I, Lorelei

by Yeardley Smith

Lorelei Connelly is no ordinary eleven-year-old. She's practical and a forward thinker. When her favorite cat, Mud, dies, she starts a journal to him, chronicling her daily life as a sixth grader so that he can continue to follow her rise to fame and fortune as a beloved actress, celebrated chef, and/or bestselling author. She figures it's also a good way to make sure her future biographers don't get anything wrong about her. But when her parents' marriage starts to unravel, Lorelei's lighthearted daily log becomes a poignant and defiantly humorous account of a family in distress as Lorelei grapples with the ground shifting under her feet. Yeardley Smith engages the reader with wit, candor, and authenticity.

Genres: Middle Grade, Contemporary, Novels, Realistic Fiction, Juvenile, Young Readers, Fiction

339 pages, Hardcover

First published January 21, 2009

About the author

Yeardley Smith (b. July 3, 1964) is an Emmy award-winning actress, novelist, and playwright who has appeared on television, film, and Broadway. She recently published her first book entitled, I Lorelei, through HarperCollins Children's Books.

Yeardley is undoubtedly best known as the voice of Lisa Simpson on Fox's hit television show, The Simpsons. In addition to Yeardley winning the Emmy for Outstanding Voice-over Achievement in 1992, the series has been awarded over two dozen Emmys to date and has been on the air for more than 30 seasons.

Reviews

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is adorable. Some people are wondering if adults should be ashamed to read young adult lit, and I'm over her like, "whatever, haters, I'll read a middle grade book and like it!" I kind of want to name my next cat Green Bean.

[Karlie Devenney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book would be a good example of a mentor text for teaching letter writing since that is how it is written. It also would be a good example to teach a student how to grieve over someone that has died (her cat dies).

[Ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book

[D · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too mean-spirited for me.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected this book to be kind of fluffy, but actually, it's surprisingly deep - and terribly sad. I loved Lorelei herself, and felt that she was compelling, in both her goodness and her faults. My major complaint is that the ending felt really, really unfinished. Maybe there are sequels planned? Gosh I was so mad at the parents, especially the dad, for being SO INCREDIBLY SELFISH.

[Heidi Cragun]

I read parts of this book with my 10 year old daughter, she read the rest on her own. This book was so emotional for her. Many of the topics were relatable for her which was good and bad. She came to me with about ten pages left, crying. She told me that nothing was resolving and that it was too sad to go on. I told her to push through and hopefully things would resolve in the end (since it's a children's book). She finished the book and stayed in her room crying and when I asked her how it turned out she said everything was wrong and nothing worked out. I can't find a sequel or any books that went with this. Does anyone know of any?

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

For posterity's sake, I'm keeping my original review, since I loved this book so much as a kid.


Re-reading it, I can see why I liked it, but also its flaws. On one hand, this book doesn't hand-hold its readers and actually shows meaningful thoughts Lorelei has while her parents are divorcing. She has complicated feelings towards her parents and not all get resolved, but her understanding of those feelings deepens. The dialogue is cute for this book's target range, too. While now I found it a little corny, some phrases were nevertheless endearing, and I can see why younger me thought this book was marvelous.

However, this book through adult me's eyes was a little simplistic, and left me a little disappointed. The book doesn't have a palpable climax and resolution. Everything is maintained mostly at the same level of tension and that lack of problem resolution is frustrating. I would also have liked if Lorelei grew more as a person. She wasn't a completely static character, but she also didn't face a character-changing event. Yes, she changed her perception of the people around her, but she didn't do much to interact differently with her mom or dad. If she did that, it would have elevated the narrative so much more!

I feel conflicted about my views on this book, mostly because I dislike that I am reading this book through an adult's eyes and so, my perception of the book is colored. Regardless, I will take a page from younger me and trust her judgement. This book is still a fantastic read for 4th-6th graders! It has a lot of heart and while it's not a highly dramatic story, it is poignant and will resonate with the target age group.

[Jessica (thebluestocking) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free from the publisher. All content and opinions are my own.

I, Lorelai is Yeardley Smith’s first book. But you wouldn’t be able to tell that from just reading it. (In addition to being an excellent writer, she’s also the voice of Lisa on The Simpsons.) I, Lorelai will be released on January 27, 2009.

Lorelai is a eleven-year-old who begins writing a diary to her recently deceased cat, Mud, and also to her would-be biographers. Through two and a half months of the diary, we get a glimpse of a very difficult time in her life. Her parents are having problems. The mother seems to live in a bit of a fantasy world - constantly reliving her days as Wendy in the musical Peter Pan, and the father just quit his job as a partner at a law firm to make beer in the attic. In addition to the troubles at home, Lorelai is dealing with her first crush and her first acting gig in the school play. It’s a lot for one eleven-year-old, but she handles it with pluck.

I thought this was excellent middle grade fiction. Lorelai’s voice was a very believable eleven-year-old. Her reactions to things were realistic and age-appropriate. There was barely a hiccup in the writing. The plot was simple but with very believable and lovable characters. And, this is perhaps the best compliment I could give it, Smith’s writing reminded me of Judy Blume and Sharon Creech. Think It’s Not the End of the World and Totally Normal Chaos. I would recommend this book to all middle grade readers - well, mostly girls.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Sarah Bean the Green Bean Teen Queen for TeensReadToo.com

Lorelei Connelly has decided she will start journaling about her life to her cat Mud, who recently died. She wants to be able to tell Mud what he's missing and also give her future biographers something to write about when she is famous. Her journal to Mud starts out with her everyday activities and Lorelei's foray into theater with her middle school production of Peter Pan.

When Lorelei's parent's marriage starts to fall apart, her journal to Mud becomes a place for Lorelei to share her feelings and try to understand what is happening to her family. Lorelei's dad starts to take all the furniture, her mom goes on a nanny hiring streak, and poor Lorelei is stuck in the middle.

Yeardley Smith is the voice of Lisa Simpson on The Simpsons, so I'm not surprised to see a smart girl as the lead of I, LORELEI. At times I even felt there was a little bit of Lisa in Lorelei.

Lorelei is a strong character and a great role model. She stands up to the mean popular girl and the school bully and doesn't let them bother her. She goes against the grain and befriends the unpopular girl at school. Lorelei's journal is full of laughs as well as her heartbreak over her parents. Not only is Lorelei dealing with things at home, but she's also coming into her own and trying to figure life out at school, boys, and friends.

This is a humorous, touching read that I'm sure will resonate with tween readers.

[Kathy (Bermudaonion) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lorelei Lee Connelly is a precocious 11¼ year old. She knows she’s going to be famous, so she decides to keep a diary to remember everything that happens to her and to make thing easier on future biographers. Since her English teacher says you should write to an audience, Lorelei writes her diary as a series of letters to her beloved cat, Mud, who has just died.

As I, Lorelei, by Yeardley Smith, opens Lorelei leads a pretty normal life for an 11 year old - she goes to school, fights with her siblings, tries to avoid the bully at school and plays with her best friend. Lorelei tries out for the school play, Peter Pan and her mother desperately wants her to be Wendy since she played Wendy in the play in college. Lorelei lands the role of Tiger Lily and does a great job. She’s dealing with her first crush and her parents’ relationship is unraveling. No one is communicating with Lorelei and her brothers, so they become closer and start taking care of each other.

I love this Young Adult book. Lorelei is a smart, strong and independent young lady and is a great character for girls to read about. This is an endearing tale of a child trying to cope with grown-up problems. I, Lorelei will be published by Harper Collins on January 27.

Yeardley Smith is best known as the voice of Lisa Simpson. She’s married and has one cat.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

What I liked:
-The premise
-The format (letters from Lorelei to her dead cat)

What I did not like:
-Lorelei's parents (who clearly know nothing about parenting, and not in an entertaining way - some of their behavior was really disturbing to me)
-For that matter, almost none of the adults in this book seemed to know anything about parenting/relating with children...
-Nothing at the end to let us see that the obstacles have been overcome
-Lorelei's family is from a DC wealthy socialite sort of family - there's no way that most readers will be able to identify with her family's lifestyle, and the problems that come with this kind of status just weigh everything down even more

Really, I shouldn't have let my expectations for the book be so high in the first place since it's written by a celebrity author. I should have known better. But this book had so much incredible potential, and then it just fell flad and did nothing but agrivate me.

I would, however, really like to give this book to parents as part of a parenting class. We could use it as a point of discussion. "OK, class, what do you think Mrs. Connelly should have done differently in this situation?" Yup. That would probably be the redeeming factor of this book, because I can't envision a child that I would recomend this book to.

[Nicole (Reading Books With Coffee) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it looked interesting when I was at the library. I liked how Smith used journal entries to tell the story, and the fact that the journal was written to her cat made it more interesting and original. And the fact that she was writing to her cat made it feel a lot more personal. Lorelei included a horoscope or a word-of-the-day too, which was different and slightly unexpected.

A few parts made me smile, and a few times I even felt sad for Lorelei. I found my attention wandering a few times, getting bored with the story.

I found it hard to relate to at times, but that’s probably because it’s targeted to kids, and I’m not the target audience, but it was still enjoyable, and held my interest long enough to get through it. I’d definitely recommend it for kids.

It gets a 3 out of 5. I liked the format, and found myself wanting to know what was going on in Lorelei’s life. Writing an entire novel in letters or as journal entries is something I definitely want to doing sometime, but nothing I’ve really come up with would work well with that.

[Marisabel Bonet-Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply loved, loved, loved this book.

It is very well written, specially since the topic is so difficult. It also does not have a "cookie cutter" ending, which makes the book real. The characters are fun, interesting, and realistic. I enjoyed seeing how the friendships developed, specially since what happens to Lorelei is quite common during school.

I grew angry at the father, but I also understood that what he experienced and did is realistic. Sometimes, this happens. I wanted it to end well, but it didn't -- and I respect this. I grew even more angry at the mother. Sometimes, bad things never get fixed.

The book is enjoyable, a quick read, and it makes you think while at the same time making you smile. I read it shortly after my puppy, Tobey, passed away so every time Lorelei spoke to her kitty, who passed away... I felt a part of me grow so sad. I really liked this device as a way to move the plot forward, as it kept the story anchored to where it began. Even if it did make us cry.

Highly recommended...!

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this advance reading copy from the publisher. This book will be released in Jan. 2009, I believe.
This is Yeardley Smith's first novel (she is the voice of Lisa on "The Simpsons"). It is a well-written children's/YA book, with a great pace and only a couple of distracting flaws. Lorelei, the narrator, begins a journal so that she can write to her just-deceased cat Mud. Lorelei tells about the goings-on in her prep school where she is in the sixth grade. Lorelei's adventures are believable and her relationships (especially with frenemies Jenny and Ronnie) are especially well-developed. However, Lorelei's home life begins to fall apart. I was alarmed and distracted by her parents' childish and, at times, seemingly chemically imbalanced behavior. Lorelei's parents act very oddly, but conversely their characters are never fully flushed out, so their behavior does not seem to ring true. All in all, this is a very good first effort. I hope Smith continues to write.

[Jackie]

It was hard not to hear Lisa Simpson's voice when reading this book--after all, Yeardley Smith has been coming into our homes for something like 20 years AS Lisa Simpson's voice. But Lorelei is very much her own character with her own problems. She's got two brothers ( one older, one younger), her cat just died, and now her parents are splitting up. Convinced that she will one day be famous, she begins to write a journal chronicling what all is happening in her life for her future biographers ( so they don't have to make stuff up about her). One of her teachers told her that many writers picture someone they are writing TO in their minds so that writing is more like a conversation, so Lorelei decides to writer her journal entries to Mud, her dead cat. Often funny, we still see tough things through her astute 11 year old eyes. It's quite good, and I'd recommend it for the 8-12 age group, or anyone (like me) curious about Smith's writing.

[Tattered Cover Book Store]

It was hard not to hear Lisa Simpson's voice when reading this book--after all, Yeardley Smith has been coming into our homes for something like 20 years AS Lisa Simpson's
voice. But Lorelei is very much her own character with her own problems. She's got two brothers ( one older, one younger), her cat just died, and now her parents are splitting up. Convinced that she will one day be famous, she begins to write a journal chronicling what all is happening in her life for her future biographers ( so they don't have to make stuff up about her). One of her teachers told her that many writers picture someone they are writing TO in their minds so that writing is more like a
conversation, so Lorelei decides to writer her journal entries to Mud, her dead cat. Often funny, we still see
tough things through her astute 11 year old eyes. It's quite good, and I'd recommend it for the 8-12 age group, or anyone (like me) curious about Smith's writing.

[Jenn Estepp · Rating 3 out of 5]

like many, my expectations for celebrity-penned books is pretty low. thus, to say that yeardley smith exceeds them probably comes across as faint praise at best. but i guess if anyone celebrity was going to write a kids book that doesn't suck, it would be the lady who has spent years playing lisa simpson. the book is far from perfect - it really should have been better edited, not just because it's too long but also because some of the language can be downright clunky - but it did come across as a fairly solid and dealt with complicated issues a lot of kids can relate to in a realistic and not-preachy way. and for every terribly clunky turn of phrase, there was a bit of true kidspeak to balance it out.

[Talia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lorelei Connelly starts a journal so she can share her feelings and talk to her beloved, recently departed cat, Mud. Lorelei talks about her relationship with best friend Jenny, becoming friends with some unlikely people, and her involvement in her school’s production of Peter Pan. At the heart of the book is the heartbreaking story of her parents’ crumbling relationship and Lorelei’s journal serves as an outlet for her frustration and fear.

I really enjoyed this book. Lorelei is a strong yet vulnerable character, and you’ll be rooting for her throughout the book. While the story is touching, it also had a lot of funny bits and had some pretty true to middle school observations.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who woulda thought that the voice of Lisa Simpson was such a fab writer?! I sure didn't, but I heard that this book was about a little girl who loved cats. For me that is absolutely the clincher when it comes to choosing books, since I was once a little girl who loved cats. Now I'm a big girl who loves cats, even though one of them just ralphed up a hairball and is frantically dashing around the house and over the couch and onto the kitchen table. This is going to be a long day.

Anyway, I loved Lorelei's voice in the book. It was so well written. I am very, very conservative when handing out 5 star ratings, so 4 stars from me is pretty much top notch!

[Reading Vacation · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells a sad story. Lorelei goes through a much more trying time than any 11-year-old should have to. The break up of her parents causes great distress for the entire family.

Throughout the story, the characters did not really change. The characters got irritated with each other a lot and I don't think that is a good example for a child. The situation was depressing.

I did not find the plot to be very original. Divorce stories have been done before and this one didn't really offer anything new.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was given to me my my friend's mom, who is a friend of the author. A cute story of a girl dealing with middle school drama and her parent's divorce. I found the main character very likable, and the parent characters surprisingly and realistically fallible. The author did a good job of capturing the preteen realization that your parents don't have all the answers. I'd reccomend Lorelei to younger kids or anyone up for a quick kids read.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! I only read it in a few short days. This book is for 6th graders who loves cats. Lorelei's cat dies, so she decides to write a journal to her everday about her life in middle school and how she is dealing with the death of her cat. It also involves family issues that she faces, like the separation of her parents and how she is involved in the school play - Peter Pan. This is an excellent book for 5th or 6th grade girls who likes cats.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Lorelei is an awesome girl book. I absolutley LOVED it!! Lorelei is a very fun-loving, sometimes stubborn girl who is growing up with 2 brothers (or as Lorelei describes it, 'Two smelly brothers, one older and one younger')who is having family problems. She is dedicating this diaary/autobiography to her favorite cat named Mud, who recently died.

Also, if I could've, I would've given this book 5,000,000,000,001 stars out of 5. :)

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admit, I only read it because Lisa Simpson herself wrote it. But all those years of voicing an eight-year-old seems to have given Yeardley Smith some insight into a young girl's mind. Lorelei is a 100% believable little girl, at her best and at her worst. Mostly she's endearing, sometimes she's a brat, but it's impossible not to love her. It seems that there would be room for a sequel, should Smith choose to go that route, and I for one would welcome one!

[Sherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this "coming of age" book. The author writes well and there are no tidy endings which help one keep a realistic perspective. The heroine is a smart, articulate 11 year confronting some of life's biggest challenges. I didn't give it 4 stars because it was a stretch to believe that any 11 year old could respond that clearly in so many stressful situations.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got a huge kick out of this book. It reminded me of the "best of the midlist" / slice-of-life books I read as a kid: Patricia Hermes, Lois Lowry, Constance Greene. Great humor, and only once when one of their nannies turns out to be an international criminal does it venture completely over the top.

[Karen]

Even though this was a library book I picked up for my own newly 11 year old daughter I really enjoyed it. Yeardley Smith is going to be an author I look forward to reading again children's books or not. My daughter and I are both hoping that Lorelei comes back in another book about being 12.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book. Audrey enjoyed it. I think a better book dealing with parental divorce is still Judy Blume's "It's Not the End of the World," though. The format for this book is original though - Lorelei writes letters to her recently deceased cat whom she misses terribly.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter really loved it. I thought it was good with lots of silly funny parts, but it felt like it just ended in the middle of the story. Even if they didn't want to resolve anything I think the ending could have used a little more thought and finality.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review here: http://kidsreads.com/reviews/97800614...