The Amazon Papers - Softcover

Keller, Beverly

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0152013466 ISBN 13: 9780152013462

Publisher: Clarion Books, 1996

Synopsis

Almost sixteen, Iris is five-feet-ten, a straight-A student, and a hotshot athlete who has never broken curfew. So when her mother goes on vacation, how does responsible Iris end up with the car trashed, a disabled hearse in the garage, and a couple of hunky motorcycle guys named Byron and Foster waiting for her phone call? A strong, engaging protagonist propels this fast-moving novel seasoned with laugh-out-loud one-liners. “Full of situations that border on slapstick and peopled by a host of weird characters, the story is a delight because Iris is a delight--funny, ambitious, bright, and tempted to just wrong enough.”--Booklist

About this title

About the Author

Beverly Keller is a published author of children's books and young adult books. Some of the published credits of Beverly Keller include The Amazon Papers, Desdemona-Twelve Going on Desperate & The Beetle Bush.

Reviews

Grade 6-9?Iris Hoving, pushing 16, is always in demand as a ringer in the bowling league, but she's never had a date. She's tall and lean, can fix a mean carburator, reads philosophy for fun, and longs for handsome Foster Prizer to notice her. When he finally does, the action moves into high gear in this zany novel of misadventure. Iris's mother leaves on vacation with Iris's cousin, and the teen is left in charge of the woman's two hyperactive preschoolers without a clue as to how to handle them, much less change diapers. She arranges for a babysitter so that she can meet Foster at a pool parlor, where (a) her foot gets broken, (b) her mother's car is stripped, (c) Foster is thrown out and disappears, and (d) Iris is driven home by Foster's old girlfriend Zelma, who involves Iris in such wild situations that readers' heads will spin just trying to follow the action. Keller's foray into YA literature is only partly successful. Iris is a wonderful, fully fleshed-out character who zings out some great lines, but most of the other characters are flat, serving only as backdrops for the frenetic action. The ending rings true to life, where Iris realizes that she really needs adult intervention to get out of the colossal mess she's landed in, and has to ask the assistance of her Aunt Blanche. The Amazon Papers has a strong main character and a realistic premise but there's too much happening. Still, it's a fun read about an engaging teen.?Susan R. Farber, Chappaqua Library, NY
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0152013466
• ISBN 13: 9780152013462
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160