Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: #famous
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://www.jillygagnon.com/
CITY: Chicago
STATE: IL
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
https://www.jillygagnon.com/bio
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in MN.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, humorist.
WRITINGS
Contributor to Newsweek, Elle, Vanity Fair, Boston Magazine, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Toast, and Hairpin, among others.
SIDELIGHTS
Jilly Gagnon is a humor writer and young adult novelist, author of the adult choose-you-own-adventure comedy titles with Mike MacDonald, Choose Your Own Misery: The Office and Choose Your Own Misery: The Holidays. She is also the author of the 2017 young adult novel, #famous, an internet love story that deals with themes of fame and bullying. In Bookish Babes Website, Gagnon offered words of advice for prospective writers: “Say yes to everything. Write for the small online publication, submit to that random contest you come across, send your pitch idea into the local paper, maintain your blog. Not only will those things help you build up clippings (which won’t get a book published necessarily, but will help your visibility, which is important!), they’ll make you a better writer!”
Choose Your Own Misery
Gagnon and MacDonald take on ironies and humor around the workplace in Choose Your Own Misery: The Office, offering readers a choice, for example, between appearing for a big presentation or sneaking off with HR rep Debby, or deciding whether to complain about unwanted advances by the crystal healer or simply enjoying it. Writing in the online Vegan Daemon, Kelly Garbato noted: “To their credit, the authors try to keep the narrator gender-neutral. … I found the story amusing enough.” Garbato, however, found the “rape plots” offensive, commenting, “Like, who looks at a kid’s book and thinks ‘You know what this needs? More rape.'” Similarly, a Publishers Weekly reviewer noted: “Notable more for its creative approach than its content, this will hold the most appeal for former Choose Your Own Adventure fans and devotees of dark, dark
humor.”
Gagnon and MacDonald team up again in Choose Your Own Misery: The Holidays, providing readers with several possibilities for avoiding Christmas with the family. Among the alternates are spending the holidays with your unlikable sister and her husband, hanging out with your girlfriend’s family, or chopping down a stubborn tree. Jason Gross, writing in Rediscover the 80s Website, remarked of this title: “If you a fan of dark comedy books or film, I’d recommend reading Choose Your Own Misery: The Holidays. Just don’t let your kids borrow it when you are finished.” Online Nights and Weekends reviewer Kristin Dreyer Kramer also had praise, noting: “This Choose Your Own Misery book will definitely bring back memories of carefree childhood reads. And while it may not be a wildly funny romp filled with ridiculous holiday-heavy adventures, it will make for an entertaining escape from your own holiday mishaps and misfortunes.”
#famous
Gagnon serves up an love story for iGeneration young adults in her novel #famous. Rachel and her friend Mo have fun with a photo they take of a cute guy in his Burger Barn uniform, but after posting it they are amazed that it goes viral and the boy, Kyle, becomes an instant celebrity. Soon he and Rachel are engineered into an internet and media romance via a television show and everyone is trying to get something out of it. But as the two get to reluctantly know each other, a real romance buds.
A Kirkus Reviews critic had a negative assessment of this novel, calling it a “missed opportunity.” Other reviewers, however, found more to like. “This is a charming, upbeat, well-paced romp, with plenty of humor that’s tempered with realistic emotions,” noted Booklist contributor Heather Booth of #famous. Similarly, a Publishers Weekly writer commented: “Although the story follows a fairly predictable trajectory, it has plenty to say about how the targets of Internet celebrity are treated, and how those experiences can differ depending on one’s gender.” School Library Journal reviewer Kelly Jo Lasher also had praise, observing: “Readers will likely overlook any unbelievable elements and root for the couple, right up to the
fairy-tale ending.” In a similar vein, YA Books Central Website contributor Inah Peralta termed it an “enjoyable to read,” adding: “The writing was really excellent and I loved that the book was told in alternating POVs of Kyle and Rachel. Their voices were distinct as well. It’s a good light-hearted read.”
Speaking with an online Snow and Books contributor, Gagnon commented on what she hopes readers take away from #famous: “I’m not the kind of writer who works deliberate morals into my stories, but I do hope it makes people think more about cyber-bullying. There’s always a real person on the other side of the avatar, with real feelings. I also hope it shines a light on how much harder people can be on girls and women. I can’t really imagine a version of the story in reverse–with Rachel getting famous from a picture Kyle took–that doesn’t turn a lot darker.”
In an interview with Christy Jane on Tales of the Ravenous Reader Website, Gagnon commented on the difficulties facing young people in the age of social media: “I hit my teenage years right around the time everyone was getting AOL, so I definitely spent many, many hours in chat rooms, or with my eyes glued on the AIM box. But there was still internet anonymity back then; most people didn’t even have webcams, or connections fast enough to upload a single photo. Facebook was still five years away. I’m honestly really grateful I didn’t have to navigate the social media we’re used to today at that age. Every little mistake, every silly moment, can be captured instantaneously and permanently now. You grow so much as a teenager; the idea that your screw-ups are there forever, publicly, is pretty scary to me.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, February 1, 2017, Heather Booth, review of #famous, p. 46.
Kirkus Reviews, December 1, 2016, review of #famous.
Publishers Weekly, November 16, 2015, review of Choose Your Own Misery: The Office, p. 69; November 21, 2016, review of #famous, p. 110.
School Library Journal, January, 2017, Kelly Jo. Lasher, review of #famous, p. 100.
ONLINE
Book Binge, http://bookbinge.com/ (February 16, 2017), review of #famous.
Bookish Babes, https://bookishbabes.wordpress.com/ (March 23, 2016), author interview.
Bookstacked, http://bookstacked.com/ (April 1, 2017), Josh Lontoc, review of #famous.
Here’s to Happy Endings, http://www.herestohappyendings.com/ (February 10, 2017), review of #famous.
Jilly Gagnon Website, https://www.jillygagnon.com (July 24, 2017).
Nights and Weekends, http://www.nightsandweekends.com/ (August 12, 2017), Kristin Dreyer Kramer, review of Choose Your Own Misery: The Holidays.
Rediscover the 80s, /http://www.rediscoverthe80s.com (September 19, 2017), Jason Gross, review of Choose Your Own Misery:The Holidays.
Snow and Books, https://snowandbooks.wordpress.com/ (May 22, 2017), author interview.
Tales of the Ravenous Reader, http://www.talesoftheravenousreader.com/ (September 19, 2017), Christy Jane, author interview.
Teenreads.com, http://www.teenreads.com/ (March 15, 2017), review of #famous.
Vegan Daemon, http://www.easyvegan.info/ (January 27, 2016), Kelly Garbato, review of Choose Your Own Misery: The Office.
YA Books Central, http://www.yabookscentral.com (May 16, 2017), Inah Peralta, review of #Famous.*
Bio:
Jilly Gagnon is currently based in Chicago, but is originally from Minnesota, a fact she'll likely inform you of within minutes of meeting you. Her humor writing, personal essays, and op-eds have appeared in Newsweek, Elle, Vanity Fair, Boston Magazine, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, The Toast, and The Hairpin, among others.
She writes both humor and young adult fiction. She's represented by Dawn Frederick of Red Sofa Literary (for humor) and Taylor Haggerty of Waxman Leavell (for young adult writing).
Find her on twitter, facebook, or instagram. She's an especially good conversation partner if you love amazing cocktails, terrible television, or talking to your cats.
QUOTE:
I hit my teenage years right around the time everyone was getting AOL, so I definitely spent many, many hours in chat rooms, or with my eyes glued on the AIM box. But there was still internet anonymity back then; most people didn't even have webcams, or connections fast enough to upload a single photo. Facebook was still five years away.
I'm honestly really grateful I didn't have to navigate the social media we're used to today at that age. Every little mistake, every silly moment, can be captured instantaneously and permanently now. You grow so much as a teenager; the idea that your screw-ups are there forever, publically, is pretty scary to me.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW, BLOG TOUR, FAMOUS, FFBC, JILLY GAGNON
We All Wanna Be #FAMOUS - Interview with Jilly Gagnon (+GIVEAWAY)
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2017 CHRISTY JANE 7 COMMENTS
AHHHH We are so excited to be here today with Jilly Gagnon and her debut YA, #famous. Check out below to find out why we can't wait for #famous to be out in the world and enter to win your own copy at the bottom of the post!
#Famous has a real life doppelganger. What kind of research did you do to create the story?
You're probably referring to the #AlexFromTarget phenomenon, which absolutely inspired the story. I did look into the articles that came out around that time--there was an in-depth piece by the New York Times that was really helpful, and gossipy fun pieces by places like Gawker that gave an idea of how fast and far it spread--and I also watched his appearance on Ellen a few times. Beyond that, though, I actually tried not to dive too deep into Alex's experience. I wanted to create characters that were full, unique, and realistic, with distinct voices. The events in the story broadly followed those that Alex experienced, but I'm a writer who is all about character, so the motivations, reactions, and internal struggles had to come from the characters on the page.
Ironically, the comments sections--i.e., the scariest place on the internet--were finally a good place for me to muck around. When I was writing Rachel's experience with cyber bullying, I was worried at first about going too far with the viciousness. Turns out, you almost can't go too far.
Being a teen now is drastically different than when we were teens. What were your social media accounts like when you were a teen (or, what would they have been like)? How would teen you have handled insta-fame?
Oh man, I would have handled it SO POORLY. I was not the kind of teen that sought the limelight, and to this day I'm too sensitive to let things roll off my back. Thank goodness no one was waiting to turn my Legend of Zelda fansite into a worldwide internet phenomenon.
I hit my teenage years right around the time everyone was getting AOL, so I definitely spent many, many hours in chat rooms, or with my eyes glued on the AIM box. But there was still internet anonymity back then; most people didn't even have webcams, or connections fast enough to upload a single photo. Facebook was still five years away.
I'm honestly really grateful I didn't have to navigate the social media we're used to today at that age. Every little mistake, every silly moment, can be captured instantaneously and permanently now. You grow so much as a teenager; the idea that your screw-ups are there forever, publically, is pretty scary to me.
You created a great set of side characters to surround Rachel and Kyle. Who were your inspirations for all of the supporting characters?
Thank you so much! I didn't have any one inspiration for any of my characters, but I'd say Mo has more than a little of me in her, especially that disciplined, "this is the right way--I said so--so let's get it DONE" attitude that makes her such a force to be reckoned with.
Ollie reminds me of some of the friends I made in college--thoughtful and quiet, taking in more than you realize, deeply loyal but nobody's yes-man. And Emma drew on a lot of people I knew both as a teenager and since. The insecurities she wrestles with, and the mistakes she makes trying to manage them, felt very personal to me. I know people will see her as a villain, but I actually have a lot of sympathy and love for Emma.
What 80s movie/tv stars would you cast to play Rachel and Kyle?
Oooh, thank you for referencing an era I can actually cast from. Kyle is a bit of a golden boy--from the outside, he seems well-adjusted, popular, and happy. It's only inside that things look different. I'm torn between Matthew Broderick and Jake Ryan--known IRL as Michael Schoeffling--but with a slightly goofier grin.
Rachel is the slightly quirky artsy girl with a sarcastic wit that she can't keep in check. I'd say she's somewhere between 80s Winona Ryder and 80s Alyssa Milano.
#Famous is your first YA novel. What has the publication process been like for you?
It has been an incredibly exciting journey, but I've had a bit of a roller coaster--my first editor left just after signing the book, my second editor left just as we were wrapping up copy edits, and my agent left agenting this past November. All of that was a little tough to swallow, even though it's such a common part of the publishing world. I think they say most writers will experience that stuff at least a couple times over the course of their careers; I'm just hoping I worked it all out of my system already ;)
That said, I feel like I lucked out tremendously; the entire team at Katherine Tegen has been super supportive the whole way through--I feel like I somehow won the lottery three times in a row with my editors there. Claudia Gabel, my current editor, is both a hilariously awesome human and a book guru. And Taylor Haggerty, my new agent, totally slays. In some ways, I'm really grateful for the bumps on the publishing road this year--I would have never found these two awesome ladies without them!
#famous
by Jilly Gagnon
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: February 14th 2017
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
photo addtogoodreadssmall_zpsa2a6cf28.png photo B6096376-6C81-4465-8935-CE890C777EB9-1855-000001A1E900B890_zps5affbed6.jpg
Synopsis:
In this modern-day love story, Girl likes Boy, Girl takes photo of Boy and posts it online, Boy becomes accidentally insta-famous. And what starts out as an innocent joke spirals into a whirlwind adventure that could change both their lives—and their hearts—forever. But are fame and love worth the price?
Told in alternating points of view, #famous captures the out-of-control thrill ride of falling for someone in front of everyone.
Jilly Gagnon is currently based in Chicago, but is originally from Minnesota, a fact she'll likely inform you of within minutes of meeting you. Her humor writing, personal essays, and op-eds have appeared in Newsweek, Elle, Vanity Fair, Boston Magazine, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, The Toast, and The Hairpin, among others.
She writes both humor and young adult fiction. She's represented by Dawn Frederick of Red Sofa Literary (for humor) and Taylor Haggerty of Waxman Leavell (for young adult writing).
Find her on twitter, facebook, or instagram. She's an especially good conversation partner if you love amazing cocktails, terrible television, or talking to your cats.
Monday, June 26, 2017
CELEBRATING DEBUTANTES 2017: #FAMOUS BY JILLY GAGNON (CHARACTER INTERVIEW + GIVEAWAY)
Posted by Precious Marks: #CelebratingDebutantes2017, #famous, character interview, contemporary, famous, giveaway, jilly gagnon, romance, YA
Hi guys! Today you're in for a special treat. Jilly did her magic and made this fun character interview possible - with Rachel and Kyle from #Famous! I love Instagram and I can totally see myself loving this book to bits. Hope you like it! Stick around for a special giveaway at the end.
For additional points, you could answer this question: If you could post a photo on Instagram that you wouldn't have otherwise posted on a normal day, what would it be and why?
Tomorrow, head over to Blackplume for the next feature!
Precious: mic test, mic test. Is this thing working?
*Staff scrambles to fix the sound system*
Precious: Perfeeect. Hello, Rachel and Kyle! *winks* Let's start with the interview.
Describe your happiest moment to us.
Rachel: I'm not sure what I'd even pick.
Kyle: It's when you first laid eyes on me, obviously.
Rachel: You're cute and all, but that's ridiculous.
Kyle: That's mine but for you.
Rachel: And you're a total liar.
Kyle: But it sounds good, right?
Rachel: It sounds sappy. If I put that in a play Mo would cross it out and write "cliche" in red pen all over the page. And my face. And your face.
Kyle: Alright, fair. Don't tell her I said it. Mo kinda terrifies me.
What is love, for you?
Rachel: Do you even know that at our age? I feel like I'm still finding that out, honestly.
Kyle: I think love is when you'd rather make someone else happy than yourself.
Rachel: Now I feel like a jerk. What he said. Or...I dunno, puppies.
Kyle: Love is puppies?
Rachel: It's a metaphor. Or...whatever, Kyle wins this question.
Kyle: [fist pumps]
What is your ideal "happy ending?"
Kyle: I'm pretty sure whatever I say you're gonna tell me it's a cliche again, right?
Rachel: Not if you said "and then I finally accepted that my girlfriend is, and always will be, a better bowler than I am."
Kyle: She said ending. That's not over.
Rachel: Keep telling yourself that, Kyle.
What is your biggest mistake?
Kyle: Oh man, these are seriously intense questions.
Rachel: I mean, on one level the picture was a mistake...
Kyle: Oh c'mon, you don't mean that.
Rachel: Let me finish! I was going to say that on another level, it turned out pretty alright in the end.
Kyle: [indignant, gestures to self] Pretty alright? This is way better than pretty alright. I'm at least...
Rachel: A good consolation prize?
Kyle: Exactly.
What is your favorite quote? Have you used it on each other?
Rachel: Wow...can I just say "all of Mrs. Dalloway?"
Kyle: There's no way you can say that.
Rachel: Fine. I guess...I like this one Thoreau quote, "the world is but a canvas to our imagination." Sometimes it helps me when I have serious writer's block.
[pause]
Kyle: Umm...put up or shut up?
Rachel: That's not even a quote.
Kyle: Sure it is. Ollie says it all the time.
Rachel: Your favorite quote is by Ollie.
Kyle: My favorite quote is...something you've written. That I'll remember later.
Rachel: Nice save. And for the record, he has totally used that on me.
If you could post a photo on Instagram right now, what would it be and what would be the caption?
Rachel: Seriously, anything but a picture of this one. I get it, every other girl on earth is into him.
Kyle: Are you jealous? I'd post a picture of you. With the caption "The most beautiful girl in the world and somehow she fell for a doofus like me."
Rachel: You are a total suck-up.
Kyle: But, like, it works, right?
Rachel rolls her eyes but can't repress a grin
Is there something you can't do now that you could do before the incident? What is it? Why?
Kyle: I can't really work at Burger Barn any more.
Rachel: That's totally a perk.
Kyle: For sure. I'm not complaining.
Rachel: Sometimes I get recognized which is utterly bizarre. But it's not like I can't go out in public or anything. Unless I straighten my hair. But I could never really do that effectively in the first place.
Is there anything you would like to change in your life?
Kyle: Honestly? Not even a little. I feel like I won the lottery or something.
Rachel: I'd like to be a Tony-winning playwright.
Kyle: Oh, fine. If we're playing that way, I want, like...a yacht?
Rachel: I'd go with castle.
Kyle: Why choose?
Rachel: Good point. So the Tony, and the yacht and the castle. Otherwise I'm content.
Thank you, Jilly!
QUOTE:
I’m not the kind of writer who works deliberate morals into my stories, but I do hope it makes people think more about cyberbullying. There’s always a real person on the other side of the avatar, with real feelings. I also hope it shines a light on how much harder people can be on girls and women. I can’t really imagine a version of the story in reverse–with Rachel getting famous from a picture Kyle took–that doesn’t turn a lot darker.
INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR OF #FAMOUS: JILLY GAGNON!
May 22, 2017
downloadJILLY GAGNON IS AN AMAZING WRITER AND ONE OF MY CLOSEST WRITING BUDDIES. YOU CAN SEE MY REVIEW OF HER BOOK #FAMOUS BY CLICKING HERE: HTTPS://SNOWANDBOOKS.WORDPRESS.COM/2017/04/06/FAMOUS/
AN INTERVIEW WITH JILLY GAGNON:
So your story is based on a true event, correct?
It is! Specifically the #AlexFromTarget phenomenon–if you don’t remember it, Alex, a regular teenager working as a cashier at a Texas Target, had his picture snapped and suddenly, overnight, he got nearly a million followers on social media. That moment of ridiculously viral overnight fame was the inspiration for #FAMOUS, but in my story, you get to see both sides of the coin–what happens to Kyle, the insta-famous photo subject, and also to Rachel, the girl who took the photo.
download (1)Does your book have a lesson? Moral?
I’m not the kind of writer who works deliberate morals into my stories, but I do hope it makes people think more about cyberbullying. There’s always a real person on the other side of the avatar, with real feelings. I also hope it shines a light on how much harder people can be on girls and women. I can’t really imagine a version of the story in reverse–with Rachel getting famous from a picture Kyle took–that doesn’t turn a lot darker.
What is your favorite part of the book?
Probably my single favorite moment is when Kyle asks Rachel to homecoming (I don’t want to spoiler anything, so I’ll leave it vague). My favorite entire scene is when they go bowling together. I think it’s the first time Kyle and Rachel see how much more there is to the other person than what they initially imagined.
What is your writing style, and what tactics do you have when writing? (For example, outline or just write when you get bursts of inspiration)
I used to think I could work without any real outline, but it turns out that I’m just not any good at that–I would get a lot of words onto the page, but there wouldn’t be much of a story there. Now I’m an outliner-lite: I like to plot out all the major story points in advance and fill in some of the details between them as I’m writing and learning more about my characters.
When you write, do you have goals of certain # of words a week or when inspiration strikes?
I like to set myself daily word count goals and really hold myself to them–as in, “Jilly, you’re not allowed to leave this cafe until you hit X thousand words.” Writing can be a lot of fun, but it’s also a job–a hard one. Like any job, you sometimes have to show up even when you’re feeling sorta uninspired or when it’s too beautiful outside to imagine sitting in front of a computer screen.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
When I was researching #FAMOUS, I looked into internet bullying, because it was an important part of the story–Rachel sees the ugly side of going viral right off the bat. I knew how those things spread in a vague way, but looking into specific instances of viral anger, I was stunned by how quickly a situation could go from a single social media post to a wildfire where it seems like the entire internet is talking about this one thing.
Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process?
Absolutely, and I feel super lucky because I ADORE my cover. I think it tells you a lot about what’s inside–something quirky, cute, romantic, and ultimately fun!
How did you get connected with so many authors for blurbs on the back of your book?
Fun fact: Jesse Andrews and I have known each other since I was a freshman/he was a junior in college (we started a VERY briefly-lived band together, and then continued to be friends forever after). I reached out to him directly for the blurb on the cover!
What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?
I think the toughest criticism is when someone tells you honestly that a project just isn’t working. Like a lot of authors I have more than a couple story ideas that I started–or even finished–that never wound up seeing the light of day. Giving up on a project that you love is one of the hardest things you do as an author, but sometimes it truly is the right choice.
What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?
Honestly, I try not to pay too much attention to my reviews, because even the positive ones can make me lose my focus, and I need every scrap of that to write books!
At the end of the day, though, once you put a book out into the world, it’s not just yours anymore, it belongs to the readers, too. Some of them will love it (which always makes my day, I’m only human after all), and some of them won’t. Some of them might even hate it. Theoretically, I’d love for everyone to love every single word I write, but we’re all incredibly different people, and that’s GOOD. If everyone loved and hated the same things, the world would be so terribly dull, you know?
Do you have a trailer or do you intend to create one for your own book/s? (* please provide a link to trailer if you have one)
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
They’re pretty much imagined. Even though the story inspiration very much mirrors the experience of Alex Lee, a.k.a. #AlexFromTarget, I deliberately tried not to dig too deeply into his life, because I wanted Kyle and Rachel to feel real and 3-dimensional on their own.
Do you write full-time or part-time?
Full-time, the coolest and also scariest job on earth!
What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?
For #FAMOUS the toughest thing was getting the dual points-of-view to sound interesting and distinct while still making sure the story came together as a whole. And yet…I know I’ll write from multiple perspectives again because as an author it’s also just so much FUN.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
I’d say a full draft takes me about four months. But once you send it to your editor and start really diving in together, that number can get a lot bigger 🙂
What are your thoughts on writing a book series?
So far my YA ideas have only been standalone, but I’d love to try my hand at a series–I definitely have a lot of characters I love way too much to want to leave them alone forever after. I write comedy with a writing partner, and our first books were part of a series, so I know that I like the process
Have you considered writing in another genre?
Yes indeed…specifically comedy 😉
What do you think Rachel would have to say about you? What about Kyle? How do they differ?
Oh, they’d probably both be polite but secretly think I was boring and old.
Realistically, I think Rachel would have a lot of serious, career-oriented questions for me as a writer since she already knows that it’s her passion. Even though she’s writing plays, I bet we’d dig deep into books and really get along. I think Kyle might find me a bit cynical because he’s such a naturally optimistic person, but he’d probably laugh at my jokes, if only because he’s also deeply kind.
For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
I do both–ideally, all my books would be in print, because I just love the feel of a book in my hands, but I’m running out of shelf space (not to mention funds), so lately I go about 50/50, ebooks and print books.
What book/s are you reading at present?
I finally got around to reading CROOKED KINGDOM and (no surprise here) it is PHENOMENAL.
What book that you have read has most influenced your life?
That’s a tough one because so many books have influenced me in such different ways. If I had to pick an author that I loved in childhood who has had the most influence on my writing, I’d probably go with Roald Dahl. I’m someone who uses dark comedy and absurdity as a way to process things–even the tough stuff–and that comes out in all my books.
Who is your favorite author and why?
Probably P.G. Wodehouse. He writes these incredible souffles of comedy, where everything is light and airy and full of fun and whimsy and it just seems so satisfying and delicious that you don’t even realize how incredibly HARD it is to pull off what he’s doing. I never pick up a Wodehouse story and DON’T laugh out loud at some point or other. That’s a pretty impressive feat, especially considering how prolific he was.
What is your favorite book and why?
All time favorite is probably the Lord of the Rings series. It was one of the first books that I just dove headlong into as a kid, and the depth of the world building is awe-inspiring. I think a lot of writers have used books as a form of escape at various times in their lives, and I found those books at a moment when I was really eager for that–and they definitely provide it.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
To be confident with who I was. I think when I was younger there were certain things I tried to change about myself, or hide about myself, in order to fit in, because the world really pressures you to do that. And it took me years to get to a place of being really comfortable in my own skin (not that it’s ever 100% easy, or that you ever 100% reach that point). I actually tried to give Rachel some of the self-confidence I wish I had at her age because there is nothing cooler than knowing and loving who you are.
Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?
Man, that’s a toughie. I should say someone literary, right? Maybe Mark Twain–I think he’d actually make for good company (there are a lot of favorite authors who might be a real drag to run into at a cocktail party). Or Oscar Wilde. I bet he was a riot.
Where can we find you online? (Conclusion: )
I’m @jillygagnon on twitter and Instagram, /JillyGagnonWriter on facebook, and always updating my website,www.jillygagnon.com!
Anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?
The most important thing I want to say is THANK YOU to everyone who has taken the time to pick up my book. I could not be more grateful that you’re spending time reading words that I wrote 🙂
Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?
I think you covered all the bases! Thanks so much for chatting with me, Charlie 🙂
QUOTE:
Say yes to everything. Write for the small online publication, submit to that random contest you come across, send your pitch idea into the local paper, maintain your blog. Not only will those things help you build up clippings (which won’t get a book published necessarily, but will help your visibility, which is important!), they’ll make you a better writer!
INTERVIEW WITH JILLY GAGNON, AUTHOR OF #FAMOUS
MARCH 23, 2016 | TANYAC29
Can you tell us about your books?
Happy to! #famous is my young adult debut. It’s a fast-paced contemporary romance told from two perspectives, Rachel’s (the girl who took a picture of a cute fast food employee that blew up the internet overnight) and Kyle’s (the boy in the picture). But Kyle’s immediate fame comes with a cost–mostly to Rachel, who quickly becomes the internet’s favorite punching bag. As Kyle’s star rises higher, Rachel’s left wondering whether she’ll be totally eclipsed…until The Laura Show calls and asks her to step onstage alongside Kyle. Will they be able to handle the glare of the spotlight? And is fame–and love–worth the price?
What are you currently writing?
I also write adult comedy, so I’m working on the second and third books in a series of grown-up choose your path novels called “Choose Your Own Misery.”
In the YA realm, I’m just starting on a book, tentatively titled Presumed Dead, that is TOTALLY different from #famous. It’s got a central character trying to simultaneously run from and cover up her dark past, a disappearance, all kinds of mystery surrounding what happened, and three perspectives (because I apparently just love making it hard for myself)! It’s really early days on that manuscript, but I’m SUPER excited about it!
How long have you been a published author?
I write freelance for a lot of comedy outlets and magazines–assuming those count, since maybe 2007 or 2008? As far as books, the first in my “Choose Your Own Misery” series, co-authored with Mike MacDonald, appeared in January 2016. #famous is slated to come out early next year!
If you could give any piece of advice to unpublished writers what would it be?
Say yes to everything. Write for the small online publication, submit to that random contest you come across, send your pitch idea into the local paper, maintain your blog. Not only will those things help you build up clippings (which won’t get a book published necessarily, but will help your visibility, which is important!), they’ll make you a better writer!
It’s so easy to say “I’m too ___ to write today” — tired, uninspired, busy, you name it! And if you only have one “thing” that you focus on–say novels–it really can be hard to find the motivation some days. But if you try your hand at all kinds of stuff, not only will you be learning about your craft, you’ll always have something else to turn to on days when the “big” project just feels like too much.
Beyond that: just keep writing. I wrote four books that didn’t get published before one did. Writing them taught me how to write. Failing a couple times will definitely hurt, but it will make you better!
Who are your favorite authors?
Oh man, this list could go on forever!
All-time faves include P.G. Wodehouse, because he makes humor look effortless; Roald Dahl, because the darkness and wit he brings to kid’s lit is unbeatable; J.R.R. Tolkien, because LOTR (and the Silmarillion–yes, I’ve read it); and Nabokov, because he was a genius.
Favorites who are still living (HA!) would include Corey Ann Haydu, whose books are so touching and honest; Jesse Andrews, because Me & Earl made me laugh out loud and then cry ugly tears; Joe Hill, because Locke & Key completely blew my mind; and Hilary Mantel. If you haven’t read her series on Cromwell and Henry VIII, you should, it’s amazing.
What are some of your favorite books to read again and again?
Definitely the entire Hobbit/Lord of the Rings cycle–I love living in that fantasy world. Harry Potter is the same, that world is so amazingly realized that you feel like you can live inside those books. I also love Middlemarch. That book is practically perfect, if you ask me. Reading it is like comfort food.
QUOTE:
This is a charming, upbeat, well-paced romp, with plenty of humor that's tempered with realistic emotions.
#famous
Heather Booth
Booklist.
113.11 (Feb. 1, 2017): p46.
COPYRIGHT 2017 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Full Text:
#famous.
By Jilly Gagnon.
Feb. 2017. 384p. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen, $17.99 19780062430038). Gr. 7-10.
It was just a quick snap, a quippy caption, an inside joke on social media between artsy Rachel and her friend Mo; but
within minutes the photo of cute, athletic Kyle in his Burger Barn uniform has turned into an Internet sensation of epic
proportions, sweeping Kyle to insta-celebrity and Rachel into an unwanted spotlight. Kyle and Rachel, who narrate
alternating chapters in distinct voices, are plunged into a media-manufactured romance, and everyone is trying to work
the angles: How could this help get them scholarships? Make money for TV personalities? Get their work noticed? But
as Kyle and Rachel get to know each other better, true feelings begin to develop with very real in-person ramifications.
This is a charming, upbeat, well-paced romp, with plenty of humor that's tempered with realistic emotions. Teen side
characters are well drawn, and realistic social situations--and their consequences--keep the plot down to earth when it
could have easily strayed too far into silliness.--Heather Booth
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
Booth, Heather. "#famous." Booklist, 1 Feb. 2017, p. 46+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA481244874&it=r&asid=5cbd09312965e497f3973af70e661326.
Accessed 12 Aug. 2017.
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QUOTE:
missed opportunity
Gagnon, Jilly: #FAMOUS
Kirkus Reviews.
(Dec. 1, 2016):
COPYRIGHT 2016 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Gagnon, Jilly #FAMOUS Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins (Children's Fiction) $17.99 2, 14 ISBN: 978-0-06-243003-8
A viral photo throws two teenagers' lives into chaos.When nerdy white girl Rachel takes a covert picture of dreamy
white boy Kyle as he works at his fast-food job, she thinks nothing of posting the pic on Flit with a catchy hashtag:
#idlikefrieswithTHAT. The picture quickly goes viral, with Kyle's follower count climbing into the tens of thousands.
After a daytime talk show gets its hands on Kyle and Rachel, the two classmates find themselves in increasingly close
quarters. Romance blossoms while an ex-girlfriend and ex-friend throw wrenches in the works, the narration flipping
between Rachel and Kyle. Kyle is nothing but a schmuck with a haircut, haplessly speaking without thinking and
bemoaning his inability to understand subtext. It gets old fast. Rachel's narrative starts out promisingly: her online
experience is filled with scorn and ridicule. Gagnon brushes up against the gender gaps in the social media age but
quickly abandons it for the "nerd girl dates popular guy" trope. Given Kyle's lack of substance, this betrays Rachel's
credibility as a strong female protagonist. She also fails to follow through on the social media issues she tees up. Once
the pic is posted, a TV show quickly becomes the focus of the couple's storyline, and the story treads familiar "we're
different people when the cameras aren't rolling" territory. A missed opportunity. (Fiction. 12-16)
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
"Gagnon, Jilly: #FAMOUS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Dec. 2016. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA471901914&it=r&asid=65eada61371fdc98ad0e29a2ec057666.
Accessed 12 Aug. 2017.
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8/12/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1502569507420 3/5
QUOTE:
Although the story follows a fairly predictable trajectory, it has plenty to say
about how the targets of Internet celebrity are treated, and how those experiences can differ depending on one's gender.
#Famous
Publishers Weekly.
263.47 (Nov. 21, 2016): p110.
COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
#Famous
Jilly Gagnon. HarperCollins/Tegen, $17.99 (384p) ISBN 978-0-06-243003-8
Inspired by the "Alex from Target" phenomenon, debut author Gagnon dives into the perils of social media and the
allure of fame after a teen's online post goes viral. High school junior Rachel, a geeky outsider who hopes to become a
playwright, has a crush on senior lacrosse star Kyle. After Rachel snaps a photo of Kyle looking adorable in his Burger
Barn uniform and posts it on the social network Flit, Kyle is suddenly a star with in-person groupies, hordes of online
devotees, and media coverage. Rachel, however, is subjected to ugly comments about her looks and weight from girls
near and far, until a producer suggests that Kyle pull Rachel into his orbit by asking her to homecoming on television.
Through Kyle and Rachel's alternating points of view, Gagnon explores online trolling, instant celebrity, and social
media frenzies with sensitivity and humor. Although the story follows a fairly predictable trajectory, it has plenty to say
about how the targets of Internet celebrity are treated, and how those experiences can differ depending on one's gender.
Ages 13-up. Agent: Heather Alexander, Pippin Properties. (Feb.)
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
"#Famous." Publishers Weekly, 21 Nov. 2016, p. 110. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA471274033&it=r&asid=c6f9d3048abd32cbeb2123fa817e9ba8.
Accessed 12 Aug. 2017.
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QUOTE:
Notable more for its creative approach than
its content, this will hold the most appeal for former Choose Your Own Adventure fans and devotees of dark, dark
humor.
Choose Your Own Misery: The Office Adventure
Publishers Weekly.
262.46 (Nov. 16, 2015): p69.
COPYRIGHT 2015 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Choose Your Own Misery: The Office Adventure
Mike Macdonald and Jilly Gagnon. Diversion (diversionbooks.com), $17.99 trade paper (300p) ISBN 978-1-62681-
923-8
This riff on the popular "choose your own story line" books that were geared toward children opens with a situation
that is much more adult: waking up with a roaring hangover and a buzzing alarm clock. It's up to the reader to
determine what's next: to call in sick or soldier on and go in to the office. Scenarios include violently vomiting in a cab
on the way to work and blaming the mess on a homeless person when they arrive at the office, carving out a growth on
one's back with a knife and attempting to cauterize it, confessing to a cocaine addiction, and many other awkward and
uncomfortable circumstances--which can result in starting the adventure over from the beginning, attending an AA
meeting, ending the workday serenely, or getting a promotion. Macdonald and Gagnon are comedy writers who've
contributed to the Onion, but the humorous bits here are bleak and sparse. Notable more for its creative approach than
its content, this will hold the most appeal for former Choose Your Own Adventure fans and devotees of dark, dark
humor. (Jan.)
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
"Choose Your Own Misery: The Office Adventure." Publishers Weekly, 16 Nov. 2015, p. 69. General OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA435636328&it=r&asid=dc69414e948ac6d419d515e0308ea06f.
Accessed 12 Aug. 2017.
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QUOTE:
Readers will likely overlook any unbelievable elements and root for the couple, right up to the
fairy-tale ending.
Gagnon, Jilly. #famous
Kelly Jo Lasher
School Library Journal.
63.1 (Jan. 2017): p100.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution
permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
GAGNON, Jilly. #famous. 384p. ebook available. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Bks. Feb. 2017. Tr $17.99. ISBN
9780062430038.
Gr 8 Up--Artistic Rachel doesn't anticipate what will happen when, as a joke, she posts a picture of dreamy, popular
Kyle in his Burger Bam uniform on her friend Mo's Flit (think--Twitter) feed. She figures no one will see it, since
neither she nor Mo has many followers. However, the picture, and accompanying hashtag #idlikefrieswith THAT, work
its way quickly through their school's social circles to the outside world. Almost instantly, Kyle gains hundreds of
thousands of followers. Rachel, however, is ridiculed and called pathetic, ugly, and fat. As an Internet celebrity, Kyle is
invited on a television talk show, where he asks Rachel to the homecoming dance. With all this attention, could a
genuine relationship really work? While some of the details are a little far-fetched, this enjoyable romance is laced with
cringe-inducing realism. Readers will likely overlook any unbelievable elements and root for the couple, right up to the
fairy-tale ending. Both Rachel and Kyle are fully developed characters, though most everyone around them seems
more like a caricature, particularly Kyle's ex. VERDICT Those whose patrons can't get enough romance based in the
here and now will find this a fun addition.--Kelly Jo Lasher, Middle Township High School, Cape May Court House,
NJ
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
Lasher, Kelly Jo. "Gagnon, Jilly. #famous." School Library Journal, Jan. 2017, p. 100. General OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA476559648&it=r&asid=7d8f895d71ec510e476321db7996a08f.
Accessed 12 Aug. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A476559648
Review
#famous
by Jilly Gagnon
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Jilly Gagnon’s debut novel, #FAMOUS, not only left me laughing out loud and swooning at the same time, but weirdly had me craving French fries throughout the entirety of the novel. I know, kind of random, but let me elaborate: Rachel Ettinger is your typical high school student with a life that is anything but extraordinary. That is, until she takes a picture of Kyle Bonham, her long-time crush, while he is working at a burger place (hence the endless French fry references) and posts it on her Flit account, not knowing that in less than a few hours it would go viral. Before Rachel and Kyle know it, they are both thrust into the spotlight changing not only their lives, but the way their hearts view each other.
"#FAMOUS wowed me. Going into it I thought that the novel was your typical contemporary girl crush love story, but it came out as a novel of self-discovery with an exciting dash of fame."
#FAMOUS was pretty much an embellished retelling of the “Alex from Target” story in which Alex is Kyle, Twitter is called Flit, and Ellen is Laura. A major addition was the romance factor which made the storyline a billion times more intriguing and had me rooting for the 'ship (aka Rachel and Kyle) to sail since the beginning. The interesting part of the story, though, was that we not only got the perspective of the person who became famous, but also the person who took the picture. I thought that both perspectives were super entertaining and kept me compelled to read more.
Above all, I extremely enjoyed Rachel’s character. Although at some points I did want to give her a slap to the head for always negatively comparing herself to other characters, I found that she was the most relatable. She had her insecurities and was shy, but once she opened up to someone her personality shined through. She’s quick to give a comeback --- whether it be in her head or aloud --- and made jokes that I wish I could come up with on the spot. Those factors made it interesting when I had to switch from her perspective to Kyle’s since he is pretty much the complete opposite of her, personality wise. Speaking of Kyle, I thought that he was a fun character to read from as well! He’s confident and at the same time cares so much for his friends. He definitely did a few things that made me want to give him a slap on the head as well, but that was just your typical guy-being-clueless sort of thing.
One thing that I wish the book had more of was girl power. The book pretty much displays women as the stereotypical high school mean girls which made sense at some parts, but was actually kind of sad in the long run. Rachel went through some awful bullying after the Flit post and it was crazy to see that no one really stood up for her, even her best friend. However, I think that because of the weak support system she had, the events in the novel left her a stronger and more independent women.
I have to say that, in the end, #FAMOUS wowed me. Going into it I thought that the novel was your typical contemporary girl crush love story, but it came out as a novel of self-discovery with an exciting dash of fame. I recommend this book to anyone who is a big follower of social media because, really, this book was all about how the online world can affect someone’s life. I think that Gagnon did an amazing job with the storyline and I am definitely anticipating any of her work in the future.
Reviewed by Taylor F., Teen Board Member. on March 15, 2017
REVIEW: #famous by Jilly Gagnon
By Josh Lontoc - April 1, 2017
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I felt moderately happy about this book. It was cute, entertaining, and quite insightful.
Source: Blogspot
I was so excited to get my hands on this book when it came out. I literally hunted for it in my local bookstores. The catalyst behind my excitement was most likely the cute cover. Plus, I was in the mood for a fluffy yet meaningful YA contemporary.
You know exactly what you want. Exactly who you are. You don’t care what anyone thinks about you. —Kyle
The blurb:
In this modern-day love story, Girl likes Boy, Girl takes photo of Boy and posts it online, Boy becomes accidentally insta-famous. And what starts out as an innocent joke spirals into a whirlwind adventure that could change both their lives—and their hearts—forever. But are fame and love worth the price?
Told in alternating points of view, #famous captures the out-of-control thrill ride of falling for someone in front of everyone.
#famous primarily explores how love can blossom in a typical high school setting wherein popularity is everything that matters. Unsurprisingly, the mean jocks and cheerleaders are at the top of the social hierarchy, while the plain-looking nerds are at the bottom. You don’t have to guess where Kyle and Rachel belong. Regardless of its lack of originality, I suppose this book was intriguing because it was inspired by a real human phenomenon: Alex of Target, an ordinary boy who suddenly became popular when a girl published a cute photo of him online.
It is easy for me to enumerate the things I liked about #Famous. I enjoyed the simplistic writing, the short chapters, the dynamics within Rachel’s family, as well as the insightful depiction of social media. I honestly think that this book can be used as an effective cure for a reading slump; it’s possible to read it in just one sitting.
However, it is much easier for me to rant about this book’s shortcomings. The romance was lackluster and even instalovey; Rachel was annoyingly insecure; Kyle was frustratingly insensitive (or naive?); and the author had this weird way of using colons every now and then. Most importantly, this book disappointed me because I found it hard to relate to the protagonists, who kept on making small problems big. Come to think of it, most of the drama in this book was actually pointless.
Taking all of these in consideration, I felt moderately happy about this book. It was cute, entertaining, and quite insightful. However, overall, it was not on par with my favorite contemporary novels. I probably would have loved this book during my early bookworm days. I therefore give #famous solid 3 stars.
REVIEW: #famous by Jilly Gagnon
Plot
Writing
Characters
Theme
Summary
In totality, this book did not meet all of my expectations. Still, I would recommend it to bookworms looking for a cute and quick read.
3.0
QUOTE:
enjoyable to read.
The writing was really excellent and I loved that the book was told in alternating POVs of Kyle and Rachel. Their voices were distinct as well. It's a good light-hearted read,
Featured Review: #famous (Jilly Gagnon)
Tuesday, 16 May 2017 Beth Edwards, Assistant Blog Manager News & Updates Latest Staff Reviews 322 Hits 0 Comment
25116429
About This Book:
In this modern-day love story, Girl likes Boy, Girl takes photo of Boy and posts it online, Boy becomes accidentally insta-famous. And what starts out as an innocent joke spirals into a whirlwind adventure that could change both their lives—and their hearts—forever. But are fame and love worth the price?
Told in alternating points of view, #famous captures the out-of-control thrill ride of falling for someone in front of everyone.
*Review Contributed By Inah Peralta Staff Reviewer*
Cliche but cute!
WHAT I LIKED:
I quite enjoyed reading this book. It wasn't the first book I read that dealt with fame and celebrities, but this was the first that shows the "before" and "after". It's a good thing that Kyle didn't really change his attitude and personality when he got famous, which says a lot about his character.
I also enjoyed the romance bit of the book! It's super sweet and innocent, the whole chemistry between Kyle and Rachel was easy to pick up.
The book also dealt with cyberbullying for the first part of the story and I'm glad that the topic was touched. Also, Jilly Gagnon's writing is really good!
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
I almost always tolerate cliche tropes but I just felt like the book was full of them. There weren't any significant developments to the characters too, which is one thing I'm always looking for. It was also a little hard to relate to the characters, although, they gave me a whole new perspective when it comes to being instantly famous.
FINAL VERDICT:
Overall, the book was enjoyable to read. The writing was really excellent and I loved that the book was told in alternating POVs of Kyle and Rachel. Their voices were distinct as well. It's a good light-hearted read, and I'll be on the lookout for Jilly Gagnon's future works!
Good Points
Plot is a little refreshing but is full of cliche tropes, good chemistry between characters
10
FEB
2017
#famous by Jilly Gagnon
Posted in Contemporary, Reviews, Romance, Young Adult |
Book Title: #famous
Book Author: Jilly Gagnon
Page Count: 384
Publishing Date: February 14th, 2017
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Date Read: February 8th, 2017
Source: eARC from publisher via Edelweiss - Thank you!
View on Goodreads
Purchase on Amazon
View on Barnes and Noble
Synopsis
In this modern-day love story, Girl likes Boy, Girl takes photo of Boy and posts it online, Boy becomes accidentally insta-famous. And what starts out as an innocent joke spirals into a whirlwind adventure that could change both their lives—and their hearts—forever. But are fame and love worth the price?
Told in alternating points of view, #famous captures the out-of-control thrill ride of falling for someone in front of everyone.
My Review
Oh I loved this book. I loved it so much. Thank you so much, HarperTeen, for allowing me to read this book and fall in love with it.
There’s humor, there’s a cute romance, there’s ridiculous social media usage and texting, and there’s a main character who isn’t perfect and I loved her from the very first page. There’s family, there’s friendship, and there is a plot line that made me smile so much my face hurt.
Oh, #famous, you were such a fun book.
Rachel is your average high school student – she is more or less a loner, with a few friends, including her best friend Monique, and she has a crush on a popular and hot guy, but he doesn’t know, and if she has it her way, he never will. After all, Rachel isn’t the kind of girl he would go for. Her frizzy curls, not-super-thin body type, and the clothes she wear aren’t things that popular senior Kyle would really want, especially with his girlfriend Emma about, because she looks like a supermodel.
“No wonder Monique was always asking to give me makeovers. I was a fricking disaster.”
However, one afternoon while at the mall with her mother, Rachel decides to play the game she and Monique play on Flit, a social media network, in which they send each other funny pictures with captions to make each other laugh. So Rachel snaps a picture of Kyle at work at the Burger Barn, with the caption of #IdlikefrieswithTHAT. Monique shares the picture, and in the span of one afternoon, it takes off, being shared around the world.
All of the sudden Kyle’s social life goes a little crazy – girls are showing up buying food (mostly fries!), telling him they would “like fries with THAT”- and it isn’t until Kyle gets off work that night that he is able to check his cell phone and find out why – the picture, thousands of followers and messages – and instant fame.
Things take off from there – Kyle gets called by a television talk show, which he later appears on, and has even more popularity than he did before.
Rachel, however, isn’t so lucky. When people start looking at her profile on Flit, they start being horrible toward her – calling her names, insulting her, and essentially sending her death threats. Depressed and feeling alone, Rachel only has Monique and her parents, both of whom she is really close with.
When Kyle finds out that Rachel is the one who started the picture, the talk show hosts encourages him to ask her to homecoming – complete with a bouquet of french fries. Of course, everyone knows this is going to happen – Rachel’s parents, Kyle’s family, and even Monique – everyone except Rachel. She feels betrayed and blind-sighted, but grudingly accepts Kyle’s invitation – after all, it’s going to be a segment on the talk show, so she should probably say yes.
After this, Rachel and Kyle agree to start spending time together and getting to know each other. It’s for the talk show, or at least that’s what Rachel tries to tell herself. But as they spend more time together, both Rachel and Kyle start to believe that maybe they can be friends…or even something more.
#famous is loaded with humor and a female main character that is super easy to relate to. In fact, her character reminded me of what I was like in high school, except, you know, with MySpace. Well, I didn’t have a cell phone either, but you get the point.
“‘Rachel, high school is exactly like a medieval court. Just without swords.'”
As far as Kyle’s character goes, sure, I thought he and Rachel were cute together, but at the same time, I thought he was kind of an airhead of a jock, who was a bit self-centered. I really didn’t like his ex-girlfriend, Emma, nor her pack of girls who continued to put Rachel down and do cruel things to her. We did get a peek into what Emma’s life was like, so we got to find out why she was the way she was, but still.
The way that Rachel’s character is put down every day in high school and over social media once people know that it was her who started the original Flit was just sad. But oddly enough, it’s such a realistic portrayal of what high school is like for some people. Yes, hurtful things like this are said all the time, cyber bullying really is a thing, and the comments that were directed at Rachel’s weight, hair, and appearance were spot on with a lot of what teenagers have to face each day. And it’s really hard to read, but so important.
The chapters in this book alternate between Rachel and Kyle, and they each have their own style so you won’t be confused as to to which character is narrating. I know that some books have an issue with the characters sounding too much alike, so I just wanted to add that in here.
So if I loved this book so much, why only the 4 star rating?
I guess that despite how much I absolutely adored #famous, the fact that some parts of it were a bit unbelievable is what led me to give it 4 stars. While some aspects of this book are easy to accept, in all honesty, it seemed a bit farfetched for me. This book felt like a fairy tale. Not in a bad way, mind you, but just so much about this was kind of weird. For example, they made Kyle wear a Burger Barn themed tux to homecoming. …what?
But honestly, this book was such a fun read, and I couldn’t get get enough of it. I’ve seen some negative reviews for this one, and despite that, I still fell in love with this from the very first chapter.
4 stars
Tagged 4 stars
REVIEW: #FAMOUS BY JILLY GAGNON
POSTED FEBRUARY 16, 2017 BY ROWENA IN REVIEWS | 1 COMMENT
Review: #Famous by Jilly GagnonReviewer: Rowena
#famous by Jilly Gagnon
Published by Harper Collins, Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: February 14th 2017
Genres: Young Adult
Pages: 384
Buy on Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Goodreads
three-stars
In this modern-day love story, Girl likes Boy, Girl takes photo of Boy and posts it online, Boy becomes accidentally insta-famous. And what starts out as an innocent joke spirals into a whirlwind adventure that could change both their lives—and their hearts—forever. But are fame and love worth the price?
Told in alternating points of view, #famous captures the out-of-control thrill ride of falling for someone in front of everyone.
I really interested in reading this book because of the internet fame angle. The girl captures a picture of the boy and tweets it to her bestie who RT’s the picture, attaching a hashtag that goes viral and before anyone knows what’s what, the boy is internet famous and he’s going on the Ellen show and he’s getting interviewed on the news and people want to be his best friend and he enjoys it for a while before all of it starts feeling fake. The only person that hasn’t changed throughout it all is his new friend, Rachel who is the girl that tweeted the picture of him.
This was a pretty short read and it’s marked as a Young Adult book but it read a lot younger than that. At least, it did for me. There was a simpleness to the story that made it really easy to fall into this book and on one hand, that was fun and it took no time at all to read it. On the other hand, it was hard to really connect with the characters because they didn’t feel fleshed out or well, real. This story was enjoyable but it was enjoyable in the sense that I enjoyed it from afar. Like, I enjoyed listening to my friend’s recount of the shenanigans over the weekend that I wasn’t around for. I didn’t feel what Rachel was feeling for myself. Or what Kyle was feeling.
So while I enjoyed the book for the fluffy piece that it was, I didn’t love it. Still, if you’re in the mood for a fun story that reads a little on the young side, this is a good one.
Grade: 3 out of 5
QUOTE:
I found the story amusing enough
To their credit, the authors try to keep the narrator gender-neutral.
Like, who looks at a kid’s book and thinks “You know what this needs? More rape.”
Book Review: Choose Your Own Misery: The Office Adventure, Mike MacDonald & Jilly Gagnon (2016)
January 27th, 2016 7:00 am by Kelly Garbato
Keep yer rape culture out of my favorite childhood series, mkay?
two out of five stars
(Full disclosure: I received a free electronic copy of this book for review through NetGalley. Trigger warning for rape.)
It’s 7:30AM on a weekday and you’re hungover…again. Do you a) hit the snooze button on your alarm and risk being late (even though you pissed yourself overnight and desperately need a shower), or b) call in and use up your last remaining sick day (keeping in mind that it’s only March and you have another nine months of this shit to look forward to)? Nearly every path leads to humiliation and ruin, so no need to choose carefully.
One of my favorite childhood series gets an adult makeover in Choose Your Own Misery: The Office Adventure – a Dilbertesque spin on ye ole Choose Your Adventure books that were popular in the ’80s. Dilbert, if it was rated R, and to the nth degree of absurdity.
I was both nervous and excited to try this title, and with good reason – the last such book I read (Max Brallier’s Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse?) was a giant letdown, with an obnoxious dudebro as the MC. Straight, white, middle-class, with a penchant for abusing animals and devaluing women. Completely unrelatable to anyone but a fedora-wearing, mouthing-breathing ex-frat boy. Which most of us aren’t.
To its credit, Choose Your Own Misery tries hard to be gender- (and possibly race-) neutral. Every time something pops up that might pigeonhole the narrator as a dude, an alternate explanation is offered. That Axe body spray you use to mask the reek of vodka sweat rolling off you in waves? It’s not yours; your roomie left it behind when he moved out. Khakis? Hey, ladies wear those too. And yet after progressing through a dozen or so possible stories, it becomes apparent that you only have a romantic interest in women. So…either you’re a straight guy or a lesbian in a city incredibly accepting of LGB folks. Possible, but unlikely.
Even so, I found the story amusing enough – good in small doses, useful for killing a few minutes here or there – until I stumbled upon the rape plots. Plots, plural.
In the first one, you make up a story about the nerdy IT guy date-raping a coworker at an office party in order to keep him away from Debby, some woman you didn’t even like – until you set her up with said guy so that he’d cover for your with your boss. Didn’t I mention that you’re a horrible person? Like, the worst.
The second rape plot has you visiting Debby’s crystal healer, who grabs your junk without your consent during the session. Whether you decide that you’re outraged or not, either choice has you wishing you’d purchased Fiona’s services in bulk, since being sexually assaulted is the most human contact you’ve had in months.
And that was when I decided that I can’t even with this book. Like, who looks at a kid’s book and thinks “You know what this needs? More rape.”
Look. I’m not arguing for a blanket ban on rape jokes. They can actually be funny – but only if the subject of the joke, the person or thing we’re all laughing at, is the bad guy: the rapist. Rape culture. Rape apologists. Not the victim. Never the victim. It’s shameful to score a cheap laugh at his or her expense.
And what do these two (allegedly amusing) plot points have to say about rape? People lie about rape for their own ends, and those who aren’t getting laid on the regular should just be happy that someone wants to rape them. Rape culture 101.
The book you’ve eagerly devoted your Sunday afternoon to makes some rather appalling assumptions about rape. Do you a) purge your Kindle with a long overdue bleach bath; b) burn this shit to the ground; or c) write your own feminist Choose Your Own Revenge story? (Dear dog, someone please choose c!)
Look. The Onion is usually pretty good about this stuff. Is it really too much to expect better from one of its writers?
(This review is also available on Amazon, Library Thing, and Goodreads. Please click through and vote it helpful if you’re so inclined!)
Comments (May contain spoilers!)
Diversity: Not really. To their credit, the authors try to keep the narrator gender-neutral. Every time something pops up that might pigeonhole the narrator as a dude, an alternate explanation is offered. That Axe body spray you use to mask the reek of vodka sweat rolling off you in waves? It’s not yours; your roomie left it behind when he moved out. Khakis? Hey, ladies wear those too. And yet after progressing through a dozen or so possible stories, it becomes apparent that you only have a romantic interest in women. So…either you’re a straight guy or a lesbian in a city incredibly accepting of LGB folks. Possible, but unlikely. Likewise, there aren’t any indications that you’re non-white, disabled, or belong to any other marginalized group (though you do drink a lot and are possibly alcoholic). Other than the cabbie – who speaks a vaguely Middle Eastern language – there aren’t any POC that I saw.
Animal-friendly elements: n/a
QUOTE:
If you a fan of dark comedy books or film, I'd recommend reading Choose Your Own Misery: The Holidays. Just don't let your kids borrow it when you are finished.
Book Review: 'Choose Your Own Misery: The Holidays'
by Jason Gross on 6:55:00 AM in book, Book Review, Choose Your Own Adventure, Choose Your Own Misery: The Holidays, Diversion Books, Jilly Gagnon, Mike MacDonald
Mike MacDonald and Jilly Gagnon, alum writers for The Onion, are back with another comical modern choose-your-own-path story to ruin your upcoming holiday spirit. Earlier this year you might remember I reviewed their crazy workplace adventure titled Choose Your Own Misery: The Office. Well, the duo has just released the next volume in their parody series Choose Your Own Misery: The Holidays to take with you during your holiday season. I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of the new book to review, but before I reveal my thoughts, take a look at the cover and official synopsis.
Official synopsis:
This is the year you’re going to do it: you’re going to avoid Christmas completely!
...or you were, until your island getaway got washed out by a hurricane. Now you have to choose: should you spend the holiday with your shrewish sister and her Europhile husband, or endure your new girlfriend’s family for a week? Help chop down a tree even though it might throw out your back, or endure the icy judgment of a woman who thinks only children and p*****s help bake cookies? Jet off to the glamorous slums of Kingston, Jamaica, or accept the offer of a ride from a man who never stops smiling...and is probably going to turn you into a skin suit?
From the writers who brought you the hilarious parody Choose Your Own Misery: The Office comes a second helping of misery with a festive twist. Christmas is full of fun surprises for kids, but for adults, it’s just an endless series of aggressive crowds, overwhelming credit card debt, and pretending to like the people you’re forced to spend it with.
Once you unwrap all the holiday misery hiding in these pages, the blackness of your heart will rival any lump of coal.
Review: Choose Your Own Misery: The Holidays is an outrageous R-rated holiday adventure that combines the travel habits from Planes, Trains, & Automobiles with the family antics of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. This dark comedic adventure will truly brighten your personal outlook on upcoming holidays with family by living out worst-case-scenario type situations.
Fortunately, my extended family's quirks are relatively innocent when compared to some of the encounters in this book. Most of the scenarios that the reader will stumble into are quite shocking and at times heinous, but not too over-the-top that you can't put yourself in the situation or imagine it taking place in a Seth Rogen film. The explicit language can be a little excessive at times but overall, it was fun to flip (or in my case, click) through the book to try different paths. If you a fan of dark comedy books or film, I'd recommend reading Choose Your Own Misery: The Holidays. Just don't let your kids borrow it when you are finished.
Choose Your Own Misery: The Holiday from Diversion Books is available now on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, and Google Play.
QUOTE:
This Choose Your Own Misery book will definitely bring back memories of carefree childhood reads. And while it may not be a wildly funny romp filled with ridiculous holiday-heavy adventures, it will make for an entertaining escape from your own holiday mishaps and misfortunes.
Choose Your Own Misery: The Holidays - Mike MacDonald, Jilly Gagnon
Kristin Dreyer Kramer
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When I was a kid, I loved reading Choose Your Own Adventure books. I enjoyed setting out on a thrilling literary adventure—and writing my own story along the way. Now, for grown-up fans of Choose Your Own Adventure books, authors Mike MacDonald and Jilly Gagnon offer an outrageous take on the original in Choose Your Own Misery: The Holidays.
The story begins just before Christmas, as you’re about to set out on a relaxing holiday vacation. No family, no pressures, no crazy crowds at the mall—just a relaxing island getaway. But after you battle the holiday crowds at the airport, you find out that your perfect island escape has just been hit by a hurricane, officially blowing your vacation plans off-course. So as you stand in the airport, in the middle of the swarms of travelers, you have to decide where your holiday adventure will take you next.
A Choose Your Own Adventure book about the holidays would probably find readers spoiled by Grandma, opening up piles of presents, and maybe even riding off with Santa on his sleigh. But this offers a grown-up take on the holidays—which means that it’s loaded with difficult decisions and awkward situations. Your choices could lead you to an uncomfortable (and maybe even physically painful) holiday with your girlfriend and her family or a disastrous impromptu getaway or, if you break down and decide to spend the holidays with your family after all, a chilly reception from your sister.
Admittedly, this isn’t a wacky humor book filled with outrageously hilarious adventures. Instead, it’s filled with one disaster after another. But, as you might expect from a couple of authors who used to write for satirical news outlet The Onion, it’s often funny because it’s all too true.
Strangely, though, this holiday adventure doesn’t really delve into the typical holiday nightmares of the young and unmarried: the gatherings with extended family, the trouble-making masses of young second-cousins, the endless questions about your relationship, family, and career status. In that way, it doesn’t always feel holiday-specific. It’s more like an amusingly horrible journey through the personal life of a single young man.
This Choose Your Own Misery book will definitely bring back memories of carefree childhood reads. And while it may not be a wildly funny romp filled with ridiculous holiday-heavy adventures, it will make for an entertaining escape from your own holiday mishaps and misfortunes.