The Sweet Revenge of Celia Door

January 7, 2013
Ninth-grader Celia Door lives in Hershey, Pa., home to chocolate and a sea of vanilla classmates. With a black wardrobe to match her outlook, Celia considers herself “Dark,” a permanent outsider who has accepted that she’ll never be one of the cool kids. The arrival of Drake, a new student from New York City, is a bright spot in Celia’s Dark life. She starts to fall for him, but it turns out that Drake is gay; far from a problem, it sets up a wonderful scenario for friendship, as Celia helps Drake woo his crush back home, and Drake helps Celia prioritize her dreams of becoming a poet rather than revenge over mean girl Sandy Firestone. In her YA debut, Finneyfrock gives Celia a drily funny voice that keeps the narrative zipping along. Although the serious secret Celia has been keeping comes a bit out of nowhere, readers who also feel like they have no place in the mainstream will easily identify with her, even when she makes a few seriously Dark mistakes. Ages 12–up. Agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House.

January 15, 2013
Revenge may be sweet, but the joys of friendship and following your own star prove even sweeter in this engaging, low-key novel about a creative, rebellious youngster. Fourteen-year-old Celia Door has taken on the private moniker "Celia the Dark" after being roundly rejected by her classmates at the end of eighth grade. But as luck would have it, new student Drake joins her class, and his friendship gives her a fresh prism through which to see herself. Drake is also the keeper of his own secret, and how these friends support each other as they navigate the social and psychological minefield of ninth grade is the heart of the story. What debut novelist Finneyfrock captures perfectly is the powerlessness of being a teen. The things that distress Celia--her best friend being pulled out of school, a mean-girl campaign to humiliate her, her parents' separation and her father's move to far-away Atlanta--affect her very core but are largely out of her control. Illuminated with flashes of humor, Celia's narration is expressive, and her poems, which are sprinkled throughout the novel, elucidate her emotional state with grace and specificity. Although the story drags in places and the resolution feels forced, girls should sympathize with Celia and Drake and root for their success. (Fiction. 12-16)

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February 1, 2013

Gr 8 Up-Celia Door enters Hershey High with one objective: revenge for what Sandy Firestone did to her the previous year. Sandy and her coterie of popular girls continue to torment Celia and others who don't fit their mold. The "Celia the Dark" locker sign attracts the attention of Drake Berlin, who lives with his grandmother while waiting for a place in an arts school back in New York City. Good-looking and athletic, he appreciates Celia's unconventional dress and outlook, trusting her with the secret that he is gay. When his best friend, Japhy, rejects his advances, Drake undertakes a program of positive thinking to convince Japhy otherwise. Following the precepts of Dream It! Do It! Drake encourages Celia to pursue her own dream. While Celia pretends to work toward becoming a published poet, her real goal is revenge. Unfortunately, her chance to take down Sandy ends up hurting Drake as well. Celia often seeks online advice from her cousin Dorathea, a student at UC Berkeley. Her replies mix social commentary with insights about family and friends. Not surprisingly, poet Finneyfrock deftly incorporates Celia's own poetry into the plot, as when she reworks her mom's brief instructional notes into haiku. Most memorable is Celia's wry, perceptive, and honest narrative voice. When readers finally learn the details of Sandy's eighth-grade actions and Celia's desperate response, it becomes clear that humor can cover only so much hurt. Finneyfrock weaves characters and plotlines into an entertaining and thought-provoking mix. She succeeds in making her debut much more than a "problem novel" by creating a memorable outsider who is articulate, funny, and brave.-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2013
Grades 8-10 Before, Celia had a friend. She had parents living together in the same house. She had not yet been publicly humiliated by vacuous Sandy Firestone. By the time she turns 14, however, her friend is gone, her parents are on a trial separation, and the terrible memory of Sandy's prank burns in Celia's heart. Her transformation into an angry, vengeful spirit is complete by the time she walks through the doors of Hershey High School, but her gloom is unexpectedly disrupted by the surprising friendship of Drake, a gorgeous new student. Celia is smitten, and the teens grow close enough for Drake to reveal his biggest secret, which breaks Celia's heart. Increasingly, her poems are her solace, and Celia's true vitality emerges in her love of language. Suggest this to fans of David Levithan's and A. S. King's books, as well as all teens who feel outside the frenzy of high-school social life.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)