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My Invented Life [Hardcover]

Lauren Bjorkman
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)

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Book Description

September 29, 2009
With Roz and Eva everything becomes a contest—who can snag the best role in the school play, have the cutest boyfriend, pull off the craziest prank. Still, they’re as close as sisters can be. Until Eva deletes Roz from her life like so much junk e-mail for no reason that Roz understands. Now Eva hangs out with the annoyingly petite cheerleaders, and Roz fantasizes about slipping bovine growth hormone into their Gatorade.

Roz has a suspicion about Eva. In turn, Eva taunts Roz with a dare, which leads to an act of total insanity. Drama geeks clamor for attention, Shakespearean insults fly, and Roz steals the show in Lauren Bjorkman’s hilarious debut novel.

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up—Self-proclaimed drama geek Roz Peterson has an active fantasy life, which she often confuses with reality. She thinks that her sister Eva, who is no longer confiding in her, is a lesbian and in love with her friend Carmen. Roz dreams of Eva's boyfriend, Bryan, reciprocating her longtime crush. In an effort to encourage her sister, Roz decides to come out at school and invent a new sexual identity for herself as a lesbian, the only problem being that she is basically heterosexual. The hapless Roz is an exceptionally unreliable narrator who makes clumsy attempts to figure out what is going on with all the other people in her life. All this real-life gender-bending takes place during the drama club's production of As You Like It. This novel is particularly good at evoking teenage confusion about sexual preference and identity, and Bjorkman's depiction of the drama-club crowd is absolutely spot-on, especially the characters' trading of Shakespearean insults online and the practical jokes they play on one another. Narrator Roz is funny, well intentioned, and likable despite her cluelessness, and she is surrounded by a realistic cast of adult and teen characters representing a wide variety of viewpoints and sexual preferences. This is an enjoyable read that will be especially appealing to theater aficionados.—Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“Bjorkman sets her debut amid the high school theater crowd, peppering Roz's internal narration with imagined scenarios and Shakespearean humor, evoking all the drama inherent in putting on a play. Roz's voice is witty and genuine as she moves through the ups and downs of coming out (and eventually coming clean). Evocative of Boy Meets Boy and Dramarama, this makes for fun, thought-provoking reading.” —Publishers Weekly

“This debut is a supportive, enjoyable read.”—Booklist

 

 


Product Details

  • Hardcover: 233 pages
  • Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); First Edition edition (September 29, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0805089500
  • ISBN-13: 978-0805089509
  • Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,984,436 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up on a sailboat, sharing the tiny forecastle with my sister and the sail bags. Against all odds, we are still friends. We started sailing in California and ended in Argentina. My favorite stops along the way were Costa Rica, Panama, Isla Providencia, Key West, the Azores, the Canary Islands, and Brazil.

During our voyages, my sister drew beautiful paper dolls for the both of us. We sewed amazing wardrobes for our stuffed animals. We became excellent swimmers and beach combers. We made up new lyrics for old songs. Canned food dominated our meals on crossings, so we really appreciated fresh fruit when we came into port. I dreamed of ice cream on the open ocean.

We kept up with school through a program called Calvert out of Maryland.

My dad read to us at night by the light of a kerosene lamp. Since then, I've always loved stories and wanted to write my own.

I live in Taos, New Mexico with my husband, and two sons. We often see coyotes outside our window.

For more, please visit my website at http://www.laurenbjorkman.com

Customer Reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
(33)
4.2 out of 5 stars
Lauren has in My Invented Life a fast paced, funny journey all in the mist of the character's Shakespeare play. Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf  |  10 reviewers made a similar statement
I also liked how the main characters all grew a lot. Sarah Woodard  |  4 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read! March 10, 2010
Format:Hardcover
I loved this book almost as much I as I love the smooshed up faces of the girls on the cover!!!

Ah. Sisters. Such complex relationships most of us have with our sisters, and an especially endearing and funny one In My Invented Life. Roz the main character is quirky and loveable despite inventing a new sexuality for herself, to try to out her sister. The fact that she fantisizes over her sister's boyfriend was sooooooooo well done.

Filled with drama, both the Shakespearean kind as well as the teen self-induced kind, this is a surprising story that tugs at emotion while inducing genuine laughter. This is a book that made me laugh, cry and think and I highly recommend it
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Hilarious! March 6, 2010
By Syd
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Absolutely hilarious--with as many twists and turns as the school production of Shakespeare's AS YOU LIKE IT which provides the backdrop for the action in this playful romp.

The writing is crisp and clever, making the book a quick, fun read. I especially adore the way Bjorkman peppers the story with Shakespearean insults and even includes a glossary of terms in the back of the book.

Roz and Eva's sisterly antics ring so true--just the right blend of love and competition. And who couldn't fall in love with Roz whose misguided good intentions lead to all kinds of laugh-out-loud moments.

My favorite thing about this book is the way Bjorkman makes us laugh while also making us question our assumptions about people. Ultimately it's a story about complex relationships, figuring out who we are, growing up, and forgiveness. Truly great read!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant! February 10, 2010
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Our youth teach us that we humans are far more resourceful and full of possibility than "grown ups" may think.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious!
MY INVENTED LIFE is about two sisters, Roz and Eva, who are both a bit similar and very different at the same time. Roz is more bold and brass, (along with being unpredictable. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Emz
4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read!!
Roz and her sister Eva have always been close if somewhat competitive, but are going through a period where Eva has pulled back and Roz feels left out of her life and wants to find... Read more
Published 4 months ago by YA Book Addict
3.0 out of 5 stars Fun and Quirky
This was a nice light read, and pretty short so it was a nice change to the long books I've been reading lately. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Coffee Bean Bookshelf
3.0 out of 5 stars Quirky and funny
This is fun realistic teen fiction and I enjoyed it. The main character, Roz, is a quirky, funny and somewhat self absorbed girl who is just looking to find her place in her... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Cherie Searles
3.0 out of 5 stars fun read
I heard this book was funny and really didn't know what the book was about when I started to read it. It wasn't what I expected but I enjoyed the book. Read more
Published 4 months ago by jennifer
4.0 out of 5 stars My Invented Life
This book was pretty good. It tells the story of two sisters whose relationship falls apart all of a sudden. The younger sister is on a mission to find out why. Read more
Published 4 months ago by T Joyner
3.0 out of 5 stars A cute contemporary read!
I was given this book for an honest review as part of a blog tour through [...]. Receiving this book for free in no way influenced my opinion or review. Read more
Published 4 months ago by bhwrn1
4.0 out of 5 stars The insults were the best!
Boy is Roz ever confused! And its a little hard to read the book, between her fantasies and the reality. The relationship between Roz and Eva is one of a strong sibling rivalry. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Kristin Plausky
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a wonderful coming of age story for all!
To say I loved this book is not enough! I adored it and will tell lovers of teen ya as well as those having issues being GBLT that they need to read it. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Crossroad Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Open-minded brilliance!
Oh didn't I just adore this novel. It has to be one of the most open-minded novels written. And I'm not saying so because of the issues embraced and talked about. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Bee
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