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Headlong
What sets Vaughn apart is the quality of our girls. We do draw from all over, girls from every kind of background, girls for whom Vaughn is a major life experience. And not every girl is the right girl for Vaughn. You can often tell, early on, who these girls are.
The Vaughn School. Home of domed ceilings, gleaming checkerboard floors, and the Vaughn Virgins: the upper stratum of girls who have perfect grades, perfect lives, and perfect friends. Lily Noble is a lifer – she knows all the rules. Then sophomore year, Hazel Tobias arrives as a scholarship student, with her model’s looks and unconventional family, and shows Lily everything she’s been missing. Can you ever fit in someplace you don’t want to be? As Lily befriends Hazel, both girls discover what it means to dive deep beneath the surface – of friendship, of commitment – and to live life with all their hearts, with all they are, headlong.
The Vaughn School. Home of domed ceilings, gleaming checkerboard floors, and the Vaughn Virgins: the upper stratum of girls who have perfect grades, perfect lives, and perfect friends. Lily Noble is a lifer – she knows all the rules. Then sophomore year, Hazel Tobias arrives as a scholarship student, with her model’s looks and unconventional family, and shows Lily everything she’s been missing. Can you ever fit in someplace you don’t want to be? As Lily befriends Hazel, both girls discover what it means to dive deep beneath the surface – of friendship, of commitment – and to live life with all their hearts, with all they are, headlong.
195 pages, Hardcover
First published October 28, 2008
2 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Kathe Koja
130 books934 followersKathe Koja is a writer, director and independent producer of live and virtual events. Her work combines and plays with genres, from horror to YA to historical to weird, in books like THE CIPHER, VELOCITIES, BUDDHA BOY, UNDER THE POPPY, and CATHERINE THE GHOST.
Her ongoing project is the world of DARK FACTORY https://darkfactory.club/ continuing in DARK PARK, with DARK MATTER coming out in December 2025.
She's a Detroit native, animal rights supporter, supporter of democracy, and huge fan of Emily Bronte.
Her ongoing project is the world of DARK FACTORY https://darkfactory.club/ continuing in DARK PARK, with DARK MATTER coming out in December 2025.
She's a Detroit native, animal rights supporter, supporter of democracy, and huge fan of Emily Bronte.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
November 10, 2011
Headlong by Kathe Koja is a very interesting novel that takes the reader through the mesmerizing story of Lily Noble. Although many times it is hard to relate to Lily I found some small details that apply to myself. The novel itself has some dense writing that is difficult to understand but is more lucid throughout the story. This novel should only be recommended to someone who really enjoys reading and will take the time to figure out all the intricate findings of Lily Noble. I enjoyed reading headlong but it is a very controversial novel that many people may not enjoy as much as me.
Headlong by Kathe Koja is a novel that focuses on the friendship between two girls going to the Vaugh School. Lily Noble is the classic prep school girl until she meets Hazel Tobias, a hard core down to earth teenager. Lily is mesmerized by the way Hazel acts and how she portrays herself. Throughout this story Lily is able to find herself with the help of her new friends and Hazel. Lily tries to fight the stigma everyone at Vaughn expects her how to act, and achieves this. But, in the end she may lose the closest friend she has had to the exact same cause Lily was trying so hard to fight. Hazel falls into the glory of being a “Vaughn Virgin” but leaves Lily confused and affected. Their friendship fought to stay strong through there high school career but like most things, it did not last. Lily and Hazel wanted to find themselves but what that only meant was they would have to lose each other.
In my opinion I thought this novel was extremely hard to fallow, also there was a lot of loose ends the author did not tie up. I do like this aspect of the novel because it allows you to imagine in your own mind what happened. When reading the book, I was incessantly finding myself guessing what would happen next, but I never was right. There were a lot of twist and turns throughout the novel that I did not except. I picked to read this book because I expected it to be about a friendship that lasted all through life, but there was a deeper meaning. There were many morals and themes if you were able to read in-between the lines. For example it was hard to pick up on it, but the main point of the story is for Lily to find the true meaning of friendship, and how to live her life with her whole heart, and whole soul.
I would not recommend this book to a person my age because it was hard to pick up the slight details the author writes about. One has to pay very close attention to it all. Also throughout the novel Koja uses metaphors to explain how Lily feels, some of them are very complex. For example Lily continues to go swimming in the river which is forbidden by the school, and is a bit dangerous, not till the end did I realize this is a metaphor of her trying to find a deeper meaning of everything, regardless of the rules. The author wrote this in the style of writing that is a stream of consciousness; also the writing goes back and forth from conversations in the past and what Lily is thinking. The writing is hard to fallow but the meaning is very authentic, although this novel was not as long as many others it was still difficult to read because of the complex writing.
Headlong is a novel that digs deep within Lily Noble’s sub-conscious. Many friends and family members affect her life, and what she thinks about it. She is a multifarious person, who is trying to find “her path”. In the end she thinks she has found “her path” but as the reader it is easy to interpret her path will always be changing. I could not really relate to this story immensely but I did realize that we all are just trying to find “our path”, but it is harder said than done because the road is always changing and no one’s future is set in concrete.
Headlong by Kathe Koja is a novel that focuses on the friendship between two girls going to the Vaugh School. Lily Noble is the classic prep school girl until she meets Hazel Tobias, a hard core down to earth teenager. Lily is mesmerized by the way Hazel acts and how she portrays herself. Throughout this story Lily is able to find herself with the help of her new friends and Hazel. Lily tries to fight the stigma everyone at Vaughn expects her how to act, and achieves this. But, in the end she may lose the closest friend she has had to the exact same cause Lily was trying so hard to fight. Hazel falls into the glory of being a “Vaughn Virgin” but leaves Lily confused and affected. Their friendship fought to stay strong through there high school career but like most things, it did not last. Lily and Hazel wanted to find themselves but what that only meant was they would have to lose each other.
In my opinion I thought this novel was extremely hard to fallow, also there was a lot of loose ends the author did not tie up. I do like this aspect of the novel because it allows you to imagine in your own mind what happened. When reading the book, I was incessantly finding myself guessing what would happen next, but I never was right. There were a lot of twist and turns throughout the novel that I did not except. I picked to read this book because I expected it to be about a friendship that lasted all through life, but there was a deeper meaning. There were many morals and themes if you were able to read in-between the lines. For example it was hard to pick up on it, but the main point of the story is for Lily to find the true meaning of friendship, and how to live her life with her whole heart, and whole soul.
I would not recommend this book to a person my age because it was hard to pick up the slight details the author writes about. One has to pay very close attention to it all. Also throughout the novel Koja uses metaphors to explain how Lily feels, some of them are very complex. For example Lily continues to go swimming in the river which is forbidden by the school, and is a bit dangerous, not till the end did I realize this is a metaphor of her trying to find a deeper meaning of everything, regardless of the rules. The author wrote this in the style of writing that is a stream of consciousness; also the writing goes back and forth from conversations in the past and what Lily is thinking. The writing is hard to fallow but the meaning is very authentic, although this novel was not as long as many others it was still difficult to read because of the complex writing.
Headlong is a novel that digs deep within Lily Noble’s sub-conscious. Many friends and family members affect her life, and what she thinks about it. She is a multifarious person, who is trying to find “her path”. In the end she thinks she has found “her path” but as the reader it is easy to interpret her path will always be changing. I could not really relate to this story immensely but I did realize that we all are just trying to find “our path”, but it is harder said than done because the road is always changing and no one’s future is set in concrete.
April 10, 2011
Lily Noble is a sophomore at the exclusive Vaughn school; she has the right parents, the right friends, fits in all the right circles, does all the right things. But she doesn't feel like she quite belongs. She befriends Hazel Tobias, new girl, punk attitude, lots of previous schools, misses her last one, Bertram, much more brown. (I couldn't figure out whether Koja meant Hazel to be black or not; I think not, but I decided to read her as black anyway, why not.--Okay, having read other reviews, a lot of people read Hazel as black; there was a moment that threw me when Hazel described herself as "not blonde," where I'd expect "black" or "African American," but maybe it's a stray trace of white writer being reluctant to name people's races outright.)
Koja's prose is as distinctive as ever, but this didn't grab me, maybe because I never really warmed up to any of the major characters. Koja is really good on the obliviousness and selfishness of teenagers, especially privileged ones: Lily's unthinking cruelty to her roommate, for example, and her contempt for her kind of meaningless social class circle, which she doesn't recognize comes from having a choice to belong or not, which not everyone has; her disregard of people outside her social circles (I raised my eyebrow at a lot of the "ESL" comments). It's notable most of the girls in the book are bitches, that the sweetest people Lily knows -- or notices -- are male; the mothers are awful, the fathers reserved but actually care; some of the female teachers are okay. There's a great emphasis on female friendship -- sometimes "friendship" -- but the ending and the treatment of minor female characters undercuts taht for me.
It's a pattern I've seen before in Koja's work, these really intense romantic female friendships that suddenly or not so suddenly flame out (Skin,Kissing the Bee Library ), and I can't decide whether or not I'm judging them fairly or not, because here and in Skin the narrator/POV character clearly isn't quite reliable, and it's not as simple as one girl's good and the other's bad. (And you can only rely on men in the end.) But I'm not sure they get far enough away from that pattern, either.
And it might just have not grabbed me because I don't get the boarding school fascination. It seems like a lot more (American, anyway) YA books are set in boarding schools since Harry Potter and ... I don't share the fascination. They kind of creep me out, actually. Like wasps' nests (WASPs' nests, wow, that was not on purpose).
So now that I'm writing it up, I think a lot of the things I disliked -- especially about Lily's cruelties, and her choice, which seemed really not set up at first but makes more sense the more that I think about -- are purposeful. (Except for the gender stuff.) This may be the only one of the boarding school books I've seen really take on class, except for Holly Black's Curse Worker's series, and this one is ultimately much chillier about it.
Random yay: Magnus went to my high school! Sorry, I just kind of love it when anyone's heard of it.
Koja's prose is as distinctive as ever, but this didn't grab me, maybe because I never really warmed up to any of the major characters. Koja is really good on the obliviousness and selfishness of teenagers, especially privileged ones: Lily's unthinking cruelty to her roommate, for example, and her contempt for her kind of meaningless social class circle, which she doesn't recognize comes from having a choice to belong or not, which not everyone has; her disregard of people outside her social circles (I raised my eyebrow at a lot of the "ESL" comments). It's notable most of the girls in the book are bitches, that the sweetest people Lily knows -- or notices -- are male; the mothers are awful, the fathers reserved but actually care; some of the female teachers are okay. There's a great emphasis on female friendship -- sometimes "friendship" -- but the ending and the treatment of minor female characters undercuts taht for me.
It's a pattern I've seen before in Koja's work, these really intense romantic female friendships that suddenly or not so suddenly flame out (Skin,Kissing the Bee Library ), and I can't decide whether or not I'm judging them fairly or not, because here and in Skin the narrator/POV character clearly isn't quite reliable, and it's not as simple as one girl's good and the other's bad. (And you can only rely on men in the end.) But I'm not sure they get far enough away from that pattern, either.
And it might just have not grabbed me because I don't get the boarding school fascination. It seems like a lot more (American, anyway) YA books are set in boarding schools since Harry Potter and ... I don't share the fascination. They kind of creep me out, actually. Like wasps' nests (WASPs' nests, wow, that was not on purpose).
So now that I'm writing it up, I think a lot of the things I disliked -- especially about Lily's cruelties, and her choice, which seemed really not set up at first but makes more sense the more that I think about -- are purposeful. (Except for the gender stuff.) This may be the only one of the boarding school books I've seen really take on class, except for Holly Black's Curse Worker's series, and this one is ultimately much chillier about it.
Random yay: Magnus went to my high school! Sorry, I just kind of love it when anyone's heard of it.
August 22, 2016
Me, upon finishing Headlong: I'm not really sure what the point of that book was.
My mother: Well, what was it about?
Me: Girl at boarding school makes friends with quirky outsider. The end.
My mother: I see.
This is a gross oversimplification (of the plot, not of the conversation), but I remain uncertain about what I was supposed to get out of it. Lily's as Vaughn as a Vaughn student can get—her mother went to Vaughn and her father to a similar prep school; they have oodles of money; Lily's been at prep school for her entire academic career; she's the sort of girl to wear pearls and understated makeup as a matter of course, to go skiing in Vail, to have a trust fund; her parents, especially her mother, dislike the idea of Lily associating with anyone not of their ilk. Hazel is...not the opposite, necessarily, but decidedly not a Vaughn type. She's been to public schools, not necessarily particularly good ones. Her older brother is her guardian. She doesn't care, the way Lily does, about status and image and rules..
Hazel remains, in many ways, an enigma. Lily has a massive crush on her throughout the book, though it appears to be a platonic crush, and Hazel—even after she opens up to Lily—stays just out of reach. For both of them, the question about Vaughn is stay or go? but for different reasons, and with different paths if they choose to go. It's never clear exactly what the stakes are, only that they come from very different worlds. Koja does a nice job of making Lily a flawed character (not unsympathetic, but not entirely somebody to root for either), though given the choice, I think I'd rather read a great deal more about Hazel, who is rather more complex than Lily.
My mother: Well, what was it about?
Me: Girl at boarding school makes friends with quirky outsider. The end.
My mother: I see.
This is a gross oversimplification (of the plot, not of the conversation), but I remain uncertain about what I was supposed to get out of it. Lily's as Vaughn as a Vaughn student can get—her mother went to Vaughn and her father to a similar prep school; they have oodles of money; Lily's been at prep school for her entire academic career; she's the sort of girl to wear pearls and understated makeup as a matter of course, to go skiing in Vail, to have a trust fund; her parents, especially her mother, dislike the idea of Lily associating with anyone not of their ilk. Hazel is...not the opposite, necessarily, but decidedly not a Vaughn type. She's been to public schools, not necessarily particularly good ones. Her older brother is her guardian. She doesn't care, the way Lily does, about status and image and rules..
Hazel remains, in many ways, an enigma. Lily has a massive crush on her throughout the book, though it appears to be a platonic crush, and Hazel—even after she opens up to Lily—stays just out of reach. For both of them, the question about Vaughn is stay or go? but for different reasons, and with different paths if they choose to go. It's never clear exactly what the stakes are, only that they come from very different worlds. Koja does a nice job of making Lily a flawed character (not unsympathetic, but not entirely somebody to root for either), though given the choice, I think I'd rather read a great deal more about Hazel, who is rather more complex than Lily.
June 13, 2013
I don't know if I am not reading the right "adult" novels, but the YA novels I have been reading are more wrought with emotion, realistic story telling, and coming of age greatness, I'm beginning to think that if any reader wants to be emotionally moved by story, characterization, or theme, then YA is the way to go, and Headlong is no exception. Yea, the book is a little short, a little cheesy, here and there, but overall, the characters are solid, and the discovery of oneself is so much at the forefront it is impossible to not be dragged into the world of Lily and Hazel and want to see what happens next. My biggest complaint is that there seemed to be a lot of things happening with the two girls and there wasn't as much explanation to why they acted like that, or sought a response from there supporting characters. I think that the characters could have been a bit more developed, but honestly, I like mystery, and I like not knowing exactly what is happening, and why. There are just those moments in time when, as a reader, you want the inside scoop, the real one, and even though I wasn't rewarded with those answers at all times, I was satisfied with what I was given. Up until this book Koja has been off my radar. I knew of one book of hers (I plan on readin it soon), Buddha Boy, but I can honestly say, Headlong was a treat, and I'm glad I wondered the library for a half hour to find it.
December 23, 2008
There are a lot of teen books with the character of the eccentric girl who is friends with the narrator (e.g., Patron Saint of Butterflies, Stargirl). This follows the formula with Hazel being the outsider at the boarding school where Lily attends. This is a great book about the pressures of perfection and how to find your own path. Read this if you've ever had trouble fitting in, tried to please your parents, failed to please your parents, hated or loved your school, and so on. A lot of YA books are about figuring out who you are and what path you're on, but this book tells that story with grace and power.
November 16, 2008
Um, I guess this book was ok, although I am not quite sure what it was about. It seemed like a lot was missing, like I was reading a 200 page summary of a book. There was no meat, just "this happened then this happened then this happened and the end." I almost threw in the towel around page 60 but figured "What's another 140 pages?" Parts were interesting but overall it was lacking.
April 14, 2018
Man, this would've been so much better as a lesbian love story.
February 12, 2009
I really liked this book, and was sad that I couldn't love it. Koja's a beautiful writer, and she is very good at adolescents; her heroine, Lily, is self-absorbed and enthuasiastic, sometimes cruel, compassionate and thoughtless, intelligent and incredibly unable to see beyond her own narrow scope. The novel is about that narrowness of her vision, the surprising ways she's able to see past it despite a lack of encouragement on the part of her community, and also about the ways she completely fails to understand what's going on around her.
The plot has an unfortunate tone of 'white girl is saved from her whiteness by non-white girl' -- Lily is a student at a very elite upper-class girl's school, who is suddenly made aware of her own class & race privilege by the arrival of Hazel. Hazel is an orphan being raised by her gay older brother & his partner, and unfortunately is something of a Magical Brown Person, serving as a vector for Lily to eat new foods, meet new people, experience a rawer urban environment, and so forth. But for me, the book was saved from racism by two things:
1. Hazel's family, although unconventional, is shown to be highly economically privileged; it's clear that they're not living in any sort of poverty, and thus there's no romanticisation of class difference.
2. Koja seems aware of the problems inherent to this sort of story, and brings them to the forefront in an awesome scene in which Hazel demonstrates conformity with Lily's family's values & Lily throws a fit, leading to a huge fight between her & Hazel which is never really explained within the text. My reading is that rather than Koja telling the story in which Hazel is a Magical Brown Person who is freeing Lily from class/race constraints, it's *Lily* who sees the story that way. Thus, when Hazel demonstrates that she might, perhaps, aspire to be part of Lily's world & is willing to conform to the rules, Lily flips out because Hazel is no longer in the right role. How dare Hazel aspire to be upper-class and WASPy rather than being a rude, rebellious, earthy brown person? I felt this reading very strongly, but since the argument is never deconstructed by the characters I'm not sure how much of this is just me and how much of it is in the text.
I liked the book, and I want to read more Koja.
The plot has an unfortunate tone of 'white girl is saved from her whiteness by non-white girl' -- Lily is a student at a very elite upper-class girl's school, who is suddenly made aware of her own class & race privilege by the arrival of Hazel. Hazel is an orphan being raised by her gay older brother & his partner, and unfortunately is something of a Magical Brown Person, serving as a vector for Lily to eat new foods, meet new people, experience a rawer urban environment, and so forth. But for me, the book was saved from racism by two things:
1. Hazel's family, although unconventional, is shown to be highly economically privileged; it's clear that they're not living in any sort of poverty, and thus there's no romanticisation of class difference.
2. Koja seems aware of the problems inherent to this sort of story, and brings them to the forefront in an awesome scene in which Hazel demonstrates conformity with Lily's family's values & Lily throws a fit, leading to a huge fight between her & Hazel which is never really explained within the text. My reading is that rather than Koja telling the story in which Hazel is a Magical Brown Person who is freeing Lily from class/race constraints, it's *Lily* who sees the story that way. Thus, when Hazel demonstrates that she might, perhaps, aspire to be part of Lily's world & is willing to conform to the rules, Lily flips out because Hazel is no longer in the right role. How dare Hazel aspire to be upper-class and WASPy rather than being a rude, rebellious, earthy brown person? I felt this reading very strongly, but since the argument is never deconstructed by the characters I'm not sure how much of this is just me and how much of it is in the text.
I liked the book, and I want to read more Koja.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2012
Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com
Lily Noble has been attending the Vaughn School since pre-K as a day student. She has been discontent with her life there. To try to appease her, Lily's parents decide to let Lily be a boarder at school sophomore year. Thinking the change will help Lily's restlessness, Lily moves into the dorm. She is stuck with a roommate that has severe allergies and is overwhelmed with the pressures of life at Vaughn.
Lily notices the new girl, Hazel Tobias, in her Lit class. Hazel speaks out to the teacher in an argumentative tone, something Lily would never think to do. One evening while Lily is hanging out with her friends, Hazel approaches her, looking for a cigarette. When Lily encounters Hazel alone late at night in the dorm common room, the two start a hesitant conversation.
From that one conversation, the two form a friendship that the rest of Lily's friends can't comprehend.
Lily has gone through the motions of life at Vaughn. Even before Hazel's arrival, Lily was dissatisfied with her current situation. Her mom went to Vaughn and her dad never said much about her schooling. But once she gets to know Hazel, as much as Hazel will let her in, Lily starts to define herself. She questions her relationship with her boyfriend. She confronts her so-called friends. She changes her accessories.
Hazel doesn't want to be there, but on the surface, she seems to embrace the world that is Vaughn. But when Lily goes home with Hazel on Christmas break, she gains more insight into who Hazel really is.
The book unfolds during the course of the girls' sophomore year. Jumping back and forth from the end of the term to the current month, the reader gets a glimpse of the struggles going on in Lily's head. The reader has to wonder if the changes Lily goes through happened because of Hazel or simply coincided with her arrival.
Lily Noble has been attending the Vaughn School since pre-K as a day student. She has been discontent with her life there. To try to appease her, Lily's parents decide to let Lily be a boarder at school sophomore year. Thinking the change will help Lily's restlessness, Lily moves into the dorm. She is stuck with a roommate that has severe allergies and is overwhelmed with the pressures of life at Vaughn.
Lily notices the new girl, Hazel Tobias, in her Lit class. Hazel speaks out to the teacher in an argumentative tone, something Lily would never think to do. One evening while Lily is hanging out with her friends, Hazel approaches her, looking for a cigarette. When Lily encounters Hazel alone late at night in the dorm common room, the two start a hesitant conversation.
From that one conversation, the two form a friendship that the rest of Lily's friends can't comprehend.
Lily has gone through the motions of life at Vaughn. Even before Hazel's arrival, Lily was dissatisfied with her current situation. Her mom went to Vaughn and her dad never said much about her schooling. But once she gets to know Hazel, as much as Hazel will let her in, Lily starts to define herself. She questions her relationship with her boyfriend. She confronts her so-called friends. She changes her accessories.
Hazel doesn't want to be there, but on the surface, she seems to embrace the world that is Vaughn. But when Lily goes home with Hazel on Christmas break, she gains more insight into who Hazel really is.
The book unfolds during the course of the girls' sophomore year. Jumping back and forth from the end of the term to the current month, the reader gets a glimpse of the struggles going on in Lily's head. The reader has to wonder if the changes Lily goes through happened because of Hazel or simply coincided with her arrival.
July 9, 2010
The prestigious Vaughn school houses the best of the best...the wealthy, the intelligent, the elite. Lily Noble, a "lifer" (she's attended Vaughn all her life, should be satisfied with her position. She knows the rules and she's followed them all her life. Until this year.
Formerly a day student, Lily decides she wants to be a resident student. She meets Hazel, a new sophomore scholarship student who just doesn't fit the mold. She's got an unusual family, comes from an inner city high school, and just doesn't fit the mold of the Burberry-toting girls at Vaughn. Yet Lily and Hazel develop a deep friendship that allows Lily to more deeply examine her needs and desires.
Throughout the story, Lily questions whether Vaughn is the right place for her. Both her parents went there, and they expect that she would do the same. Through Hazel's eyes, Lily begins to think that Vaughn and some of its denizens (teachers, students AND parents) are nothing more than selfish, superficial elitists. Yet through Hazel, Lily moves away from the relationships that are superficial and shallow and finds true friends. Lily becomes more and more convinced that Vaughn isn't the right place for her, and Hazel seems to be settling in more and more. It takes Visitor's Weekend and the bizarro clash between Hazel's family and Lily's family to get both girls to realize what their friendship truly is and where they truly belong.
As the school year closes and summer approaches, both Lily and Hazel must face their decisions: to return to Vaughn or not? Lily's choices are two schools that aren't really much different from Vaughn. Hazel can return to her old school, Bertram, the inner city public high school. Their shared weekend during summer vacation solidifies not only their friendship but also confirms where each girl truly belongs.
Formerly a day student, Lily decides she wants to be a resident student. She meets Hazel, a new sophomore scholarship student who just doesn't fit the mold. She's got an unusual family, comes from an inner city high school, and just doesn't fit the mold of the Burberry-toting girls at Vaughn. Yet Lily and Hazel develop a deep friendship that allows Lily to more deeply examine her needs and desires.
Throughout the story, Lily questions whether Vaughn is the right place for her. Both her parents went there, and they expect that she would do the same. Through Hazel's eyes, Lily begins to think that Vaughn and some of its denizens (teachers, students AND parents) are nothing more than selfish, superficial elitists. Yet through Hazel, Lily moves away from the relationships that are superficial and shallow and finds true friends. Lily becomes more and more convinced that Vaughn isn't the right place for her, and Hazel seems to be settling in more and more. It takes Visitor's Weekend and the bizarro clash between Hazel's family and Lily's family to get both girls to realize what their friendship truly is and where they truly belong.
As the school year closes and summer approaches, both Lily and Hazel must face their decisions: to return to Vaughn or not? Lily's choices are two schools that aren't really much different from Vaughn. Hazel can return to her old school, Bertram, the inner city public high school. Their shared weekend during summer vacation solidifies not only their friendship but also confirms where each girl truly belongs.
December 4, 2008
I wanted a record somewhere that I'd read this book, but I didn't want to blog about this one. For obvious reasons. This book felt disjointed and off. I don't think the author could have made this book any more confusing if she tried. After 195 pages all I know for sure is that it is a story of a teen girl, Lily, who fails at love and friendship. Okay, her failed love relationship wasn't really love. Just lust. And it is her choice completely to give up on this guy--Kells. So she's not unhappy at all about that one. The friendship. Well, the friendship failed her--not her choice at all. Lily becomes swept away in this friendship with Hazel. I don't know if Hazel is so very different from Lily or Lily so very different from Hazel or if the writer just writes really weird. But something felt psychologically off about the whole narrative. But something never felt right about this friendship--Lily was too much in awe of Hazel perhaps. I suppose one could make the argument that it's supposed to be a coming-of-age novel, that it is Lily's journey to self-discovery. That she's trying to puzzle out what she wants. And I suppose technically that is true. But it's a very odd way to go about it. Yes, Lily spends some of the time confused and a lot of the time unsure and doubting. But I had more of a so what response. I just don't get this book at all. Not even a little bit. The way this book is put together--the chunky stitching of present and past--the pacing and the delivery failed me.
June 19, 2016
Not much happens in this story, but I enjoyed the characters and the self-discovery that goes on. However, in the end, I don't know what the main character (Lily) really learned about herself, friendship and her world. The style of the book is strange and the time structure might confuse readers, but I think it's a realistic look into the difficulties of friendship.
From Booklist:
Sophomore Lily Noble is ensconced at traditional Vaughn school when punk-rockish orphan Hazel Tobias transfers into its preppy realm of beer, sex, pot, and privilege. Lily is drawn to Hazel’s unconventional life and family, and the teens quickly form a strong friendship. Koja once again explores the recurring theme that there is more to school than grades. Here, though, issues such as forming unusual friendships and pushing back against parents’ expectations become somewhat muddied in the stream-of-consciousness style and confusing flashbacks. The characters experiment with less-than-innocent behavior, but their attempts at outright teen rebellion are ultimately innocuous. The luxury-brand name-dropping is not too overwhelming, and the use of explicit language is relatively mild. Teen girls passing through a tentative dark and edgy phase will dive in and claim this book as their own. Grades 9-12.
From Booklist:
Sophomore Lily Noble is ensconced at traditional Vaughn school when punk-rockish orphan Hazel Tobias transfers into its preppy realm of beer, sex, pot, and privilege. Lily is drawn to Hazel’s unconventional life and family, and the teens quickly form a strong friendship. Koja once again explores the recurring theme that there is more to school than grades. Here, though, issues such as forming unusual friendships and pushing back against parents’ expectations become somewhat muddied in the stream-of-consciousness style and confusing flashbacks. The characters experiment with less-than-innocent behavior, but their attempts at outright teen rebellion are ultimately innocuous. The luxury-brand name-dropping is not too overwhelming, and the use of explicit language is relatively mild. Teen girls passing through a tentative dark and edgy phase will dive in and claim this book as their own. Grades 9-12.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2013
Despite the fact that this is one of Koja's lowest rated books on Goodreads (and I know that doesn't really mean anything but I still take it into account), I do think it is one of her best. If I'm not mistaken, it is her most recent YA book and you can definitely feel how modern it is.
Ok, I'm looking now and it was released in 2008, which was 5 years ago (holy crap) and actually not that long after her other books. But still, it feels different. And I think that is because she was sort of going in a new direction with this one.
Hazel was only seen through Lily's eyes but she was so defined and such a major person. Lily, on the other hand, the main character and narrator, was lacking. It felt like she was struggling to make herself appear through Hazel's personality. And as many people know, friendships do have people that are more important/acknowledged/etc.
I liked it. It was relaxed like her other books but it was different. In a good way, of course.
*Please ignore this review. I know it is bad and I need to rewrite it when I have more time.
Ok, I'm looking now and it was released in 2008, which was 5 years ago (holy crap) and actually not that long after her other books. But still, it feels different. And I think that is because she was sort of going in a new direction with this one.
Hazel was only seen through Lily's eyes but she was so defined and such a major person. Lily, on the other hand, the main character and narrator, was lacking. It felt like she was struggling to make herself appear through Hazel's personality. And as many people know, friendships do have people that are more important/acknowledged/etc.
I liked it. It was relaxed like her other books but it was different. In a good way, of course.
*Please ignore this review. I know it is bad and I need to rewrite it when I have more time.
December 29, 2008
Lily Noble has attended the exclusive Vaughn Prep School for eleven years, but the school does not seem like home to her anymore. When a new girl, Hazel, who is not "Vaughn material" arrives, Lily starts to question her identity and her relationships with her boyfriend, classmates, and parents.
Most of the characters fell into stereotypes-- Hazel's hip photographer brother and his understanding life partner, the jock boyfriend, the snobby mom, etc. The only character I felt was complicated was Lily, the protagonist-- maybe that was the point. I felt like I didn't get all of the cultural references to designers and musicians, either. ( a sure sign that I am getting older-- but hey, I know who Stella McCartney is!).
I did not see the ending coming, but I was disappointed in it. What was the purpose of building the friendship up between these two girls anyway?
There are more than a few sexual references and some pot smoking and beer drinking... Gee, I sound like a mom!
Most of the characters fell into stereotypes-- Hazel's hip photographer brother and his understanding life partner, the jock boyfriend, the snobby mom, etc. The only character I felt was complicated was Lily, the protagonist-- maybe that was the point. I felt like I didn't get all of the cultural references to designers and musicians, either. ( a sure sign that I am getting older-- but hey, I know who Stella McCartney is!).
I did not see the ending coming, but I was disappointed in it. What was the purpose of building the friendship up between these two girls anyway?
There are more than a few sexual references and some pot smoking and beer drinking... Gee, I sound like a mom!
February 21, 2009
Aww, this book was very ...nice/different/special/touching/sweet. I have never read a book in this kind of writing style, I loved it! I miss it :(
This is a wonderful story about friendship that will stay in your mind for a long time, long after you've read it.
I loved the way the author, Koja, wrote this book. She did it in such a creative way, that it made the whole book even better, I have never read another book written in this way which makes this book stand out-something I really like. (read below for more information about this)
This book is incredibly realistic and pretty easy to relate to. I enjoyed it so much I can't stop thinking about how amazing I think it is. I HIGHLY recommend this one.
Now that I think about it it, it would make a great gift for a friend and yourself of course hehe :)
I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author. She's written quite a few others and I can't wait!
This is a wonderful story about friendship that will stay in your mind for a long time, long after you've read it.
I loved the way the author, Koja, wrote this book. She did it in such a creative way, that it made the whole book even better, I have never read another book written in this way which makes this book stand out-something I really like. (read below for more information about this)
This book is incredibly realistic and pretty easy to relate to. I enjoyed it so much I can't stop thinking about how amazing I think it is. I HIGHLY recommend this one.
Now that I think about it it, it would make a great gift for a friend and yourself of course hehe :)
I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author. She's written quite a few others and I can't wait!
March 21, 2009
Summary: Lily Noble has always gone to private school. In her sophomore year, a misfit named Hazel shows up and makes Lily rethink the way she’s been doing things her whole life.
Review: The back-and-forth nature of this book took a little time for me to get used to. The chapters alternate between snippets from the beginning of the school year and the end of the year. A few times, I got confused about whether it was a “later” chapter or a “before” chapter, but I chalk that up to my own work-induced lack of sleep during the week I was reading this one.
I liked that this book doesn’t hit you over the head with what Lily’s feeling. You have to work out on your own what’s going on with her.
I also liked how Lily—who’s always just gone with the flow—finally changes course and questions the ways of her affluent world.
Not a standout for me, but still an enjoyable read.
Review: The back-and-forth nature of this book took a little time for me to get used to. The chapters alternate between snippets from the beginning of the school year and the end of the year. A few times, I got confused about whether it was a “later” chapter or a “before” chapter, but I chalk that up to my own work-induced lack of sleep during the week I was reading this one.
I liked that this book doesn’t hit you over the head with what Lily’s feeling. You have to work out on your own what’s going on with her.
I also liked how Lily—who’s always just gone with the flow—finally changes course and questions the ways of her affluent world.
Not a standout for me, but still an enjoyable read.
September 1, 2009
Not your typical boarding school tale of hook-ups and hijinx, Headlong is the story of Lily Noble, a lifer at Vaughn - a school known for its “Vaughn Virgin” social elite. Lily has always fit in with the girls at school - the pretty ones with perfect grades and wealthy families. But then Hazel comes to Vaughn on scholarship, bringing her alternative family, her hot cherry licorice, and punk-rock style. Soon Lily is drifting away from her old friends, and as she spends more time with Hazel, she comes to realize she’s never truly known herself.
This coming of age story will surprise you, with characters as malleable and honest as real teenagers, and poetic writing perfectly in touch with the experience of finding one’s identity. Headlong will stay with you long after you’ve put the book down, and it is an absolutely worthwhile experience.
This coming of age story will surprise you, with characters as malleable and honest as real teenagers, and poetic writing perfectly in touch with the experience of finding one’s identity. Headlong will stay with you long after you’ve put the book down, and it is an absolutely worthwhile experience.
January 11, 2012
One star, because 0/5 stars isn't allowed. This book was terribad. I actually got into a high speed internet arguement (that's right, I'm a bad ass with a key board) with some chick on a book club website over this. She said that this particular book wasn't the best portrayal for this author, who is apparently capable of so much more. I SAY, if she was willing to write and publish this, I want nothing to do with her (but in all seriousness, I respect all author's who follow their dreams, yadda, yadda, yadda).
It's a coming of age story about a wealthy, sheltered teenaged girl in a boarding school who befriends the schools "punk" chick, and in turn finds the strength to tell her parents to f*ck off. Although some of the imagery was pretty, I only finished it because I was expecting it to turn into lesbian literature. It didn't, and I felt cheated. >:(
It's a coming of age story about a wealthy, sheltered teenaged girl in a boarding school who befriends the schools "punk" chick, and in turn finds the strength to tell her parents to f*ck off. Although some of the imagery was pretty, I only finished it because I was expecting it to turn into lesbian literature. It didn't, and I felt cheated. >:(
March 9, 2009
Lily meets Hazel and her world changes. Lily gains new insight of the shallowness of the people around her. Unfortunately, she seems to neglect everything around her and focus all of her attention on this new person she has become. The concept of this book is very good, but it isn't effective in my mind. Much of the book could be cut out, as it is uninteresting and unimportant. Additionally, the ending frustrated me. Hazel meets the low expectations of most of the people at the Vaughn School. She fails to take the great opportunity in front of her. The reader is left with a hopeless feeling toward her situation, as even Lily gives up on her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2016
Lily has attended posh Vaughn school since pre-kindergarten. In her sophomore year, Lily's rebellion against being a perfect student and perfect daughter coincides with meeting Hazel, a new student at the school. The two girls plunge headlong into friendship as they test the limits of their emerging selves.
Lily's first person narration is occasionally interspersed with the perspective of various adults from her world, effecting a more balanced view for the reader. The boarding school setting with its cliques and pranking brings other teen novels to mind, like The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks and Looking for Alaska. Recommended.
Lily's first person narration is occasionally interspersed with the perspective of various adults from her world, effecting a more balanced view for the reader. The boarding school setting with its cliques and pranking brings other teen novels to mind, like The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks and Looking for Alaska. Recommended.
January 10, 2009
This book is a tough call for me. I liked it, but I found it annoying too. Lily is a cardboard character in many ways - she is just too similar to the protagonists in other books I have read lately. Hazel is problematic too. Instead of being different, she translates to stereotyped for me. And neither one of them went anywhere. They started to, but then both ended up the same. That is realistic in many ways, but doesn't make for good reading.
April 29, 2009
I thought the way the timeline worked in this book was interesting. There's one chapter from June (end of the school year), one from September (beginning). The chapters move through the school year forwards and we continue to hear about June. Except that I thought there would be a bigger reveal somewhere in the middle. That would have made it a better book.
August 6, 2010
First off, the way this story is told confused me for a while. Flashing back to the past and then to the present messed up the story's chain of events. The plot is boring most of the time and only vaguely interesting at others. We've seen all these characters before in some form or another. The ending was pointless, with a bunch of buildup to a disappointing conclusion.
March 3, 2011
The book seemed confusing at some times. I didn't really understand why some of the parts were included in the book. It was interesting following through seeing where Lily's life was during certain months then going back to the summer, yet when it first started doing that I had no idea what was going on. But all in all, I actually did enjoy the book.
January 11, 2013
Headlong was an uninteresting read. The whole story just felt a bit off. For example, it is supposed to be a coming of age story, and is ablout lily noble realizing who she truly is, but iut just came across like the author was trying too hard. If you want a coming of age novel, search further.
I reccommend this book to any readers of The Clique, or Pretty Little Liars.
I reccommend this book to any readers of The Clique, or Pretty Little Liars.
December 14, 2008
The situations at the private school didn't seem completely authentic to me... I did like the structure of the book, though, and the relationship between Hazel and Lily; this is a great book about friendship.
February 3, 2009
I'm not usually much for boarding school books, but I couldn't resist the jacket copy on this. And I'm glad I didn't. It's written with a breathless immediacy that rings true and overcomes some odd plot holes. I liked it. A lot.
December 19, 2008
There's no doubt that Kathe Koja writes beautifully, but this plot is so whisper thin and obvious that I found it impossible to care about the characters or what happened.
February 1, 2009
It was ok...I kept waiting for somthing REALLY BIG to happen, but it never really did--if anything happened, it was extremely subtle.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2009
This book is good but disappointing...
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