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How to Write a Novel
In the spirit of Maria Semple’s Where’d You Go Bernadette and Graeme Simsion’s The Rosie Project, How to Write a Novel is the hilarious and heartfelt story of a single-mother family struggling to get back on track after tragedy brings them back home to Georgia.
Aristotle “Aris” Thibodeau, age 12.5, is writing the Great American Novel. According to Write a Novel in Thirty Days! it shouldn’t be that hard—all she needs to do is write what she knows. Conveniently, Aris’s world is full of people who are more fun to write about than live with, like her single mother, Diane. Diane is an adjunct English professor who flirts with unemployment more than her Match.com dates, and, regrettably, does not know the difference between hair that looks messy and hair that is messy. Aris knows that if Diane would just accept that the perfect man is already under her nose—Penn MacGuffin, handyman, nanny, and self-described PMI (“Positive Male Influence”)—their lives would change for the better. After all, nothing gets a novel off the ground like a budding romance. But when a random accident exposes Aris to a dark part of her family’s history, she’s forced to confront that fact that sometimes in life—as in great literature—things might not work out exactly as you hoped.
Aristotle “Aris” Thibodeau, age 12.5, is writing the Great American Novel. According to Write a Novel in Thirty Days! it shouldn’t be that hard—all she needs to do is write what she knows. Conveniently, Aris’s world is full of people who are more fun to write about than live with, like her single mother, Diane. Diane is an adjunct English professor who flirts with unemployment more than her Match.com dates, and, regrettably, does not know the difference between hair that looks messy and hair that is messy. Aris knows that if Diane would just accept that the perfect man is already under her nose—Penn MacGuffin, handyman, nanny, and self-described PMI (“Positive Male Influence”)—their lives would change for the better. After all, nothing gets a novel off the ground like a budding romance. But when a random accident exposes Aris to a dark part of her family’s history, she’s forced to confront that fact that sometimes in life—as in great literature—things might not work out exactly as you hoped.
304 pages, Paperback
First published August 4, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
August 31, 2015
She's precocious from the beginning , maybe a bit overly precocious , but I knew I would like Aris from the beginning. The name is short for Aristotle - is this author pushing the envelope a bit too far ? In the end , I didn't think so . Is the story quirky? Absolutely. Does it seem a little far fetched to think that this child narrator will write a book in 30 days ? Of course. So that's what suspension of disbelief in reading is about . Besides that , I love the honesty that child narrators exude. Did some of the phrasing seem a little too contrived and that the author was trying a little too hard ? Sometimes. Did any of this change how I felt about this twelve, excuse me 12.5 little girl going on 30 ? Not in the least .
12.5 year old Aris lives with her mother who she calls Diane and her younger brother Max . Diane is depressed, struggles financially and emotionally and the family is having a hard time fitting in Kanuga , Georgia . They moved there from Alaska to be near Diane's parents , when her husband Joe died. Aris decides to write a novel using the book, "Write a Novel in Thirty Days ! " to help them.
This book is about grief , depression , a widowed mother struggling to make a life such as it is , for her kids . This is about a precocious, lovable young girl who is herself grieving and carries a big burden of responsibility she believes is hers - to share responsibility with her mother . It's about writing .
I found this to be an engaging story , funny at times and seeming frivolous at times but yet inherently sad as Aris discovers her mother's journals and the depth of her grief and depression. Aris secretly reads her mother's journals and discovers just how sad her mother is as she reads the lists that her mother has written in her journal, like "Things That Remind Me of Joe " and "Things Joe Taught Me" and "Times I've Considered Suicide." She wants very much to find a husband for her mother and a father for her and Max and works towards getting together her mother and Penn MacGuffin , their "nanny" and friend .
Wikipedia defines MacGuffin as "In fiction, a MacGuffin(sometimes McGuffin or maguffin) is a plot device in the form of some goal, desired object, or other motivator that the protagonist pursues, often with little or no narrative explanation. The specific nature of a MacGuffin is typically unimportant to the overall plot."
How important Penn is to the overall plot will be up to those of you who decide to read this book . Towards the end , I felt that things were a little convoluted as I tried to decide what was this novel and what was Aris' novel, but there is something that grabbed me about this story and what mattered was just that . There are a lot of things that won't work here for a lot of readers , but for me there is so much more here that does .
Thanks to Vintage / Penguin Random House and Edelweiss.
August 4, 2015
12.5 year old plucky, precocious, Aristotle (Aris) Thibodeau, her mother, Diane, and little brother Max, are fish out of water in Kanuga, Georgia. They moved to Kanuga from Alaska to be near Diane’s parents after Aris & Max’s father tragically died in a car accident.
Diane, an English professor at Kanuga Christian College, and Aris both love to read and write. When Aris receives a copy of “Write a Novel in Thirty Days!” as a gift, she decides she will get the family’s life back on track by writing a novel, making a million dollars, and creating a new happy ending her family.
I love the original concept behind this book, and admit to being a complete sucker for young, smart, and resourceful protagonists. Sumner does a wonderful job with her characters – Diane as the overwhelmed single mother still grieving the loss of her husband; Grandma and Grandpa, Diane’s overbearing parents, harping about inconsequential matters, while failing to recognize where help is really needed; Penn, the salt-of-the-earth local Diane meets at an AA meeting, who rejects the small minded thinking prevalent in Kanuga and is always there to help Diane and the kids expecting nothing in return.
At its best, the writing alternates between heartwarming and hilarious. Unfortunately, the storyline meanders at times, and in attempting to weave between the actual novel and Aris’s novel became a bit jumbled.
Overall a satisfying read. 3.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Diane, an English professor at Kanuga Christian College, and Aris both love to read and write. When Aris receives a copy of “Write a Novel in Thirty Days!” as a gift, she decides she will get the family’s life back on track by writing a novel, making a million dollars, and creating a new happy ending her family.
I love the original concept behind this book, and admit to being a complete sucker for young, smart, and resourceful protagonists. Sumner does a wonderful job with her characters – Diane as the overwhelmed single mother still grieving the loss of her husband; Grandma and Grandpa, Diane’s overbearing parents, harping about inconsequential matters, while failing to recognize where help is really needed; Penn, the salt-of-the-earth local Diane meets at an AA meeting, who rejects the small minded thinking prevalent in Kanuga and is always there to help Diane and the kids expecting nothing in return.
At its best, the writing alternates between heartwarming and hilarious. Unfortunately, the storyline meanders at times, and in attempting to weave between the actual novel and Aris’s novel became a bit jumbled.
Overall a satisfying read. 3.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 8, 2015
After receiving the book Write a Novel in 30 days from her mother, 12.5 year old-going on 35- Aris (Aristotle) Thibodeau decides she is going to write a novel that is going to make her rich enough to change her family's life. Aris has been through quite a lot in her young life--the death of her father, having to co-parent her 8 year old brother, moving from Alaska to Kanuga, GA, and most recently, her first breakup. Aris uses writing to cope with the changes in her life, as well as to understand her family's history. Although Aris sounds very much like an adult, the events of the novel remind the reader that she is very much a child who is trying to understand the world around her.
I received this book from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
August 21, 2015
“I am writing this novel to circumvent the bother and expense of therapy. I am writing this novel to make money so Diane can retire, Max can go to camp, and I can chill.” This would-be novelist is Aris (short for Aristotle) Thibodeau, 12.5 years old and as precocious as Flavia de Luce or your other favorite child narrator. Diane is her single mother, and Max her downright weird younger brother. Penn MacGuffin, their gruff nanny and PMI (positive male influence, that is) forms the final corner of this wonky family quadrilateral.
Using Write a Novel in 30 Days!, Aris is turning her family’s life story into fiction. In some ways they are very out of place here in Kanuga, Georgia (“a two-Walmart, no-Target town fuelled by fast food and tethered to heaven by a church on every corner”): Diane feeds the kids weird vegan food and tries to wriggle out of signing the statement of belief required by the Bible college where she teaches freshman English. With her more enlightened perspective, Diane sets out to save Charles Hutchins, her African-American writing protégé, from an unfair prison sentence he got for speeding.
This fight for justice provides a good narrative direction for a book that can otherwise seem a little aimless. Only three stars because, although I enjoyed Aris’s voice and her writing brainstorming sessions with Ms. Chu, the librarian, the metafictional aspect doesn’t work particularly well and there are a few things I think should have been explored some more, including the death of Aris and Max’s father, Joe, and Max’s behavioral problems.
The child’s wry look at family dysfunction reminded me of Sue Townsend’s The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 ¾. I would probably read something else from Sumner, so long as it wasn’t quite as silly and YA geared as this.
Using Write a Novel in 30 Days!, Aris is turning her family’s life story into fiction. In some ways they are very out of place here in Kanuga, Georgia (“a two-Walmart, no-Target town fuelled by fast food and tethered to heaven by a church on every corner”): Diane feeds the kids weird vegan food and tries to wriggle out of signing the statement of belief required by the Bible college where she teaches freshman English. With her more enlightened perspective, Diane sets out to save Charles Hutchins, her African-American writing protégé, from an unfair prison sentence he got for speeding.
This fight for justice provides a good narrative direction for a book that can otherwise seem a little aimless. Only three stars because, although I enjoyed Aris’s voice and her writing brainstorming sessions with Ms. Chu, the librarian, the metafictional aspect doesn’t work particularly well and there are a few things I think should have been explored some more, including the death of Aris and Max’s father, Joe, and Max’s behavioral problems.
The child’s wry look at family dysfunction reminded me of Sue Townsend’s The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 ¾. I would probably read something else from Sumner, so long as it wasn’t quite as silly and YA geared as this.
May 14, 2015
I wanted to like this book, and it's occasionally charming, but the white savior tone was really off-putting.
March 1, 2017
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Wow. This book is such a cute, quirky story that I just couldn't put down. I wanted to keep reading and reading just to see what would happen.
This book is about Aristotle (or Aris), a 12.5 year old girl who received a copy of "Write a Novel in Thirty Days!" from her mother, Diane. Aris starts off writing a novel, completing exercises from the book, and doing absolutely adorable things on the way. She narrates the book, and while it may seem somewhat juvenile at times because she's only twelve, it's actually a breath of fresh air, and I believe the author has done a fantastic job of portraying such a young girl as the narrator. It was done beautifully.
From helping her mother, Diane, dress for dates, to taking care of her younger brother, Max, Aristotle discovers quite a bit about herself and her family in this novel, and it's a great story to read if you're interested in reading something new, light, and fun.
Wow. This book is such a cute, quirky story that I just couldn't put down. I wanted to keep reading and reading just to see what would happen.
This book is about Aristotle (or Aris), a 12.5 year old girl who received a copy of "Write a Novel in Thirty Days!" from her mother, Diane. Aris starts off writing a novel, completing exercises from the book, and doing absolutely adorable things on the way. She narrates the book, and while it may seem somewhat juvenile at times because she's only twelve, it's actually a breath of fresh air, and I believe the author has done a fantastic job of portraying such a young girl as the narrator. It was done beautifully.
From helping her mother, Diane, dress for dates, to taking care of her younger brother, Max, Aristotle discovers quite a bit about herself and her family in this novel, and it's a great story to read if you're interested in reading something new, light, and fun.
May 22, 2015
For me, this book started out too cutesy (but not cute) and contrived.. The 12.5-year old first person protagonist is going to write a novel in 30 days with the help of an instructional book. Initially she seemed too adult while her mother seemed too childish, but the child did start seeming more her age. And used footnotes to explain emoticons.
There is the cliché of a missing parent. There is the obligatory child abuse, although the book isn't mainly about that. Fortunately, there is not a child with a fatal disease – that would have made this the trifecta of YA literature. There is a somewhat interesting ghost doing ghostly things. The pre-teen angst wasn't even very angsty.
A kindergarten teacher says, “I want to marry Max.” That would be okay except that Max is not her boyfriend, he is one of the kindergartners. Rather unsettling.
Also unfortunately, there isn't a plot, at least not much of one.
Good ol' mom tries to sneak tofu corn dogs instead of meat corn dogs into hot dog buns. Corn dogs, tofu or meat, don't go into hot dog buns – that's the whole point of a corn dog.
I did like the quote, “Except for the ten-foot statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest, founder and grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, who sits on a horse in front of the courthouse, you would never know that racism ever existed in Kanuga.”
While mildly entertaining in spots, this is a book that feels like it tried too hard, and it shows.
I was given an advance copy of this book for review, and the quote may have changed in the published edition.
There is the cliché of a missing parent. There is the obligatory child abuse, although the book isn't mainly about that. Fortunately, there is not a child with a fatal disease – that would have made this the trifecta of YA literature. There is a somewhat interesting ghost doing ghostly things. The pre-teen angst wasn't even very angsty.
A kindergarten teacher says, “I want to marry Max.” That would be okay except that Max is not her boyfriend, he is one of the kindergartners. Rather unsettling.
Also unfortunately, there isn't a plot, at least not much of one.
Good ol' mom tries to sneak tofu corn dogs instead of meat corn dogs into hot dog buns. Corn dogs, tofu or meat, don't go into hot dog buns – that's the whole point of a corn dog.
I did like the quote, “Except for the ten-foot statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest, founder and grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, who sits on a horse in front of the courthouse, you would never know that racism ever existed in Kanuga.”
While mildly entertaining in spots, this is a book that feels like it tried too hard, and it shows.
I was given an advance copy of this book for review, and the quote may have changed in the published edition.
August 5, 2015
Quirky. Engaging. Altogether imperfectly perfect. "How to Write a Novel" was one of the best reads this summer. Poor Aris is locked into a most unhealthy and codependent relationship with her mother -- and she's only 12.5. Sumner captures the tween voice in all of its absurdities, emerging maturity, and longing for the less confusing days of childhood.
August 10, 2015
Original review at www.125pages.com
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
2 Stars
♦ As I read a book, I copy and paste phrases, sentences, and paragraphs into emails and send them to myself for reference while writing a review. As the mother of two (20 and 10) this book made me crazy. The main character is twelve and a half and that is stated numerous times. Instead of writing a review I’m going to let my emails review for me.
From: Laura Sent: Sunday, August 9, 2015 5:42 PM To: Laura Subject: How 2
“Rule #27: Avoid flashbacks. They are usually a sign that the writer is avoiding conflict. Watch out, here comes a flashback! Aris Thibodeau leaned back into her seat, lifted her water bottle, and looked deeply into its clear color. She took a sip and thought about Billy and their secret, steamy clandestine meeting in the sacristy at St. Michael’s on that stormy night last July. Billy wore the scarlet acolyte robe of the chalice bearer, which made his hazel eyes even more hazel. With both hands, he fumbled at the top button of her robe. His breath, smelling faintly of Eucharist wine, felt warm as he brushed his lips against hers. After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “Drink this, all of you.” “Here, let me help you,” Aris whispered to Billy, because he was getting nowhere fast with the button. At any moment, Father John might open the door and discover them. She had the thing off in ten seconds. “This is my Blood of the new Covenant—” Aris and Billy laughed nervously as the crimson robe pooled around her feet. When she unfastened the top two buttons of her blouse, he pulled her tight against him and pressed his mouth against hers. With tender skill, finesse born of longing, he moved his braces away from her lips as he flicked his tongue over hers. When his hand slid over her breast, she undid another button, allowing his fingers to slip inside her bra. His finger rested on her bare nipple, which her bare nipple stiffened at his touch. “Whenever you drink it—” Tentatively, he stroked her hip with his free hand. “Yes?” he asked breathlessly. She felt beautiful and powerful. “No,” she said, but she didn’t push him away. Again, they kissed. Again, his hand glided across her narrow hip. “Please?” he asked, in his sweet, gruff voice. She paused, considering. Christ has died. “Just for a minute,” he said. Aris touched his hair and looked deeply into his eyes, smiling. He smiled back. Were those footsteps coming down the hall? Christ is risen. They listened, but no one came into the vestibule. “I think I could love you,” she whispered. When he held her close, she felt his hard, hot body pulsing with desire. “You think?” he said. He held her even tighter, pressing his muscles into her soft curves as she sighed with pleasure. She felt just like Neferneferuaten Nefertiti, Lady of All Women, Mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt in 1345 B.C. 10 He ran his finger over the outline of her hip bone. “Pretty please?” She shook her head, just as Queen Nefertiti would have done, because that is the secret to power.” – THEY ARE 12!! WTF. JUST NO, NOT ENOUGH WORDS FOR NO!!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
From: Laura Sent: Sunday, August 9, 2015 6:27 PM To: Laura Subject: How 2
“I have a strong memory, which is both a blessing and a curse. It’s wonderful because I never have to study. Everything that enters my brain stays there. The downside is that I can’t forget anything. Memories flutter around my brain with the damned persistence of moths on a lamp.” – She is 12. What 12 year-old speaks like this? Nice turn of phrase if the same narrator wasn’t just using text speak and emoji.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
From: Laura Sent: Sunday, August 9, 2015 6:48 PM To: Laura Subject: How 2
“I see you’re still writing your novel,” said Grandma. “What’s it about?” Well,” I said, and then I froze up. What was my novel about? I had no idea. “I’m illuminating reality as I transcend it,” I said.” – TWELVE
“I see someone’s hormonal” – said by 12 year old boy to 12 year old girl, do twelve year old boys really know about that?
Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
From: Laura Sent: Sunday, August 9, 2015 6:56 PM To: Laura Subject: How 2
Calls mom Diane or Merm. WTF is a Merm and why does Mom put up with this?
Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
From: Laura Sent: Sunday, August 9, 2015 6:58PM To: Laura Subject: How 2
“During science, I found three new pictures of his “cousin” Tiffany on his Facebook page. At home later that afternoon, I discovered that Tiffany had followed him on Twitter and Instagram. When my cellphone rang, I jumped, thinking, He’s calling me! That was ridiculous, of course; my friends and I haven’t “talked on the phone” since third grade.” – Don’t you have to be 13 to have social media accounts? And why do 12 year-olds have cell phones? Does the author have kids? (Edited to add that yes she has two children according to her acknowledgements)
Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
From: Laura Sent: Sunday, August 9, 2015 6:58PM To: Laura Subject: How 2
“Where the hell did that come from? We were grading papers together a few days ago. Was I or was I not the co-parent in this family, an equal partner in the management of the Montgomery-Thibodeau enterprise?” – Um, not a co-parent, a child so no, not equal.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
From: Laura Sent: Sunday, August 9, 2015 6:58PM To: Laura Subject: How 2
“Aris, are you okay?” “I’m fine. What’s the matter with me?” “You seem a bit fragile.” “It’s probably just my hormones having a party,” I said in my old reassuring voice, but it sounded false.” – TWELVE, arrrggghh I give up.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
2 Stars
♦ As I read a book, I copy and paste phrases, sentences, and paragraphs into emails and send them to myself for reference while writing a review. As the mother of two (20 and 10) this book made me crazy. The main character is twelve and a half and that is stated numerous times. Instead of writing a review I’m going to let my emails review for me.
From: Laura Sent: Sunday, August 9, 2015 5:42 PM To: Laura Subject: How 2
“Rule #27: Avoid flashbacks. They are usually a sign that the writer is avoiding conflict. Watch out, here comes a flashback! Aris Thibodeau leaned back into her seat, lifted her water bottle, and looked deeply into its clear color. She took a sip and thought about Billy and their secret, steamy clandestine meeting in the sacristy at St. Michael’s on that stormy night last July. Billy wore the scarlet acolyte robe of the chalice bearer, which made his hazel eyes even more hazel. With both hands, he fumbled at the top button of her robe. His breath, smelling faintly of Eucharist wine, felt warm as he brushed his lips against hers. After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “Drink this, all of you.” “Here, let me help you,” Aris whispered to Billy, because he was getting nowhere fast with the button. At any moment, Father John might open the door and discover them. She had the thing off in ten seconds. “This is my Blood of the new Covenant—” Aris and Billy laughed nervously as the crimson robe pooled around her feet. When she unfastened the top two buttons of her blouse, he pulled her tight against him and pressed his mouth against hers. With tender skill, finesse born of longing, he moved his braces away from her lips as he flicked his tongue over hers. When his hand slid over her breast, she undid another button, allowing his fingers to slip inside her bra. His finger rested on her bare nipple, which her bare nipple stiffened at his touch. “Whenever you drink it—” Tentatively, he stroked her hip with his free hand. “Yes?” he asked breathlessly. She felt beautiful and powerful. “No,” she said, but she didn’t push him away. Again, they kissed. Again, his hand glided across her narrow hip. “Please?” he asked, in his sweet, gruff voice. She paused, considering. Christ has died. “Just for a minute,” he said. Aris touched his hair and looked deeply into his eyes, smiling. He smiled back. Were those footsteps coming down the hall? Christ is risen. They listened, but no one came into the vestibule. “I think I could love you,” she whispered. When he held her close, she felt his hard, hot body pulsing with desire. “You think?” he said. He held her even tighter, pressing his muscles into her soft curves as she sighed with pleasure. She felt just like Neferneferuaten Nefertiti, Lady of All Women, Mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt in 1345 B.C. 10 He ran his finger over the outline of her hip bone. “Pretty please?” She shook her head, just as Queen Nefertiti would have done, because that is the secret to power.” – THEY ARE 12!! WTF. JUST NO, NOT ENOUGH WORDS FOR NO!!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
From: Laura Sent: Sunday, August 9, 2015 6:27 PM To: Laura Subject: How 2
“I have a strong memory, which is both a blessing and a curse. It’s wonderful because I never have to study. Everything that enters my brain stays there. The downside is that I can’t forget anything. Memories flutter around my brain with the damned persistence of moths on a lamp.” – She is 12. What 12 year-old speaks like this? Nice turn of phrase if the same narrator wasn’t just using text speak and emoji.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
From: Laura Sent: Sunday, August 9, 2015 6:48 PM To: Laura Subject: How 2
“I see you’re still writing your novel,” said Grandma. “What’s it about?” Well,” I said, and then I froze up. What was my novel about? I had no idea. “I’m illuminating reality as I transcend it,” I said.” – TWELVE
“I see someone’s hormonal” – said by 12 year old boy to 12 year old girl, do twelve year old boys really know about that?
Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
From: Laura Sent: Sunday, August 9, 2015 6:56 PM To: Laura Subject: How 2
Calls mom Diane or Merm. WTF is a Merm and why does Mom put up with this?
Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
From: Laura Sent: Sunday, August 9, 2015 6:58PM To: Laura Subject: How 2
“During science, I found three new pictures of his “cousin” Tiffany on his Facebook page. At home later that afternoon, I discovered that Tiffany had followed him on Twitter and Instagram. When my cellphone rang, I jumped, thinking, He’s calling me! That was ridiculous, of course; my friends and I haven’t “talked on the phone” since third grade.” – Don’t you have to be 13 to have social media accounts? And why do 12 year-olds have cell phones? Does the author have kids? (Edited to add that yes she has two children according to her acknowledgements)
Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
From: Laura Sent: Sunday, August 9, 2015 6:58PM To: Laura Subject: How 2
“Where the hell did that come from? We were grading papers together a few days ago. Was I or was I not the co-parent in this family, an equal partner in the management of the Montgomery-Thibodeau enterprise?” – Um, not a co-parent, a child so no, not equal.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
From: Laura Sent: Sunday, August 9, 2015 6:58PM To: Laura Subject: How 2
“Aris, are you okay?” “I’m fine. What’s the matter with me?” “You seem a bit fragile.” “It’s probably just my hormones having a party,” I said in my old reassuring voice, but it sounded false.” – TWELVE, arrrggghh I give up.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
September 6, 2015
2.5 For now I think my rating is 2.5 but not sure if I'll put under 2 or 3 for GRs rating b/c I need to digest it a little and will rate later. It's quirky weird at times cute at times and maybe it's too deep and I'm too shallow to get it. I really liked the cover and idea of it, that's why I picked it up and I really wanted to like it, and through out reading it I felt like I was chasing that high or like that I wanted. First of all Aris (main character & narrator, short for Aristotle) didn't come across like any 12.5 year olds I've ever met even when she used emoticons, maybe she could have been 14 to 16. I did like some of it in small parts or short stories, but overall I just kept making comments, rolling my eyes or just didn't feel it. Maybe if the author was very young and/or was a first novel, possibly I could rate higher. I don't see that it's labeled or tagged YA, but I think it would probably fit that more than anything. Like I said, I need to digest it a little and weight my like vs dislikes to come up with a final rating.
Oh, I saw synopsis said in spirit of something "...Bernadette?" (which I haven't read or know anything about so can't comment) but also said "Rosie Project" -- now I did read Rosie Project and Rosie Effect and I really don't see any similarities for me, except I liked all their covers and that covers coloring with similar. I loved both Rosie books and can't say that about this one.
Oh, I saw synopsis said in spirit of something "...Bernadette?" (which I haven't read or know anything about so can't comment) but also said "Rosie Project" -- now I did read Rosie Project and Rosie Effect and I really don't see any similarities for me, except I liked all their covers and that covers coloring with similar. I loved both Rosie books and can't say that about this one.
October 13, 2015
Uneven YA story about 12.5 year old girl who seems to write a novel to earn money to support her struggling family. The seeming writing of the novel is due to the fact that although the title and chapter headings appear to suggest the novel is being written, this is a MacGuffin. The author even names a character MacGuffin lest we not notice her use of the idea. The mother in the story IS a writer and her work plays a major role in this story. It is important to the daughter, Aris, to get her mother back on her feet and returning her to writing is one of the key indicators of success in this endeavor. The unevenness of the story is the pacing and structure; while some sections really soar, others are tough to read. The characters are by turns well developed and then off the wall, either age inappropriate or just place holders for the action. I was interested in the story and curious about how everything would be wrapped up. It is a pleasant, fast read. I received my copy from NetGalley.
April 1, 2016
Fun, fun, fun! When 12.5 year-old Aristotle Thibodeau receives a How To Write a Novel in Thirty Days! as a birthday gift from her mother she sets out to do just that. The "novel" is a memoir she pens chronicling life in small town Georgia with a single mother and younger brother. Chock full of quirky characters and Aris's amusing footnotes this was absolutely delightful.
Aris believes her highly likable PMI (Postitive Male Influence) Penn MacGuffin, also handyman/nanny extrodinaire is the ideal mate for her mother. Tackling this mission with gusto and typical female manipulative powers leaves Aris exasperated with Diane (she addresses her mother on a first name basis) and sibling Max. Melanie Sumner manages to perfectly capture the essence of a pre-teen girl and the contrasting qualities of a superb vocabulary and highly perceptive awareness of the world around her juxtaposed with the child-like longing to be held and comforted that so typifies those years.
Aris believes her highly likable PMI (Postitive Male Influence) Penn MacGuffin, also handyman/nanny extrodinaire is the ideal mate for her mother. Tackling this mission with gusto and typical female manipulative powers leaves Aris exasperated with Diane (she addresses her mother on a first name basis) and sibling Max. Melanie Sumner manages to perfectly capture the essence of a pre-teen girl and the contrasting qualities of a superb vocabulary and highly perceptive awareness of the world around her juxtaposed with the child-like longing to be held and comforted that so typifies those years.
September 8, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. Melanie Summer does something special here. It's hard to keep up a quirky, humorous tone through 280 pages and still make the book believable, readable, relatable and compelling and she pulls it off here. I loved young Aris & Max and most important, I believed them.
How To Write a Novel reminded me a lot of Brian Francis's Fruit (which, if you haven't read it, you must drop everything & go read Fruit).
It's nice to see an author dare to be different and to take chances with her prose. I give this novel the highest marks, for both tone & story, and would easily recommend it to a friend.
How To Write a Novel reminded me a lot of Brian Francis's Fruit (which, if you haven't read it, you must drop everything & go read Fruit).
It's nice to see an author dare to be different and to take chances with her prose. I give this novel the highest marks, for both tone & story, and would easily recommend it to a friend.
dnf
September 1, 2015Pages read: 15
How to Write a Novel showed up randomly in my mailbox. The cute cover and bookishness made me curious enough to give it a try. This is very obviously a voice-driven novel, but Aris' voice isn't clicking for me; it's feeling a bit like it's trying too hard and just isn't coalescing into a believable voice. Given that voice-driven novels don't work so well without the voice part, I'm quitting.
How to Write a Novel showed up randomly in my mailbox. The cute cover and bookishness made me curious enough to give it a try. This is very obviously a voice-driven novel, but Aris' voice isn't clicking for me; it's feeling a bit like it's trying too hard and just isn't coalescing into a believable voice. Given that voice-driven novels don't work so well without the voice part, I'm quitting.
February 1, 2016
I'm just a little tired of precocious 12 year olds. The premise is clever and the stories told by Charles and by Aris's mother Diane, via the writing their characters do, were interesting. Aris (short for Aristotle) herself, meh. But, overall, I liked the book, as in "it was fine/ok", just didn't love it. Once again, Kirkus Reviews and I part company.
June 26, 2015
Absolute Must Read!!!
*Review to Come*
*Review to Come*
Read
September 14, 2015This originally appeared on Snotty Literati at onelitchick.com
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This month—after a short hiatus!—we’re discussing Melanie Sumner’s How to Write A Novel (a novel). A successful fiction writer of multiple books with a colorful past, she’s done a Peace Corps stint in Africa. We mention this because this is what originally drew Jennifer to her work (she’ll get into it). How to Write a Novel is best described as “cross-genre” (Contemporary Adult Literary Fiction? Young Adult?) Twelve-and-a-half-year-old Aris, trying to write a novel, revels and revolts while growing up in Georgia with a tragically widowed mom with pluck, a little brother who has a slight problem with outbursts, and a compulsion to get her still-young mom married to the nice guy in their lives. This, in the midst of adolescence.
Jennifer: Well, part of our review has to be my draw to Sumner. When I was in my twenties and had just finished grad school in International Relations—all dewy-eyed and breathless over expatriates working in the Third World—I was undergoing Identity Crisis #1, in which I was pretty sure I wanted to be a writer rather than be anything having to do with politics. Somehow or other, Sumner’s Polite Society happily landed on my plate. Linked short stories set in Senegal, this book moved me—not necessarily towards a political career, but into the ill-fated (!?!) writing life. Hence, it’s exciting for me to turn to Sumner years later, about twenty years later, after my own plunge into books. Here we go . . .
Lara: Sumner is new to me, and while I can’t say that this, her fourth book, was as impactful for me as her first was for you, I can say I enjoyed it.
The premise, which has tweenager Aris embarking on her own writing career by following the advice outlined in the book Write a Novel in Thirty Days!, gives the reader a novel-in-a-novel experience. Sumner handles this well. Take, for instance, this passage:
“While I waited for a response [from long distance boyfriend Billy], I watched Coach Bobby attack the whiteboard with a marker. His arm swept up and down, always drawing the numbers too large so that he ran out of room and had to erase the first part of the question to fit in the rest of it. He was actually not bad looking from the back. I’m just saying.
Rule #14 in Write a Novel in Thirty Days! states, Do not indulge in superfluous characters. I totally agree; there are enough superfluous characters in the world already. However, I’m sneaking Coach Bobby into my novel because we’re short on male characters.”
Jennifer: The book is funny. Not drop-to-your-knees-in-fits-of-hysteria funny, but pleasantly and consistently funny. It’s a good book, and our readers will like it. I think, mostly, they’ll like three things: Sumner’s voice (she’s a solid writer), Diane (the mom)—she’s the heart of the novel, and the interesting circumstances of the story: a kinda hip (mom-hip, that is), liberal woman who teaches at a Southern Christian college—though she’s not a Christian—with two good and quirky kids, a single guy who’s the nanny, and a small instance of racism to give it some texture and verve.
There are things people may not like. There’s really only one I have a mild issue with, and it’s pretty mild. Aris, the protagonist, is twelve-and-a-half. Her age bugged me. She knows too much. Her verbiage is out-of-control sophisticated. Her sexual awareness is beyond her age (unless I’m not hip-mom, but naïve-mom). Her clever observations are too clever. (Was it J.D. Salinger who said that if you’re going to use children as narrators, they need to be precocious children? Who said that?) But Aris is too precocious. Make her fourteen, and she’s perfect—though still precocious.
Lara: I agree with you in that there is a lot to like, but to clarify, Penn is the PMI (positive male influence), not the nanny. Ha! There’s also drama. Aris secretly reading Diane’s journals. Diane’s shameful childhood moment involving a doll. Grown Diane’s student who gets arrested for DWB, “driving while black,” and enlists Diane’s help in going to court. And, of course, the secret of Diane’s late husband’s childhood.
The heavier issues are handled a little too lightly. They are topical and timely, certainly. But they felt like they were just thrown in for diversity and depth without going beyond the surface.
That’s my only real fault with the story. Oh, and the age of Aris. She’s too young to be speaking the way she spoke and thinking the way she thought. She definitely needed to be fourteen. I know this because I am hipper than you are.
Jennifer: Well, on the Diane note: let’s talk. Diane could absolutely carry this novel as the protagonist, and the adult narrator might allow for more depth in the handling of the Big Issues (and I agree with your assessment of their treatment here—I think, especially, the “driving while black” story felt a little thrown in, a little too lightly treaded upon). But, interestingly, Sumner chose to have Diane’s daughter tell the story. Which raises questions. Why did she choose this? Sumner is a smart writer, so we know it’s a deliberate, crafted choice. Why a child/tween narrator? Whose story is this, really? I think it’s Diane’s. Why isn’t Diane telling it? Is it like Gatsby and Nick? Is it not Diane narrating because we have five million first person stories told by delightfully single women? (Wait, did I write one?) Is this a strength or a weakness in the novel?
Lara: You raise good questions. Aris may not actually be twelve-and-a-half. That’s one of the book’s mysteries that is hinted at in the Introduction, and it leaves me wondering if the book is actually being written by Diane. But that might just be too confusing? What do you think? Here’s the Introduction.
“Prologue skippers may be inclined to skip introductions as well, but my editors have suggested that this novel contains a minor flaw, which I might want to fix before it goes up for the Pulitzer Prize. The problem, as they see it, is that no 12.5-year-old could write this story. Allow me to propose that as a fictional character, I exist in the fourth dimension of reality in which space and time have collapsed into an instantaneous and infinite experience that is itself, in accordance with Einstein’s theory of relativity (E=mc2), nothing more than an illusion.
Or I could be lying about my age.”
Jennifer: I’m puzzled by it, frankly. I’m puzzled why the editors let it go, and I’m puzzled why a self-aware Sumner felt strongly enough about it to keep Aris twelve. What is the virtue of a twelve-year-old narrator?
At any rate, I think I want to point out the readability of this book. The pacing is strong. There are no dull moments. The characters are likeable.
So, I just have a few things I’d comment on.
Aris’s use of social media as it relates to boys: No. I don’t know. Is it me? Is this what 12.5 year-olds are doing? It’s mild—I don’t want to give our readers the wrong impression. But no.
The use of Diane’s journals, which are excerpted sometimes—albeit briefly—and become pivotal plot points: Yes. I liked this. But again, Diane interested me the most.
Aris’s novel-writing under the direction of a writing book: Clever. This imposes a nice structure on the story, and it allows for personal growth in Aris.
Penn: Yes. Who wouldn’t like Penn?
Lara: I cannot even begin to respond to you when you wrote the possessive Aris as Aris’s. It should be Aris’. You have asked me not to correct it. Let the record reflect that your way is wrong. It’s almost grammar blasphemy. I came around on the whole Oxford comma, but I’m not caving in on this on. Not for a second.
Jennifer: Well, know that I’m totally okay with you telling me I’m wrong. You’re wrong this time. That’s okay, friend. As long as you understand that I’m teaching the next generation to punctuate correctly.
Lara: Let me try to get back to the book now, since that is why we are here.
Okay, the pacing is great. Sumner’s prose and attention to detail are sharp. And her use of humor is pitch perfect. Check out this gem:
“Grandma is the only Montgomery who doesn’t have a handshake, but ladies in the South don’t shake hands. Instead, they fold their cool fingers over yours and press ever so gently, leaning in close until you smell breath mints and the dab of eau de toilette behind each ear. Then they say something awful. A few days after Joe died, Grandma knelt beside Diane’s bed and folded her fingers over her hand. After looking into her eyes for a moment, she whispered, “Why didn’t he ever have a better job?”’
Isn’t that just a perfect moment?
Jennifer: It is! And here’s a nice gem, some writing advice that Diane gives to her class:
“[I]f the writer who finishes the essay is the same person who started it, he has failed . . .”
I really like that, and I need to take that to heart in my own writing, and I need to steal it to use when teaching.
Lara: That’s great advice. My advice, if you want a good—albeit slightly flawed—book for an upcoming weekend, then check out How to Write a Novel, a nice pick.
Next Up!
We return in October to dish on Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, one of 2013’s highly acclaimed novels. Until then, happy reading!
_______________________________________________________________________
Can’t get enough of Snotty Literati? Follow us on Facebook!
Want to read more from Jennifer? Check her out at www.jenniferspiegel.com
Want to see what Lara is up to? Go to www.onelitchick.com
--------
This month—after a short hiatus!—we’re discussing Melanie Sumner’s How to Write A Novel (a novel). A successful fiction writer of multiple books with a colorful past, she’s done a Peace Corps stint in Africa. We mention this because this is what originally drew Jennifer to her work (she’ll get into it). How to Write a Novel is best described as “cross-genre” (Contemporary Adult Literary Fiction? Young Adult?) Twelve-and-a-half-year-old Aris, trying to write a novel, revels and revolts while growing up in Georgia with a tragically widowed mom with pluck, a little brother who has a slight problem with outbursts, and a compulsion to get her still-young mom married to the nice guy in their lives. This, in the midst of adolescence.
Jennifer: Well, part of our review has to be my draw to Sumner. When I was in my twenties and had just finished grad school in International Relations—all dewy-eyed and breathless over expatriates working in the Third World—I was undergoing Identity Crisis #1, in which I was pretty sure I wanted to be a writer rather than be anything having to do with politics. Somehow or other, Sumner’s Polite Society happily landed on my plate. Linked short stories set in Senegal, this book moved me—not necessarily towards a political career, but into the ill-fated (!?!) writing life. Hence, it’s exciting for me to turn to Sumner years later, about twenty years later, after my own plunge into books. Here we go . . .
Lara: Sumner is new to me, and while I can’t say that this, her fourth book, was as impactful for me as her first was for you, I can say I enjoyed it.
The premise, which has tweenager Aris embarking on her own writing career by following the advice outlined in the book Write a Novel in Thirty Days!, gives the reader a novel-in-a-novel experience. Sumner handles this well. Take, for instance, this passage:
“While I waited for a response [from long distance boyfriend Billy], I watched Coach Bobby attack the whiteboard with a marker. His arm swept up and down, always drawing the numbers too large so that he ran out of room and had to erase the first part of the question to fit in the rest of it. He was actually not bad looking from the back. I’m just saying.
Rule #14 in Write a Novel in Thirty Days! states, Do not indulge in superfluous characters. I totally agree; there are enough superfluous characters in the world already. However, I’m sneaking Coach Bobby into my novel because we’re short on male characters.”
Jennifer: The book is funny. Not drop-to-your-knees-in-fits-of-hysteria funny, but pleasantly and consistently funny. It’s a good book, and our readers will like it. I think, mostly, they’ll like three things: Sumner’s voice (she’s a solid writer), Diane (the mom)—she’s the heart of the novel, and the interesting circumstances of the story: a kinda hip (mom-hip, that is), liberal woman who teaches at a Southern Christian college—though she’s not a Christian—with two good and quirky kids, a single guy who’s the nanny, and a small instance of racism to give it some texture and verve.
There are things people may not like. There’s really only one I have a mild issue with, and it’s pretty mild. Aris, the protagonist, is twelve-and-a-half. Her age bugged me. She knows too much. Her verbiage is out-of-control sophisticated. Her sexual awareness is beyond her age (unless I’m not hip-mom, but naïve-mom). Her clever observations are too clever. (Was it J.D. Salinger who said that if you’re going to use children as narrators, they need to be precocious children? Who said that?) But Aris is too precocious. Make her fourteen, and she’s perfect—though still precocious.
Lara: I agree with you in that there is a lot to like, but to clarify, Penn is the PMI (positive male influence), not the nanny. Ha! There’s also drama. Aris secretly reading Diane’s journals. Diane’s shameful childhood moment involving a doll. Grown Diane’s student who gets arrested for DWB, “driving while black,” and enlists Diane’s help in going to court. And, of course, the secret of Diane’s late husband’s childhood.
The heavier issues are handled a little too lightly. They are topical and timely, certainly. But they felt like they were just thrown in for diversity and depth without going beyond the surface.
That’s my only real fault with the story. Oh, and the age of Aris. She’s too young to be speaking the way she spoke and thinking the way she thought. She definitely needed to be fourteen. I know this because I am hipper than you are.
Jennifer: Well, on the Diane note: let’s talk. Diane could absolutely carry this novel as the protagonist, and the adult narrator might allow for more depth in the handling of the Big Issues (and I agree with your assessment of their treatment here—I think, especially, the “driving while black” story felt a little thrown in, a little too lightly treaded upon). But, interestingly, Sumner chose to have Diane’s daughter tell the story. Which raises questions. Why did she choose this? Sumner is a smart writer, so we know it’s a deliberate, crafted choice. Why a child/tween narrator? Whose story is this, really? I think it’s Diane’s. Why isn’t Diane telling it? Is it like Gatsby and Nick? Is it not Diane narrating because we have five million first person stories told by delightfully single women? (Wait, did I write one?) Is this a strength or a weakness in the novel?
Lara: You raise good questions. Aris may not actually be twelve-and-a-half. That’s one of the book’s mysteries that is hinted at in the Introduction, and it leaves me wondering if the book is actually being written by Diane. But that might just be too confusing? What do you think? Here’s the Introduction.
“Prologue skippers may be inclined to skip introductions as well, but my editors have suggested that this novel contains a minor flaw, which I might want to fix before it goes up for the Pulitzer Prize. The problem, as they see it, is that no 12.5-year-old could write this story. Allow me to propose that as a fictional character, I exist in the fourth dimension of reality in which space and time have collapsed into an instantaneous and infinite experience that is itself, in accordance with Einstein’s theory of relativity (E=mc2), nothing more than an illusion.
Or I could be lying about my age.”
Jennifer: I’m puzzled by it, frankly. I’m puzzled why the editors let it go, and I’m puzzled why a self-aware Sumner felt strongly enough about it to keep Aris twelve. What is the virtue of a twelve-year-old narrator?
At any rate, I think I want to point out the readability of this book. The pacing is strong. There are no dull moments. The characters are likeable.
So, I just have a few things I’d comment on.
Aris’s use of social media as it relates to boys: No. I don’t know. Is it me? Is this what 12.5 year-olds are doing? It’s mild—I don’t want to give our readers the wrong impression. But no.
The use of Diane’s journals, which are excerpted sometimes—albeit briefly—and become pivotal plot points: Yes. I liked this. But again, Diane interested me the most.
Aris’s novel-writing under the direction of a writing book: Clever. This imposes a nice structure on the story, and it allows for personal growth in Aris.
Penn: Yes. Who wouldn’t like Penn?
Lara: I cannot even begin to respond to you when you wrote the possessive Aris as Aris’s. It should be Aris’. You have asked me not to correct it. Let the record reflect that your way is wrong. It’s almost grammar blasphemy. I came around on the whole Oxford comma, but I’m not caving in on this on. Not for a second.
Jennifer: Well, know that I’m totally okay with you telling me I’m wrong. You’re wrong this time. That’s okay, friend. As long as you understand that I’m teaching the next generation to punctuate correctly.
Lara: Let me try to get back to the book now, since that is why we are here.
Okay, the pacing is great. Sumner’s prose and attention to detail are sharp. And her use of humor is pitch perfect. Check out this gem:
“Grandma is the only Montgomery who doesn’t have a handshake, but ladies in the South don’t shake hands. Instead, they fold their cool fingers over yours and press ever so gently, leaning in close until you smell breath mints and the dab of eau de toilette behind each ear. Then they say something awful. A few days after Joe died, Grandma knelt beside Diane’s bed and folded her fingers over her hand. After looking into her eyes for a moment, she whispered, “Why didn’t he ever have a better job?”’
Isn’t that just a perfect moment?
Jennifer: It is! And here’s a nice gem, some writing advice that Diane gives to her class:
“[I]f the writer who finishes the essay is the same person who started it, he has failed . . .”
I really like that, and I need to take that to heart in my own writing, and I need to steal it to use when teaching.
Lara: That’s great advice. My advice, if you want a good—albeit slightly flawed—book for an upcoming weekend, then check out How to Write a Novel, a nice pick.
Next Up!
We return in October to dish on Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, one of 2013’s highly acclaimed novels. Until then, happy reading!
_______________________________________________________________________
Can’t get enough of Snotty Literati? Follow us on Facebook!
Want to read more from Jennifer? Check her out at www.jenniferspiegel.com
Want to see what Lara is up to? Go to www.onelitchick.com
July 27, 2018
לא משהו בכלל. המספרת היא אריס, ילדה בת 12, בוגרת מאוד לגילה, שאביה מת בתאונת דרכים, ויש לה אמא שמצד אחד אינה מתפקדת ומצד שני היא דווקא כן יפה וחכמה, וגם אח קטן יותר שאמור להיות בן 8 אבל מתנהג כמו בן 5. לא קראתי את הספר הזה כבר?! כל הספר הזה מבולבל, ויש בו כל מיני התרחשויות שלא ברורה הפואנטה שלהם ומה הקשר ביניהם. הוא מנסה בכוח להיות מגניב והיפסטרי ומצליח בעיקר להיות דבילי. החזקתי מעמד עד הסוף רק כי קיוויתי שמתישהו יהיה ברור מה הקשר בין הדברים ושיקרה משהו מעבר לכל השלשול המילולי הזה. אז זהו, שזה לא קרה. מיותר.
June 5, 2023
This YA book was funny, quirky, and sad.
July 7, 2023
Ever read a book that's fine? This book was fine. Just fine. Nothing more than fine.
August 3, 2024
זה היה ממש חמוד! שינוי מכל הבני 16-17 מצד אחד, ומספרת מעניינת ושנונה מצד שני. רק חבל לי שלא רואים סופית את דיאן ואת פן ביחד בסוף! אנדרס הרג.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2015
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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Aristotle -- but you can call her Aris -- Thibodeau is a 12 1/2 year-old would-be novelist. Under the guidance of her English teacher, school librarian and English-professor mother, she's trying to write a novel in the next 30 days. Once it's sold, she figures she'll be able to make enough money so her mom can quit her job, still take care of her brother with his counseling/medication and find a husband. Aris does have a candidate in mind for her step-dad, but is open to someone else. We get to see precious little of her writing, but we do get to follow her on her journey through the novel writing process, and the family turmoil and drama surrounding it. Actually, as I write that, I have a hard time believing everything that happened outside of her novel took less than 30 days.
There's a strong self-awareness to the narration -- from Aris stopping the action to describe something she's lacking in her novel, and then providing it in the narration to the sections of the book being labeled "Rising Action," "Denouement," etc. Typically, it works, but there were a couple of instances where it seemed forced or overdone.
There are two really strong points to this novel. Sumner can write a sentence that just sings I grabbed three examples from the opening pages -- we get voice, humor, and a crystal-clear idea of the character she's describing (and the one doing the describing):
The other strong point (maybe half of a point) is her characters -- Aris, Diane, her brother Max -- are great. Diane's student, Charles and his mother are pretty well-drawn. The librarian Ms. Chu wasn't that fleshed out, but she didn't need to be, and she was well drawn enough that you want to see more. These are real people, you could build a book around any of them alone. But the rest -- and I'm only talking about characters that should be well-drawn -- just aren't. Aris' grandparents don't become much more than they were described above. The worst is Aris's choice for her future step-dad, their current volunteer nanny: Penn MacGuffin*. He's an accumulation of ticks, quirks, and clichés, but there's not a person in the middle of that.
The more I think about it, the less I'm sure I like How to Write a Novel as a novel, however frequently clever it is. There are some great scenes, dazzling sentences, charming characters here; it was a pleasure to read. But I'm just not sure there's much there beyond that.
---
* I'm not going to mention how long it took me to realize what his name meant -- let's just say it was before this moment, and I felt really, really stupid
---
Aristotle -- but you can call her Aris -- Thibodeau is a 12 1/2 year-old would-be novelist. Under the guidance of her English teacher, school librarian and English-professor mother, she's trying to write a novel in the next 30 days. Once it's sold, she figures she'll be able to make enough money so her mom can quit her job, still take care of her brother with his counseling/medication and find a husband. Aris does have a candidate in mind for her step-dad, but is open to someone else. We get to see precious little of her writing, but we do get to follow her on her journey through the novel writing process, and the family turmoil and drama surrounding it. Actually, as I write that, I have a hard time believing everything that happened outside of her novel took less than 30 days.
There's a strong self-awareness to the narration -- from Aris stopping the action to describe something she's lacking in her novel, and then providing it in the narration to the sections of the book being labeled "Rising Action," "Denouement," etc. Typically, it works, but there were a couple of instances where it seemed forced or overdone.
There are two really strong points to this novel. Sumner can write a sentence that just sings I grabbed three examples from the opening pages -- we get voice, humor, and a crystal-clear idea of the character she's describing (and the one doing the describing):
Diane is forty-three now, short and either curvy or chubby, depending on her mood, with a button nose and blondish bangs that are always falling in her face.
Then he grinned. Papa was old before braces came out, so his teeth are slightly crooked, just enough to make him look like he can tell a good joke.
. . . ladies in the South don't shake hands. Instead, they fold their cool fingers over yours and press ever so gently, leaning in close until you smell breath mints and the eau de toilette behind each ear. Then they say something awful. A few days after Joe [Aris' father] died, Grandma and knelt beside Diane's [Aris' mother] bed and folded her fingers over her hand. After looking into her eyes for a moment, she whispered, "Why didn't he ever have a better job?"Don't ya just luuuuv Grandma?
The other strong point (maybe half of a point) is her characters -- Aris, Diane, her brother Max -- are great. Diane's student, Charles and his mother are pretty well-drawn. The librarian Ms. Chu wasn't that fleshed out, but she didn't need to be, and she was well drawn enough that you want to see more. These are real people, you could build a book around any of them alone. But the rest -- and I'm only talking about characters that should be well-drawn -- just aren't. Aris' grandparents don't become much more than they were described above. The worst is Aris's choice for her future step-dad, their current volunteer nanny: Penn MacGuffin*. He's an accumulation of ticks, quirks, and clichés, but there's not a person in the middle of that.
The more I think about it, the less I'm sure I like How to Write a Novel as a novel, however frequently clever it is. There are some great scenes, dazzling sentences, charming characters here; it was a pleasure to read. But I'm just not sure there's much there beyond that.
---
* I'm not going to mention how long it took me to realize what his name meant -- let's just say it was before this moment, and I felt really, really stupid
July 30, 2015
I actually snorted a few times while reading this book; not only is Aris, the narrator and main character, absolutely hilarious, but so are the other characters in this highly entertaining story of a young girl and her belief that "the fate of the Montgomery-Thibodeau family rested on my literary success." She is a little bitter about the fact that all of the "therapy money" is spent on her younger brother, due to his "unique sensitivity to the world," and she sees this as a way to earn a spot with Dr. Dhang, the family therapist, among other things. Her mother is a widow and, according to Aris, "Diane is the only Montgomery to ever lose a job. At fifteen, she was dismissed from the Avon sales force for convincing women that they were more beautiful without cosmetics."
Her brother, Max, "has been searching for his talent for quite some time. Bypassing the more conventional art forms (too much competition), he has tried squirting milk out of his nose for long distances, training snails to swim (that was a sad one), and squeezing himself through a tennis racket. We're still searching." And then, amidst the family chaos, there is Penn, the PMI (acronym for Positive Male Influence), with whom Aris would really like her mother to fall in love.
"Penn is allowed to cuss because he was in the navy. Diane says taking the cuss out of a sailor is like taking the shine out of the sun. He has a terrible, terrible tattoo that he got one night when he was drunk with some sailors, but he won't let anyone see it, not even Diane. In the summer, when he takes us to the river to jump off rocks, he blackens it with a permanent marker. I'm always trying to imagine it."
This is definitely the most wildly entertaining book I've read this summer; I realize that the author is not, in actuality, "12.5 years old," but it was so much fun to embrace a little suspension of disbelief and read this story from Aris' perspective. I would love to hear about the experience of a reader who has a child around this age (or children of any age!) so, if you're out there, please keep me posted! I would highly recommend this one to readers of all ages and I think it makes for a fun discussion piece; you should prepare yourself for lots of laughs that you will not be able to contain.
Her brother, Max, "has been searching for his talent for quite some time. Bypassing the more conventional art forms (too much competition), he has tried squirting milk out of his nose for long distances, training snails to swim (that was a sad one), and squeezing himself through a tennis racket. We're still searching." And then, amidst the family chaos, there is Penn, the PMI (acronym for Positive Male Influence), with whom Aris would really like her mother to fall in love.
"Penn is allowed to cuss because he was in the navy. Diane says taking the cuss out of a sailor is like taking the shine out of the sun. He has a terrible, terrible tattoo that he got one night when he was drunk with some sailors, but he won't let anyone see it, not even Diane. In the summer, when he takes us to the river to jump off rocks, he blackens it with a permanent marker. I'm always trying to imagine it."
This is definitely the most wildly entertaining book I've read this summer; I realize that the author is not, in actuality, "12.5 years old," but it was so much fun to embrace a little suspension of disbelief and read this story from Aris' perspective. I would love to hear about the experience of a reader who has a child around this age (or children of any age!) so, if you're out there, please keep me posted! I would highly recommend this one to readers of all ages and I think it makes for a fun discussion piece; you should prepare yourself for lots of laughs that you will not be able to contain.
March 5, 2016
I'm ok suspending disbelief for an overly precocious adolescent protagonist, as I'm a fan of Flavia de Luce, and How to Write a Novel certainly falls into this category. Our protagonist Aris (short for Aristotle) is 12 1/2, but she's a very worldly 12 1/2. I actually don't balk at her advanced vocabulary, as my kids all have very big vocabularies for their ages as my husband and I are big readers and don't talk down to them. So, Aris' voice is unrealistically mature, but that didn't throw me off of this book. She needs to be this age, as this is a coming of age story.
I really liked the characters in this book. Aris, her brother Max, her mom Diane, and their PMI (positive male influence) friend (possible romantic interest for Diane), and even Diane's parents. Aris' voice was very interesting, and even though she made some poor choices (she is a tween, after all), I found her realistic enough and very likable.
Less compelling was the plot of this book, as it wasn't clear what was the central plot and whether anything was actually resolved. Aris learned more about her mom and her long-since dead father, and has a greater appreciation of her family. Aris has already been carrying more than her fair share though, so emotional maturity wasn't really needed given her starting point.
The weakest part was probably the pretense that Aris was writing a novel. There was no clear demarcation between Aris' novel and this novel, as we flowed back and forth without clear transitions, and also into Diane's diary journal entries, etc. This might have been tougher for me to track as I listened to the book in audiobook and maybe there was a font difference or something else, but the sense I got was that it all melded together, but that undercut the premise that Aris was trying to write a novel in 30 days.
It was interesting, with colorful and likable characters, but the plot faltered and the premise was not completely fulfilled, so this book could probably have been better. Interesting voice though, so worth the read.
I really liked the characters in this book. Aris, her brother Max, her mom Diane, and their PMI (positive male influence) friend (possible romantic interest for Diane), and even Diane's parents. Aris' voice was very interesting, and even though she made some poor choices (she is a tween, after all), I found her realistic enough and very likable.
Less compelling was the plot of this book, as it wasn't clear what was the central plot and whether anything was actually resolved. Aris learned more about her mom and her long-since dead father, and has a greater appreciation of her family. Aris has already been carrying more than her fair share though, so emotional maturity wasn't really needed given her starting point.
The weakest part was probably the pretense that Aris was writing a novel. There was no clear demarcation between Aris' novel and this novel, as we flowed back and forth without clear transitions, and also into Diane's diary journal entries, etc. This might have been tougher for me to track as I listened to the book in audiobook and maybe there was a font difference or something else, but the sense I got was that it all melded together, but that undercut the premise that Aris was trying to write a novel in 30 days.
It was interesting, with colorful and likable characters, but the plot faltered and the premise was not completely fulfilled, so this book could probably have been better. Interesting voice though, so worth the read.
April 11, 2017
I found "How to Write a Novel" to be an interesting read. There were things I enjoyed about the book, but just as much that I wasn't keen on.
There's a richness to the story that really, really works. The family dynamics were the most interesting thing to me. That Aris is so (relatively) mature for a 12.5 year old was neat - you sort of got the impression, at times, that Aris was a bit more mature than her mother and able to understand things that were a bit beyond her age. The fact that she's essentially holding things together - but not at all resentful of it - is a nice change of pace.
When it comes to characterization, I enjoyed Aris and her brother, as well as their Positive Male Influence (that's what she calls him!), Penn. I didn't care much for the mom as she seemed just way too childish to be a parent. Maybe I would have liked her better if she were Aris' older sister who's stuck caring for her younger siblings. It just felt far too much like Aris was the mom at times.
However, where I really have a problem is in the structure of the novel. Aris, essentially, is telling this story as a novel that she's writing. While this can work, and it has worked before, Sumner misses the mark here. I'm not sure if it's in the way she chose to present her prose or the structure, but it just comes off as far too cutesy for it's own good and the constant back and forth without a bridge is maddening.
"How to Write a Novel" just didn't work for me they way I wanted it to.
**I received an ARC via Edelwiess
There's a richness to the story that really, really works. The family dynamics were the most interesting thing to me. That Aris is so (relatively) mature for a 12.5 year old was neat - you sort of got the impression, at times, that Aris was a bit more mature than her mother and able to understand things that were a bit beyond her age. The fact that she's essentially holding things together - but not at all resentful of it - is a nice change of pace.
When it comes to characterization, I enjoyed Aris and her brother, as well as their Positive Male Influence (that's what she calls him!), Penn. I didn't care much for the mom as she seemed just way too childish to be a parent. Maybe I would have liked her better if she were Aris' older sister who's stuck caring for her younger siblings. It just felt far too much like Aris was the mom at times.
However, where I really have a problem is in the structure of the novel. Aris, essentially, is telling this story as a novel that she's writing. While this can work, and it has worked before, Sumner misses the mark here. I'm not sure if it's in the way she chose to present her prose or the structure, but it just comes off as far too cutesy for it's own good and the constant back and forth without a bridge is maddening.
"How to Write a Novel" just didn't work for me they way I wanted it to.
**I received an ARC via Edelwiess
September 21, 2015
Aris is a 12 1/2 years old, who after receiving a copy of the book 'Write a Novel in 30 days" begins to write the great American novel. She does this with the hope of striking it rich at which time she can help her family out of financial difficulties. Set over the space of 30 days we learn a lot about the family, how they got to where they are and the tragedy that befell them to get there.
I love the idea of this book, any book about books is always a good thing. The synopsis above does a good job showing what this book is about, so no need to go over that. Told from the POV of Aris (short for Aristotle) it is funny, quirky and honest. Along with Aris is her mother Diane, each struggling with their own issues. This is a book about dealing with grief, growing up and family. It's about a long buried secret.
It's a quick read and though YA, How to Write a Novel will also appeal to adults. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this.
I love the idea of this book, any book about books is always a good thing. The synopsis above does a good job showing what this book is about, so no need to go over that. Told from the POV of Aris (short for Aristotle) it is funny, quirky and honest. Along with Aris is her mother Diane, each struggling with their own issues. This is a book about dealing with grief, growing up and family. It's about a long buried secret.
It's a quick read and though YA, How to Write a Novel will also appeal to adults. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this.
August 15, 2015
I finished this one just to finish it. I kept hoping it would become something more but it never really did. It was way too much going on in one book - too unbalanced - for one novel. If it had been a memoir I would have come away thinking "Whoa, poor kid" but as it was a novel I feel like it might have been better for this person's life to have had a little bit of happiness to balance off all of the quirky darkness. She did a have an occasionally supportive mother, a briefly fun little brother, a grandfather who noticed her once in a while, and a neighbour who seemed interested in her welfare but overall she was just bouncing around in her life like a balloon that didn't have a string. I didn't love that she was so young and there was so much for her to cope with.. and it was all treated as if it were a fun romp of a novel that was being written as a fun novel. Didn't love it.
July 13, 2015
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2015/07...
Well, this was just an absolutely charming, moving, and hilarious book about a girl who's determined to write a novel and make a million dollars for her family (her widowed mother and her eccentric, maybe on-the-spectrum? brother). But REALLY it's a novel about family and love and loss and friendship and the power of writing! I thought the mother-daughter relationship was really interesting, too--one of the best I've read in a long time. Now, is this book perfect? Probably not. IS the end a serious deus ex machina? Totally. Does the narrative voice really sound like a twelve-and-a-half year old's? WHO CARES? I loved this. It gets an A.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in August.
Well, this was just an absolutely charming, moving, and hilarious book about a girl who's determined to write a novel and make a million dollars for her family (her widowed mother and her eccentric, maybe on-the-spectrum? brother). But REALLY it's a novel about family and love and loss and friendship and the power of writing! I thought the mother-daughter relationship was really interesting, too--one of the best I've read in a long time. Now, is this book perfect? Probably not. IS the end a serious deus ex machina? Totally. Does the narrative voice really sound like a twelve-and-a-half year old's? WHO CARES? I loved this. It gets an A.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in August.
September 7, 2015
Following the advice laid out in How to Write a Novel in Thirty Days!, Aristotle "Aris" Thibodeau sets out to write a bestseller using her charmingly dysfunctional family as material, in order to bring money to the family and find a lover and new husband for her widowed mother, Diane.
During her thirty days of writing, Aris goes through adolescent heartbreak as well as uncovers a dark part of the Thibodeau family history, forcing the 12.5 year old to confront the fact that sometimes in life--in great literature--things might not work out exactly as planned.
This novel is sweet, clever, heartwarming and fun.
During her thirty days of writing, Aris goes through adolescent heartbreak as well as uncovers a dark part of the Thibodeau family history, forcing the 12.5 year old to confront the fact that sometimes in life--in great literature--things might not work out exactly as planned.
This novel is sweet, clever, heartwarming and fun.
July 15, 2016
This fictional account is at times quite humorous. The book is based on a tweener and her attempt to use the book How to Write a Novel in 30 Days. In a sense it is a gimmick because the book isn't really about writing the novel so much as her dysfunctional single parent family and dealing with the aftermath of her father's death. There are some interesting characters such as Penn, a possible love interest for her mother Diane, and an African-American family friend Charles, who gets entangled in the southern legal system and spend a week in jail for driving 8 miles over the speed limit. In the end, this coming-of-age piece was okay. 3 stars.
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