Sue Wyshynski’s debut novel Poser is a light hearted and funny page turner. Tallulah is a sophomore who has recently moved from Florida to California. She is eager to fit in at her new school and find new super cool friends. Little does she know that by dressing up like a surfer and lying about her superior surfing skills to Jenna, the most popular girl in school, will bring her huge embarrassment in front of Jenna and her hot older brother Corey. Thanks to her humiliation, Tallulah gains a title of the “Poser” and harassment from her fellow students, especially from Jenna’s best friends. It is quite enjoyable to see how Tallulah gets out of all the havoc that was created by her lie.
Interestingly, Tallulah’s objective becomes to learn to surf so she can impress cute Corey and turn from an outcast to Jenna’s friend. Luckily along the way, Tallulah finds a real passion for surfing and meets Katie. Katie is not “cool” according to the high school “standards”. She is a quirky, dorky and unfashionable girl, but she is also a superb competitive surfer, who is more than happy to teach Tallulah to surf. But is surfing going to be enough to win Corey’s heart and become Jenna’s best friend? Or will Tallulah find a more worthy friend in Katie?
Sue Wyshynski is an experienced surfer and she has done a great job creating realistic surfer situations and experiences. She has captured the atmosphere of beach and ocean wonderfully. The book is fast paced with fresh and witty dialog. I believe that many readers can relate to the characters described in the book. I like that there is a moral in Tallulah’s story not just about telling the truth but also about not judging people based on appearance. Recommended to surfers and non-surfers alike from the sixth grade up.