Mia is effortlessly engaging, her personality coming through strongly in her diary entries. She's funny without meaning to be, insightful without realising it, reveals more than she intends, and so allows the reader to not only really get to know her but also see what's going on more clearly than she does, as she's blinded by her own interests, passions and opinions. It's actually very cleverly written, and very funny. She's a wonderful protagonist and a good role model - not that she doesn't make some pretty silly mistakes and choices along the way. She's also a familiar character, and reminds me that what's considered "ordinary" usually disguises something pretty extraordinary. Plus, I love her summing-up of Marx's contradictions of capitalism; despite the fluffy pink cover, this is no Gossip Girls kind of book - Mia's not into having the latest crap: she's a conscientious worrier, and wants to join Greenpeace to save the whales. She's a bit of a dag, really, and that makes her infinitely likeable, even loveable.