Books like Twice as nice by Lin Oliver

Charlie has spent the school year on the outskirts of her middle‑school clique, largely because she stood up for her twin, Lucia, during a group conflict. When Lucia’s stellar grades and active participation earn her a place in a competitive new club, Charlie is offered readmittance into the popular crowd—on the condition that she meets the club’s rigorous academic and extracurricular requirements. Facing both the desire to reclaim her status and the anxiety that she may be manipulated for the club’s benefit, Charlie must decide whether to trust the friendship she previously defended or to keep her integrity intact. Through tense classroom scenes and heartfelt conversations, the narrative explores themes of family loyalty, the pitfalls of popularity, and the personal cost of compromising one’s values for acceptance.

First publish date: 2014