Hello Everyone :)
Have you ever come across a book before that you just know by the synopsis that it was basically written for you, and you need to do whatever you can to get your hands on a copy immediately.
Well that's what happened to me when I stumbled upon Gabrielle Moss' Paperback Crush on Instagram. I couldn't wait to read this, and I was beyond belief excited when I got approved to read it on NetGalley.
It took me a little while to get my thoughts all in order to share this review with you guys, as this book just contains so much good stuff. I finally did though, and today I'm here to share all my thoughts and opinions on it with you all.
Paperback Crush: The Totally Radical History of 80's and 90's Teen Fiction by Gabrielle Moss:
Source: Publisher (Quirk Books) Via NetGalley
Publisher: Quirk Books
Publication Date: October 30th, 2018
Genre: Young Adult/Non Fiction
Synopsis:
A hilarious and nostalgic trip through the history of paperback pre-teen series of the 80s and 90s.
Every twenty- or thirty-something woman knows these books. The pink covers, the flimsy paper, the zillion volumes in the series that kept you reading for your entire adolescence. Spurred by the commercial success of Sweet Valley High and The Babysitters Club, these were not the serious-issue YA novels of the 1970s, nor were they the blockbuster books of the Harry Potter and Twilight ilk. They were cheap, short, and utterly beloved.
PAPERBACK CRUSH dives in deep to this golden age with affection, history, and a little bit of snark. Readers will discover (and fondly remember) girl-centric series on everything from correspondence (Pen Pals and Dear Diary) to sports (The Pink Parrots, Cheerleaders, and The Gymnasts) to a newspaper at an all-girls Orthodox Jewish middle school (The B.Y. Times) to a literal teen angel (Teen Angels: Heaven Can Wait, where an enterprising guardian angel named Cisco has to earn her wings “by helping the world’s sexist rock star.”) Some were blatant ripoffs of the successful series (looking at you, Sleepover Friends and The Girls of Canby Hall), some were sick-lit tearjerkers à la Love Story (Abby, My Love) and some were just plain perplexing (Uncle Vampire??) But all of them represent that time gone by of girl-power and endless sessions of sustained silent reading.
In six hilarious chapters (Friendship, Love, School, Family, Jobs, Terror, and Tragedy), Bustle Features Editor Gabrielle Moss takes the reader on a nostalgic tour of teen book covers of yore, digging deep into the history of the genre as well as the stories behind the best-known series.
******synopsis from goodreads******
My Review:
If you were the type of reader in the 80's or 90's that devoured book titles as fast as your local bookstore or library could carry them, and if to do this day you can still remember by name almost every single child the babysitters club ever looked after, then Gabrielle Moss' Paperback Crush is the book you've been waiting for.
I really enjoyed this blast from the past that highlights so many beloved books from my teen years, a lot of which I'd honestly forgotten all about. And while this book may start out as tribute to the many, many titles that were published for teen and tween girls in the late eighties and early nineties, it goes a step further in addressing many of the social issues that were solely lacking from so much of the literature aimed at teens during this time period.
Gabrielle Moss had me laughing out loud right from the introduction, and also had me wanting to scour ebay till all hours of the night to find many of the beloved books that she highlights throughout, like the lovely Sleepover Friends. While I may not have always had the same opinions as she does on the many books she talks about, and I did end up wishing that more of my favorite series had been included, I really did love this trip down memory lane. I came out of it with a deeper appreciation of these beloved books, and the many strides that has been made in the young adult market in the days sense.
I also loved the random tidbits of information thrown in for good measure, like the interview with the gentlemen that designed the covers for the original Baby Sitters Club books, and I still can't believe that the BSC was only originally contracted as a four book series.
Gabrielle Moss has provided a fun, snarky way of remembering fondly the many series of ya's past, and recognizes how so many of these books provided an escape for teen girls who weren't quite yet prepared for the many challenges that adulthood would bring with it. While my favorite chapter was definitely the one on friendship, I honestly enjoyed it from start to finish, and I can't recommend it enough. I will definitely be picking up a physical copy of it once it releases, as I can't wait to see the full color pages of the many amazing covers featured throughout.
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks so much to Quirk Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to advance read this!
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to give a positive review.
Have you ever come across a book before that you just know by the synopsis that it was basically written for you, and you need to do whatever you can to get your hands on a copy immediately.
Well that's what happened to me when I stumbled upon Gabrielle Moss' Paperback Crush on Instagram. I couldn't wait to read this, and I was beyond belief excited when I got approved to read it on NetGalley.
It took me a little while to get my thoughts all in order to share this review with you guys, as this book just contains so much good stuff. I finally did though, and today I'm here to share all my thoughts and opinions on it with you all.
Paperback Crush: The Totally Radical History of 80's and 90's Teen Fiction by Gabrielle Moss:
Source: Publisher (Quirk Books) Via NetGalley
Publisher: Quirk Books
Publication Date: October 30th, 2018
Genre: Young Adult/Non Fiction
Synopsis:
A hilarious and nostalgic trip through the history of paperback pre-teen series of the 80s and 90s.
Every twenty- or thirty-something woman knows these books. The pink covers, the flimsy paper, the zillion volumes in the series that kept you reading for your entire adolescence. Spurred by the commercial success of Sweet Valley High and The Babysitters Club, these were not the serious-issue YA novels of the 1970s, nor were they the blockbuster books of the Harry Potter and Twilight ilk. They were cheap, short, and utterly beloved.
PAPERBACK CRUSH dives in deep to this golden age with affection, history, and a little bit of snark. Readers will discover (and fondly remember) girl-centric series on everything from correspondence (Pen Pals and Dear Diary) to sports (The Pink Parrots, Cheerleaders, and The Gymnasts) to a newspaper at an all-girls Orthodox Jewish middle school (The B.Y. Times) to a literal teen angel (Teen Angels: Heaven Can Wait, where an enterprising guardian angel named Cisco has to earn her wings “by helping the world’s sexist rock star.”) Some were blatant ripoffs of the successful series (looking at you, Sleepover Friends and The Girls of Canby Hall), some were sick-lit tearjerkers à la Love Story (Abby, My Love) and some were just plain perplexing (Uncle Vampire??) But all of them represent that time gone by of girl-power and endless sessions of sustained silent reading.
In six hilarious chapters (Friendship, Love, School, Family, Jobs, Terror, and Tragedy), Bustle Features Editor Gabrielle Moss takes the reader on a nostalgic tour of teen book covers of yore, digging deep into the history of the genre as well as the stories behind the best-known series.
******synopsis from goodreads******
My Review:
If you were the type of reader in the 80's or 90's that devoured book titles as fast as your local bookstore or library could carry them, and if to do this day you can still remember by name almost every single child the babysitters club ever looked after, then Gabrielle Moss' Paperback Crush is the book you've been waiting for.
I really enjoyed this blast from the past that highlights so many beloved books from my teen years, a lot of which I'd honestly forgotten all about. And while this book may start out as tribute to the many, many titles that were published for teen and tween girls in the late eighties and early nineties, it goes a step further in addressing many of the social issues that were solely lacking from so much of the literature aimed at teens during this time period.
Gabrielle Moss had me laughing out loud right from the introduction, and also had me wanting to scour ebay till all hours of the night to find many of the beloved books that she highlights throughout, like the lovely Sleepover Friends. While I may not have always had the same opinions as she does on the many books she talks about, and I did end up wishing that more of my favorite series had been included, I really did love this trip down memory lane. I came out of it with a deeper appreciation of these beloved books, and the many strides that has been made in the young adult market in the days sense.
I also loved the random tidbits of information thrown in for good measure, like the interview with the gentlemen that designed the covers for the original Baby Sitters Club books, and I still can't believe that the BSC was only originally contracted as a four book series.
Gabrielle Moss has provided a fun, snarky way of remembering fondly the many series of ya's past, and recognizes how so many of these books provided an escape for teen girls who weren't quite yet prepared for the many challenges that adulthood would bring with it. While my favorite chapter was definitely the one on friendship, I honestly enjoyed it from start to finish, and I can't recommend it enough. I will definitely be picking up a physical copy of it once it releases, as I can't wait to see the full color pages of the many amazing covers featured throughout.
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks so much to Quirk Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to advance read this!
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to give a positive review.
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