Your Life, but Better: Step Back or Step Up

Velasquez, who has written books in the Maya and Miguel series, kicks off the Find Yourself Inside series with a girl-focused choose your own adventure-type story. Written in the second person, the story places readers in the role of a 12-year-old girl, who is at the mall hoping to win two golden tickets to her classmate Shawna's "ginormous" 13th birthday bash by finding her in disguise and answering trivia questions, a riddle, or completing a dare. She has two best friends to help out, but there are numerous distractions, including her crush ("Jimmy Morehouse, aka the most perfect guy ever"), and an offer from a modeling scout. At the end of each chapter the reader takes a personality quiz (at the mall's food court do you sit "near the Johnny Rockets, where all the popular kids hang out" or "at a two-seater off to the side") to determine which chapter readers should turn to. Saturated with preteen drama, sassy humor, and pop culture references, it's a breezy read, but registers more as a game than a memorable story. Ages 8-12. (Jan.)