Allie, First At Last by Angela Cervantes

Title: Allie, First At Last

Author Name: Angela Cervantes

Lexile Level: 660L

Age Rating: 8-11 yrs old.

Star Rating: ✦✦✦✦✧

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Slice of Life, Female! Protagonist

Summary:

Allie Velasco wants to be a trailblazer. A trendsetter. A winner.

No better feeling exists in the world than stepping to the top of a winner’s podium and hoisting a trophy high in the air. At least, that’s what Allie thinks… she’s never actually won anything before. Everyone in her family is special in some way, they’ve all won an award to contribute to the family trophy shelf.

Allie knows she has to make her mark before she gets left behind. So, she resolves to win a competition before she goes to middle school. Can she win the trophy and her ex-best friend back? Or will she lose it all?

Storyline Development:

The storyline moved along pretty nicely, and you could clearly experience all of  Allie’s thoughts, feelings, and emotions pretty well.

The author is able to execute everything with justice. I personally would’ve preferred for there to be more drama between Allie and Sara, but you can’t have everything.

Worldbuilding: The story mainly takes place wherever Allie is (with no set places to be). This is due to the fact that the story is written in third person limited Point Of View.

Feedback & Critique:

Some feedback I can give is to show that Sara’s in the wrong as well.

The whole time, Allie just wanted to be best friends with Sara again, but this doesn’t work out since Sara explains herself over the phone. Sara ghosted her friend, she has no excuses. Both of the girls were wrong.

I especially liked how the author illustrated the awkwardness Allie felt when people said Sara was a great friend or something along similar lines.