Strings Attached

by Judy Blundell

From National Book Award winner Judy Blundell, the tale of a sixteen-year-old girl caught in a mix of love, mystery, Broadway glamour, and Mob retribution in 1950 New York.



FORMAT: 5 CDs, Unabridged
NARRATOR: TBA

Kit Corrigan has always dreamed of being a star. But in order to get there, she needs to break up with Billy, who's going to Korea, and leave her family behind in Providence, RI, to move to New York City. She finds small roles, and a hard city to live in. She finds out that she's made a deal with Billy's father, Nate (a lawyer who defends mobsters), and has to do what he asks of her. And she finds a mystery that she needs to solve in order to protect the people she loves.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Mystery, Historical, Romance, Fiction, Teen

2 pages, Audio CD

First published March 1, 2011

About the author

A pseudonym used by Jude Watson.

Judy Blundell has written books for middle grade, young adult, and adult readers under several pseudonyms. Her novel, Premonitions, was an ALA Reluctant Readers Best Picks and was chosen by the New York Public Library as a 2004 Best Books for the Teen Age. Among her forthcoming projects is Book #4 in the New York Times bestselling series, The 39 Clues. Judy Blundell lives in Katonah, New York, with her husband and daughter.
2008 National Book Award winner for her YA novel What I Saw and How I Lied, Judy Blundell is well known to Star Wars fans by her pseudonym, Jude Watson.
What could be more fun than writing in your journal? Well, how about writing Queen Amidala's journal for her? Jude Watson is currently the most celebrated author in the prequel-era of the Star Wars phenomenon. She's no stranger to science fiction — her own series, entitled Danger.com, is a mystery series based on the Internet. Watson became involved with LucasBooks when an editor she had worked with in the past selected her to write Captive to Evil by Princess Leia Organa (Star Wars Journal). Since then Watson has penned the Star Wars Jedi Apprentice series as well as journals for Queen Amidala and Darth Maul.
Readers of the Queen Amidala journal become privy to all her top secrets such as why she applies her lipstick in such an odd manner and how she manages her two identities as Queen Amidala and as Padme. The book is a doorway to all her thoughts, fears and strategies for everything from dealing with droid blasts to negotiating with the less-than-trustworthy Neimoidians!
In Jude's series, Jedi Quest, she explores the world of the Jedi through Jedi Master Obiwan Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker.
So how does Jude keep all the characters and events in order? Jude definitely relies on the movies and the folks at LucasBooks, and she has even used A Guide to the Star Wars Universe by Bill Slavicsek as a handy reference. Jude also credits the creative collaboration with Scholastic editor David Levithan and Lucas editors Jane Mason and Sarah Hines Stephens as being extremely helpful. On the Lucas editors, she comments, "They are also incredibly cool — not only do they know the Star Wars universe inside and out, they really urge writers to bring their own ideas to the table."
Although the books are written for children ranging from 9 to 13 years of age, Watson has found a large fan base with adults! That's not a surprise since the stories are not only timeless, but also universal.
From Scholastic.com

Reviews

[jv poore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not “Sex in the City” New York. This New York is grittier, more glamorous, more secretive and certainly more seductive. And much, much more dangerous.

I had almost forgotten how much I could enjoy a book devoid of vampires, werewolves, dystopia and magic. Ms. Blundell’s Strings Attached was a fabulous reminder. This book is raw, stark and compelling, yet; oddly simple.

Most of the story takes place in New York City in the 1950s. Some of the events are real, albeit the timeline may be slightly adjusted. This is a time when non-traditional families lived packed together in tiny apartments. Young men are lying about their age so that they can enlist in the military, and all men in uniform are heroes. Adorable Irish triplets entertain with skits, song and dance. Young, talented girls are flocking to New York to be on Broadway, or at least dance and sing in posh nightclubs. Women do their hair in pin-curls, they add a touch of bright red lipstick, and long-distance telephone calls are very expensive. Trusted family friends may turn out to be very high up in the mob and absolutely nothing is free.

Kit is the 17-year old girl, who, as a triplet, has never been alone in her life. Despite her lessons, practice and obvious talent, it is still a wildly scary decision to leave her family behind and try to make it in New York City. While dealing with these intimidating nuances, she is struggling to define her relationship with Billy, who, after a tumultuous fight, has enlisted in the military and will be deployed very soon. These aren’t her biggest challenges.

Billy’s father, Nate, trusted family friend, begins to do “favours” for Kit, to help her get a good start in the city. Ever the skeptic, Kit doubts his sincerity. As she questions his motives, she begins to unravel a mystery involving the least likely of people. Unbeknownst to her, Billy, too is learning more than he ever wanted to know about his father and his father’s relations. As Kit and Billy, separately, begin to uncover a truth thought hidden forever, danger surrounds them each. Will the truth set them free? Will either of them even live to tell this tale? The answers will surprise you. Some questions may never be answered, and sometimes, the hero has to die.

I hope you enjoy reading about Kit’s journey as much as I did.

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quality historical YA fiction is almost impossible to find. Just to be clear, I don't consider books like The Luxe or The Vespertine to be either quality or historical. I am happy to know that there are authors in existence who take writing in this genre seriously and, you know, do proper research.

Kit Corrigan is a 17-year old girl who is looking for a new life in NYC after a bad breakup with her troubled boyfriend Billy. Making a living as a performer on Broadway in 1950s is tough though. Kit can't catch a break and barely manages to make ends meet until Billy's father comes to her rescue. Nate offers Kit a place to live, helps her to score a new fancy job, gives her gifts - all of it, seemingly, for his son's sake. Only, as Kit finds out later, everything comes at a price. Nate means to get some things in return...

Strings Attached has everything that I look for in historical fiction and good literature in general. Interesting characters, with hurts, triumphs and secrets in their lives. Troubled families and convoluted relationships. And, finally, the historical aspect. I just loved the whole atmosphere of the novel - post-war America, gangsters, chorus girls and glamorous night clubs, the subtle acknowledgments of Red Scare, homophobia and racism. None of these touches of history are overbearing or introduced in a lectury way. They are just a backdrop for a story of a girl who is trying to pursue her dreams, who has very complicated relationships with her family and the boy she is in love with and who finds herself in a whole lot of trouble.

Even though I think the ending of the novel could have been better, longer and not so busy, Strings Attached nevertheless pleased me very much. I should have read Judy Blundell's National Book Award winner What I Saw And How I Lied years ago.

[Richard Derus]

Pearl Ruled

Rating: 3* of five (p66)

The Book Description: From National Book Award winner Judy Blundell, the tale of a sixteen-year-old girl caught in a mix of love, mystery, Broadway glamour, and Mob retribution in 1950 New York.
When Kit Corrigan arrives in New York City, she doesn't have much. She's fled from her family in Providence, Rhode Island, and she's broken off her tempestuous relationship with a boy named Billy, who's enlisted in the army.
The city doesn't exactly welcome her with open arms. She gets a bit part as a chorus girl in a Broadway show, but she knows that's not going to last very long. She needs help--and then it comes, from an unexpected source.
Nate Benedict is Billy's father. He's also a lawyer involved in the mob. He makes Kit a deal--he'll give her an apartment and introduce her to a new crowd. All she has to do is keep him informed about Billy . . . and maybe do him a favor every now and then.


My Review: I just don't care. I think this little tale of WWII-era Noo Yawk and the ways it chews up and spits out innocent little girlie-lambs and turns them into less than perfect but still spunky young women is pleasant, nicely written, and completely uninteresting to me.

Here is where the dead battery of my interest, unaided by the blown alternator of my enthusiasm, gave up:

Could I do that? I wondered. Could I be that wife, sitting at the table, waiting, always waiting...and then getting the terrible news? We regret to inform you....
I didn't know if I was that brave. Even for love.

p66, US hardcover edition

Little Muffintop there might not know if she was that brave. I know I'm not. I wish her well on her journey to wifely paradise, but I won't be walking there with her. I can be spotted doing a four-minute mile in the opposite direction.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I opened this book, I don't know what exactly I was expecting, but it wasn't the trilling wild ride that I found! This is a fantastic unputdownable book! Strings Attached is full of twists and turns and I never saw any of them coming.

While this is set in 1950, Kit Corrigan is just like any 17 year old girl today. Except maybe a little more mature than your average 17 year old. Her heart is broken, both by her boyfriend and her family. She packs up her things and moves to New York City with her Broadway dreams. She's barely making ends meet when her her ex-boyfriend's father shows up and offers her a place to live. That offer, of course, comes with a price.

Kit was a excellent main character. I read some reviews that say she was naive and shouldn't have fell for Nate's schemes. But she was in a bleak situation, and you always want to trust the people you know. I thought Kit was smart and willful. She handled things realistically in my opinion. The only thing I took issue with was her relationship with Billy. He was clearly unstable, but she wanted to be with him anyway.

Strings Attached is told in snippets. We get to see Kit's day to day life in NYC, but you also get a look back at all the events that lead up to the situation she is in. This style made the amazing writing even more layered. The ending--really the last 50 pages--were truly stunning. I was biting my nails and sitting on the edge of my seat, and I didn't see any of THAT coming!

I loved this book and I think you will too! The writing is wonderful. The descriptions of life in NYC in 1950 were vivid, and the plot is gripping! Read it!

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kit Corrigan is a triplet whose mother died giving birth. She's a complex and fascinating character as are all of Blundell's creations in this book. Kit falls in love with dance at a young age, feeling its call to her core. She thinks in terms of dance movements and she falls in love as if she's the heroine in a tragic ballet.

This is a complex tale of two generations of family and friends whose choices spread themselves from one generation to the next creating sorrow and passion. It's about an Irish family that struggles and finds solidarity. It's about how "Life gives you plenty of chances to be stupid, and I'd [Kit] had taken every single one of them."

You'll travel with Kit both physically and emotionally as she leaves Providence, Rhode Island for a career as a Lido Club dancer in New York, becomes embroiled in the underbelly of life, finds her way back to Providence and the strength of family as well as facing the secrets that brought them sorrow. It's a book that says that indeed there are strings attached in many ways, good and bad.

I won't be a spoiler for this book but will say that it's a tragedy that lifts you up, convincing you that in the darkest moments there is reason to hope and surge forward. Toward the end of this beautifully written novel when sorrow lies heavily on Kit's shoulders she thinks that it is almost spring now "when the branches were fuzzy as if you needed glasses to see, but knew it was really the buds of the leaves ready to poke their way out into the world. One day those edges would be sharp and clear and startlingly green." I love this in the writing of Strings Attached. Blundell does not say precisely that Kit will triumph over sorrow but she metaphorically intimates that spring is close and all will be again "startlingly green."

The setting in this book is fantastic. It depicts the fifties in all its grime with an edgy tilt highlighting the days of McCarthey and the communist scare, bomb drills, mobsters and a changing America where nothing is as it once was but no one knew where we were heading. Family life was in flux, roles were uncertain and as Corrigan wrote, "When a family breaks you don't hear the crack of the breaking. You don't hear a sound." Yet, the breaking can be mended when chances are taken. There are plenty of chances to be smart as well as stupid.

The truth is that in this wonderful novel, you do hear the wails of mourning, soaring hope and finally forward movement. I highly recommend Strings Attached. It has it all: generational love stories, murder, death, sorrow, beauty, buried family secrets and finally a bright light to foreshadow hope.

[☀️Carden☀️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love historical fiction. Especially with good female protagonists, or really just with any character. As long as they are relatable. And you feel like your thrown way back in time.

Here?

I was. I just couldn’t really find myself flipping through the next few pages.

I read fifty pages in and put the book down. Maybe I just wasn’t feeling it? It happens. It’s not that the book doesn’t work for me, it’s just that I want to move on to other books.

The storyline is gripping enough and the main character feels different then the other mc who I read about in the authors other book What I Saw And How I Lied.

That book felt more...darker, snazzier, simple, and interesting. This book felt lighter, intriguing, and blended with different tones.

Kit, the main character, is 17. Way different then Evie from the other book. I wanted to like Kit. And I did. She just didn’t feel as refreshing as Evie. Evie was more a complex character because of the fact that she’s trying to grow up.

Kit felt confusing. If she was a girl chasing after her dreams and trying to have hope, I would be so excited to root her on. I still liked her though.

The main plot: a mystery. Kits ex boyfriends father wants her to watch his son. Kit starts to dance and becomes a “Lido Doll.” We get glimpses into the past with Kits story.
Like What I Saw And How I Lied it also involves a mystery along with subtle romance, mixed with a taste of the 1950’s and young heroines trying to navigate their own world.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quickie: Strings Attached caught me by surprise. It was a treat to read.

Full: I'll admit, Strings Attached wasn't in my 'priority' pile. But then I saw a Tweet from Literaticat, saying she enjoyed it. My interest was peaked, so I decided to pick it up. I went in cold turkey, which is more fun in my opinion. Wow. What a gem.

Normally I read books with paranormal elements, but it's refreshing to read things that are in the "normal world".

Kit Corrigan is an aspiring actress, singer, and dancer from Providence, Rhode Island. She packs her bags and heads to the city- the only city where her big dreams can come true in the 1950's- New York. She's rooming with an atrocious girl and her atrocious mother, scraping by and working in a no-name show and trying to find her big break.

Opportunity comes knocking in an unlikely form- Kit's ex-boyfriend's father. Billy, the ex, is away in the army. His father Nate is a well-known lawyer in Providence, with clients in New York as well. He finds Kit at her theatre and offers her an apartment, free of charge, if only she'll write a letter to Billy and try to get him to come home for Thanksgiving. You see Billy and his father aren't exactly on speaking terms, and Kit is the only way that Nate has any chance of seeing his boy.

The deal seems harmless enough, and she really does need a better place to stay, so she reluctantly agrees. Quickly, Kit discovers that one little deal can lead to more, bigger, complicated deals that she can't say no to. You can't say no to the man who houses you, dresses you, and gets you one of the best jobs in town now can you? Not without losing it all anyway.

Suddenly Kit finds herself stuck between a rock and a hard place, with Nate's suspicious favors slowly increasing in danger and Kit with no other options. Plot threads cross and join and split and marry in a nail-biting ride. Skeletons come out of many closets, some from Kit's own family and many, many secrets are revealed in this delicious tale of life and troubles in the 1950's.

I loved Kit and her family. They were flawed, but honest and loving. They were all such rich, believable characters. I absolutely loved going back in time to be with them, to observe their lives and share their feelings. It never ceases to fascinate me how much I love reading historical fiction. The past is as much a mystery to me as the future or author created worlds. I've not been there, so it's new and exciting.

At first I thought the title was kind of meh, but after reading the book it made total sense and I thought it was perfect. The cover could be better, in my opinion. It didn't pull me in, or give any indication as to what the book may be like. It's pretty, but not my favorite. (Not criticizing the photographer or designer, just saying it didn't work for me) (Although on my copy you definitely cannot see the blue behind her; I think it's a curtain. If it's on the final copy, I approve. My copy, she just blends into a black background.)

Strings Attached was very well built and the suspense was doled out expertly. I wasn't in agony as to what would happen next, but I couldn't stop thinking about the story, I dreamed about the characters and put myself in the story-dream. I stayed up way too late reading it, and definitely neglected some house chores to sneak off and read. To me, that's the mark of a great book.

I'm well and truly impressed with Judy Blundell's work, and though I haven't read What I Saw And How I Lied, I now plan to.

4 out of 5 stars.

Reviewed for http://literatisliterarylibrary.blogs...

[Brianna (The Book Vixen) · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

Unfortunately, I just couldn't invest myself in the story or the characters. I didn't connect with the main character and her "relationship" with her ex-boyfriend's father was a bit creepy.

[FragmentsofInk · Rating 5 out of 5]

There aren't words to describe how unbelievably amazing this book is. Judy Blundell is undeniably a fantastic writer...seamlessly transitioning between present and past events in order to deliver a gripping story, packed with love, jealousy, deceit and intrigue...a story in which the conclusion unravels piece by piece before your eyes. I can't think of an emotion that I didn't experience while reading Strings Attached. Judy Blundell brings to life the nightclubs and theaters of NYC during the early 1950's, packed with actors and dancers hoping to make their Broadway dreams come true. I was immediately sucked into the intensity of the setting...a time spent shipping soldiers off to fight a war in Korea...a time dominated by fear of the Russian bomb. Still, I was amazed to catch myself laughing out loud on quite a few occasions...stunned by how perfectly the humor was woven into a story filled with so much angst. It's almost impossible to summarize the plot-line without giving up spoilers (at least beyond what you could easily find by reading the synopsis), so I'm not even going to try. Since this book doesn't hit the shelves until March 2011, I will hold off on a full review until then. Still, I absolutely have to stress how much I loved this book! I seriously could NOT put it down. After reading only the first few pages of Strings Attached, it will become incredibly obvious how Judy Blundell was able to snag the National Book Award and ALA Best Book for YA for her novel What I Saw and How I Lied. Teenagers and adults both will love Judy Blundell's Strings Attached...it's an absolute must read!

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Submitted a review for this to School Library Journal, and I believe the book comes out in March.

In the fall of 1950 in NYC, so much changes for Kit Corrigan. She has dropped out of high school in Providence and started a career of dancing and acting. When she ends things with hot-head Billy, he joins the army as war gears up in North Korea. Billy's father, lawyer Nate Benedict, appears just as things are looking grim--chorus part in a Broadway show ending soon and the couch she's renting getting less and less attractive. Mr. Benedict magically produces an apartment and an audition to be a Lido Doll, one of the gorgeous dancers in a glamourous nightclub. All she has to do is contact him if Billy calls or comes by, and once she's working at the club, maybe she can be his eyes and ears from time to time about his Mafia friends. Lots of subplots and undercurents make this good story-telling and good historical fiction: Kit's friendly neighbors have lost their teaching jobs in the Red Scare, her triplet brother Jamie has lied about his age to join up with Billy, and her mysterious Aunt Delia may be closer than she thinks. I can't think of many YA offerings that focus on the post-war Happy Days, and this one does a nice job with flawed but sympathetic characters who are moving toward crisis, tragedy, and revelation. Parts of the 30s and 40s weave into the central events, bringing in Prohibition-era crimes of Kit's father and her meager war-time childhood. Bottom line is that grown ups will like this more than many teens, much as was the case with What I Saw and How I Lied .

[Christi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to be honest here. I did not love this book. I didn't think Kit was that great of a character, so I couldn't really care about her too much. She didn't appear to be too bright (esp. in the common sense department) and she didn't appear to have too much of a personality. I felt that she was stringing Billy along while she tried to decide if there was something better out there. Apparently she was good looking, and apparently redheads are pretty hard to come by in 1950 New York, so that must've been the appeal. I also felt the back and forth between present day (meaning 1950) and the past (1938, 1942, etc.) was confusing. I was constantly trying to figure out how old Kit was in each of the flashback chapters.

I think I might be the only person in the universe that didn't like this book. Other reviews rave about how Blundell can put readers right into these particular places (NYC, Providence, RI) in history, but I just wasn't feeling it. The storyline barely kept my interest, too--mostly, I think, because I just couldn't get a feel for how Kit really felt about Billy. Or her family. Or anybody, really. She just seemed to be taking up space instead of living life.

Sorry to be so harsh. By all means, if you enjoyed What I Saw and How I Lied (which I have not read), you'll probably enjoy this, as well.

Borrowed book from library.

[Madison · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. I liked the premise and the characters and then I got to the end. I always knew Billy was going to die. The author had kit spend too much time dwelling on it for it not to happen. How and why it happened seemed pointless. This was supposed to be Kit's story about her trying to make it in New York and I feel like Nate Benedict just took over. I was fine with both Billy and the other character (this death wasn't so obvious to me so I'll leave the name out) dying although I found the second a bit superfluous except for the fact that when you read the last view pages you realize that Kit is exactly where she started. Going back to New York, probably going to fall for Hank, a boy who won't push or pull her emotionally, since shell never really get over Billy. Which means that I read a book in which nothing was accomplished. Kit got a bit older, a bit more emotionally unavailable. But her career and dreams, which is what I thought the book was supposed to be about were pushed to the backburner.

In short, I was mislead and then disappointed with how this story turned out.

[Jan Blazanin · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1950, Kit Corrigan quits high school and leaves her home in Providence, Rhode Island for a career on Broadway. When the musical she has a small part in ends, she's without a job and a place to stay. Then Nate Benedict, a mob-connected lawyer who's the father of her boyfriend Billy, offers her an apartment and an audition for a job as a Lido girl in one of New York's most famous nightclubs. Kit knows she's a fool to accept his help, but tells herself it's just until she lands another Broadway part. And the favors Nate asks for seem harmless. Almost.

STRINGS ATTACHED deals with love, betrayal, and lies. The characters are complex with hidden motives and dangerous secrets. Billy Benedict, Kit's love interest, is deeply flawed, and it's difficult to know what Kit sees in him. The storyline is sometimes confusing as the plot shifts from Kit's past to her present, and I had to reread sections to understand what was happening. But Blundell's writing is rich and evocative, and readers who enjoy dark, tragic stories will love this young adult novel.

[Emily Rozmus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judy Blundell knows how to capture a setting and a mood and put in a bottle to sell. What I Saw and How I Lied had it and now Strings Attached has it too - absolute ambiance. Gangsters, murder, chorus girls and true love in New York 1950. Kit Corrigan has a dream and she won't let anything stand in her way - not even true love. It is too late when she realizes that she can't have it all. She has already made a deal with the crooked lawyer who just happens to be her boyfriend's father. It is that deal - one she doesn't fully understand- that secures her fate. Kit's naivete and coming of age in this novel is brilliantly captured by Blundell. Fans of her first novel will reach for this one as well - and it does not disappoint.

[Rajul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was actually my first read of 2023. I had liked What I saw and How I lied and so gave this one a go.

I don't know why it is touted as children's book. Some of the stuff is heavy even for the YAs.

Kit is a 17 year old who has run away from home, after a fight with her family and boyfriend, and wants to make it big in the New York. Down on luck and not getting the success she dreamed of, she is approached by her ex-boyfriend's father. She is offered an apartment in Newyork and a chance to be a Lido girl. She only has to connect Nate with his son. Though It knows the offer comes with Strings Attached, the offer is to be easy to ignore.

Judy has recreated the 1950s New York and the night club scenario perfectly. You get transported back in time of the post world war 2 America and during the Korean war. The story also moves seamlessly from the present 1950s to Kit's and her family's past. Kit is no doubt one of the strong characters but other characters are also well etched. Particularly, Delia. Along with a murder mystery, there is lot to uncover.

It is fantastically written and there is never a dull moment.

[katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Prior to taking a Young Adult Literature class last year, I didn't think too highly of the genre. All I could remember reading from my early teen years were R L Stine novels and Sweet Valley High. But the class changed my mind. I realized how truly masterful writing for YAs could be, and fell in love with Looking for Alaska, Feed, Boy Meets Boy, I Am the Messenger, and, of course, that cultural juggernaut The Hunger Games. Hey, YA lit could be good! And not just angsty melodrama about relationships I didn't care about!

Then, of course, Strings Attached came and ruined it all for me.

I'm being dramatic (as is appropriate, I think), of course. It wasn't that bad. I just think that this type of book isn't for me. In fact, it took me a while to get to reading it, due to the cover. It makes me imagine, without knowing the plot, a 1950s jazz singer enveloped in a murder mystery. Which is kind of what it's about! Anyway, it just didn't really interest me, and were it not for the Printz buzz it's getting and a recommendation from a colleague I really respect, I wouldn't have picked it up.

Kit Corrigan is a 17-year-old Irish-American triplet from Rhode Island who has moved to NYC in 1950 to pursue her dreams of dancing on Broadway. However, she can't shake the memory of her passionate relationship with Billy Benedict, her 19-year-old boyfriend, who enlisted in the army directly following their break-up. In NYC, she "runs into" Billy's father, lawyer for the mob Nate Benedict. He offers her a free apartment in the East Village, a box full of expensive Bonwit Teller clothes, and a job opportunity at the prestigious Lido club. All this in exchange for "checking in" on some well-known gangsters and a request to get back in touch with Billy. Kit accepts these gifts, then learns (obviously) that there are strings attached, and more consequences than she bargained for...

A lot of times, YA books are hard for me to read because I hate seeing the characters make BAD CHOICES (I'm such a boring adult...). This was one book where I kept yelling at the protagonist. Um.... isn't it obvious that this arrangement is going to end badly? And what was Kit doing with Billy, who flashbacks showed was a very volatile person, erupting with jealousy when Kit so much as talked to another man? Get out of that relationship!!!

Just because I didn't care for Strings Attached, doesn't mean that I wouldn't recommend it to teens. I admit, I had to think about who would like this book because I didn't care for it. But I realized that it's very "juicy" with a lot of drama (most of which I thought was completely unrealistic and implausible). It's not super historical, just has a lot of little details here and there, such as mentions of the Korean War, but it could be set at any time, I think. It's actually a bit of a step up from popular serial novels such as Gossip Girl, and should be of interest to girls who like lots of drama in their books.

Ages 15 and up

[Liz at Midnight Bloom Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

After enjoying Judy Blundell's What I Saw and How I Lied, I already had a feeling I would enjoy Strings Attached as well... but what I was not expecting was to be blown away! Reading Strings Attached was like taking a step back in time to an era completely unlike our own. Details about the time period- mostly from the late 1940's to 1950 in the fall- are just so effortlessly woven into the story that it was simply difficult to tell fact from fiction! Judy Blundell has written a beautiful, poignant tale of loss, love, hardships, and the meaning of family.

After her brother, Jamie, and boyfriend, Billy, suddenly enlist in the army together, Kit drops out of high school and heads to New York City with no more than a suitcase and a dream to become a star, leaving behind her father and sister back in Providence, Rhode Island. Kit may have talent, but accomplishing her dreams isn't so easy in a city where there are many others trying to make it big as well... and finding only small roles isn't going to be enough forever. So when Billy's father, Nate, finds Kit and offers some help all in exchange for getting back in touch with his estranged son, Kit may be hesitant but it's an offer she can't refuse. However, Kit will soon realize that all deals come with their own strings attached and hers may be more than she ever bargained for...

Kit was a strong, female lead... not afraid to speak her mind but also knowing when it would be more wise to keep her mouth shut. Although she dreamed of making it big, she was never overconfident or smug about her own abilities... she showed humility and an attitude to work hard. I've read a few historical novels where they have arrogant, cocky girls who think they're entitled to everything, so Kit was simply a breath of fresh air. She's mature beyond her seventeen years and this is really showcased well in the way she narrates the novel. In some ways, she did show the naivety that would more suit her age, but in time, she came to realize she was only a pawn in Nate's game of deceit. As Kit becomes more trapped, you'll feel helpless watching on the sidelines.

I loved the flashbacks to Kit's childhood. It may have sometimes slowed the story down at times, but everything is well-intentioned. It's in the past that we learn more about Kit's tumultuous, and often complicated, relationship with Billy despite their obvious love for each other, and it's in the past that we see how Kit's tough childhood has influenced her actions in the present. But perhaps more importantly, we also see how Kit's family has an intricate history with Nate Benedict. With its unhurried pacing, the build up to the final events did seem almost rather quiet before you suddenly found yourself reading it, but Judy Blundell cleverly lays out the clues for you to piece everything together.

Strings Attached absolutely broke my heart. Once I finished, reflecting back on the events and everything that Kit had experienced, I began to cry and couldn't find the will to stop. It was like the full force of everything that Judy Blundell had steadily built up to in the course of the novel suddenly crashed down on me. I mourned for a boy haunted by his past and ashamed to call a man his father, and I mourned for the tragic turn of events towards the end of the novel. But most of all, I mourned for a teenage girl who's only wish was to shine on the stage and be loved... yet only finding herself caught in a web of lies instead.

Strings Attached certainly sets a standard for YA historical fiction that I'm now going to find difficult to top. Wonderfully detailed and absolutely well-written, it will appeal to both teens and adults alike. There's still an ache in my chest when I think about the novel because that's just how emotionally invested I became with this story.

[nancy (The Ravenous Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a new novel now set in the 1950's proceeding author Judy Blundell's National Book Award winner, What I Saw and How I Lied, Strings Attached proves to be just as suspensful, well detailed and beautifully written. A slow building story that pulls you in and holds your attention until the very end.


After a horrific fight with her family and boyfriend, Kit Corrigan drops out of school and decides to leave home and pursue her dreams of becoming a star on the Broadway stage, but luck has not been her friend. Although she has a job as a chorus girl in a play, it's nothing to remember and she is also sleeping on her cast mate's couch, whom despises her. Yes, luck as overlooked her until, that is, she runs into Nate Benedict, the father of her ex-boyfriend Billy whom propositions her with an offer she cannot seem to refuse. He puts her up in a nice apartment and helps her get THE job at an posh nightclub. Luck begins to turn for Kit but Nate’s help comes with a steep price and she soon finds herself in over her head, drowning in a web of lies and deception.


What I admire most is how seamlessly the story flows from present day 1950 to Kit's past, highlighting moments that would come back to plague and haunt her. I witnessed her life story; her family, her relationships and her drive to be on the stage. These brief vignettes all gave me an insight into Kit and what motivated her choices and how that naivete and need ultimately caused her to make a bad choice. Because she always suspected that the generous offer that Nate gave her had strings attached but she accepted nonetheless and it isn't until a death that reveals a sordid affair, unraveling a tangled web of family secrets that she realizes how much of a pawn she truly is. Tracing this journey of Kit's realization and growth is at the heart of this story while showcasing a moment in history that is peppered with the effects of the Korean War, McCarthyism, organized crime and the dreams of it's youth.


Strings Attached is coming-of-age story that although retro in it's presentation will appeal to all in the modern YA genre. A feat that is adoringly accomplished because of Blundell's attention to detail and dialogue for an era that has long disappeared but is not forgotten. And although this novel may have been set in a different time it's protagonist and her choices can still be applied to any situation today. Strings Attached is a novel you cannot miss, a must read for 2011. Broadway, Mobsters, Forbidden Love and Lies. Now this is book worth talking about.


Favorite Quote:


"I was staring at my life and I saw how every choice had let to the next, that it wasn't some big fall but a series of steps, each one of my choosing."

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I quickly became a fan of Blundell after reading her first novel for teens, What I Saw and How I Lied, which won the National Book Award for Youth. She really writes great noir novels for teens, which is pretty much unique from what I can tell. I love them and can't put them aside.

Readers are quickly introduced to 17-year-old Kit Corrigan. It's fall of 1950, and she has recently arrived in New York City with the hopes of making it big on Broadway. It is not like she has no background. She and her triplet sister (Muddie) and brother (Jamie) were very big when they were younger. They were the stars of the Providence, Rhode Island, stage as the Corrigan triplets.

Kit has just finished a run as a dancer for a bomb of a Broadway play, and she is looking for a new role. Little does she know it, but it is going to be the role she plays offstage that is going to define her future and that of everyone she cares about. In a way, she is rescued by her former-boyfriend Billy's father. The problem is that Nate has connections ... and it is to the New England mob.

he offers her an awesome apartment in downtown Manhattan and a chance to tryout at the Lido Room as a singer/dancer. In a way, that is every girl's dream since so many of the performers are scouted by Hollywood producers. All Nate wants is for her to reconsider getting back together with Billy and building the dreams they once shared for a life in New York. In part, Kit knows it is a bad idea, but how do you pass up a chance like that!

As even she knows, things quickly start to spiral out of control as Nates ties to the mafia and her own Irish-Catholic family in Providence come to a head. Nothing comes free, and it quickly becomes clear that strings are attached to this help.

Blundell does an amazing job of capturing the feel and tone of the period. I wouldn't have been surprised to see Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe passing by in a scene. She ably captures Providence and other parts of Rhode Island well, getting the geography correct. I can only assume that the same is true of New York and the celebrities from their who are highlighted.

The book is eerie and fun, keeping the reader on edge as family secrets from the past come out, affecting everything the characters are trying to build today. Are their any victims, heroes, or villains in this tale? Read the book, and you can decide!

[Bookworm_Yogi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Things made sense here because nobody cared--If you were hot, you chopped off you shirtsleeves; if you were tired, you drank a pot of coffee; if your heart was broken, you went out that night and sang the pieces of your heart out onstage. Easy" -Kit Corrigan

The premise of Strings Attached does not do the book justice. This book packed a lot of punch! It definitely surprised me, I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. There was a twist and turn around every corner, making me fly through the pages. It was nearly impossible for me to put down the book because I just had to know what was going to happen next.

The author did a fantastic job at creating her characters. Each was so diverse, with powerful personalities. Kit was a wonderful character to read. I immediately fell in love with her. She was a strong, stubborn 17 year old but she was vulnerable underneath her tough exterior. Delia was another unique character, but that's all I will say, she is to be discovered on your own. From Jamie, to Da, From Billy to Nate. The entire character cast was entertaining and one-of-a-kind.

Aside from the mystery and suspense Strings Attached also has a lot of heart. Inside this book is a great love story, not just between Billy and Kit, but between Da and his wife and the love of a family. The author knew just how to explain the feeling of love. The "stop in your tracks, and lose your breath" kind of feeling. The knowing of doing anything you have to, to protect the ones you love. The beauty and pain of the love stories in this book definitely had me reaching for a tissue(or a few).

I love being transported back in time, and this book did just that. Taking you to 1950 New York, during the Korean war. I could almost hear the Jazzy notes of the club's music and the taps of the dancing girl's shoes. It was a fantastically written book, that took you on a journey through time. Strings Attached is packed with heart and soul, with mystery and page-turning suspense in between. It is a beautiful story, one that shouldn't be missed.

What I loved: The 1950's era. The love story

What I disliked: The premise. It is just enough to perk someones interest but this book deserves the attention and I think the premise may hold it back a little.

[Andye.Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I try not to read the blurb on the book jacket before I read a book. I prefer to discover the story myself without being influenced by the summary. The picture on the book jacket and the title, 'Strings Attached', were enough to spark my interest. 'Strings Attached' gives an interesting view of New York City in 1950. It is not often we get a glimpse of the underworld of the mid-20th century with the Korean War in the background. The story involves secrets and lies that bind two families together over a period of years and then ultimately tears them apart.

Kit Corrigan is one of a set of triplets who have been raised in Providence, Rhode Island by a single father and his sister. They have lived a scrape together existence, never quite sure where the rent and grocery money is going to come from. It has always been Kit's dream to be on the stage....preferably Broadway. A series of events converge to blow up relationships in Kit's home and she packs her bag and heads to the bright lights of New York City. She leaves behind an angry father, a brother who might be a homosexual, a boyfriend with a temper problem and years of deception and secrets. Kit is happy working off-Broadway until her boyfriend's father shows up one night. He is a mob-connected lawyer and makes Kit "an offer that she can't refuse". As Kit tries to reconcile relationships and understand past events, she finds herself pulled deeper and deeper into a dark world.

While the story held my interest, it also left me feeling sad and depressed. There was nothing remotely happy or even hopeful about Kit Corrigan's story. Even her happy times were tinged with negative emotion -- jealousy, regret, uncertainty, fear. The story was told well but in such a way that I didn't really care about the characters that much and every time I opened the book it was like a cloud went in front of the sun. The tone and mood was the book was very dark. I saw a mug that other day that said, "Coffee is not my cup of tea", which happens to be very true. Unfortunately, neither is "Strings Attached".

Janeth
Reading Teen

Content:

Profanity: Moderate
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violence: Moderate

[Kat Heckenbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four and a half stars is what I'd actually give this book if I could. It's not a five-star because it didn't blow my mind like some other YA books I've read, but it deserves that extra half-star for being unexpectedly good. I received this as an advanced copy and was a bit skeptical. The setting ranges from the late 1930's to 1950, with most of the action in the latter. I'm not much into historical novels, to be honest, but something about the writing grabbed me from the very beginning, so I gave it a shot.

I was pleasantly surprised. The strong start moved into an even stronger middle. The ending moved a little too fast--I would have liked it better if the author had stayed in the characters head a bit more so there was time for me to breathe between events. But the plot was significantly thick by then, so I understand why it was written the way it was.

This is actually a hard book to summarize without giving the whole plot away, but here goes. Kit is a poor Irish girl who leaves home and heads to New York to pursue her dream of becoming a dancer and eventually an actress. She's offered a unique opportunity by her ex-boyfriend's father. Is it really over between her and Billy, though? And why does his father want to help her when he's made it clear in the past that he doesn't want her marrying his son?

The past and present are woven together--the events given out of chronological order. When I realized the author was doing this, I was afraid I'd have a hard time keeping everything straight. I was wrong! So wrong. It was the PERFECT way to tell this story.

I'd definitely recommend this book to friends. Actually, I already have!


My Website
Find me on Facebook
My YA fantasy series:
book 1

book 2

[Rosemarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was astonished at the quality and complexity of this story set in the early 1950s, and classified as young adult. Without overt sex or profanity, the author tells a gripping, slightly gritty story of a young girl’s search for fame and fortune gone terribly awry.

Vivacious, talented Kit Corrigan quits school at 17 and moves to New York to pursue a career in the theatre after breaking up with her boyfriend Billy, whose jealousy led him to beat up a man for dancing with her. Billy’s estranged father, Nate, sees her performance in the chorus of a very bad play, and makes her an offer.

He will give her, rent free, “no strings attached”, use of a nice apartment in a building he owns; if she will just let him know when Billy, who has quit college to enlist in the Army, contacts her. While uncomfortable about it, she is now out of work and has nowhere to live, so accepts his offer. Nate later finds her a job at the hottest club in town, and brings her a wardrobe of gorgeous clothes. Complete Cinderella story, right? Not so fast!

Missing her family and Billy, Kit soon makes friends with her upstairs neighbors and their teenage son. Both parents had been fired from their teaching jobs for political activism. Are they the reason a strange man comes up to her in the street, forces an FBI business card on her, and says “Call when you want to talk”? Or could it have something to do with the seemingly harmless favors that Nate, lawyer for a notorious mobster, asks from time to time? Then a murder occurs at the club, and Kit finds herself feeling trapped and increasingly frightened. Unwilling to give up and go home, she still hopes to hear from Billy, who she fears may be sent to Korea without ever calling her again.

All this is only the buildup to this bittersweet story with several twists; in which organized crime, national paranoia, and old family secrets are set against the dreams and aspirations of one young girl. It is appropriate for mature teens - and their mothers and grandmothers - who appreciate a tight, tough romance.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Strings Attached a lot, and it’s one of the best I’ve read in the YA historical fiction genre. I was swept up in the story immediately and captivated with the details of Kit’s life in New York during the Korean War. The historical details are obviously well researched and transported me to another time and place. I felt like I was watching a film noir as the scandalous story unfolded.

Kit is on the one hand very mature to be able to handle life alone in New York. But at the same time she is naive in her relationship with Nate. He is bribing her so that he can get closer to his son, and for Kit’s help with his unsavory business dealings. Kit has a tumultuous relationship with Billy, who is a possessive and jealous boyfriend. He always seems to be walking in on her as she is embracing another man, which doesn’t help matters.

The story unfolds slowly and the details of Kit’s life are filled in through flashbacks to her life in Providence. We learn about her childhood and growing up as a triplet. We also learn about her relationship with Billy and her complicated family history with his father Nate. The flashbacks don’t interfere with the story in New York, but add a new perspective when viewing the current events.

The events of the book lead up to a jam packed ending, filled with shocking revelations and dramatic twists and turns. The books ends with such a big finish it is a shock to read after the more even pace of the first three quarters of the book. The book has a satisfying though bittersweet ending that was a complete surprise.

Strings Attached has a great story with a modern feel and relevance to today’s contemporary YA readers even though the story is set in the past. The noir-like tale of 1950 nightlife and gangsters has painstaking and vivid historical details of interest to history buffs as well. I’ll be sure to pick up the author’s previous book, National Book Award winner, What I Saw and How I Lied.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a big family fight, Kit Corrigan drops out of school and decides to leave home and move to New York to pursue her dreams of becoming a star. So far it hasn’t been as she expected. She’s got a job as a chorus girl in a play that’s going nowhere and after moving from one rooming house to another, she’s sleeping on her friends couch. That is until she runs into Nate Benedict, the father of her ex-boyfriend Billy who puts her up in a nice apartment and gets her in the door for a swanky new job at a upscale nightclub. Things are looking up for Kit but Nate’s help comes with a price and soon she finds herself in over her head, caught up in a web of lies and deception.

Kit is seventeen, leaves home with barely anything and trying the best to make her way in New York. Nate’s offer seems innocent enough and the help would really help her get on her feet again so she takes him up on it. And little does she know that it would lead to.

The story flows effortlessly from the present in 1950 to flashbacks of Kit’s life in Providence. Her childhood, family life, and relationship with Billy are all things we learn through these flashbacks. They helped me understand what motivated Kit in her decisions but a lot of the time left me wondering, with more questions than answers. Honestly, when I was reading I didn't know where the story was going to go. The lies become too much for Kit and the answers she finds only makes everything more complicated.

Showing both the glamour and dangers of the period, Strings Attached is a book that would appeal to older YA readers and one that even adults would appreciate. What I love about Strings Attached is that you never know what's going to happen until it does and it hits you, you look back and the answers were there all along. Having not read Blundell’s earlier book, What I Saw And How I Lied, but seeing so much praise for it, I know its another book I have to pick up.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a winner. I loved being taken back to the early 1950s with curls being set with bobby pins and rayon scarves. The Red Scare was heating up then with actors and writers with suspicious backgrounds being blacklisted. A nuclear bomb seemed imminent and bomb shelters are being built.

Kit Corrigan, only 16 broke off with her boyfriend, Billy in an act of self-preservation and left her family for her in dancing in New York. As Kit learns about the
life of a show girl we do too. With no place to live she stays with another performer and the performer's mother for a while. Then fed up with the two, she walks out and begins to get tangled up in a mess with her former boyfriend’s father, Nate Benedict. Nate is a part of the Mob.

With alternating flashbacks and returns to the present, the author Judy Blundell paints the childhood of
Kit Corrigan and her siblings. The flashbacks let the reader slowly discover clues to the mystery of her family and secrets that had been hidden. We begin to understand why Kit and her relatives made the choices that they did. As parts of the past are revealed, the tension builds into an exciting climax.

The dialogue was great, I found myself saying some of it out loud a couple of time just for enjoyment.
I truly felt like I was back in the early fifties and peeking into the world of the New York girls and peeking into a Mob leader’s family.

The characters were expertly developed. At the end of the book, you are left to ponder several different questions. I will let you discover them for yourself. Judy Blundell is going to be on my list of favorite authors.

I received this free book from the Amazon Vine Program but that did not influence my review, my thoughts are my own.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strings Attached by Judy Blundell follows Kit a performer who gets herself entangled in the mob. Kit is working as a chorus girl when she is approached by the father of her ex-boyfriend. He offers to put her up in an apartment if she is willing to contact his son at boot camp and keep him informed as to how he is doing. He then gets her a job as a Lido Doll at a famous night club and things slowly spiral out of control.


While a enjoyed this piece of historical fiction I had major problems with the way it was written. There were frequent interruptions in the plot for flashbacks that were not in sequential order. These flashbacks often contained important information to the plot but were long and distracted from the flow of the plot. Additionally, there were so many characters who were in the book for a short period of time that I had trouble keeping them sorted out. It was a fantastic story but all the interruptions took away from the plot.


Appropriateness: I wasn't sure why the book was marketed as a young adult book in the first place. Although the main character was seventeen her behavior, interactions and life were that of an adult woman of the time period. She lived alone and danced in bars and nightclubs. Nothing about this book screamed teen to me (not that teens wouldn't like it, many teens read adult books. As for inappropriate material, the main character works in a night club and gets herself tangled up in the mob but there is no sex or drunkenness. I would recommend this book to older teens and adults who are fans of historical fiction.

http://booksyourkidswilllove.blogspot...

[Holly Frabizio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strings Attached is the an exciting and somewhat tragic story of a young girl trying to find Broadway success and love in New York City in the 1950's. The book was listed as young adult historical fiction but could be categorized in a few different genres of young adult fiction. I found it to be a romantic crime novel that was reminiscent of the Damon Runyon based Guys and Dolls. Blundell captures the language and distinctive style of the 1950's New York. The young protagonist, Kit Corrigan is clearly feminine in her style and grace but still maintains a street smart and saucy attitude that can be endearing to most readers. Kit is torn between her love for the stage and her love for the troubled Billy Benedict. Kit must decide whether she can truly make it on her own or if she will accept the help of a shadowy man from her past. This novel is filled with secrets and lies and a shocking climax that I did not see coming. Blundell writes very strong female characters that don't seem to fit the cookie cutter image of the 1950's Donna Reed and Doris Day type woman. The narrative travels back and forth through the life of Kit Corrigan and this mode of telling slightly disconnects its readers from the story until we are able to get our bearings and figure out where Blundell is taking us. Two themes remain current throughout the book, failed fathers and absent mothers. The idea of the fractured family reasons why the young characters had become so self-sufficient. Ultimately, Strings Attached keeps readers wondering what will happen next as we root for the heroine to find happiness and success.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seventeen-year-old Kit Corrigan has left her family in Providence for a new life in New York City, after a shattering break-up with her boyfriend Billy. Although she finds a job as a chorus girl, she's having trouble making it until Billy's father Nate, a Mob-connected lawyer, comes to her aid with a new apartment and job in a top nightclub. All he wants in return is for Kit to make contact with Billy and for her to do Nate a few small favors...favors which of course are far more dangerous than they seem.

A couple of minor things aside, I thought this was a very good piece of YA historical fiction. On the down side, I occasionally thought that Kit was sort of wishy-washy and spineless, but on the other hand, that felt perfectly natural considering what happens to her. One thing I wish Blundell had developed more was the relationship between Billy and Kit's brother Jamie, as there's more than a hint of Jamie being in love with Billy; that's something I thought should have been addressed more, if it was going to be an element at all.

The 1950 NYC setting is well handled, and the writing sharp. The gradual reveal of what exactly happened between Kit and Billy and what the true ties between their families are was very well done, and that plus the current-day plot developments kept the pacing suspenseful. I liked that Blundell wasn't afraid to end the book on a less than happy note; a perfectly happy ending wouldn't have matched the book's plot and tone.