Part One: Undiscovered Gyrl by Allison Burnett
Review by: Lauren
First off, I have to say this…it has Part One before this review because I’m not finished with the book yet. However, today is my tour stop date and I wanted to post what I’m thinking so far. You will therefore need to read the second half…it should be up sometime next week. You will find all contest details below, but know this: one winner will come from the comments on this part of the review and one winner will come from the comments on the other part of the review. Two chances to win if you comment on both, got it?
Summary:
Beautiful, wild, funny, and lost, Katie Kampenfelt is taking a year off before college to find her passion. Ambitious in her own way, Katie intends to do more than just smoke weed with her boyfriend, Rory, and work at the bookstore. She plans to seduce Dan, a thirty-two-year-old film professor.
Katie chronicles her adventures in an anonymous blog, telling strangers her innermost desires, shames, and thrills. But when Dan stops taking her calls, when her alcoholic father suffers a terrible fall, and when she finds herself drawn into a dangerous new relationship, Katie’s fearless narrative begins to crack, and dark pieces of her past emerge.
Part One Review:
So far, I’m loving this. Katie has a very realistic teen voice and I see parts of her in myself and friends I know. I’m in college right now, but I’m not that much older than Katie in the book (she’s supposed to be 17) so it makes this novel a lot more relatable. It’s definitely a mature story when it comes to the sexual content, but it’s nothing overly graphic or extreme in my opinion.
The whole book is told through a blog, which is great, because I know all types of blogs are on the rise and since I have one myself, it’s once again something I can connect too. No comments Katie recieves show up in the book…you only have her talking to her various readers from their comments/emails by what she says in her blog posts. I like this because, of course, it would be really hard to show off all the comments for each post and it keeps us in Katie’s head…which is highly fascinating. I am however very curious to see what parts of Katie’s life is real and what she is making up. She says she changes details so nobody will know who she is in real life, but what else is she lying about? The summary seems to suggest that being online means being dishonest in some ways.
Overall, I give this book two thumbs up so far! It’s an interesting, unique, fast read that I think a lot of people would find appealing.
Contest Details:
To enter: Leave a comment about why this book looks good
Open To: U.S. and Canada only!
Ends: August 31
EXTRA:
+ if you follow or start to follow
+if you post about this somewhere else
REMEMBER: Get another chance to win this book by going here:
I'm almost through with this book, so don't enter me. I have to tell you that I'm finding the book compelling on one level and disturbing on another. I hope the young women of today have more self confidence than Katie does.
This looks pretty intense, and thats good! Just from reading the book description I feel that I'm dying to know whats going to happen next! It sounds that good!
-Liz
+1 I follow
liztapioka14[at]yahoo[dot]com
We'd love to be entered in the contest. It's really interesting that it's written in blog format!
+1 Following
Alex & Lauren at aflightofminds(at)hotmail(dot)com
It sounds intriguing, I want to see my opinion on it after reading it.
I'm a follower 🙂
Oh wow – that sounds really cool, that it's told from blog format. (But then again, maybe we are biased, as bloggers ourselves 😉 The title's really cool too, especially the alternative spelling.
+ Follower
+ Sidebar linked on blog
OMG – – I have never read a book in three hours, I adore Katie and I just ordered three copies for my sisters because we won't share.
I LOVED this book.
I've read such mixed reviews for this book but I've often seen comparisons made between it and Catcher in the Rye which I loved. It sounds like a good coming of age story for this generation with all the technology, etc.
I'm already following you
melacan at hotmail dot com
Wow, this book sounds intesnse – my type of read. And that's why I want it!
Already a follower
Amber
sammyjones57(at)hotmail(dot)com
How cool that it's written like a blog – sounds great
already a follower
msboatgal at aol.com
The book looks good because there is some humour in the book. I like that!
wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com
I am a follower of your blog.
wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com
I love books that are told through different mediums. Like the blog idea. This sounds really good. 🙂
🙂 I'm a follower!
I would love to be entered for this book because its written all in a blog format and i've never before read a book like that so it looks interesting!
im a follower!:D
jenniferduttle@hotmail.com
It looks fun because I need inspiration from YA books written post-high school.
I'm a follower!
This book sounds really good! I already follow.
laurenscrammedbookshelf@gmail.com
I'm very intrigued by the whole blog narrative aspect (both from the perspective of a blog writer and a reader).
Cheers,
cabadov(at)hotmail(dot)com
I am interested in reading it because you said that it sounds like a real teen voice. I think that a lot of times this is lost when adults write teen characters or teen books.
I follow.
Blogged: http://www.morbid-romantic.net/2009/08/05/book-giveaways-08-03-08-09/.
Valorie
morbidromantic@gmail.com
Okay – so I'm completely shallow because I love the cover and that is why I want to read it haha! After viewing the cover, I read the summary and it sounds so interesting and I've never read a book in blog format!
adw7984 at gmail dot com
This story sounds oddly similar in many ways to what one of my high school kids (I'm a volunteer youth leader at church) is going through. I'm interested to read this book and then possibly pass it on to her.
Thanks for the chance to win!
ruthann (dot) francis (at) gmail (dot) com
It just sounds different from any books I have read in the past. It sounds very interesting to read.
I started following the blog.
letessha@yahoo.com
Mary D
zenrei57 (at) hotmail (dot) com
I'm fascinated by the idea of the character's fantasy life and her 'real' life – this sounds like quite a creative plot and I'd so love to get the chance to read it 🙂
I love that it's written in a blog format and that one of the characters is a professor like me!
amanda
catss99@yahoo.com
This sounds like an awesome book! Please enter me.
This book looks good because it sounds different, intresting, and realistic.
+1 I am a follower!
Shadowofwonder47[at]yahoo[dot]com
This book is different in that it is written in blog format and I understand how the main character Katie might feel by taking a year off her studies to find out what she really want to do.
jen4777[at]hotmail.com
I have read some good things about it and would love the chance to read it too and see what it is like
Canadian Contests, Freebies, Coupons, Deals, Games and Chat – join us at CoolCanucks.ca
bluebelle0367(at)hotmail(dot)com
I follow your blog
Canadian Contests, Freebies, Coupons, Deals, Games and Chat – join us at CoolCanucks.ca
bluebelle0367(at)hotmail(dot)com
I have posted your giveaway here
http://coolcanucks.ca/19317-shooting-stars-mag-undiscovered-gyrl-allison-burnett-book-giveaway-aug31-canada#post100887
Canadian Contests, Freebies, Coupons, Deals, Games and Chat – join us at CoolCanucks.ca
bluebelle0367(at)hotmail(dot)com
this sounds like a great read because she is young and free..living life:) thanks
wadesherry@hotmail dot com
i follow
wadesherry@hotmail dot com
This book sounds amazing! I'm a follower.
adrienne2093(at)comcast(dot)net
This book sounds great because I love will people spill all the juicy details of their lives in online blogs!
I am a follower!
badassfemmes(at)yahoo(dot)com
This sounds like a good book. I like that it is written via a blog. I'd like to find out how it ends. Thanks for this giveaway and please count me in.
chinook92(at)gmail(dot)com
I follow your blog.
chinook92(at)gmail(dot)com
this sounds like a very interesting book..please count me in..thanks..
flower_child_23(at)hotmail(dot)com
I love th Blog idea. Please enter me!
lizzi0915 at aol dot com
I love th Blog idea. Please enter me!
lizzi0915 at aol dot com
+ I'm already a follower
+ I twittered about it here- http://twitter.com/lafemmereaders
Thanks!
-Eleni
lafemmereaders@yahoo.com
I like dark this sound like it is. 🙂
I am a follower.
I have a post on my blog about your give away:
http://layersofthought.blogspot.com/2009/08/gotta-love-give-aways-august-21-2009.html
Thanks,
layerofthought{@}gmail{dot}com
I wanna read this book! I've heard so many good things about it!
+1 I'm a follower
+1 I posted it on twitter:
@ReggieWrites
regietc@gmail.com
Reggie 🙂
I want to read this! I've read awesome reviews about it.
booksobsession(at)gmail(dot)com
+1 I follow.
+1 Posted on my sidebar at http://booksobsession.blogspot.com
I would love to read this.
cindyc725 at gmail dot com
+1 follower
+1 posted on sidebar
I would love to read this.
cindyc725 at gmail dot com
+1 follower
+1 posted on sidebar
I love the sound of the plot. Enter me please. 🙂
Shawna Lewis
weloveourdogs@juno.com
I have wanted to read this book for quite sometime now so thanks for this chance to win!!!
The cover on this book is so neat!!!
Do you have a say in the cover art as the Author?
Shawna Lewis
weloveourdogs@juno.com
I follow this blog everyday!!!
Shawna Lewis
weloveourdogs@juno.com
I posted this on Facebook!!!
It just sounds really good and I can kind of relate to Katie, for the most part. I am taking a year off before college to kinda decide what I want to do with my life. I did want to go for Culinary Arts but now im not too sure.
+1 I am already a follower
+1 added to sidebar & tweeted about it
http://insidethemindjm.blogspot.com
@jmoose09
Jordan
jmoose09@gmail.com
I think this book sounds really good based on the fact that the character goes through so many changes after taking a year off from college. The time period between high school graduation and beginning college is such a trial and error period, so I'm sure this book is filled with tons of excitement.
+1 Already a follower!
+1 I follow your blog
jen4777[at]hotmail.com
This book looks really good! Katie sounds like a great character!
infinitemusic19 at gmail dot com
Follower
infinitemusic19 at gmail dot com
I love realistic stories like this one. It sounds really interesting.
lovinfitch(at)aol(dot)com
I'm a follower.
lovinfitch(at)aol(dot)com