Curtis Piperfield's Biggest Fan [Hardcover]

Lisa Fieldler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 18, 1995

Cecily Caruthers ("C.C."), a ninth grader at a Catholic girls' school, has a mad crush on would-be rock star Curtis Piperfield, an eighth grader at the public school. Meanwhile, Gilbert "Cluck" McNally, C.C.'s best friend since childhood, has a crush on her! C.C. pours out her frustrations in sensual poetry, which gets unexpected reactions from Sister Jude, her teacher. Full of hilarious and insightful observations about Catholic school life, "Curtis Piperfield's Biggest Fan" presents a memorable protagonist and a humorous take on a common teenage situation.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-8-Infatuation has engulfed Cecily Carruthers, 14, otherwise known as C.C. She fantasizes about the passion and the glamour that will be hers if neighbor Curtis Piperfield, a cool, guitar-playing eighth grader and aspiring rock star, notices her. She does not lack admirers, having been loved for years by her great friend Cluck, a handsome, muscular fellow whose affection, unfortunately, she does not return. They talk frequently about their interest in the opposite sex, an interest seemingly heightened by the fact that they attend single-sex, suburban Catholic schools, while C.C.'s best friend, Natalie, attends public school with Curtis. Through Cluck, C.C. meets Patrick O'Connell, and after going for a romantic midnight walk with him, she decides to confess the resultant kissing to Father Mario Bertolli, who kindly assures her that feelings of temptation and confusion are normal-that the real task is self-control. She happily accepts Patrick's invitation to the spring formal, and the evening offers all of the glamour she has craved. In the end, she has matured and begins to understand the challenge of being both Catholic and a teenager. Despite a rather rapid transformation from shallow, self-absorbed fan to insightful young adult, C.C. is an appealing character who faces issues that will strike a chord with many a teen-romance reader.
Susan W. Hunter, Riverside Middle School, Springfield, VT
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 5^-9. "Oh, God. I'm a nymphomaniac." In this hilarious first novel, Cecily ("C. C." ) Caruthers talks about being a ninth-grader in an all-girls' Catholic school. Her friends say she thinks about kissing way too much, "but when you're surrounded by nuns all day, there's not much else to consider." She has a crush on the boy across the street, and when she gets to French-kiss him, she enjoys it ("There's a lot of saliva involved" ). She also knows that lots of boys like her and that at the boys' school they talk about her in gym class and sometimes even in chapel ("which, if they're saying what I think they're saying, could get them all shot straight to hell" ). C. C.'s voice is outrageous, irreverent, and also serious. She talks about boobs and God in the same breath--and she's very interested in both. The talk about kissing is more convincing than the discussion of religion, but it's great to have a YA novel in which faith is not a heavy, hushed sermon but a spontaneous, joyful part of the mystery of growing up. It's all very innocent: a nun at school befriends C. C. and encourages her to write poetry; the priest at confession reassures her that she won't rot in hell for enjoying a kiss. Kids will grab this book for the laughs and for the honesty about bodies and souls. Hazel Rochman --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
  
• Hardcover: 121 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books; 1St Edition edition (September 18, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395707331
• ISBN-13: 978-0395707333
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,013,629 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

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!!!!!!!, March 16, 2001

By 

"tabbychick" (Sunny FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Curtis Piperfield's Biggest Fan (Hardcover)

I loved every minute of this book!!! The book is fun, and a good change from the serious subjects of the teenage world. The main character, C.C. has a funny personality, and reminds me of a lot of my friends. Cluck is "delicious" as Grace says, and Natalie is the queen of clothes. All the characters remind me of real life people, and the book was realistic in a crazy way. I'm gonna read more of the author's works. I just hope they halfway resemble this book!

5.0 out of 5 stars An Exceptional Story, July 19, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Curtis Piperfield's Biggest Fan (Paperback)

I read about this book in a review in seventh grade and wanted to read it so badly, my mom and I searched libraries everywhere! We finally got it through an inter-library loan from Vancouver, Canada. As soon as I picked up the book, I knew all of our hard work was worth it. I was wrapped up in the story of beautiful C. C. I read the story in two hours flat; not because it was easy. Just because I couldn't put it down. Pre-teens and teenage girls everywhere--this is the book. If you own one book in all of your teenage years, make it this one. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.