Summary | Excerpt | Reviews | Beyond the book | Readalikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio
Critics' Opinion:
Readers' Opinion:
First Published:
Oct 2009, 288 pages
Paperback:
Dec 2010, 288 pages
Book Reviewed by:
Tamara Ellis Smith
Buy This Book
New to town, Beatrice is seated next to Jonah, aka Ghost Boy, a quiet loner who hasn't made a new friend since third grade. Something about him, though, gets to Bea, and soon they form an unexpected friendship.
New to town, Beatrice is expecting her new best friend to be one of the girls she meets on the first day. But instead, the alphabet conspires to seat her next to Jonah, aka Ghost Boy, a quiet loner who hasn't made a new friend since third grade. Something about him, though, gets to Bea, and soon they form an unexpected friendship. It's not romance, exactly - but it's definitely love. Still, Bea can't quite dispel Jonah's gloom and doom - and as she finds out his family history, she understands why. Can Bea help Jonah? Or is he destined to vanish?
Chapter 1
Goebbels materialized on the back patio, right before we moved to Baltimore, and started chewing through the wicker love seat. We figured he was an escapee from one of the neighbors’ houses, probably the Flanagans two doors down. The Flanagans had a lot of pets, and the parents looked the other way while their sons, Pat and Paul, fed them various foods that animals shouldn’t eat, like Twinkies and Pop Rocks, and then raced them to see how the food
affected their performance.
“Can’t blame the little guy for making a break for it,” Mom said. She picked up the gerbil and stroked his tiny head. He pooped in her hand.
“Here.” Mom passed him to me. “He’s yours.”
“Gee. Thanks.” I’m not exactly a rodent person. But we couldn’t send him back to the Flanagan Torture Chamber, so I put the gerbil in a fishbowl until we had a chance to go to the pet store and buy a cage. He tried to scamper out, but the sides of ...
Natalie Standiford skillfully reveals rich emotional landscapes as she takes the reader through the complicated, painful and gorgeous lives of her characters as they confront their losses and navigate the gaps left in their wake...continued
Full Review
(593 words).
This review is available to non-members for a limited time. For full access,
become a member today.
(Reviewed by Tamara Ellis Smith).
Libba Bray, author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine
Sweet, sad, wonderfully quirky, and delightfully original, Natalie Standiford’s beautifully honest book made me laugh in surprise, nod in understanding, and wish that I were part robot so that my heart would stop breaking.Natalie Standiford is a rock star! Not only does she write books for children and young adults, but she is also in two bands.
One is a punk rock band called Ruffian, and the other - check this out! - is an all YA-author band called Tiger Beat. Natalie's band-mates include Libba Bray, Daniel Ehrenhaft, and Barnabas Miller. Natalie plays the bass guitar. Tiger Beat had their debut in March 2009 in the New York City independent bookstore Books of Wonder. Can you imagine rocking out to familiar cover tunes and then buying books and having the authors-musicians sign them - all at once!
Interesting Links
This "beyond the book" feature is available to non-members for a limited time. Join today for full access.
More books by Natalie Standiford
If you liked How To Say Goodbye In Robot, try these:
by Jeff Zentner
Published 2018
A novel about finding strength and hope after tragedy. Perfect for fans of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and Looking for Alaska.
by Robin Roe
Published 2017
First-time novelist Robin Roe relied on life experience when writing this exquisite, gripping story featuring two lionhearted characters.
Hieroglyphics
by Jill McCorkle
A mesmerizing novel about piecing together the hieroglyphics of history and memory.
Reader Reviews
With or Without You
by Caroline Leavitt
A moving novel about twists of fate, the shifting terrain of love, and coming into your own.
Reader Reviews
The the story of one tough-as-nails girl whose choices are few but whose fight is boundless.
About the book
Every Bone a Prayer by Ashley Blooms
A beautifully honest exploration of healing and of hope.
Visitors can view some of BookBrowse for free. Full access is for members only.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
Subscribe to receive some of our best reviews, "beyond the book" articles, book club info, and giveaways by email.
