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Not Anything
A powerful debut novel about a girl living a not-so-glamorous life in a city that's all about glamour.
It always sounds way more glamorous than it is when Susie Shannon tells people that she's from Miami. But Miami's not all sunshine and hotties. It's endless zip codes and mega high schools where, if someone lost anything-including themselves-they just might not find it again...
Not that Susie ever lost herself. No way. Ever since her mom died, she made sure to keep her world safe. With no boyfriend, an increasingly MIA best friend, and a dad who couldn't pick her out of lineup to save his life, she somehow managed to stay okay.
Then she met Danny Diaz. Danny's is the life that she's destined to change. At least that's what Mr. Murphy said when he begged Susie to tutor Danny. She doubts that she could change anyone's life, but what if Mr. Murphy's right? Or better yet, what if Danny is destined to change hers?
It always sounds way more glamorous than it is when Susie Shannon tells people that she's from Miami. But Miami's not all sunshine and hotties. It's endless zip codes and mega high schools where, if someone lost anything-including themselves-they just might not find it again...
Not that Susie ever lost herself. No way. Ever since her mom died, she made sure to keep her world safe. With no boyfriend, an increasingly MIA best friend, and a dad who couldn't pick her out of lineup to save his life, she somehow managed to stay okay.
Then she met Danny Diaz. Danny's is the life that she's destined to change. At least that's what Mr. Murphy said when he begged Susie to tutor Danny. She doubts that she could change anyone's life, but what if Mr. Murphy's right? Or better yet, what if Danny is destined to change hers?
240 pages, Paperback
First published February 5, 2008
About the author
Carmen Rodrigues
5 books100 followersCarmen Rodrigues lives and plays in the urban wilds of Virginia, where she is a writer by day and an educator by night.
She is the author of three young-adult novels: THE UNIVERSAL LAWS OF MARCO, 34 PIECES OF YOU, and NOT ANYTHING.
She earned her MFA in creative writing from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
For more, visit her at www.carmenrodrigues.com.
Instagram: www.instagram.com/carmenwritesya/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCsG_tbJKEsIR...
She is the author of three young-adult novels: THE UNIVERSAL LAWS OF MARCO, 34 PIECES OF YOU, and NOT ANYTHING.
She earned her MFA in creative writing from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
For more, visit her at www.carmenrodrigues.com.
Instagram: www.instagram.com/carmenwritesya/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCsG_tbJKEsIR...
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 6, 2008
Oh, god, I absolutely loved this book! I read it all in one sitting. I'm glad the cover caught my eye (I'm such a sucker for funky book covers) because it's now one of my favorite books ever.
The character development is so good and that's what makes this book and Susie, the protagonist, come to life for the reader. Susie is a 15-year-old girl who lost her mother six years ago and throughout the book she is still coping with her loss. Even though she's obviously emotionally screwed up and a loner, she's still a very likable character and as a reader you start to really care for her and identify with her. The other characters in the book are also amazingly well developed so that you truly feel connected to everyone in the book and can understand how they are feeling throughout the novel.
It's also a funny book that I think is pretty reflective of teen culture today. I don't say that often about books but I think the dialogue is very real and I like that there is some reference to Latino culture in the book because it adds another element of "realness" to it. I know my students would love this book because it isn't just about some selfish teen that has a crush. It's very multi-dimensional story of coping with death and finding love. I highly recommend this to teens as well as adults because it's such a touching story and many people will be able to relate to.
The character development is so good and that's what makes this book and Susie, the protagonist, come to life for the reader. Susie is a 15-year-old girl who lost her mother six years ago and throughout the book she is still coping with her loss. Even though she's obviously emotionally screwed up and a loner, she's still a very likable character and as a reader you start to really care for her and identify with her. The other characters in the book are also amazingly well developed so that you truly feel connected to everyone in the book and can understand how they are feeling throughout the novel.
It's also a funny book that I think is pretty reflective of teen culture today. I don't say that often about books but I think the dialogue is very real and I like that there is some reference to Latino culture in the book because it adds another element of "realness" to it. I know my students would love this book because it isn't just about some selfish teen that has a crush. It's very multi-dimensional story of coping with death and finding love. I highly recommend this to teens as well as adults because it's such a touching story and many people will be able to relate to.
December 4, 2012
This book was good and interesting. It was about a girl named Susie who has to tutor a guy named Danny , because of his grades and he still wants to be in his soccer team. They end up liking each other and drama begins. First she doesnt like him and then realizes she does , when on of her friends Tamara tell her to ask him if he has a girlfriend. But ever since her mom died she has been insecure and tries not to tell alot of people about her personal life but she does to him , like its a normal thing to do. Her best best friend since they were little marisol , says she need to be more outgoing that she needs to have fun in her life for a change. But Susie gets mad and they stop talking for a while until one of them apologizes. She was in the library when Danny kissed her , and left. Well she wasnt sure if they were a couple yet. She ended up making out with her neighbor , Marc and tamara sees them. And tells danny eventualy they were a couple and he got mad . So read the book to find out if he stayed with Tamara or Susie . And did her and Marisol ever apoligize to each other? I think this book was amazing i would reread it over and over again. The author Carmen Rodrigues did a good work on this book i wish to see more.If you love romance and some what of suspense this would be a good book for you to read.
June 21, 2012
So I really loved this book. An orginal way to start this review,I know; but I have read this book about 50 times over the years and it still hasn't gotten old. In a strange way it had really helped me when I was younger and in 7th grade. I felt like I really knew what this girl was about. Now I'm 17, and much more experienced, but I still feel that I can relate to this main character. I was sooooooooooooo incredibly bummed when A Little Something didn't get published right away. I would literally check the computer everyday after school when I have first finished Not Anything. Now that the author finally has started up again with this series on her website, I have grown accustumed to check the computer everyday to see if she has posted a new chapter yet, just like before. This book is like everything thing you've read before, yet completely new and thrilling.
- A true fan.
- A true fan.
June 16, 2009
This is a good book about high school friendships and relationships, feeling awkward, and all that growing up stuff. The main character is a social-anxiety-ridden "brain" whose best friendship is threatened (she thinks) by a guy coming into the picture. To complicate matters, her dad starts dating her friend's mom. The book has really good momentum, I read it in one night. The Danny character was little predictable. Takes place in or near Miami, FL, modern-day.
August 28, 2017
"It's like instead of growing into the butterfly,
I grew into my own skin."
I grew into my own skin."
August 11, 2022
This book gives me very much middle school vibes, not in a bad way i just think i’m too old for it lol. still read and enjoyed though!
May 11, 2008
Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com
Everything changed when Susie Shannon's mother passed away. Susie's once attentive father is now oblivious toward her, finding solace in his writing. Susie used to trust everyone, opening up to them, cracking a smile here and there, but now she doesn't trust her best friend or even herself. She used to love her life and everything in it, but once her mother passed away, keeping to herself was the way to go.
No boyfriend, one true friend, never smiling, trying to adapt to her changing father -- this is how Susie lives. It seemed like everyone around her had moved on, but Susie and her father just couldn't.
What Susie doesn't know, though, is that the new school year, her sophomore year, will be life-altering, in both good and bad ways.
Her boy troubles begin when her favorite teacher, Mr. Murphy, decides that it would be best for Susie if she tutored Danny Diaz, the very cute and very popular athlete, to shape him up a little. Of course, Susie doesn't think this is the best idea and the first few study sessions prove this. But as time progresses, not only do the study arrangements work out, Susie begins to see Danny in a whole new light -- especially the side of him that she wouldn't mind having as her boyfriend. Yet, Susie isn't so sure that a boyfriend is a good idea.
Aside from her Danny troubles, Susie's best friend, Marisol, begins to drift away, her next-door neighbor is trying to become friends with her again, and her father is showing interest in her best friend's mom.
Now that she sees her dad moving on, Susie wonders if it's her time to do so too, since the perfect boy is right in front of her and moving on would be the only way to reconnect with her old friends. But will this prove to be the worst decision she makes or will it be the beginning of something good?
With her debut novel, Carmen Rodrigues crafts a successful story of a girl lost in a world she thought she knew, only to figure out that she needed a little push, a little strength, to overcome her obstacles. While making decisions, both worthwhile and regretful, Susie discovers a new part of herself that she never knew she had.
Beautifully written, NOT ANYTHING is just the beginning of something special.
Everything changed when Susie Shannon's mother passed away. Susie's once attentive father is now oblivious toward her, finding solace in his writing. Susie used to trust everyone, opening up to them, cracking a smile here and there, but now she doesn't trust her best friend or even herself. She used to love her life and everything in it, but once her mother passed away, keeping to herself was the way to go.
No boyfriend, one true friend, never smiling, trying to adapt to her changing father -- this is how Susie lives. It seemed like everyone around her had moved on, but Susie and her father just couldn't.
What Susie doesn't know, though, is that the new school year, her sophomore year, will be life-altering, in both good and bad ways.
Her boy troubles begin when her favorite teacher, Mr. Murphy, decides that it would be best for Susie if she tutored Danny Diaz, the very cute and very popular athlete, to shape him up a little. Of course, Susie doesn't think this is the best idea and the first few study sessions prove this. But as time progresses, not only do the study arrangements work out, Susie begins to see Danny in a whole new light -- especially the side of him that she wouldn't mind having as her boyfriend. Yet, Susie isn't so sure that a boyfriend is a good idea.
Aside from her Danny troubles, Susie's best friend, Marisol, begins to drift away, her next-door neighbor is trying to become friends with her again, and her father is showing interest in her best friend's mom.
Now that she sees her dad moving on, Susie wonders if it's her time to do so too, since the perfect boy is right in front of her and moving on would be the only way to reconnect with her old friends. But will this prove to be the worst decision she makes or will it be the beginning of something good?
With her debut novel, Carmen Rodrigues crafts a successful story of a girl lost in a world she thought she knew, only to figure out that she needed a little push, a little strength, to overcome her obstacles. While making decisions, both worthwhile and regretful, Susie discovers a new part of herself that she never knew she had.
Beautifully written, NOT ANYTHING is just the beginning of something special.
September 18, 2011
Si bien el libro me transmitió varias emociones (que es lo que busco en un buen libro, además de que sea entretenido) me costó mucho engancharme a los personajes, porque les faltó esa cosita que me hiciera pensar que puedo encontrar personas así en cualquier momento.
Sí, muchos libros tienen personajes que jamás encontrarás en la vida reallamentablemente. Pero el libro trataba un tema bastante complicado, y para mi gusto no estuvo bien representado, es más hubo momentos en que no me explicaba cómo Susie o su papá eran personajes tan conflictivos.
A Mark no le encontré mucha gracia dentro de la historia, más que para producir el quiebre, espero que su personaje se desarrolle un poco más en el siguiente libro.
De Marisol y su mamá estoy segura que oiremos más en el siguiente libro, ninguno de los personajes me convenció completamente, es más a veces me molestó mucho la mamá de Marisol, para ser sicóloga dejaba bastante que desear jajajaja.
De Danny ni siquiera sé qué opinar, me gustó, pero no me gustó al mismo tiempo sí, soy rara así que prefiero guardar mis comentarios.
En resumen, el libro se me hizo muy ligero, especial para esos días en que no tienes más que leer y quieres distraerte un rato, habrá que leer el segundo libro, para ver si esta historia mejora.
Sí, muchos libros tienen personajes que jamás encontrarás en la vida real
A Mark no le encontré mucha gracia dentro de la historia, más que para producir el quiebre, espero que su personaje se desarrolle un poco más en el siguiente libro.
De Marisol y su mamá estoy segura que oiremos más en el siguiente libro, ninguno de los personajes me convenció completamente, es más a veces me molestó mucho la mamá de Marisol, para ser sicóloga dejaba bastante que desear jajajaja.
De Danny ni siquiera sé qué opinar, me gustó, pero no me gustó al mismo tiempo sí, soy rara así que prefiero guardar mis comentarios.
En resumen, el libro se me hizo muy ligero, especial para esos días en que no tienes más que leer y quieres distraerte un rato, habrá que leer el segundo libro, para ver si esta historia mejora.
March 10, 2016
4 out of 5 stars! Susie is a strong character ... sweet ... and funny .... I could relate to her, which made me like it even more. Not that I had to go through any parental deaths growing up but she feels like a school outcast in a way and has made her life revolving around only her close friends/family and she's shy enough that she just doesn't know how to change ... until this guy enters her life and without knowing how it happens the things or people she thought were definite in her world start having new meanings. It’s a great coming of age story .... where you get to see how Susie tries to deal with her hand in life. It's just very touching and witty.
Read more of this review here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2010/02/its-hangin-on-when-your-heart-has-had.html
Read more of this review here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2010/02/its-hangin-on-when-your-heart-has-had.html
April 26, 2017
Books like this. Drive me crazy.
When the girl thinks that the hot guy could never like her when it's so completely obvious that he wants her!
Maybe if Susie hadn't so vehemently argued that homecoming was 'stupid' and 'elite', she wouldn't have scared Danny out of asking her.
I just don't like Susie. I think she depressing and self loathing, and she lives alone, in her head, when she should be experiencing high school and homecoming with everyone else.
Having a memorial service for your mother/wife EVERY FUCKING YEAR after she's gone is so unhealthy..I don't even know what to say! Maybe that's why she's such a messed up girl!
When the girl thinks that the hot guy could never like her when it's so completely obvious that he wants her!
Maybe if Susie hadn't so vehemently argued that homecoming was 'stupid' and 'elite', she wouldn't have scared Danny out of asking her.
I just don't like Susie. I think she depressing and self loathing, and she lives alone, in her head, when she should be experiencing high school and homecoming with everyone else.
Having a memorial service for your mother/wife EVERY FUCKING YEAR after she's gone is so unhealthy..I don't even know what to say! Maybe that's why she's such a messed up girl!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 3, 2011
Don't let the three star rating deceive you, this book is rather enjoyable.
I usually give books that I "like" a three star rating. Because this book does not have any outstanding or unique elements, I can not give it a four or five stars. Plot wise, it kept me reading. I could relate to the characters emotions, and the main character, I feel, is rather realistic instead of being the angst-ridden shallow petty teenagers many writers like to portray us as. There are really sweet moments in this book, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in reading something realistic, as suppose to reading something new.
I usually give books that I "like" a three star rating. Because this book does not have any outstanding or unique elements, I can not give it a four or five stars. Plot wise, it kept me reading. I could relate to the characters emotions, and the main character, I feel, is rather realistic instead of being the angst-ridden shallow petty teenagers many writers like to portray us as. There are really sweet moments in this book, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in reading something realistic, as suppose to reading something new.
January 7, 2009
I found myself not liking the main character so I was unconvinced why Danny would either. Although I gave this book 2 stars, it's actually closer to 3 because there were moments in the book that were really great -- but just not consistently enough. I am curious regarding the sequel and may get it just to find out if she finally gets Danny.
December 19, 2010
this book is awesome! i love danny in this book..he's so caring n very understanding.i like the part when he said he wants to be han solo as han solo gets Princess leia. And he said "she was pretty to him"
February 20, 2008
An incredibly unique high school love story. One of the most original first-person narrated stories I have read.
March 30, 2008
This is going to be my cruise book since my friend Carmen wrote it!! I am so proud of her!!
June 12, 2008
A young adult novel that evokes the uncomfortableness of being 15 years old. It takes place in the Miami suburb where I grew up. ;-)
October 27, 2008
props to carmen for creating this exciting book. fantastic read i recommend it to everyone and anyone.
5 stars plus !
5 stars plus !
April 22, 2009
Definately one of my favorites.
Can't wait to read the second one!
Can't wait to read the second one!
July 7, 2009
A terrific writer.
October 13, 2013
Pretty darn amazing book.
February 4, 2012
I’m undecided between 3 and 4 stars so; I guess I will give 3.5 stars for this book.
It’s a heart-warming story that talks about friendship, family and love.
It’s a heart-warming story that talks about friendship, family and love.
June 10, 2013
Where the hell are my reviews?
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews