TBH, This is So Awkward

Greenwald, Lisa. TBH, This is So Awkward
January 2nd 2018 by Katherine Tegen Books
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

Gabby, Priyanka and Cecily have been friends for a long time, but settling into middle school is taking some time. They aren't supposed to be texting during school hours, but they manage to use the small moments they can find to keep each other updated by text or e mail on everything that is going on. They all have their issues-- Gabby's parents are divorced and she may have to move, Priyanka has a crush on a boy, and Cecily gets caught in them middle of new girl Victoria's attempt to break into her social circle by getting involved in the dance committee the girls are on. Victoria is a bit pushy, as is her mother, who e mails the principal and the PTA when she feels her daughter is being ignored. The principal decides that if students can't be kind to each other while using social media, there will be no school dance, so the girls have to band together to make sure that the dance is a reality. This is told entirely through text with a LOT Of emojis.
Strengths: Today's readers will be very familiar with this format, and trying to read a story about people they don't know might be an interesting exercise in determining how much is NOT conveyed through text messages! It is kind of amazing hoe much of the characters' personalities is conveyed in very few words, and I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
Weaknesses: The use of e mail by the students already seemed dated, and since I have a dumb phone, this was VERY difficult for me to read! I really enjoyed the characters and the storyline, so I wish this had been a traditional story so it could have been fleshed out more. I hope this doesn't become a series. One is quite enough.
What I really think: If I buy this, it will be because I love this author and because I think this book will be a historic artifact very soon, kind of like the books I have about computer dating or VCRs that enable children to travel through time.