From Publishers Weekly
Although-or perhaps because-these four stories about love gone wrong bear little resemblance to real-life heartbreak, they are likely to go over big with teens in search of solace for their own romantic misadventures. Burnham's protagonist, the lone male narrator, lets readers know right away that he's no "scumbag who only wants you-know-what from a girl"; when he gets pressured by his girlfriend on their one-year anniversary to have sex, he's not ready, and his refusal triggers a breakup. The reversal of typical gender roles could be amusing, except that the author wraps up the story with the tidy entrance of a girl who values the narrator's personality. The other stories send similar messages of empowerment, as in Ellen Hopkins's verse entry about a plain girl whose first boyfriend engineers a makeover, dumps her when she refuses to have sex, then lets her know she was a "practice" girlfriend; she recovers enough to tip off the next girl he approaches. And how many gay girls publicly humiliated by their girlfriends find an ally in the high school football captain, like Lynda Sandoval's heroine? Even so, readers will enjoy the stylish scenarios, projecting themselves into situations they can only wish were true. Ages 14-up.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Book Description
Niki Burnham, Terri Clark, Ellen Hopkins, and Lynda Sandoval give us four tales about the end of first love. How does anyone survive? Read on and find out. Each story showcases the writer’s signature style: Niki Burnham keeps it smart and sassy; Terri Clark brings a touch of fantasy; Ellen Hopkins tells her story in verse; and no one does funny like Lynda Sandoval. For teens looking for something to get them through the pain, this is just the prescription!
About the Author
Niki Burnham is the author of "Royally Jacked", a Teen People Pick. She lives in Massachusetts. Her website is www.NikiBurnham.com.
Terri Clark's first book is "Sleepless Summer". She lives in Colorado. Visit her at www.TerriClarkBooks.com.
Ellen Hopkins has written two New York Times best-selling novels, "Crank" and "Impulse". She lives in Carson City, Nevada, with her family. Visit Ellen at www.ElI was adopted at birth and raised by a great, loving older couple. I grew up in Palm Springs CA, although we summered in Napa and Lake Tahoe, to avoid those 120 degree summers. After my adopted parents died, I did find my birth mother, who lives in Michigan with my half sister. www.EllenHopkins.com Ellen's Blog: I studied journalism in college, but left school to marry, raise kids and start my own business--a video store, before the mega-chains were out there. After a divorce, I met my current husband and we moved to Tahoe to become ski bums and otherwise try to find our dreams. At that time, I went to work for a small alternative press, writing stories and eventually editing. When we moved down the mountain to the Reno area, I started writing nonfiction books, many of which you can see here. The rest are viewable on my personal website. I also continued to freelance articles for newspapers and magazines. All that has changed, with the publication of my novel, CRANK, which has led to a valued career writing YA novels in verse, all of which explore the more difficult situations young adults often find themselves in. Will I ever write one in prose? No doubt! But, for the moment, writing novels in verse fulfills two needs: writing poetry and writing fiction. The combination is so interesting!
Lynda SAndoval wrote "Who's Your Daddy?" Her website is www.LyndaSandoval.com. She lives in Colorado.
Terri Clark's first book is "Sleepless Summer". She lives in Colorado. Visit her at www.TerriClarkBooks.com.
Ellen Hopkins has written two New York Times best-selling novels, "Crank" and "Impulse". She lives in Carson City, Nevada, with her family. Visit Ellen at www.ElI was adopted at birth and raised by a great, loving older couple. I grew up in Palm Springs CA, although we summered in Napa and Lake Tahoe, to avoid those 120 degree summers. After my adopted parents died, I did find my birth mother, who lives in Michigan with my half sister. www.EllenHopkins.com Ellen's Blog: I studied journalism in college, but left school to marry, raise kids and start my own business--a video store, before the mega-chains were out there. After a divorce, I met my current husband and we moved to Tahoe to become ski bums and otherwise try to find our dreams. At that time, I went to work for a small alternative press, writing stories and eventually editing. When we moved down the mountain to the Reno area, I started writing nonfiction books, many of which you can see here. The rest are viewable on my personal website. I also continued to freelance articles for newspapers and magazines. All that has changed, with the publication of my novel, CRANK, which has led to a valued career writing YA novels in verse, all of which explore the more difficult situations young adults often find themselves in. Will I ever write one in prose? No doubt! But, for the moment, writing novels in verse fulfills two needs: writing poetry and writing fiction. The combination is so interesting!
Lynda SAndoval wrote "Who's Your Daddy?" Her website is www.LyndaSandoval.com. She lives in Colorado.
