Gracie has never felt like this before.  One day, she suddenly can’t breathe, can’t walk, can’t anything—and the reason is standing right there in front of her, all tall and weirdly good-looking: A.J.

But it turns out A.J. likes not Gracie but Gracie’s beautiful best friend, Sienna. Obviously Gracie is happy for Sienna. Super happy! She helps Sienna compose the best texts, responding to A.J.’s surprisingly funny and appealing texts, just as if she were Sienna. Because Gracie is fine. Always! She’s had lots of practice being the sidekick, second-best.

It’s all good. Well, almost all. She’s trying.

Funny and tender, Well, That Was Awkward goes deep into the heart of middle school, and  finds that even with all the heartbreak, there can be explosions of hope and moments of perfect happiness.

In middle school, nothing is more important than friendship. When Truly is invited to sit at the Popular Table with the group she has dreamed of joining, she can hardly believe her luck. Everyone seems so nice, so kind to one another. But all is not as it seems with her new friends, and soon she’s caught in a maelstrom of lies, misunderstandings, accusations and counter-accusations, all happening very publicly in the relentless, hyperconnected social media world from which there is no escape.

Six eighth-graders, four girls and two boys, struggle to understand and process their fractured glimples into one another’s lives as they find new ways to disconnect, but also to connect, in Rachel Vail’s richest and most searching book.

Zoe isn’t like her three best friends. She enjoys playing sports outside, doesn’t really care about clothes, and is a little self conscious of her body. So when her best friend Tommy admits he likes her, Zoe is caught off guard and tells him to ask CJ out instead. But then she starts having doubts about her decision. Can she share her true feelings without risking her friendships?

Growing up is never easy. But when things get tough, you can always count on your best friends. CJ, Olivia, Morgan and Zoe know one thing for sure: they’ll always have each other!

CJ has been taking ballet for years. But doing ballet means lots of practice and missing out on stuff like soccer with her friends and the big seventh-grade field trip. On top of that, the friendship ring she bought with Zoe is causing trouble in the group. CJ is sure that quitting ballet will make things better with her friends, but it would devastate her mother. All CJ wants is a chance to be happy without hurting anyone else, but is that possible?

Olivia is the 'brain' of the group and she's not afraid to speak her mind. So when the rest of her friends gush over guys and clothes, she can't see what the big deal is. That sort of thing has never been important to her. Until she starts to have strange feelings for a boy in her class.

Charlie Collins has never been kissed.

She’s never been in love, either. Charlie’s beautiful best friend, Tess, has kissed three boys and has loved each one of them. Then Charlie unexpectedly finds herself falling for Kevin, and she’s in a mess of trouble right away. For one thing, Tess is in love with Kevin. Even worse, his father seems to be dating Charlie’s mom, who suddenly can’t stop smiling. With no one to confide in, Charlie has to figure this one out for herself. But even as she tries to pull away from Kevin, she can’t stop wondering, What would happen if we kiss?