Everything Must Go: A Novel - Hardcover

Davis, Jenny Fran

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1250119766 ISBN 13: 9781250119766

Publisher: Wednesday Books, 2017

Synopsis

Flora Goldwasser has fallen in love. She won't admit it to anyone, but something about Elijah Huck has pulled her under. When he tells her about the hippie Quaker school he attended in the Hudson Valley called Quare Academy, where he'll be teaching next year, Flora gives up her tony upper east side prep school for a life on a farm, hoping to woo him. A fish out of water, Flora stands out like a sore thumb in her vintage suits among the tattered tunics and ripped jeans of the rest of the student body. When Elijah doesn't show up, Flora must make the most of the situation and will ultimately learn more about herself than she ever thought possible.

Told in a series of letters, emails, journal entries and various ephemera, Jenny Fran Davis's Everything Must Go lays out Flora's dramatic first year for all to see, embarrassing moments and all.

About this title

About the Author

Jenny Fran Davis received her MFA from the University of Iowa, where she was an Iowa Arts Fellow. The author of Everything Must Go, a novel for teenagers, she lives in Brooklyn.

Reviews

Gr 9 Up—Flora Goldwasser creates a diary that speaks to readers directly, recounting the tale of how her brief relationship with an older man (a college-age tutor) not only turned her into a social media darling but also into the kind of lovesick teenager who would move to his alma mater because she thought it would bring him back to her. Flora poses for Elijah, never dreaming that her devotion to and knowledge of vintage fashion will bring her a cult following. Flora remains loyal to Elijah long after she starts her junior year at Quare, an exclusive school with only 16 students per year. Quare cultivates an environment that is intended to encourage student inclusivity; this includes shunning any discussion of privilege or "shell speak" about superficial looks or things that cannot be changed. Flora initially struggles to fit in given her feelings and propensity toward fashion and material goods. She slowly begins to make a place in Guild, the school's drama group, where she is able to turn her anger into a project for school when Elijah leaves her the day after they have sex. Her friendships, both new and old, and her strong ties with her family are well-portrayed. Told via letters, emails, and journal entries, this book insightfully handles a problematic relationship and presents a flawed, intelligent, and well-crafted protagonist. VERDICT A good choice for public and high school libraries.—Betsy Fraser, Calgary Public Library, Canada

Edition details

• Publisher: Wednesday Books
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1250119766
• ISBN 13: 9781250119766
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 416