Bibliography

Plot Summary:  Prom is supposed to be the best night of your life, right?  Not for popular Bliss who catches her BFF and boyfriend making out.  Not for bad girl Jolene who can’t believe that she is dressed in pink ruffles risking her rep for a guy who is late.  Not for Meg who just wanted a night to be a normal teen but whose date stood her up. Each existing in her own circle of high school, they find each other on this less than magical night and decide to get revenge–throw in a few frat parties, karaoke, breaking and entering, a trip to the emergency room, a makeover and a stop at Dairy Queen.  Three girls who couldn’t be more different realize they might have something in common after all.

Critical Analysis:  This novel reads like the best teen prom movie that you’ve never seen.  Hear that, Hollywood?  Someone should buy the rights ASAP.  Frothy and fun and full of girl power, McDonald hits all the right notes.  Her characters maybe a little true to type, but in this case, it works perfectly with the madcap plot of revenge they concoct and carry out together.  Each learns something about herself and the others over the course of the night.  And if the ending is a little too good to be true, what’s the harm in providing hope that three very different girls from different worlds might come to be friends through sharing an intense series of adventures?  Light and frothy fun, perfect for prom season and teen girls dreaming about prom and prom haters alike.  I love McDonald, her three young adult novels each  little different but wonderful in their own right.  Please write faster!

Extras: In collecting stories about the American prom experience (being from Britain, McDonald didn’t have the American prom night), McDonald was surprised to hear from many teens that they felt pressure and stress surrounding the event.  So she set up PROMyourway.com “to encourage a ‘prom-positive’ message, and help teens make prom an experience that matters to THEM. You don’t need to buy into the stereotypical image to have a good time - prom can be whatever you want it to be : a way to give back to your community; a force for social change, and – yes – an amazing party where everyone’s invited!”

Check out Aimee Ferris’ site for her book, WillWorkForPromDress.com to see pictures of young adult authors in their prom best.

Review Excerpts:  ”…[T]he novel is lightly wicked fun in formal wear, filled with bickering, breaking and entering, and quick getaways. The girls basically play to type, but grow enough to make their journey an amusing diversion.”–Publisher’s Weekly

Reviewed from publisher provided advanced copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Plot Summary:  30 something American living in London Charlotte appears to have it all–her own successful PR firm that pursues top clients and a boyfriend who wants to buy a house and move in together.  Why isn’t she happier?  One morning she is thrown for a loop–she sees a young woman in a beat up VW that looks a lot like her younger self.  Inexplicably, she decides to follow her, and discovers through some fantastical time travel or worm hole that she is meeting herself ten years earlier.  Not one to let opportunities go to waste, Charlotte starts to think of all the sage advice she can give herself at 21.  Little does she suspect how much her younger self will teach her.

Critical Analysis:  Like the best chick lit, this fluffy, fun, humorous and romantic tale is much more than it first appears.  Potter, like the best chick lit authors, understands that the best story will be grounded in some larger themes but refuse to let these themes become didatic or weighty.

Readers who like their fantasy and science fiction pure will argue with how the time travel takes place.  Me, I could care less, because it sets up such a great juxtaposition between Charlotte then and now.  Charlotte is part of what makes this work so well.  Readers will identify with her desire to be the best and a success and will also know what it feels like to wonder if that’s all there is.

Not just Charlotte, but all the characters are funny, witty, sharp and endearing, and Potter places them into marvelous humorous and often sticky situations that will ring true.  I did find the ending  little abrupt, as it felt like Potter had sort of decided she had written enough and ended the story. Or maybe I was just enjoying everything too much to want it to stop.

Readalikes:  This would be a great read for teens who enjoyed Sarah Mlynowski’s Gimme a Call, where a high school senior girl discovers the fact that she can call her freshman self on her cell phone.

Review Excerpts: “Though the plot mechanics grind noisily, Potter (Me and Mr. Darcy) rescues her high-concept romance with charming characters, sharp dialogue, and a satisfying conclusion.”–Publisher’s Weekly

“Potter recaptures the humor and charm of her debut in this quirky, lighthearted follow-up. Despite the implausible plot, Charlotte’s struggle to reconcile where she is now with what her dreams once were will ring true with readers.”–Booklist

“If you were in your late teens or early twenties in the 1990s, you’ll identify with Charlotte and her time-travel adventure. Chick-lit connoisseurs will enjoy this twist on a much-loved, albeit familiar, story line.”–Library Journal

Reviewed from public library copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Plot Summary:  When high school senior Devi drops her cell phone in the fountain at the mall, she discovers the only person she can call is her younger high school freshman self.  Now she can give herself the benefit of her wisdom and experience–together they can get into a great college, save their friendships, and avoid getting dumped by long time boyfriend Bryan.  But life has a way of working out despite plans and machinations, and sometimes what you think you want isn’t really all you need.

Critical Analysis:  Great concept executed with a lot of frothy fun.  Who hasn’t wished for a chance to do things over at some point in their lives?  Here Mlynowski creates a likable character who can’t win for losing.  Her instructions to her younger self often have unintended consequences and in trying to avoid certain events or people, she ends up smack in the middle of everything anyway.

Some of the scenarios work better than others, and one at the end seems to be outside the rules of the book which was a little jarring, but all in all, light chick lit with a message that no teen girl will mind, and that many need to hear.

Readalikes:  This reminded me of other light and funny fantasy titles that allow teens to see themselves through someone else’s eyes such as Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers

Review Excerpts: “Devi’s frenzied attempts to better herself create some funny moments and a touching conclusion.”–Publisher’s Weekly

“Mlynowski fans will not be disappointed with this blend of chick-lit, light fantasy, and comedic mishaps.”–School Library Journal

“Fun and easy to relate to, but no great shakes.”–Kirkus Reviews

“[T]he author taps into a universal fantasy: Who hasn’t coveted a do-over in at least some aspect of life?…gives a contemporary feel to a timeless YA dilemma.”–Booklist

Reviewed from publisher provided advanced copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Plot Summary:  An homage to Clare Luce Booth’s play The Women featuring instead of wealthy socialites, privileged girls living at an elite Aspen, Colorado boarding school.  There’s good girl Mary, mean girl Sylvia, gossip Amber, cheating Crystal and Peggy, relative newcomer who feels stuck in the middle and doesn’t quite know how to respond to the situations that arise.  Returning from holiday break, Peggy and Sylvia overhear Amber tell someone the Mary’s boyfriend is cheating on her with Crystal.  Peggy is torn, what should she do?  She doesn’t even know if it is true.  Sylvia takes full advantage of the situation by ensuring that Mary finds out before the day is over, although not from Sylivia herself.  The rest of the book traces the fall out from this discovery as well as the day to day happenings of the girls and their lives.

Critical Analysis:  I have to be honest that I have not read the play The Women or seen any of the movie versions, but I imagine that most of the target audience hasn’t either.  Shaw takes a fairly typical teen story and manages to make it quite compelling.  There is this overarching feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop.  Will Mary confront Crystal?  Will she ever talk to Steven again?  Will Sylvia become a new best friend?  Will Peggy be able to make up for not telling what she knew?

The story is written from Peggy’s point of view and made more interesting by her obession/love of food–when she gets stressed or worried, she starts cooking yummy delicious things in her mind, which are listed in the text.  Peggy also works for a chi chi gourmet restaurant as a sous chef of sorts and several scenes of the book are set there.  I am sure the this book will appeal to many teen girls.   (It sounds like a summary of daily events in their lives–if they lived and worked and played in the elite surroundings of Aspen anyway.)  However, several days after reading it, I am left with wishing that there had been a little more to it, a little more development of the characters besides Peggy would have been a good way to show the sort of complex motivation behind each girl’s actions.  Still, it reads quickly and a lot like a play or movie, and I know that the cover alone will sell it to many readers.

Plot Summary:  In a twist on the teens from different worlds switching places story, smart reserved Emily who is British goes to sunny California for a semester of film classes and frat boys, while party hardy Tasha hopes to escape her American notoriety in buttoned down Oxford.  It isn’t what either of them would have chosen to do, and at first they are both miserable until through the wonders of computers, e-mails, and instant messaging, each girl encourages the other to embrace the experience, first through makeovers, shopping and new clothes, but then these superficial changes lead to something more–friendship, romance, and self discovery.

Critical Analysis:  Like the best chick lit, girls and young women will be drawn to this title because of its appearance of frothy fun, romance, makeovers, shopping and so on.  And then, once they have been pulled into the story, they will learn and grow with the characters and get the messages about feminism and what it means to be a womn, to be in charge and in control of yourself and your life are seamlessly incorporated in the events and the characters of the story.  This is 21st century girl power at its best.

McDonald has created two strong characters and placed them great fish out of water scenarios.  She refreshingly and honestly treats them both with respect, showing that women can be fun and sexy and still have a brain, and that you can be smart and brainy and creative.  Having sex doesn’t make you a slut, and no one should be defined by a single action alone.

And what a sense of humor!  There are truly funny scenes and lines throughout the book, although I am partial to the protest scene where Tasha accidentally gets herself chained to the building and becomes a hero because the campus police are unable to take her away.  This is wonderful stuff, and too bad this type of literature gets no respect, because I think it deserves some recognition.  It is also another rare teen book that treats teens as mature almost adults, and is a great lead in to some adult authors and titles.

Readalikes

Angels by Marian Keyes When she catches her husband having an affair, Maggie Walsh does something completely out of character–she hops on the next flight to L.A. to stay with screen writer friend Emliy.  There is a whole series about the Walsh sisters, and the books all share one thing in common–right when the reader is pulled into the story, she realizes that Keyes has manged to make things silly and serious all at once.

Any adult title by Meg Cabot

Any title by Sophie Kinsella, but especially Can You Keep a Secret?

Review Excerpts:

Publisher’s Weekly:  “[P]lays with stereotypical images of Americans and Brits, painting both in broad strokes, but also challenges standard definitions of feminism. Though the protagonists’ traumas, romantic interests and growing self-awareness are perhaps too neatly paralleled, the characters’ strong personalities and the book’s easy sense of humor will keep readers entertained.” Ages 14-up. (Mar.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Reviews:  “Important questions emerge from this frothy novel: Can’t smart girls embrace frivolity, beauty and sexuality without guilt? Can’t they have fun and be serious too? McDonald cleverly answers. Her ostensibly simple, bubble-gum debut is actually chock-full of substance.” (Fiction. 14 & up)

Plot Summary:
Megan Smith, Yale graduate, wants to be an important writer, writing about things that matter.  But she finds herself low man on the totem pole at a celebrity tabloid magazine.  When her apartment catches fire and she loses even that job in the same week, she doesn’t think things can get any worse.  And then her former boss introduces her to Laurel Limoge, who makes Megan an offer she can’t refuse:  get her two bratty twin granddaughters into Duke, and I’ll pay off your college loans.  The twins are rich and spoiled and have never studied in their lives.  But the great suite of rooms, use of a car, spending money, and drag queen chef/fairy godmother certainly help, as does the cute guy next door.

Critical Analysis:
It is hard to be critical of a book like this–it accomplishes what it sets out to accomplish–a light fluffy chick lit of a story with a dash of wit and humor thrown in.  Dean (who is a pseudonym for two well-known young adult authors) usually writes the A-List series, and this too feels much more older teen than adult, although to be honest, most chick lit features young female protagionists and therefore appeals to older teen girls.  I really did enjoy all the descriptions of clothes and fabulous parties, and the fake SAT questions at the beginning of each chapter were quite funny.  But underneath, there is a story that appeals to many, in that Megan is getting the chance to see (and report on) how the other half lives up close.  She leaves her dreary oridinary life behind for a Cinderella type transformation, only to realize that she was beautiful all along.

I remember when this book was published but there were so many other things to read I never got around to it..  What prompted me to pick it up was watching a preview of the new CW show, Privileged.  The announcer mentioned that show was based on a popular novel.  I was left thinking, really, which one?  So a quick internet search turned up the name. I have now watched the first episode of the show and finished the book.  The show is not a carbon copy of the book, but I do think it captures the spirit of the book, and the main plot lines are still intact.  It does seem that Megan’s family story has changed, and gone is her long time college boyfriend.  But the rags to riches Cinderella story remains, as does the challenge of getting the twins to buckle down and study.  I am eager to see more of the show (a sure sign it will be cancelled), and left wondering how the show will sustain the story lines?

Review Excerpts:

Booklist: “Thrust into the conservative, money-dripping world of Palm Beach, Florida, Megan quickly learns that not everybody is as she first appears. Predictable? Yes, but Megan is quirky enough to keep the pages flipping, and the love story has a nice, made-for-the-movies ending.”

Publisher’s Weekly: “Dean’s writing is swift and the book is consistently funny, though her twin terrors aren’t as nasty as they could be. Regardless, this is a great one to take to the beach.”

Discussion:
Susan and Brandy met when they both worked at the same branch of the public library.  In addition to sharing responsibilities for planning teen programs, they discovered a shared love of teen books.  They both contributed to their library’s teen book blog, and once had an adventure where they traveled to Dallas and were almost the only people who were in the audience to see Markus Zusak.  Since then, they have both moved on to other jobs, Brandy as a middle school teacher, and Susan as an academic librarian, but their friendship and love of teen literature remains.

Susan: Over the summer, Brandy and I decided to read the same book and then blog jointly about it here.  The book we chose was The Breakup Bible.

Susan:  Thanks for suggesting we read The Breakup Bible by Melissa Kantor.  I really enjoyed it, and might not have read it otherwise. I want to say something about how relateable the whole story is, that everyone goes through this in their lives, where they are sure they are madly in love with someone, and that person leaves them for someone else.  I was thinking that it is so relateable, that it kind of gives the author an out, in the sense that she has to do less work with character development because she already has the reader hooked by the details of the break up, grieving process, and so on.

But Kantor does have some character development and growth and combines it with the newspaper/journalism angle to make it more than just fluff.  I thought the whole thing with race relations, white teens acting and dressing black, black teens being excluded from honors and AP classes was very current and topical, and maybe someone who picked up the book for the romantic part of it would then be led to think about the other.

Brandy: I think you’re right…the story IS relatable, and of course that sucks you in because you want to know if they’ll get back together and if not, how is she going to move on?  I think you’re right about the character development…just saying “I was dumped by my boyfriend” automatically makes you empathize with Jennifer and want her to be happy.  Of course, I think if Jennifer didn’t evolve after that point, you would lose patience with her and maybe even start to see why Max dumped her, and I do think she did become a character worth caring about, regardless of the dumping, but I agree with you that having her get dumped in the first few pages makes you form an attachment to her more quickly.

The race issue was definitely interesting (and there was also the whole dad leaving mom for another man issue as well) but I’m not sure I agreed with what the author was trying to say about race.  On the one hand, I definitely agree that it’s a problem in any school if students are segregated into (or out of) classes according to race, but it seemed the book was saying that the Honors issue had more to do with income level (still not okay!) than race.  Weren’t the majority of the white students rich and the poorer students were mostly minorities?  Which I think would be a reflection on society as a whole rather than this one school in particular and I’m not sure what the author’s solution or purpose was.  I assume that there is some academic based criteria for students to be put into the honor’s courses.  And I would never say that I think rich people are smarter than poor people, but I do think they have access to better resources, including cultural experiences, and more time to focus on doing well in school (no worries about after school jobs or watching younger brothers and sisters while mom and dad are at work, etc.).  So maybe the real issue is not a racial one, but rather a society that does little to provide opportunities to the poor, and in so doing, ensures that they will continue to stay poor.  I think the author hinted at this once (I remember the students specifically talking about incomes) but then the issue resorted back to racism, and I find that frustrating.  Racism is such a sensitive, explosive topic and it seems irresponsible to turn something into a black/white issue when that doesn’t really seem to be the case.

Now, if the author had taken it a step further, and begun to ask WHY it was that there were more impoverished minorities than whites, maybe the trail would have led to some racial issues…but they kept it at why are the honors classes mostly white, after already pointing out that it seemed to be a matter of money and not skin color, implying that the school, and not society, was prejudiced against minority students.  I do think that racism is part of the big picture, but I don’t think the students exposed it at their school.

Which brings me to another issue…the little brother.  Clearly Jennifer’s younger brother was trying to (for lack of a better term) act “black.”  And since he changed after reading Jennifer’s article, it also seems clear that the author was saying it was wrong for whites to try to adopt black culture.  Why?  It just seems ironic to cite racism (the separation of cultures) only to admonish a character later for a misguided attempt at trying to blend two cultures.  Now, maybe what was offensive was not that the little brother wanted to adopt black culture, but more what he thought black culture was about (being a pimp and disrespecting women)…but the author doesn’t say that.  And the black student who helped Jennifer write the article doesn’t make any apologies for acting “white.”  Not that he should,  but there is a part of the story where he mentions being ostracized for other blacks for acting “white” – in other words, for being smart, well educated, articulate, intelligent, dating white girls, etc.  To me, that is the bigger problem – that people are under the impression that they should act a certain way based on their race, or that acting one way (for example, calling your mom “bitch”) means that you are emulating another race.  Actions aren’t black, white, Hispanic, Asian, etc. Individual people act a specific way, not a race.  And the only thing the author seems to say about that is that it is disrespectful for white boys to try to act black.  She doesn’t say WHY that is disrespectful, why it doesn’t go both ways, why certain actions are for blacks only, and most importantly that it is the ACTIONS, not the copying of what he thinks blacks do, that is wrong.  It is that he tries to be a player, calls his mom a bitch, and is generally disrespectful that he needs to change, not that he wants to adopt another culture, but that he has adopted this particular culture, which, by the way, has nothing to do with being black!

Susan:  But if teens reading this book, if they think of just a little of what you wrote above, then this book has had much more of an effect than its story of a high school break up or even a high school newspaper would seem to indicate.  If teens are reading this, maybe they might think or even talk about their school, their experience of  how races and classes separated or how one relates to the other.  These are big questions, big issues for a “little” book.

It brings to mind a couple of things for me.  Genre fiction gets no respect.  Others might dismiss this book as being “chick lit for teens” and not notice the issues, the exploration of characters and of teen culture. I can think of a few other books and authors that are similar to Kantor.  The Key to the Golden Firebird by Maureen Johnson tells the story of three sisters who are as different as can be, but come together to deal with the death of their father.  Vegan Virgin Valentine by Carolyn Mackler tells the story of Mara who is in her senior year of high school, working. working to become valdectorian, seemingly the kinds of senior year that anyone would want.  Except her rival for valdectorian is her ex boyfriend who won’t be going to prom with her, her niece, just a few years younger, moves in and starts to attend the same school, and she realizes that she has a crush on her older slacker boss.  What’s a good girl going to do? The final book I am reminded of is quite different from the others, Black and White by Paul Volponi.  The story of two friends, high school basketball players, one black and one white, who get into serious trouble and how the repercussions of one are different perhaps because of the color of his skin.  Gets into some of the same types of questions, albeit on a much more serious level.

As a student of policy and public administration, there are several excellent books out there that address race and poverty in the ways that you are discussing them.  I just wish someone could write about them for teens in a way that makes the issue compelling and real.  I do think for many teens they are sort of living in their own world and their own way and never fully comprehending that things might be, that in many cases things are different.

Wow, this certainly turned into quite the discussion!  I think we’ll end here, but perhaps we’ll pick another book to discuss soon.