Strings Attached [Hardcover]

Judy Blundell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2011

From National Book Award winner Judy Blundell, the tale of a sixteen-year-old girl caught in a mix of love, mystery, Broadway glamour, and Mob retribution in 1950 New York.

When Kit Corrigan arrives in New York City, she doesn't have much. She's fled from her family in Providence, Rhode Island, and she's broken off her tempestuous relationship with a boy named Billy, who's enlisted in the army.

The city doesn't exactly welcome her with open arms. She gets a bit part as a chorus girl in a Broadway show, but she knows that's not going to last very long. She needs help--and then it comes, from an unexpected source.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for What I Saw and How I Lied

2008 National Book Award Winner—Young People's Literature

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

Romantic Times Book Review 2008 Reviewers Choice Nominee

"Blundell navigates this multidimensional plotline with unique, well-developed characters and insightful dialogue." —School Library Journal, starred review

"A stylish, addictive brew." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Judy Blundell takes readers into the mind and heart of a teenager hungry for truth and afraid of what she might find." —The Washington Post

"An extraordinary story... Gripping." —The Wall Street Journal

"Blundell doesn't miss a step. This is a smart, complex story with a terrific mystery and brilliant characters. Set just after World War II, it captures the era with real pathos and an ugly dose of reality." —Romantic Times Magazine

"This beautifully written story is full of period detail, from a post-war New York City right out of Life magazine to a sleepy and sticky Florida courthouse, and its well-drawn and original characters spring to life on the page... this gripping novel would also make a top-notch read for adults." —Bookpage.com

About the Author

Judy Blundell's WHAT I SAW AND HOW I LIED is the 2008 winner of the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. As Jude Watson, she is the author of several titles in the New York Times bestselling 39 Clues series as well as the bestselling Star Wars: Last of the Jedi and Jedi Quest series. She lives in Katonah, New York.

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press; 1 edition (March 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0545221269
• ISBN-13: 978-0545221269
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (102 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #897,000 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Almost, but not quite. May 3, 2011

By BeneathStars

Format:Hardcover

Never make deals with the devil. Someone should have told Kit Corrigan this when Nate (Billy's father) offers her an apartment. There's one small catch though, if she wants the apartment, she'll have to get back in contact with Billy and do a couple small favors for Nate. Having lived on someone's couch up until this point, Kit jumps on the offer. However, things don't go nearly as smoothly as she'd like.

Set in 1950, seventeen year old Kit Corrigan works as a chorus girl in a Broadway show that's so tiny that well, she's barely clinging onto her dream and she's pretty much a nobody in New York. When Nate re-enters her life, suddenly she becomes a somebody. She gets a job as a Lido girl (working at a nightclub and dancing), has her own apartment, and gets a brand new wardrobe. Finally, Billy comes back on leave and feelings inevitably resurface.

I'm really not sure how much I can say without giving some rather serious spoilers--which I'm trying not to do. Kit's life takes a series of twists and turns; but more importantly, she doesn't understand how close her family was/is to the Benedicts. I will say that Kit does end up doing some serious growing up within Strings Attached and that the romance--to me--felt like a sub-plot. Well, Kit's romance anyways.

With that said, if the plot intrigues you or you happen to like novels set during the 1950's, I'd recommend you give this book a go. Admittedly the cover doesn't scream 1950's to me although the black dress that she wears on the cover is symbolic and well, mentioned in the book. Kit isn't precisely the most dynamic character I've ever read about, but the normality is a nice change--every now and again. I know, I know, I should be mentioning--vaguely--the ending as well. Pretty much all that I can and will tell you is that it does wrap things up nicely.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars I just could not get into this book. December 5, 2011

By J. Thompson VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I have tried several times over the past few months to read this book. Each time I couldn't get past the 2nd or 3rd chapters. The relationship Kit, the main character, has with her boyfriends father puzzled me. I had a hard time keeping up with what was going on...the story jumps from present day to the 50's. I've loved other books that jump around so that's not what caused me not to get into the book. I don't really know why. Just couldn't get interested enough to stick with it. I read all of the other reviews and I am really glad most were positive! I really do feel bad when I can't give at least 4 stars to a book review. I would tell anyone interested, give it a try. It just might be the type of book you're looking for. Sorry it wasn't mine!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Uneven and quite adult August 18, 2011

By Doc Occula VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

An interesting story which, as with some YA novels, I wish had actually been written instead as adult fiction so the author didn't have to pull any punches when talking about sex, violence or relationships. At the heart of it 'Strings Attached' is a pretty juicy noir-ish tale rooted in some beautifully researched tales about America during and after the war, but I think ultimately the author herself had too many strings she was attempting to weave together, and things got messy. The occasional devolution into a deus ex machina plot point or a convenient twist did nothing for the intriguing cast of characters. Also: the element which utterly fascinated me - spoilers - the possible sexual relationship between the protagonist's brother and her boyfriend - was barely given the time of day, since of course it wasn't their story, but every time I came across even the vaguest mention of it I wanted the entire book to be about them instead. That would make for some fascinating reading.

Also: heinous art direction on the cover. How hard is it to style a pretty girl into a 1950s costume and put up a decent-looking title? I'd probably buy this book on the cover alone if it looked early-Mad Men enough.