The Queen of Cool [Paperback]

Cecil Castellucci (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 14, 2007

"Albert Camus meets Mariah Fredericks in this smart, edgy take on one adolescent’s search for identity and meaning in life." — KIRKUS REVIEWS

On the outside, Libby Brin is the most popular girl in school. But on the inside, Libby is dying — of boredom. In a moment of desperation, Libby signs up for an internship at the Los Angeles Zoo, much to the dismay of her friends, who’d prefer she spend her time with them, shopping, partying, and making fun of everyone else. Oddly, Libby realizes that she actually enjoys her new job and that she may even like the two "nerds" she works with. Will the Queen of Cool be forced to give up her crown?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up–Libby is cool to the max. However, shes bored with having all new clothes, her own car, and the freedom to go wherever she wants. She begins to question all of her self-indulgent and shallow friends, the drinking parties (with the parents permission) and smoking pot, and the free sex that goes on without any love or commitment. When she signs up to become an intern at the Los Angeles Zoo, she meets some of the uncool kids and sees their strengths and begins to change. While some of this seems contrived and Libbys transformation is a bit facile, the book follows several recent movies that teens are watching. Cool will draw even reluctant readers, and the satisfying ending wraps up all the loose ends. Castellucci clearly knows what goes on in the lives of many teens. This novel should be as popular as her Boy Proof (Candlewick, 2005).–Gail E. Wellman, East Middle School, Binghamton, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 10-12. Although 16-year-old Libby Brin is a trendsetter with plenty of friends and status, lately she finds popularity, drinking, partying, even her friends (her best friend is known as the Hand Job Queen), boring and empty. Impulsively, she signs up for an internship at the zoo. Initially she thinks she's made a mistake: her friends ridicule her, and she's partnered with nerdy Sheldon and Tina ("Tiny"), a Little Person mocked by Libby's crowd at school. But to Libby's surprise, her work and her relationships with Tina and Sheldon gradually begin to affect her in unexpected ways, opening her eyes to what really matters. Most of the supporting characters are stereotypes, but Tina--vulnerable, determined, passionate, generous--shines, and she provides Libby with a model for change. Relayed in Libby's lively, intimate voice, this story is a quick, engaging read about a selfish teen who discovers not only herself but also the difference between being part of a team and being part of a group. Shelle Rosenfeld
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; Reprint edition (August 14, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763634131
• ISBN-13: 978-0763634131
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.5 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,570,762 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Small Girl. Big Party. Author of the novels The Year of the Beasts, First Day on Earth, Rose Sees Red, Boy Proof, The Queen of Cool, Beige and The Plain Janes. Former indie rocker known as Nerdy Girl and Cecil Seaskull. DIY filmmaker. enfant terrible. modern 21st century flapper.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A deceptively easy read with much more depth between the lines March 16, 2006

By Teen Reads

Format:Hardcover

Libby Brin is cool. She's a member of the coolest clique on campus, throws amazing parties, and starts the newest, hottest (if short-lived) trends.

And she's bored.

It's not enough anymore for Libby to have money, sex without strings, and the ability to do pretty much whatever she wants. She's growing tired of her shallow friends and their lackluster ambitions. Her need to become something more than she is leads her to do the unexplainable, even the unthinkable, the uncoolest thing she's ever done: She signs up for an internship at the Los Angeles Zoo.

At the zoo, she is assigned to work with Tina, a Little Person with a big personality, and Sheldon, who is overweight, shy, and incredibly smart. As Libby becomes more interested in her work at the zoo, she begins drifting from her friends and is soon the last person to find out about the latest trends. This Queen of Cool, though, is starting to figure out that there's a lot more to being cool than fashion-slave t-shirts and wearing pencils taped to your jeans.

Minimalist writing, where the change in the main character comes slowly over pages of sparse, carefully chosen words, isn't something you see a lot of in teen literature. Let's hope THE QUEEN OF COOL changes some of that. On the surface, this is an easy read that you might dismiss as being "for younger kids." Once you start reading, though, you'll fill in the spaces between the words and maybe even change a few of your own thoughts on what makes for cool.

--- Reviewed by Carlie Webber

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars very cool February 26, 2006

By Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Format:Hardcover

When IT girl Libby Brin changes her formula for cool, taking time away from her A-List friends to do an internship at the zoo with Those Most Likely To Wear An L On Their Foreheads, she takes her first step toward being not just cool on the outdide, but cool on the inside as well, the kind of cool that readers really respect. The Queen of Cool is one of my favorite YAs thus far this year and its reversal of expectations is the perfect anecdote for those readers fatugued with the materialism of the Gossip Girls or even those simply looking for something fun but with depth.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Read Queen of Cool, and the Queen will be YOU June 28, 2006

By lauren myracle

Format:Hardcover

Dudes, this is a great book. It's a book that makes you want to be a better person--while at the same time making your snicker and sniffle and giggle. This Cecil chick knows how to write!!!

It also makes you want better toes. Or at least better toe art. Are there crown decals at my local Rite-Aid? No, there are not! I WANT CROWN DECALS FOR MY TOES!!!! :)