.
By Alyson Noël
I have a confession to make– I rarely read the genre I’m writing in. And since I’ve been writing women’s fiction and YA this means I’m reading a whole lot of non-fiction, while my TBR pile multiplies. But recently, when I was asked to blurb an upcoming teen title, I made an exception, and I’m so glad I did.
Renee Rosen’s debut novel, EVERY CROOKED POT (St. Martin’s Griffin/July 07), is a nostalgic look at the 70’s, telling the story of Nina Goldman, the youngest of three growing up in Akron, Ohio, with her eccentric, larger-than-life farther, Artie, a colorblind carpet salesman with dreams of being a musician.
Growing up as Artie’s daughter is hard enough, but Nina has other issues to deal with, like the strawberry birthmark that covers her eye, setting her apart and making her the object of school yard taunts and derision. When visits to an out of state dermatologist fail, she turns to make-up and extreme hairstyles in an attempt to blend in. And when the cute and popular McFadden brothers move next door, she goes to even greater lengths to be loved and accepted.
With, EVERY CROOKED POT, Rosen has crafted a realistic, sharp, touching, and funny story, perfectly capturing what it’s like to be stuck on the outside, longing to get in. Writing a blurb for this book was hard, because it’s just that good, and not easily summed up in one catchy phrase. I highly recommend this beautifully written debut novel for anyone who loves a good coming of age story.
Alyson Noël is the author of the teen novels, FAKING 19, ART GEEKS AND PROM QUEENS, LAGUNA COVE, and the upcoming KISS & BLOG (May 07) and SAVING ZOE (Sept 07). Her debut adult novel, FLY ME TO THE MOON, was released in Jan 07. You can visit her at- www.alysonnoel.com
Books on sale or free
Featured Books
SHORT and SWEET’S FAMILY ALBUM
Join these 60 authors as they share their families’ stories of grace, forgiveness, loyalty, respect, support, vulnerability, love, laughter, and faith.
More info →
GRAVESIDE REUNION
A chance encounter with a wealthy congressman leads to an unusual proposition…
More info →
Dana & Sandy- Aw, thanks you guys,and I know you will love that book, it’s so good!
PS- The YA is very wise, I don’t like to loan out my books either!
Your review grabbed me too Alyson. I will buy this one. I am going to buy Faking 19. Our YA doesn’t loan out her books anymore, not even to Grandma.
Sandy
This was awesome. Thank you!
As you know, I don’t get to read much either, but this sounds so good I might.
At the least, I’ll nab one for my YA…who, btw, is loving your Faking 19. 🙂
🙂 d