Withering Tights (Misadventures of Tallulah Casey) [Hardcover]

Louise Rennison (Author)

Book Description

Release date: June 28, 2011 | Series: Misadventures of Tallulah Casey

Wow. This is it. This is me growing up. On my own, going to Performing Arts College. This is good-bye, Tallulah, you long, gangly thing, and hellooooo, Lullah, star of stage.

Tallulah Casey is ready to find her inner artist. And some new mates. And maybe a boy or two or three.

The ticket to achieving these lofty goals? Enrolling in a summer performing arts program, of course. She's bound for the wilds of Yorkshire Dales—eerily similar to the windswept moors of Wuthering Heights. Tallulah expects new friends, less parental interference, and lots of drama. Acting? Tights? Moors? Check, check, check.

What she doesn't expect is feeling like a tiny bat's barging around in her mouth when she has her first snog.

Bestselling author Louise Rennison returns with her trademark wit, a hilarious new cast, and a brand-new cheeky heroine who is poised to discover plenty of opportunities for (mis)adventure!

Editorial Reviews

Review

PRAISE FOR WITHERING TIGHTS:“I don’t know how, but Louise Rennison has done it again. Tallulah is even funnier, warmer, and sweeter than her cousin Georgia Nicolson. I fell in love with Withering Tights, and you will too!” (Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries and Abandon series)

“Louise Rennison has created another superbly realistic and hilarious young teen heroine, a younger Georgia Nicolson, in the first book of a new series. Tallulah’s wry comments on her life and her dreams are sure to enchant girl readers who will laugh and cry with the spunky, hopeful entertainer.” (Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (Starred Review))

“Tallulah is a vivacious and hilarious character who will speak to every girl. This is a wonderful start to a new series that will attract Georgia’s many fans as well as bring in new readers, who will fall in love with Tallulah and all of her quirks.” (School Library Journal)

“Fans of Georgia Nicolson will be thrilled to meet her cousin Tallulah in Printz Honor-winner Rennison’s new madcap melodrama. Undeniably entertaining; Georgia would be pleased.” (Kirkus)

“Absurdity is a key point here, and it’s richly delivered by Tallulah’s exploits. Ideal for readers seeking a high-spirited silly British romp.” (Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books)

“Tallulah is an effervescent protagonist who will keep fans of YA Brit lit laughing until the very end.” (Publishers Weekly)

“A bright, breezy, and very funny take on life. Good fun!” (Booklist)

“A jolly and faintly raunchy read.” (Wall Street Journal)

“This Brit lit romp through the moors will leave readers looking forward to next term and more Tallulah.” (The Horn Book)

“Expect lots more of Rennison’s unique brand of teen angst, snogging and shenanigans.” (The Sunday Times)

“Hilarious.” (The Daily Express)

PRAISE FOR THE CONFESSIONS OF GEORGIA NICOLSON:“A little raunchy and quite funny.” (New York Times Book Review on The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson)

“Hysterically funny.” (Seventeen on The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson)

“Hilarious!” (USA Today on The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson)

“We’re talking laugh-till-the-soda-comes-out-your-nose humor.” (Chicago Tribune on The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson)

“Refreshing.” (San Francisco Chronicle on The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson)

About the Author

Louise Rennison is the internationally bestselling and award-winning author of the Withering Tights series and the angst-filled Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series. She lives in Brighton, the San Francisco of England (apart from the sun, Americans, the Golden Gate Bridge, and earthquakes).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (June 28, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061799319
• ISBN-13: 978-0061799310
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #936,424 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Louise Rennison is the bestselling and award-winning author of the angst-filled Confessions of Georgia Nicolson. Louise lives in Brighton, the San Francisco of England (apart from the sun, Americans, the Golden Gate Bridge, and earthquakes).

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as Georgia Nicholson, but still sweet light fun. June 7, 2011

By Alexandra Henshel VINE™ VOICE

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

As a HUGE fan of Louise Rennison's Georgia Nicholson series, I was so excited to read this, and even more so when I realized that Tallulah Cassey is Georgia's cousin, but I have to say that the book fell a little short of my high hopes and expectations.
Tallulah, whose parents seem inexplicably more up-market than Georgia's family, is off to Yorkshire to study dramatic arts for the summer, but it's never really clear why- she doesn't seem to really have any passion for theater, and never takes the program seriously at all. While there, she makes friends, and of course, boyfriends, but I felt her character fell into the "oh I'm SO TALL and SO THIN with SUCH GREEN EYES and SUCH SHINY HAIR, why, I'M A TROLL, and boys will never like me" trap- which is so annoying and overdone and at this point such a ghastly cliche. One of the things that made Rennison's voice so authentic in her other YA books was that Georgia came across as a real girl, and relatable, while Tallulah did not.
It is a shame, because the set-up had a lot of potential, and coming from such a talented author, could have been a great young YA read, but as it was, it was a bit grating, and Tallulah's silliness annoyed rather than enchanted.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Funny tween Brit chick lit June 24, 2011

By Melissa Niksic VINE™ VOICE

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

I am not typically a reader of YA novels, but on a recent trip to London I saw a bunch of promotions for this book, and it intrigued me. I had to check it out. "Withering Tights" (love, love, LOVE that title!) is about 14-year-old Tallulah Casey, who embarks on a journey to Yorkshire to spend her summer at a performing arts college. Tallulah is hilarious, but she's also a hardcore portrait of a stereotypical teenager, which was a bit cliche. Still, her clever observations and offhand remarks kept me laughing from beginning to end. I love the fact that this book includes a glossary at the end so readers can easily define many of Tallulah's obscure references. Perhaps the best thing about this book is Tallulah's candidness and honesty throughout the entire story. I think most teenage girls, regardless of whether they are British or American, will be able to relate to her.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars British Teen Finds Her Place June 19, 2011

By VReviews VINE™ VOICE

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

Author Louise Rennison has carved out a very successful niche with her young teen coming-of-age book series that follows the escapades of Georgia Nicolson. The `Confessions of Georgia Nicolson' series is hugely popular; but I knew nothing of that when I choose `Withering Tights' the first book in the new Tallulah Casey series.

British teen Tallulah Casey typifies the awkward, confused, foot-in-your-mouth early teen life that is such a great source of comedy and fun. That is as long as you are looking back at it from a distance of a few good years. No doubt girls living through this age now will read and commiserate with 14 year old Tallulah; whereas those of us who enjoy quick, funny young "chick lit" summer reading will rejoice at having gotten through those years.

Tallulah finds herself, through no effort on her part, off to summer performing arts college at Dother Hall in the northern English countryside of Yorkshire. Tallulah's observations immediately illicit chuckles and smiles as she describes her amazement at having to sit next to a sheep on the small village bus to Heckmondwhite, the fictitious town where Dother Hall resides. Tallulah works hard to find her balance as she moves in as a boarder with a rather wacky family, goes looking for the "shops" to have coffee, and realizes that the college brochure merely suggests that the college it's co-ed. Tallulah experiences disappointments, embarrassing missteps, creative accidents, and triumphs as she navigates through the minefield of meeting new friends, and finding her place among the zany talented teachers and students of Dother Hall.

`Withering Tights' is a great light-hearted, witty, romp of a book that easily transcends any surface differences between British and American teenage girls. However, just incase there is any doubt as to what an `apple catcher' is, or a `barm pot', Tallulah has included a glossary as part of her journal (a Rennison standard) to illuminate us all.