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195th out of 360 books
—
1,503 voters
Razzle
Razzle Penney, an oddball teen who works at the town dump, befriends Ken Baker when he and his parents first move to Cape Cod. Ken is drawn to Razzle's eccentricities, and she inspires the best photographs he has taken. However, she also introduces him to her nemesis, Harley, a boy-crazy beauty who gets what she wants and she wants Ken. As Ken's friendship with Razzle and...more
Paperback, 247 pages
Published
March 1st 2003
by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
(first published September 1st 2001)
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Jan 11, 2013
Talia Castro
added it
well i liked this book :) it was pretty interesting (:..this book is about a boy named Kenyon Baker . He's not happy about moving to Cape Cod halfway through high school, but his parents have decided to retire there to run a summer cottage colony. At least they'll let him have his own darkroom, provided he helps prepare the colony for guests. The early hours and hard work compound Ken's unhappiness, but just when he thinks he'll never make it through the summer, he meets Razzle Penney. Razzle is...more
Meet Razzle Penney. I'm not sure it gets more unique than this girl, with her love of all things, mysterious roots, most unusual family, and blunt personality. She sure turned Kenyon Baker's life right around. More so than being uprooted to Truro Cape Cod did.
This book had a little of everything. Coming of age, mystery, suspense, teen angst, creativity, depth, new looks on life, family relationships, retirement....but no, I would not consider it a "kitchen sink" book. Sometimes I wanted to toss...more
This book had a little of everything. Coming of age, mystery, suspense, teen angst, creativity, depth, new looks on life, family relationships, retirement....but no, I would not consider it a "kitchen sink" book. Sometimes I wanted to toss...more
Endearing characters, and charming Cape Cod summery-ness. This is an excellent book to read in the summer. Identity is at the heart of this novel, and I found myself identifying in equal parts with both Kenyon, the story’s good-boy, average narrator, and Razzle, the quirky and independent girl who’s so weird that most people don’t know what to make of her. I loved the message of being true to oneself, and of seeing the value in things (and people) that others may dismiss. (There’s also some grea...more
I chose this book after reading Ellen Wittlinger's What's in a Name and liking it. This one is better.
It's the story of Ken, a young man who's a bit of a loner. He prefers framing the world through the lens of his camera to participating in it, but that's shaken up when he meets an odd girl at the Truro dump named Razzle. Having been uprooted by his parents from a semi-invisible life in Boston, he's now lonely living on Cape Cod with only his two older parents as company and taskmasters.
Having...more
It's the story of Ken, a young man who's a bit of a loner. He prefers framing the world through the lens of his camera to participating in it, but that's shaken up when he meets an odd girl at the Truro dump named Razzle. Having been uprooted by his parents from a semi-invisible life in Boston, he's now lonely living on Cape Cod with only his two older parents as company and taskmasters.
Having...more
3 and 1/2 stars, really.
This book was an odd mix of things. On the one hand, bits and pieces felt like a children's book. I had trouble seeing Razzle as a teenager. But on the other hand, there was sex and cursing. So I really don't know what to make of it.
Frank was my favorite character, easily, and the ending was my favorite part. I liked that it was open-ended, not too happy. I enjoyed despising Kenyon's mother.
This book was an odd mix of things. On the one hand, bits and pieces felt like a children's book. I had trouble seeing Razzle as a teenager. But on the other hand, there was sex and cursing. So I really don't know what to make of it.
Frank was my favorite character, easily, and the ending was my favorite part. I liked that it was open-ended, not too happy. I enjoyed despising Kenyon's mother.
I had to read this in 8th grade for part of a reading program it was either this Ties That Bind, Ties That Break or Fever 1793 and I had already read one and couldn't get the other because everyone wanted to read it.
Don't actually remember what I thought about it, all I really remember was my teacher trying to convince me it was a good read because the guy on the cover was cute.
Anyway I ended up really liking it, according to my 8th grade review I thought "it had everything you could want in a...more
Don't actually remember what I thought about it, all I really remember was my teacher trying to convince me it was a good read because the guy on the cover was cute.
Anyway I ended up really liking it, according to my 8th grade review I thought "it had everything you could want in a...more
Josh leaves friends, moves to Cape Cod w/his retired school teacher parents who are buying a resort to fix up. The first person his age that meets is Pazle, long-legged quirky & who works at the dump. Josh who is a photographer captures Razzles essence in his pictures. Great read bout teen angst, family life & true friends
I absolutely love this book. I love this style of writing too. I read a lot of dark and mysterious books, but this is a great break from all that. This book, to me, is a feel good book that shows the importance of inner beauty. It also brings out the creativity that I know everyone has. Everyone. This is a must read.
I got to hear the author speak at the MLS Teen Summit this week. She was great! This book was great, I enjoyed the story of Kenyon who moves to Cape Cod and meets Razzle at the dump. He also meets other teens and adults. By the end of the summer, he has learned a lot about what is important.
I love books that are set in Cape Cod- There were so many things I love about the subject of this book, The main character was a photographer, and so am I. He likes artsy people, and so do I, he loves Cape Cod, and I adore the cape, This was a young adult but it really kept my interest
amazing, also had a great ending. and i was on my toes the whole time hoping that they'd resolve their problems. Razzle is an amazing character.
Love her books, always such a good story line, good morals, values to be taught, hard lessons to learn about oneself and growing up.
I thought this book taught a nice lesson... to always stay true to your friends.
The book was different and pretty interesting. The characters are very quirky!
Interesting book
Jun 02, 2009
Ronice
is currently reading it
So what I have rea
this book is truly amazing so far. im really starting to like this book
independent reading
After his family moves to Cape Cod, Kenyon befriends Razzle Penney, an eccentric local girl whose crazy family has a big secret in their past. When Kenyon starts to date Razzle's sworn enemy, the beautiful and provocative Harley, Kenyon has to decide between sex, friendship or love in this story about inner and outer beauty.
I wanted a light fluffy read, so I checked this out. It was on the recommendation shelf from one of the librarians. It was a stupid teenage romance. It wasn't completely horrible, but I definitely wouldn't recommend wasting your time on it. I wish I wouldn't have. My only consolation is that it didn't take me very long to read.
I liked this book ok. It was a really good story and everything, there was just too many other stuff in it. Like too much language and innuendos, so that's why I only gave this book a two star. However, without all that other junk in it, it would have been a great book.
I like her books because they are about teens who are off the "normal" path. Razzle, though different and unhappy in many ways is always true to herself. And Ken comes to value this over the beautiful and popular Harley
Probably the objectively best of the Wittlinger novels I've read; hard, sharp, sometimes cruel, but also funny and tender and true. The Cape Cod setting really worked for me, and Razzle was a fantastic character.
Not as great as Hard Love, but once I got into it, I was unable to put it down.
Good writing and easy reading! Romance from a boys' POV.
it had some good parts but it mostly dragged on and on.
I haven't really gotten into the book I'm only on page 7
JF Wit
May 15, 2013
Iroulito91
marked it as to-read
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rusty Penney? Am I missing something? | 1 | 6 | Jun 30, 2012 01:25pm |
Ellen Wittlinger is the critically acclaimed author of the teen novels Heart on My Sleeve, The Long Night of Leo and Bree, Razzle, What's in a Name, and Hard Love (an American Library Association Michael L. Printz Honor Book, a Lambda Literary Award winner, and a Booklist Editors' Choice). She has a bachelor's degree from Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, and an M.F.A. from the University...more
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