Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Leftovers

3.83 of 5 stars 3.83 · rating details · 1,511 ratings · 196 reviews

A devastating novel of desperation and revenge from one of today's most compelling new voices in fiction. In this follow-up to her heartbreaking debut, Such a Pretty Girl, Laura Wiess once again spins a shattering tale of the tragedies that befall young women who are considered society's Leftovers.

Blair and Ardith are best friends who have committed an unforgivable act in...more

Paperback, 256 pages

Published July 7th 2008 by MTV Books

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

MTV Publishing

6th out of 45 books — 158 voters

Judge Books By Their Covers

95th out of 617 books — 609 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jan 03, 2008 Lucy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen

We mutinied quietly, using every lesson we’d been taught by every person who’d ever used us for their own benefit.

Blair and Ardith are best friends, and they are both unhappy. Blair’s career-driven mother is shaping her family into the perfect public face, and ignoring the fact that they’re falling apart on the inside. And Ardith’s parents are the Cool Parents, the ones who provide a party house to all the underage kids in the neighborhood. They are best friends, and they are the leftovers, the...more

4 likes · like · see review

Feb 04, 2008 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

I recently purchased this book because of asthetic reasons. I stopped dead in my tracks at the "New In Paperback" section because of the gorgeous blue cover.

"Ah, another book published by MTV," I said outloud.

But honestly, I know as well as anyone who has experienced them that these small, cleverly covered books are actually a light refreshment compared to the world of adult literature and classics.

"Leftovers" is no exception. While I don't expect any adult male to really appreciate this novel,...more I recently purchased this book because of asthetic reasons. I stopped dead in my tracks at the "New In Paperback" section because of the gorgeous blue cover.

"Ah, another book published by MTV," I said outloud.

But honestly, I know as well as anyone who has experienced them that these small, cleverly covered books are actually a light refreshment compared to the world of adult literature and classics.

"Leftovers" is no exception. While I don't expect any adult male to really appreciate this novel, I would assume that a woman of any age would be able to relate, and in a good way. This is a teen novel in all aspects except the typical predictable storyline. I honestly didn't expect the ending, even though it was forshadowed a few times. Nothing mindblowing happens, but the book honestly kept me interested from beginning to end. So much so, that I read the book in one sitting.

As for a brief summary, the book is about 2 teenage girls who are best friends. Blair lives in an upper class, snooty family who is too busy with their lawyer jobs and affairs (literally and figuratively) that they see no time for her. Blair is continuously changing to please her mother and give her the "appearance" of a perfect family so that her mother may become judge in her town. Meanwhile, her parents move her into a new home, do something horrible to something she cherished, lie to her, treat her like an infant, buy her new clothes that she doesn't want to wear, and forbid her to see the most important person in her life. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Blairs best friend Ardith lives in a house with her two parents and her brother. Her father is a creepy, overweight, middle-aged man who tends to flirt a little TOO much with his sons female friends, and her mother is a 45 year old woman sporting faded tattoos and extremely skimpy clothes. They allow underage drinking parties and sex to occur in their house daily, buy cartons of cigarettes for everyone, all the while joining in on the action. Ardith has installed a deadbolt on her bedroom door to keep her brothers friends from doing anything to her, and possibly even her own father. While her house is on the tip of every teenagers mouth, she does everything she possibly can to avoid it at all costs.

These two girls join together to be each others sounding board. And when things get WAY too out of hand, they need to come up with a plan to finally get themselves out of there, and save a friend who has not only been the only adult role model in their lives, but who has also come into an incredible amount of danger. Their plan is teetering on the line of morality and concience. You almost literally SEE these two girls grow up through the pages, and by the end you can't believe it is the same two innocent girls you first met.

The plot line soars, and the characters are all someone you have met before in your own life. It is written through the eyes of both girls, and they are telling the story to another character in the book. It is a unique way of writing, and I enjoyed it throughout.

I will be purchasing this book for my younger sister, as well as the authors previous book. It is a great book for any female to read if you'd like a little break from all the typical chick lit or unending seriousness of adult lit, and it is also a perfect book for any teenage girl.(less)

6 likes · like · see review

May 06, 2008 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews, jens-personal-read, trt-gold-star-award-winner

Reviewed by JodiG. for TeensReadToo.com

Have you ever felt alienated from the rest of the world? Have you spoken and known that nobody was listening? Have you ever screamed “No” and been ignored at every turn? Ardith and Blair have experienced all that and more. And now they have committed a despicable act of vengeance in an effort to make everything “right” again.

Blair and Ardith are best friends. They are fifteen, in the ninth grade, and have miserable, though very different, home lives.

Ardith...more

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 01, 2008 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Usually the books Ive read features the love between a boy and girl as the core of the story, but with this novel it was the love and loyalty between two best friends Ardith and Blair that was captured. I could not put this book down; the style of how it was written switching between both of their sides of the story which not only makes you feel like you were there but highlights the bond between these two girls who know eachother so well that they naturally mould together when telling their sto...more

2 likes · like · see review

May 05, 2013 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book wasn’t nearly as melodramatic as the dust jacket summary. I won’t deny what these girls did was cruel, and what they experienced before they committed the act was equally cruel, but that it is unforgivable is a matter of perspective. And I guess that is the point of Ardith and Blair’s story.

Ardith and Blair’s story is about losing innocence and taking innocence. Both girls have their ideals shattered, and they have to learn to cope with that while dealing with normal teenage lives. Bef...more This book wasn’t nearly as melodramatic as the dust jacket summary. I won’t deny what these girls did was cruel, and what they experienced before they committed the act was equally cruel, but that it is unforgivable is a matter of perspective. And I guess that is the point of Ardith and Blair’s story.

Ardith and Blair’s story is about losing innocence and taking innocence. Both girls have their ideals shattered, and they have to learn to cope with that while dealing with normal teenage lives. Before you consider what is actually “normal” for a teenage life, I’ll define it for you: abnormal. There is nothing normal about being a teenager. The only thing you have in common with the person sitting next to you is that both of you are going through puberty–probably. A lot of the times teenagers just try to deal with what actually is forced upon them. Blair and Ardith take charge of not on their lives, but of what they see as justice.

The way Ardith and Blair tell their story is unique to the YAL I have experienced so far. It is a story of confession, which is definitely not a new type of literature, but they are speaking their confession to a specific audience: Officer Dave and a recorder (I guess. You kinda have to guess about that. They talk about the tape a lot). And you, the reader, are reading the transcript of that recorder without Officer Dave’s responses included. You have to infer them from how Blair and Ardith react.

Blair and Ardith switch turns telling their story, and each chapter will tell you who is speaking. Again, as I like this technique. It keeps it “artsy,” but not pretentious. A lot of the time they begin to speak in second person, making you the character of their story. Second person is a jarring point-of-view. It’s nearly impossible to suspend your belief when you know that you are really not the character of the story. But it works here because you’re not supposed to be suspending belief. From the overall impression I get from the book, you are supposed to be suspending judgement until the end. It’s like the reader is the jury.

The entire story is not in second person, though. Ardith and Blair do revert back to first person; they switch a lot. But it is smoothly done. It not only enables you to suspend judgement, but allows you to create that empathy needed to really know how you feel at the end. Overall, this is well crafted fiction.

That might sound a little more awesome than it actually is. While I finished the book rather quickly, I wasn’t enchanted by it. It was a good story, and it was really neat to see how second person was used, but I did expect something a little more dramatic at the end. It was more of an “eh,” than a “I can’t believe they did that!”

But maybe that is because I decided that what they did was the only result of what they experienced.

I do recommend this as a good read. Read it, and then let me know what conclusion you came to. Seriously, I’m curious.

http://thebookishsarah.wordpress.com (less)

like · see review

Aug 08, 2012 Bookworm rated it 5 of 5 stars

It was a short, yet very intense book. These two girls, Blair and Ardith, are so real, so tough, so admirable! Yes, yes they do have their flaws and downsides, but that's what makes them all the more likable! It is extremely heartbreaking and real- it shocks and scares you to think that this could be happening to girls all over the world today. It's sickening. It makes your heart ache, head spin, and stomach drop all at the same time. The author, Mrs. Weiss, chose a very interesting point of vie...more

like · see review

Jul 04, 2012 Maria rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: laura-wiess, my-favorite-reads, sad, suspense, teens, ya

Holy crap- Awesome book! Could NOT put it down!

Blair, an unhappy teenager in a crappy life with a cold,career driven mother that seemed to have no soul- I honestly was close to tears in the first chapter because of how heartless her mother was-Her father has an ongoing affair,(which everyone is aware of)but keeps it underwraps for Blair's Mother's law career

then there is Ardith, Blair's best friend who has these 2 "parents" that are the waste products that time forgot, allowing parties to go o...more

like · see review

Jun 04, 2012 Katrina Ly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Oh. My. God

wow, this book is so sooo real. I cannot believe thats how it ended. I just can't believe they really did what they did. and in the end it makes sense too. wow it just makes you appreciate what you have a whole lot more now doesn't it?

so, as i'm sure you're all wondering, this is book about the hard reality of life and what you need to do to win in life. No characters are perfect in this story; everyone has their flaws. The main characters are blair and ardith and they take turns tell...more Oh. My. God

wow, this book is so sooo real. I cannot believe thats how it ended. I just can't believe they really did what they did. and in the end it makes sense too. wow it just makes you appreciate what you have a whole lot more now doesn't it?

so, as i'm sure you're all wondering, this is book about the hard reality of life and what you need to do to win in life. No characters are perfect in this story; everyone has their flaws. The main characters are blair and ardith and they take turns telling the story in 2nd person to us. It is about an unspeakable act that they felt they had no choice but to do and what drove them to it. You find out about their hard, sad, tough home life and the ugly side of town and the hopeless naivety some people have that makes you just want to tear all your hair out and scream in frustration at them because they are so sooo guilable.

i guess i should have said this before but i actually rate this story 4.5 stars.

I found the storyline very poignant, endearing and interesting. at the start you're introduced t two girls who have nothing going for them except each other and all you want to do is help them and fix them up into the people they should have have been if their families weren't so horrible and life didn't just suck so much for them. then the story keeps going on and you're reading with increasing dread because you feel sorry for them but you know in the end they'll o something unspeakable and you don't know what it is. then, as you near the end, and you see the plan from their point of view, you just keep repeating to yourself no way NO WAY, but they did it and now all you can do is wish they had another choice and that the people who should have loved them most just go and let them be normal and happy but of course this isn't what happened and that just makes the story ten times worse because you know that there are so many stories exactly like this in the world and still no one does anything to try to change it. including you.

so why not 5 stars? because it was too disturbing for me. it deserves 5 stars, but i'm just too disturbed to give it.

this book is very realistic and sad. i would not recommend this book to happy-ending cravers or cliche-maniacs. i would, however, recommend this book to anyone who likes reading realistic fiction and doesn't mind some pretty dark, gritty scenes. you'll love it. i'd also recommend this book to people who like to think.

SPOILER ALERT

so, della died right? i'm still not really sure on that point...

*sigh* i wish the girls had a better life

SPOILER FINISHED

cheers. happy reading! :)(less)

like · see review

Sep 06, 2011 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

A devastating novel of desperation and revenge from one of today's most compelling new voices in fiction. In this follow-up to her heartbreaking debut, Such a Pretty Girl, Laura Wiess once again spins a shattering tale of the tragedies that befall young women who are considered society's Leftovers.
Blair and Ardith are best friends who have committed an unforgivable act in the name of love and justice. But in order to understand what could drive two young women to such extreme measures, first yo...more

like · see review

Dec 19, 2010 bjneary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction, ya

Wow, this book was disturbing but I couldn't stop reading it! Blair and Ardith are two best friends and what happens to them is shocking but believable. And how they cope and change is believable as well. Blair has a wonderful life with mom, dad, and wonderful old golden retriever, Wendy. One day, mom gets a promotion at her law firm and she becomes Cruella Deville. She is so scary, her husband has a girl on the side. Blair's mom now only cares about appearances and they move to a big, rich, pow...more Wow, this book was disturbing but I couldn't stop reading it! Blair and Ardith are two best friends and what happens to them is shocking but believable. And how they cope and change is believable as well. Blair has a wonderful life with mom, dad, and wonderful old golden retriever, Wendy. One day, mom gets a promotion at her law firm and she becomes Cruella Deville. She is so scary, her husband has a girl on the side. Blair's mom now only cares about appearances and they move to a big, rich, powerful house. Blair begs her family to stay in their cozy house, but her mother will not relent. Both parents end up euthanizing Blair's beloved dog because she has become incontinent and the new rugs can't be spoiled in any way. Blair is devastated, but she realizes she can get her dogs ashes from the vet by impersonating her mother and using her credit card. In her new home, Blair has a shrine to Wendy of her old mattress and toys (she fished them out of the trash can where her parents threw them) and she hides in the closet when life gets too complicated with her parents. Once they move, Blair is left alone all the time. And her best friend Ardith has a hellish life. Her mother, father and brother are all alcoholics. Her mother wears Daisy Duke shorts, allows her father to fondle the teen girls who come to their drug and alcohol parties (nightly) saying they wanted it and never taking her daughter's side. Her brother is good looking but he uses and abuses girls. Her has lecherous friends too so Ardith keeps her door padlocked each night. Ardith has dreams of becoming a podiatrist and getting out of town and away from her family. It is these hellish family relations that cement Blair and Ardith's friendship. As they become teens they are hardened, cynical, forgotten and afraid of life. The only person they truly feel safe with is Officer Dave. Dave has helped the girls a few times and looks out for them because their families don't. These girls weave a mesmerizing story, I couldn't put it down, but I didn't like reading it either. Why? Because it was so sad and so believable. So get ready for a tough book about family dysfunction and the hell that it can wreak on young girls as they become teens. (less)

like · see review

Mar 07, 2010 Kari rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, read-teen

Wiess has created yet another astounding masterpiece. Of the three books she’s published, I think this one is my favorite. The story is so well put together and so astoundingly heartbreaking. This book has pulled me through so many emotions, conclusions and obstacles in a way few other have. I both loved and hated these girls, admiring them and belittling them. This is another book I am not even sure how to review because there are simply too many things to say about it. Bottom line- read it.

The...more

Wiess has created yet another astounding masterpiece. Of the three books she’s published, I think this one is my favorite. The story is so well put together and so astoundingly heartbreaking. This book has pulled me through so many emotions, conclusions and obstacles in a way few other have. I both loved and hated these girls, admiring them and belittling them. This is another book I am not even sure how to review because there are simply too many things to say about it. Bottom line- read it.

The perspective alternates between Blair and Ardith, furthering it by everything being put in terms of you don’t say this instead of I didn’t say this. The reader is very much thrust right into every single thing these girls thought and endured through the direct verbalization alone. Compound that with Weiss’ phenomenal grasp of the written language and her immense ability to weave raw, gut wrenching emotions into words and the product is something that will stick with everyone who reads it in one way or another. Even if the story turns you off, the writing stands out and should remain in mind.

Taken alone, the personal history of both Blair and Aridth are enough to grip a person- twined together, it is almost astoundingly surreal. Watching the slow changing and fading of their innocence, forcing them to grow up is one of the biggest foci of this book and a rough one to swallow. Reading this, the most obvious feelings come up- a strong desire to simply take these girls from their families, uproot them and place them somewhere else. But the fact remains while these are fictional characters, there are numerous teenagers out there in similar circumstances, ranging across the wealth spectrum. Are we removing them? No- and that is one of the biggest points of this book and it is so astoundingly well made.

The ending was breathtaking and astounding and pretty much any other related word. This is the sort of ending a completely adore in books and left me with a million burnings thoughts and questions, sparking my own ‘what ifs’ from the very ones that spurred this book for Wiess. She doesn’t simply close the story- she leaves you thinking, calculating, and considering.

In every way, this book deserves 5 stars if not more. From the strong characters, even stronger and painfully logical development of them, to the voice it is written in and the plot itself- added in with Wiess’ knack for saying things perfectly- this piece is a work of genius. Many of the events that happened are ones I didn't expect but that seems to be the case with her books- there is simply no way to predict where things are going to head next. If you can stomach the raw emotions, the angsty plot line, and the overall content, then read this book. It is well worth it.(less)

like · see review

Jun 17, 2009 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, young-adult

Full review at http://yannabe.com/2009/06/17/nerds-h...

Summary: Best friends Blair and Ardith have done something wrong, something very wrong. After you hear their story, will you understand?

What I Loved: This book takes a chance, and I will always love a gutsy story that pushes the boundaries of what is “right” and acceptable. The main risk in my eyes was the prevalent use of second person voice. (More on that in a bit.)

The book also had a few gems that made me stop and think for a bit, like th...more Full review at http://yannabe.com/2009/06/17/nerds-h...

Summary: Best friends Blair and Ardith have done something wrong, something very wrong. After you hear their story, will you understand?

What I Loved: This book takes a chance, and I will always love a gutsy story that pushes the boundaries of what is “right” and acceptable. The main risk in my eyes was the prevalent use of second person voice. (More on that in a bit.)

The book also had a few gems that made me stop and think for a bit, like this one after one of the girls was teased at school:

So you…get busy writing your name in your notebook. Homeroom ends in seven minutes and if you drag it out, you can make your preoccupation with penmanship last just about that long. You stare at the page. Your name is a lone bottle floating on an ocean of blue-lined paper. You frown and erase the small, cramped letters. The words disappear but the impression remains and there’s nothing you can do about that.

What I Didn’t Love: The second person voice was off-putting. I guess it was intended to make you feel like you’re part of the story so you connect to the events and can understand the main characters’ actions. But for me, it was constantly jarring, throwing me out of the story and introducing a distance so I couldn’t fully connect with the main characters.

Here’s another snippet to help you decide if this is the book for you. I’m curious to know what you think after reading it.

When your mother finally makes partner in a prestigious law firm, she decides it’s time to buy one of the big, new McMansions across town. She says you need a new house because you’ve outgrown your current one, a cozy cape in a mostly blue-collar neighborhood, but that’s not really true, because besides you and your parents, the only other living thing in the house is your old golden retriever Wendy Darling, and she doesn’t take up much space. She’s slept in your room for the last fourteen years, first in your bed, but now on her orthopedic mattress next to your bed.

You don’t want to move and say so, but nobody cares.

Probably because of this distance, a little ways in, the girls’ stories started to feel melodramatic and even a bit whiny.(less)

like · see review

Dec 29, 2010 Greta is Erikasbuddy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Your best friend. You two were inseparable. No one could come between. Not your parents, not the boys, the teachers, the kids that called you names,... the ones that started the rumors.

You two had each other's backs.

Then one day you start to drift apart. You still wear your BeFri necklace but she put her St Ends locket away and replaced it with Jonny's class ring.

Time speeds up and you start to drift apart. The world just rolls on by without even thinking twice. You learn to evolve.

But in the e...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 28, 2010 Emma Louise rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bought

I intended to write a proper review on this, and really I should instead take notes as I read books because I've forgotten most of what I wanted to say about this book, so I'll stick to just a couple of points.

- The main characters were quite likeable in my opinion, and real. Blair, the girl with the rich and uncaring parents, brought me to tears in just the first five chapters. It's rare that I get teary in the BEGINNING of a book! But if you've read about poor Wendy then you'll know. Oh the he...more

like · see review

Jan 16, 2009 Julia L. :) rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book Leftovers by Laura Wiess is a great book for teen girls. Its about two best friends that are totally diffrent in many ways.This book switches charaters throughout so each girl can explain there story. Blair is the first character is and she starts out the book. She talks alittle bit about herself. Just to tell you something about her, she is part of a wealthy family and is an only child. Then it switches to another character named Ardith, she has an older brother and her family is crazy...more

like · see review

Jan 11, 2008 Zelda rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was surprised by how much I liked this book, especially since it was published by MTV Books. I somehow doubt I am the demographic they are going for. This was really well written and really took you back to the crazy days of middle school / high school when you as a teenage girl start realizing how to handle your sexuality and experimenting with the power you think it gives you over the boys in your school.

1 like · like · see review

Apr 05, 2013 Auj rated it 5 of 5 stars

Author Laura Wiess's purpose for writing her second book "Leftovers" was to provide a different theme, experience and feelings in the book. The book started off in a very gloomy setting where both girls were talking to an anonymous first person character. Reading the book, eventually going through each and every chapter, sometimes some of the chapter titles were confusing and sort of maybe misleading. The titles were misleading because some of them were like "___'s story" switching between two m...more Author Laura Wiess's purpose for writing her second book "Leftovers" was to provide a different theme, experience and feelings in the book. The book started off in a very gloomy setting where both girls were talking to an anonymous first person character. Reading the book, eventually going through each and every chapter, sometimes some of the chapter titles were confusing and sort of maybe misleading. The titles were misleading because some of them were like "___'s story" switching between two main protagonists, Aridith and Blair. Aridith and Blair are portrayed as the loyal images of two best friends who have known each other for quite a while. According to them, their lives are total mess. Aridith’s life consists of a Father who has an affair with another behind her mother’s back, Aridith’s mother however, is a totally different case where she’s the best lawyer, the most respected and of course obsessed with winning her lawsuits because her goal is to become a judge. Having these two different parent images clashing in her family, causing problems in her life, making her feel unloved, unwanted, with little attention and the final string of her parents putting her best friend-dog to death for the sake of her mother’s “appearances” pulls the last string on Aridith’s heart. Blair on the other case is living a life worth calling hell. Her father is a perverted flirt, her brother is more like a pimp who only lives for sex, not love and her mother does nothing, they hold countless parties with drugs and alcohol starring strangers, men and sex, she padlocks her room at night because she wishes to run away from all of it.

The type of impact that Wiess’s novel had a very slow impact on me personally that, I wasn’t able to exactly realize that I was impacted by it. I don’t know how it works for other people, but for me, personally the book was fantastic. I experienced the constant impact of questions and more questions I would have asked the character themselves because the detail was so vivid, that the imagery was completely visible inside my mind. I personally think that the impact would have a lasting value, but not as lasting as other books I’ve read. A quote from the text that struck me the most was “A victim soul is a pious individual chosen to absorb the pain and suffering of others.” (Wiess) the quote relates to me personally, in a sense where people suffer every day, people are victims every day, and maybe the author meant that sometimes the societies makes people the victim so they can be held responsible for things they haven’t done.

“Leftovers” is exceptionally well written, in a sense where more and more questions rise in the readers mind as the reader sails through the book. It was well written because, well, it’s a teen book and most of us go through what the protagonists were going through in the book. A lot of us today also have a life where things don’t go necessarily the way we want to, and a lot of us can most likely relate to it. The book focuses on all of the aspects from gloomy to very weird, from weird to the type of book that also goes over sexual scenarios but, in a typical sense where every teenager is able to relate to it. Personally I think that’s what makes this book great. The little details increase the intensity of suspence, fear, love and their wants and needs. The protagonists in a sense are like innocent girls, who grow up throughout the book, realize their own problems and try to solve them. In many scenarios both girls have personal problems that they do not tell each other. Although their friendship goes on the verge of crumbling, like it does in reality to many people as well, they find a way to build it back up. “That's what innocence is, you know. A blissful oblivion of what's coming, of what you'll lose and what you'll gain, and what kind of person you'll grow up to be.” (Wiess) the quote showcases how quick the girls grow up compared to everyone else, because a lot of kids today do not realize that they need to realize things. I think that’s what makes this book well written, it’s composed in a sense that as you read through it, it catches the interest. And it takes you through this adventure that’s…slow but incredible.

In my opinion, the book is captivating. At first I found the book extremely unattractive and boring. Later when I decided to actually sit down and read it for the sake of reading, the book captivated my attention within 3 chapters. It was kind of annoying reading the book through different perspectives because it was very confusing who they were talking to at first. Later on it makes sense that they’re talking to one person who has been an actual role model in their lives rather than their own parents. Because for a lot of us our parents are doing a lot but it’s not enough compared to what we need from them. Needs and wants are different things and sometimes you can’t have both, is what I probably learned from certain parts of the book. The book was pretty much thought provoking. It made me think of my life and what problems I have and what type of trouble I get in to and on and on about things like that.

I think the greatest strength about the book was all the different emotions portrayed in many different ways. like the part where Aridith has another fight with her parents, and where Aridith's mother talks about people, things and materials being incontent. I think that was the strongest part of the book. Incontent, incapable, etc. are all shown as pretty much being useless in Aridith's mothers eyes. The weakness of this book emitts from Blair's character. There's also a part in the book where it focuses greatly on the parent's neglect on each of their children. That's also huge thing many of us can relate to, which also contributed to one of the strengths of this book. What I didn't like was the way Blair was, weak,alone, and she didnt' know what she wanted about half way through out the book until they both matured, that was kinda weak to me. “Time is not your friend. It doesn't care if you live fast or die slow, if you are or if you aren't. It was here before you arrived and it will go on after you leave. Time doesn't care who wins or who loses, if your life span is full or empty, honorable or shameful. Time is indifferent. It simply doesn't give a shit.” (Wiess) The quote here was another strong point in the book. alot of people today kind of fail to realize that time does not wait for anyone, and it just keeps moving forward, being inconsiderate to that fact many people still waste time doing random things that aren't really going to help them.

I would and have recommended this book to a friend. I would recommend this book because, personally it's extremely relatable. It's a bit confusing but that's the fun part about it, you get confused, you start questioning and things get a bit, messy inside the book. it's a fun good read and I don't know how other people who have read this book would like it, but I think I did. It was pretty enjoyable from my point of view considering i was able to relate to half the book, including parental neglect to friendships and just the teenage enviorment in the book. Everyone is not going to like this book, if they do not like to read about teenage hormonal problems, but it's a good read.
(less)

like · see review

Jan 29, 2013 Sleepy Wonderland rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: jan-yc-blue, contemp-chicklit-challenge-2013, tbr-challenge-2013

This story really allows you to see two different and completely heart breaking situations that children could go through. You have one character, Blair, that gets ignored and is basically treated as a doll, meaning she gets paraded around when needed. Then another character, Ardith, that is living without any kind of support, a life where she has to lock her door at night to protect her virginity. I find it hard to believe she wasn't raped sooner in life, just based on the crazy stuff the paren...more

like · see review

Apr 08, 2011 Darkfallen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: because-greta-said-so, read-n-reviewed

When Greta told me I needed to read this, I jumped at it. As per usual I am so SO SO glad I did. But lets get something straight. When Greta tells me to read something, I do it, and then I usually feel a little dirty afterwards. *waggles eyebrows* If ya know what I mean. This book also left me feeling a bit dirty, but

NOT NOT NOT

in the way that you think. I feel worn raw by the sheer truth in all this.

Laura Wiess takes us on a journey into the lifes of teenagers Blair and Ardith. She takes you t...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 16, 2011 Shannon rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Two girls, Blair and Ardith, are two best friends. Both of them have been neglected by their parents in different ways. Blair's mother is a defensive attorney, is completely self centered, and focused only on becoming a judge. Her father has lost all interest in being a family and is having an affair. Ardith's parents have yet to grow up. They hold parties for their 17 year old son, provide alcohol and cigarettes to minors. Ardith doesn't feel safe in her own home because of her older brother's...more

like · see review

Apr 20, 2013 Kim K rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: authors-i-adore, i-love-ya

I've read everything by this author and loved them. I've loved some more than others. Her books make me laugh and cry. This book broke my heart. Millions of girls are leftovers. Millions of children grow up in families like Ardith and Blair. I hope most don't go as far off track as Ardith and Blair. I, for once, couldn't figure out what the girls had done that was so awful. What could change them from wholesome sweet kids into the monsters they claimed to be. Once the author clued us in I was bl...more

like · see review

Jul 19, 2012 Kristin rated it 3 of 5 stars

I guess this is a good story. I'm just constantly unnerved at how young adult fiction has changed.

This is the story about two girls who do something rather terrible for justice. One comes from a family who have parties all the time and she has to avoid bing groped or worse by all the males in the house. The other is a girl whose mother's ambition drives their family apart and leaves the girl home along most of the time, abandoned. This is about them trying to make it, but then they are forbidde...more

like · see review

Feb 26, 2013 Alysia Verhagen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed

This book about two young girls who have very different and very unfortunate lives. But somehow they found each other and become best friends and were able to cope their terrible lives through each other. The characters names are Ardith and Blair. Both girls seem to have different perspectives on life and love. However an incident in the book makes them both view love and life the same way. Unfortunately it is a very negative way that they view life and love. This book deals with issues that hap...more

like · see review

Aug 31, 2012 Allison rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

An honest story of two girls growing up too fast, starting in middle school and following them into their first year of high school. The point of view is unique - Blair and Ardith take turns telling the backstory to an unnamed (for a time, anyway) audience. The story builds up layer by layer. It's fairly easy to guess what happens at each climax, but that doesn't make the read any less interesting. I was expecting a more dramatic ending since the blurb says the girls commit an "unforgivable act,...more

like · see review

Mar 19, 2013 Evelyn Teran rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book.i could really connect to somethings that the characters go through. One example would be when Blair's dog was put to sleep. I have a dog and i really love her. i would really hate my parents if they ever put my dog to sleep without me knowing and then lying about where my dog was. i recommend this book to anyone because the main theme is friendship, everyone has that one friend that they trust. this book has many twist and turns that catch you off guard. i can assure yo...more

like · see review

Sep 30, 2009 Heather Jones rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a quick read but so emotional. It's an MTV book and I think all of their books are meant to deal with some kind of hardship? I'm not sure. Anyways the book is about two friends who come from different worlds. They are bonded together through their misery basically. It's told from a unique narrative where each girl is telling their side of the story in a confession setting. You don't officially find out who they are talking too until the very end but it's real easy to figure out who it i...more

like · see review

Jan 26, 2011 Ariana rated it 3 of 5 stars

When I began reading the first few pages of this book I immedietly was drawn to this book. Throughout this book I loved how each coming event wanted me to keep reading. The main characters are Blair and Ardith. But the secondary characters are Officer and Dellansandra. Blair is a rich girl who lives with both of her parents; while Ardith is a girl who is kind of poor and lives with a mother who doesnt really care and a dad who drinks alot. When Blair first meets Ardiths brother, things begin to...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 30, 2010 Yuri Lee rated it 4 of 5 stars

A dark, riveting, and disturbing novel, "Leftovers", is brutally honest in its unnerving tale of two girls, and the events that cost them their innocence. Laura Wiess creates the realistic, yet horrific tale and perspectives of two fifteen year old girls, Ardith and Blaire, as they weave the story of their lives, and the events that broke the innocence inside of them to the people who they are now. Together they weave the beginning of the end for their innocence, and they unveil everything in a...more

like · see review

Nov 06, 2012 Celena rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read this book in grade eight, which was about four years ago.
I reread it in many times since then.

It's tragic and gritty and the writing is beautiful and the characters are heartbreakingly vivid.
This is not a light, fluffy novel. It's dark and it's sad.
Excuse my language but to put it frankly: It's fucked up in the best way.

I just realized that I had previously lent it to a friend who suffice it to say is no longer my friend and I haven't felt this angry at myself in a long time.
Lesson learn...more

like · see review

Apr 13, 2009 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've enjoyed a lot of the short novels published by MTV Books. This one came out last year and I found it for a buck at Half Priced Books. It's about two girls who are best friends and each has a differently shitty home life. One has a power hungry mother and the other has two alcoholic party all the time parents and a brother and friends who tend to sexually harass girls. It's told from both of their viewpoints and their voices are believable, which is important for a Young Adult yet Full Grown...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (11)

More editions...

Genres

Young Adult

73 users

Contemporary

11 users

Young Adult > Teen

10 users

Realistic Fiction

8 users

Sociology > Abuse

4 users

Young Adult > High School

4 users

Dark

4 users

Young Adult > Young Adult Contemporary

3 users

Adult

3 users

Suspense

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Laura Wiess

Laura Wiess is the author of the critically acclaimed novels Such a Pretty Girl, chosen as one of the ALA’s 2008 Best Books for Young Adults and 2008 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers, and Leftovers. Originally from Milltown, New Jersey, she traded bumper-to-bumper traffic, excellent pizza, and summer days down the shore for scenic roads, bears, no pizza delivery, and the irresistible allure...more

More about Laura Wiess...

Books by Laura Wiess

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Leftovers

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Leftovers

“That's what innocence is, you know. A blissful oblivion of what's coming, of what you'll lose and what you'll gain, and what kind of person you'll grow up to be.” — 51 people liked it

“Time is not your friend. It doesn't care if you live fast or die slow, if you are or if you aren't. It was here before you arrived and it will go on after you leave. Time doesn't care who wins or who loses, if your life span is full or empty, honorable or shameful. Time is indifferent. It simply doesn't give a shit.” — 48 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Leftovers
avg rating	preview: Leftovers Goodreads rating: 3.83 (1511 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/768192.Leftovers?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348563125l/768192.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/768192.Leftovers?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Leftovers by Laura Wiess[/url]

Leftovers

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website