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Vibes

by Amy Kathleen Ryan (Goodreads Author)

3.65 of 5 stars 3.65 · rating details · 1,297 ratings · 205 reviews

Nothing is beyond Kristi Carmichael’s disdain—her hippie high school, her friend Jacob, her workaholic mom. Yet for all her attitude and her mind-reading abilities, Kristi has a vulnerable side. She can hear the thoughts of her fellow students, calling her fat and gross. She’s hot for Gusty Peterson, one of the most popular guys in school, but of course, she’s sure he thin...more

Hardcover, 249 pages

Published October 6th 2008 by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (first published September 30th 2008)

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Community Reviews

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Jul 17, 2008 Jessica P. rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Girls Age 12 and up

Recommended to Jessica P. by: J-Lynn Van Pelt

Shelves: eating-disorders, young-adult, broken-homes, families, friendship, homosexuality, obesity, relationships, self-esteem, sexism, zz10th, zz11th, zz12th, z9th, z8th

This was an amazing book (I read the "advance reading copy- actual publishing date is set for Oct. 2008). This book has many twists and turns and kept me interested from beginning to end. It's about a young teenage girl, Kristi, who believes she can "hear" other's thoughts. Many times she hears negative comments towards her, particularly about her appearance. Many young boys think about her "ginormous gazungas" which freaks her out, especially when her guy best friend thinks it. Although Kristi...more

4 likes · like · see review

Sep 25, 2008 J.M. rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A friend passed this book off to me. I'm a YA author and have been reading an abundance of YA these days. Based on the pile I've read lately, I'd call this average with a lot of missed potential. Note: Spoilers below.

Pros:

-The narrative was simple and descriptive at the same time. I didn't find myself getting caught up in the writing or feeling bogged down by unnecessary details.

-Kristi's voice felt believable and appropriately angsty for her age.

-Mallory. By far the most realistic male char...more

10 likes · like · see review

Oct 26, 2008 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

Kristi Carmicheal lost more than her father the day he walked out on her and her mother. She lost her best friend Hildie and her ability to trust. The fact that she can read minds only helps solidify her negative outlook on the people around her. She can hear what they are really thinking about her.

She’s heard it all: sick, psycho, bitch, ugly, troublemaker. Kristi knows exactly what everyone thinks about her, or so she thinks.

I couldn’t put this book down! It was hilarious and somehow at the sa...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 01, 2008 Kathryn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: love-story, young-adult

I more than most can understand that being an offbeat teenager can make you feel isolated and vulnerable and desperate all at the same time. With so many books about popular kids using and abusing their equally popular cronies or dorky kids managing to infiltrate the ranks of the cool, its nice to read a book about teens just being teens and learning to love themselves by accepting who they are.

For Kristi Carmichael listening to opera music, playing stealth practical jokes, making her own “found...more

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 06, 2008 Chelsea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: advance, fantasy, youngadult, contemporaryfiction, own, 2008

A fun read with an enjoyable main character. Kristi's a bit overweight, a bit weird, a bit of a loser, and a lot angry. Oh, and she can hear other people's thoughts. (Naturally, as a teenager, the thoughts she hears are all about her.)

She's independent, mean, judgmental, funny, and not afraid of conflict, all of which combine to make her one of the less popular kids at her "hippy-dippy" high school, Journeys. She's angry at her workaholic mother, and conflicted about her dad, who left the family...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 10, 2009 *Michelle* rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fav-book-ever, teen-lover-book

I luved the plot.
What happened in the book was that Kristi can read people's mind. Most of the time, everyone comments about her clothes and says bad things about her. She likes the most popular guy in school(Gusty Peterson) and he always thinks of her as "sick". She walks to school everyday with a guy named Jacob Flax that is always thinking about her big boobs wet. Her forever bff ditched her once she was popular.
At the end, Kristi knows that Jacob is gay and kinda realizes that she is self-ce...more

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Mar 08, 2009 The Loft added it

Kristi rules the pages of “Vibes” like she rules over her faithful follower, Jacob Flax, without giving it a thought. But the funny thing is, Kristi can read minds. Sometimes, like when Jacob is picturing her in a bikini, she wishes her mind-reading abilities would stop. But what would happen if they did? She might have to let people have their own thoughts and opinions, and this could potentially suck in many ways.

Kristi goes to a totally nutty school called Journeys. Journeys exposes childre...more Kristi rules the pages of “Vibes” like she rules over her faithful follower, Jacob Flax, without giving it a thought. But the funny thing is, Kristi can read minds. Sometimes, like when Jacob is picturing her in a bikini, she wishes her mind-reading abilities would stop. But what would happen if they did? She might have to let people have their own thoughts and opinions, and this could potentially suck in many ways.

Kristi goes to a totally nutty school called Journeys. Journeys exposes children and teens to open pathways for life experiences or in other words, takes anything a normal school does and doesn’t do it. They spend time in the “contemplation room” and have assignments like the “character education” assignment she’s working on with Gusty. Talk about weird. Gusty the Greek God, Gusty the hot skater boy, Gusty her ex-bestfriend Hildie’s brother, yeah that Gusty and Kristi shared a moment behind the shed in Hildie’s yard a few years ago. Kristi still sweats thinking about it. Her not-so-secret crush on Gusty makes working with him on the “character education” assignment, well, interesting. . . Not that Gusty would ever date Kristi. She does after all make her own clothes from stuff she finds dumpster diving and eats tons of pizza that goes straight to her butt. Gusty dates girls like Eva, Hildie’s evil stick-thin best friend. Whatever.

Two years ago, Kristi’s dad journeyed to Africa to find himself after being sued and getting depressed about his life leaving Kristi and her mom with a hole that is hard to fill. Kristi has a secret cat, Minnie that serves a dual purpose of giving her oh-so-much love and anonymously triggering her overworked mom’s allergies. All of a sudden, Kristi’s dad is coming back, and this is major. I mean, he just up and left. Is he back to stay or what? Kristi is really going to make him sweat it out; she knows that much.

Kristi’s sassy outfits, mind-reading abilities, crap dad, crazy crush, and weirdo school will keep you interested from beginning to end. “Vibes” is so cute inside and out that it would make a cool purse or very hot locker accessory, if it wasn’t such an awesome new book. (less)

1 like · like · see review

May 02, 2013 Katie Lynn rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I was very excited to read Vibes when I picked it up at the town library. The idea captured my attention; who wouldn't want to read a book about a girl with super natural powers trying to find her way?

At first I liked how Kristi was so creative, making her own clothes as she did. It was cool, and I had never heard anything similar. The idea was unique, which was something I looked for in books.

As I read on, Kristi became more and more annoying and rude to me. Despite having money her mother work...more I was very excited to read Vibes when I picked it up at the town library. The idea captured my attention; who wouldn't want to read a book about a girl with super natural powers trying to find her way?

At first I liked how Kristi was so creative, making her own clothes as she did. It was cool, and I had never heard anything similar. The idea was unique, which was something I looked for in books.

As I read on, Kristi became more and more annoying and rude to me. Despite having money her mother worked for the whole day, every day, Kristi was not grateful. I don't know why she decided to sew her own clothes out of trash, but after reading, I was mad about that. She doesn't see how she doesn't need to sew crap together. She could easily go out and get casual clothes. But she didn't.

Kristi was never grateful throughout the book for how long her mother worked to keep them living in a house with good food. She hasn't hugged her in two years, which is a very long time. Kristi was rude to her for no reason; her mother was nothing but good to her as long as Kristi lived.

Kristi, also, never thrived to fit in. I have no problem with this, but she simply decided she wanted to be an outcast. She forced everyone to believe she was by wearing so much dark makeup and trashcan clothes, rarely speaking. And when she did speak, she was rude to everyone, despite what they said.

And if you still don't believe me when I say she is rude, then re-read the pranks she pulled. Right now, go. They were cruel for no reason. She hurt strangers and then forced more thoughts into their minds of what she wanted to hear. Kristi was physically hurting people who did no wrong, and that is just downright R-U-D-E! You just don't DO stuff like that to people!

In the end, when Kristi is questioning if her psychic abilities were even real, I doubted they ever were. She was always self-centered and caught up in her own problems that she created herself, never giving a thought to anyone else's lives. I believe she was forcing thoughts into other people's heads just to be the center of everyone's lives, even if they didn't know that.

And now I discuss the ending. I. Hated. The. Ending. It was over cliched, lacked emotion, and was written terribly. Despite Gusty saying words to her in years, he's in love with her. Snooze fest. Boring. Dull. Unoriginal. D-U-M-B.

I would have given this one star, but even though the plot and everything else sucked, the writing was okay. Not great but okay.(less)

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Nov 27, 2012 Amy Becker rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-literature

As if being in high school isn’t hard enough, Kristi Carmichael is psychic. She gets to know what every horny, nasty guy in her school is thinking along with comments that her so called friends would probably never say to her face. Kristi is certainly hard to like with her quick tongue, harsh comments, and negative attitude for just about everything, but those are also some of the reasons why she is somewhat likeable. We also begin to see that under her hard exterior is a side that is scared and...more

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Jan 04, 2012 Melanie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Kristi is kind of an outsider at her school. Maybe because she wears clothes that she makes out of stuff she finds in the garbage, or because her school itself is an unusual "alternative" learning facility called "Journeys" that's not much like school at all, or maybe it's because she can read minds. The only person who knows about Kristi's secret is her Aunt Ann and Kristi intends to keep it that way. But when her father comes back to town, a new guy comes to Journeys, and she gets paired with...more

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Jun 10, 2011 Kristina rated it 1 of 5 stars

I came into reading this book on a very very bored night when my usual blogging platform was down for the count. So I hastily pulled the book over to myself and said, "Hey! Let's read this finally!"

They tell you not to judge a book by its cover...but what about the first couple of chapters?
At first picking up Vibes, I was cheery about it because it was something to do and I was on my third or fourth book of the week. Plus the chapters were shorter than any other book I've previously read, which...more I came into reading this book on a very very bored night when my usual blogging platform was down for the count. So I hastily pulled the book over to myself and said, "Hey! Let's read this finally!"

They tell you not to judge a book by its cover...but what about the first couple of chapters?
At first picking up Vibes, I was cheery about it because it was something to do and I was on my third or fourth book of the week. Plus the chapters were shorter than any other book I've previously read, which amused me to no end (I still don't understand why). The farther and farther I got in though, the more I had convinced myself this was a horrible mistake. Page by page, the main character made me feel more and more like stabbing things. She was conceited, and blind to nearly everything. It was gross. But I was half way through before I told myself I would stop, and unfortunately I see books like that dumb blonde joke (red head, brunette, and blonde are stuck on a deserted island, brunette and red head swim less than half way to people land before tiring out and swimming back, but blonde swims halfway before cramping and still swims back), despite being a blonde and admittedly having dumb blonde moments (I suppose this might be one of them), if I get halfway through, I have to read until the end. Because maybe things will get better...maybe...

So I'm reading on with this desperate hope so I don't have to burn the book in my sink, and it takes 200 pages for things to get where I want them. At this point I'm just laughing at myself because clearly I've wasted all of my night reading this book with a good message at the end, but a beginning and middle that make me want to jump boat in the middle of the Pacific.

For me, there was no surprise in this book, no secrets I couldn't decipher from 50 pages in, and no message I personally needed to hear. It was a book that just made me mad.

I still harbor bitter feelings every time I catch a glance of it peeking out from the bottom shelf of my bookcase next to some tour books of Boston and Italy.

I don't know if it has to do with my age, or just the person I am in general, but this book was definitely not for me.(less)

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Apr 06, 2011 MacKenzie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 27, 2010 Rochelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: coming-of-age, ya-fiction

I listened to this book to test out how a Playaway works, since I ordered a bunch for school over the summer. Not really sure why I chose this one out of the bunch, but I was pleased overall. The main character is a classic "teen loner girl with parental issues, a poor body image due to her 'ginormous gazungas' and no one to talk to" but this one has a twist; she can read people's minds, hence the title.

The premise is not overdone, and while there are a few scenes/messages that seem a bit too pr...more

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Aug 07, 2010 Steph (Reviewer X) rated it 2 of 5 stars

2.5 stars. (I will say this again: We need half-stars, GoodReads!)

From my blog review, located here.

Well, if nothing else, Kristi is a fantastically funny and witty narrator. She’s got wonderful, unique traits, like the fact she makes her clothes out of the most absurd materials--such as umbrellas!--and is great at it. Or how she’s obsessed with opera to block out people’s thoughts. Reading her account of what happens is oftentimes hilarious and I stopped MANY times to mark down quotes I like. J...more

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Jun 19, 2010 Kasia S. rated it 5 of 5 stars

I might not be a teen anymore, but at 29 I still adore Young Adult fiction. It's bubbly, vibrant, hilarious and often little sad but reflective in a good way. Maybe it's easier reading it when you're not a kid yourself anymore, but it sure is still fun. This story has a little twist, our main heroine, Kristi Carmichael has a talent; she picks up vibes or rather thoughts of anyone she encounters and it all started when her dad left her and her mom to travel to Africa, absorbed in his medicine and...more

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Jun 09, 2010 Denise rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.0 out of 5 stars It's "Hairspray" with a psychic bent.............., August 27, 2008

This review is from: Vibes (Hardcover) YA FICTION

I think that teen girls will like this book. It reminded me of the musical, "Hairspray" because the heroine is quirky and heavyset -- but has a hidden ability. In this case, she is capable of reading other peoples' thoughts -- or so she thinks. Despite being predictable as far as the outcome of the main story line, there are some surprising poignant moments as v...more

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Mar 29, 2010 Miki Garrison rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ten pages into this book, I had no doubt that this was a book that would be worth staying up late to finish... and I was right.

The characters were really presented with real depth -- within the first few pages, you already know a lot about the main character, Kristi. You not only know that she's psychic, you know what it's like to realize that the words people most often think when they see you are "ugly" and "bitch". You know that she makes her own clothes out of things she's found in dumpster...more

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Jul 23, 2009 Mercedes Hubbard rated it 5 of 5 stars

Kristi rules the pages of “Vibes” like she rules over her faithful follower, Jacob Flax, without giving it a thought. But the funny thing is, Kristi can read minds. Sometimes, like when Jacob is picturing her in a bikini, she wishes her mind-reading abilities would stop. But what would happen if they did? She might have to let people have their own thoughts and opinions, and this could potentially suck in many ways.

Kristi goes to a totally nutty school called Journeys. Journeys exposes children...more Kristi rules the pages of “Vibes” like she rules over her faithful follower, Jacob Flax, without giving it a thought. But the funny thing is, Kristi can read minds. Sometimes, like when Jacob is picturing her in a bikini, she wishes her mind-reading abilities would stop. But what would happen if they did? She might have to let people have their own thoughts and opinions, and this could potentially suck in many ways.

Kristi goes to a totally nutty school called Journeys. Journeys exposes children and teens to open pathways for life experiences or in other words, takes anything a normal school does and doesn’t do it. They spend time in the “contemplation room” and have assignments like the “character education” assignment she’s working on with Gusty. Talk about weird. Gusty the Greek God, Gusty the hot skater boy, Gusty her ex-bestfriend Hildie’s brother, yeah that Gusty and Kristi shared a moment behind the shed in Hildie’s yard a few years ago. Kristi still sweats thinking about it. Her not-so-secret crush on Gusty makes working with him on the “character education” assignment, well, interesting. . . Not that Gusty would ever date Kristi. She does after all make her own clothes from stuff she finds dumpster diving and eats tons of pizza that goes straight to her butt. Gusty dates girls like Eva, Hildie’s evil stick-thin best friend. Whatever.

Two years ago, Kristi’s dad journeyed to Africa to find himself after being sued and getting depressed about his life leaving Kristi and her mom with a hole that is hard to fill. Kristi has a secret cat, Minnie that serves a dual purpose of giving her oh-so-much love and anonymously triggering her overworked mom’s allergies. All of a sudden, Kristi’s dad is coming back, and this is major. I mean, he just up and left. Is he back to stay or what? Kristi is really going to make him sweat it out; she knows that much.

Kristi’s sassy outfits, mind-reading abilities, crap dad, crazy crush, and weirdo school will keep you interested from beginning to end. “Vibes” is so cute inside and out that it would make a cool purse or very hot locker accessory, if it wasn’t such an awesome new book. (less)

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Dec 02, 2008 laaaaames rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: psychic emo kids who would have liked Twilight if not for the shit writing and vampires

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I almost gave the book another star because there was no redemption through weight loss, but I really can't. This book isn't bad, per se, it just feels like it's a few rewrites short of a finished product.

What I liked:
1. Character realized she was selfish, shaped up
2. WTF is she psychic, isn't she, that was intriguing actually
3. Having a different perception of the character once other people described her for real. It was cool thinking she was like the ugliest person ever when really she just h...more

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Sep 28, 2010 Yvensong rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, ya-and-children, library

I saw this at the library and it caught my attention. Kristi is going through some rather intense situations in her life and on top of it all, she is able to read people's minds.

Yet, with the knowledge she obtains by her psychic gift/curse, is she really any better off?

The story explores rather deftly the answer to that question while also exploring the life of a young girl who feels alienated from friends and family. She is offbeat and has a creative streak, which she uses to her advantage an...more

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May 27, 2009 Alison rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

I was definitely a litle skeptical when I picked this book up, but I have to say I was really impressed. I love the main character. She seems like the total epitome of a confused teen, faults and all, but she is still so endearing and relatable. I love Gusty, Mallory, Hildie, and Eva, and even the gay best friend Flax. They are just all so totally... themselves! I think the author did great at characterization, and maybe less great on the actual story line. I would have liked to have gotten more...more

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Mar 18, 2009 Lucy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, teen

Kristi's got it tough. She can read people's thoughts, and what they think is not always pretty. She can hear them think things about her--things about her enormous gazungas, about her "found" wardrobe. She can hear gorgeous Gusty Peterson think SICK whenever he's around her. And she can't tell what the new boy, Mallory, wants from her. He's the first person who she really connects with as a friend--but does he want more? To make matters worse, her father--who abandoned his family two years ago...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who is interested in a girl with a physcic ability who's having one ride of a life.

Recommended to Amy by: No one, I came by this in the library.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Im not really sure if there's going to be a spoiler in this.. still I only feel confortable when putting my reviews on 'hide'. So here I go:

My Review: I wont be having my usual format of Characters, then Pages, etc.. due to my lack to time to just sit here for hours and read while typing in new things. So sorry about that if you usually read my reviews and like it in the format way. Moving on, 'Vibes' seriously blown me away. Amy sure got a laugh out of me on the first paragraph(isnt that a si...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Tatiana Bergeron rated it 4 of 5 stars

first off, the book is quite short and it's easy to read... not that i chose books by how much pages they contain. Kristi, the main character is actually interesting. Her whole story us revolved around how she sees herself and others. She complains about beautiful people being shallow yet she judges everyone's physique wether its negative or positive. All i can say is that she's a real bitch just like any other teenage girl and that makes it much more realistic than other sappy love story teenag...more

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Nov 22, 2008 Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars

Kristi Carmichael thinks she has all the answers, which is part of why she stopped caring about just about everything two years ago. She knows all about her workaholic mother, absent father, and why the incredibly cute Gusty Peterson would never want to have anything to do with her. She can even understand the romantic thoughts and strange fantasies her friends Mallory and Jacob have for her. Of course, being psychic can have that effect on a person.

Part of having all the answers is being chroni...more Kristi Carmichael thinks she has all the answers, which is part of why she stopped caring about just about everything two years ago. She knows all about her workaholic mother, absent father, and why the incredibly cute Gusty Peterson would never want to have anything to do with her. She can even understand the romantic thoughts and strange fantasies her friends Mallory and Jacob have for her. Of course, being psychic can have that effect on a person.

Part of having all the answers is being chronically unimpressed (definitely how Kristi feels about her free-spirited high school) and always playing by her own rules (that's covered by the padlock on her bedroom door and the cat she hides inside it, not to mention the found wardrobe).

But as the school year progresses, Kristi finds a lot of things happening that she didn't see coming--even with all the answers. The sudden return of her father, attentions from not one but two boy at school, and other surprises leave Kristi in a tailspin as she wonders if, maybe, the vibes she's been getting were more bogus than psychic all along.

Such is the premise of Vibes, Amy Kathleen Ryan's second novel (and the subject of a rumored movie adaptation according to Cinema Blend--although the fundamental inaccuracies of the basic summary there do leave me wondering about the accuracy of the rumor).

I realy liked this book. The fact that Kristi is psychic is treated as a normal event--not a big deal, no worrying about why she can read minds--which I enjoyed since mind reading usually supersedes plot when it crops up in non-fantasy books.

At 249 pages, the book goes by fast but the story is still deep. A strong point of Ryan's writing are the characters she has created. In the beginning of the novel Kristi and also the new boy at school, Mallory, are deeply troubled, something both teens try to deal with through anger. Kristi doesn't mince words when she tells readers all of the reasons she has to be angry (there are a few). However, as the story moves forward and Kristi realizes that reading minds isn't the same as understanding what people are thinking, she also learns that there is more to life (both good and bad) than she had first thought.

Because of her anger at, well, everything Kristi is initially not a sympathetic character. She is mean to her friends, her mom, and even strangers. Fortunately, because of the character development Kristi realizes this about herself and tries to do better.

One theme that the novel deals with well is self-esteem in that Kristi does have much at the start of the novel. Seeing herself as fat and ugly, Kristi doesn't find herself very surprised when she hears the word "sick" in Gusty Peterson's head whenever he thinks of her. Kristi's low opinion of herself is hard to shake even in the face of positive attentions from Mallory and, of course, her family. To some readers it could seem over the top, but the truth is I was right there with Kristi and when those things came up in the novel, it felt like Ryan was quoting a page from my own life.

The other theme that was handled really well in Vibes is the absent father issue. There was a point in time where books about single mothers would always idolize the absent father ("Dad is so much cooler than Mom. It's Mom's fault he left. If Dad came back everything would be better . . .") and that would be it.

Recently, however, I've noticed a trend where children of divorce or the like begin to see their family situation in a more realistic way (A Thousand Splendid Suns and Absolutely Maybe are just two books in this trend). Kristi misses her father terribly, and in many ways does idolize him, but only until he shows up again. Then it becomes apparent that there was more to her father's leaving that even a psychic could have guessed.

In summary, Ryan blends a lot of different themes and genres to create a new kind of story that readers (teen and otherwise) are sure to enjoy.(less)

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Dec 16, 2010 Kim added it

Ally Condie’s Matched is set in a futuristic dystopian world where the Society dictates its citizens’ lives: where they work, whom they love, even when they die. There are some upsides. Because the Society pairs up DNA-compatible mates, disease has been eradicated (and no one ever has to Internet-date). But there are downsides too. Our heroine, 17-year-old Cassia, is ''matched'' with her best friend, Xander. Then a glitch in the Society’s usually seamless system convinces her that her true matc...more Ally Condie’s Matched is set in a futuristic dystopian world where the Society dictates its citizens’ lives: where they work, whom they love, even when they die. There are some   upsides. Because the Society pairs up DNA-compatible mates, disease has been eradicated (and no one ever has to Internet-date). But there are downsides too. Our heroine, 17-year-old Cassia, is ''matched'' with her best friend, Xander. Then a glitch in the Society’s usually seamless system convinces her that her true match is a quiet orphan with a mysterious past named Ky. Naturally she falls for the guy she can’t have, and begins to question everything about their way of life. By the time Cassia discovers why everyone must always carry a red, green, and blue pill — and just how the Society goes about making sure people die at the appropriate age — Matched has ventured into surprisingly grown-up sci-fi. Not quite Soylent Green territory, but still kinda grim.

Matched is a brisk and intriguing book, and arrives with enormous advance buzz. It raises interesting questions about the role of government and free will while happily tapping into CW-friendly teen angst. But although the novel shares some tropes with YA favorites like The Hunger Games and the Twilight series — especially when it comes to love triangles — this first book in a planned trilogy feels just like that: a setup to a larger story rather than a stand-alone read. Having said that, we’ll still be in line for book 2

My Review:
Kristi is set in a progressive high school. She can't stand half the people in her school. She's considered an outcast by if not all, most of her shallow peers, and herself. She makes her own clothes, and befriends the people you wouldn't expect. Disadvantage or advantage, (up for your own interpretation) Kristi has amazing mind reading abilities. She has a crush at school that will most likely never happen. And she is still mad at her father for walking out on her and her family two years ago. Vibes is a great book, a mustread.
(less)

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Dec 19, 2009 Helena rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: family, teen-issues-adolescence, romance, paranormal-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 31, 2009 E. Anderson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Kristi Charmichael has issues. She goes to a "hippie-dippie" school called Journeys with classes like "Story as Cultural Artifact" and "The Language of the Universe" instead of English and Math. Her classmates don't get Kristi, or her "found" wardrobe (she makes her own clothes out of anything she can get her hands on). Her mom works 60 hours a week at the hospital and her father left two years ago and hasn't sent word. Worst of all, Kristi is pretty sure she's psychic. When a new kid starts at...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Erin Forson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Vibes
Amy Kathleen Ryan
Kristi can read minds, which is interesting, because her own self-image is so skewed. She spends most of her time with ear buds pumping out opera to sooth her tired and troubled mind. Not only does this music have the effect of drowning out her own cynical thoughts, but the it also drowns out the insults coming from her classmates. When a new student comes to her school named Mallory, a former child-model and now acne-ridden teenager, Gusty, the best-looking guy in school,...more

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May 16, 2010 Mary rated it 3 of 5 stars

Gusty Peterson, the hottest bimboy in school, is always thinking I’m sick, as in totally gross to look at. Not that it matters, since I don’t have a crush on him or anything. And Mallory, my first real friend since forever, has disturbing romantic ideas about me and my ginormous gazungas.

Ask me if I’d rather not know these things.

I have enough to worry about with my dad showing up after two years of saving Africa from typhoid, ready to resuscitate our relationship. There’s something he’s not tel...more

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What's The Name o...: young adult romance novel about a girl who read minds!! please help (: [s]	4	51	Oct 16, 2012 08:48pm

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About Amy Kathleen Ryan

Amy Kathleen Ryan earned her MA from the University of Vermont, and her MFA from The New School in New York City.

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Quotes from Vibes

“[There's] one... thing I can tell you about human nature: beautiful people are the last ones you want to befriend. Beautiful people float through life thinking that it's perfectly normal for others to gaze at them adoringly, and open doors for them, and defer to their opinion... Doesn't anyone understand that beautiful people are stupid? That's why nature made them beautiful, so they'd have a chance at surviving in the wild. And how do they survive? They use people and then they drop people, and they float away on the currents of their own gorgeousness to the next poor girl who thinks that being friends with a beutiful person will somehow make her beautiful, too. I've got news for you: Hanging around beautiful people just makes you uglier by comparison.” — 22 people liked it

“Alarm clocks were invented by fork-tongued devils disguised as gremlins wearing snake masks.” — 18 people liked it

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