Jennifer O'Connell (1)

Funny, poignant, and filled with interesting characters. Jane still feels mixed grief and anger toward her deceased father who left his family in poor financial shape, but that hasn't stopped her from following in his footsteps and earning a law degree. She's very close to becoming a partner at the firm where she works when her irresponsible older brother throws her a curve. Back when they were kids, there was a nerdy, loner boy who lived nearby. He went on to have a brief but spectacular show more music career as Teddy Rock with a hit song called 'Janey 245'. Brother Andy is convinced the song was written about Jane, in part because their house number was 245 back then.
Jane doesn't believe it. She lives a very controlled life that has no room for romance, rock stars, or fun. Andy blows all that out of the water in a spectacular way that not only has Jane secretly thinking of herself as Janie 245, but beginning to realize her tightly scripted life is pretty pathetic. Add in another attorney at the firm who starts getting under her skin, two best friends who know she needs a kick in the pants, a reunion of sorts with Teddy Rock, and you have quite the fun read. show less

If you were a girl growing up in the 1980's, chances are you read Judy Blume's books. And if you read Judy Blume's books, chances are even better that you still remember one or more of them better than many books that you have read subsequently. Who doesn't remember Are You There God, It's Me Margaret? And of course, everyone passed Forever around to read the juicy bits. I personally identified with Iggie's House although I was always the kid moving, not the one left behind to befriend the show more new family in the house. I still have my original Judy Blume books and have passed them along to my older children (and it's about time to pass the less girlish ones along to the small boy as well). And really, the way that these books captured a generation is unique and the very thing that this collection edited by Jennifer O'Connell celebrates.

This is a collection of essays written by current YA and chick lit writers is nostalgic and familiar. Their essays on the work or works that meant the most to them as they developed as girls and young women could have been written by your best girlfriends. As Blume's books are pretty universal, so are the essays in this book. The authors have chosen a wide range of the Blume canon about which to write. The ways in which these stories have impacted their lives, the extent to which they remember the stories, and the breadth of the debt some of their own writing owes to the stories varies but it's likely that you'll find yourself nodding your head in agreement with most, if not all, of them. It is amazing how this shared cultural experience still forms us so many years later. This is very much a love letter and a thank you note to Ms. Blume and I admit that I read it with a huge smile on my face. I might be an adult now, but just reading about others' Blume experiences as preteens and teens had the power to take me back to that more innocent time in my life. And we can all use a little more innocence these days. show less

Oh how this book brought back memories! I had to check out Judy Blume books from the library and sneak them home to read because my mother didn't approve of them. The appreciative essays from the female writers in this work show the range of impact that Blume had on anyone growing up in the 1980s.

What can I say? If you've ever been a fan of Judy Blume, if her books have ever held a special place in your heart and soul, you should read this book. If you missed out on the beauty of Judy Blume, but you have pre-teen daughters, you should still read this book.

There wasn't a bad essay in this entire book; I admit I found one completely shocked me, but that's more because I apparently didn't take away from Deenie what everyone else did. (Deenie left me terrified of scoliosis, and when I show more was 18 and diagnosed with a mild variation, I don't mind telling you, I freaked.)

What I've most taken away from this book though is the (for me) surprising revelation that I'm not alone in my adoration of her books and the importance they had on my childhood and adolescence. I got on some level that she was immensely popular, of course, but I never really got that I was so very normal. That my childhood was so normal. That my friends and I weren't the only ones that thought Forever was the apex of contraband reading. Forever it seems, was not just my watershed moment of adolescence, but my entire generation's watershed moment.

See? Just reading about other people writing about Judy Blume continues to change lives. If you find this, read it. I can't promise you'll love it as I do, but if you're a woman you'll find plenty to identify with. show less