7.8 /10 1 Votes
Language English Originally published 10 January 2007 Page count 192 Country United States of America | 3.7/5 Goodreads Cover artist Roger Hagadone Pages 192 Genre Young adult fiction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Publisher Little, Brown, Bloomsbury Publishing Publication date 10 January 2007 (hardcover)
1 February 2008 (paperback) Nominations National Book Award for Young People's Literature Similar Sara Zarr books, Young adult fiction books | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Story of a Girl is a young-adult novel by Sara Zarr. It was released in 2007.
Contents
Plot
The story centers around Deanna Lambert, a teen troubled by social exile and branding rumors. When she was thirteen, her father caught her and her brother's friend, seventeen-year-old Tommy Webber, having unprotected sex in the back of Tommy's Buick. Word gets around by Tommy, and Deanna is named the 'school slut'. Her father becomes distant and cold towards her, never showing any affection after what he witnessed.
Three years later, Deanna still lives in her small hometown of Pacifica, California. Her affair with Tommy Webber is still a popular gossip topic and her older brother, Darren, and his girlfriend, Stacy, now live in their basement with their illegitimate child, April. Keeping a fantasy of moving out of the house with Darren, April and Stacy in her mind and coming to a happy home, Deanna gets a summer job at a ratty pizza parlor, Picasso's Pizza, while also dealing with inhibited feelings of affection for her best friend, Jason, who is dating her other friend, Lee.
As the summer progresses, Deanna's secret love of Jason deepens. She begins to become more and more envious of Lee, especially of Lee's happy home and inner peace. One day, Deanna finds that Stacy fled the house, leaving April behind, and does not return. At the same time, she develops a friendship with her boss at Picasso's, Michael, while working alongside Tommy Webber. One evening, Michael gives Deanna a ride home from work and Deanna's father grows suspicious of Michael's motives. Deanna then lashes out at her father for never again trusting her after he caught Deanna and Tommy in the car, which causes her father to temporarily leave.
At the end of the story Deanna reconciles with Lee and Jason (after hanging out with only Jason while Lee was on a weekend trip, which ultimately led to Deanna kissing him and asking him why he never asked her out); Stacy suddenly arrives home ( it is revealed that she left only intending to party before returning to motherhood ); and Deanna decides to truly move on from the affair she had so long ago. Coincidentally, her father also returns to his family and moves on from the past.
The story ends with Deanna explaining to Darren and Stacy (who have found an apartment and are going to move in there with April) that she has worked with Tommy for the whole summer. Stacy promises that, while Deanna cannot move in with them, there will always be a toothbrush and understanding people there for her. Soon, school has begun again, and Deanna, Jason, and Lee are now juniors. They ask her if she is ready for the new year, and although Deanna says that she isn't ready, Lee tells her it's time to begin it.
Characters
Awards
Film adaptation
Producers Emily Lansbury and Kyra Sedgwick have optioned the film. Laurie Collyer wrote the screenplay and has signed on to direct the movie. Kevin Bacon, Mary-Kate Olsen and Terrence Howard (along with Kyra Sedgwick) are all slated to star in the film. The release date is not yet available.