I like the cover art, even though there's no way that the model is thirteen years old and like everyone else on the planet, I'm tired of the Missing Half-a-Head Look*. But the color scheme is nice.
After thirteen years of living in her sister's shadow, Floey Packer has had enough. She's tired of blending in with the wallpaper.
This summer, Things Are Going To Change.
The fact that her younger cousins (one sex-obsessed, the other possibly in a position to blackmail Floey) are spending three weeks in her house -- well, it's a curve ball, but there's no way that she's going to let a couple of little kids prevent her from becoming The New and Improved Floey Packer.
Great fun, from the chapter titles:
chapterone: in which i,
floey packer, bust size 36b,
receive a training bra
or
the cult of lillian
to Floey's journal entries, from her experimentation with haiku:
so long aunt sarah
fly far far away from your
rude ignorant niece
to some truly cringe-worthy moments. So cringe-worthy that I held the book in one hand and read through the fingers of my other hand while moaning, "Oh, God, Floey... don't... noooooooo". Literally.
Highly recommended for fans of realistic teen fiction with a screwball twist. (Think Judy Blume crossed with Louise Rennison.)
*Which is slightly better than the Decapitation Look. And the book came out in 2005, so I'm not holding the Missing Head against it.
Look at it this way, if the model wasn't thirteen years old then it makes sense to cut off half her head. How many thirteen year olds do you know with wrinkles?
Posted by: Shrieky | 05 April 2007 at 04:09 PM
That cover is great, but the Missing Head look is so overdone, you're right. My only problem is I can't stand seeing the model's faces either and I'm afraid that leaves me with nothing but stick people and feet and feet have already had their day. & Props to you for actually getting through the book if parts were that cringeworthy. I have the worst time suffering through fictional embarrassment, gah. Of course I might suffer through it for a cross of Judy Blume AND Louise Rennison?! Because that's a cross that sounds made of fabulous to me.
Posted by: courtney | 05 April 2007 at 05:30 PM
HAH! You know how people say they find the 'courage' to read books like Speak, where you know it's about something painful? I have to find the courage to read cringe-worthy books... It's weird, but our culture is all geared to shows like The Office, and that type of thing - and they're hilarious, but after awhile, I Just. Can't. Look.
An adolescence spent cringing comes back to haunt me, I guess. The cover IS cool, though, half-head or no.
Posted by: TadMack | 05 April 2007 at 07:47 PM
This book is very fun.
Posted by: Little Willow | 05 April 2007 at 10:30 PM
Half-head? What about blurry pictures of gardens and people? That one really gets me. Or cows wearing tiaras...
Posted by: Adam S. | 06 April 2007 at 02:39 AM
how come no one has pointed out her undies yet. you can see her undies! this girl clearly needs to practice holding a dime between her knees. (i am gripping 3.72 in pennies between my knees as we speak.)
Posted by: bmad | 06 April 2007 at 02:36 PM
I think she's wearing shorts, no?
Very unladylike pose, though.
Posted by: Leila | 06 April 2007 at 02:47 PM