Girl: A Novel [Paperback]

Blake Nelson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 13, 1994

Welcome to the world of Portland teenager Andrea Marr, the bold, sexy, shy, often confused but always resilient heroine of Girl. Told in a voice that reads like the intimate diary of a young woman about to take life on full throttle, this wonderful debut novel chronicles Andrea's jittery journey from suburban mall to Portland's thriving underground rock scene - and back again, as she discovers sex, betrayal, and even love. A Catcher in the Rye for the "Grunge" generation, this instant classic will speak to anyone who has ever had to choose between the suffocation of conformity and the perils of rebellion.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sans obscenities, this first novel by Details writer Nelson could be YA fiction at the very top of the genre. As it follows the highly sympathetic narrator named Andrea through her junior and senior years of high school in Portland, Ore., the novel speaks the language of most of this age group: "And I had been so good in the last week at blocking Todd out of my mind but now it all came rushing back, how great it was to be with him, that great feeling of being free and having great talks and being a million miles away from mean stupid people like Trevor." The brand-name litanies, beloved of older writers trying too hard to capture adolescent language, are thankfully absent. Andrea's candid and surprisingly sweet monologue, uncondescendingly records a world of clothes anxieties, coolness consciousness and her confusing mix of tender, erotic and angry feelings toward alternative rocker, downtown big shot and on-and-off lover Todd Sparrow. While making Andrea neither victim nor victimizer, Nelson captures this young woman's fears and joys in subtle and often uncannily accurate ways as Andrea aches for consistency but still revels in life's indeterminacies. Ultimately, the swear words and awkward sex scenes make the novel a more accurate recording of contemporary adolescence. One of the strengths of the novel is that it falls into an interesting genre purgatory that simultaneously critiques the strictures of current YA fiction while it exposes the unattractive jadedness of much adult fiction.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

A hyperactive debut novel of teen rebellion by a writer who watched too much MTV. When Andrea is a Portland, Oreg., high school sophomore, her friend Cybil calls her from the mall one day, frantic because she has shaved her head and it looks awful. Cybil then forms a rock band and begins to infiltrate the local music scene. At the same time, Andrea first lays eyes on Todd, a rock guru and all-round cute guy. Initially, Andrea is somewhat involved in high school goings-on and dates a popular older jock, but she begins to rebel by going to clubs to see Cybil's band (first named Bed Head, then Thriftstore Apocalypse, and finally Sins of Our Fathers) and buying vintage clothing. Andrea narrates her story (which reads like a diary, although it is not marked as such) breathlessly, and that energy is exhausting as she details all the superficial particulars of her life but fails to comment much on her own emotional state. One of Andrea's happiest moments comes when Cybil steers her and a friend to a clothing store called HOP!, ``the coolest place.'' Occasionally there are astute na‹ve-narrator insights (``the whole fun of high school is that everything is supposed to be everybody's business''), but more often than not, Andrea's teenspeak sounds like a bad Valley Girl parody (``And she tried to be cool but we were both like, Derek and Jonathan are gay!''). Nelson (who has written for Details magazine) does manage to cover early sexual experiences (both voluntary and involuntary) in a natural way, but Andrea's all-consuming crush on Todd is a drag on forward momentum, and Cybil--supposedly the narrator's closest friend--remains a cipher for much of the story. This may appeal more to the young- adult market, but those readers are sure to be extremely sensitive to any slips in authenticity. Like, not so great. (First serial to Sassy) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone (September 13, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671897071
• ISBN-13: 978-0671897079
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (105 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #725,968 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Blake Nelson grew up in Portland, OR. He attended Wesleyan University and NYU.

He began his career writing short humor pieces for Details Magazine. His first novel GIRL, was serialized in SASSY Magazine and was made into a film starring Selma Blaire and Summer Phoenix.

Nelson has since published ten more novels, including ROCKSTAR SUPERSTAR and THE NEW RULES OF HIGH SCHOOL, PROM ANONYMOUS and GENDER BENDER.

His science fiction novel THEY CAME FROM BELOW was a Kliatt Editors Choice pick in 2008 and his 2006 novel PARANOID PARK was made into a film by Gus Van Sant which won the Cannes Special Anniversary Prize Award in 2006, as well as Italy's Grinzane Literary award.

His latest book DESTROY ALL CARS has been praised as "Smart and entertaining" by the New York Times, and was called "A wonderful novel" by the Los Angeles Times.

His novel RECOVERY ROAD was released in March of 2011. His newest novel, DREAM SCHOOL, the sequel to GIRL, is being released in December, 2011 from Figment.

Figment is a web site for teens and young adults to create, discover, and share new reading and writing. Whatever you're into, from sci-fi to sonnets, you can find it all at www.figment.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Wish This Book Had Been Around When I Was In High School, January 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Girl: A Novel (Paperback)

Early into my teenage years, I grew disenchanted with the "young adult" fiction that was on the market. I just could not relate to those twins of Sweet Valley, nor to their counterparts in other teen novels. NO ONE lives their lives the way those characters did! I enjoyed reading, and it was a big disappointment not to be able to identify with any fictional characters of my age group. (I often wonder if this is why so few teens like to read). Two years ago, long after I moved into my 20s, I found "Girl", and was completely blown away. I didn't think it was possible that Andrea could be purely the creation of Blake Nelson's mind. She speaks like a real 16 year old, experiences things that happen to real 16 year olds, and has friends who are like the ones real 16 year olds have (I want to meet Cybil! I wish I had known her when I was in high school). I'm sure that many parents and teachers would like to believe that their little ones do not say or do the things that Andrea does in "Girl" (what first sparked my curiosity about this book was reading a review in a magazine in which the critic said this would be a good young adult novel if not for the graphic language), but you need only spend half an hour in a high school cafeteria to understand that there is nothing in this novel that any teenager is not already aware of. Many readers have expressed amazement that Blake Nelson, a man, could capture so perfectly the essence of a young woman. I admire him for this too, but am even more impressed to find an adult writer who still remembers what it's like to be a teenager, and can make others remember as well.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 10 years and still going strong, February 6, 2004

By 

Kelly Ballou (Walnut Creek, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Girl: A Novel (Paperback)

I first read this book 10 years ago, when I was 15 years old. I just finished it again for the 21st time. Yes that is right, I have read Girl, by Blake Nelson 2 times a year for 10 years.

When I started reading this book I instantly felt like someone finally understood me. I was young, dating an older musician and going to night clubs instead of school dances. Yet at the same time there was a part of me that wanted to be like everyone else, studying, joining school clubs, getting ready for college.

Andrea Marr completely encapsulates the most common teenage fears and desires. The desire to find love, to be different yet accepted. To find freedom from both your parents and school. The desire to figure out WHO you are, by constantly changing.

When you read Girl you will find that it is not like reading a book, it is like you are reading 3 years worth of a teenagers diary. Boyfriends, break ups, friendships fading and changing. Surprizingly honest and heartfelt. By the end you will feel like Andrea Marr is your best friend. I am amazed at how well Blake Nelson takes on the voice of a 16 year old teenage girl. I only wish he had written a sequel, because I would love to know what Andrea is up to now.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Look at Adolescence, January 9, 2001

By 

Jennifer Hall (Rockmart, GA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Girl: A Novel (Paperback)

This book automatically gets five stars just because it was written so well in the voice of a teenage girl by a grown man. Not a moment rings false as you delve into the life of Andrea Marr, a high school girl coming of age in the early nineties "grunge" of Portland. She faces the familiar pratfalls of life, including all that is important to a teenager...boys, friends, school, clothes, music and sex. Everything is fresh and real; just reading it can take you back to the day when you yourself were sixteen and every single moment contained so much importance and angst.

Blake Nelson nails his portrayal of a teenage girl dead on. I still find it hard to believe, like other reviewers here, that this story was written by a man. 'Girl' reads like a few years of a personal diary, one that the author of such diary never really meant for anyone but herself to see. Andrea grows realistically, not from a good girl gone bad overnight, but as a true person finding herself and her identity. If this means making new friends who shave their heads, shop at thrift stores and start their own bands, then so be it. As the books states, it's only a brief glimpse into her life. Who knows what happened after high school?

I was lucky enough to actually get to read this while I was still in high school myself. While it is not difficult to get into or terribly deep, it rings so true to real life that it is impossible to put down. Just reading it again can transport you back to your youth. A highly recommended book.