Review: Luv Ya Bunches by Lauren Myracle
Title: Luv Ya Bunches
Hardcover, 240 pages
Author: Lauren Myracle
Publisher: Amulet Books
Publication Date: October 1, 2009
Source: Publisher
Buy: Amazon, Book Depository
Book Summary (from Goodreads.com):
Lauren Myracle, the author of the netspeak hits ttyl, ttfn, and l8r, g8r,returns with another novel cleverly concocted in Internet shorthand. Told in a hip mix of IMs, blog rants, screenplays, and straight narrative, Luv Ya Bunches zips out the story of Katie-Rose, Milla, Yasaman, and Violet, four girls with distinctly different interests. Can a new school year and an evil clique queen bee bring them together? Twitter doesn’t have the answer, but this book does.
Review:
I hadn’t heard of Lauren Myracle prior to receiving this book in the mail, but she has apparently written quite a few books – ttyl, ttfn, and l8r, g8r are the ones mentioned on the cover of my copy. I was glad to note that Luv Ya Bunches is the first in the series, and she sets the end up nicely to be able to lead into other stories.
The book was a light, easy read, which is to be expected since it’s for a younger teenager to read. The story was fun, because she brings together IM conversations and views from a camera as well as the normal dialogue. My copy was printed in black and white, but I would be interested to see the color copy, because I bet it makes it even more appealing to read.
Some of the inner dialogues of the fifth graders (who narrate the story in turns, by chapter) seem a lot older than a fifth grader to me (at least myself as a fifth grader) so I had to keep reminding myself that the book is taking place in a fifth grade. Luv Ya Bunches also is written just over a one week time span, but the events that take place are definitely plausable (which I am very happy for, because sometimes the time span and what happens don’t match up in books – or in TV, for that matter… has anyone seen 24?).
If you’re a teacher in a classroom looking for some easier reading for your students or have a daughter around this age range, it’s a great book – long enough that it will keep a reader’s attention for awhile, but not so long that you’re wondering when it will be over. I’m sure Lauren Myracle’s other books are similar in nature, and would probably be good picks for a younger sibling/daughter/friend, too. The bright pink cover and drawings of cartoon girls would help with appeal if your reader judges books by the cover. You’re supposed to be able to go ‘hang out’ with the characters in the book at LuvYaBunches.com, but when I checked it was just a place to buy the book – it would be very neat if it ended up turning in to an interactive site. I guess we’ll see!
As an addition to my review, Lauren Myracle actually had an interview in Shelf Awareness not long ago, and it was one of the more amusing ones I’ve read in awhile, so I’m going to share it with all of you!
On your nightstand now:
Can I lie? I kinda wanna lie, not to sound more, like, literary or anything (heaven forbid), but just to sound more SPARKY! But fine. I will not lie to the children. Or grown-ups. Or whomever is reading this.
On my nightstand now: an empty Kleenex box. Pink earbuds for listening to Eckhart Tolle on my iPod as I fall asleep. (Just, yeah. Roll your eyes or whatever and move on. “Carry the water! Chop the wood!” That is my E.T. wisdom of the day, by the way . . . ) An AB-FAB not-even-to-the-galley-stage copy of Carolyn Mackler’s latest, Tangled. My Friend Is Sad by Mo Willems. Suspicious River by Laura Kasischke. Hmm, and a pen. It’s blue and has little creatures (of the cute sort) printed all over it.
Favorite book when you were a child:
Ramona the Pest–OH YEAH BABY!!!!!!!
Your top five authors:
Oh, man. You’re kidding me, right? If not–you’re killing me! Top FIVE? Can’t I do top 500?!
Grrrr. Will try. But at the pearly gates of heaven, if there is a heaven, I refuse to swear by these, k? CUZ THINGS CHANGE AND STUFF. And plus, I just have so many faves!
O.K., here goes, all in one great rush so I don’t overthink:
Flannery O’Connor
Harper Lee
Beverly Cleary
J.D. Salinger
emilylockhartsarahmlynowskimta
ndersonjohngreenallycartersuzannesuppleecarolynmackler-normafoxmazercynthiavoigtkatherinepatersonjudyblumelibbabraymaureenjohnson-justinelarbalestierscottwesterfeldshananorrisjenniferlynnbarnestaraaltebrandomaggiemarr-lauraresauingridlawmaryrosewoodsalangratzterramcvoysarazarrgrahamsalisbury-carolyncomanbrockcolechrislynchloisduncanpaulzindelannemccaffrey
(P.S. That was hard and horrible and now I feel unclean. Just so you know.☺ )
Book you’ve faked reading:
Ha. None, I swear. I have an odd ethic against not playing that game.
Book you are an evangelist for:
Today? Pure by Terra McVoy!!!!!!! Soooooo good, and so perfect to be an evangelist for, as it deals with–don’t be frightened!–evangelicalism, even. Kinda. In a purity-rings-donned-by-high-school-girls sort of way. IT IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!
Book you’ve bought for the cover:
Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita.
Book that changed your life:
Oh, must you? Grrrr. Every book changes my life! But . . . let’s go with . . . my first dip into Kurt Vonnegut, Cat’s Cradle, which I read when I was 14. Man, that book made me laugh–and made my brain go whooooosh.
Favorite line from a book:
I don’t know! Ag. I’m not a quote collector–sorry!!!!!! I soak it all in . . . and it becomes part of me . . . but I can’t pull up specific quotes!
Book you most want to read again for the first time:
Ahhhh, now this question I like! I get a happy feeling just imagining reading one of my darlings again for the first time. What joy. To Kill a Mockingbird, with no hesitation. ☺
Thanks, dudes and dudettes! Until next time! Mwah!!!!!
Related Posts:
Related Posts
Tags
Share This
I loved "Ramona the Pest"!
Great review. My first time on your blog, and i adore the header. :)
I really like Lauren Myracle's books, especially "Eleven" and "Twelve". I heard that she's writing another book called Thirteen. My question is she going to write another book after that about the same characters?