What Does People Like?
May 23, 2006
In the May 29th issue, People magazine grabs some "great reads" from the young adult fiction shelves. Recommended are the new novels It's Kind of a Funny Story, by Ned Vizzini; Just Listen, by Sarah Dessen; Dairy Queen, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock; and Becoming Chloe, by Catherine Ryan Hyde. There are no online links to People's very short blurb reviews of these books, but if I were making up an ad, I would borrow these phrases from the reviews—and add an exclamation point, of course. It's Kind of...: "Witty!" Just Listen: "Page-Turner!" Dairy Queen: "Wholesome Fun!" Becoming Chloe: "Lovely Ride!"
Love your mini-blurbs! I'm reading "It's Kind of" right now (except that it's hardcover and I didn't bring it on my current trip with me). But I am finding it rather witty.
Posted by: Jen Robinson | May 23, 2006 at 10:29 PM
Hey, Jen. One the whole I enjoy reading young adult fiction; it's so comparable to adult fiction. Often the distinction seems to be one for marketing. These titles sounded good to me, too. I hope to get to Dairy Queen, in particular. When Ned Vizzini was still in high school, he wrote for an alternative newsweekly in New York called New York Press, and I used to read him there. Imagine, a high schooler with a newspaper column!
Posted by: Susan | May 24, 2006 at 08:53 AM
Thank you so much for posting this book list! I read it in People magazine, then misplaced it. I'm ordering all these books for my teenagers in case they want to read at the beach this summer.
Posted by: Gloria | May 30, 2006 at 12:42 PM
You're welcome! The blogger Jen Robinson just reviewed Ned Vizzini's novel at her site, so click on her link in the first comment to see an additional critique.
Posted by: Susan | May 30, 2006 at 01:21 PM