Story of a Girl

Zarr, Sara. Story of a Girl: A Novel. New York: Little, Brown, 2007. Print.

Intended Audience: Ages 14 and older

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Personal Reaction: Story of a Girl is a coming of age story of Deanna Lambert.  Since losing her virginity in the back of Tommy Webber's Buick in eighth grade and her dad finding her with him in the act, her reputation has been shot.  Her father no longer trusts her or even looks at her, boys at school label her as being easy and make horrible comments and she constantly looks at her life in a manner of "if I was a different kind of girl."  The only bright spots in her life is her brother Darren, his girlfriend Stacy, their daughter April, and her two friends Jason and Lee.  The story follows Deanna's life as she eventually grows into being the kind of girl she always wanted to be but wouldn't allow herself to become. 

At points I found myself wanting to yell at Deanna for being so childish and seeming to blame others for her situation in life.  No, it is not fair for boys to grab at you in the mall, but because they have this opinion of you does not mean you need to have it herself.  I was happy at the end of the story how Deanna stopped saying how she would act if she was a certain kind of girl and instead started acting like it.  This was a great coming of age story, one I think any young girls may be able to relate with (even those who were not labeled as being easy).  

Author Facts: Sara Zarr was born in 1970 in Cleveland, OH.  She reads all mail she is sent and even writes back (something not many authors have time to do).  In 2010 she was a judge for the National Book Award. 

Author Website: http://www.sarazarr.com/