cover image Glitter Girl

Glitter Girl

Toni Runkle and Stephen Webb. Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, $7.99 trade paper (240p) ISBN 978-1-4022-8557-8

Runkle and Webb debut with a 21st-century take on the idea that "All that glitters is not gold." Eighth grader Kat Connors's sky-high popularity soars into the stratosphere after she's chosen as one of 50 "Alpha Girls" competing to be the face of the Glitter Girl line of teen cosmetics and accessories. The story's main thread revolves around Kat's hosting of an exclusive slumber party and the resulting mania around Glitter Girl products, all driven by a viciously ambitious young marketing executive. Other tangents include Kat's resentment that her father is constantly away on business and the fact that her ascent to "the Mount Rushmore of Popular" is creating a widening rift between her and her no-frills, Shakespeare-loving best friend, Jules (chapter titles offer contemporary riffs on Shakespearean lines, e.g. "What Light from Yonder Laptop Breaks"). The tension between the girls reaches the breaking point when Jules's long-planned birthday party conflicts with the gala crowing the winner of the Glitter Girl contest. Though foreseeable, the reconciliation between the girls is credible and carries some emotional heft. Ages 10%E2%80%93up. (Dec.)