Kind of a Big Deal

July 1, 2020
Grades 10-1 In high school, Josie Pie had everything. She was the top of the social chain, she knew her boyfriend was crazy about her, and she was always the lead in the school musical. But now she's a high-school dropout working as a nanny in Missoula after her attempt at a career on Broadway humiliatingly crashed and burned. Feeling aimless and isolated, Josie throws herself into caring for five-year-old Mia. Then, after a trip to a bookstore, Josie's surprised to find herself getting lost in books?like, literally. She's transported into bodice rippers, dystopian adventures, even a graphic novel. Though it's unsettling at first, fantasy quickly starts to seem a lot better than reality and Josie begins to wonder?what if she finds the perfect story and stays? Hale, ever versatile, skilfully illuminates the struggles of a girl faltering on the threshold of adulthood. The post-high-school setting pushes this into the still woefully scant new adult category, and it's a solid pick for readers who are finding that the course they're on isn't the one they'd planned for.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Hale's written widely and popularly across multiple genres and styles (Graphic memoir? Real Friends, 2017. Illustrated chapter books? The Princess in Black series. YA fairytale retelling? The Goose Girl, 2003.) If anyone's equipped to write a story about the power of stories, it's her.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

July 27, 2020
Josie Pie “was kind of a big deal” in her Yasmine, Ariz., high school, certain that her star power as an actress and vocalist would immediately land her on Broadway, but after dropping out senior year and moving to New York City, Josie’s life is far from the triumph she imagined, and she can’t afford to stay. Freshly relocated to Missoula, Mont., with the family she nannies for, she struggles to handle her overwhelming credit card debt, shifting relationships with her boyfriend Justin and best friend Nina, and the growing awareness that the future she so yearned for has failed to materialize. When Josie gets literally absorbed in the books she’s reading—becoming a maiden in a historical romance, a survivor during the Zombloid apocalypse, a superheroine in a graphic novel, and more, with real-life people as supporting characters—she begins to find it increasingly difficult to return to reality. Hale’s cross-genre adventure is playful and effective, allowing Josie to gain perspective as she works through feelings she’s long ignored. Cogently revealing the fallibility of ourselves and those we trust, this coming-of-age story will especially appeal to readers exploring post–high school liminal spaces. Ages 12–up.

August 1, 2020

Gr 8 Up-Josie has big Broadway dreams. Encouraged by her theater teacher, Josie drops out of high school and moves to New York...where she promptly gets knocked down a peg (or five). Deep in credit card debt and swiftly losing confidence, Josie takes a gig as a nanny. But when nannying turns into a full-time job and requires her to move to Montana, Josie has some real soul searching to do. Unusual townspeople, a weird pair of glasses, and some light reading help Josie escape from her obsessive introspection-literally. Josie finds herself transported inside the stories she reads, acting as the star of various tales, from zombie attacks to bodice rippers to a superhero graphic novel. The stories are populated by the people around her; even Josie's boyfriend and best friend from home appear in the fantasy spaces, helping Josie process their changing relationships and her fading dreams of stardom. But when fantasy threatens to take over Josie's reality, Josie must fight to take back control of her life. Even if a little uneven, in typical Hale style, Josie's story is full of heart, whimsy, and flawed yet lovable characters. VERDICT Hale's play with genre, as well as Josie's absurd internal journey, will appeal to fans of Libba Bray and Andrew Smith who enjoy a light and playful surrealist adventure.-Jennifer Miskec, Longwood Univ., Farmville, VA

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 15, 2020
After dropping out of high school to chase her dream of Broadway stardom, 18-year-old Josie has landed in Montana with frayed relationships, a bruised ego, and a nanny job. Encouraged by her overly supportive teacher and thus confident that she will nail the New York City audition he arranged, Josie is too embarrassed to return home to Arizona when she fails to even get a callback. While fruitlessly pursuing other auditions, Josie racks up credit card debt until she gets a job nannying 5-year-old Mia. Josie bonds with Mia, accompanying the child and her newly divorced mother upon their relocation to Missoula. Once there, Josie struggles to make friends; break into community theater; and remain connected to her distant boyfriend, Justin, and her best friend, Nina (a trans woman who is immersed in college life). A casual gift of eyeglasses from a bookseller changes the plot trajectory in a surprising way: Josie realizes that the spectacles allow her to drop straight into--and then influence--the narrative of any book she chooses. So commences a series of adventures in which Josie discovers hard truths about her motivations and relationships. The pace is swift except for some of the longer books within the book, which can drag. Observant readers will appreciate the clever puns and turns of phrase as well as the deeper meanings of some characters' names. Rich musical theater content will delight fans of that genre. Most characters are White. An unusual journey of self-discovery. (Fiction. 13-18)

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