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audryt's review against another edition
4.0
Note: Yet another YA in present tense. This was one of the handful that didn't drive me bonkers by being in that tense, however. I think that makes a grand total of four YA books (out of dozens) where I thought the present tense didn't get in the way of the storytelling.
Excellent story overall. Strong characters, believable behavior, and very heartfelt content. A little adult-y in its execution in that it kind of ends the way us adults/parents want to see situations like this end, rather than how they often work out, what with girls being taught to be passive and often afraid to speak up when stuff happens to them. However, Teenie's behavior rung true throughout the book and the author didn't take the easy way out to get to a satisfactory ending.
Definitely worth reading. I think I'll hang onto this one.
Excellent story overall. Strong characters, believable behavior, and very heartfelt content. A little adult-y in its execution in that it kind of ends the way us adults/parents want to see situations like this end, rather than how they often work out, what with girls being taught to be passive and often afraid to speak up when stuff happens to them. However, Teenie's behavior rung true throughout the book and the author didn't take the easy way out to get to a satisfactory ending.
Definitely worth reading. I think I'll hang onto this one.
cottonquilts's review against another edition
3.0
Teenie is the story of a high school freshman who is trying to find her fashion sense, get good grades and develop her relationships with others. While her closest (only?) friend Cherise is hooking up the strange older men at night, Cherise is trying to learn how to talk to boys on the Internet in clunky, long hand conversations. Teenie lives with both of her parents while her twin brothers are off to college. From her parents, she has developed an appreciation for other cultures and she wants to travel to Spain to study.
I liked that Teenie was a smart girl who had an academic purpose. I want to say I liked the tone of the the book; I liked the wholesomeness of it but there was a touch of locker room that was way out of place. I didn’t understand why Teenie and Cherise were friends and Cherise herself even stated this in the book! I didn’t know enough about Cherise to understand why Teenie felt a loyalty to her and I didn’t know the character’s history to help me figure this out. I have a hard time feeling sorry for stupid characters and Teenie was stupid. She lacked street smarts and didn’t have sense enough to rely on people around her. She seemed way too immature to be ready for a trip overseas. I do have to remind myself that characters are not perfect, they won’t be if they’re fully developed. The trick is for the character to be developed in ways that readers are able to empathize with them and to want the best for them.
I so wanted her to turn to her brothers for help! I wanted Teenie to learn to trust them and I wanted to really see how close Teenie’s family was. She learned she could trust each of her parents, why not her brothers?
As they say, ‘the devil is in the details’ and these details can make a mediocre story just that much better. Teenie is not an awful book. 7 & 8th grade girls will be drawn to this book and many will enjoy it. While Teenie is a ‘good’ girl, she speaks in a language and lives a life to which many girls can relate. While she’s over her head with the boys, her real issues are with school, meeting her parents expectations and maintaining friendships. It’s a worthwhile add to the media center and I eagerly look forward to another Christopher Grant book.
I liked that Teenie was a smart girl who had an academic purpose. I want to say I liked the tone of the the book; I liked the wholesomeness of it but there was a touch of locker room that was way out of place. I didn’t understand why Teenie and Cherise were friends and Cherise herself even stated this in the book! I didn’t know enough about Cherise to understand why Teenie felt a loyalty to her and I didn’t know the character’s history to help me figure this out. I have a hard time feeling sorry for stupid characters and Teenie was stupid. She lacked street smarts and didn’t have sense enough to rely on people around her. She seemed way too immature to be ready for a trip overseas. I do have to remind myself that characters are not perfect, they won’t be if they’re fully developed. The trick is for the character to be developed in ways that readers are able to empathize with them and to want the best for them.
I so wanted her to turn to her brothers for help! I wanted Teenie to learn to trust them and I wanted to really see how close Teenie’s family was. She learned she could trust each of her parents, why not her brothers?
As they say, ‘the devil is in the details’ and these details can make a mediocre story just that much better. Teenie is not an awful book. 7 & 8th grade girls will be drawn to this book and many will enjoy it. While Teenie is a ‘good’ girl, she speaks in a language and lives a life to which many girls can relate. While she’s over her head with the boys, her real issues are with school, meeting her parents expectations and maintaining friendships. It’s a worthwhile add to the media center and I eagerly look forward to another Christopher Grant book.
stupidcupid69's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very well written and book and I feel that lots of teens and young adults could relate. The only thing I feel is missing is closure at the end.
voya_k's review
4.0
Really good first novel about a smart, responsible young lady who gets in over her head socially. I really enjoyed the details about her Caribbean family, especially her loving but old-fashioned dad. She faces challenges that seem realistic for the NYC setting, but as a whole her life is really stable, even a bit sheltered. The tone is lively and fast paced, with lots of funny remarks from the supporting characters. At the same time, I really worried about Teenie and how she was going to get through the worst week of her life. Keep writing, Mr. Grant!
mochagirlalysia's review
5.0
After reading more YA books the past several months than I ever have, it was sooo refreshing to read one that was so close to my family and me. I know that sounds very commercial but as an African American woman who grew up with both parents in the house and a younger sister most YA books don't reflect anything I grew up with. I didn't runaway or talk back to my parents. (I tried hard not to!) I didn't have a love triangle with a bad boy in high school. And I wasn't a social outcast with a laden magical power.
Teenie is the youngest of three and is a great student with dreams of studying aboard in Spain. I love that! Really!! How many high school freshman think about study aboard? Tennie is not a one dimensional black girl growing up in the hood. Like most teenagers, she also wants to fit in; wear cute clothes, and is interested in boys. (Just like me!) LOL! See what I mean.
The author Christopher Grant is amazing! He writes a book in a strong teen female voice that is funny and very real. Yes! A man did this wonderful work. How did he know what my teenage mind was thinking is beyond me? But he did it. He gave her a strong, clear and brave voice.
This book "Teenie" has a few experiences that are clear learning experiences for any young girl ranging from dealing with boy issues, bullying, the internet, and sexuality.
Excellent book!
Teenie is the youngest of three and is a great student with dreams of studying aboard in Spain. I love that! Really!! How many high school freshman think about study aboard? Tennie is not a one dimensional black girl growing up in the hood. Like most teenagers, she also wants to fit in; wear cute clothes, and is interested in boys. (Just like me!) LOL! See what I mean.
The author Christopher Grant is amazing! He writes a book in a strong teen female voice that is funny and very real. Yes! A man did this wonderful work. How did he know what my teenage mind was thinking is beyond me? But he did it. He gave her a strong, clear and brave voice.
This book "Teenie" has a few experiences that are clear learning experiences for any young girl ranging from dealing with boy issues, bullying, the internet, and sexuality.
Excellent book!
amdame1's review
3.0
Teenie is a good student. She has her sights set on a study abroad program in Spain. But then the star of the basketball team, that she has had a crush on forever, notices her. Plus her best friend Cherise starts dating someone online and Teenie starts to lose focus as things are not what they seem and everything starts to fall apart.
Characters are fairly stereotypical, but a good read-alike for fans of the Kimani Tru and Drama High series.
Characters are fairly stereotypical, but a good read-alike for fans of the Kimani Tru and Drama High series.
arisbookcorner's review
4.0
For the first time in a long time, I felt as though a friendship portrayed in a book was really real. I've read some books with authentic friendships before but the friendship between Teenie and Cherise was one I was really able to relate to. Their conversations seemed to be (at times) exact replicas of ones that I had had with my friends. The slang, the jokes, the serious talks, that is how my friends and I are. Well my white friends and I don't use the same slang, but when I'm with my Black and Latino friends, I'm much more relaxed with the slang and topics discussed. What I'm trying to say is: this is the first friendship I've read in a book that I was able to apply to my own life on so many levels.
There isn't anything I really didn't like about this book. At first, I worried that the humor would come at the expense of Teenie's West Indian parents (her mother is from Grenada with Portuguese and Syrian blood and her father is from Barbados with Irish and Carib Indian heritage). Her mother is serene and not a source of humor, but Teenie's father is hilarious, strict and he has his sweet moments. Teenie talks about her big West Indian family with a mixture of pride and embarrassment (don't we all feel the same way?), she mocks them but there is love beneath her words. "My family there [Barbados] uses curse words for the smallest things. Don't let them get angry, because they're liable to lob some serious vulgarity, the harshest being 'God blind yah.' That's deep." (pg. 10) HA! Teenie's father and her descriptions of her family will have you laughing, but much of the humor also comes from Teenie's relationship with Cherise. Cherise is fast-on-her-feet and she does not hesitate to diss those who insult Teenie (only she can do that). I found the friendship between Teenie and Cherise to be authentic, at times they grow closer, always having each other's backs (for example when Greg first talks to Teenie, Teenie is too shy to speak. Cherise tells Greg she has laryngitis. Classic!) but then they grow angry with each other and drift apart. That's a quintessential aspect of high school friendships, they are constantly changing and that is reflected in Teenie. While the reader (and deep down, Teenie) know Cherise is making a mistake meeting this strange guy from online, it's hard to fault her for getting angry at Teenie. Yes Teenie is looking out for her but Teenie's help ends up having some 'serious' consequences that make Cherise angry. I have to admit, I would most likely be angry like Cherise first and it would take me awhile to calm down.
Teenie is an upbeat story that did not go in the direction I expected (the summary is rather vague now that I think about it) but I'm so glad it didn't. My sister is in 8th grade and she asked if she could read this book and I'm going to give it to her because I think this is a must-read for girls going into high school. Especially if you don't feel comfortable talking about certain issues regarding the opposite gender with your parents (which is 100% understandable). I like that this summary doesn't hint at the issues it addresses because this book goes beyond the issues. Every member of Teenie's family is fleshed out, including her two twin college-aged brothers (who are so much fun to read about but they made me not want an older brother anymore) as well as Greg, Garth and Cherise. I also loved the brief bit about God. So many YA books don't mention God at all and maybe most teens don't have a religious upbringing. But personally, I'm forced to go to church and it was refreshing to read that Teenie was forced to go as well. Even better, her faith strengthens her a bit but she doesn't have some flashy revelation/miracle type thing, it's subtle. Don't miss out on this story, it's told with both levity and maturity, Teenie hasn't completely grown up yet (after all she's only a freshman) but she's beginning that confusing and exhilarating thing called high school and it's great to see more and more contemporary multicultral novels appearing in which race isn't the driving factor.
Review coming to blog on 1/25
There isn't anything I really didn't like about this book. At first, I worried that the humor would come at the expense of Teenie's West Indian parents (her mother is from Grenada with Portuguese and Syrian blood and her father is from Barbados with Irish and Carib Indian heritage). Her mother is serene and not a source of humor, but Teenie's father is hilarious, strict and he has his sweet moments. Teenie talks about her big West Indian family with a mixture of pride and embarrassment (don't we all feel the same way?), she mocks them but there is love beneath her words. "My family there [Barbados] uses curse words for the smallest things. Don't let them get angry, because they're liable to lob some serious vulgarity, the harshest being 'God blind yah.' That's deep." (pg. 10) HA! Teenie's father and her descriptions of her family will have you laughing, but much of the humor also comes from Teenie's relationship with Cherise. Cherise is fast-on-her-feet and she does not hesitate to diss those who insult Teenie (only she can do that). I found the friendship between Teenie and Cherise to be authentic, at times they grow closer, always having each other's backs (for example when Greg first talks to Teenie, Teenie is too shy to speak. Cherise tells Greg she has laryngitis. Classic!) but then they grow angry with each other and drift apart. That's a quintessential aspect of high school friendships, they are constantly changing and that is reflected in Teenie. While the reader (and deep down, Teenie) know Cherise is making a mistake meeting this strange guy from online, it's hard to fault her for getting angry at Teenie. Yes Teenie is looking out for her but Teenie's help ends up having some 'serious' consequences that make Cherise angry. I have to admit, I would most likely be angry like Cherise first and it would take me awhile to calm down.
Teenie is an upbeat story that did not go in the direction I expected (the summary is rather vague now that I think about it) but I'm so glad it didn't. My sister is in 8th grade and she asked if she could read this book and I'm going to give it to her because I think this is a must-read for girls going into high school. Especially if you don't feel comfortable talking about certain issues regarding the opposite gender with your parents (which is 100% understandable). I like that this summary doesn't hint at the issues it addresses because this book goes beyond the issues. Every member of Teenie's family is fleshed out, including her two twin college-aged brothers (who are so much fun to read about but they made me not want an older brother anymore) as well as Greg, Garth and Cherise. I also loved the brief bit about God. So many YA books don't mention God at all and maybe most teens don't have a religious upbringing. But personally, I'm forced to go to church and it was refreshing to read that Teenie was forced to go as well. Even better, her faith strengthens her a bit but she doesn't have some flashy revelation/miracle type thing, it's subtle. Don't miss out on this story, it's told with both levity and maturity, Teenie hasn't completely grown up yet (after all she's only a freshman) but she's beginning that confusing and exhilarating thing called high school and it's great to see more and more contemporary multicultral novels appearing in which race isn't the driving factor.
Review coming to blog on 1/25
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