Notes on a Near-Life Experience [Hardcover]

Olivia Birdsall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 13, 2007

Mia never thought she'd be the child of a broken home. Yet when she's 15 years old, one day her father just up and moves out. As her family life crumbles, her love life is finally coming together. Julian, her brother Allen's best friend and her longtime crush, has finally noticed her—and being with Julian makes her happier than she can put into words.

Meanwhile, her mother has disappeared into work, her brother is skipping school and acting weird, and her father is cohabitating with a frighteningly sexy Peruvian woman named Paloma. Mia wishes the divorce would just go away so she could focus on Julian . . . but she can't ignore her problems forever. In this honest, witty, utterly accessible winner of the Delacorte Press Contest, first-time author Olivia Birdsall creates an authentic and lovable teenager in Mia Day.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6 Up—Fifteen-year-old Mia Day's life changes drastically when her parents separate. Suddenly Mom is working more and isn't home to cook dinner. Mia's dad has taken up with a sexy Peruvian woman. Her brother, Allen, is acting out. All is not bad in her life, however. Her brother's friend Julian, whom Mia has had a crush on since forever, begins to notice her. She's finally old enough to learn how to drive. Her dad takes her on father-daughter "dates." Finally, Mia's shrink enables her to break through the logjam of repressed emotions she's had about the divorce and to begin to grieve her loss. Divorce and first love are old themes, but the author's spare style, her likable characters, and the witty voice she's given her protagonist set this novel apart. Its short chapters should make it popular with reluctant readers.—Catherine Ensley, Latah County Free Library District, Moscow, ID
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About the Author

Olivia Birdsall is the second of 10 children. She works as a teaching artist for the Teachers & Writers Collaborative in New York City, and as an instructor in the Expository Writing Program at New York University. Notes on a Near-Life Experience is her first novel.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers; 1ST edition (February 13, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385733704
• ISBN-13: 978-0385733700
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 0.9 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,709,309 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Notable Debut, January 23, 2008

By 

Little Willow (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Notes on a Near-Life Experience (Hardcover)

At the age of fifteen, Mia is trying to make sense of life. Everything and everyone around her seem to be changing. Her parents are getting separated, her brother is rebelling, and her brother's best friend is finally returning her affection. What could possibly happen next?

Quirky vignettes with quirky titles effectively tell her tale - sometimes serious, sometimes humorous, always poignant, these stories includes pepperoni, prom, and a person from Peru. My favorite vignettes include Coming of Age, What I Want to Be When I Grow Up, and Living Dead Girl.

I really enjoyed Mia's sense of self and her honest take on things. She is able to take the good with the bad, the happy with the sad, and she has a good head on her shoulders. I hope that others will take note of Olivia Birdsall's debut.

5.0 out of 5 stars Mia has her hands full adjusting to a world of new changes., September 6, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Notes on a Near-Life Experience (Hardcover)

Olivia Birdsall's NOTES ON A NEAR-LIFE EXPERIENCE tells of teen Mia, whose world crumbles when her father suddenly leaves them. With a mother who reacts by burying herself in work and a brother's best friend who finally notices her, Mia has her hands full adjusting to a world of new changes.

4.0 out of 5 stars just the right amout of humor, July 8, 2007

By 

Tabitha (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Notes on a Near-Life Experience (Hardcover)

A lot of YA fiction is full of whiny, self-absorbed main characters that complain about everything. Fortunately, this author's voice is quite different, and rang clear through the main character, Mia. The story deals with serious issues without making them too dramatic and heavy, and uses just the right amount of humor. The dialog and insights were too grown-up at times, especially for a character that seems to keep her head in the sand. I would also have liked to see a more definitive ending, with a few loose ends tied up. Other than that, this was a refreshing YA read.