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Manicpixiedreamgirl

by Tom Leveen (Goodreads Author)

3.67 of 5 stars 3.67 · rating details · 46 ratings · 21 reviews

Sometimes the most dramatic scenes in a high school theater club are the ones that happen between the actors and crew off stage.

Seventeen-year-old Tyler Darcy's dream of being a writer is starting to feel very real now that he's sold his first short story to a literary journal. He should be celebrating its publication with his two best friends who've always had his back, b...more

Hardcover, 256 pages

Published April 23rd 2013 by Random House Children's Books

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Apr 25, 2013 Annette rated it 4 of 5 stars

Once again, in Manicpixiedreamgirl, Leveen writes realistic, edgy teen characters that tug at your heartstrings and make you root for their ultimate triumph.

As Manicpixiedreamgirl opens, Tyler and his two friends are celebrating the publication of one of Tyler's stories in a magazine. The three of them are all in various stages of intoxication in a city park. Tyler is receiving texts and phone calls from two different girls--Syd, who has been his steady girlfriend for two years, and Becky, who h...more Once again, in Manicpixiedreamgirl, Leveen writes realistic, edgy teen characters that tug at your heartstrings and make you root for their ultimate triumph.

As Manicpixiedreamgirl opens, Tyler and his two friends are celebrating the publication of one of Tyler's stories in a magazine. The three of them are all in various stages of intoxication in a city park. Tyler is receiving texts and phone calls from two different girls--Syd, who has been his steady girlfriend for two years, and Becky, who he's been in love with for three years.

Through flashbacks, we are introduced to these characters and the history of Tyler's obsession with Becky (from afar) and his real relationship with Syd. Leveen is a master of creating a teen character in distress. It is interesting how Tyler, because he loves Becky from afar, really has no idea of who she really is. We slowly find out things, along with Tyler, that makes her less than perfect -- much to Tyler's disappointment.

Syd is also a great character -- realizing that Tyler has this obsession, but hoping he will get over it. The friends are great supporting characters to bounce off of, and all together Manicpixiedreamgirl is a quick, compelling contemporary book that will particularly appeal to reluctant readers. The ending of Manicpixiedreamgirl isn't all that surprising, but it's also not all wrapped up neatly. There are still some struggles to live through, and we aren't sure how everything will turn out for Tyler. We can only hope...

Zero is still my favorite of Leveen's books. I felt a more emotional connection to the characters in Zero. Manicpixiedreamgirl is more light-hearted and felt less serious to me. Still entertaining, but in a different way.

If you are wondering where the title came from, a Manic Pixie Dream Girl is "that bubbly, shallow cinematic creature that exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures," according to Nathan Rabin, via Wikipedia.

I'll happily recommend Manicpixiedreamgirl to teens at my library who want a short, edgy, believable contemporary story.(less)

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Mar 27, 2013 Liza Wiemer added it

Shelves: arc

Quick read, romantic, and at times heartbreaking.

This was my first Tom Leveen novel, and I'm totally hooked. I'll definitely be adding his other books to my to-read list. I loved how Leveen alternated between narrating the story in the present and then in the past, allowing Manicpixiedreamgirl to unfold and keep me interested. Tyler Darcy narrates his obsession for a girl named Becky, which started on his first day of his freshman year of high school. He watches Becky from a distance and asks h...more Quick read, romantic, and at times heartbreaking.

This was my first Tom Leveen novel, and I'm totally hooked. I'll definitely be adding his other books to my to-read list. I loved how Leveen alternated between narrating the story in the present and then in the past, allowing Manicpixiedreamgirl to unfold and keep me interested. Tyler Darcy narrates his obsession for a girl named Becky, which started on his first day of his freshman year of high school. He watches Becky from a distance and asks his friend Sidney (a girl) about Becky. He gets some details, but not enough. Eventually, Tyler can map out Becky's entire school schedule. He watches her from a distance, making her into a fantasy. When Tyler doesn't act on his crush for Becky, Sidney moves in. The reader learns how Sidney and Tyler end up becoming boyfriend and girlfriend and what transpires over their two years as a couple. There's always Becky in the back of Tyler's mind, and for some reason Sidney puts up with it. Even Tyler's two best friends have a hard time understanding his crush when he's got such a great girl in Sidney. Tyler writes about his love for Becky in various stories, and eventually one of his short stories about her gets published in a literary journal. Fantasy and reality come crashing together.
What I liked about this novel was that I could see that it was plausible, almost like the author was drawing upon personal experience to describe a crush for an unattainable girl. I found myself unable to hate Tyler, even though he was treating Sidney like crap and mentally cheating on her. Though apparently NOT when they were making out. Tyler may have been weak, but he also was likable. Personally, I think this is a really great book for girls and guys to read. It's a cautionary tale for not settling in your life. Tyler should have been honest with himself and Sidney and Becky from day one. But no. How often do people settle for being second best to another person? Or settle for less than what they deserve?
Manicpixiedreamgirl is a fast, romantic, and at times heartbreaking story. It's a wonderful addition to the list of YA contemporary novels.
Definitely recommend.
I read an ARC of this novel.
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Jun 24, 2012 Reving rated it 5 of 5 stars

Many thanks to Random House for offering this ARC on netgally.com. This is the second Tom Leeven ARC I have received and read. I loved Zero and Loved Manicpixiedreamgirl even more. Leveen's first book, Party, gave me some mixed feelings, but Zero was great and Manicpixiedreamgirl just proves that Leveen is getting better and better. His characters are real and avoid stereotypes. They are not "all bad" or "all good," they are characters who live in grey, who make good decisions and poor ones...ju...more

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May 15, 2013 Gaisce rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Tom Leveen’s Manicpixiedreamgirl is an eponymous novel about the trope coined in 2007 but existing far back in the history of stories about a particular type of female character who acts as a muse to the main character. Initially described as: “The Manic Pixie Dream Girl exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures. The Manic Pixie Dream Girl is an all-or-nothing-proposition...more

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Apr 14, 2013 Jen Ryland added it

For the complete review, including a brief history of the Manic Pixie Dream girl,
Check out my blog, YA Romantics

Manicpixiedream girl is about a boy who drifts into a relationship he's not that into because he can't bring himself to reach out to the girl he's really interested in.

The book switches between the past and the present, between the aftermath of Tyler's girlfriend discovering that he's obsessed with another girl and his prior encounters with Becky, the girl in question. The flashback s...more For the complete review, including a brief history of the Manic Pixie Dream girl,
Check out my blog, YA Romantics

Manicpixiedream girl is about a boy who drifts into a relationship he's not that into because he can't bring himself to reach out to the girl he's really interested in.

The book switches between the past and the present, between the aftermath of Tyler's girlfriend discovering that he's obsessed with another girl and his prior encounters with Becky, the girl in question. The flashback sections do start in a different typeface, but once or twice I did get a little confused about what time I was in. And at times, I wondered if the whole conceit of the short story being published was even necessary-- why not just write a book about a guy who's in a relationship with one girl and in love with another? But by the end of the book, I'd decided thatTyler's story shows Becky how he sees her, which offers a needed sense of poignancy and hope as the story resolves.

The characters -- and especially the female ones -- in Manicpixiedream girl are drawn with both subtly and precision. There's Tyler's girlfriend Sydney, the efficient, go-getter who is often superficially written in YA books and movies as the high-achieving student council type. But I got the feeling that, deep-down, Sydney is just as bewildered about her relationship with Tyler as he is. That Sydney decided to make Tyler her boyfriend for the same reason that she gets good grades and participates in debate: because that's what she thinks she's supposed to do.

For much of the book, Becky is a bit of an enigma. In fact I really wouldn't call her a true MPDG at all. Maybe just a PDG. She's a talented actress, quiet and kind of a loner. As Tyler gets to know her, he finds out some things about her that would be off-putting to a lot of guys. But he doesn't give up on her. He needs to know why. What he finds out is heartbreaking, and mostly so because it's told with matter-of-factness, not melodrama.

Definitely recommended for fans of character-driven stories.
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Feb 02, 2013 Azy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2013

Okay so I do not like the description Goodreads has. On my arc copy instead o a normal summary it has a little blurb taken from page 9 of the novel, and that is what made me pick up this book.

Now to review,
I am in love with Tyler and his story. While this may just be another YA fiction book with mostly normal YA novel problems, I swear Tyler just makes me forget all of that. The voice the author has given to him makes him believable, I actually think I may know someone kind of like him. He kept...more

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May 06, 2013 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Words cannot even begin to explain how much I loved this book. I don't know what it is, but I just could not put this one down. I finished this in one day. During finals week. That's gotta tell you something!

The moment Tyler Darcy sees Rebecca Webb, he's a goner. For the next three years, Tyler continues to obsess over Becky and everything about her, even though he starts dating Sydney at the end of freshman year. There's just something about Becky he can't get out of his head. Tyler's a writer,...more Words cannot even begin to explain how much I loved this book. I don't know what it is, but I just could not put this one down. I finished this in one day. During finals week. That's gotta tell you something!

The moment Tyler Darcy sees Rebecca Webb, he's a goner. For the next three years, Tyler continues to obsess over Becky and everything about her, even though he starts dating Sydney at the end of freshman year. There's just something about Becky he can't get out of his head. Tyler's a writer, and it seems like everything he writes that's good has to do with her, and when a story of his is finally published in a magazine about his Manic Pixie Dream Girl, Tyler is forced to face reality and confront his feelings once and for all.

Normally I don't read books from a guy's point of view, but there's just something about Tyler that makes him so lovable. Maybe it's the fact that he's a writer, or that he just seemed to fall for the wrong girl, but I couldn't get enough of Tyler's story. Tom Leveen is an absolutely phenomenal writer and I loved how this book was told. It begins in the present, when they're all juniors talking about Tyler's writing being published, and then they flashback to tell the story of how Tyler fell for Becky. The stories go back and fourth between past and present until finally the past catches up. This set up made the story so intriguing and I couldn't wait to uncover all of the unknowns about the past that created the situation Tyler is in now.

I don't know what else I can say because I just loved it all. Tyler is such a relatable character and he goes through things every high schooler goes through. Add the fact that there are so many other great characters, from his girlfriend Lindsey and sister Gabrielle to his best friends Robby and Justin, there's nothing you can't love. The way the story progresses is so mesmerizing and I absolutely loved the ending. It kind of gives me a 500 Days of Summer vibe, which could explain why I love it so much. There's really no explanation why Tyler is so enamored with Becky aside from the fact that he just is. And Becky is definitely someone with her own secrets. You want to hate Becky for being as flippant and careless as she is, but you really can't because, like I said, she's simply mesmerizing.

So I loved this book. I couldn't put it down because the storytelling was brilliant and characters were so interesting. This is one of those YA books that deals with the everyday issues of teens and makes them real. I would definitely recommend this to everyone. This was my first Tom Leveen novel but it most certainly won't be my last. I can't wait to pick up his other novels and see if their as great as this one!(less)

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Apr 27, 2013 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-lit-kids-books

Tom Leveen writes with a voice that is so authentically teenager, that I sometimes forget that a dude in his late-30s is writing the book.

Also, I love his creative swearing. Example:

"'Wow', Robby said calmly, folding his hands on the table, quite possibly in an effort to keep from tearing my jaw off. 'That was impressive, Ty. Now do you mind, please, explaining to us what the almighty holy fuck just happened here?'"

I really liked the way the book was put together. It takes place over the course...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Danielle rated it 3 of 5 stars

I am by far not the target audience for this book, which first is a young adult novel and second I suspect may be aimed at boys as the protagonist is a teenage boy. The story centers around a teenage boy named Tyler who has been pining after his dream girl Becky for three years while also dating another girl named Sidney. One fateful night brings everything to a head with the story moving back and forth between what is happening that night and all the moments over the past three years leading up...more

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May 22, 2013 Anni rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've read quite a few of the other reviews of this book, and it seems that NO ONE has the same concerns that I have.
This was a good book. I thought the characters seemed pretty realistic for the most part and I liked the style of storytelling. But what bothered me was that no one, excluding the main character, Tyler, seemed to give a damn about the girl in question, Becky.
Tyler has a thing for Becky. He just sees her and starts building fantasies about her. However, she has no friends. Her paren...more I've read quite a few of the other reviews of this book, and it seems that NO ONE has the same concerns that I have.
This was a good book. I thought the characters seemed pretty realistic for the most part and I liked the style of storytelling. But what bothered me was that no one, excluding the main character, Tyler, seemed to give a damn about the girl in question, Becky.
Tyler has a thing for Becky. He just sees her and starts building fantasies about her. However, she has no friends. Her parents hate her. People think of her as just an easy lay. She's so broken and so alone and absolutely NO ONE cares.
Tyler has a girlfriend named Sydney. Everyone thinks she's great, but I found her irritating. It seemed to me that she latched on to Tyler because they both got A's on their first English assignment, so obviously he must be an overachiever with a perfect family and perfect prospects for the future like herself. And in fact, when Tyler fantasizes about Becky, he pretty much imagines her to be the same way.
Sydney tells him not to bother with her, and as he finds out more about her, such as her pot smoking, her tendency to have sex with other guys, he has trouble reconciling it with his ideal of who she is. She's supposed to be perfect, but she's not. Even his older sister tells him not to bother with her because clearly she's worthless and nothing but trouble.
The truth about Becky is that she's neglected and abused. She is the way she is because of how horribly people treat her. AND NO ONE CARES. They think she's just a throwaway. Don't bother with her, she has personal problems. She's not obnoxiously perfect like your girlfriend Sydney. There's absolutely NO POINT in even being friends with someone like that.
People just completely ignore Becky's good qualities. She's smart. She's cute. She's a fantastic actress in the school plays. But who cares about that when she has PROBLEMS?
Honestly, I was really concerned about what kind of message this novel sends to people. The point seems to be that you shouldn't obsess about someone to the point that you fantasize about who they really are. But instead, it sort of comes off as, 'Just forget about anyone who has real issues, They aren't worth the bother.'
And that is really upsetting to me. Tyler was ridiculed for wanting to be her 'knight in shining armor.' And sure, Tyler could help Becky to some extent. But the fact that no one else even wants to bother with her is horrible. This is someone who clearly needs help. And one person, no matter how they feel about her, isn't enough to really make a difference.
Other people are saying 'oh, this book is so realistic, I just love how realistic it is.' And the sad thing is that in reality, there are a lot of people who get stuck in a hole and labeled like Becky, and then everyone thinks of them as throwaways, and after a while, that's what happens to them. Even Tyler, at the end of the book (SPOILER ALERT), tells himself that it just isn't going to work out (even though he tries), and everyone agrees.
And to me, that's really depressing.
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Apr 23, 2013 C.J. Listro rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, romance, contemporary, reviewed

Read more: http://www.sarcasmandlemons.com/2013/...

You know the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. She's Natalie Portman in Garden State. She's Summer in 500 Days of Summer, for a while. Ramona in Scott Pilgrim. Eccentric, adorably quirky savior of the brooding bad boy. She's the girl (or guy) you watched from afar in high school, invented daydreams about, held on a pedestal. Leveen plays with this most common of experiences in an authentic and clever way, creating the brooding boy Tyler and the dream girl...more Read more: http://www.sarcasmandlemons.com/2013/...

You know the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. She's Natalie Portman in Garden State. She's Summer in 500 Days of Summer, for a while. Ramona in Scott Pilgrim. Eccentric, adorably quirky savior of the brooding bad boy. She's the girl (or guy) you watched from afar in high school, invented daydreams about, held on a pedestal. Leveen plays with this most common of experiences in an authentic and clever way, creating the brooding boy Tyler and the dream girl, Becky, perfect and magical and unattainable. Only unlike the typical MPDG, Becky is more shattered than the guy who wants her to save him. It makes for a bittersweet tale of high school love and the problems with idealizing real people. Tyler's journey is often frustrating, often nervewrecking, and even the ending shows just how enmeshed people can be in their ideals. To the point of losing what's real and good. My occasionally extreme animosity towards Tyler knocked down my enjoyment of this a bit, but it was still a beautifully done book that feels so genuinely high school romance. It made a lasting impression, and left me curious about more of Leveen's work.

plot . 4/5
Alternating between the events of one night and the backstory of several years can get a little jarring. It took me a few segments before I had a good handle of the story. That said, Leveen does a good job of referring back to things and building the plot slowly with little dangled teasers, so you're always kept wanting more. Even though there was a lot of telling in the backstory pieces, Tyler's voice and descriptions were descriptive enough to make me feel like I was there. Imagine a friend of yours talking about something that happened to them at school the other day, only they're a really good storyteller. It stayed compelling to the end. Which made me angry, because I felt that there was such a great opportunity for Tyler to realize all the stupid, hurtful things he'd done. To be fair, it was a realistic ending and I did see some change in Tyler. It just leaves you wanting to slap him a little bit. But given the timeline, it's also probably more realistic than the big epiphany I secretly wanted.

concept . 5/5
The MPDG is not new. The fall of the MPDG makes this fresh. I watched wringing my hands as Tyler built up this fantasy image of Becky, creating a perfect dream girl that never could be. And watched as he missed hint after hint that the dream and the reality didn't mix. It says a lot about high school romance and the persistence of romantic delusions--how powerful infatuation can be. It's also something I've experienced before to a much lesser degree. That high school crush you idolize, only to discover later that they're a twit. Very relatable and well presented.

characters . 4/5
Tyler was endearing, partly because he was a dorky writer and partly because he just has no impulse control. You feel a little bad for him, living in his head like he does. You also want to strangle him for being such a jerk half the time and ignoring the totally awesome, way-too-forgiving girl in front of him. But deep down he's a good guy. He just annoyed me for the way he'd realize he was a jerk and still fall into the same bad traps. But even though I didn't always like him, I still found his story very compelling and, as a high school boy, he was extremely realistic. The supporting cast is also great. Sydney is way-too-patient and shockingly honest. I respected her for it, and also felt a lot for her, chasing someone she knew was just using her as a substitute and vainly hoping he'd get the picture. Then there was Robby, who was hysterical and just a delightful human being. Becky, I kind of hated. I felt bad for her, but I also felt like she was too tragic. Also she just rubbed me the wrong way for reasons I can't articulate. But again, you don't have to like the character to like the book, and I thought she fit well in her role.

style . 5/5
Leveen's style reminds me of Bret Easton Ellis for young adults. Nihilistic, snarky, with hints of idealism that you just know are going to get shattered. Tyler sees the world as a writer, and so offers up a lot of very uniquely stated descriptions. I made a lot of highlights because there were so many ideas, common ideas, stated in such an unusual way that they felt completely new. And like I said, he's a fantastic storyteller. I hung off every word. The style did a lot to make up for my frustration with Tyler. It's an impressive command of language not often seen in young adult romance.

mechanics . 4/5
Like I said, the switch between past and present is a little jarring. I lost track of the story sometimes and got a little confused. However, it became easier to follow as I went along, and so I didn't find that it dampened my reading experience very much. Just made it challenging at the beginning.

take home message
A clever high school romance that takes old stereotypes and turns them around, ending up with something fresh and gritty and authentic. (less)

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May 06, 2013 Tracie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young_adult_fiction, love

Tyler has a lot to celebrate: two of his short stories have just been published by reputable literary magazines...and he's only 17. Plus, he's got an awesome girlfriend, Sydney. And he's in love!

But the girl he's in love with? Well...it's not Sydney.

Tyler may be dating Sydney, but he can't stop thinking about Becky Webb: a tattooed, sexy drama club star with a reputation that inspires gossip. Becky is Tyler's friend--but deep down, he's always wanted more.

Over the course of one very intense n...more

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May 13, 2013 Michelle Sallay rated it 3 of 5 stars

Tom Leveen gives his characters such great voices. I loved Tyler, really loved him. The reason I'm not giving this a higher rating is because of the jump from present to past. Although it was executed pretty much flawlessly, I still struggled to keep up with the flow of it. I would be getting into one story and then we would flash to the other story and I felt like my mind and heart were derailed.

This had almost a feel of a short story for some reason, maybe it was the ending. Great mail POV bo...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Audrey Wilkerson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-books-read, books-reviewed

Rating: 3.5

The Low Down: Ever since he first saw her freshman year, Tyler Darcy has been drawn to Becky Webb like a moth to the flame. She has no idea of his almost obsession with her; after all, in the beginning, he can’t bring himself to speak to her, much less spill his secrets. All his friends know of his infatuation, hell, even his girlfriend knows. Syd is beautiful, smart and so cool. Why she puts up with his fixation is beyond him. But every chance he gets, he looks for Becky. Thinks abou...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Joli rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, read-in-2013

Sometimes the most dramatic scenes in a high school theater club are the ones that happen between the actors and crew off stage.

With this sentence, I was hooked and knew that I must read this book. Tom Leveen made me a believer in his talent with his novel Zero and amazed me even more with manicpixiedreamgirl. His writing is dynamic and honest and REAL. He draws the reader in with his character development and overwhelms us with his storytelling. Pure genius. Leveen just gets it right.

The story...more Sometimes the most dramatic scenes in a high school theater club are the ones that happen between the actors and crew off stage.

With this sentence, I was hooked and knew that I must read this book. Tom Leveen made me a believer in his talent with his novel Zero and amazed me even more with manicpixiedreamgirl. His writing is dynamic and honest and REAL. He draws the reader in with his character development and overwhelms us with his storytelling. Pure genius. Leveen just gets it right.

The story jumps right in letting the reader know that the main character Tyler is caught up this imagined love affair with is dream girl, Becky, while still maintaining a relationship with his current girlfriend, Sydney. He's struggling with his need to finally tell her how he really feels because he know that it will change everything. Everything.

I loved how the story takes place in a single night with Tyler out with his friends celebrating having a story published. We get to see how Tyler comes to love Becky, but end up with Sydney through flashbacks of the past few years. Leveen's style of writing was seemless and it felt like this is exactly how we, as readers, were supposed to see the story unfold.

I appreciated that the two girls weren’t really pitted against each other - Sydney (Syd) wasn’t a girl that you hateful girlfriend that you begged Tyler to dump, and you didn’t feel sympathy for her either when you realized that Tyler has mind on another girl - Syd was a girl who had it together. She saw the situation as it was and maintained some dignity. If anything, her poise and acceptance of this reality added to the love/hate relationship that you have for Tyler. Love him because of his devotion to this other girl, Becky, who his sister claimed was “damaged” and didn’t take advantage of her, but hated him ( well not really hated him) for jerking Syd around for so long. And Becky who seemed so unattainable to Tyler, she didn't play games with him.

There is a genuine friendship between Tyler and Becky. At first, he is intrigued by her unusual quirkiness, but once he joins the drama club and they work on plays together - their friendship begins to become authentic. She's still guarded and doesn't let him in completely, and he doesn't ask questions that he doesn't want to know the answers to, but they become as close as they will allow themselves to be.

As much as this book had me entralled, turning page after page and unable to read it fast enough, there were moments that were difficult to read. There were a couple of moments of horrific conversations between Becky and her parents that forced me to put the book down and take a deep breath before I could continue reading. It was that affecting.

I've read many books this year that I have absolutely loved and Manicpixiedreamgirl is no different. Since I can't and won't pick a favorite, I'll just add this one to that list. (I'm pretty sure I said almost this exact same thing about Zero) Manicpixiedreamgirl is a gem of a book and one that I hope makes it into the hands of many readers. (less)

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Apr 30, 2013 Cheyenne Teska rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, for-review, netgalley, reviewed

It starts with a girl. She's not just any girl, but the girl of Tyler's dreams. From the first moment he locks eyes with her, he knows that he's done for. Though we try to move on, sometimes there's just the smallest bit of hope that keeps us from letting go. Tom Leveen's Manicpixiedreamgirl shows what it's like to be stuck on the thought of someone you may never be able to have.

The story is set over the span of one night, with various flashbacks to help the reader get a better feel of each char...more It starts with a girl. She's not just any girl, but the girl of Tyler's dreams. From the first moment he locks eyes with her, he knows that he's done for. Though we try to move on, sometimes there's just the smallest bit of hope that keeps us from letting go. Tom Leveen's Manicpixiedreamgirl shows what it's like to be stuck on the thought of someone you may never be able to have.

The story is set over the span of one night, with various flashbacks to help the reader get a better feel of each character. Though none of the characters will make you fall head over heels for them, they do exactly what they're meant to. Tyler is the heartsick teenager who doesn't quite know how to express his feelings without ruining the only thing he's ever truly cared about other than writing. Becky is clearly broken, but we won't see how much until at least halfway through the story. Sydney is just the girlfriend, who should matter most to Tyler, but doesn't. It was hard to feel sorry for any of them, because each of their problems was their own doing...but there was also something so familiar, because in the smallest ways, I felt as though I could relate.

The writing, as I've noticed in the author's second novel, Zero, is incredible. I felt that Tom was able to make this story everything it was meant to be solely because of the wording and dialogue he chose to use between the characters. If wondering what would happen between the main character, his current girlfriend, and his love interest wasn't enough to keep me reading until the end, I would have done so because of how perfectly every emotion was described.

Manicpixiedreamgirl is an insightful and painfully realistic story of young, unrequited love. It never hit me how much I loved this story until the very end, where the main character and the readers realize that there was so much more to Becky than she's willing to show. We thought we knew her based on Tyler's perception of her, but as it turns out, no one really knew her, maybe not even herself.(less)

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Mar 11, 2013 Amy added it

Another great book by Tom Leveen! This is a contemporary YA story about Tyler who has a crush/obsession on a girl that spans years of high school. The book moved from present to past which I thought worked very well. I loved watching Tyler discover that Becky wasn't exactly who he wanted/expected her to be. As in Leveen's other stories, the book is peopled with...well, people. The characters are so believable and every note of dialogue rings true. I'd recommend this one for older teens who can h...more

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May 15, 2013 Farah rated it 4 of 5 stars

It was a pretty good book! it got dull at times but quickly picked up. Not a big fan on the ending but people who like endings where they can let there own imaginations take part might like it but I like more definite happy or sad endings

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Feb 02, 2013 Alexa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teenbooks

Great portrayal of a confused teen boy with feelings he can't quite handle, but are obvious to everyone. I also loved the drama club stuff--so realistic I had déjà vu from my high school days.

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Apr 19, 2013 Estelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: rec-by-mb, 2013-new-releases, young-adult

Absolutely, positively enjoyed every minute of this.

Best male narration since John Green's Paper Towns. Need to get my hands on more of Leveen's work.

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Aug 12, 2012 Patricia marked it as keep-in-mind

Nerdfighter he is?

This is what happens when something confuses me. I forget what grammar is.

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Apr 09, 2013 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved, loved LOVED this book!

It's messy, awkward, funny, beautiful.

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Apr 18, 2013 Becky marked it as to-read

Shelves: age-high-school

Character named Becky! :)

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Jul 03, 2012 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen, ebook, fiction, arc

Arc from netgalley
I liked Party because of how all the voices tied together to make the story but this was missing that completeness. It was a good ending and Tyler is both really naive and smart.

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Mar 09, 2013 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

I feel like this book was trying to be Paper Towns but wasn't. In trying to make Becky less of a Manic Pixie Dream Girl, Leveen seemed to almost reinforce all the stereotypes. That said, there are tons of teens who I know are going to just love this book.

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Apr 14, 2013 Katie Fitzgerald rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: published-2010s, realistic-fiction, young-adult, netgalley, reviewed-on-blog

Reviewed on my blog: http://sharingsoda.blogspot.com/2013/...

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May 22, 2013 Jenn Derla marked it as to-read

May 22, 2013 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

May 22, 2013 Angelina Bee marked it as to-read

May 22, 2013 Lucy Hill marked it as to-read

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About Tom Leveen

Tom Leveen has 22 years of theatre experience as an actor and director. He was the Artistic Director and a co-founder of two companies: Chyro Arts Venue, an all-ages nonprofit visual and performing venue; and Is What It Is Theatre, a community theatre that operated for 13 seasons. Tom lives with is wife and son in the Phoenix area. PARTY was his first novel, followed by ZERO (a 2013 YALSA Best Boo...more

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15705311-manicpixiedreamgirl?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1339688139l/15705311.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15705311-manicpixiedreamgirl?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Manicpixiedreamgirl by Tom Leveen[/url]

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