After recovering from an emotional breakdown, a scrappy high school student dares to be happy and disrupt the social scene.
Margaret "Cuckoo" Clarke recently had a brief stay in a mental institution following an emotional breakdown, but she's turning over a new leaf with her "Operation Happiness." She's determined to beat down the bad vibes of the Haters, the Terror Teachers, and all of the trials and tribulations of high school by writing and drawing in her diary. And when life gets really tough, she works through her own moments of uncertainty through imaginary conversations with her favorite literary characters.
Cuckoo's also got a nearly impossible mission: she, along with her misfit band of self-deprecating friends (who call themselves "the Freakshow") decide to bridge the gap between warring cliques and "bring the Nations together." Not everyone is so willing to join hands and get along, but Cuckoo never stops smiling . . . until one of her closest friends, pushed to desperation by a prank, decides that enough is enough.
In James Patterson's first highly illustrated "diary fiction" story for teens, the mega-bestselling author's most endearing and original teen heroine ever proves that everyone can use a helping hand once in a while.
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"Patterson brings the misfit theme of Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life and its sequels into edgier territory in this illustrated novel ... filled with drily funny dialogue balloons and captions."
— Publishers Weekly
Cuckoo is a well-developed and accessible protagonist.... Fans of the popular "diary fiction" genre (as well as those simply looking for an approachable and quick read) will find much to enjoy here.
— School Library JournalBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Chris Tebbetts is the New York Times bestselling coauthor of James Patterson’s Middle School series. Originally from Yellow Springs, Ohio, Tebbetts is a graduate of Northwestern University. He lives and writes in Vermont.
Lisa Papademetriou is the author of the Candy Apple series. Her first hardcover novel, Sixth-Grade Glommers, Norks, and Me was named one of the best books of the year by FamilyFun.com. Lisa was born and raised in Houston, Texas and now lives with her family in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Lauren Fortgang, a graduate of Fordham University’s Theater Program, is an actress, costume designer, and narrator. She has recorded everything from video games to textbooks. Her audiobook narrations have earned AudioFile Earphones Awards and placed her as a finalist for an Audie Award in 2014.