Maya Van Wagenen is an 8th grader at the lowest of the social ladder, growing up in a low socio-economic area on the boarder of Mexico and Texas.

At the beginning of the year she finds a copy her Dad brought her of Betty Cornell's Teen-age Popularity Guide from the 1950s. She starts an experiment spending the year applying each chapter to her daily life. Cue the pearls, a girdle, twinsets, white gloves and curlers. No detail is overlooked in her quest for popularity and what it means to be popular.

I loved this book! Popular is quirky, funny, touching and as with any social experiment there are cringe worthy moments. You cant help but admire Mayas courage to put herself out there as a teenager when it is most often ridiculed. This book is a great read for anyone and will have you thinking about the importance of posture long after youve finished it!

In a social experiment with a difference, teenager Maya van Wagenen decides to take the advice from a self-help book for teens to become popular written 60 years ago, apply it to the modern world, and write about her experiences. For the entirety of the eight grade Maya documents her feelings and the reactions of people whilst asking the question is it possible to go from social outcast and the bottom of the popularity ladder to being the top of the social scale by following advice from a bygone era?

I wasnt expecting to enjoy this book nearly as much as I did. Maya writes so honestly about her life, her family and the reactions of people in her small town as she embarks on her crazy adventure. I liked how Maya decided to tackle this project breaking the popularity guide by former teen model Betty Cornell down into manageable parts starting with the most achievable and slowly building up to the more challenging sections. She wrestles with girdles, replaces eye make-up with vaseline and puts herself firmly out of her comfort zone on her journey to do whatever Betty says.

The journey is gradual and believable. Maya doesnt just wake up one day, become 1950s version of a queen bee. Rather, she painstakingly follows Bettys advice no matter how humiliating or hard. Shes dignified in her approach to her project no matter what obstacles are in her path.

Maya writes with humour and intelligence well beyond her years. Her story is well-written and relatable for readers of all ages. I loved reading about her journey following Bettys advice but what sets this book apart is how honest and candid Maya is about her family. Her closeness to her parents and siblings is a beautiful thing. The family photos and anecdotes were just as important to the story as Mayas journey to popularity.

It is clear to see why Time Magazine named Maya as one of the most influential teens of 2013. Her decision to transform herself into a woman best suited to the 1950s may seem ridiculous but Maya achieved what she set out to do. She had a goal to do something out of her comfort zone no matter what others thought of her and, with the support of her family, she managed to see it though to the end. Shes brave and took the risk of following Bettys advice and changed her outlook on life in the process.

Popular may not be the kind of book I read a lot of but Im glad I decided to give Mayas book a go. Its funny and inspiring, entertaining and intelligent. There are things from Mayas story I think everyone can learn from and I definitely look forward to seeing what she writes in the future.