TTYL- Lauren Myracle

TTYL
Myracle, Lauren
ISBN-13 978-1435244252
ISBN-10 1435244257
Publisher: Paw Prints 2008-04-18


Genre: Contemporary  Fiction
Reading Level: NP- Non Prose
Interest Age: 14-18

Reader's Annotation:
Zoe, Maddie, and Angela have been best friends and inseparable since 7th grade. Now in their sophomore year, cars, boys and attitudes get in their way. Can friendship survive high school?

Plot Summary:
TTYL is a novel about three friends who are trying to navigate through high school together. The novel consists of their conversations with each other through instant messages. The book starts at the beginning of the school year. The girls start the year spending a lot of time together, but as the year goes on, their different personalities come out. Maddie strives to be popular and become friends with Jana, a "mean" girl. Angela has boy troubles because she has a hard time picking nice boys and Zoe immerses herself in a church group one of her teachers is in as well. This book explores the highs and lows of teenage friendship as well as some of the personal challenges teens go through.

Critical Evaluation:
TTYL is written solely in instant messages between the girls. It may take the reader a while to get used to this type of story telling. The characters become well developed by the end of the book, but because of its format, the reader is thrown right in the middle of the girls lives at the beginning of the book. This leaves little room for setting and character development. There is not a clear picture drawn about where these girls live or how they became close friends. I would not suggest teaching with this book. What Myracle has successfully done is create a book that appeals to the teenagers in the language they use. She has been able to bring the reader back to high school and become engulfed in the drama. This may appeal to reluctant readers because of the format and content. Many teenage girls have been through one of the things these girls struggle with through the book.

About the Author:
Lauren Myracle has written many teen novels. Three of them are part of this series. She bases many of her books on her experiences and life in Atlanta, Georgia. Myracle was born on May 15, 1969 in North Carolina. She come from a family of 6 children and grew up in Georgia. She earned her BA in English and Psychology and taught middle school for a few years after that. Myracle then decided to get her MA in English and teach higher education. 


Myracle's first book Kissing Kate was released in 2004 and she has been writing teen books ever since. She channels her inner teen when she writes and has sold many books in her career. Some of her books have been challenged in school libraries for sexual content, but they have also won many awards. 


Information found at wikipedia.com
Curriculum Ties:
n/a

Book Talking:
How is this book different from the texing done today?
Make a diary of a text conversation.

Challenging Issues:
I do not see a challenge issue with this book, but if one arose I would take out the policy on book selection and point out the reasons this book is in the collection.
Why Read this Book:
I chose to add this book to the collection because it may appeal to a diverse group of teens. The reluctant readers may read this book because it is in a language they use daily. It is also a fast read because of its formatting.