Friday, December 11, 2015

Friday Memes: Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum

Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader and Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice.



Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum. 325 p. Delacorte Press, April 5, 2015. 9780553535655.

Publisher synopsis: What if the person you need the most is someone you’ve never met?
 
Julie Buxbaum mixes comedy and tragedy, love and loss, pain and elation, in her debut YA novel whose characters will come to feel like friends. Tell Me Three Things will appeal to fans of Rainbow Rowell, Jennifer Niven, and E. Lockhart. 
 


Everything about Jessie is wrong. At least, that’s what it feels like during her first week of junior year at her new ultra-intimidating prep school in Los Angeles. Just when she’s thinking about hightailing it back to Chicago, she gets an email from a person calling themselves Somebody/Nobody (SN for short), offering to help her navigate the wilds of Wood Valley High School. Is it an elaborate hoax? Or can she rely on SN for some much-needed help?

The thing is, Jessie does need help. It’s been barely two years since her mother’s death, and because her father eloped with a woman he met online, Jessie has been forced to move across the country to live with her stepmonster and her pretentious teenage son.
In a leap of faith—or an act of complete desperation—Jessie begins to rely on SN, and SN quickly becomes her lifeline and closest ally. Jessie can’t help wanting to meet SN in person. But are some mysteries better left unsolved?

First line: Seven hundred and thirty-three days after my mom died, forty-five days after my dad eloped with a stranger he met on the Internet, thirty days after we then up and moved to California, and only seven days after starting as a junior at a brand-new school where I know approximately no one, an email arrives. 

Page 56: "Can I help you?" he asks, like I'm the next customer at a drive-through. I remember our English project, and how he just assumed I could be railroaded like everyone else.
    "So 'The Waste Land'..." I say, and tuck my hands into my back pockets, trying to look casual. "If you don't want to work together, that's fine. But then I need to tell Mrs. Pollack and find another partner. I'm not just going to let you do the work."
     There, I said it. That wasn't so hard. I breathe out. I feel lightheaded and shaky, but nothing that can be seen from the outside, I hope. My mask firmly still in place. Now I wish he could just hand me my Happy Meal and end this thing.


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I spied the cute cover while standing on a line at AASL waiting for an author autograph. Since I have a waffle iron that makes heart-shaped waffles, which I use fairly frequently to make the most delicious gluten-free waffles ever, I had to ask about the book. I didn't want to leave my place in line, so I called over to two reps who were talking near it and said, "Tell me three things about Tell Me Three Things." Yeah, not the most ingenious opener but I was given the arc!

11 comments:

  1. This sounds like a delightful coming-of-age book. Great job getting the ARC!!

    My Friday post features FEVER SEASON.

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  2. I love the cover and the premise of the book. Enjoy.

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  3. Interesting, I might have to check it out. I love your comment to the reps!

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  4. This does sound good. I'll be looking forward to hearing what you think. This week I am spotlighting The Royal Ranger by John Flanagan and Once Shadows Fall by Robert Daniels. Happy reading!

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  5. What a great way to get an arc copy. The snippets and summary drew me in. I will watch for this one. Happy Friday!

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  6. Looks cute and a fun way to get the book. I'll have to remember that . LOL

    here's my 56 - http://fuonlyknew.com/2015/12/11/the-friday-56-88-somewhere-only-we-know/

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  7. I really like the sound of this book and it sounds like a book my nieces and I would enjoy reading together - they are preteen/teenaged girls and I want to form a reading club with them so this could be a good choice. Here's my Friday post

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  8. I've been hearing quite a bit about this one lately - happy reading!

    Check out my Friday 56 (With Book Beginnings).

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  9. I like the flow of the writing, sounds like a good read! Happy weekend!

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  10. I love your opening. How could they resist it? :-)
    sherry @ fundinmental My Sunday Memes

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