The Embarrassing Confessions of Gracie Sparks

By Fiona Harris

Affirm Press

Reviewed by Lauren Spencer

Fiona Harris is an author, scriptwriter, and actor who has worked in publishing, television, and theatre. She has published many books for children, including Sleepover BFFs and The Rebound, and is the co-author of The Super Moopers series with Sally Rippin. The latest middle-grade novel by Fiona Harris, The Embarrassing Confessions of Gracie Sparks, delves into the entries of twelve-year-old Gracie Sparks as she records her every thought in her new diary.

It’s January 18, and Gracie Sparks has just turned twelve. With her final year of primary school coming to an end, Gracie is clinging to the last days of the holidays, where she can hang out with her friends before they all head off to West Meadows High, while Gracie attends Middleton Grammar. In primary school, Gracie had loads of friends and was voted ‘Most Likely to be a Rock Goddess,’ but now that she’s starting at a new school, she’s worried about making new friends. Although her older sister Imogen will be there, she doesn’t want Gracie cramping her style, and the only other person she knows is Margot Pederson, and they have zero things in common. Surely Gracie’s charming popularity will transfer over to the new school, and she will quickly make new acquaintances. What could go wrong?

The Embarrassing Confessions of Gracie Sparks follows Gracie as she navigates friendships and family while finding her place amongst it all. Each diary entry is dated and timed, delivering a stream of consciousness narrative that takes you into the mind of Gracie as she experiences the highs and lows of pre-teen life. Through Gracie’s point of view, Harris creates relatable moments of hilarity and wholesomeness that will capture a young audience, while delivering mature themes that add depth to the story and the supporting characters.

The Embarrassing Confessions of Gracie Sparks will have you feeling all the emotions. Dealing with themes of grief, bullying, friendships and self-discovery, this quirky and familiar coming-of-age story follows the likes of Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s me, Margaret, or Jo Dabrowski’s The Making of Martha Mayfield.

 Recommended for readers aged 9 +.