Finally ★☆☆☆☆ 1/5

Rory Swenson just cannot wait to be 12, that magical age at which her parents will lighten up and allow her some independence. She’s been promised that she can get her own cell phone, get contact lenses and attend a boy-girl party, among other things. Just as the long-awaited birthday arrives, Rory and her friend are selected to be extras in a movie being filmed at their school. As Rory begins to tick off items from her list, catastrophes begin. She learns that she is highly allergic to both gold and plant-based make-up, and she mangles her legs when she tries shaving. None of this makes her look good on camera. Rory’s amusing disasters foreshadow the lessons she learns at her first boy-girl party, from which she escapes rather than participate in a kissing game: Growing up doesn’t have to happen all at once, and it isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be.

★☆☆☆☆ 1/5

I give this book 1/5 stars for many reasons. I know this book is a lot of people's favorite, and so I hope that you know all these reviews are only my opinion, and I'm not saying the rating I give them is a fact. So for one reason, Finally doesn't feel like realistic fiction, which it was categorized as, it feels like a cliche drama. At times, it can be good, but sometimes Rory acts so immature, it makes me cringe, and hope that I don't move to her level when I turn 12. (Yeah, I'm not 12 yet. Bet a lot of people didn't know that.) Anyway, I'm not trying to be one of those critics who bash down every book with a zero-star review, as this is my first low review. I am also aware that Rory is supposed to act a little immature, but I think Wendy Mass is totally overdoing it. EVERYTHING she wants goes wrong, which is stupid, because she had SO many things she wanted. Lastly, this is not a matter of not being able to relate, because I have a similar situation in my life, just not quite as extreme. Even the main message of the story - growing up isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be, feels like a huge a cliche, and how many times have we all heard that? (FYI, that was a hypothetical question!) So, yeah, that pretty much sums up my opinion of this book.