Marni Bates’ Smith High series is endearing awkward but also a lot of fun so now I shall rank them from favorite to okay.

Invisible

Jane Smith, the averagely named school reporter wishes she wasn’t so average anymore. She hadn’t always wanted this. In fact she was content to be on the sidelines until her best friends in the whole world, Kenzie and Corey seem to be shedding their geeky exteriors as Kenzie’s viral star rises and Corey’s rockstar boyfriend calls. She can’t quite compeate with that but she does shoot to get a headlining story for the school newspaper, too bad she’s stuck with a jerk of a photographer. Even if he does have sexy green eyes. Even so, I enjoy how Jane in a surprising series of events and mistakes finds her voice and her power to realize that she’s not as stuck on the sidelines as she had thought. I found it relatable because, I too feel sometimes that I’m the sidekick in someone else’s story but Jane shows that that’s not true. You have the power to change your life and become the star.

Notable

The fourth book of the series takes a turn from geeky bystanders to the so-called antagonist. Well minor antagonist of Smith High. The queen of Notables, Chelsea Holloway whose blond hair and sparkling smile can strike fear into the heart of any mean girl and any geek faint from terror. But there’s more to this mean girl that meets the eye when she is forced into a corner. Chelsea’s bitterly divorcing parents decide to keep her out of their hair and to get her horizons expanded by shipping her off to Cambodia of all places. She’s not thrilled and so decides to play the part of ditzy party girl to the hilt. But Cambodia is Cambodia and when the group gets accidentally caught in the literal crossfire of a drug heist gone bad, Chelsea steps it up. I enjoyed her snark, not to mention the vaguely implied emotionally abusive relationship she got into and to see the walls of Chelsea come down to a ragtag group of dorks she wouldn’t have looked twice at before this wild adventure.

Decked with Holly

This was the first book I picked up in the series, but it’s technically. Not that it really matters as Holly is not part of the Smith High set at all. In fact she is from lower California and forced on an abodminable cruise to the Mexican riveria. Which sounds fun but she’s with her cousins from hell that kick her out of their room in the midst of her seasickness. Forced to look for a bathroom quick, she breaks into the room of what she thinks is a cranky stranger. Turns out he is the ultra famous drummer of teen boy band, ReadySet and the paparazzi has gotten pics of them together in a less than flattering light. Forced to put on a fauxmance of a lifetime. I’m sure you can see whrere this is heading. . . wink wink. Anyway, Holly has a delightfully snarky voice and the slow bond that forms between the two is unexpectedly sweet and realistic, I think, for a surprise forced romance between high schooler and rockstar.

Awkward

The first book is the Smith High series begins with Mackenzie Weaslley, history nerd extraordinair who lives a pretty simple albeit geeky life of schoolwork, AP classes and tutoring the school’s most popular jock to save enough money for college. That is until she implodes her life with an ill-timed football tackle and faulty CPR. She goes viral and soon everyone wants to know what this klutz will do next. She wants to go back to her normal life but there’s no way with free dresses being sent to her, ReadySet putting her humilation into song and that popular jock seems interested in her? It’s a fun story and I really liked Mackenzie’s eager compassionate nature toward her friends even with her fair amount of flaws that Bates does a well job in developing and fixing as she grows in her journey.

Awkwardly Ever After

The final book in the series is a decent end to wrap up all the loose threads in the most exciting and nerve-wracking time of year-Prom time! It is split into three stories focusing on the supporting characters of the previous books. While it was nice to give them a spotlight, the shortness of the book makes me wish they had each their own full-length novel than sharing it. Especially Corey with his dilemma of dating a high-profile celebrity as well as the homophobia and vitrol sent his way even more because of the scrutiny.

Overall a wonderfully fun series full of character development and laughs.