The Kid Table [Hardcover]

Andrea Seigel (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 14, 2010

Ingrid Bell and her five teenage cousins are such a close-knit group that they don't really mind sitting at the kid table—even if they have to share it with a four-year-old. But then Brianne, the oldest cousin, lands a seat at the adult table and leaves her cousins shocked and confused. What does it take to graduate from the kid table?

Over the course of five family events, Ingrid chronicles the coming-of-age of her generation. Her cousins each grapple with growing pains, but it is Ingrid who truly struggles as she considers what it means to grow up. When first love comes in the form of first betrayal (he's Brianne's boyfriend), Ingrid is forced to question her own personality and how she fits into her family. The cousins each take their own path toward graduating into adulthood—only to realize that maybe the kid table was where they wanted to be all along.

Almost a reverse coming-of-age, this touching and hilariously funny novel will appeal to any reader who has sat at the kid table . . . or is still sitting there!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up–The Kid Table chronicles the lives of 16-year-old Ingrid Bell, her five teenage cousins and kid-table companions, and their family. First, Ingrid's cousin Brianne, a sophomore psychology major at Pepperdine, knocks Ingrid out of her spot as “most charming” by making a convincing argument that Ingrid is a psychopath. Then, at her Uncle Kurt's bar mitzvah, Brianne successfully graduates from the kid table, leaving the five remaining cousins to ponder her new status while dealing with being left behind. While Ingrid rationalizes her nonemotional responses, Seigel does not do much to deter readers from questioning Brianne's diagnosis. Ingrid's lack of empathy and morality are showcased especially when she laughs at Uncle Kurt's heartfelt bar-mitzvah speech, steals Aunt Brit's cell phone, gets sober Aunt Tish drunk and off the wagon, and makes out with Brianne's boyfriend, Trevor. Her desire to be liked and her feelings for Trevor take precedence over her cousins' problems, which include Cricket's eating disorder, Dom's strong desire to have someone else out him to the family, and Micah's identity crisis. In spite of Ingrid's psychopathic tendencies, her voice is bold, biting, and incredibly insightful. Seigel lightens some dramatic events with well-played humor, and the plot evolves over the course of five family events. This first YA novel is worth purchasing.–Adrienne L. Strock, Maricopa County Library District, AZ α(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

“Weirdly whimsical . . . Seigel’s YA debut delights.”

—Kirkus Reviews

 

“Bold, biting, and incredibly insightful. Seigel lightens some dramatic events with well-played humor.” —School Library Journal

 

“Quirky characters mixed up in sometimes all-too-real situations make The Kid Table a memorable and enjoyable read.”

—teensreadtoo.com

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens (September 14, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599904802
• ISBN-13: 978-1599904801
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,796,770 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born inside of forty-five minutes.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Your table is ready... September 25, 2010

By Gregory Plemmons

Format:Hardcover

I'm not sure what qualifies as "young adult" these days, since some of my favorite traditionally adult writers can now be found embracing this genre (e.g. Sherman Alexie), and forty-year-olds now await the release of the next Harry Potter or Twilight book as eagerly as their very own children. Whatever the case, Seigel's third novel is her best yet. You won't find any vampires or Quidditch rulebooks here, just Ingrid, a wise-beyond-her-years teenager who is grappling with the usual growing pains of becoming a young adult in contemporary Los Angeles. Seigel cleverly frames Ingrid's story over the course of a year at five family celebrations, and central to each is the Kid Table, where she and her cousins have been exiled since early childhood. If you've ever sat there, wondering what separated you from the adults, you'll cherish this novel. Although the conventional teenage issues are served up here (dysfunctional families, alcoholism, eating disorders, homosexuality), Ingrid's point of view are fresh and engaging. Dorothy Parker had her own round table, and Ingrid rules her as well with a voice that never seems heavy or precocious like some coming-of-age narrators. I'm not a typical reader of young adult fiction (and Seigel's two previous novels were marketed as adult) but this is her most mature and appealing work yet. I'm not sure what it says about our culture that the line between adult/young adult continues to blur--perhaps adolescents are now being forced to grow up now faster than ever and adults are becoming increasingly nostalgic for what we never really got to experience the first time. At any rate, this book is a must for any fan of her previous novels. If you like movies by Noah Baumbach (Squid and the Whale, etc) you'll love this.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshingly Real September 25, 2010

By Hannah Pfeifle

Format:Hardcover

Andrea Seigel has a way of writing from the perspective of young women that is refreshingly real and like no one else I've read before. Her characters are flawed, but oh-so-likable. I relate to them in ways that actually make me feel a little uncomfortable. More uncomfortable still, her characters are far wittier than I am, quick on their feet, , wry, intelligent, and uniquely themselves. Ingrid Bell, the protagonist of The Kid Table, is no exception. Her relationship with her cousins and the rest of her family is heartwarming, and - without giving too much away - her relationship with Trevor, the love interest in the book, made my heart squeeze. The story was deftly plotted; it was remarkable to see all the different elements of the story come together. Flat out, it was a highly satisfying read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious, scarily true September 24, 2010

By bigdaddy

Format:Hardcover

Forget all those vampires and angels and read a real book for a change. This one's about a group of cousins getting older and more complicated while the table at family events stays....kid-sized. The writing is original, full of insight, but not in an eat-your-greens, these-insights-are-good-for-you kind of way. I haven't laughed so much in ages. And it's incredibly wise about families too. So wise, you might recognize yourself and cringe. Read it. You won't regret it. Really. It's great.