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The Queen of Cool
On the outside, Libby Brin is the most popular girl in school. But on the inside, Libby is dying — of boredom. In a moment of desperation, Libby signs up for an internship at the Los Angeles Zoo, much to the dismay of her friends, who’d prefer she spend her time with them, shopping, partying, and making fun of everyone else. Oddly, Libby realizes that she actually enjoys her new job and that she may even like the two "nerds" she works with. Will the Queen of Cool be forced to give up her crown?
176 pages, Hardcover
First published February 14, 2006
About the author
Cecil Castellucci
211 books723 followersCecil Castellucci is an author of young adult novels and comic books. Titles include Boy Proof, The Year of the Beasts (illustrated by Nate Powell), First Day on Earth, Rose Sees Red, Beige, The Queen of Cool The Plain Janes and Janes in Love (illustrated by Jim Rugg), Tin Star Stone in the Sky, Odd Duck (illustrated by Sara Varon) and Star Wars: Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure.
Her short stories have been published in various places including Black Clock, The Rattling Wall, Tor.com, Strange Horizons, Apex Magazine and can be found in such anthologies such as After, Teeth, Truth & Dare, The Eternal Kiss, Sideshow and Interfictions 2 and the anthology, which she co-edited, Geektastic.
She is the recipient of the California Book Award Gold Medal for her picture book Grandma's Gloves, illustrated by Julia Denos, the Shuster Award for Best Canadian Comic Book Writer for The Plain Janes and the Sunburst Award for Tin Star. The Year of the Beasts was a finalist for the PEN USA literary award and Odd Duck was Eisner nominated.
She splits her time between the heart and the head and lives north and south of everything. Her hands are small. And she likes you very much.
Her short stories have been published in various places including Black Clock, The Rattling Wall, Tor.com, Strange Horizons, Apex Magazine and can be found in such anthologies such as After, Teeth, Truth & Dare, The Eternal Kiss, Sideshow and Interfictions 2 and the anthology, which she co-edited, Geektastic.
She is the recipient of the California Book Award Gold Medal for her picture book Grandma's Gloves, illustrated by Julia Denos, the Shuster Award for Best Canadian Comic Book Writer for The Plain Janes and the Sunburst Award for Tin Star. The Year of the Beasts was a finalist for the PEN USA literary award and Odd Duck was Eisner nominated.
She splits her time between the heart and the head and lives north and south of everything. Her hands are small. And she likes you very much.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
September 18, 2021
This is to me a perfect YA novel. A girl who thinks she has it all, and has it all figured out, realizes slowly that maybe she doesn't. And also: maybe other people, even adults, don't have it together, either. What to do, what to do? I really loved Libby's growth as a person, along with the realness of her friends, especially Tina and yes: Perla.
December 26, 2012
THE CHRISTMAS WEEK FAMILY READ
Continuing my completist reading of Cecil Castellucci's novels. The Queen of Cool is her second after Boy Proof.
I didn't love this one as much but it has highlights. Libby Brin is #1 popular girl at school. She is spoiled at home: even when she rarely gets grounded, she gets out of it. She has her own car, a huge wardrobe, and all the requisite toys. Her boyfriend's mind resides in a lower body organ than his brain or heart.
She lives in Los Angeles and (highlight) stumbles into an internship at the LA Zoo. I admit, I always enjoy books set in LA since I live here. At the zoo she has to work with Tiny, a "Little Person" and Sheldon, a science geek, two people at the extreme bottom of the coolness rating.
Naturally her eyes are opened to the shallowness of her existence. I have nothing against midgets or geeks but the message that they are people too was a bit off-putting in its preachiness.
I did enjoy watching a female teen realize that life includes more than clothes, parties, cars, and gossip. The biggest highlight was a novel for teens that admits to the amount of drinking, drug use, and sex going on in high school.
Continuing my completist reading of Cecil Castellucci's novels. The Queen of Cool is her second after Boy Proof.
I didn't love this one as much but it has highlights. Libby Brin is #1 popular girl at school. She is spoiled at home: even when she rarely gets grounded, she gets out of it. She has her own car, a huge wardrobe, and all the requisite toys. Her boyfriend's mind resides in a lower body organ than his brain or heart.
She lives in Los Angeles and (highlight) stumbles into an internship at the LA Zoo. I admit, I always enjoy books set in LA since I live here. At the zoo she has to work with Tiny, a "Little Person" and Sheldon, a science geek, two people at the extreme bottom of the coolness rating.
Naturally her eyes are opened to the shallowness of her existence. I have nothing against midgets or geeks but the message that they are people too was a bit off-putting in its preachiness.
I did enjoy watching a female teen realize that life includes more than clothes, parties, cars, and gossip. The biggest highlight was a novel for teens that admits to the amount of drinking, drug use, and sex going on in high school.
June 30, 2011
I bumped this book up to the top of my to-read list because of a recent complaint from a library patron. She confiscated it from her 13-year-old because it has a hand job and the word f--k 3 times in the first few chapters. But other than that, I found this book pretty tame compared to what else is out there for the YA set. There's no explicit descriptions of sexual acts, just references to them, and the f-word doesn't show up again until almost the end of the book. The book's plot centers around a teenage "cool" girl who starts to realize that it's much more cool to be passionate about something, rather than be blase about everything. She ends up seeking out her interests (even though they might be "uncool") and ditching her boring, predictable friends.
So even though there is some controversial material here, I think the book's message of following your passion trumps the light sprinkling of curse words and hand jobs. I would still recommend it for 9th grade and up.
Still, it led me to create a "cursing" shelf, on which I will place books with anything above the ass/bitch/damn/piss level.
So even though there is some controversial material here, I think the book's message of following your passion trumps the light sprinkling of curse words and hand jobs. I would still recommend it for 9th grade and up.
Still, it led me to create a "cursing" shelf, on which I will place books with anything above the ass/bitch/damn/piss level.
September 1, 2009
Cecil Castellucci is an author that had only recently bleeped on the Persnickety Snark radar via the fantastic Beige. Queen of Cool falls into a trio of novels that Castelucci fondly calls her LA Trilogy though the books are independent of one another bar setting and girls realising they aren’t who they thought they were.
Castellucci is an author that is easy to gravitate and attach yourself to. She’s brilliant at telling contemporary fish-out-of-water teen tales. Considerably shorter than Beige, Queen of Cool tells Libby’s story. She’s one of those popular girls who is bored out of her vacant little brain. It’s not surprising that she’s bored when she’s apparently using 0.01% of her brain capacity to get her fellow students to follow stupid crazes ( e.g. pencil day, pyjamas day) just to inspire some spark in her life. So with little enthusiasm, Libby joins the Zoo’s intern program and is forced to spend time with Tina (a dwarf), Shelton (acne sufferer) and a myriad of exotic animals.
Unfortunately this small tome is a little forced. The “new” friends are at the extremes of teen society and Libby’s evolution comes across a little forced and simple. The conclusion of the book sees Libby about to make the jump to actually trying in her life. In a way this book is all about those signposts we have in life that change is necessary. Unfortunately there were a few too many signposts and not enough self-awareness in the character for me. Had this book been longer and contained more development with the secondary characters floating around it would have been more than a surface read.
Castellucci is an author that is easy to gravitate and attach yourself to. She’s brilliant at telling contemporary fish-out-of-water teen tales. Considerably shorter than Beige, Queen of Cool tells Libby’s story. She’s one of those popular girls who is bored out of her vacant little brain. It’s not surprising that she’s bored when she’s apparently using 0.01% of her brain capacity to get her fellow students to follow stupid crazes ( e.g. pencil day, pyjamas day) just to inspire some spark in her life. So with little enthusiasm, Libby joins the Zoo’s intern program and is forced to spend time with Tina (a dwarf), Shelton (acne sufferer) and a myriad of exotic animals.
Unfortunately this small tome is a little forced. The “new” friends are at the extremes of teen society and Libby’s evolution comes across a little forced and simple. The conclusion of the book sees Libby about to make the jump to actually trying in her life. In a way this book is all about those signposts we have in life that change is necessary. Unfortunately there were a few too many signposts and not enough self-awareness in the character for me. Had this book been longer and contained more development with the secondary characters floating around it would have been more than a surface read.
June 11, 2013
This book is horrible. It is all about getting drunk underage and cursing and boyfriends cheating on girlfriends and that sort of stuff. in one part of the book the parents by beer for libby and her friends, even though they're all under 21. seriously, don't waste your time trying to read this. it took me a few hours when i could have been doing something productive. to the author: why even bother to write a book like this?
June 9, 2022
I liked this book. It was a quick and easy read for me and I enjoyed the way Libby narrated the story.
September 18, 2009
This book has been sitting on my shelf since 2006 - and I'm not even sure where I got it from. It is slim book and I totally forgot about it even being on the bookshelf until I was going through books to take with me when I move downstate. I found this one right next to Boy Proof, Castellucci's first novel, and was intrigued by the summary on the book. It helped that this book is pretty short, but I completely devoured this book. I had forgotten how much I loved Castellucci's writing and story telling!
Libby, as expected, was a snobby rich girl at the beginning of the novel. Despite that, I found that there was something I liked about her. I think everyone can relate in a least a small part to the feelings Libby has about the monotony of the same friends and meaningless activities day after day. It really is Libby's transformations and the lessons she learns that make the book though.
I really enjoyed many of the minor characters in the book, including Tina, Sheldon, and Sid. I wish that there was continuation of this book just so that I wouldn't have to give these amazing characters up! Tina was one of the most inspiring characters I've ever had the pleasure of reading - she was so strong and confident in herself despite overwhelming adversity and judgement!
I thought the zoo internship was an interesting idea. Having Libby become a better observer and a hard worker played a big role in her changes throughout the book. Plus, zoos are awesome! :)
Ratings (out of 10):
Plot: 10
Characters: 10
Writing style: 10
Romance: 10
Originality: 10
Total: 50/50 (A!)
The Queen of Cool was a 2006 release, but if you missed it you should definitely check it out! I really shouldn't have waited until now to read it. Cecil Castelucci is a wonderfully talented writer...
Libby, as expected, was a snobby rich girl at the beginning of the novel. Despite that, I found that there was something I liked about her. I think everyone can relate in a least a small part to the feelings Libby has about the monotony of the same friends and meaningless activities day after day. It really is Libby's transformations and the lessons she learns that make the book though.
I really enjoyed many of the minor characters in the book, including Tina, Sheldon, and Sid. I wish that there was continuation of this book just so that I wouldn't have to give these amazing characters up! Tina was one of the most inspiring characters I've ever had the pleasure of reading - she was so strong and confident in herself despite overwhelming adversity and judgement!
I thought the zoo internship was an interesting idea. Having Libby become a better observer and a hard worker played a big role in her changes throughout the book. Plus, zoos are awesome! :)
Ratings (out of 10):
Plot: 10
Characters: 10
Writing style: 10
Romance: 10
Originality: 10
Total: 50/50 (A!)
The Queen of Cool was a 2006 release, but if you missed it you should definitely check it out! I really shouldn't have waited until now to read it. Cecil Castelucci is a wonderfully talented writer...
December 5, 2012
The Queen of Cool is a realistic fiction novel. Libby Brin. She is the most popular girl, the best clothes, the hottest boyfriend , and the hippest friends. Even though Libby has the most easygoing parents. She is dying of boredom. Then, one day she surprises everyone, including herself. She signs up for a internship at the Los Angles Zoo. Her friends start to think she is becoming a loser because Libby becomes friends with Tina (aka "Tiny"), and Sheldon. Libby realizes that the Zoo is more fun then her real friends. How will she stay queen of cool and be friends with the most popular friends she had?
The books strengths are how the characters react to how the story is placed out like when Kenji and Perla jumps over the fence of a exhibit that is not in use. They say "Come on,Libby." I know the feeling of should I go or should I stay. I know the feeling of I did the wrong idea or I did the right thing. I know the feeling of the wondering, thinking, and the butterflies in your stomach.
I like the author's writing style because it keeps me on my edge of my seat the whole time. Overall I like this book and I would recommend this book to a lot of people!
The books strengths are how the characters react to how the story is placed out like when Kenji and Perla jumps over the fence of a exhibit that is not in use. They say "Come on,Libby." I know the feeling of should I go or should I stay. I know the feeling of I did the wrong idea or I did the right thing. I know the feeling of the wondering, thinking, and the butterflies in your stomach.
I like the author's writing style because it keeps me on my edge of my seat the whole time. Overall I like this book and I would recommend this book to a lot of people!
March 25, 2009
While a quick read, a day tops, "The Queen of Cool" characters have little redeeming qualities or personalities. Libby Brin, the hippest in her school and looked up to by many, soon becomes bored with the label and self-destructive. Inappopriate sexual acts, excessive drinking, and a lack of concern for anybody's feelings make her quite unlikeable. Castelluci tries to make this self-absorbed teen a bit more rounded by tossing in a zoo internship, entirely out of character, but the main character is little changed by this experience and the book ends with the promise of her embarking on a big change in her outlook and attitude. Perhaps a sequel is in store? Were "popular" people in high school this insecure and uninteresting behind the 'cool' facade?
March 22, 2012
I actually did not like this book as much as I wanted to like it. I didn't like the writing style or the main character. I know she's supposed to be this stuck up popular girl but I never really felt like she really changed or learned much. I guess she learned something but I'm sure she's still the judgmental popular girl that will always judge people even if it's not to their face. Even the other characters such as Tina were not likeable and judgmental themselves even if not outright. I just didn't care for the book.
January 22, 2014
Awesome. This book is about Libby Brin who is the all around cool girl. She has the top line friends, fashion, boyfriend, but something more is missing. Libby group of friends is the wrong crowd. They make fun of a girl named Tina. Libby is a B student she gets whatever she wants from her father even when her mother disapproves. She she thinks she has everything until she signs up for an internship for the local zoo. She ends up working with Tina and Sheldon who, by her standards are losers.
May 3, 2010
I felt like this book was made for 13 year olds who have sticks up their butts. In this book, the main girl was very snobby. And not very smart. She becomes friends with new people, but that's it. Not that great of a moral. Or a storyline. She goes to work at a zoo. Whoop de doop. Not very good. I suggest this book for pre-teens. I mean, it could seem really bad to me because i'm 17, and i'm not young enough to think this is a really cool book, but whatever. I didn't like it.
July 9, 2014
I got this book thinking 'hey this'll be a good book to read in my spare time" but I was soooooooo wrong. This book was so gross and inappropriate for my taste. Some people may like this book but I kind of hated most of it. I liked certain tiny parts but other then that it was down the drain.
January 22, 2022
Overall Rating: 3/5
Short Chapter Rating: 5/5
This is a fun, quick read. Super short chapters for the win!! And great for anyone looking for a lighthearted story, light on character development.
Libby is a cool girl, but discovering that maybe she wants more than a superficial life.
I didn’t love all the characters nor how her parent’s parented (🙄) but I think it was the point.
Is this book for you? If you like YA novels, want a quick and easy read, are a teenager, don’t mind spoiled brats...then give this book a go!
Short Chapter Rating: 5/5
This is a fun, quick read. Super short chapters for the win!! And great for anyone looking for a lighthearted story, light on character development.
Libby is a cool girl, but discovering that maybe she wants more than a superficial life.
I didn’t love all the characters nor how her parent’s parented (🙄) but I think it was the point.
Is this book for you? If you like YA novels, want a quick and easy read, are a teenager, don’t mind spoiled brats...then give this book a go!
September 23, 2021
This book was mercifully short. I'm usually a fan of YA, but this isn't one that I'd recommend.
February 27, 2025
Fun little read
November 11, 2025
A lovely slow burn about finding one's self.
April 30, 2014
In the book Queen Of Cool by Cecile Castellucci. Libby Brin is the queen of the school, her life isnt very interesting until and she decides to change that by doing the unexpected.
The book shows how many high schools deal with drugs, sex and drama. Libby's life begins to change when she signs up for an internship. Her partners are not what she expected but she soon realizes there not as bad as she thought.Her friends don't approve of her new vision in life. They use the queen bee of the school and made her into someone that she never expected to be. This book is full of real life situations, there is romance in the story but not enough to make the book categorized romance. The book was okay, honestly at first I thought the beginning of the book was stupid but after a couple of pages I realized that the book was nothing compared to the others I've read.
The book is honestly boring at some parts because there's not enough drama or actions happening, her decisions are really retarded and it pisses me off! I just want to scream at her for being so stupid. Maybe if this book had a big romance scenes then it would be more interesting but the book is short and just gets straight to the point. The writer starts off with giving a small demonstration of her everyday life then throughout the book the author starts to write about how this cool girl becomes a loser. I'm like what ?! But it portrays a change in society of how your social status does not make you, you.
I like having mysteries in my mind but this book doesn't make you have that. This book could have had more description in the setting, the plot could have also been better because it wasn’t interesting. The plot rarely had mysteries and when it did I already knew how the answer it was too predictable!!!!
If your into a cliche or that sorta thing, then this is a book for you. But if you're not I would not recommend this book for you it was too predictable by the first page I already knew the ending because of the blurb. You shouldn't waste your time reading this book I would give it 3 stars because of how the characters are different and and have personalities you can relate to but other then that this book was not that good.
January 5, 2012
The Queen of Cool is one of Cecil Castellucci’s three LA-novels. Just like Boy Proof and Beige, it is set in Los Angeles, and follows a particular ‘scene’ in the city of Angels. This time, the angle is more science-related as the main character decided to do an internship at the Los Angeles Zoo, in an attempt to change her life(style) and find what’s lacking in her life.
Libby Brin is an IT-girl. She has the coolest friends, she throws the greatest parties, she is a natural born leader at her local high school. She leads, and others follow… And yet, she is bored beyond belief – an all too often symptom of contemporary teenhood. The fact that this happens to the queen of cool, the girl who has it all, is of course ironic, but not that strange if you consider the two other volumes of this LA-trilogy. Also in Boy Proof and in Beige, Castellucci related how a teenager – whatever their background – can suddenly find out that they just aren’t who they are supposed to be, and she sets them on course to become who they really are.
With minimal, sparse prose, this book yet again comes over as an ‘easy read’, and yet again, there are some great life lessons, that any teenager can identify with: how to withstand peer pressure, how to be different despite the fact you may become estranged from your previous friends. After all, adolescence is probably the most defining time in a person’s emotional and psychological development. And Cecil Castellucci has a keen insight in the teen mind, but the three novels actually have a ‘universal’ message: do not be afraid to be who you are. Kudos to Cecil Castellucci!
PS. The cat can’t but think that the name Libby Brin might have been inspired by a certain NY author whose husband is mentioned in the acknowledgment as Castellucci’s agent… I’m just guessing here, but is the life lesson that Libby experienced one that is applicable to writers and the writing community?
http://ringothecat.wordpress.com/
Libby Brin is an IT-girl. She has the coolest friends, she throws the greatest parties, she is a natural born leader at her local high school. She leads, and others follow… And yet, she is bored beyond belief – an all too often symptom of contemporary teenhood. The fact that this happens to the queen of cool, the girl who has it all, is of course ironic, but not that strange if you consider the two other volumes of this LA-trilogy. Also in Boy Proof and in Beige, Castellucci related how a teenager – whatever their background – can suddenly find out that they just aren’t who they are supposed to be, and she sets them on course to become who they really are.
With minimal, sparse prose, this book yet again comes over as an ‘easy read’, and yet again, there are some great life lessons, that any teenager can identify with: how to withstand peer pressure, how to be different despite the fact you may become estranged from your previous friends. After all, adolescence is probably the most defining time in a person’s emotional and psychological development. And Cecil Castellucci has a keen insight in the teen mind, but the three novels actually have a ‘universal’ message: do not be afraid to be who you are. Kudos to Cecil Castellucci!
PS. The cat can’t but think that the name Libby Brin might have been inspired by a certain NY author whose husband is mentioned in the acknowledgment as Castellucci’s agent… I’m just guessing here, but is the life lesson that Libby experienced one that is applicable to writers and the writing community?
http://ringothecat.wordpress.com/
February 16, 2008
I HEART CECIL CASTELLUCCI! I love this book. Libby's cool clique rules the school, but Libby is bored out of her mind. She signs up for a zoo internship to stop her mind from unraveling, meets different people, and finds a way to get away from the zombies.
"There are these crabs in the ocean," I begin. "They get into a fisherman's net, and they're too stupid to get out. They just can't figure it out. But every once in a while, one crab figures out how to escape, and the other crabs go crazy and pull it back into the net; they pull its arms and legs off because they just don't want it to leave."
This particular novel plays up to Castellucci's strength of describing thoughts and attitude, then showing how it motivates action. Sex is mentioned without that "after-school special" aura, and the details are fairly oblique (definitely not a how-to manual). This is good for parents who aren't in denial about their teens' sex drive, but hopefully have discussed it frankly. It's unclear if Libby goes all the way as no mention of birth control or contraceptives are mentioned, so don't hand this over to a virgin just let loose from the convent or military school.
One criticism I have about it is the lack of depth in the adult characters. Castellucci's writing is not flowery or terribly descriptive about settings, so it's good that she keeps the narrative trucking along at steady pace. Definitely the best out of the novels I've read so far ("Boy Proof" & "Beige"), but "Plain Janes" still rules my heart.
"There are these crabs in the ocean," I begin. "They get into a fisherman's net, and they're too stupid to get out. They just can't figure it out. But every once in a while, one crab figures out how to escape, and the other crabs go crazy and pull it back into the net; they pull its arms and legs off because they just don't want it to leave."
This particular novel plays up to Castellucci's strength of describing thoughts and attitude, then showing how it motivates action. Sex is mentioned without that "after-school special" aura, and the details are fairly oblique (definitely not a how-to manual). This is good for parents who aren't in denial about their teens' sex drive, but hopefully have discussed it frankly. It's unclear if Libby goes all the way as no mention of birth control or contraceptives are mentioned, so don't hand this over to a virgin just let loose from the convent or military school.
One criticism I have about it is the lack of depth in the adult characters. Castellucci's writing is not flowery or terribly descriptive about settings, so it's good that she keeps the narrative trucking along at steady pace. Definitely the best out of the novels I've read so far ("Boy Proof" & "Beige"), but "Plain Janes" still rules my heart.
June 21, 2009
I really enjoyed this book. It surprised me in many ways. I'd never read anything by Cecil Castellucci before, but I know a bit about her (I almost interviewed her once, then decided I couldn't take the time to do the interview justice) and expected her main characters to be kind of hipstery thrift shoppers with cool glasses and entertainingly affected speech patterns. You know, the kind of people I like to have as friends. Instead, I found out that the Queen of Cool was ACTUALLY, you know, cool, like, popular-kid cool. At first I was disappointed, but as I read on, it was really refreshing. There are tons of teen books about not fitting in, not being part of the popular crowd, being a nerd and a loser (and let's face it, the book-reading population probably skews heavily towards the less "glamorous" kids - I know I was horribly unglamorous as a middle and high schooler except for the few times I tried really hard, when I was fabulous) but you don't get many books from the popular girl's perspective. It's always nice to be reminded that, oh yeah, popular kids are people too. And then, it's also nice to read about all the stuff "cool" kids do that you didn't and not feel like you were actually missing anything at all by being unpopular, because you gave your friends silly awards and did absurd fashion shows from your childhood dress-up box with the boys who were your friends and invented silly games and generally made your own fun. A good, fast, fun read. I recommend it.
May 11, 2008
Reviewed by Dena Landon for TeensReadToo.com
Libby Brin is the popular girl. She has the right friends, the right clothes, and goes to all the right parties. Where she leads, the school follows, from "pencil day" to "funny walk day." But she's hiding a deep, dark secret. She's bored. No matter what she does, she doesn't feel alive. Which might explain the temporary insanity that causes her to sign up for an internship...at the zoo. When she's assigned to a team with two of the biggest losers in school she worries that her life as the Queen of Cool might be over.
In this light-hearted and funny novel, Castelluci explores typical teenage themes--finding yourself, and discovering what true friendship means--in her usual frank and honest style. Her prose is sparse, with no extra words or long descriptions, and short chapters make for a quick read. She unflinchingly portrays the reality of teenage life, from drinking at parties, to making out with boys, with a non-judgemental attitude that lets the reader draw their own conclusions about Libby's actions. Readers will be able to relate to Libby's struggles to feel like she belongs as she's changing and learning new things about herself, and growing away from friends she's had her whole life.
Recommended, especially for older, reluctant teen readers.
Libby Brin is the popular girl. She has the right friends, the right clothes, and goes to all the right parties. Where she leads, the school follows, from "pencil day" to "funny walk day." But she's hiding a deep, dark secret. She's bored. No matter what she does, she doesn't feel alive. Which might explain the temporary insanity that causes her to sign up for an internship...at the zoo. When she's assigned to a team with two of the biggest losers in school she worries that her life as the Queen of Cool might be over.
In this light-hearted and funny novel, Castelluci explores typical teenage themes--finding yourself, and discovering what true friendship means--in her usual frank and honest style. Her prose is sparse, with no extra words or long descriptions, and short chapters make for a quick read. She unflinchingly portrays the reality of teenage life, from drinking at parties, to making out with boys, with a non-judgemental attitude that lets the reader draw their own conclusions about Libby's actions. Readers will be able to relate to Libby's struggles to feel like she belongs as she's changing and learning new things about herself, and growing away from friends she's had her whole life.
Recommended, especially for older, reluctant teen readers.
December 17, 2015
Lauren Kapral #16
Libby is the queen of the school. She's got it all and is the most popular girl in school. When Libby finds herself bored and doesn't see where her life is taking her, she decides to work at a zoo. Not only does she take on this 'dirty' job, but she works with two of the most unpopular kids in school. Her friends begin to look down at her, and she is left to make a decision. Libby is forced to choose between her life at the zoo or her title as queen.
I have mixed emotions about this text. This was the second time I've read it, and I can honestly say I remember enjoying it much more when I read it the first time in 7th grade. There was little character development and the story line was very stereotypical. With that being said, high school is a very stereotypical place, so I think it is a relevant and relatable text for teenagers to read. It deals with a lot of issues dealing with drugs, alcohol, and other forms of peer pressure. The one thing that confused me most was how it was written for early middle schoolers, but was about late high schoolers. I thought it was introducing a few of the issues at a bit of an early age, but then again, these are the kinds of things middle schoolers and high schoolers enjoy. I am glad I re-read it in my 20's so I could compare on contrast my relationship with the text.
Libby is the queen of the school. She's got it all and is the most popular girl in school. When Libby finds herself bored and doesn't see where her life is taking her, she decides to work at a zoo. Not only does she take on this 'dirty' job, but she works with two of the most unpopular kids in school. Her friends begin to look down at her, and she is left to make a decision. Libby is forced to choose between her life at the zoo or her title as queen.
I have mixed emotions about this text. This was the second time I've read it, and I can honestly say I remember enjoying it much more when I read it the first time in 7th grade. There was little character development and the story line was very stereotypical. With that being said, high school is a very stereotypical place, so I think it is a relevant and relatable text for teenagers to read. It deals with a lot of issues dealing with drugs, alcohol, and other forms of peer pressure. The one thing that confused me most was how it was written for early middle schoolers, but was about late high schoolers. I thought it was introducing a few of the issues at a bit of an early age, but then again, these are the kinds of things middle schoolers and high schoolers enjoy. I am glad I re-read it in my 20's so I could compare on contrast my relationship with the text.
July 28, 2010
Remember back in the high school days of what you thought cool was and those who were considered cool did you ever wonder about them or what they did or what problems they may have faced in life? Libby Brin is the cool girl. She has a wild character, panache and even seems courageous. Her life seems free from too much attention from parents or even teachers. She seems as if she could do or have anything in her life without major consequences.
Yet, life isn't always so carefree for her, inside of herself she is looking to be different or to feel something, anything really. She is oblivious to how cool she seems to others yet understands that she is popular. Her view of herself isn't the same as those around her and what they think of her. She has to make choices, although they didn't always seem significant enough in general, they were tough for her. A reality check comes into play a little bit for her when she is highly encouraged by a teacher to sign up for volunteering at the Zoo. This is where life gets a bit interesting for her and she meets teens from her class who are often the brunt of a lot of jokes.
More here on the blog.
Yet, life isn't always so carefree for her, inside of herself she is looking to be different or to feel something, anything really. She is oblivious to how cool she seems to others yet understands that she is popular. Her view of herself isn't the same as those around her and what they think of her. She has to make choices, although they didn't always seem significant enough in general, they were tough for her. A reality check comes into play a little bit for her when she is highly encouraged by a teacher to sign up for volunteering at the Zoo. This is where life gets a bit interesting for her and she meets teens from her class who are often the brunt of a lot of jokes.
More here on the blog.
December 28, 2013
Anyway , back to the point... *mentally slaps myself* I thought this book was interesting. I lately realized I have a habit of judging books by it's covers, and that is something you shouldn't do. I mean, I don't do it when it comes to people - just books. Sort of like Libby. Do you see where I'm getting here? If yes, double high five! If not, I can't really explain things, so I don't blame ya'.
Libby Brin is the Queen Of Cool . She has the best friends, the talent of throwing the best parties, etc. Her life is perfect . I mean, she doesn't even get exactly grounded ! That's a pretty cool life, am I right?
Unfortunately, she still thinks her life is boring. Her friends only talk about themselves, yada yada. One day, when she signs up for an internship at a local zoo out of haste, and befriend the others that are in it with her, will she lose her crown?
June 18, 2008
Libby is one of the popular kids at school, but she's dissatisfied, bored of everything including her popular friends and her own popularity. On a whim, she signs up for an internship at the zoo, where she is mortified to be working with an astronomy nerd (who wants to be an exobiologist) and a little person, Tina ("Tiny"), who her group has always mocked.
This book has what I love from Cecil Castellucci: the conviction that teenagers can be awesome people when they have goals and useful things to do, the conviction that creativity and art and science and craftsmanship and hard work are at least as important and interesting as who is kissing who, the sharp observation of human nature and social situations. Libby's makeover isn't too fast or too dramatic; she wanders around for much of the book bored and restless and sick of herself, as annoyed with the cool people as the uncool people and with no idea what to do about it. But in comparison with Castellucci's other books, I thought this one was a little thin and shallow.
A weak(er) Castellucci book is still nothing to sneeze at. Absorbing and enjoyable.
This book has what I love from Cecil Castellucci: the conviction that teenagers can be awesome people when they have goals and useful things to do, the conviction that creativity and art and science and craftsmanship and hard work are at least as important and interesting as who is kissing who, the sharp observation of human nature and social situations. Libby's makeover isn't too fast or too dramatic; she wanders around for much of the book bored and restless and sick of herself, as annoyed with the cool people as the uncool people and with no idea what to do about it. But in comparison with Castellucci's other books, I thought this one was a little thin and shallow.
A weak(er) Castellucci book is still nothing to sneeze at. Absorbing and enjoyable.
May 4, 2012
Meet Libby Brin. She has everything - she in the 'IN' crowd at school, she has academic success without even really trying. She has friends, and status and clothes, and yet she realizes she is bored out of her skull. Her life seems to be perfect but inside she is screaming. Then in a moment of personal insanity she signs up for an internship at the Los Angeles Zoo. She gets paired with Tina (aka Tiny), a little person, and Sheldon the school geek. Each day her life seems to be getting less and less satisfying. The only thing she is really enjoying is her job at the Zoo, but her clique mocks it and keeps pressuring her to quit. This second book in Cecil Castellucci's LA Trilogy is a lot about relationships, a little about science, and about what is true friendship. It follows Boy Proof and is followed by Beige. Well-written and entertaining, this book will transport you back to high school and maybe help you to challenge your underlying thinking and approach to life. Castelluci has a flowing style of writing; she captures the nuances of a person who is learning to be, or learning to be good at being. I know that her books are among those I will read again and again.
October 17, 2013
I started reading this book quite casually and didn't really expect anything out of it. I didn't read any review prior to it either. But turned out I liked it.
It started off as a little bit boring. I thought it was just another fluffy teen fiction where the characters thought they were just too cool to care about anything. It also started that way with Libby and her friends; they were the cool crowd, they started the new trends in school, they hated everything else and Libby was always bored. I didn't connect to the characters but after Libby had signed up for the internship at the zoo, she started to compare her crowd to the other people whom they thought was uncool before. And before I knew it, I found myself starting to take interest in the Libby character. She was the leader of the cool crowd, she started the trends at school and people followed it, she didn't take anything seriously but her volunteering at the zoo made her realize about things she didn't take notice before.
The story was about Libby discovering her true identity and what friendship really was. It was a light read and told me what it's like to be a teenager again.
It started off as a little bit boring. I thought it was just another fluffy teen fiction where the characters thought they were just too cool to care about anything. It also started that way with Libby and her friends; they were the cool crowd, they started the new trends in school, they hated everything else and Libby was always bored. I didn't connect to the characters but after Libby had signed up for the internship at the zoo, she started to compare her crowd to the other people whom they thought was uncool before. And before I knew it, I found myself starting to take interest in the Libby character. She was the leader of the cool crowd, she started the trends at school and people followed it, she didn't take anything seriously but her volunteering at the zoo made her realize about things she didn't take notice before.
The story was about Libby discovering her true identity and what friendship really was. It was a light read and told me what it's like to be a teenager again.
Read
July 15, 2012I spent a very long time reading this book but that's no fault of the author or the book or anything like that. It wasn't hard to get through and really I've found to really relate to Libby, the main character in the book.
Even though I was never really the most popular kid in school this book sort of has given me a renewed realization of the fact that really, it shouldn't matter how cool your friends are. Just that they're real friends to you. That you enjoy being around them and trust them.
And you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone.
And you can always fix your situation. Don't like your situation? F* it. You can change it. You can do anything. Fail, but you can still do anything.
I feel if I would have read this without so many month(s) long breaks in between I would have gotten really emotional by the end to be honest.
Sorry I stink at reviews but I thought I'd write something.
Even though I was never really the most popular kid in school this book sort of has given me a renewed realization of the fact that really, it shouldn't matter how cool your friends are. Just that they're real friends to you. That you enjoy being around them and trust them.
And you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone.
And you can always fix your situation. Don't like your situation? F* it. You can change it. You can do anything. Fail, but you can still do anything.
I feel if I would have read this without so many month(s) long breaks in between I would have gotten really emotional by the end to be honest.
Sorry I stink at reviews but I thought I'd write something.
July 13, 2014
Wow! This book was surprisingly good.
I think I bought this book when I was in middle school and it has been sitting on my shelf untouched since. Now I finally got around to reading it and it was amazing. From the plot summary, it sounds like just another teenage reform story, but it is so much more.
It's a quick read but definitely worth it. Castellucci delves into the lives of teenagers and touches on issues that aren't expressed as often in books for teens, like feeling depressed or trying to figure out how other people see the world.
The main character is flat-out a complete jerk, but by having such an unlikable character Castellucci is able to form a caricature of the teenage mind: selfish, rebellious, fearful of not fitting in, just figuring out the world. This was such an amazing book. And while the ending is a little too happily-ever-after for my taste, the message was definitely powerful.
I think I bought this book when I was in middle school and it has been sitting on my shelf untouched since. Now I finally got around to reading it and it was amazing. From the plot summary, it sounds like just another teenage reform story, but it is so much more.
It's a quick read but definitely worth it. Castellucci delves into the lives of teenagers and touches on issues that aren't expressed as often in books for teens, like feeling depressed or trying to figure out how other people see the world.
The main character is flat-out a complete jerk, but by having such an unlikable character Castellucci is able to form a caricature of the teenage mind: selfish, rebellious, fearful of not fitting in, just figuring out the world. This was such an amazing book. And while the ending is a little too happily-ever-after for my taste, the message was definitely powerful.
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