What Does People Like?

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!"

Comments

[Jen Robinson]

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.

[Susan]

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!

[Gloria]

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.

[Susan]

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.