We all know appearances can be deceiving and that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but we still do it a lot more than any of us would like to admit. In this both funny and touching page-turner, Sourcebooks’ author Krista Van Dolzer shares how twelve year-old David learns this lesson.

Veronica is the queen bee of their school. On the spur of the moment, David makes a comment which, although just meant as the sharing of some thoughts, sparks the beginning of a revolution of which he is the reluctant face. At first certain that Veronica will crush him as an individual, she manages to surprise him by taking his competition seriously, even welcoming it. For Veronica, while the queen bee for a reason, doesn’t take her position lightly and would welcome competition rather than winning yet again by default.

In fact, David soon finds out that Veronica’s so-called tyrannical rule was only in existence because no one had ever taken the time to run against her. As the campaign between her and David wages on, more surprising things about Veronica come to light, and David realises that perhaps the best advice he can give to his fellow students is to not vote for him.

The balance between humorous moments related to the election race of someone who is woefully unprepared and doesn’t have the character to be a natural at this with the introspective and even dark moments of this book make it uniquely uplifting and deep while honest and even raw at times. This election changes David for the better and will no doubt inspire readers to look beyond their jealousy to see their own contribution to perceived injustices in their day to day lives.

Because of this balance, this book is definitely not just for middle graders; young adults and adults will no doubt not only enjoy reading it, but will learn a thing or two about their own participation in the governance of their schools, workplaces, and cities. It also will encourage readers to see beyond the common stereotypes of middle school and high school life.