Blog Tour and Extras: Dear Nobody

Dear Nobody: The True Diary of Mary Rose
edited by Gillian McCain & Legs McNeil
Sourcebooks
2014
336 pages
ISBN: 978140228789

see the gallery of Mary Rose's drawings

Read an excerpt here

From the publisher:

Every word you read in this journal is the absolute, unvarnished truth. Told through Mary Rose’s actual diary entries, DEAR NOBODY is a raw and gripping account of a girl that grapples with the typical angst of teen life—love, happiness, heartbreak—but also struggles with drug and alcohol addiction and a terminal illness that loom over her life.  Intense and authentic, this an eye-opening account of a girl so desperate to be loved, so eager to fit in that she’ll go to extremes that could cost her life. 

 

Already critics are buzzing:

·        “A rare, no-holds-barred documentation of an American teenager’s life.”—Publishers Weekly

·        “The voice is authentic, this book is an experience.”—Kirkus Reviews

 

Mary Rose died when she was 17. As much as she hoped, a cure for her terminal illness has not been found.

 

“I feel like a real life loser—and the game is life. I’m failing everywhere—academically, emotionally, socially, and even intellectually. I am losing myself on a bet. A bet that I can survive, that I can still be what destiny wants me to be.”

 

Her editors, Gillian McCain and Legs McNeil, have given Mary Rose the voice that life and circumstances denied her. A vitally important and compelling read that’s sure to engender controversy and discussion, it’s a not-to-be-forgotten book, and destined to be a true diary classic.

 

My thoughts:

 

This is an unputtdownable page turner that is both heart breaking and life changing. Mary Rose is that teenager who is looking for love and belonging--she speaks to that need that is human in all of us. For fans of Go Ask Alice and books with a raw voice full of strife, longing and need. It will break your heart. This book is an emotional roller coaster that will pull you in. Teens will love this book.

 

Visit the publisher's webpage for more!  

 

 

Heaven Is Paved with Oreos
by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
2013
201 pages
ISBN: 9780547625386

Sarah Zorn and best friend Curtis have a mutually agreed upon plan: pretend they are a couple so everyone at their school will leave them alone. Only outspoken Emily Friend (not friendly at all! ) is onto them. She teases Sarah and says she knows that they're not a couple.

Sarah's quirky, hippie grandmother Z  asks Sarah to travel to Italy with her in the summer. After some discussion, Sarah's parents reluctantly agree. Sarah records her travels, trials and tribulations in this journal. When Curtis finds out Sarah is leaving for Italy, he is upset and they do not speak to each other before she departs.

In Italy, Sarah and Z visit numerous outdoor caffes (cafes) and drink delicious Italian coffees and eat gelato. They visit cathedrals, fountains and ruins. Sarah reports each place and how she would describe it to Curtis if she sent him a post card. She doesn't. Each day, the two travelers visit another church and are "pilgrims." Sarah can't believe how much walking they are doing. They fall into bed exhausted each night.

Grandma Z becomes sad on her birthday and Sarah doesn't know why. When a family secret is finally spilled, Sarah is shocked. This is the real reason they came all the way to Italy? On a whim....from the past? Returning home, Sarah and Z have to unravel the past to claim the present.

Z is fun and feisty; a free spirit from the golden days of hippie-dom. She tends to live her life in the moment--which is great--until it effects the people around you. Sarah is supposed to be fourteen and off to her first year of high school, but she seems quite sheltered and younger than fourteen years old.

Recommended for grade 7-up and anyone who likes a sweet read. Italy comes alive in the pages of Sarah's journal.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review. 

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Dork Diaries: OMG! All About Me Diary!

Dork Diaries: OMG! All About Me Diary!
by Rachel Renee Russell
Aladdin
2013
265 pages

Tweens and fans of the series will love filling in the pages of their very own diary. Funny and unstoppable Nikki Maxwell leads readers to write with prompts like, "Have you ever told someone a personal secret and the THEY told someone else? What was the secret and WHO told it?" and "OMG! You're working at a KISSING BOOTH to raise money for CHARITY? Name the first six people in line for kisses!"

Readers also get Nikki's comments on a variety of topics including: boys, of course, school, friends, food, fun, music and more. Russell's illustrations are spot on and bring Nikki to life. Each day of the year gets its own entry, so readers become writers! There are blanks for Year 1 and Year 2, so readers/writers can keep their diary and work in it for two years. Nikki says, " Maybe one day your diary will become a really popular book series! How cool would that be?"

Highly, highly recommended for any fan of the series. This is a great Christmas or birthday gift that will keep girls writing all year long. Grade 4-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Chick Pick: Dork Diaries: Tales From a Not-So-Talented Pop Star

Dork Diaries: Tales From a Not-So-Talented Pop Star
by Rachel Renee Russell
Aladdin
2011
311 pages with illustrations

Witty, charming, and fun, the third installment of Dork Diaries will have tween girls clamoring for the book. Nikki J. Maxwell is still the likable girl next door: a little dorky, a little plain, a little untalented but what she lacks in talent she makes up in heart and she is blessed with two great BFFs in Chloe and Zoey. Nikki still crushes on Brandon, and still abhors Mackenzie Hollister, evil fashionista and mean girl, and still cringes whenever she thinks any of her classmates will find out that her father is an exterminator who drives around in an stinky old van with a giant cockroach on top of it!

Nikki is being coerced into performing in the school talent show as part of MacKenzie's act, but she has already promised her BFFs to be in their act. Should she let down her friends or should she spurn Mackenzie and await her wicked wrath?

Nikki steps up her plans when her scholarship is revoked and she has to raise money to stay in her costly private school. Hoping to win the talent show, she enters with a couple of fellow wall flowers and is later joined by Chloe, Zoey and Brandon! Mackenzie does her evil best to have the band disqualified but good always wins over evil.

Girls will love Nikki and her BFFs and crush over handsome yet shy Brandon. Clever cover, cute illustrations, and teen characters are spot-on! Funny asides and quirky writing. Laugh out loud antics like, "Girl Puh-leeeze...I said, doing one of those Tyra Banks neck roll thingies that I'd practiced in the mirror for hours!"

FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for my library. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review.