Philana Marie Boles

Reviewed by Allison Fraclose for TeensReadToo.com

Cassidy Carter doesn't mind that she's still twelve, but her cousin, Rikki, can't wait to grow older.

Now that Cassidy's mother has gone to Africa to fulfill a lifelong dream, and Cassidy has moved in with her father, she's spending more time than ever with Rikki while her dad works. Rikki and her older sister, Mary, put in a lot of effort to sneak around their strict parents, who won't let them see boys or eat junk food. Cassidy always goes along with their plans, even though she doesn't care much for boys yet and she's getting a little bit tired of Rikki's attitude.

But now, Rikki tells Cassidy a secret that Cassidy's father has been keeping from her, and Cassidy can't believe her father would do that. What right does he have to send her to a private school when she's so excited to be going to school with Rikki and the rest of their friends?

Cassidy decides that if her father can keep things from her, then she's going to return the favor and sneak around him a bit. When a new girl, Golden, moves in next door, Cassidy decides that it's time to stand up to her cousin, and speak out for herself, but how far will she have to go?

While this story held a nice message of self-reliance and standing up to peer pressure, I felt that a few of the situations backfired in sending that message. We also have a few mentions of "doing `the grown up,'" and a particular one near the end of the book just seemed to come out of nowhere. That surprised me, and took away some of my enjoyment in the story's resolution.

Otherwise, I think LITTLE DIVAS serves its purpose in giving young girls a realistic look at situations in which they can protect themselves from overbearing peers.… (mehr)