and a Huffington Post Most Fearless Teen of 2013

“I was inspired by her journey and made a point of saving a copy of ‘Popular’ for my sister,

who starts middle school this fall. Maybe if I had read it when I was her age, it could have

saved me from a world of hurt, or at least put that world in perspective.”

—Maude Apatow for the New York Times Book Review

“Popular taps into a feeling shared by Bradbury and Bieber enthusiasts alike—the need to

fit in during middle school.” —USA Today

“Everyone’s happiness project looks different, and I was utterly charmed by Maya Van

Wagenen’s honest, funny, and thought-provoking account of her efforts to become ‘popular.’”

—Gretchen Rubin, #1 bestselling author of The Happiness Project

“Geeky and dorky, but never wimpy, Maya Van Wagenen is as powerful and honest as she

is quirky and funny—and startlingly gifted. She’s the real deal, folks, a teenage John Green

for the next generation. Stunning.” —Margaret Stohl, bestselling co-author of the Beautiful Creatures series

“Maya Van Wagenen’s memoir, Popular, would have been wonderful to read as a kid, and

so reassuring to Nerdy Teenage Me. Her year-long experiment in popularity is timeless; the

intelligent and humane way she gets to the heart of the matter is uniquely her.

Funny, determined, and wry, Van Wagenen has written a wise, heartfelt guide for

other kids eager to keep up.” —Rachel Hartman, bestselling author of Seraphina

“An interesting and earnest memoir.” —Kirkus Reviews

“While completely appropriate for middle school readers, Popular is even more entertaining

for adults. Van Wagenen is a uniquely gifted talent with a gem of a first novel” —VOYA