The Unlikely Romance of Kate Bjorkman [Hardcover]

Louise Plummer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1995

Hi, I'm Kate Bjorkman. If you're reading this, I must have gotten published. If you're turned off  by romance novels, don't be. I don't like them  myself. They're full of three-paragraph kisses  describing people's tongues and spittle. But what do you  do if you've lived a real romance with a great  guy (Richard) and he loves you as much  as you love him? Simple. I wrote a romance novel.  I used The Romance Writer's Phrase  Book since I'm not a natural in the romance  department. My English teacher said there must be  conflict in a story. No problem. My life was one big  conflict last Christmas. Nothing is made up. I want  truth even in romance. I'm betting you'll want the  same.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10-Charismatic, lighthearted, and irresistible, Kate Bjorkman narrates her tale of teen romance in the language and conventions of The Romance Writer's Handbook. Spoofing the searing descriptions and pat plots of torrid bodice rippers, this six-foot tall heroine with glasses thick as Coke bottles and an I.Q. off the charts proves that true love awaits even the gawkiest, most socially inept teen. With a surprise Christmas visit from her older brother, his wife, and college friends, one of whom is a former neighbor and Kate's dream hunk, the freezing Minnesota winter takes on summer's glow. Fleur, whom Kate believes to be Richard's girlfriend, combines perfect California good looks with a rapier wit. Ashley, Kate's nubile, popular best friend, lets raging hormones stampede loyalty and horns in on Richard, even though Kate has identified him as the man of her dreams; thus a perfect romance-fiction villain is born. After much humorous travail, everything sorts itself out, and Kate lives happily ever after, at least for the six weeks that her romance has lasted. Witty, keen writing; likable characters, and an interesting format form a fast-paced, refreshing book with lots of appeal. Written in chapters that alternate novel segments with Kate's revision notes, the plot advances and characters develop with hilarity of detail. Kate is a uniquely strong female protagonist whose reflections on life, love, and people shine through. With a forgivably pat ending (this is a bodice ripper, after all!) that isn't quite as successful as its build-up, the book appeals to the starry-eyed romantic that lurks in us all.
Alice Casey Smith, Monmouth County Library Headquarters, Manalapan, NJ
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

Hi, I'm Kate Bjorkman. If you're reading this, I must have gotten published. If you're turned off by romance novels, don't be. I don't like them myself. They're full of three-paragraph kisses describing people's tongues and spittle. But what do you do if you've lived a real romance with a great guy (Richard) and he loves you as much as you love him? Simple. I wrote a romance novel. I used The Romance Writer's Phrase Book since I'm not a natural in the romance department. My English teacher said there must be conflict in a story. No problem. My life was one big conflict last Christmas. Nothing is made up. I want truth even in romance. I'm betting you'll want the same.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 183 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (September 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385320493
• ISBN-13: 978-0385320498
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,496,177 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great Christmas YA novel--witty and well written., March 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Unlikely Romance of Kate Bjorkman (Hardcover)

Louise Plummer has taken the romance novel to a new level, and YA readers will get a kick out of how she has fun with the conventions of romance novels while at the same time spinning an enjoyable, and funny, story about a girl who falls in love. For teachers, this book presents many opportunities to discuss writing and the writing process; Kate, the narrator, includes revision notes that reflect on what she has written and how she might revise her romance novel.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Perfect YA Novel, January 7, 2007

By 

A Reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Unlikely Romance of Kate Bjorkman (Paperback)

I read this book for the first time over ten years ago, and it still holds up as one of the best YA novels I have ever read. Superficially, the writing is quick and bright, the characters are engaging, and the pace is spot on. Don't even finish this review, just go read the book.

If you're still on the fence, here is my list of three great things about TURoKB:
1. Kate...Here is a protagonist that anyone love, and bookish young women the world over can identify with. She's intelligent, she's a genuinely good person, and she doesn't spill any ink on youthful indulgences like self-pity or unnecessary rebelliousness. Cheers to strong, self-possessed women.

2. Kate's family...At one point in the novel, Kate decides that her parents are simply too darling and sympathetic, so she makes lists of their faults to incorporate. The resulting lists are some of the funniest moments in the book, and only serve to make her parents seem more endearing. It's hard to write convincingly about a good, stable family without making it seem utterly boring. Plummer succeeds, making us believe that the Bjorkmans really could live down the street.

3. Fleur St. Germaine...She is the revelation of the novel. First, we see one of the loveliest depictions of female friendship and generosity in print when she mentors Kate through romance that the title promises (a necessary counterbalance to the supposed friendship between Kate and Ashley). Second, she makes explicit the undercurrent of feminist ideas that Kate and her family subtly embody. Third, if the reader is so inclines, Fleur can be read as a lesbian. Nothing in the text contradicts a queer reading, and several of Fleur's jokes establish the supporting subtext. As a young woman who's access to even the tamest queer material was restricted, this book was a godsend.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Christmas Romance!, November 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Unlikely Romance of Kate Bjorkman (Paperback)

I got this book from the library in the eighth grade and absolutely loved it! Kate's story is so easy to relate to and her commentaries are absolutely hilarious! Every teenage girl I know has been in her situation and she makes it so funny that you can't help but love the story. The Christmas backdrop maskes the book perfect. It's romantic, funny, and a great holiday read!