A story set in the 1990's of a young girl trying to figure out her place in her family, her new school, and the world. In the 90's middle schools had not developed yet, most places still had junior highs. As a Military brat Mari must move every three years. She is the middle child of a Puerto Rican family moving from Hawaii to New York. Her new school and age are leading her into adolescence, crushes, conflicts with family and friends, as well as confusion. Feeling out of place and awkward turns out to be a normal emotion for Mari as she embraces weirdness as a quirky character trait.
Middle School Mari V does a great job with revisiting many of those awkward moments in a pre-teen's life, providing a humorous and unique take on the life of a military child growing up in Puerto Rican household. Middle School Mari V is a great read for anyone but is very relatable to children of military parents and those who grew up during the 90s. This one really took me back.