?
SecrecyThe available evidence does not establish the book's treatment of this theme. See Confidence & Basis for the evidence gap.ConfidentialityThe available evidence does not establish the book's treatment of this theme. See Confidence & Basis for the evidence gap.BoundariesThe available evidence does not establish the book's treatment of this theme. See Confidence & Basis for the evidence gap.
Consider
Relationships and intimacyOther content to considerSocial conflict
Personalised Fit
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Jenny advises others and is put in charge of concealing Luke’s identity, while letters to the advice column may be published confidentially.AmbiguousAmbiguous: the book leaves its position open to more than one reasonable reading.Ambiguous: the book leaves its position open to more than one reasonable reading.
How the book presents it: The book leaves its stance open to more than one reading.
Talk about: How does Jenny decide what she owes to Luke, the school and herself?
Celebrity and public attention
Luke’s identity becomes known to the town, paparazzi and tabloids, leaving Jenny in the middle of the resulting chaos.Provisional readingProvisional: the reviewed evidence does not establish how the book treats this theme. The evidence gap is listed under Confidence & Basis.Provisional: the reviewed evidence does not establish how the book treats this theme. The evidence gap is listed under Confidence & Basis.
Talk about: How does the book distinguish genuine interest from intrusion?
Growing into one’s own advice
Jenny is effective at solving other people’s problems but still has unresolved personal concerns, including not having a boyfriend.Provisional readingProvisional: the reviewed evidence does not establish how the book treats this theme. The evidence gap is listed under Confidence & Basis.Provisional: the reviewed evidence does not establish how the book treats this theme. The evidence gap is listed under Confidence & Basis.
Talk about: What does Jenny learn about her own needs and relationships?
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Why It May Be Worth Reading
It may appeal to readers interested in school life, friendship and the pressures of managing confidential information. The celebrity storyline also creates a contrast between private relationships and intense public curiosity.
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What Deserves Attention
Pay particular attention to relationships and intimacy.
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A Conversation Worth Having
If Jenny is usually solving other people’s problems, what does the story suggest about asking for help, setting boundaries and taking one’s own advice? Does its ending resolve these questions convincingly?
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Reading Approach
Read it as a conversation starter about confidentiality and celebrity culture. Pause when Luke’s identity becomes public, then discuss how Jenny’s obligations, relationships and private wishes may conflict.
Confidence & Basis
Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.
What remains unconfirmed
Privacy and responsibility: The actual advice, choices and consequences are not described in enough detail to assess the book’s position.
Celebrity and public attention: The treatment of the media, Luke’s agency and the consequences of exposure remain unclear.
Growing into one’s own advice: The ending and Jenny’s eventual choices are not supplied.
Book information
Limited information
Relevant to: Privacy and responsibility; Growing into one’s own advice
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