Roo Rules

Congratulations to M.T. Anderson, he of my most longtime blush-inducingest literary crush, for winning the National Book Award for Octavian Nothing! I had better get to reading it now before the library sends the repo squad to my house now that the already long waiting list for the title will inevitably quadruple.

My reading time continues to be sacrificed these days, but I think I can make it happen (I did manage to barrel through Fly By Night and I loved it, loved it, loved it). Also, thanks to the ever generous and talented E. Lockhart, I have The Boy Book under my belt. As in, I literally just finished it five minutes ago.

So I'm going to take a moment now to gush about Ms. Lockhart. I love her writing. She is so truly and effortlessly funny. Her euphemisms (i.e. "regions;" "scamming") are priceless and she creates heroines that somehow happen to become my personal heroines. How great is Ruby Oliver? Her neuroses and panic "thing" and all her trials and tribulations make her lovable. She is smart and kind and honest and hilarious and a good friend and she appreciates a champion boob groper. Just what I look for in a YA protagonist. In her second (and hopefully not final) book, in which she has no shortage of romantic misadventures, Roo grows so much as a person. I'm just so proud of her by the end of the book. And E. is a master at capturing the rainbow of teenage emotions-- the ache of longing; the satisfying rush of acting on hormonal uges; the sting that sometimes accompanies doing the right thing.

Well done E. Lockhart!  Now begins the grueling wait for Dramarama....

Written material © 2006 Dawn A. Emerman

Comments

[Sarah]

I just read Octavian last week and, though not the happiest story ever written, I found it wonderful and very excellent. So glad he won!

Thanks for the Lockhart recs -- I picked up her first one after you recommended it way back when and am inhaling them as they come out.

Off to reserve Fly By Night....