Notes from the Blender

by Trish Cook, Brendan Halpin

Overview

Declan loves death metalparticularly from Finland. And video gamesviolent ones. And internet pornany kind, really. He goes to school with Neilly Foster and spends most of his classroom time wondering what it might be like to know her, to talk to her, maybe even to graze against her sweater in the hallway.

Neilly is an accomplished gymnast, naturally beautiful, and a constant presence at all the best parties (to which Declan is never invited). She's the queen of cool, the princess of poker face, and her rule is uncontestedor it was until today, when she's dumped by her boyfriend, betrayed by her former BFF Lulu, and then informed she's getting a new brotherof the freaky fellow classmate variety.

Declan's dad is marrying Neilly's mom. Soon. Which means they'll be moving in together.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781606841860
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/01/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	298,457
Lexile:	900L (what's this?)
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Trish Cook is the author of four young adult novels, including Notes from the Blender and A Really Awesome Mess, and a graduate of the University of Chicago's Graham School program in Creative Nonfiction. Her essays have been seen most recently in the Manifest-Station, Graze Magazine, and Spittoon. Trish is currently in the process of putting the final touches on her memoir/essay collection. In her spare time, she rows with a masters crew, most recently competing in Masters Nationals and the Head of the Charles Regatta. Trish dreams of being on The Amazing Race, but the closest she's ever come was being chosen as a finalist for casting on I Survived a Japanese Game Show (and unfortunately did not survive that last casting cut). You can visit her at www.trishcook.com and www.instagram.com/instafromthe80s.

Editorial Reviews

Cook (Overnight Sensation) and Halpin (Shutout) coauthor an amusing if slightly overstuffed story about two families that collide amid marriages and misunderstandings. Classmates Declan and Neilly are from opposite ends of the social spectrum. Declan is an angry yet sensitive loner, obsessed with death metal, video games, and sex (especially as it pertains to Neilly), who still blames himself for his mother's death in a car accident. Neilly is popular, but has just been dumped by her jock boyfriend and learned that her mother is pregnant and engaged—to Declan's father. Throw in Neilly's father's impending commitment ceremony with another man and Declan's escalating feelings for his stepsister-to-be, and the authors offer ample opportunities for drama. Both Declan and Neilly provide sarcastic and often funny perspectives on their rapidly changing lives, and while Declan's persona can feel somewhat forced ("Oh, for the love of SuicideGirls. Neilly Foster just said 'three way,' "), the teens become allies and develop in ways they didn't expect. The swift plot and sympathetic characters result in a moving story about embracing change. Ages 14–up. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"Two stepsiblings-to-be narrate this charming, funny and surprisingly touching family story in alternating chapters. Declan, the stronger of the two voices, is a prickly but sensitive metalhead obsessed with masturbation and Internet porn who lost his mom to a car accident at age nine. Neilly—over whom Dec secretly lusts from afar—is a pretty, popular junior who fiercely defends her father's partnership with a man. When Dec's dad and Neilly's mom reveal to their children that they plan to get married, the teens quickly unite in sympathy, forming a refreshingly warm sibling relationship as they come to terms with the changes in their lives. Though the lessons Neilly learns are somewhat pat, Declan's transformation from antisocial lech to tattooed vegan and 'boyfriend material' is unique and pitch-perfect, with a satisfyingly realistic number of rejections along the way. Dec's compassionate Aunt Sarah, whose Unitarian Universalist youth group becomes a refuge for both teens, brings yet more wit and kindness to this sweet, emotional, but never hokey mix." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

Sixteen-year-old Declan is into black garb, violent video games, internet porn, and death metal music to assuage his grief from his mother's death. Classmates call him "Columbine" and keep their distance. Underneath, he is surprisingly funny, and constantly fighting a "boner" when pretty Neilly Foster is around. Since being dumped by her boyfriend (for her best friend), Neilly is alone and floundering in unchartered waters. They are both horrified to discover that their parents plan to marry and a new sibling is already on the way. At first, only reluctant allies in their defiance, they ultimately become friends as they discover what is important in relationships. Both protagonists, Declan and Neilly, authentically demonstrate how painful family upheaval is for teens already caught up in the maelstrom of their changing bodies. Both hate the surprise of the impending family-blending and feel insecure about their futures. Dec turns to his dark music to combat his distress while Neilly needs a friend. He deals openly with the"masturbatory dilemma" of his emerging sexuality, but Neilly downplays the physical and relishes the ego boost of a "hottie" boyfriend. Both experience release in hooting about their parents' unplanned pregnancy. With colorful characterization, a narrative full of teen socialization, and discussions of pertinent topics— such as same sex unions—this light-hearted novel will prove popular. That it also gives insight into the differences between the sexes is a bonus. F-bombs and street language (dildo, pussy) are present but they do not saturate the text. Reviewer: Barbara Johnston

VOYA - Barbara Johnston

Two stepsiblings-to-be narrate this charming, funny and surprisingly touching family story in alternating chapters. Declan, the stronger of the two voices, is a prickly but sensitive metalhead obsessed with masturbation and Internet porn who lost his mom to a car accident at age nine. Neilly—over whom Dec secretly lusts from afar—is a pretty, popular junior who fiercely defends her father's partnership with a man. When Dec's dad and Neilly's mom reveal to their children that they plan to get married, the teens quickly unite in sympathy, forming a refreshingly warm sibling relationship as they come to terms with the changes in their lives. Though the lessons Neilly learns are somewhat pat, Declan's transformation from antisocial lech to tattooed vegan and "boyfriend material" is unique and pitch-perfect, with a satisfyingly realistic number of rejections along the way. Dec's compassionate Aunt Sarah, whose Unitarian Universalist youth group becomes a refuge for both teens, brings yet more wit and kindness to this sweet, emotional, but never hokey mix. (Fiction. 14 & up)

Kirkus Reviews