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Books in The Mostly Miserable Life of April Sinclair series

  • Truth and Kisses

    Laurie Friedman

    Paperback (Darby Creek TM, Aug. 1, 2015)
    April has a New Year's resolution to start the year off right―get back together with sweet, funny Billy. They've been friends forever, her family loves him, and he's even class president this year. But she keeps getting stuck on several questions: What does Billy think about her? What's going on between Billy and their friend Brynn? And why does she feel she needs to keep her friendship with Matt Parker, her hot neighbor, a secret? When Cupid throws April a curve ball, she's faced with a new problem: how does a girl follow her heart when old friendships, new friendships, and her family's trust are on the line?
    O
  • Life, Loss, and Lemonade

    Laurie Friedman, Natasha Shaloshvili

    Paperback (Darby Creek TM, April 1, 2018)
    As freshman year winds down, April has a lot to look forward to, including getting her driving permit and spending the summer with her quirky almost-boyfriend, Leo. But she also knows her grandmother, Gaga, doesn't have much time left. On top of that, her closest friend, Sophie, is moving away. April struggles to make sense of everything. Does it matter if you stay positive while losing a loved one to cancer? What do you do when you're caught between friends keeping secrets? How do you know whether an important decision is the right one? Most importantly, what would Gaga say to do when life hands you lemons?
    O
  • A Twist of Fate

    Laurie Friedman, Natasha Shaloshvili

    Hardcover (Darby Creek Publishing, Aug. 1, 2016)
    April is stunned when her grandma announces she has cancer. And rather than undergo difficult treatment, Gaga wants to cross an item off her bucket list: going skiing in the mountains. So she's taking the whole family to Utah! Despite their matching ski outfits, April is looking forward to time with her grandma and cousins. But tension builds as Sophie mysteriously shuts April out, Harry swoons over another skier, the aunts tiptoe around Gaga's feelings, and April faces peer pressure on the slopes. When disaster strikes, April has to try to embrace Gaga's approach: that life is what you make of it.
    Y
  • Too Much Drama

    Laurie Friedman, Natasha Shaloshvili

    Paperback (Darby Creek TM, Jan. 1, 2017)
    A few months into freshman year, April thought her rocky friendship with her childhood BFF, Brynn, was improving. But then Brynn blames April for the breakup with her boyfriend, Billy, and soon other girls on the dance team do too. Meanwhile, April's cousin Sophie seems to like Billy―and vice versa―putting April awkwardly in the middle. On top of it all, April can't figure out what to make of being maybe-friends-maybe-more with sixteen-year-old genius Leo, now that he's leaving for college a few hours away. As a new calendar year kicks off, April just wants a clean start―but high school is messy business.
    O
  • Not What I Expected

    Laurie Friedman, Natasha Shaloshvili

    Paperback (Darby Creek TM, Aug. 1, 2016)
    At first, high school is off to a surprisingly good start for April. She and Brynn are on the dance team. April's almost-cousin Sophie has moved to Faraway. Running into Matt hasn't been as weird as April thought it might be. And then there's her new friendship with cute, quirky Leo. But just as April settles in, her life begins to unravel. Brynn doesn't want anything to do with Sophie. April's mom is busy opening a boutique, and she and Dad are constantly fighting. When events at a party catch April off guard, she feels like life has hit a new low. Is it possible that things can turn around when you least expect it?
    O
  • Can You Say Catastrophe?

    Laurie Friedman

    Paperback (Darby Creek TM, Aug. 1, 2014)
    April Sinclair just wants what any normal thirteen-year-old would want: to disown her parents and obnoxious little sisters; to escape to summer camp ASAP with her two best friends, Billy and Brynn; and to make a good impression on Matt Parker, the hot new boy next door. Unfortunately, Matt witnesses April's utter humiliation at her birthday party. Then Billy kisses her. Just as April is trying to figure things out, her parents cancel her camp plans in lieu of a family RV trip. A summer of babysitting her sisters and "re-bonding" with her family isn't how she imagined life as a teenager. And it certainly won’t help her straighten out her feelings about Billy or Matt. Is there any silver lining to a road trip in The Clunker with her family of misfits?
    M
  • Love or Something Like It

    Laurie Friedman

    Paperback (Darby Creek TM, Jan. 1, 2016)
    Now that April is officially going out with hot-boy-next-door Matt, she's head over heels. She loves how he makes her feel . . . most of the time. But one minute he's sweet and attentive, and the next, it's as if he's forgotten they're together. April just wants things to be great between them, like when they started going out. Now as summer approaches, she has to decide if she'll go to camp with her best friends, Billy and Brynn, or stay home and be with Matt. April wishes she could do it all―keep up with friends, have summer adventures, please her annoying family, and save her new relationship. But with Matt's affection running so hot and cold, she has some tough decisions to make.
    O
  • A Twist of Fate

    Laurie Friedman, Natasha Shaloshvili

    Paperback (Darby Creek TM, Oct. 1, 2017)
    April is stunned when her grandma announces she has cancer. And rather than undergo difficult treatment, Gaga wants to cross an item off her bucket list: going skiing in the mountains. So she's taking the whole family to Utah! Despite their matching ski outfits, April is looking forward to time with her grandma and cousins. But tension builds as Sophie mysteriously shuts April out, Harry swoons over another skier, the aunts tiptoe around Gaga's feelings, and April faces peer pressure on the slopes. When disaster strikes, April has to try to embrace Gaga's approach: that life is what you make of it.
    Y
  • Too Good to Be True

    Laurie Friedman

    Paperback (Darby Creek TM, Jan. 1, 2015)
    Eighth grade is off to a surprisingly promising start for April Sinclair―although it's not hard to improve on the way last year ended. With a great boyfriend, a best friend who's like a sister, and two boobs that are finally the same size, April has a newfound sense of positivity. Making the dance team is the icing on the cake. But with one unexpected move from her hot neighbor, Matt Parker, April's life starts to spin out of control. In the blink of an eye, her best friend is furious, her boyfriend dumps her, and the girls on the dance team don't want anything to do with her. How could things go so wrong so fast? Can April find a way to fix things with the people that matter most?
    O
  • Not What I Expected

    Laurie Friedman, Natasha Shaloshvili

    Hardcover (Darby Creek TM, Aug. 1, 2015)
    At first, high school is off to a surprisingly good start for April. She and Brynn are on the dance team. April's almost-cousin Sophie has moved to Faraway. Running into Matt hasn't been as weird as April thought it might be. And then there's her new friendship with cute, quirky Leo. But just as April settles in, her life begins to unravel. Brynn doesn't want anything to do with Sophie. April's mom is busy opening a boutique, and she and Dad are constantly fighting. When events at a party catch April off guard, she feels like life has hit a new low. Is it possible that things can turn around when you least expect it?
    O
  • Truth and Kisses

    Laurie Friedman

    Hardcover (Darby Creek TM, Aug. 1, 2014)
    April has a New Year's resolution to start the year off right―get back together with sweet, funny Billy. They've been friends forever, her family loves him, and he's even class president this year. But she keeps getting stuck on several questions: What does Billy think about her? What's going on between Billy and their friend Brynn? And why does she feel she needs to keep her friendship with Matt Parker, her hot neighbor, a secret? When Cupid throws April a curve ball, she's faced with a new problem: how does a girl follow her heart when old friendships, new friendships, and her family's trust are on the line?
    O
  • Too Good to Be True

    Laurie Friedman

    Hardcover (Darby Creek TM, Jan. 1, 2014)
    Eighth grade is off to a surprisingly promising start for April Sinclair―although it's not hard to improve on the way last year ended. With a great boyfriend, a best friend who's like a sister, and two boobs that are finally the same size, April has a newfound sense of positivity. Making the dance team is the icing on the cake. But with one unexpected move from her hot neighbor, Matt Parker, April's life starts to spin out of control. In the blink of an eye, her best friend is furious, her boyfriend dumps her, and the girls on the dance team don't want anything to do with her. How could things go so wrong so fast? Can April find a way to fix things with the people that matter most?
    O