“Their stories beautifully demonstrate things we know intrinsically: that being popular is not always the same as being liked, that high school is more rigid and conformist than the military, and that the people who are excluded and bullied for their offbeat passions and refusal to conform are often the ones who are embraced and lauded for those very qualities in college and beyond.” —New York Times

In a smart, entertaining, reassuring book, Alexandra Robbins manages to cross Gossip Girl with Freaks and Geeks and explain the fascinating psychology behind popularity and outcasthood. She reveals that the things that set students apart in high school are the things that help them stand out later in life.

Robbins follows seven real people grappling with the uncertainties of high school social life: The Loner, The Popular Bitch, The Nerd, The New Girl, The Gamer, The Weird Girl, and The Band Geek. She intertwines these narratives—often triumphant, occasionally heartbreaking, and always captivating—with essays exploring the secrets of popularity; why being excluded doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you; why outsiders succeed; and how schools make the social scene worse, and what they can do about it.