Name: The Zee Files
Rating: 4 (1 reviews)
ISBN: 9781513209609

Tina Wells

California girl Mackenzie "Zee" Blue moves with her family to London and attends The Hollows, a boarding school for the creative arts, but with a distant roommate and challenging classes, plus the most popular boy in school paying attention to her, Zee discovers life across the pond has more than a few surprises in store for her.

The Zee Files

Fans of the bestselling Mackenzie Blue books will love this spin-off series that follows Zee's new adventures across the pond—in London! MOM'S CHOICE AWARDS® Gold Recipient 2021 American Fiction Awards Finalist, Young Adult category Mackenzie ("Zee") Blue Carmichael has never eaten fish 'n' chips, never slept away from home longer than a few nights, and knows nothing about London. But after her family relocates for her dad's new job, 13-year-old Zee leaves her old life in California behind for a new one in England. Zee lands in London and at her new boarding school, The Hollows, hoping to find new friends and jump-start her music career. All of that proves difficult between a chilly roommate, a BFF who's gone MIA, and distractions from the poshest—and cutest—student in her grade. Will Zee thrive in her new environment, and will London end up not being so bad after all? "An enviable hero and appealing wish fulfillment that's spiced with teen-friendship drama." —Kirkus Reviews What readers are saying about The Zee Files: ★★★★★ “My daughter read this in just over a day!” ★★★★★ “Got this for my daughter for her 10th birthday! We read it together and absolutely LOVED the book!” ★★★★★ “We gave this book to my niece, and she loved it! She can't wait to see what happens next in the second book.”

Lynn Braden

Mackenzie (Zee) Carmichael is facing major changes in her life as she enters 8th grade.  Not only is her family moving to the U.K. because of her father's new job, but Zee will also be attending The Hallows Creative Arts Academy, an exclusive boarding school in Cotswolds.  She knows she will miss living with her parents and twin siblings, but she is looking forward to a chance to pursue her interest in music.  As Zee tries to maintain contact with her friends, she sets up what she calls The Zee Files, a place where each of her friends can place pictures, video, and messages to help them stay connected, but finding time to keep up with her studies, make new friends, and keep old friends is proving to be more of a challenge than Zee could have imagined.

The Zee Files is a slice of life story about the day-to-day interactions and challenges faced by Zee and her friends.  The plot of the book is a good introduction to the characters and Zee's backstory.  Told in third person omniscient point of view, the reader frequently gets input from each of the characters, but Zee is the main protagonist of the story.  Social media and the role it takes in daily life is also a major element in this book.  Clearly this book is meant to be read as part of a larger series about Zee's life, and this story does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, leading the reader into the next book.  Overall, The Zee Files is a cute story that includes many of the issues that are part of the every day life of a 13 year old. 

The Zee Files

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