Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom by Susin Nielsen
12:00 PM
Author: Susin Nielsen
Release Date: August 10, 2010 (hardcover)
Publisher: Tundra Books
Pages: 240
Source: Copy received from publisher through Bookurious
Overall: 4.5 Stars
Summary:
Violet's TV-director dad has traded a job in Vancouver for one in Los Angeles, their run-down house for a sleek ranch-style home complete with a pool, and, worst of all, Violet's mother for a trophy wife, a blonde actress named Jennica. Violet's younger sister reacts by bed-wetting, and her mother ping-pongs from one loser to another, searching for love. As for Violet, she gets angry in ways that are by turns infuriating, shocking, and hilarious.
When her mother takes up with the unfortunately named Dudley Wiener, Violet and her friend Phoebe decide that they need to take control. If Violet's mom can't pick a decent man herself, they will help her snag George Clooney.
In Dear George Clooney, Please Marry My Mom, Susin Nielsen has created a truly original protagonist in Violet and a brilliant new novel that will delight readers into rooting for her, even when she's at her worst.
Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom is not the type of YA novel I usually get the chance to read because protagonists as young as Violet don't always appeal to me... but I'm so so glad I did read this one! Right from the get-go, as soon as I read the title in fact, I knew I was going to like this novel. I mean, doesn't its name already put a smile on your face? It certainly did for me... and that smile grew on my face as soon as I read the very first line.
"For the record: I did not mean to send my two half sisters to the emergency room."
Please, it almost had me begging to find out what happened. (And no, I'm going to tell you! You'll just have to read it. *insert evil laugh*)
Ever since Violet's director father upped and left their family to live the good life in LA complete with his own new family, Violet's mother has been on the dating scene... with not so great results. So when Violet learns her mother has started dating Dudley Wiener, she decides enough's enough and vows that no one would be perfect for her mother except, you guessed it, George Clooney.
Violet is the kind of girl that anyone could easily relate with and some of her antics had me actually laughing out loud. Her Magic 8 Ball conversations were a blast to read and the level of protectiveness she feels for her younger sister and mother, going so far as to even spy on her mother's boyfriends, is just so endearing. She's the kind of character who tells things for what they are and isn't afraid to go after what she wants.
Nielsen's writing is fresh and fun, keeping the tone of the novel light yet knowing how to get a bit serious when the time comes. Violet may be a little troublemaker with a snarky attitude (which borders on being cynical at times), but she's still a young girl who simply misses her father and wishes things would be normal again.
Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom is a hilarious read that will have you cheering for Violet every step of the way... I know I did.
You can check out Susin Nielsen's website here.
9 comments
Great review! Sounds like a weird funny read!
ReplyDeleteTeens Read and Write
aww! this sounds so cute!!
ReplyDeleteThis book looks so awesome! I've never heard of it before, but now I definitely have to get it. Thanks for the info!
ReplyDeleteJust finished reading this book, and I totally agree with you! I LOVED it! I also really enjoyed her previous novel, Word Nerd. Have you read that one yet? If no, I highly recommend it, you're never too old for such a great book!
ReplyDeleteShanti- No, I haven't had a chance to read Word Nerd yet but I know it's up for a Teen Reads Award. I should definitely check it out though!! :)
ReplyDeletesounds good to me ;P
ReplyDeleteI loved this book! So glad to see another review of it.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great and fun read! Thanks for the review! I'm going to have to look into this book more and possibly buy a copy. :-)
ReplyDeleteOh wow, this sounds like an adorable read. I'm putting it in my list now, and adding your blog to my RSS reader. Happy Hopping!
ReplyDelete