Nobody Was Here — Alison Pollet

How do you become a somebody?

It's 1981, and Penelope Schwartzbaum is adrift. Even though she's been at New York City's Elston Prep since kindergarten, when seventh grade starts, everything feels unfamiliar: the campus, the classes, even Stacy -- and she's been Penelope's best friend for six years!

Stacy has joined a snobby clique of girls who crusade against the new kids at Elston, and she doesn't even notice that Penelope is floating further and further away from reality. At home, Penelope's life is equally off-kilter. When her parents are together -- which is rare -- all they ever do is fight. Penelope does her best to ignore her problems. But ignoring them might eventually get the best of her...