Planet Janet [Hardcover]

Dyan Sheldon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2003

In the spirit of BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY - for the younger set - comes this hilarious chronicle of teenage angst from the author of CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN and MY PERFECT LIFE.


With a Mad Cow for a mother, an eccentric psychotherapist for a father, and a dweeble for an older brother, it’s no wonder sixteen-year-old Janet Bandry is ready to enter the Dark Phase of her life. As this determined British teenager sees it, the DP requires dressing in black, listening to jazz when she can find the right radio station, and thinking about Deep and Meaningful Things - when she isn’t thinking about boys, what color to dye her hair, or whether her nose piercing is infected. Told in diary entries with a comical dose of melodrama, Planet Janet shares the painfully funny travails of a winning new heroine who just knows she is destined for greatness.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10-This bitingly witty novel reads like a cross between Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary (Viking, 1998) and Sue Townsend's The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13-3/4 (Avon, 1984). It's tough to feel properly appreciated for your questing and artistic soul when you're surrounded by shallow, lifeless, and "v. boring" parents. And so, Janet Foley Bandry, age 16, decides to embark on the "Dark Phase" of her life by exploring her creative nature, nurturing her passionate soul, and wearing only black and purple. She goes through typical teen self-absorption, which is relieved only by hour-long conversations with her best friend and soul mate, Disha, and they dissect every nuance of everything they've endured, usually incorrectly. But somehow over the course of five months, during which time Janet suffers many indignities and humiliations and her parents separate, it looks like the drama queen of "Planet Janet" is actually starting to become a little bit more compassionate and grown up. Meg Cabot's fans will enjoy this lightweight foray into British teen melodrama.
Susan Riley, Mount Kisco Public Library, NY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 6-10. Like Lola in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (1999), Sheldon's latest heroine, Janet, is a dramatic, misunderstood, and hilarious teen. Attempting to transcend life's "mundane crap" and develop her "questing soul," Janet, accompanied by best friend, Disha, enters her "Dark Phase," which is marked by dark clothing, literary posturing, and calculated pursuit of Elvin, an aspiring teen filmmaker. Meanwhile, life at home in London grows increasingly rocky. When her parents' normal fights erupt into full crisis, Janet is forced to step outside her self-absorbed "planet" and confront her family's painful truths. Writing in diary form, Janet tells her own story in explosively funny, self-centered observations and language sparked with Briticisms, which are defined in a glossary. Teens weathering their own family dramas may wish that Janet would allow more moments of honest hurt to show through the angst-tinged comedy. But the fast-paced, clever writing, startlingly similar to Louise Rennison's Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging (2000) and its sequels, will keep teens eagerly reading and sharing passages with each other to the end. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; First U.S. Edition edition (February 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763620483
• ISBN-13: 978-0763620486
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.9 x 7.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,287,756 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining weekend read, March 3, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Planet Janet (Hardcover)

Virtually every teenager goes through it. One day they decide they're going to become more sophisticated, and like Janet, think reading Beat poetry, listening to jazz, and changing their diet and/or wardrobe is the way to achieve such sophistication. It is no surprise then, that when Janet Bandry, protagonist of Dyan Sheldon's "Planet Janet" and her best friend, Disha, decide to enter the "Dark Phase" (or "DP") of their lives, that these are the first things they do.
Sure to please fans of Louise Rennison's "Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging", "Planet Janet" chronicles Janet's five-month journey into the world of yoga, vegetarianism, and "deep, intellectual thought" through her diary entries. Already thoroughly self-absorbed (hence her parents nickname for her, "Planet Janet"), Janet reaches the epitome of teen solipsism before true tragedy brings her back to Earth. Loaded with slang, criticism of her "self-absorbed" family members, and a few graphic sexual references, the book takes the adult reader back to their own "Dark Phase" and is sure to engage the average 16-year old girl. At times the book is laugh-out-loud funny; at others, Janet's egotism is so utterly pathetic that one prays s/he wasn't that ignorant and aloof as a teen and that not all teens are so narcissistic.
Besides being a very easy read due to the diary format, another plus is the handy glossary Sheldon included at the back of the book. While most of the slang is easy to understand or figure out, there are a few words or abbreviations that might throw someone unfamiliar with British culture and language. "Planet Janet" is listed as suitable for ages nine and up, but is more likely suited to those a little older for several reasons. Chances are a nine-year old won't be able to fully relate to Janet or appreciate a lot of the literary, political, and philosophical references. In addition, though younger readers might be familiar with the sexual references, it is better to err on the side of caution as the few entries that do discuss sex can be somewhat graphic. All in all "Planet Janet" is a fun, quick read for young adults and not-so-young adults alike and is a must for anyone that has ever been in a "Dark Phase" of their own.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just Great, January 25, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Planet Janet (Hardcover)

I bought this book and had it finished the day after! It was that good. The only thing I don't agree with is the age limit. Some of the things in this book aren't all that great for 9 year-olds. But all over a great book!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Laughing Out Loud, February 1, 2003

By 

Little Willow (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Planet Janet (Hardcover)

PLANET JANET is one of the funniest new releases out there. Set in Britain, this book revolves around Janet, a teenager who decides along with her best friend to enter the Dark Phase, or DP, of her life. She reflects on her dysfunctional family, her religious zealot of a grandmother, her free spirit aunt, the boy she likes, the things we do for love, her rival, the art and film industry, black clothing and hair dye.

If I had a nickel for every time I laughed out loud during the course of this book, I would be a rich woman indeed. The diary format is sure to please fans of Meg Cabot or Louise Rennison. Two thumbs up for this wickedly brilliant British gem.