How I Changed My Life (Time Zone High) [Mass Market Paperback]

Todd Strasser (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 8, 2011 | Series: Time Zone High

Known as Bo Vine, Bolita Vine decides to lose weight and become more assertive, a resolution sorely tested when major hunk Kyle Winthrop and his perfect girlfriend, Chloe, star in the school play that Bo is stage managing.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Aside from its jacket illustration of a pensive girl, this tautly written novel, alternately narrated by a sidelined jock and the pudgy introvert who has a crush on him, holds appeal to readers of both sexes. Benched by a football injury, high school senior Kyle is doing poorly even in the "Pinhead" classes, his old crowd-including picture-perfect girlfriend Chloe-bores him, while his stepmother Jackie and "IT," his toddler half-brother, give him no peace at home. For a change of pace, he accepts the leading male role in the school play, to the delight of co-narrator "Bo" Vine, the stage manager, and the dismay of Chloe, who, as usual, is the star. The wallflower/football hero/ prom queen triangle plays out, with Bo becoming increasingly svelte as she learns to stage-manage her own life, and Kyle learning the proper way to act both on and off the stage. But just as the story seems about to reach the classic payoff, Strasser (The Accident) gives it an unexpected and refreshing twist. Bo may not get her man, but she does get the last word. Strasser's acknowledgment of enduring truths becomes all the more palatable for being so engagingly presented. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up?Awkward senior Bovita Vine, nicknamed "Bo," specializes in managing the school plays from her favorite theater seat, the catwalk. Her work is crucial to the success of any production, but she has always avoided the spotlight. Now, she has a crush on Kyle, a football hunk whose career is cut short by a knee injury, whose cookie-cutter perfect girlfriend Chloe always has a leading role. The plot is old, and Strasser has used the character types before?demanding rich girls with big houses, accomplished smart girls, decent jocks reluctantly open to growth opportunities, and musicians who have learned about life?but the author's inimitable humor and sure grasp of high school sociometrics freshens them. Teens will be amused by the secretive pizza franchise based in the boys' restroom. They will probably accept that someone might want to break into a prison, and they will certainly recognize the PINS (Persons In Need of Supervision) who live to rattle teachers. Although the revolving first-person point of view (chapters alternate between Kyle and Bo) may be confusing to some readers, those who stay with the story will profit from Strasser's study of developing relationships. Kyle's growing acceptance of his baby half-brother and stepmother is satisfying and well defined; Bo Vine's becoming Dee Vine is funny.?Cindy Darling Codell, Clark Middle School, Winchester, KY
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --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
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 229 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse (November 8, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416954090
• ISBN-13: 978-1416954095
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,183,112 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #31 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Issues > Weight

More About the Author

Todd Strasser is the author of more than 120 novels for teens
and middle graders, including If I Grow Up, Boot Camp, Can't Get There From Here, Give a Boy a Gun, the Impact Zone series, and the DriftX series. He lives in a suburb of New York and speaks frequently at schools.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars it was great!but......, August 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: How I Changed My Life (Mass Market Paperback)

I liked How I Changed My Life by Todd Strasser alot. It is about a girl named Bolita Vine (Bo for short) who is a shy kind of student. She isn't very popular and isn't known around school much. She just goes to class and her theatre group. Her theatre group is mainly her life. She spends most of her time sitting on the cat walk above stage. But then one day she decides to change. She changes her self image from the hair she had since she was in 3rd grade to the new high school looking hair-do. people finally start to notice her after she loses a few pounds and changes her self image.She has always had a major crush on the former football captain, Kyle Winthrop. He espically never notices her since he has the great and most perfect and popular Chole for a girlfriend. But when Kyle and Chole's relationship starts to dicentigrate afte Klye's knee injury, they feel like the world is falling apart. It is a very eciting book! It can really boost a teen's self esteem. The only reason I gave this book four stars is because they talk about some mature types of things and they very often use foul language. But if that doesn't bother you, read it!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Story, July 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: How I Changed My Life (Mass Market Paperback)

I like the way it was written in the first person but the person changed by section, it gives you the view of what they are both thinking and gives you that edge where you know where they both are coming from.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars How i Changed My Life, December 22, 2003

By 

jessica - See all my reviews

This review is from: How I Changed My Life (Library Binding)

"Don't try to be who you're not." One of Todd Strassers characters in the book How I Changed My Life, a ficion book, states this quote. This quotation is what the book is motsly about. This book shows high-school students trying to find who they really are. "A good actor becomes the character he's playing."
A high-school boy named Kyle Winthrop injured his knee and can no longer play football and be with his "team". He decides to audition for the school play , against the advice of his girlfriend, Chloe, whom herself is a ver good actress. Bo is the stage manager for this play and sees Kyle as a major hunk ad she has a crush on him. Chloe and Kyle seem to be growing closer to each other. As Bo spends more time with Kyle, she wants to work on her self-image, losing weight and becoming more assertive. "And if you hate your name, change it.: This concludes, if you don't like who you're becomimg to grow as a person, you can always change yourself to who you want to be.