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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Monmouth Public Library | YA Fic Moriarty, J. 2004 | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Newberg Public Library | TEEN MORIARTY | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
The Ashbury-Brookfield pen pal program was designed to bring together the "lowlife Brooker kids" (as they''re known to the Ashburyites) and the "rich Ashbury snobs" (as they''re called by the Brookfielders) in a spirit of harmony and the Joy of the Envelope. But things don''t go quite as planned. Lydia and Sebastian trade challenges, like setting off the fire alarm at Brookfield. Emily tutors Charlie in "How to Go on a Date with a Girl." But it''s Cassie and Matthew who both reveal and conceal the most about themselves--and it''s their secrets and lies that set off a war between the two schools.
Author Notes
Jaclyn Moriarty is the prize-winning, best-selling author of novels for young adults and adults including Feeling Sorry for Celia and The Year of Secret Assignments. Jaclyn grew up in Sydney, lived in England, the US, and Canada, and now lives in Sydney again. She was born in 1968 in Perth and studied English and Law at the University of Sydney. She then completed a Masters in Law at Yale University and a PhD at Gonville Caius College, Cambridge. She worked asan entertainment an dmedia lawyer before becoming a full-time writer.
The Asbury Brookfield Series is four novels that revolve around various student that attend the exclusive private school, Asbury High. Many of the students cross over into more than one novel. The series includes: Feeling Sorry for Celia, Finding Cassie Crazy, The Betrayal of Bindy Mackenzie, and Dreaming of Amelia. Her title The Cracks in the Kingdom won the Aurealis Award in 2014 for Young Adult Novel. It also won the Ethel Turner Prize for Young People¿s Literature.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 7-10-A simple English class assignment between two warring Australian high schools starts a funny, sad, and racy comedy of manners between the Ashbury school girls and the Brookfield school boys in this novel by Australian author Jaclyn Moriarty (Arthur A. Levine Bks., 2004). Through their letters (snail mail and e-mail), journal entries, and diary entries, Lydia, Emily, Cassie, Seb, Charlie, and Matthew share their hopes, dreams, and fears as they become friends, then enemies, and then friends again. The story takes a dramatic turn when Matthew (who writes to Cassie) turns out not to be Matthew. After a fistfight, a stolen car, and a dramatic school trial, Emily and her friends unmask Matthew and bring the beginnings of peace between their two schools. Moriarty creates a vivid portrait of teen angst, loyalty, and friendship. The full-cast narration is engaging and makes the humorous situations come alive. American teens will relate to the exploits of their Australian counterparts.-Larry Cooperman, Seminole High School, Sanford, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Once again, Moriarty (Feeling Sorry for Celia) uses an epistolary format to bring to life the voices of contemporary teens. Best friends Lydia, Emily and Cassie attend Ashbury, an Australian private school. Their "year of secret assignments" begins when their English teacher pairs them with pen pals from neighboring Brookfield High, a rougher school where students "have more tattoos and prison time." Although the girls are a bit wary about writing to strangers, their correspondence with boys their age spawns some interesting, often hilarious exchanges of confidences that lead to a series of clandestine meetings and daring escapades. Lydia and Emily form solid bonds with their pen pals, Seb and Charlie, but more vulnerable Cassie has trouble relating to her partner, a mysterious, cynical boy named Matthew, who (according to Seb and Charlie) does not exist. This energetic novel reveals the author's keen understanding of teen dynamics and invites audience members to read between the lines to discover what makes each character tick. Containing elements of mystery, espionage, romance and revenge, Moriarty's story will likely satisfy hearty appetites for suspense and fun. Ages 12-up. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
(High School) From the author of Feeling Sorry for Celia comes a second comic novel about gal-pals--and pen pals--set in the same Australian high school and focusing once again on the Famous Ashbury-Brookfield Pen Pal Project. The novel follows private school students Lydia, Emily, and Cassie as they are assigned to write letters to students at Brookfield High, despite Emily's complaint to their English teacher that ""it's probably against our constitutional rights to make us associate with drug dealers and murderers."" The three girls have been friends 4-ever, but things haven't been the same between them since Cassie's father died a year ago, and Cassie gets even weirder once they begin writing to their pen pals, all boys. The novel--written entirely in letters, diary entries, e-mails, etc.--is fast and funny but not frothy. Moriarty's story is complex, original, and unpredictable enough that it'smuch more than a guilty-pleasure read. The format, along with the humor and romance, will draw Louise Rennison fans--and give them just as much flash, with a whole lot more substance. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Like the namesake in Moriarty's bestselling Feeling Sorry for Celia (many clever references creep in), three more Aussie teens must establish pen pals at a rival public high school. This time risk-taker Lydia, self-assured Emily, and grieving, inhibited Cassie are all matched with boys who take an interest in them, resulting in dating lessons and plenty of covert operations. While Emily and Lydia's correspondence leads to romantic involvements, Cassie's mysterious, narcissistic pen pal turns cruel. It takes drastic measures, like secret assignments, to rescue Cassie from plummeting self-esteem and teach her pen pal a lesson in respect. This year of letter writing not only strengthens the girls' friendship, but also guides them to find their own resolve. This story does not feel as fresh as the author's debut, as it borrows too much from Celia, such as a variety of writing formats (letters, diaries, e-mails, guided writings in the Notebook™, etc.), a parody of lawyers instead of ad executives, and madcap adventures with equally zany resolutions. But who can resist Moriarty's biting humor? (Fiction. YA) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Gr. 8-12. In her debut for youth, Moriarty follows her adult title, Feeling Sorry for Celia (2000), with another winning novel. Written entirely in letters, diary entries, lists, quizzes, transcripts, and mock subpoenas (there are a disproportionate number of lawyerly parents here), the novel focuses on three Australian girls who have each been assigned to write to a student at a rival school. The girls' pen friends turn out to be three boys, and the entertaining correspondence between the couples reveals the characters' quirky ingenuity, pranks, burgeoning romances, and fierce friendships as well as deeper family stories, including one about a parent's death. When one of the boys turns out to be an abusive fraud, the others craft a delicious retribution scheme that propels the story to a satisfying conclusion. Moriarty's characters speak in voices as playful and inventive as the novel's format. There are a few coarse moments--a reference to a blow job and some caustic outbursts (eat shit and die and bitch face )--and the story's myriad devices wear thin in places. But this is an unusual novel with an exhilarating pace, irrepressible characters, and a screwball humor that will easily attract teens, many of whom will yearn for madcap adventures and unshakably devoted friends like these. --Gillian Engberg Copyright 2004 Booklist