Maddy Lederman's Blog - Posts Tagged "family"
"I Absolutely Loved Edna in the Desert"
Edna in the Desert
The following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of “EDNA IN THE DESERT” by Maddy Lederman.
Strong-willed and sarcastic, thirteen-year-old Edna sows turmoil at home, at extra-curricular activities, and especially at school. When her latest misconduct ends in physical assault, Edna’s parents decide to send her away from the affluence of Beverly Hills to her grandparents’ sparse cabin in the middle of the desert. For Edna, this means spending an entire summer without television, Internet, or cellular phone service, all while contending with her strict grandmother and mentally impaired grandfather.
After a failed attempt at running away, Edna’s attitude begins to soften when she meets Johnny, a high school boy whose family owns the local general store. For the first time in her existence, Edna finally begins to care about the opinion of someone other than herself, and the two forge a friendship that Edna hopes will become something more. Meanwhile, she starts to second-guess the shallowness of her L.A. lifestyle as she learns more about the desert and the true reason her grandparents have chosen to live there.
From the beginning, I was very taken with Edna in spite of her terrible attitude. While her sarcasm and disregard for others did get on my nerves, there was a part of me that admired her gutsiness. I personally find blunt, outspoken characters to be refreshing in a way, especially when they also possess a sharp intellect like Edna’s. Her precocious intelligence, combined with Lederman’s realistic depiction of teenage melodrama, makes Edna a surprisingly relatable character for both teens and adults (after all, Edna only vocalizes what most of us would say in our heads!)
As the novel unfolds, Edna’s character gradually shifts from Beverly Hills brat to considerate young woman. Throughout much of the book, Edna’s sole concerns are Johnny and his opinion of her, which initially is very self-centered. However, Edna and Johnny’s friendship opens up a new world to Edna, one in which people actually matter, and by the end of the book Edna has laid the foundation for a positive relationship with both of her grandparents. While Edna is not cured of her outspoken nature, she becomes less snarky and more likely to think before she opens her mouth. One can imagine that Edna’s next school year, while perhaps not completely free of incident, will be much less dramatic.
Throughout the book, the author weaves a subtle commentary on modern technology’s impact upon interpersonal relationships. Unfortunately, I can’t say much on this for fear of including spoilers, but I can say that Edna’s lack of access to television and the Internet is a driving factor in the story, and a very thought-provoking one as well.
Lastly, I enjoyed this book for the writing itself. I did not notice any spelling or grammatical errors, and I appreciated Maddy Lederman’s balanced descriptions of the settings. When I use the word balanced, I mean to say that she was not overly wordy. I was able to get a clear picture of the story in my mind without getting lost in long descriptions or explanations. Lately, I’ve read several books that frequently derailed my attention through the use of too much (or sometimes not enough) detail, so reading this book was a welcome change of pace.
I absolutely loved Edna in the Desert and have given it 4 out of 4 stars for its realistic characters, solid writing, and moving storyline. While I believe that this book would appeal more to female readers, I would recommend it to anyone who frequently interacts with younger teens, as it provides some perspective on the mindset of that age group.
Originally published Oct. 20, 2014 by LivreAmour217 for the OnlineBookClub.org.
The following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of “EDNA IN THE DESERT” by Maddy Lederman.
Strong-willed and sarcastic, thirteen-year-old Edna sows turmoil at home, at extra-curricular activities, and especially at school. When her latest misconduct ends in physical assault, Edna’s parents decide to send her away from the affluence of Beverly Hills to her grandparents’ sparse cabin in the middle of the desert. For Edna, this means spending an entire summer without television, Internet, or cellular phone service, all while contending with her strict grandmother and mentally impaired grandfather.
After a failed attempt at running away, Edna’s attitude begins to soften when she meets Johnny, a high school boy whose family owns the local general store. For the first time in her existence, Edna finally begins to care about the opinion of someone other than herself, and the two forge a friendship that Edna hopes will become something more. Meanwhile, she starts to second-guess the shallowness of her L.A. lifestyle as she learns more about the desert and the true reason her grandparents have chosen to live there.
From the beginning, I was very taken with Edna in spite of her terrible attitude. While her sarcasm and disregard for others did get on my nerves, there was a part of me that admired her gutsiness. I personally find blunt, outspoken characters to be refreshing in a way, especially when they also possess a sharp intellect like Edna’s. Her precocious intelligence, combined with Lederman’s realistic depiction of teenage melodrama, makes Edna a surprisingly relatable character for both teens and adults (after all, Edna only vocalizes what most of us would say in our heads!)
As the novel unfolds, Edna’s character gradually shifts from Beverly Hills brat to considerate young woman. Throughout much of the book, Edna’s sole concerns are Johnny and his opinion of her, which initially is very self-centered. However, Edna and Johnny’s friendship opens up a new world to Edna, one in which people actually matter, and by the end of the book Edna has laid the foundation for a positive relationship with both of her grandparents. While Edna is not cured of her outspoken nature, she becomes less snarky and more likely to think before she opens her mouth. One can imagine that Edna’s next school year, while perhaps not completely free of incident, will be much less dramatic.
Throughout the book, the author weaves a subtle commentary on modern technology’s impact upon interpersonal relationships. Unfortunately, I can’t say much on this for fear of including spoilers, but I can say that Edna’s lack of access to television and the Internet is a driving factor in the story, and a very thought-provoking one as well.
Lastly, I enjoyed this book for the writing itself. I did not notice any spelling or grammatical errors, and I appreciated Maddy Lederman’s balanced descriptions of the settings. When I use the word balanced, I mean to say that she was not overly wordy. I was able to get a clear picture of the story in my mind without getting lost in long descriptions or explanations. Lately, I’ve read several books that frequently derailed my attention through the use of too much (or sometimes not enough) detail, so reading this book was a welcome change of pace.
I absolutely loved Edna in the Desert and have given it 4 out of 4 stars for its realistic characters, solid writing, and moving storyline. While I believe that this book would appeal more to female readers, I would recommend it to anyone who frequently interacts with younger teens, as it provides some perspective on the mindset of that age group.
Originally published Oct. 20, 2014 by LivreAmour217 for the OnlineBookClub.org.
What People Say About EDNA IN THE DESERT
"I LOVED the book! It was so dramatic and sweet. I loved the part where Edna was going to try to die by evaporation. I just loved it. I will buy several copies for my school library and I recommend it to students and teachers."
--Karen Casaceli, Gateway Middle School Librarian, 1/8/15.
"EDNA IN THE DESERT really captured the teenage voice...I definitely think more schools should have the opportunity to read it."
--Melissa Mehling, Honors English Teacher, Carle Place High School, 6/24/14. http://www.maddylederman.com/a-great-...
"EDNA IN THE DESERT is the most hilarious and realistic Young Adult book that I have read in a VERY LONG TIME...the precocious but incredibly lovable Edna really struck a chord with me."
--writer Ingrid Hall, 8/17/14. http://ingridhall.wordpress.com/tag/e...
"I enjoyed getting to know Edna, and I’m certain that the lessons for our students will have an impact on their lives today!"
--Dave Flatley, Superintendent of Schools, Carle Place School District, 9/19/14.
"I absolutely loved Edna in the Desert….4 out of 4 stars for realistic characters, solid writing, and moving storyline…..Throughout the book, the author weaves a subtle commentary on modern technology’s impact upon interpersonal relationships……Edna gradually shifts from Beverly Hills brat to considerate young woman."
--Official Online Book Club review, 10/20/14, http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/view...
"The Summer Book Club at Piperton United Methodist Church in Piperton, TN is currently reading EDNA IN THE DESERT. What a great book! So glad we chose it! Can't wait to come together with the readers and discuss it!"
--Debbie Daubenhauser,7/21/14.
--Karen Casaceli, Gateway Middle School Librarian, 1/8/15.
"EDNA IN THE DESERT really captured the teenage voice...I definitely think more schools should have the opportunity to read it."
--Melissa Mehling, Honors English Teacher, Carle Place High School, 6/24/14. http://www.maddylederman.com/a-great-...
"EDNA IN THE DESERT is the most hilarious and realistic Young Adult book that I have read in a VERY LONG TIME...the precocious but incredibly lovable Edna really struck a chord with me."
--writer Ingrid Hall, 8/17/14. http://ingridhall.wordpress.com/tag/e...
"I enjoyed getting to know Edna, and I’m certain that the lessons for our students will have an impact on their lives today!"
--Dave Flatley, Superintendent of Schools, Carle Place School District, 9/19/14.
"I absolutely loved Edna in the Desert….4 out of 4 stars for realistic characters, solid writing, and moving storyline…..Throughout the book, the author weaves a subtle commentary on modern technology’s impact upon interpersonal relationships……Edna gradually shifts from Beverly Hills brat to considerate young woman."
--Official Online Book Club review, 10/20/14, http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/view...
"The Summer Book Club at Piperton United Methodist Church in Piperton, TN is currently reading EDNA IN THE DESERT. What a great book! So glad we chose it! Can't wait to come together with the readers and discuss it!"
--Debbie Daubenhauser,7/21/14.
EDNA IN THE DESERT is Schools' 2015 Summer Reading!
EDNA IN THE DESERT is Required Summer Reading for 8th and 9th graders for the second year!
Author Maddy Lederman will visit Carle Place High School again in Fall 2015.
http://www.maddylederman.com/edna-in-...
http://www.maddylederman.com/a-great-...
Author Maddy Lederman will visit Carle Place High School again in Fall 2015.
http://www.maddylederman.com/edna-in-...
http://www.maddylederman.com/a-great-...
"…I’m no different from Edna."
Dear Readers,
Please check out this insightful review of EDNA IN THE DESERT from Tween Book Blog!
"We learn to recognize Edna’s self-absorbed behavior as our own and it makes us think about what we could change to get us to be more in touch with the important people in our lives. Edna and the reader are forced to consider the consequences of our actions, to learn how to love much more fully and live a life that is richer. It’s a coming of age story that asks the reader hard questions without forcing an immediate answer. While the ending is somewhat bittersweet, we, like Edna, will have made a more positive change that we will be able to carry with us into the real world."
https://tweenbookblog.wordpress.com/2...
Edna in the Desert
Please check out this insightful review of EDNA IN THE DESERT from Tween Book Blog!
"We learn to recognize Edna’s self-absorbed behavior as our own and it makes us think about what we could change to get us to be more in touch with the important people in our lives. Edna and the reader are forced to consider the consequences of our actions, to learn how to love much more fully and live a life that is richer. It’s a coming of age story that asks the reader hard questions without forcing an immediate answer. While the ending is somewhat bittersweet, we, like Edna, will have made a more positive change that we will be able to carry with us into the real world."
https://tweenbookblog.wordpress.com/2...
Edna in the Desert
Edna Goes Back To School
Can a Beverly Hills teen survive without a cell phone, Internet or TV? …Edna will find out.
Edna in the Desert
Edna In The Desert author Maddy Lederman visited Carle Place High School where students read the novel over the summer. They talked about Edna and Johnny, social media and the desert, and then participated in a writing workshop emphasizing the use of setting in story-telling.
The students asked smart questions and came up with fascinating settings in the workshop: An underground cave that has a pond filled with bio-luminescent fish, a scrumptious Candyland, an old house with creaky floors and an abandoned insane asylum, just to name a few!
Afterwards, Maddy signed books for students while they enjoyed Pineapple Upsidedown Cake, a treat from the book.
http://www.maddylederman.com/edna-goe...
Edna in the Desert
Edna In The Desert author Maddy Lederman visited Carle Place High School where students read the novel over the summer. They talked about Edna and Johnny, social media and the desert, and then participated in a writing workshop emphasizing the use of setting in story-telling.
The students asked smart questions and came up with fascinating settings in the workshop: An underground cave that has a pond filled with bio-luminescent fish, a scrumptious Candyland, an old house with creaky floors and an abandoned insane asylum, just to name a few!
Afterwards, Maddy signed books for students while they enjoyed Pineapple Upsidedown Cake, a treat from the book.
http://www.maddylederman.com/edna-goe...
