“I don’t know about you…but I’m feeling 22!”

What a fun middle grade read! This book combines the movie 13 going on 30 with Taylor Swift music and adds a heap of Tik Tok and social media. Together? It all works into a story I would have no problems with my daughter reading when she is 12 going on 22 (reading ages is 9-12, so she won’t have to wait that long!) immediately followed by watching 13 Going On 30.

This time around we meet Harper – she’s just turned 12 1/2 and has been allowed to start posting on social media. Her first post goes viral and she is invited to a birthday party with the popular girls. Harper thinks things are looking up, only it’s not what it seems, she’s now fighting with her best friend and when she goes to hide she finds a new birthday filter. She wishes she was 22, just like her favorite beauty influencer.

Then she wakes up to find she is 22, and now works with that beauty influencer, but she is not the same girl she was at 12. We go along for the ride as Harper figures out who she wants to be and how to get there.

I adored this story, as it can show my daughter that 1) the choices you make when you are younger can influence who you become as you grow 2) it’s never to late to change and 3) the life behind the scenes of going viral isn’t what you think it is. She knows Tik Tok at 7 and pretends that she has gone viral. I’m not ready for her to step into that world, but will be armed with books like this when she does.

A huge thank you to @jencalonita for providing me with an advanced copy to read! 12 to 22 is out in August, but you can preorder it now!