So, here is the thing about middle school. It is basically a survival horror game where the only weapons you have are a locker combination you keep forgetting and a desperate need to not be the person everyone is whispering about in the cafeteria. If you grew up in the early 2000s or were a "tween" around 2016, you probably remember Jessica Darling's It List.
Maybe you saw the movie on Netflix back when it was everywhere, or maybe you stumbled onto Megan McCafferty’s books because the covers were bright pink and promised the "guaranteed" secrets to popularity. But honestly? Most people totally misinterpret what the "It List" actually represents. It isn't a guide to being cool. It is a cautionary tale about how trying to be someone else makes you look like a giant bird. Literally.
The Reality of Jessica Darling's It List
The story kicks off with Jessica Darling, played by Chloe East in the 2016 film, heading into the seventh grade. She is smart, a bit cynical, and mostly just wants to get through the day. Then her older sister, Bethany—who is the personification of "perfect" and "popular"—hands her the "It List."
Bethany’s logic is simple: follow these four rules and you won’t just survive middle school; you’ll own it.
The rules seem easy on paper, but Jessica manages to mess them up in the most spectacularly awkward ways possible. Take the rule about joining a popular team. Jessica tries out for cheerleading, fails, and somehow ends up as the school mascot—a seagull. If you've ever had to wear a giant, foam bird head in front of your entire school, you know that is basically the opposite of "It Girl" energy.
Why the Movie vs. Book Debate Matters
A lot of fans of the original Megan McCafferty YA series (Sloppy Firsts, Second Helpings) were kind of thrown by the It List era. The original books are legendary for being edgy, sharp, and deeply internal. Jessica Darling is a cynical icon for girls who feel like they don't fit in.
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When the It List book series launched in 2013, it was a "prequel" series aimed at a younger, middle-grade audience.
- The tone shifted from "teen angst" to "middle school chaos."
- The stakes went from "will I ever find true love?" to "will my best friend still talk to me if she joins the popular clique?"
- It traded the vintage band tees of high-school Jessica for a more polished, commercial look.
If you only watched the 2016 movie directed by Ali Scher, you saw a very bright, Disney-esque version of this world. It’s fun, sure. But it misses that biting sarcasm that made the original Jessica Darling so relatable to people who actually hated middle school.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Popularity Rules
People think the "It List" is a template for success. It’s not. It’s a satirical look at how ridiculous social hierarchies are. Rule #1 is "wear a different outfit every day." Jessica realizes pretty quickly that this is impossible for a normal kid whose wardrobe is controlled by her mom.
She also has to deal with the "Triple M’s"—Manda, Sara, and Hope. They are the "It" girls who seem to have it all figured out, but as Jessica navigates the 79 minutes of the film (or the hundreds of pages across the three-book trilogy), she finds out that their lives are just as stressful as hers.
The real "It List" isn't about clothes or teams.
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It’s about the fact that Jessica’s best friend, Bridget (played by Emma Rayne Lyle), starts changing. They’ve been friends forever, but suddenly Bridget is "pretty" and hanging out with the cool crowd. That’s the real gut-punch of the story. It isn't about the mascot costume; it’s about the fear of being left behind while everyone else grows up.
The Breakdown of the Cast
The 2016 movie has some faces you’d definitely recognize now. Chloe East has gone on to do some huge projects (like The Fabelmans and Heretic), but here she is just a kid trying to survive a carpentry class.
- Chloe East as Jessica Darling: She brings a lot of physical comedy to the role.
- Jane Sibbett and Eric Lutes: They play the parents, bringing that classic "parents just don't understand" vibe.
- Ashley Liao: She plays Manda, the ringleader of the popular girls.
- Jacob Melton: He plays the boy in carpentry class who actually likes Jessica for being, well, Jessica.
Why We Are Still Talking About This in 2026
Middle school hasn't changed. The clothes are different and the apps are different, but the feeling of walking into a hallway and feeling like you forgot the script is universal.
Jessica Darling's It List resonates because it doesn't give a fake "and then she became homecoming queen" ending. Instead, it ends with Jessica realizing that her sister’s advice was kinda garbage. In the movie’s final act, Jessica ditching the dance to go run laps on the track in her sneakers is the most "Jessica" thing she could do. It's a rejection of the list.
If you’re looking to dive back into this world, don't stop at the first movie. The book series by Megan McCafferty actually has three "It List" installments:
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- The (Totally Not) Guaranteed Guide to Popularity, Prettiness & Perfection
- The (Totally Not) Guaranteed Guide to Friends, Foes & Faux Friends
- The (Totally Not) Guaranteed Guide to Stressing, Obsessing & Second-Guessing
They are quick reads, but they capture that specific brand of junior high "ignominy" that most authors get wrong.
Actionable Insights for Navigating Middle School (or Life)
If you're actually looking for advice because you're in the middle of this madness, here is what the story really teaches:
Stop looking for the "cheat code." Bethany’s list was a "guaranteed guide," and it failed Jessica every single time. Usually, the more you try to follow a specific social script, the more awkward you look.
Find your "Carpentry Class" people. Jessica finds her best moments not with the cheerleaders, but with the kids who are just doing their own thing. Find the people who don't care about the list.
The "Seagull" phase is temporary. Whether you're literally the mascot or just feeling like a social outcast, middle school is just a blip. The Jessica Darling who was a loser in 7th grade grew up to be one of the most beloved characters in YA literature.
To get the full experience, read the It List prequels first to see Jessica's origin story, then jump into the original Sloppy Firsts series once you're ready for more mature themes. It’s a total evolution of a character that feels like a real person, not just a trope.