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ttyl (Internet Girls #1)

3.49 of 5 stars 3.49 · rating details · 9,252 ratings · 1,337 reviews

Audacious author Lauren Myracle accomplishes something of a literary miracle in her second young-adult novel, ttyl (Internet instant messaging shorthand for "talk to you later"), as she crafts an epistolary novel entirely out of IM transcripts between three high-school girls.

Far from being precious, the format proves perfect for accurately capturing the sweet histrionics

...more

Hardcover, 224 pages

Published April 1st 2004 by Harry N. Abrams

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Apr 12, 2012 karen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: and-so-this-is-grad-school

holy f*ck - i h8 this book! *shakes walker and geriatric meds at sky*

this book is like when you find someone's diary at work (not a co-worker's diary - that would make you a jerk) and you idly flip through it until you remember that most people are fucking boring and their innermost secrets are totally dull and most likely misspelled.

people like virginia woolf or anais nin can have their diaries published because they are either very intelligent and insightful or super sexy. these girls are just...more holy f*ck - i h8 this book! *shakes walker and geriatric meds at sky*

this book is like when you find someone's diary at work (not a co-worker's diary - that would make you a jerk) and you idly flip through it until you remember that most people are fucking boring and their innermost secrets are totally dull and most likely misspelled.

people like virginia woolf or anais nin can have their diaries published because they are either very intelligent and insightful or super sexy. these girls are just superficial.

so, these aren't diaries, but IMs, but the end result is the same. the format of this book sets it apart as "unique", but it doesn't change the fact that these characters are utterly trivial and a book that is only IM's of teenage girls, with no interior monologues or action sequences or descriptive passages is more like a trap than a novel. it is just all teen dialogue. vapid, vapid teen dialogue.

my reaction to this book is probably a result of my extreme old age. i do not text. i did not have a computer in high school, no gaggle of giggle parties in some chat room - in undergrad, i used my computer to write papers and play endless games of apeiron. if i wanted to talk to someone, i would walk over to them and use my mouth (LGM)

so, i am most certainly not the target audience for this book. but i can't see how young people who spend all day texting and instant messaging would want to read the instant messages of strangers/characters in their leisure time. and how this blossomed into a series is beyond me. i mean, gracious. kids these days...

a few things rescue this from being a one-star book. the energy is good - it is really fast-paced and takes about ten minutes to read. the characters have discrete voices - even though they each get their own color ink in the book, the reader can tell without that device which character is speaking. so - cheers on voice. also, the parts where two girls are "talking" about the third one behind her... keyboard?? display device?? is that the modern day equivalent of talking behind someone's back? whatever - there is a spot-on well-intentioned cattiness that i certainly remember from my own high school days.

cute idea, but i am the wrong audience,like with musicians on the subway. I AM NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU MONEY BECAUSE YOU ARE ANNOYING ME.

and please reconsider that last name. srsly.(less)

73 likes · like · see review

Mar 22, 2008 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Any girl who's around 12 or 13

These books are amazingly addicting. I've probably read each one at least ten times, mostly because they're hilarious, but also because they're my "go-to" books for when I'm super stressed and need to read something stupidly-good.

12 likes · like · see review

Dec 10, 2008 Morgan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

SnowAngel: Hey
madmaddie: hey
zoegirl: I am here to you no
madmaddie: Yea, we no *sed in annoyed voice
madmaddie: LOL! i am just kidding grl!
SnowAngel: Hey, this year was one wild ride huh?
zoegirl: yea, with maddie partying so much and taking off her shirt and all.....
madmaddie: yea, and zoey ALMOST going all the way with the way with Mr. H yummmmmm
madmaddie: luckly, i was there to save you! Just think, and in a hot tub to....
SnowAngel: Enough Enough! Gosh grls!
SnowAngel: You guys act like the whole...more

20 likes · like · see review

Jul 04, 2008 Heather rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

I picked up this book for a couple of different reasons. The first being that the idea of it being written entirely in IM form was somewhat interesting you me, secondly, it is a challenged/banned book and was a challenge selection for me. With that being said, lets get on to the book.

I thought this book was pointless, drawn out, and completely and utterly useless. The main characters were nothing special; one was boy crazy, one was religion obsessed, and the other was just well crabby. Obviously...more

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Aug 12, 2007 Kim rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, funny, 2007

This book is funny and very easy to read. The IM's are not confusing, you don't have to think hard to know who's talking. The fonts and colours are very helpful. But just the characters are easy to distinguish. When you do this kind of thing you have to make sure that it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who's who because then you lose the reader. So each character's got to be an individual. And that was well done with this book. One's into her teacher and is into religion too. The o...more

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Dec 22, 2008 Graham rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: friends-don-t-let-friends-read-this

I really wanted to like this book because it was adapting IMing to the novel format, great idea -- poorly implemented. If the story is told purely by IMs then it has to be dialogue driven, instead this is a event driven plot. There is no character development in the dialogue, so we never witness the girls change we only hear about it second hand.

I gave it plus one star for sticking to pure IMs, but this is really a one star book.

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Mar 28, 2008 Jackie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: teen girls

Shelves: young-adult

Wow. This had some intense issues in it. I feel like they were well handled and not so in your face since everything was through IM. But still! Why did the creepy teacher have to be a "Christian"??!! Geez. Stop preying on underage children, teachers!!! And poor, poor Maddie. Her story made me miss high school, NOT AT ALL. Good Lord. Stupid popularity crap. Stupid Jana. I hate Jana for them. ;-) Actually, I hate the name Jana because my freshman RA was named Jana and she was a waste I tell you, a...more

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May 04, 2011 Diane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read ttyl because it was in email form and I like emailing and it seem interesting. It was three girls (mad maddie, snow angel, and zoegirl) they all were best and got along and also had their fights and mad Maddie at first she didn’t like this girl named Janna but then one day she was giving her rides home and hanging out with her and she said that she’s not as bad as she thought she was but then they got into a fight and were no longer friends. This book is about good times and the bad times...more I read ttyl because it was in email form and I like emailing and it seem interesting. It was three girls (mad maddie, snow angel, and zoegirl) they all were best and got along and also had their fights and mad Maddie at first she didn’t like this girl named Janna but then one day she was giving her rides home and hanging out with her and she said that she’s not as bad as she thought she was but then they got into a fight and were no longer friends. This book is about good times and the bad times that friends have and there was drama and boy troubles and no matter what happened the friends still hung out but there was this one time that mad maddie got mad at zoegirl and snow angel because they were talking about Maddie behind her back but maddie told them two about what happened and they didn’t get why she got upset if she all ready told they about it. The setting took play I think maybe in like a city and on the internet because that’s where they talked and I think the city because they have to go to school and some schools are in the city. There were three main characters maddie, Angela, and Zoe but I think Angela was more of the main character because Angela was usually always on and she usually started the conversation. So when maddie got mad at Angela and zoe she ignored their emails didn’t talk to them in school but then Angela and zoe made her a memory type thing and they wrote a I’m sorry letter and said that they know what they did was wrong and they won’t do it again but then she still ignored then and then one day Angela really needed maddie and then maddie talked to her and asked what she need and Angela said that zoe was going to go to a house that Mr. h (the teacher) and Mr. has been hitting on zoe and Angela knew that he was going to try and pull something with zoe and she didn’t like it so her and maddie and Angela went there and sat in the hot tub with zoe and Mr. H and Mr. H did not like it at all but they didn’t care because they saved a friend at a time that a she needed them and after that night maddie and Angela and zoe were back to normal and they have been planning on goining on a camping trip and that they would have so much fun and do whatever and stay up as late as they wanted to. I really liked this book because It relates to real life and things that happen to people and it pulls you in because you know that yea this stuff has happened and some of it shocks you because it really has happened and you didn’t think you would find a book they would talk about it or would make good connections with real life and I would recommend that anyone could read it if they want to learn about reality and things that teens or maybe even adults go thru.(less)

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Diane I read ttyl because it was in email form and I like emailing and it seem interesting. It was three girls (mad maddie, snow angel, and zoegirl) they al...more I read ttyl because it was in email form and I like emailing and it seem interesting. It was three girls (mad maddie, snow angel, and zoegirl) they all were best and got along and also had their fights and mad Maddie at first she didn’t like this girl named Janna but then one day she was giving her rides home and hanging out with her and she said that she’s not as bad as she thought she was but then they got into a fight and were no longer friends. This book is about good times and the bad times that friends have and there was drama and boy troubles and no matter what happened the friends still hung out but there was this one time that mad maddie got mad at zoegirl and snow angel because they were talking about Maddie behind her back but maddie told them two about what happened and they didn’t get why she got upset if she all ready told they about it. The setting took play I think maybe in like a city and on the internet because that’s where they talked and I think the city because they have to go to school and some schools are in the city. There were three main characters maddie, Angela, and Zoe but I think Angela was more of the main character because Angela was usually always on and she usually started the conversation. So when maddie got mad at Angela and zoe she ignored their emails didn’t talk to them in school but then Angela and zoe made her a memory type thing and they wrote a I’m sorry letter and said that they know what they did was wrong and they won’t do it again but then she still ignored then and then one day Angela really needed maddie and then maddie talked to her and asked what she need and Angela said that zoe was going to go to a house that Mr. h (the teacher) and Mr. has been hitting on zoe and Angela knew that he was going to try and pull something with zoe and she didn’t like it so her and maddie and Angela went there and sat in the hot tub with zoe and Mr. H and Mr. H did not like it at all but they didn’t care because they saved a friend at a time that a she needed them and after that night maddie and Angela and zoe were back to normal and they have been planning on goining on a camping trip and that they would have so much fun and do whatever and stay up as late as they wanted to. I really liked this book because It relates to real life and things that happen to people and it pulls you in because you know that yea this stuff has happened and some of it shocks you because it really has happened and you didn’t think you would find a book they would talk about it or would make good connections with real life and I would recommend that anyone could read it if they want to learn about reality and things that teens or maybe even adults go thru.(less)
May 04, 2011 06:54am

Jennifer Excellent review!!!! 300/500
May 10, 2011 07:54am

KK Good review, the only thing is it's just one big line of sentences and ands. Good review though!
Sep 04, 2012 10:07pm

Mar 04, 2012 Tangueray added it · review of another edition

We all have a lot of things going on in our minds; whether it's a person, school, animal, etc. but have you ever wondered what went on in a teenage girls mind?

In the bestseller ttyl, Lauren Myracle writes a story in a point of view of three high school girls named Angela, Zoe, and Maddie who chat about their high school problems. In the beginning of the story the girls are just starting their sophomore year of high school. So far everything seems to be going great until the mean girl Jana gets...more We all have a lot of things going on in our minds; whether it's a person, school, animal, etc. but have you ever wondered what went on in a teenage girls mind?

In the bestseller ttyl, Lauren Myracle writes a story in a point of view of three high school girls named Angela, Zoe, and Maddie who chat about their high school problems. In the beginning of the story the girls are just starting their sophomore year of high school. So far everything seems to be going great until the mean girl Jana gets into the picture. Soon Angela starts to see this boy who her friends think isn't the right one for her. Later on as things seem to be hitting off right a girl named Tonnie steps into the picture ad tries to steal Rob away from Angela. Angela trys everything in her power to keep Rob with her but to her he just doesn't know how to say no to Tonnie. As the school year progresses Zoe starts to hang out with her history teacher Mr. H by going to church and friday morning fellowship. To Zoe it's just friends hanging out, but to Maddie and Angela it's something way more. While Angela and Zoe start to plan for Maddie's sweet sixteen party Maddie starts to think Jana isn't so bad after all which gives a little tension between the "winsome threesome". With all this drama going around it would be amazing if they last their second year of high school together.

What makes this story interesting is that Myracle sets up the book as if you were reading an online chat.Instead of chapters so uses the time and date of when the girls are chatting. It feels as though you are sitting behind them watching each of them type. Since she using that writing style she uses a lot of description to keep up with whats going on in the story so the reader won't get lost. She also uses the vocabulary and writing style of a typical teenage girl to make to story more alive.

Overall I thought the book wasn't that exciting. It was cool to read it cause of the way it was written but it had a lot of boring parts. It starting getting annoying after a while cause it seemed like the girls were clueless. I would recommend it if you really like this kind of stuff and gossip. (less)

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Nov 01, 2008 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

lol,its cute and totally inapropriate

8 likes · like · see review

Nov 23, 2008 Debbie Pitts rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: High school girls and their parents

This book was disturbing on many levels. Not only did it force me to re-live the shallow insecurities of teenage girlhood, but I had to endure the "shock jock" attemtps by the author to reach immature minds where they are. I don't think anyone younger than eighth grade should be exposed to the language and sexual content of this book and I think even parents of high school girls should read it and use it as a teaching tool with their young girls. On the positive side, I think the writing of this...more

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Dec 31, 2008 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's about friendship, right? Since reading this book I have found many a mention of it being banned and controversial, but in the land of Gossip Girl this is pretty darn innocent and has a positive overall message. It seemed realistic but fun and could have been a whole lot worse, kind of like most teen girls.

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Apr 28, 2008 Mr added it · review of another edition

234 pages....This book is ALL in IM talk.(Chatting on the computer) Three best friends, Angela, Zoey, and Maddie talk almost everyday online. They are all 16 years old and couldn't get any closer. Zoey is the smart and shy girl, Maddie is the wild and fun girl, and Angela is the mature, calm, and exciting. They all have a big thing happening in their life right now. Angela is being obbsesed about this boy that treats her like dirt and she thinks shes in love, Maddie goes to this big party and ma...more

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Dec 25, 2008 Molly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is always in the news for challenges. I'm intrigued - especially because Lauren Myracle is such a delightful person, I have trouble believing she'd write anything as shocking and harmful as her critics accuse her of!

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Feb 11, 2009 Becky rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Terrible book....I would never recommend this to my students. Young adult literature is usually to have some redeeming quality. It is partially to instruct teens on how to deal with issues they face. However, this book teaches no lesson other than do what you want to do, despite others' warnings. The teens in these books make bad choices, and there are no consequences to their actions. The IM style, while trendy, is not condusive to engaged reading. The reader is not immersed in the life of any...more

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Jan 26, 2009 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jennifer Toledano
1-26-09

Several people like to chat in the afternoon, weekends, morning, etc. And I know you are one of those people… right? I know you do. Or maybe you like reading… an instant message conversation to know about gossips. TTYL written by Lauren Myracle it’s a novel that talks about 3 teenage girls that attend to 10th grade and they don’t talk much in school so they talk about rumors, heartaches, hangovers and school stuff.

This novel is all about Maddie, Angela and Zoe talking abo...more

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Dec 16, 2008 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2008, ya-fiction

This book, told exclusively through instant messages, is a rarity in having good dialog with a realistic delivery. The story chronicles three girls who deal with growing up - both the triumphs and downfalls.

I read this book precisely because of the ban in Round Rock ISD. Now, I am against book banning but I feel like this isn't a book worth being in a school library. There are books that deal with these issues in a more school-appropriate manner. ttyl is entirely appropriate in the public lib...more

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Nov 01, 2007 Jodie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Picked this hot little gem up at a library book sale last night & read it completely through in 3 1/2 hours. I really liked it, for what it is - totally a high school girl book. But it made me laugh and remember my high school days with my friends - boys we liked, snotty girls who thought they were so much better than everyone else, stupid petty arguments, etc. Plus, since I just got home from a visit to the Atlanta, GA area - I know where some of the places are that were mentioned are locat...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Megan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this first book, but it definitely has it's flaws! I heard fairly negative reviews but decided not to let them faze me, believing the positive reviews instead :)

Good points;

1)The book cover is really fitting to the story. I love it. Very fun and colourful, and the following books in the series stay on the same scheme! Ahh!

2) Typical and relatable for teenagers issues arise in the book including boy problems, bullying and fake friendships. I think it's important for characters in...more I really enjoyed this first book, but it definitely has it's flaws! I heard fairly negative reviews but decided not to let them faze me, believing the positive reviews instead :)

Good points;

1)The book cover is really fitting to the story. I love it. Very fun and colourful, and the following books in the series stay on the same scheme! Ahh!

2) Typical and relatable for teenagers issues arise in the book including boy problems, bullying and fake friendships. I think it's important for characters in stories to have even a shred of the reader's thoughts in them otherwise it becomes difficult to like them.

3) The format! It's unique. I've never read a full novel in an instant message format. This may be more appealing to those who aren't in the mood to tackle a dragging huge book. The rapid change of characters speaking and topics discussed make it less likely for the reader become bored of the story,

4) It's very funny! It's nice to laugh at a character's stupidity ;)

Not-so-good-points;

1) The characters can be majorly annoying sometimes. Despite being young adults they really do act like immature little kids, and deal with problems very badly. ''*stomp stomp stomp*'' Most teenagers are more wise and mature than what Lauren Myracle portrays them as. Sometimes I wanted to punch the girls in the face....that can't be a good thing!

2) The format. Yes, I am aware I put that as a good point too! But the disadvantage of it is the text language used. It's a little excessive and can be distracting at times. Still, it's important to note that this first book was published in 2004 and that was the year most people went all cray-cray and ridiculous with text language. Guess we shouldn't blame it all on the author!

Overall, I recommend this book for teenagers who want to read in a different format for a change. Literature snobs should steer well clear. I will definitely be buying the next books in the series though I'm gonna try not to be irritated by some of the characters so much next time.(less)

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Jan 14, 2013 Jamie Rechwald rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

TTYL
Lauren Myracle
Review by Jamie Reichwald

I always hear people saying high school is the worst time of your life. I have never believed them. I guess I have been one on the “lucky few” that doesn’t have that hard of a time. But now that I have read TTYL by Lauren Myracle, I have seen three other teens’ lives and what they go through. I understand that high school can be a hard place for some and why they might not like it.

In this book their are three main characters, Madmaddie (Maddie), Snow A...more TTYL
Lauren Myracle
Review by Jamie Reichwald

I always hear people saying high school is the worst time of your life. I have never believed them. I guess I have been one on the “lucky few” that doesn’t have that hard of a time. But now that I have read TTYL by Lauren Myracle, I have seen three other teens’ lives and what they go through. I understand that high school can be a hard place for some and why they might not like it.

In this book their are three main characters, Madmaddie (Maddie), Snow Angle (Angle), and Zoegirl (Zoe). They all IM, or instant message, each other on their computers before, after, and sometimes during school. When you read their IM’s you start to learn more about them. You read how they feel about people, what they are going to do, what they are going to wear the next day, and a lot of the drama that is going around their school.

They all have their own dramas in this book. Some are a lot bigger than the others, in my opinion. They are trying hard to get through high school with as little harm but with as much fun as possible.

One thing I do not like about this book it the fact that you don’t get step by step what happened that day. You get a good idea of what they do during school. You hear about it after it happens, not while it is really going on. Their are other people that they mention in this book but they them selves are never the once talking in the IM’s. Some times you just want to know what they “really” say.

You will learn to love or hate each person in this book. Some of the people that the girls talk to are the “preppy girls” that make up the rumors and spread lies and ruined Middies’ life. Others are the sweet “loves” they have throughout the year. Zoe falls “in love” so easy, she will like a guy and think he is “the one”, then once he does something wrong she hates him. Angle is the “goody goody” of their friends, she does all of her homework, gets good grades, and is every teacher’s favorite student (one teacher takes it a little too far…). They all have their unique personalities that shin throughout the book, but when you put them all together they make the perfect team. I hope when people read TTYL by: Lauren Myracle they think of their friends and make high school the best time possible.
(less)

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Nov 11, 2012 Delicious Strawberry rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: terrible-book, lauren-myracle

Is it really any wonder wny teens today are so incapable of dealing with real-life? The publication of a book filled with chatspeak and moronic tween ramblings is further proof of the dumbing-down of America. Why would an author want to publish such a thing? Oh wait... for the money. There's always profit to be made from suckers, right?

This (and the rest of the series) is the literary equivalent to McDonalds. It has no nutritional content, is clogging (MCD's - arteries, this book - your brain),...more Is it really any wonder wny teens today are so incapable of dealing with real-life? The publication of a book filled with chatspeak and moronic tween ramblings is further proof of the dumbing-down of America. Why would an author want to publish such a thing? Oh wait... for the money. There's always profit to be made from suckers, right?

This (and the rest of the series) is the literary equivalent to McDonalds. It has no nutritional content, is clogging (MCD's - arteries, this book - your brain), and leaves you with nothing fulfilling. Teenagers should be encouraged to explore classic novels, or if they want something new, there's plenty of fun and contemporary authors who actually use grammar AND a plot.

Chatspeak was never meant to be a mainstay of language, just as McD's was never intended to become the heart-attack-inducing mainstay of cuisine. Chatspeak is fine if you're on a cell phone or having a quick/private conversation with a acquaintance/friend (because chatspeak certainly isn't meant to be used with your boss, clients, or otherwise in a polite/professional setting), because honestly who wants to type in each letter with your thumb? But like McD's, chatspeak as gone beyond where it should have, and is serving as a detriment to society.

If anyone wants to know why so many teens today are the way they are - socially inept, rude, possessing terrible attention spans, all you have to do is look at how they have attached themselves to their cellphones, sidekicks, and computers, and are now seemingly no longer capable of speaking normal English, or thinking beyond their own selfish needs. The plot in this book is almost nonexistent, and I can't believe that parents actually buy this for their kids! I'm just glad that cellphones weren't rampant in highschool when I was attending - back then, only a few teens had cellphones, and there was no Internet capabilities for cellphones yet. Cellphones were used for actually CALLING other people and nothing more, as hard as that may be to believe for you young'uns.

This book is also a sad window into what many teens actually do. Not all of them, of course - but so many teens now have their own cellphones and value that more than real-life people or the education they're supposed to be paying attention to in school. I bet many of you have heard the news story of the girl who got a $5000 cellphone bill because she was texting all day in class and her grades plummeted for 2 months as a result. And not to mention 'sexting' where teens don't just send one another pictures of themselves naked or in their underwear, but they also talk about sex - and that happens in this book! Some of the chatspeak in this book is rather explicit, and is not at all appropriate for teens in the first place.

Parents, if you value your child's braincells, buy them a puzzle, or a book. Here's a list of recommended reading.
Oliver Twist
Dune
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Anne of Green Gables
Interview with the Vampire
Water for Elephants
Harry Potter
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Little House on the Prairie

If you're a teen, consider the futility of texting. Why waste so much time typing in chatbabble when you could be spending your time doing SOMETHING with your friends in real-life instead ox texting one another? Go to the beach, watch a movie, hang with real people. And in school, pay attention instead of texting under your desk. The teacher might be boring, but you'll be much more prepared for the real world. And learn how to use proper English. (less)

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Nov 01, 2012 Emma (eem3) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

ttyl by Lauren Myracle is a realistic fiction novel about 3 girls in tenth grade named, Maddie (madmaddie), Angela (SnowAngel), and Zoe (zoegirl). They vow not to let school drama break them apart. As the year goes by, the instant messages accumulate. They figure out that tenth grade is not as easy as a roller coaster as they thought. Will they make it through the year.

This book has a lot of strengths. Just one of them is when one of the girls gets teased or embarrassed. I knew just the way the...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Karen rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ug, I can't believe this book got published! I picked it up because when I saw it was on the banned book list I was curious. I've seen so many of my 6th grade students read it, but I really wish I could discourage them.

This book was on the banned list due to content not appropriate for young adults. I think the content may be fine for high school students, but it is definitely not something 6th graders need to be reading. The book is dedicated to The Beers Bros. That should say something right...more

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Oct 05, 2012 rob rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My trouble with the book is that the main characters are teenage girls, and as such, I didn't want to spend very much time with them. I knew that getting them to a place where they'd be likable for me would take longer than the timeframe in the book. The things that seemed like good ideas to them and vitally important were painfully trivial. And in my next moment after that realization, I realized that I was just as awkward and self-absorbed as a teenager. Maybe even still. It was like watching...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Chris Thompson rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It should come as no surprise that somebody would write a novel entirely in instant messaging format. I don't know if Lauren Myracle was the first to do so, but her novels seem to be the most popular of their type. ttyl was written back when instant messaging services like AOL Instant Messenger were still popular. I can still recall with some nostalgia the blips and bloops for sent and received messages, the ways you could customize your font, and the omnipresent smiley faces. Nowadays AIM is a...more It should come as no surprise that somebody would write a novel entirely in instant messaging format. I don't know if Lauren Myracle was the first to do so, but her novels seem to be the most popular of their type. ttyl was written back when instant messaging services like AOL Instant Messenger were still popular. I can still recall with some nostalgia the blips and bloops for sent and received messages, the ways you could customize your font, and the omnipresent smiley faces. Nowadays AIM is a cyber ghost town. Perhaps you've logged onto your account and found nothing but the wind whistling and the tumbleweeds rolling by. People send text messages nowadays. Still, the novel doesn't seem antiquated or anything. Text messaging isn't really much different from instant messaging. Also, Myracle writes with a vibrant energy that almost carries the novel through to its finish, but falters in its finale.

Myracle positions us, the reader, as an observer of a series of instant messages sent between three different friends: Maddie (screen name, madmaddie), Angel (SnowAngel), and Zoe (zoegirl). Each girl has a different type of font, SnowAngel's in blue, madmaddie's in bolded black, and zoegirl's in normal black font. They also have different personalities. SnowAngel is the social butterfly and craves attention from boys. madmaddie is sarcastic and tends to get down on herself. zoegirl is the good Christian girl who earns straight "A"s.

The 10th grade school year has just started, and so has the drama. Each girl has their own conflict to face, and these conflicts mostly end predictably. SnowAngel becomes infatuated with a boy, and they start going out, but then another girl starts to invade her territory. madmaddie is having problems with a girl named Jana, who has a reputation for stabbing her friends in the back. A friendship between Jana and madmaddie blossoms when madmaddie gets her driver's license and a car, a friendship whose fate you can probably guess. zoegirl has perhaps the most interesting conflict. Her English teacher, Mr. H, has begun asking her to go to church and fellowship meetings with him. Her mom, generally restrictive of her daughter's doings, is pleased, and even zoegirl is delighted and happy. Being a teacher and a Christian, zoegirl and her mother obviously put good faith in his intentions, plus he's young and handsome. This relationship develops into the most troubling conflict in the whole story.

Myracle writes with a great deal of energy. Some authors write with so much energy it's overwhelming, but Myracle finds the perfect pitch. There's also a good deal of humor, and I laughed out loud during many parts. She seems to have a good grasp on how teenage girls really speak, and some of her language can be shocking. The girls curse now and then, and there is some graphic sexual language here and there. Alcohol is a factor at one point. For these reasons the book, and the trilogy as a whole, have been among the most challenged books in the country over the past decade. I think Myracle writes the way teenagers really do speak (not all, but many), but parents and other authority figures don't like to admit this. I think teenage girls would find the content enjoyable and relatable.

One of the problems with a story told in this format is that you're getting all of the details either before the fact or after the fact. We see the excitement of two girls planning a surprise party for the other, and then we see them talking about it afterward. In a more traditional narrative, the immediacy would have added to the emotional content of the novel, particularly suspense or fear, but in the way it is told, we know nothing truly terrible could have happened, because the girls are fine enough to send instant messages.

There aren't very many real conflicts until the last two-thirds of the book, and then the formulaic conflicts come into play: friendships being tested and whatnot. One of these simply does not make any sense, but feels forced, and its resolution comes out of nowhere. I feel conflicted about the way the Mr. H situation is handled. I think Myracle portrays that dilemma with a lot of insight into the psyche of a teenage girl. zoegirl doesn't know if she is being victimized or not, and she begins to blame herself. I've seen this kind of behavior in college-aged girls as well, so zoegirl's dialogue with her friends rings true. Also, her friends realize something isn't right, but are afraid to tell her so, out of fear of harming their friendship. This is the wrong decision to make, but I have no doubt many teenage girls would do this. The book reflects reality, but I believe it would be more helpful to young adults if it reflected the better choice.

The novel is the first in a trilogy, with the next two books titled ttfn and l8r g8r. I will read ttfn only because I picked it up at the same library book sale I picked up ttyl, though I'll probably stop there. I enjoyed the book for a while, but its conclusion just doesn't work, and the style of the book can't really hold up. I wouldn't not recommend this to a teenage girl, because she could probably relate to it better, but if that teenage girl happens to be your daughter, I would recommend having a discussion with her about what happens at the end, just to make sure she doesn't come away with any wrong ideas. (less)

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Jul 03, 2012 Kimber~!! rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone looking for a good, cute read

LOL! Too cute! (No pun intended!)

I'm truly in love with Lauren Myracle's characters, Angela, Zoe, and Madigan. She painted each of them perfectly, and they each changed in ways that are completely true to real life. And even though they each "changed", they kept their fundamental character traits - ex. even though Maddie started hanging out with Jana, she was still too stubborn and embarrassed after an "incident" to speak with the girls. ex. even though Zoe ewas getting a little "close" to her t...more

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May 18, 2012 Shel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Myracle, L. (2004). ttyl. New York: Amulet Books.

209 pages.

Appetizer: The first in an often censored series, ttyl chronicles the IM messages between Zoe, Angela and Maddie; three best friends who are trying to navigate the start of their sophomore year.

Zoe is dealing with an overbearing mother as she explores her spirituality by attending church with her favorite teacher, who may have his own intentions by spending time with her. Angela is navigating a romantic relationship: whether she can tru...more Myracle, L. (2004). ttyl. New York: Amulet Books.

209 pages.

Appetizer: The first in an often censored series, ttyl chronicles the IM messages between Zoe, Angela and Maddie; three best friends who are trying to navigate the start of their sophomore year.

Zoe is dealing with an overbearing mother as she explores her spirituality by attending church with her favorite teacher, who may have his own intentions by spending time with her. Angela is navigating a romantic relationship: whether she can trust her new boyfriend, Rob, and whether he is "the one" to have sex with for the first time. Maddie, the most pessimistic of the three, battles the frustration of becoming a frenemy of a popular girl named Jana. Despite their differing concerns, problems and jealousies, the three girls struggle to maintain their friendship.

From page one, I was impressed by how well Myracle managed to present characterization and differing voices among her three protagonists. This was helped by each of them typing in different fonts and regularly taking online personality quizzes. (I remember taking similar quizzes throughout high school. Oh, memories.)

Despite these efforts, it did take me a little bit of extra time to ease into the story and to figure out characterizations. I did notice there was a little bit of resistance whenever I had to put the book down. But each time I picked it back up and eased back into the characterizations, it was hard to stop reading. (Which is about as good as it gets.)

I decided to finally read ttyl because--alas several weeks too late for banned book week--this was the week to discuss censorship in my literature course. Since the ttyl series topped the 2009 top-ten list of most challenged books, I'd been curious about its content. I wondered if it was the fact that the story was structured entirely as instant messages that contributed to the trouble.

It turns out the first book takes on a lot of topics that may be sensitive; like underaged drinking, (mild) dirty humor, female characters being critical of each other and referring to girls they don't like as "sluts," and discussion of pubic hair, lubricant, etc. At various points, characters contemplate losing their virginity, are critical of religion or consider having a romantic (and creepy!) relationship with a teacher.

I firmly believe the vast majority of fourteen or fifteen-year-olds at the very least have contemplated these issues, overheard discussions or jokes like these, if not discussed them with their friends.

The student-teacher romantic relationship did make me more than a little uncomfortable, especially since (vague spoiler!) the teens don't report the situation to the administration. But still, it was great that the book included discussion of such a concern and showed how a friend can provide support to a conflicted and confused teenager.

While I think ttyl is a great read for the novel's intended audience, Myracle is also famous for writing some younger, middle grade series. I could see a parent of a ten-year-old girl who just finished reading Myracle's Eleven and going on to read ttyl getting upset. I say "parent" intentionally. TTYL is an unlikely book to be assigned to an entire class, because of this, I think any young reader who has a choice to read it, but isn't ready for its subject matter, will self-censor and put the book down if they're uncomfortable.(less)

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Feb 29, 2012 Keri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Keri Rexford
English 3
Book Review
In my book TTYL by Lauren Myracle there are 3 main characters, Snow Angel (Angelina), Mad Maddie and Zoe. These characters have a unique style and since of view which makes them well developed. When I was reading the book it seemed like it was believable because of the aspect of what I read, however it was well rounded.
The plot of this book seems to be realistic because it has events that would happen in today’s surroundings. When my characters in my book always...more

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Feb 29, 2012 Stephanie Jobe rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The reason I am reading this book is a discussion of intellectual freedom because it has been the most frequently challenged book since 2oo7. In the Fall of 2004 (the year of copyright which also matches the dates) Maddie, Angela and Zoe start the 10th grade. They’ve been friends for four years and in just part of a semester they talk about relationships, deal with betrayal and all of it is blunt. There is drunken exposure at a frat party, intimate moments with a teacher even mention of female e...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Miaree rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-lit, ya-lit-2012

Summary:
High school is hard, but friends make it bearable- fun even. That was my experience, and it is also the experience of the three best friends in this book. Angela, Madigan, and Zoe are three high school sophomores that chat with each other using IM. They work out problems, support each, gossip, and even fight in this medium, and the narrative of the book is set up as a IM chat history. The spelling and grammar are, of course, awful, but it is real. And the relationship of these three youn...more

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About Lauren Myracle

Lauren Myracle is the author of numerous young adult novels. She was born in 1969 in North Carolina. Lauren Myracle holds an MA in English from Colorado State University and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. she has written many novels, including the famous IM books, ttyl, ttfn, and l8r, g8r.

Her first novel, Kissing Kate, was selected as one of ALA's "Best Books...more

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“Damn you. WHY do you plant these things in my head?” — 31 people liked it

“no means no, u weirdo stalkerhead!” — 1 person liked it

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