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Overview
From the authors of ttyl, Bras & Broomsticks, and The Boyfriend List come three unforgettable characters—and one exhilarating novel
Vicks is the wild child whose boyfriend has gone suspiciously quiet since he left for college; Mel is the newcomer desperate to be liked; and Jesse will do anything to avoid a life-altering secret. Each one has her own reason for wanting to get the heck out of their nowheresville town, even just for the weekend. So they climb into Jesse's mom's "borrowed" station wagon and head south.
Hearts will be broken, friendships will be tested, and a ridiculously hot stranger could change the course of everything.
Synopsis
From the authors of ttyl, Bras & Broomsticks, and The Boyfriend List come three unforgettable characters and one exhilarating novel
Vicks is the wild child whose boyfriend has gone suspiciously quiet since he left for college; Mel is the newcomer desperate to be liked; and Jesse will do anything to avoid a life-altering secret. Each one has her own reason for wanting to get the heck out of their nowheresville town, even just for the weekend. So they climb into Jesse's mom's "borrowed" station wagon and head south.
Hearts will be broken, friendships will be tested, and a ridiculously hot stranger could change the course of everything.
Publishers Weekly
Three deservedly popular YA authors take turns narrating this exuberant novel, which centers on a road trip. After working all summer in their small Florida town at the Waffle House (they call it the Awful Waffle), three girls strike out for the weekend, with Miami their intended destination. The three-way collaboration pushes the authors into directions they might not have chosen individually-Lockhart's (TheDisreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks) narrator, Vicks, is less aloof than the author's usual protagonist, and more congenial; she's less elite (she wants to be a cook) but she's just as self-assured and intelligent. Mlynowski's narrator, Mel, the diffident middle child in an affluent Canadian family, faces the same insecurities as the main character in the Bras & Broomsticks books, but she approaches them in a reflective manner. Myracle (TTYL) tries on heavy issues: Bible-thumping Jesse can't cope with her mom's recent diagnosis of cancer. Whip-smart dialogue and a fast-moving, picaresque plot that zooms from lump-in-the-throat moments to all-out giddiness will keep readers going, and it's a testimony to how real these girls seem that the final chapters are profoundly satisfying rather than tidy. Ages 14-up. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Editorials
ALA Booklist
"The authors’ styles blend seamlessly, folding three characters’ distinct voices into a funny, poignant story about facing your troubles with friends at your side."Publishers Weekly
Three deservedly popular YA authors take turns narrating this exuberant novel, which centers on a road trip. After working all summer in their small Florida town at the Waffle House (they call it the Awful Waffle), three girls strike out for the weekend, with Miami their intended destination. The three-way collaboration pushes the authors into directions they might not have chosen individually-Lockhart's (TheDisreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks) narrator, Vicks, is less aloof than the author's usual protagonist, and more congenial; she's less elite (she wants to be a cook) but she's just as self-assured and intelligent. Mlynowski's narrator, Mel, the diffident middle child in an affluent Canadian family, faces the same insecurities as the main character in the Bras & Broomsticks books, but she approaches them in a reflective manner. Myracle (TTYL) tries on heavy issues: Bible-thumping Jesse can't cope with her mom's recent diagnosis of cancer. Whip-smart dialogue and a fast-moving, picaresque plot that zooms from lump-in-the-throat moments to all-out giddiness will keep readers going, and it's a testimony to how real these girls seem that the final chapters are profoundly satisfying rather than tidy. Ages 14-up. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.KLIATT -
A summer road trip allows three girls to escape their regular lives and problems at home. The girls each have their own reasons for taking the trip. Jesse is running from the knowledge that her mother has cancer. Vics is worried that her boyfriend will stray now that he's off at college. Mel is the new girl with money but no real friends. While they start the trip ignoring their issues, their proximity to each other and distance from their "normal" lives at home lets them reassess their lives. They also get to see a police station smaller than a phone booth and a giant stuffed alligator. Of course, they've broken into a museum after hours. Each girl's distinct voice helps the others realize how to face what they are most afraid of and the shifting point of view also provides an interesting perspective change for each chapter. While the girls often break, or try to break, the rules, their trip also shows how their experiences help them understand how to change their actions and be good to one another when bad things happen. Along the way, friendship becomes a top priority and a way to get through what's going on in each of their lives. Reviewer: Aimee ColeSchool Library Journal
Gr 9 Up- Jesse, Vicks, and Mel spontaneously decide to take a road trip to visit Vicks's boyfriend who is in college in Miami. Jesse and Vicks have been friends for ages, but now there is a wedge between them. Jesse is a devout Christian who frowns on drinking and premarital sex; her unmarried mother calls her Goody Two-shoes and Vicks is getting fed up with her friend's "holier than thou" attitude. In fact, this is a large focal point of the story, and readers are sometimes left to wonder why they are still best friends, and when and how Jesse became so religious. Mel is a wealthy newcomer who has offered to pay for the trip, hoping to be accepted by them. Once they get into the car, infighting (and outright fighting) takes over. Still, the girls have wild adventures, including a party at which Vicks and Mel get drunk, a hurricane, a fistfight, and a run-in with a live alligator in order to save a baby duckling. Through confrontations with one another, with boys, and with family, the teens work through the issues they are facing and learn the importance of relying on friends. The presentation of three voices is effective since they come from three different authors, giving readers a variety of perspectives to consider. Teens are left with a satisfying conclusion that ties up most ends and creates hope for those issues left unresolved.-Emily Garrett Cassady, North Garland High School, TX