Queen of the Toilet Bowl

Kristin Butcher writes novels for young adults. Her most recent works
are The Trouble with Liberty, Zee’s Way, and Chat Room.

Renata Nunes is a Grade 9 student at a high school in a ritzy
neighbourhood, but unlike the majority of teens in attendance, Renata
doesn’t hail from a well-to-do family. She is a Brazilian immigrant
who moved to Canada with her mother and brother when she was nine.
Renata’s mother cleans homes for a living, and the family lives in a
small, modest apartment outside the school’s catchment area.

Quiet by nature and conscious of the differences between her and her
peers, Renata seems content to stay in the background, but when her one
good friend, Liz, discovers that Renata can sing, she encourages her to
try out for the upcoming school musical. Not only does Renata win a
part, she is cast in the leading female role, and immediately becomes a
target of ridicule and revenge at the hands of Karin, a snooty girl who
believes she is the one who deserves that role. (Karin’s revenge is
the posting of a picture on the Internet of Renata’s mother cleaning a
toilet.) Eventually, of course, Renata sticks up for herself, and Karin
pulls in her claws.

This novel contains important messages about bullying, prejudice,
decision-making, and peer pressure. Perhaps that is the problem. The
messages seem more important than the story, and as a result, some of
the incidents strain credibility. In real life, it is unlikely that
high-school students would tattle. It is also unlikely that a timid
student such as Renata would ask to address the entire student body
during an assembly, especially since most students would be older than
she. Recommended with reservations.