12 to 22: POV You Wake Up in the Future! by Jen Calonita
Published by Delacorte Press on August 16, 2022
ISBN: 059343336X
Pages: 256
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

At 12 years old, Harper dreams of being an adult and a Tik Tok influencer. Harper is mortified when she finds out the popular girl invited her to her birthday party because her mom forced her to. She retreats to the bathroom and there makes a wish that she could fast forward 10 years. Suddenly she wakes up in an unknown downtown apartment with strange new technology and a life she doesn’t remember. With the help of her sister, Harper navigates her new life as head of marketing for a popular makeup brand, but slowly realizes that she has turned into someone she doesn’t like. Despite having her dream job and being friends with celebrities, Harper misses her two best friends from middle school and wants to go back to being 12 again.

In the acknowledgments, author Jen Calonita describes this middle grade novel as a contemporary version of the movie 13 Going on 30, which is an accurate description of this plot. Both have characters who make a wish to be older, but once they see themselves in the life they dreamed of, they realize that this isn’t the life they want after all. Readers of 12 to 22 will relate to the pressures of school, family, and social media. While Harper seems shallow throughout most of the novel, she does demonstrate character growth as she realizes who is actually important in her life and what changes she should make in her life. The plot moves pretty quickly and includes “screenshots” of text messages which help break up the narration. This would be a fun book to check out for readers who enjoy social media and the social aspects of middle school.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library