Remarkable

by Lizzie K. Foley

"A lot of outlandish entertainment." — The New York Times

Everyone in Remarkable is remarkable. Everyone except Jane, that is. While the rest of the town is busy being talented, gifted, or just plain extraordinary, she's never been anything but ordinary. Then Jane finds herself in school with the mischievous Grimlet twins, and her life suddenly gets a whole lot more interesting. And when a strange pirate captain appears in town, setting of a series of adventures that put the whole town in danger, it's up to Jane to save the day. Along the way, she might just find that she can be pretty remarkable after all.

* "A rich, unforgettable story that's quite simply - amazing." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* " Filled with clever word play, wholly unique situations, outlandish characters...Foley's novel is a remarkable, middle-grade gem."  — Booklist , starred review

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Fiction, Childrens, Humor, Mystery, Juvenile

336 pages, Paperback

First published April 12, 2012

About the author

Lizzie K. Foley has an MA in Education from Harvard and has taught Women’s Studies at Northeastern University, but this novel was inspired by her experience as the unremarkable little sister of two exceptionally remarkable big sisters. Lizzie didn’t have her oldest sister’s photographic memory or the coolness of her middle sister, who was a model, but, in her own words, she “made it through junior high and high school without being noticed by anyone or achieving anything of note—which is kind of an accomplishment in and of itself.” Lizzie currently lives in Montclair, New Jersey, with her husband and son and four poorly trained dogs.

Reviews

[Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to be average when other people are exceptional. That's not only the subject of Remarkable, Lizzie K. Foley's debut novel, but also the reaction that I had to the book when I'd finished reading it.

Remarkable is a town in which everything and everyone is outstanding in one way or another. Well, everyone except Jane Doe, a ten-year-old with no distinguished traits of any kind, unless you want to count being the only student in town not enrolled at the School for the Remarkably Gifted. But despite her ordinariness, she finds herself being drawn into a series of adventures involving pirates, a missing composer, a bell tower, a weather machine, and a lake monster.

As I read, I found my mind drifting back to a pair of other books: The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy, Book 1: The Hero Revealed, William Boniface's 2006 novel, and Whales on Stilts!, M.T. Anderson's 2005 kickoff for his "Pals in Peril" series. Boniface's book was also about a main character with no special abilities in a society where that was highly unusual. However, its comic-book setting was bright and fun, and its title character was willing not only to involve himself in his own story, but to find his own unique skills -- in his case, a keenly observational mind and the ability to make careful deductions. And Anderson's book had a fascinating setting too -- a universe in which children's series fiction of all stripes is quite true -- and a heroine in Lily Gefelty whose uninteresting surface appearance gave way to complexity and discovery of her own gifts as the story went along.

Both of these, to me, stood in contrast to Remarkable. Its fabulistic setting felt oddly generic, and Jane is a frustratingly passive heroine who contributes almost nothing to the denoument of her book. Even her realization of the central plot twists, which seemed to me to come about 50 pages too late, isn't necessary -- Detective Sly and Grandpa have already figured them out as well. In fact, I think the argument can be made that Grandpa is the real hero of the book -- his kindness and sensitivity for the welfare of others shine brighter than anything about Jane, despite the fact that he's even more ordinary than she is.

This isn't to say that Remarkable is a bad book, because it isn't. Several of the supporting characters, including the gleefully chaotic Grimlet twins and the repressed savage Ms. Schnabel, are memorable indeed, and the prose is humorous and tidy. It was fine as far as it went, no question about it. I just couldn't bring myself to love it when I'd read (and could call to mind years after reading) two superior books that took the basic theme and did a much better job with it.

[Olivia_E1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Remarkable” takes you to a land where everything and everyone is unique and perfect in their own way. All except Jane Doe.

On the way of her ordinary life, she realizes that gifts and talents don’t always bring happiness. She was excluded. Picked on. Looked down at. A disgrace. But she always had friends. Freakish, but always there for her. Balancing her will to impress and her infamous self, she attempts to save the world. Reading this book made me think of “The perks of being a wallflower”. The two books are very different in many parts. The biggest one being a fantasy and the other being a nonfiction. But, the one chain that linked were the friends. In “The perks of being a wallflower”, Charlie overcomes hardships like family drama, the mind of a teenager, and dealing with drugs. His two friends Sam and Patrick always being by his side. As he struggles with the loss of his Aunt Clara, he also has to find who he truly is. In both books, friends help them conquer many things in life. Things that they couldn’t have done alone.

[Dianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm glad I took this recommendation from my nine-year-old daughter. What a great book! The pirates were my favorite.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The world is a wonderfully rich place, especially when you aren't trapped by thinking you're only as worthwhile as your best attribute.”

This was personally, one of my all-time favorite books. I would recommend 10/10. This book is about a girl named Jane, who is the only ordinary person in her remarkable town. A lot of the time I felt I could relate to her and her life experiences. Lizzie K. Foley made the book fun and interesting to read, but at the same time, it had a meaningful concept: being ordinary is extraordinary. Jane learns that our differences form us to be a unique person in our own ways and that talents don’t always make you happy. I also learned from this book that you should not be jealous of others talents that you don't have but should take pride in the things you can do. Throughout the book, Jane is not happy with who she is because she feels different, but then something changes,(don't want to spoil), and she finally realizes she doesn't need to be as smart as her sister, or as creative as her brother, but that the only true thing she needs to be happy is to accept her differences or ordinariness. This book is an amazing, mystery/ fantasy novel that you must read because it has a meaningful concept that you can apply in your life and always keeps you on the edge of your seat.

[Mary Catelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tale about a quirky town. Full of whimsical humor -- I don't think I'd like it in every mood. Fortunately for it, I picked it up while in the mood.

The town of Remarkable is indeed remarkable. Full of remarkable people, who create the finest jam, run the finest pizza place (whose proprietor is psychic and often sends the pizza before you know it's wanted), write novels, do photorealistic paintings, and much more.

Except Jane. Her parents even gave up their planned name and called her Jane instead because it was obvious that she was going to be unremarkable. (And not even as unremarkable as her grandfather). They don't bother to send her to the School for Remarkable Children, either, which means she is the only child at the public school.

The tale involves Lucky, the serpent who lives in the lake, the pirate captain Rojo Herring and a still more formidable captain, and three pirates searching for a captain, a vanished composer, the Generic Jelly made in Munch that the people of Remarkable do not like as a point of civic pride, even though they eat gallons, two dentists, one who collects butterflies for a sanctuary and one who feels useless, a bell tower, and much more.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a mother who is always trying to find books that are both challenging and appropriate for a particularly precocious 3rd grade daughter, I appreciate this book. It is silly and fun, and there is nothing in it that is nightmare inducing or early dating focused, so that's a great start. I also love that the characters have a whimsical quality reminiscent of early Roald Dahl books, and perhaps most important, there is a central female character who actually does things, important things that do not require her to be a sidekick to a boy.

However, that is it. It's entertaining, and that is all (nothing inherently wrong with that). My daughter recommended it to me, and I'm very glad that she read it and enjoyed it, because her options are more limited than I'd like. However, for my money, I want something a bit more challenging, and I look forward to when I can start sharing some of my favorite YA literature with her, with material that is complex, conversation-inducing, and inspiring.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tore through REMARKABLE in a couple of days and found myself laughing out loud constantly. I think that anyone who likes clever, quirky, funny middle-grade will love this book!

I was impressed with how many distinct characters populated the world of Remarkable and how many different subplots the author was able to keep rolling at once. I also really enjoyed the satire inherent in situations like the great rivalry between Remarkable's boutique organic jelly company and the nearby town's mass-produced, super-unhealthy jelly (which everyone in Remarkable secretly eats because it tastes better). There are plenty of tidbits like that in the book that adult readers will really appreciate.

Plus there are pirates. Who doesn't appreciate pirates? =)

I'm eager to see what Lizzie K. Foley comes up with next.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really related to this book because I feel like everywhere I look, people are just doing amazing things. In the book, Remarkable, Jane feels like everyone is remarkable. Her family, her friends, everyone in her town. She wants to find something that is truly her talent. She wants to be good at something. She feels alone because she considers herself as ¨untalented¨ or ¨unworthy¨. Jane really wants people to be proud of her. Jane really just wanted to feel like she could be as good as the people in the people in her so called remarkable town. She realizes that she does not need anyone to make her feel good about herself. She accepts the fact that she is not remarkable, but discovers that that is remarkable.

[Kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC
Still in a lazy mood

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars... A quick and hilarious read! The story of a town called Remarkable where everything is remarkably remarkable except for one girl, Jane Doe, who turns out to be quite ordinary. In this book you will encounter a lake monster, a town squabble over jelly, a multitude of pirates, a few cases of secret identity, a set of mischievous twins and many other exciting adventures and delightful characters. The book is divided into 42 short chapters. A whimsical read for adults and children (8+) alike!

*This review is based on the Kindle edition which was kindly provided to me by Dial Books for Young Readers, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group via NetGalley.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

The actual title of this book is Welcome to the Town of Remarkable Where Every Day in this Remarkable Place filled with Remarkable People is Positively Remarkable for Absolutely Everyone Except Jane. Do you see why I shortened it? Anyway, this book is by Lizzie K. Foley, and tells the story of Jane Doe, an ordinary girl living in a town filled to the brim with extraordinary (should I say remarkable?) people. Her mother (Angelina Mona Linda Doe) is an extremely famous architect, her father (Anderson Brigby Bright Doe II) is a best-selling novelist, her older brother (Anderson Brigby Bright Doe III) can paint pictures even more realistic than photos, and her little sister (Penelope Hope Adelaide Catalina Doe) is a mathematical genius. Jane’s relatively boring name reflects the nature of her life; she is average at everything she does and does not seem to belong in Remarkable. If that isn’t enough, she is the only student enrolled in the public school because all the other children go to the gifted academy. However, she soon has exciting adventures of her own, which include evil twins, pirate teachers, and underwater monsters.

This book is hilarious and ridiculous. It has this blunt humor that had me laugh audibly while I was reading. Characters do the most ridiculous things. For instance, Captain Rojo Herring orders an entire truck of jelly to be delivered to his door simply because he feels awkward buying so much in person. Later, Jane mentions to the reader that she can’t tell the evil Grimlet twins apart–they are identical despite the fact that they are different genders. Remarkable also has a nice moral. Jane’s grandfather (the only other ordinary person in town) sums it up perfectly: “It’s the problem with Remarkable, you know. Everyone is so busy being talented, or special, or gifted, or wonderful at something that sometimes they forget to be happy.”

I only had two problems with this book. First, it was not quite my reading level. This was another recommendation, and it should probably be read by a second or third grader. I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy it, just that I did not find it challenging. The other problem is that I saw through the plot a little too easily. I knew all the character’s true identities at least three chapters before each was revealed. It took the fun out of the discovery.

I would definitely recommend this book. It is so wonderfully whimsical that anyone would be delighted by it. True, it really should be directed more to a younger audience, but I think adults, teens, and kids alike could appreciate its humor.

To see more of my reviews, visit my blog at http://literaryllama.wordpress.com/

[Riya B · Rating 5 out of 5]

A couple years ago, I received this book for Christmas, my mom saying that it in a way would relate to me. I never really read bc the cover looked really cheesy, and majority of the books with cheesy covers were terrible. But once I read last year, it completely drew me.

In my past years, I never fit in at my school. Everyone was ‘well rounded’ there. They always got a 4.0 GPA (which was normal for them) and were amazing athletes (which I am too lazy to be). I was a little odd person there. I always got a 3.96 GPA and I would lag behind during P.E.

What this regular girl born into a town of remarkable people has gone through is remarkable itself. She couldn’t go to the famous esteemed crystal school on the top of the hill like the special children, she went to regular school where she was the only student and was completely forgotten by the teachers. She has gone through more than I will ever in our social lives, but seeing how she used her regularity as an advantage showed me that being the kid that never fit in is a good thing, sure it has its pro and cons (mostly cons), buh life is tough and it’s not gonna be all unicorns & rainbows (that’s too happy).

Reading this book again has reminded me that I am so fortunate that I go to a school where no one is like each other, which just makes them more like me. I am great full for the amazing people I am surrounded by (thanksgiving is this week y’all don’t go deep with me).

It still surprises me how relatable all this is, considering I’ve literally just been binge watching stranger things, reading the thrown of glass series, and obsessing over nightfall (on keeper of the lost cities props to Shannon messenger).

I’ve definitely learned not to judge a book by its cover. I’m not talking about the metaphor I’m literally talking here.

[Lisa Nocita · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the back cover: 5 remarkably good reasons to read Remarkable:
1. There are evil twins in it, and those are always fun.
2. There's even a pirate with two peg legs who learns to ride a bike. (Now, that's remarkable!)
3. Where else are you going to find a sea monster who loves fig bars? (Nobody loves fig bars.)
4. Maybe you've dreamed about being something or someone different--a singer, a pirate, or a dentist?
5. Or just maybe you've wondered if there's something remarkable about you that nobody has discovered yet.

Jane, ten years old, has the remarkable distinction of being the only citizen of the town of Remarkable who is completely unremarkable, except for her grandfather perhaps, who is pretty undistinguished too. Everything and everyone in town is amazingly talented and content and very self-important. Everything changes when a pair of miscreant twins move to town and an errant pirate takes up residence. The message in this silly, whimsical, and lighthearted tale is a good one. "...Being true to yer real self is the most important thing you can do with yer life." "My real self? But my real self isn't good at anything." "Yer real self is exceptional at being an ordinary girl with good intentions who loves dogs. And that's a fine thing to be. You should work hard at being that." (p. 200)

This would make a good read aloud for upper elementary. It may be considered a light mystery as the mystery is not very difficult to figure out. Mostly, students may enjoy the quirky characters. Fans of jelly, Lemony Snicket and The Mysterious Benedict Society might enjoy this light romp. It is remarkably well written.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was dull, repetitive, slow, and annoying. It's about a town where everyone is super special it's called Remarkable, and wow do they use that word way too much. I was sick of it by the first three or four pages. Everyone in the town is super special except one girl and her name is Jane, everyone else has overly annoying and ridiculous names, and of course the entirety of their name had to be used every single time.

SO you have an overly used word, combined with overly used names that are overly long, and you have a town of overly 'remarkable' people. Every single person is so far up their own asses with how special and unique and wonderful they are that they barely act like human beings.

Jane had a crazy annoying and unique name but when she was born her parents looked at her and changed it to something lame. She is ignored by almost everyone, which instead of inspiring sympathy just made me annoyed at the fact this girl couldn't grow a spine or a personality.

If I had bought this book I would have been pissed. If I was a child and read this I would have been devastated. If I wasn't in the gifted program at school this book would have made me feel bad for not being super special. The only people who are worth while in this town are super special people. If I was in the gifted program at school I would have felt bad for being special because this book portrays them as asinine self congratulatory people who have zero room for kindness in their hearts.

For third grade girls, but this should be read to them so that discussion about the themes can happen to avoid depression.

I saw all the plot twists coming a mile away, nothing new or unique.

[Starry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is cute and clever -- lots to laugh about and much to enjoy, if you share the author's sense of humor (which I do).

The premise of this tall tale is that an ordinary girl named Jane Doe (naturally) grows up in a town in which every one and every thing is remarkable -- except Jane and her grandpa named John Doe (naturally). Add to the mix a lochness-like sea monster, pirates, and evil twins -- and you've got yourself an entertaining read.

However, the authoros only intention isn't to entertain: she also has lessons to impart on the value of just being yourself, of not typifying people (ie, geniuses) by what they can do, and about following your dreams.

The plot, pacing, dialog, and descriptions were all well executed. But, as much as I enjoyed this book, I felt the author hit a bit too hard at times both with her lessons and with her humor. A lighter touch would have made the story perfect. Then again, maybe the current form is perfect for the intended audience of 8- to 11-year-olds.

[Diana Renn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gem of a book. 10-year-old Jane Doe is an ordinary girl in a town where everyone is gifted and talented, or at least highly competent. Jane goes unnoticed most of the time, even within her own brilliant family, and longs to accomplish something noteworthy and be noticed. She gets her chance when the criminally-minded Grimlet twins suddenly transfer from the School for the Remarkably Gifted into the public school Jane attends (bringing the public school enrollment up to three). Throw in some pirates (for real!) and hilarious capers ensue. The book is laugh-out-loud funny in its rich ensemble cast of remarkable townspeople and its dazzling plot maneuvers. I absolutely love the confident, authoritative storytelling voice as zany events unfold. Yet the story is also quite poignant in its quiet celebrations of the ordinary.

[Vanessa Dargain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a small town story I personally can relate to !! I had such a hard time relating to Beezus and Ramona Quimby and to their parents Mr. and Mrs. Quimby . The Quimbys just didn't represent anybody in my life I had a reference of . Which made reading their books just an execise in"keeping up with the Joneses" instead of being personally enjoyable . Now I can honestly confess this without offending the author Beverly Clearly , because she died March 25 , 2021 . On the other hand , Jane Doe's family (the protagonist) is 21st century style ! A bit fae-rie , but they live much different lives than the Quimbys who were 1950's post WWII baby boomer style .
And that awful Grimlet family would never cross paths with anyone from Klickitat Street in Grant Park Oregon .
LOL .

[Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lizzie's Foley's MG debut is witty, adventurous, and endlessly imaginative. The town of Remarkable and its characters are delightfully eccentric, especially the falsely scurrilous Captain Rojo and the cunning Grimlet twins. I also love the relationship between protagonist, Jane, and her ordinary grandfather and the way that several mysteries unfold in the last few chapters, yielding a climax that is empowering for Jane and thrilling for the reader. The final message--that you don't have to be remarkable to be happy--is one that many children, and grown-ups, could stand to hear. Refreshing and fun from beginning to end!

[Kimberly Sabatini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this with my three boys and everyone loved it. Such a fun and entertaining book. Thought I would share some of the boy's thoughts about why REMARKABLE was remarkable. :o)

"I really loved all the awesome names in the book." (The two favorites were Lucinda Wihelmina Hinojosa and Captain Rojo Herring. We loved how they rolled off the tongue)

"I like how lots of people had secret identities." (And how their cool names gave clues to the story)

"Lucky, Dirt and Salzburg were really awesome." (Dirt--cutest thing ever!)

"The Grimlet Twins were REALLY funny, especially the weather machine." (What a happy handful--those little imps <3)

"And Jane--everybody loved Jane!" (Yes, they did.)

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a girl named Jane who lives in a place called remarkable. All the people who live her is remarkable in their own way. saying that they each have a special talent. All thought Jane doesn't have a talent of her own. so everyday she does to school were normal people go.

Until one day two twins called the gimlet twins showed up and led her on series of adventures.like on a uncontrollable science fair,a pirate captain on the run from a mountain crew,a lonely dentist and a newly constructed bell tower that endangers Remarkable's most beloved inhabitant,a skittish lake monster named Lucky.

[The Styling Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remarkable by Lizzie K. Foley, Fantasy, 4th grade and up – similar to Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleeve… I really enjoyed the quirky characters and community feel within this town of Remarkable. I felt like I was stepping into a new Polly Horvath book to be honest- the style of Everything on a Waffle. Jane is the only person who isn’t “remarkable” within her town and hopes to simply be noticed by others. Pretty special book. I’d recommend to students who would benefit from a fun, thoughtful adventure with some magical characters versus the more fierce middle grade books that are out there…

[Erika B. (SOS BOOKS) · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a town where everything is remarkable we find our unremarkable Jane Doe. And as you read the book you discover that some people are remarkably unremarkable and some people are so remarkable they are bored of being just too perfect! A cute middle reader about pirates, trouble causing twins, a lake monster much more remarkable then the Loch Ness monster, and an unremarkable girl destined to do great unremarkable things! :)

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet and funny book for middle-schoolers, or even younger kids. I had a lot of fun with the names: Angelina Mona Linda Doe is the mom, Penelope Hope Adelaide Catalina Doe is the sister, and our heroine is Jane Doe. She is one of two ordinary persons in the town of Remarkable, where everyone else is... you guessed it.. remarkable. The only thing that is not remarkable is the coffee at Coffeebucks because it is a chain. There are pirates, evil twins, a lake monster, and lots of fun.

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute concept, nicely executed. Middle-grade mysteries are just not my thing, though, no matter how clever they are. Witness my failure to warm up to The Westing Game with which I have seen this book compared.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

“The world is a wonderfully rich place, especially when you’re not trapped by thinking that you’re only as worthwhile as your best attribute.”

Definitely not super good, but it is a kids’ book, so I wasn’t expecting much as a teen reading it. It was nice and brainless :), but I liked how everything came together and connected in the end. It had a good message too!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adorable story about a girl whose plain in a town where everyone and everything else is remarkable. There are pirates, lake monsters, and missing composers. Overall, my girls and I really enjoyed this book as our bedtime read aloud. It was longer than books we usually choose, but the chapters were short and it actually went pretty quickly!

[Emy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was very good and I liked how everyone in the town of Remarkable were remarkable, except for Jane and her Grandad. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters were very likeable. I would recommend this book to girls aged between 9-13

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked the concept of what it would be like to be a regular person in a community of all talented people. Many times I caught myself laughing out loud at the tongue in cheek humor of Foley.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. It was really cute and such, but the plot wasn't consistent, and it was kinda hard to follow.

[Janet Hutchinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many plots, too many story lines going in too many directions and characters that I really didn't care about. Meh.