Alive and Well in Prague, New York (Laura Geringer Books) (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: Milo High, Food Wagon, New York City (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6 Up—Matisse Osgood is a Manhattanite with a superiority complex. When her father's illness necessitates a move to rural, upstate New York, she drips with contempt for her new town and its residents. Her initial reaction to her new high school is a bit clichéd as she surrounds herself with attitude and befriends the most radical and outrageous of Prague's students. But, after making a bad choice in a boyfriend, taking on the clique and emerging triumphant, and winning the respect of the entire school, Matisse becomes a likable, open-minded young woman. The story offers a change from the typical heartbreaking or depressing teen novels, but the ending is almost too good to be true. Still, the story provides a safe and positive alternative to teens who are hoping for happy endings in their own lives.—Debra Banna, Sharon Public Library, MA
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From Booklist

When Matisse’s sculptor dad develops Parkinson’s disease, he can no longer work to his satisfaction, and the family moves from New York City to tiny, upstate Prague. Stunned by living in a place where the only pizza parlor “didn’t even have sun-dried tomatoes as a topping,” and embarrassed and scared by her father’s quickly worsening illness, Matisse falls into a serious funk. Her new high school is lame, the other students are limited and boring, and many are downright mean. When she connects with new friend Violet, the two eventually manage to grow toward helpful self-knowledge; meantime, aspiring organic farmer Hal begins to seem less and less like the clueless hick Matisse had assumed. The heroine’s strong, clear voice and heartbreaking vulnerability propel the story forward, engaging the reader from the start. Maybe things turn around a little too neatly at the end, but that won’t bother fans of character-driven fiction seasoned with both romance and angst. Grades 7-10. --Anne O'Malley

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (June 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061256706
• ISBN-13: 978-0061256707
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,155,392 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Compulsive Reader's Reviews, June 3, 2008

By	The Compulsive Reader (Big Rapids, MI, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Matisse can't help but feel bitter when her mother moves her and her father, who has a debilitating disease, away from their wonderful home in New York City, to Prague, New York, a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. Stuck in a high school whose name she can't even pronounce, without any friends, and nothing to do is miserable for Matisse. People either want to talk about her dad (which Matisse isn't ready to do), or pretend everything is fine (Matisse knows it isn't). But if Matisse wants to make in Prague, she'll have to learn to open up to new things and people, and accept her situation at hand.

Alive and Well in Prague, New York was a very heartfelt read. Grab's smooth, empathetic writing will easily reel in readers by the hordes as she artfully portrays the hurt of everyone knowing your business in a small town, and the joy of true friends. Matisse is smart, practical, and yet very hard headed. Your heart will go out to her as she tries to balance school, friends (or lack thereof), and the situation at home. Grab captures the essence of small town life perfectly; quirky, quintessential, and endearing, Prague will appeal mightily to readers who have ever been curious about small town life, or to those who know exactly what it's like, and can easily commiserate and identify with with Matisse.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful story, July 3, 2008

By	Jennifer Bradbury "englishteacher" (burlington, wa) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There are so many things to love about this book--the clash between cultures that sometimes just a few hundred miles can bring, the array of characters who have lingered with me long after I finished reading, and Matisse's growth throughout the story. But most of all, I appreciate how Grab captures what its like for a teen (or anyone for that matter) to live with a secret that isn't hers to bear, and isn't meant to be a secret at all. Matisse's journey is compelling and will resonate with readers.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-written, believable, enjoyable!, June 5, 2008

By	L. Guerrero - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Everyone is familiar with the story of a small town girl struggling to fit in a big city, but Daphne Grab's novel takes an opposite spin on that theme and tells the journey of a New York City high school student, Matisse Osgood, who must deal with fish out of water feelings when her family uproots themselves from the city and settles down in small town Prague, New York. The move is prompted my Matisse's father's progressive deterioration to Parkinson's disease. Although the slower pace of small town life should be good for him, his illness is as hard for Matisse to adjust to as her new surroundings.

Grab does an amazing job of writing believable teenagers in this novel. The supporting cast has as much depth as the protagonist and the vivid personalities - filled with warmth, humor and sometimes nastiness - brought back echoes of my own high school classmates. The emotional roller coaster that Matisse is on also comes across as neither sappy nor melodramatic and as a reader I truly empathized with her hardships. She is a fun and lovable heroine and through her trials and challenges, I was desperately hoping that in the end she would come to be Alive and Well in Prague, New York.