Polly

By Amy Bryant

Book Overview

If you're looking for Polly Clark, she'll be the girl wearing Doc Martens and a Bad Brains T-shirt at the punk show. She'll be (almost) losing her virginity to a high school dropout, accompanied by the Beastie Boys' "No Sleep Till Brooklyn." She'll be looking for her artistic soul while trying to solve the mysteries of guys, life, her seriously dysfunctional family . . . and herself.In eight chapters, Polly is shaped by eight relationships in this honest, tender, original, and utterly endearing story of one girl's stumbles and successes in the world of punked-out 1980s suburban romance -- the unforgettable debut of an extraordinary new voice in contemporary fiction.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060898046
• ISBN13: 9780060898045
• Release Date: January 2007
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Good read.....I miss her already!

I really liked Polly. She reminded me of myself searching for love. The author was very successful in weaving the theme of alcoholism and self searching throughout the novel. It wasn't obvious as we see in some writing where the author has to glaringly put these elements in the book. That being said, I wasn't ready to say goodbye to Polly. I wanted to know who her next love was going to be. I found myself hoping that she would meet someone normal, graduate from college, and live a happy life. There was a poster below who said that this was not realistic because who would let their kids out like Polly was. It was very realistic for me. I was out like Polly and I think that there are more young girls than we care to admit out there facing issues that Polly did. This poster also called Polly a slut. Unfortunately, these ideals area still hanging over our heads and will keep young girls and women in denial and shame. Rape, abuse.....yeah, she's a slut. What a healthy thing to teach!

Loved this book!

Polly captures the angst, humor and pathos of teenagerdom with a pitch perfect voice. If you lived through the 1980s--or just lived through ages 12 through 19-so much of this book will ring true. Amy Bryant has a writing style that manages to feel both universal and yet completely her own. If you liked the Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing you'll love this book. I know did!

The book really rocks

Amy's book really took me back to my own days as a teen in the 80's. Her musical references transported me to another time! She captures an era, and a very unique time in a young girl's life. Her attention to detail is so good... she must have been taking notes in those years! Polly and all of her boys seem so real - we've all known people like her characters. If this is her first book, I hope there's more to come!

a classic coming of age book

This book captures both a period of time (the 1980's DC hardcore scene) and the timeless adolescent story. It was hard to put this book down, as I felt connected to both aspects. You'll root for the heroine and realize that not everything would work out well as Bryant captures the reality of growing up, both the bad and the fantastic.

A Book for Every Girl!

I loved this book and my daughter loved this book. Amy Bryant's "Polly" is a girl that females of almost every age can identify with. If you are currently in high school or were there in the '80's this story will ring true. Excellent work -- looking forward to more from this writer!