The Queen of Cool (edition 2006)

Probably not fair of me to write a review as in my eyes Castellucci can do no wrong. Again the writing isn't anything stupendous but man does she get it. There's a lot of great characterization packed into a small book and it becomes really powerful. Good stuff. ( )

Reviewed by Dena Landon for TeensReadToo.com

Libby Brin is the popular girl. She has the right friends, the right clothes, and goes to all the right parties. Where she leads, the school follows, from "pencil day" to "funny walk day." But she's hiding a deep, dark secret. She's bored. No matter what she does, she doesn't feel alive. Which might explain the temporary insanity that causes her to sign up for an internship...at the zoo. When she's assigned to a team with two of the biggest losers in school she worries that her life as the Queen of Cool might be over.

In this light-hearted and funny novel, Castelluci explores typical teenage themes--finding yourself, and discovering what true friendship means--in her usual frank and honest style. Her prose is sparse, with no extra words or long descriptions, and short chapters make for a quick read. She unflinchingly portrays the reality of teenage life, from drinking at parties, to making out with boys, with a non-judgemental attitude that lets the reader draw their own conclusions about Libby's actions. Readers will be able to relate to Libby's struggles to feel like she belongs as she's changing and learning new things about herself, and growing away from friends she's had her whole life.

Recommended, especially for older, reluctant teen readers. ( )

This was a quick, compulsive read. Although I had a pretty clear idea about what was going to happen in the end, I enjoyed watching the characters figure it out. There were a few moments that beautifully captured that sense of being stuck in between worlds, belonging to none. ( )

Libby Brin is the Queen of Cool, and suggests wild antics and pranks to her friends, due to her boredom with life. On a whim she signs up to intern at a zoo with Tina, a very tiny girl and Sheldon, a star gazing nerd, and to her surprise, finds out she likes it more than she thought. Suddenly, being the Queen of Cool isn't all it's cracked up to be. ( )

http://mindlikeasieve.livejournal.com/74917.html ( )