Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom

Violet's mom has dated a string of losers ever since Violet's dad left two years ago. Violet knows that her mom deserves better than the cheaters, liars, alcoholics, cheapskates, and creeps that she's been seeing. When her mom starts dating a pudgy, dorky guy named Dudley Wiener, Violet decides to take matters into her own hands: she'll set her mom up with George Clooney, the perfect man.

Susin Nielsen does a great job of characterization with her 12-year-old protagonist, mature one minute, childish the next; capable of complicated (and even devious) plans, but prone to speak and act impulsively. Violet's schemes and scrapes will have readers laughing, squirming with empathetic embarrassment, and maybe even crying, as Violet takes a few show more steps toward dealing with her parents' divorce and other changes in her life. Minor characters are equally well drawn, particularly Violet's little sister Rosie who is also learning to cope with their parents divorce, and the plot moves along at a good pace. show less

There are so many reviews out there for middle grade or young adult books where adult readers inexplicably complain that the main character is immature, well, yeah, you’re reading about a kid, there’s going to be a certain degree of immaturity there and if there isn’t, the story probably isn’t all that realistic. So warning to those readers, you should probably run for the hills rather than read about Violet.

Violet is most definitely on the young side of her twelve years, so she’s going to rub some readers the wrong way, the rest of us will simply understand that not everyone grows up at the same rate and I like seeing that reflected in books. If I’m going to read about kids who are written practically as though they’re show more mini adults, then I also want to read about the ones like Violet, who don’t have it all together yet, who act without entirely thinking it through, who still hold out hope for impossible things and do the kind of cringey stuff we’re all a little bit guilty of in our childhoods and beyond.

The emotion could have been amped up a little more here, this had effective moments, particularly where Violet and her sister Rose note that their dad favors his newest children, I wanted more of that sort of thing and more of the anxiety motivating Violet’s desire to find a solid match for her mom (the mom has had some seemingly depressive episodes following breakups). I also would have liked more interractions and maybe even confrontations between Violet and her parents, there were disappointments on both sides that I didn’t feel were addressed to quite the level they could have been, or at least not to the level that feelings are delved into in some of my favorite middle-grade books.

I did for the most part enjoy this, the pacing is brisk, and there’s humor throughout. show less

Violet's world is not what it used to be, certainly not what it's supposed to be, and she's not happy about that. How would you feel if your movie director dad took up with some Hollywood starlet and started a family and new life with them, leaving you and your sister behind in a dilapidated house with a scattered mother whose main focus seems to be dating every loser out there? To make things worse, her latest love interest is none other than the bath shop owning, corny joke telling, balding, hand knitted sweater wearing Dudley Wiener. As if! It’s no wonder that Violet goes to such extremes as making her twin half sisters eat cat poop (really) or sending letters to George Clooney in the hopes that he will go out with her mom (who show more does know him, having done his makeup for a movie a few years ago).

I really enjoyed this book. Violet is a typical teenager, so self-focused, embarrassed by most everything and seemingly without remorse when she feels her actions are vindicated. Even with all of this, I found her to be a sympathetic character, well rounded, funny, interesting and endearing. A great read, particularly for middle school girls or mature elementary readers. I look forward to reading more entries by Susin Nielsen. show less

Another Susin Nielsen using a teenaged-voice to tell a story. The writing hits the right note and sympathetically portrays a real situation that so many kids encounter. The George Clooney encounter was a bit contrived, but it served its purpose and added a lot of humour to the novel.

Of course, it was the title of this book that caught my eye. Then I noticed that it was written by Susin Nielsen, author of the fabulous 'Word Nerd'. Once I had the book in hand, I knew I was in for another fun read with this opening line "For the record:I did not mean to send my two half-sisters to the emergency room". 'Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom' is a funny (sometimes cringe-inducing) ride through Violet's trials and tribulations as adjusts to life after her parent's divorce and her Mom's new boyfriend - the unfortunately named Dudley Weiner.

I read this adorable middle-grade novel in one sitting on a nice lazy Saturday in the sun. It is the perfect summer read for 10-14 year old girls. Snarky Violet is furious with her father for leaving her erratic mother for some large-breasted trophy wife. Now that dad and wife #2 have perfectly blonde twin girls and mom is on new relationship #48564 (his name is Dudley Wiener... GAG!), Violet is feeling replaced on all sides. She thinks her mother deserves a better replacement then nerdy Mr. Wiener, despite the fact that he is good to her mom. Someone more handsome, better dressed, classier... someone like... George Clooney. And the plus is that mom already met him on a movie set a few years back! Violet writes to Mr. Clooney, show more encouraging him to try dating her mother. Will he respond? Who will mom choose? Fraught with antics like this and others, Dear George Clooney is a funny, simple read that is entertaining throughout. Violet's voice reads true to her age and her sarcasm and wit had me chuckling. Enjoy! show less

Dear George Clooney is, overall, a sweet, funny story. Nielsen takes an okay plot and spices it up with some fantastic characters and writing. I loved Violet and her family, and Phoebe and her family were a hilarious bit on the side. Violet is a believable 12 year-old with believable feelings, and I think that's what makes this book good instead of okay.