Lizard Love

by Wendy Townsend

A startling debut novel about a girl growing into a woman, kicking and screaming every step of the way. Grace's life was perfect in Mooresville at her grandparents' home. Nature was close at hand, and she could explore it endlessly. But Grace and her mother move to New York City, where nature has been paved over and left to die. Grace hates the city and all it represents . . . until she discovers a pet shop run by a toad-ugly boy and his father and which is full of exotic creatures, none more so than Spot, an iguana. Grace spends every minute she can at the pet shop, especially as she realizes that she doesn't fit in at school and she can't stand the city streets where men and boys are starting to notice her. Grace doesn't like what's happening to her body and the attention it's drawing. Even when she goes back to Mooresville for a summer break, she discovers that things aren't the same. So there is nothing to be done except return to the city and confront who she is, what she is becoming, and deal with it.

I looked up into the dark gold eye of a big lizard, calmly looking back at me. I caught my breath—he was the most wonderful creature I could ever imagine. He had a great spiky crest and a black-banded tail hanging down and scales around his head and shoulders like jewels of all different sizes and shades of green, turquoise and bronze. One of his feet draped over the edge and each long toe had a curved claw at the tip. …
   I slid my hands underneath his body and took him in my arms.
… His tail went down past my waist. He flicked my cheek with his tongue and I put my face closer to his and breathed in. —FROM THE BOOK

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, Romance, Animals, Friendship, Fiction

168 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2008

Reviews

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I randomly picked this book up in the library. It is a young adult selection. I really enjoyed it and think that teen or tween girls would too. It is about how a young girl is more comfortable with lizards and snakes than she is with herself. It was well written and made me reflect on those terrible teen years.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Townsend, Wendy Lizard Love; Pages: 196; Publisher: Front Street Books; Language: PG; Sexual Content: PG 13 (Men around town start to notice her growing womanly body and look and say things she does not like. There is also some animal mating that is described but only once.) Violence: PG;

Gracie lives in the wonderful place of Mooresville where nature surrounds her, she gets to love her pet toad, and be free with her grandparents and with nature itself. But her life soon changes when she and her mother move to New York City where there is no nature that she loves so much. She doesn't fit in at school because of the way she dresses and how crazy she is about reptiles. But one faithful day she comes across Fang & Claw, a reptile pet shop. There she meets Walter a boy her age, his dad Pops, and the iguana Spots. She begins to love it there and spends all of her free time at Fang & Claw. All at the same time she is beginning to become and woman and hates every step and sign of the way. When she heads down to Mooresville and finds it has changed so much she finally realizes she now has to accept who she is and deal with it.

An amazing book, I was hooked from the very beginning. Even for people like me who don't like snakes and lizards and such this book was still so amazing. Perfect for a teenager who is starting to become a young woman. Fantastic book.

MS, HS - ESSENTIAL. Student Reviewer: AN
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2008/...

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was picked out of a "free book" pile. While I can appreciate the value of a young adult/struggles with puberty story, I really can't appreciate the constant kissing of lizards. I hope kids are reading better books than this one.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful debut novel from Townsend. Lizard Love tells the story of Grace, who hasn't any that she can see. She's passionate about all things herpetological and repelled by the changes her body is ringing. This book is a profound exploration of what it's like to be a girl who won't fit, who can't fit, and who has to learn how to embrace not fitting. Splendid. I identified so much with Grace, and remember doing so many of the things she did, including following a frog into a muddy pond all dressed up in girly finery. Her voice sounds achingly real, and her struggles are believable.

There are a few minor false notes, a bit of narrative stumbling but this is one I think I need to have on my shelves to reread again and again.

[Ricki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was cute. Grace is extremely uncomfortable with her changing body, and she finds solace in lizards and the Fang and Claws pet shop. I felt like most of the book was spent trying to convince readers that lizards and snakes are much better pets than cats and dogs. I think some teenage girls would like this book a lot, but I wouldn't recommend it for the squeamish readers--Townshend uses detail when describing the snapping of mice necks. Although she is a bit whiney at times, it is easy to connect with Grace. She teaches us that it is okay to be different.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's a great review I found for this book from Amazon.com. It echos my thoughts:
Grace, who has moved from Mooresville, Indiana, to Manhattan, is having trouble adjusting. She misses the trappings of her grandparents’ farm; the dank, muddy creek bottom; and the treetops, lit by lightning bugs—and she misses the birds and bullfrogs who were her friends. When Grace discovers the Fang & Claw, a pet store specializing in reptiles, she finds in it something that feels like home. Soon Grace is spending every day after school helping Pops and his son, Walter, and she even adopts Spot, an iguana. But as she begins to enjoy her growing sense of stability, her maturing body brings unwanted attention that throws her for a loop once again. In her debut novel, Townsend displays a remarkable narrative gift. Though her images remain a little static when she’s describing urban things, her language really comes alive when talking about the the natural world; her sensuous herpetological descriptions are unflinching, evocative, and positively elegant. Even the minor characterizations are full and complex, and the relationships drawn among them resonate with the honesty of adolescence. Though Grace’s naïveté seems surprising at first, this story will still find a very enthusiastic audience among young people, especially outsiders, walking the daily tightrope between fitting in and growing up.
--Thom Barthelmess

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are all kinds of books for animal lovers, but I've never known a character who's head-over-heels about reptiles.

Grace is a true country girl. Growing up on her grandparents' farm, she loves spending her time in the woods and ponds with birds, frogs, and other animals. She's as comfortable in the wild as they are. But when her mother uproots the family and moves to New York City, Grace is truly a fish out of water. The dizzying buildings, the crowded subway cars--it's all so overwhelming. One day after missing her subway stop, she happens across Fang & Claw, a pet store that specializes in the scaly creatures Grace loves. Soon she's at the store every day after school volunteering to take care of the animals. It's her safe haven in a crazy city. But, as she'll soon discover, nothing stays the same forever. And like a snake shedding its skin, Grace is going to have to deal with change.

Grace's love of the natural world is infectious ... and you may even find your own heart warming up to cold-blooded creatures, like Spot, her pet iguana.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt uncomfortable while reading this book for several reasons: Grace, the main character loves (and I mean LOVES) reptiles, Grace is going though a tough time in adolescence and hating the changes in her body & moods, Grace moves from the country to New York City and has to face all the new things involved with a new school, and Grace gets called terrible nicknames from classmates. There are many cringe-worthy moments in the story. But weren't our teenage years full of cringe-worthy moments? And that's why this book was so good. Put yourself in Grace's skin...in Grace's dirty sneakers..in Grace's hand painted reptile-denim jacket. Join her at her favorite getaway "The Fang & Claw," and shed your reptilian skin with her. Grow with her.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This absolutely quiet gem of a book kept me entranced from the beginning. Grace has grown up on her grandparent's farm in Indiana, wandering in the fields and ponds among frogs and lizards. When her mother moves to New York City, she is really out of her element until she runs into a store called Fang & Claw where she meets Walter, the owner's son, and starts hanging out everyday taking care of lizards, snakes and other assorted reptiles. Just as wounded snakes lose their skins under her care, Grace finds herself having a hard time growing into her own new body, but her friendship with Walter and Spot, her iguana, help.

[Daria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll give this one a 2.5. There were just too many references to cuddling with lizards and kissing reptiles on the lips for me to give it 3 stars--I spent most of the time reading it with my upper lip curled and my nose wrinkled. I did like the scenes where Grace tries to figure out how to cope with puberty and the changes it's causing in her body, things I think most people can relate to.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nearly a four star book. It was good, but it took me a long time to get into the character.

[Alison]

Exquisitely detailed writing.

[Poet in the Dark · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really disliked Grace, and the whole book just bothered me. Never picking this book up again; definitely was not what I expected it to be.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book.The author lives by me her lizards are so amazing too.