I Am the Wallpaper (Readers Circle (Delacorte)) [Paperback]

Mark Peter Hughes (Author)

Book Description

Series: Readers Circle (Delacorte) | Publication Date: February 27, 2007

Thirteen-year-old Floey Packer feels like she's always blended in to the background. After all, she's the frumpy younger sister of the Fabulous Lillian. But when Lillian suddenly gets married and heads off on a monthlong honeymoon, Floey decides it's her time to shine.

Funny, honest, and surprisingly moving, I Am the Wallpaper introduces a remarkable new talent.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 6-8–Floey Packer, 13, bursts right off the page with an engaging vivacity, underlining her determination to not "be the wallpaper" anymore. Not that this fresh, funny, and insightful character could ever blend into the background, but when she embarks upon becoming the "New Floey," she does it with a passion. Partially understood Zen philosophy, visiting cousins, a painful crush on her best guy friend, and violet hair dye all play a part, but it is her diary that really gets the plot moving–especially when it is posted on the Internet by her bratty cousins, and Floey suddenly finds both the New Floey and the real one (who isn't quite as poised and glamorous) in the spotlight. It isn't merely the liveliness of the protagonist, however, that drives this story; humorous incidents abound, character growth is convincing, and the plot moves irresistibly forward. First-time author Hughes merits a place with Louise Rennison, Ellen Conford, and even Paula Danziger on the fiction shelves.–Rhona Campbell, Washington DC Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 6-9. When this impressive first novel opens, 13-year-old Floey Packer confesses that she identifies with wallpaper, "there but barely noticed." Her existence becomes more conspicuous after her cousin secretly posts her diary online. Being an Internet cult figure furthers Floey's vow to cast aside her drab persona and assume a bolder, sassier identity; unfortunately, several revelations of a delicate nature put a strain on her already-tense relationships with cute male chum Wen and best girlfriend Azra. The repercussions sensitively and humorously dramatize the awkwardly evolving social dynamics of adolescence. Hughes' clever amalgam of Bridget Jones' Diary and Harriet the Spy will hold instant appeal for tweens and early teens; older YAs, with expectations of racier fare raised by the sophisticated cover, may find the content (giggly samplings of booze and all) surprisingly tame. But once readers enter the orbit of Floey's screwball charm--her explorations into Zen Buddhism occasion some hilarious haiku--the disappointment should prove short-lived. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (February 27, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440420466
• ISBN-13: 978-0440420460
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #995,049 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mark Peter Hughes's novel Lemonade Mouth is now a Disney Channel Original Movie musical. About a high-school band that starts a revolution, the book has won many awards and is a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. Mark's award-winning first novel, I am the Wallpaper (which includes Wen Gifford of Lemonade Mouth), has been translated into German and Thai. His newest novel, A Crack in the Sky, is the first in a sci-fi fantasy adventure series. The second Lemonade Mouth book, Lemonade Mouth Puckers Up, will be released in 2012, and a sequel to A Crack in the Sky is also on the way.

Mark was born in Liverpool, England, and was raised in Rhode Island. Having once been kicked out of his eighth-grade music class for throwing a spitball, he later became both a writer and a musician in an alternative rock band. He now lives in Massachusetts with his wife and three kids.

You can learn more by checking out his websites, www.markpeterhughes.com and www.LemonadeMouth.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If Floey is wallpaper, it's one eclectic pattern, February 17, 2006

By 

Kimberly Pauley "YA Author" (Grayslake, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I Am the Wallpaper (Hardcover)

Floey Packer feels invisible next to her exciting older sister. She feels like even her friends don't pay much attention to her. She might as well be the wallpaper.

She decides to turn over a new leaf and become the new and improved Floey. A daring Floey with funky colored hair and a dashing fashion sense. An alluring Floey who captivates would-be cowboy poets with her imaginative haiku.

But what really happens is that even her best friends Wen and Azra are more confused than supportive of the new Floey. And the poet? He's got a girlfriend. And the boys who do admire and follow around the new Floey? A pack of ten year olds.

Then things get really out of hand. Floey discovers why the pack of young boys has been following her around - her neighbor conspired with her visiting cousins to post her entire life online: her diary, embarrassing pictures, the whole nine yards. Everything.

So, what's a girl to do? Floey does her best to exact some revenge and get her life back together. And just when everything seems like it couldn't get any worse, things start to improve. Floey, whether new and improved or not, is a darling character who will keep readers laughing.

I recommend this book for girls 10 and up or for anyone who's ever felt like the world just doesn't understand them.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't miss this amazing book, May 10, 2005

By 

Photobook (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Am the Wallpaper (Hardcover)

This is Mark Peter Hughes's first novel, and I can't recommend it enough. It has everything you could ask for -- it is funny, touching and never ever boring. The characters are very likable. I really hope he is going to write another one soon!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun and lighthearted book, December 3, 2005

By 

Gary H. Cassel "Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews" (Baltimore, MD, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I Am the Wallpaper (Hardcover)

When Floey Packer writes something in her diary, you know it's the truth. (In her diary, she writes about everything from her crush on her friend Wen to her plans for the future, supercool, noticeable Floey Packer.) That is, until her two gross cousins come over to her house to stay for a month! Within days, the contents of her diary are on the Internet for the world to read. Within hours, www.floeysprivatelife.com has gathered thousands of readers from all over the country. Floey must not only deal with the results of these disastrous web postings, but also decide whether or not the new and improved Floey is better than the old, wallpaper Floey. Along the way to enlightenment Zen-style, she finds humor in many situations, uses a jar of Deep Wild Violet hairdye, and even gets a bit of romance!

I enjoyed reading I Am the Wallpaper because it was a fun and lighthearted book that nevertheless had a solid storyline that kept me wondering how on earth Floey would overcome her latest batch of problems. I would recommend this book to almost anyone looking for a sweet story, though it may be a bit mature for the younger readers. I could not change anything about this book to make it better! Mark Peter Hughes has really mastered the "13-year-old-girl's-diary" style...I found myself drawn into the trials of Floey's life from page one.

Reviewed by a student reviewer for Flamingnet Book Reviews
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