Finally

By Wendy Mass
Rating: 3 3/4 stars

Rory has been waiting forever to turn 12 because once she is, her overprotective parents will finally have to give in to her list.  Like getting a cell phone, staying home alone, wearing make up, getting contact lenses, and going to a boy-girl party.  Then, FINALLY Rory's birthday arrives, and her parents have no choice to let her start checking off the list.  But as Rory starts doing all of the things she thought would be so wonderful and important, she finds that getting contacts or wearing makeup aren't quite as easy to do as she thought they'd be.  Especially when it turns out you are allergic to make up or can't put those wonderful contacts in your eyes.  Working her way through her list is fraught with some rather disastrous and hilarious turns of events, but as she goes, Rory begins to realize that maybe getting everything you thought you wanted isn't REALLY the point.  A funny story that will appeal particularly to girls who are just learning what it means to begin growing up.