Just Julie and I Am Not Emmanuelle (Single Voice) - Softcover

Xerri-L., Nadia; Tardieu, Carine

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1554512344 ISBN 13: 9781554512348

Publisher: Annick Press, 2010

Synopsis

Two heart-wrenching tales of sibling secrets, loyalty and loss.

Julie's idolized older brother is about to be tried for murder, but she can't bring herself to go to court; she knows more about the crime than she wants to reveal. As she probes her brother's silence -- and the mystery of the missing murder weapon - she must make difficult choices. Just Julie is the story of one girl's struggle to make the most fateful decision of her life, and the surprising result.

In I Am Not Emmanuelle, stealing a pack of gum launches 13-year-old Adele into a caustic, funny and poignant monologue about what she sees as her flaws: her bushy eyebrows, her lack of generosity and the scars on her earlobes that she picks until they bleed. But what bothers her most is that she'll never measure up to her perfect sister, who died -- and Adele can't shake the feeling that her parents wish she had died instead.

This powerful pair of stories explores the teen psyche with unflinching honesty.

Annick Press is pleased to announce the launch of Single Voice, a groundbreaking and provocative new young-adult fiction series in which no subject is off limits. These tightly paced stories deliver blow after powerful blow with their unflinching honesty, original subject matter and startling twists. Told in the voice of teen narrators at crucial moments in their lives, each story explodes with the urgency, drama and confusion of adolescence.

Most importantly, these short yet finely honed literary works will appeal to both avid and less experienced readers. Each book consists of two separate but thematically connected stories with distinct inverted covers in an alluring "flip-book" format.

Under the guiding hand of series editor and award-winning author Melanie Little (The Apprentice's Masterpiece, Confidence), the series is comprised of works from distinguished writers whose fiction has been recognized internationally.

"There's an urgency to the stories -- they read in one go. Like a punch in the stomach. In your head. In your heart." -- Le Vif / L'express

About this title

About the Author

Nadia Xerri-L. is an author, playwright and theater director.

Carine Tardieu is an author, screenwriter and film director.

Review

The two stories are quick reads but ones that could lead to areas of teenage concern and to personal insight. (Resource Links)

These dramatic stories are packed with emotional intensity.... They express an insightful picture of family drama driven by internal emotions rather than the actual events that create the emotional response. (Canadian Materials Reviews)

Deftly illustrates the emotion loaded in a moment in time and deals with tragic events and issues that will appeal to both reluctant readers and emo teens.
... deftly illustrates the emotion loaded in a moment in time and deals with tragic events and issues that will appeal to both reluctant readers and emo teens. (School Library Journal)

Single Voice series presents short fiction in a unique read-and-flip format. Each slim volume contains back-to-back story duets in opposite orientation to one another so that the reader finishes one story, then turns the book over to read the other. This concept will either prove less daunting compared to plowing through 150-plus pages of text, or will be just plain odd and off-putting. Considering the quality of the material, this reviewer hopes that the Single Voice series starts a trend of producing engaging, brisk-paced novellas that are short enough to consume during a lunch break. Each book uses tried-and-true devices such as first-person narration, large text, and wide margins to keep the reader's energy up. The various authors adroitly handle heavy issues, such as love, sex, rage and betrayal without degenerating into maudlin melodrama. Some authors wield these elements with more grace than others, yet the series remains a quality addition to collections serving readers who
tend to become overwhelmed with lengthy stories. (Angelica Delgado VOYA)

These dramatic stories are packed with emotional intensity... They express an insightful picture of family drama driven by internal emotions rather than the actual events that create the emotional response. (CM Reviews)

Deftly illustrates the emotion loaded in a moment in time and deals with tragic events and issues that will appeal to both reluctant readers and emo teens. (School Library Journal)

Edition details

• Publisher: Annick Press
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1554512344
• ISBN 13: 9781554512348
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 144