Carpe Diem [Hardcover]

Autumn Cornwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 21, 2007

“I’ve got my entire life planned out for the next ten years — including my PhD and Pulitzer Prize,” claims 16-year-old overachiever Vassar Spore, daughter of overachiever parents, who in true overachiever fashion named her after an elite women’s college. Vassar expects her sophomore summer to include AP and AAP (Advanced Advanced Placement) classes. Surprise! Enter a world-traveling relative who sends her plans into a tailspin when she blackmails Vassar’s parents into forcing their only child to backpack with her through Southeast Asia.

On a journey from Malaysia to Cambodia to the remote jungles of Laos, Vassar sweats, falls in love, hones her outdoor survival skills — and uncovers a family secret that turns her whole world upside-down.     

 

Vassar Spore can plan on one thing: she’ll never be the same again.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Take a traveler as reluctant as Anne Tyler's accidental tourist and add the number of misadventures found in The Out-of-Towners, and you have the recipe for Cornwell's hilarious, adventure-packed first novel. Valedictorian hopeful Vassar Spore has her summer all planned out when her bohemian grandmother somehow blackmails her Type A parents into letting her take Vassar backpacking through Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos. So instead of enrolling in AP courses in summer school, Vassar finds herself hiking through jungles with Grandma Gerd and an Asian cowboy chaperone, and battling food poisoning, venom-carrying critters and primitive tribes (one of which holds Vassar hostage). The more humiliations and unwanted surprises Vassar endures, the more likable she becomes, shedding pride and primness along with her obsessive reliance on routine. Her rapid succession of crises, while jaw-dropping, appears more plausible than the family secret that is revealed bit by bit during the course of their travels. Although readers will probably figure out the mystery long before the protagonist does, the exotic settings and the wacky predicaments will exercise a strong enough grip to hold readers' imaginations. Ages 12-up. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Like her parents, 16-year-old Vassar is a Planner with a capital P! She leaves nothing to chance (guess where she plans to go to college?). Never, that is, until the doorbell rings one night, and before you can say unexpected, Vassar finds herself backpacking through the jungles of Southeast Asia with Gertrude, her madcap artist grandmother. How could her parents have permitted this? Well, it has something to do with what Vassar thinks of as The Big Secret. Will she solve the mystery before she's completely undone by fallout from Grandma's relentless acts of spontaneity? What do you think? Although too long and too filled with accounts of Vassar's endless toilet troubles, this first novel has its amusements and diversions, including Vassar's share of romance with a self-styled Malaysian cowboy. The best part, however, is the vividly realized setting. Cornwell has obviously been there and done that, and her novel is much the richer—and funnier—for it. Cart, Michael

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Feiwel & Friends; 1st edition (August 21, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312367929
• ISBN-13: 978-0312367923
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,292,729 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars from the other side of the world, September 9, 2007

By 

Mindy Au (Mae Sot, Thailand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Carpe Diem (Hardcover)

LIM, indeed!! There's still much to learn in life, but I do know a little bit about squatty potties, SE Asia, Asian guys without facial hair, and overachievement. This book is awesome YA book that made me think about the here and now that I tend to ignore or forget. There is so much life-planning that I constantly do, and this was a good reminder to laugh and enjoy life as it is.

As for how true it is to life in SE Asia, well... I've had my share of food poisoning, snakes, and bamboo huts. Reliving those moments with Vassar made me laugh so much, as some previously awkward memories re-surfaced. That first time with a squat toilet was ridiculous.

Enjoy this book! :-) It's funny and wise, and I hope you like it as much as I have. May we all LIM!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a wonderful book!, September 6, 2007

By 

D. Hardy (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Carpe Diem (Hardcover)

Fast-paced, humor at every turn, vicarious visit to the Far East (the only way to visit:--)) ), Vassar is a WONDERFUL character, everyone wants a relative like Grandma Gerd, and I can't wait for a sequel. Thanks so much for introducing me to Carpe Diem. I've already passed it on to friends to enjoy.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific book!, June 1, 2009

By 

Daniel Medley "medledan16" (Lebanon, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Carpe Diem (Paperback)

Its not to many times that i decide to spend the time out of my busy day to write a book review on Amazon. I read a lot, and reading is one of my most cherished hobbies. Only when a certain book completely sucks me in and wont let me go until i reach the final page gets a review. Carpe Diem was that rare gem. Not only did this book carry me on a vast, long, exciting journey to multiple countries, it also gave me a sense of adventure. It also gave me an interesting idea about there culture in Asia. Another fantastic feature of this novel is its ability to drag even a 22 year old male science fiction fan such as myself in. Instead of a space opera i wanted to come back to earth and live an adventure with Vassar Spore. This was a fun and interesting novel. I also very much enjoyed reading the Latin as well. Taught me a few phrases. Since the reviews are so few since this is an unknown author i have a feeling that she is reading these reviews to gauge her writing career. Please Ma'am your a TERRIFIC writer. You have an amazing talent. Keep it up. Write another book, and i will buy it hands down. Your on my list of well talented writers. And that list is very tiny.