With dry wit and piercing observation, Beard writes about the relationship between two teenage girls in the 1970s--misfits whose friendship is test...
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Jul 19, 2011
Kristina
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This book starts out like a house on fire---really. The first chapter begins with the 14 yr old narrator (who is never named by the author) and her best friend babysitting an unruly group of siblings when one of the children sets the bathroom trash can on fire. Felicia ("Flea") and her friend panic and respond to the smoke by herding all the kids outside, and then by removing all the animals (snakes, Tarantulas, mice)to the front lawn. Then they decide whose mother to call because moth
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Dec 30, 2011
Athira
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In Zanesville is a coming-of-age story about an unnamed fourteen-year old protagonist who revels in being a sidekick. She stays with an over-stressed mother, a drunk father, an annoying elder sister and a helpful younger brother. Our protagonist and Felicia (or Flea, as she is sometimes known) are best friends who know each other really well, and they frequently sleepover at each others place. Felicia isn't too popular either, though relatively, she is. When the pair are together, people look at
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Dec 09, 2011
Beth
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Beard's style is very accessible while being almost deceptively simple. Her dry sense of humor and interesting characters kept me very entertained, and she did an excellent job of conjuring up the drama that surrounds the day in a life of junior high girls. I also liked that this was set in the 70s and often found myself nodding in agreement or laughing at her observations about that decade (much like watching a Mad Men episode and thinking "OMG, I totally remember when people used to do th
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Jul 01, 2011
Kathy
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The narrator's voice is strong and distinct in this coming of age story set in the 70's. She is about the same age as I was at the time the novel is set and the details about what the world was like (particularly the world of early adolescence) at that time are painfully accurate.
This is a solid 3.5 based on these two things alone, there just really is not much of a story. Jo (maybe, you aren't ever completely sure if that is her name) tells the tales of friendship, family, growing More...
This is a solid 3.5 based on these two things alone, there just really is not much of a story. Jo (maybe, you aren't ever completely sure if that is her name) tells the tales of friendship, family, growing More...
Jan 16, 2012
Judith
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Teen fiction----which I am a sucker for----at its finest. The protagonist is a young girl growing up in a small town in Illinois in the 1970s. How could I resist, huh? The whole adolescent angst is there: the intensity of those hormonal drives which made you alternately hate and/or love every person you knew with a supreme intensity; the thought that your dinky little town was the whole universe; the belief that parents held all the power and were totally ignorant tyrants; the wide-eyed innoc
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Dec 17, 2011
From NPR Review:
I don't think I'll ever forget the unnamed, perfectly realized 14-year-old narrator of In Zanesville. It's a marvelous reading experience. Jo Ann Beard, whose first book was The Boys of My Youth, a dozen autobiographical essays, has captured the terror, joy, uncertainties and angst of growing up in small-town 1970s America. Best friends, big sisters, boys, baby-sitting, band uniforms, clothes-buying expeditions — Beard has captured what being 14 is like. And the writing is More...
I don't think I'll ever forget the unnamed, perfectly realized 14-year-old narrator of In Zanesville. It's a marvelous reading experience. Jo Ann Beard, whose first book was The Boys of My Youth, a dozen autobiographical essays, has captured the terror, joy, uncertainties and angst of growing up in small-town 1970s America. Best friends, big sisters, boys, baby-sitting, band uniforms, clothes-buying expeditions — Beard has captured what being 14 is like. And the writing is More...
Dec 13, 2011
Chris
rated it:
Jo Ann Beard's debut novel, In Zanesville, takes an overworked concept--the coming-of-age story--and gives it a fresh perspective with a story that crackles with dry wit supplied by a precocious narrator.
Set in the 1970s in a gritty Illinois suburb, In Zanesville centers on an unnamed narrator about to enter her freshman year in high school and her best friend Felicia, called "Flea." The narrator is at that awkward age, between childhood and adolescence. The story begins ov More...
Set in the 1970s in a gritty Illinois suburb, In Zanesville centers on an unnamed narrator about to enter her freshman year in high school and her best friend Felicia, called "Flea." The narrator is at that awkward age, between childhood and adolescence. The story begins ov More...
Oct 14, 2011
Emma
rated it: 
OMG I CANNOT EVEN. I MEAN SERIOUSLY. THIS BOOK. JUST READ THE FIRST TWO SENTENCES AND YOU WILL KNOW WHY.
Though I have to admit I wonder a lot about why Beard called this a novel: the characters are clearly the people from The Boys of My Youth. I've read a lot on-line about her "unnamed" narrator, but, at one point, she pretty clearly states that her name is Jo (when she's talking about Little Women, she says one of the characters has her name and she's the one who shows up More...
Though I have to admit I wonder a lot about why Beard called this a novel: the characters are clearly the people from The Boys of My Youth. I've read a lot on-line about her "unnamed" narrator, but, at one point, she pretty clearly states that her name is Jo (when she's talking about Little Women, she says one of the characters has her name and she's the one who shows up More...
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Sep 11, 2011
Aaron
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The story revolves around a girl entering her 9nth grade in just another American town. With a dysfunctional family and a negative view of herself, this premise doesn't offer many surprises. The reason to read this - in my opinion - would be to pursue the language of its author. Her previous publication, a collection of essays entitled 'The Boys of My Youth' (the title of the last essay amongst them) was a superb feat.
While the book's opening pages are very engaging, its the best pa More...
While the book's opening pages are very engaging, its the best pa More...
Sep 04, 2011
Danielle
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This one was a little disapointing. I thought it would be better, but no luck. I like a book with a clear beginning and end and this one just didn't have that. The author jumped right in before you knew anything about the characters, and the ending wasn't satisfying at all. It just.....ended....with no real resolution of the issues in the book. Also, the beginning was a little disturbing. It opens with two teenage best friends babysitting for a family with five kids. The oldest boy starts
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Jul 14, 2011
Amy
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Jo Ann Beard writes beautifuly and her observations about family dynamics and being a teenager are impeccable. In Zanesville: A Novel is a must read for a few of the lines alone. She describes the oldest son (and terror) of her last babysitting job as follows: "We've always thought of Derek as a large, overbearing kid who shouts out words we've only seen in spray paint." That just rocks.
I would have loved to give this book five stars, but I couldn't bring myself to do it be More...
I would have loved to give this book five stars, but I couldn't bring myself to do it be More...
May 29, 2011
christa
rated it:
Jo Ann Beard's debut novel In Zanesville landed in my lap during just the right fit of nostalgia.
The previous night I'd watched the teen-aged girl next door waiting to get picked up by a carload of friends. She and her mom and her mom's boyfriend had all busted out of the house with this contagious giddy Friday fever. The girl needed a couple flashlights. Her mom gave her one, she clicked it on and off, made swirls of light. Her mom's boyfriend went to his truck to get another.
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The previous night I'd watched the teen-aged girl next door waiting to get picked up by a carload of friends. She and her mom and her mom's boyfriend had all busted out of the house with this contagious giddy Friday fever. The girl needed a couple flashlights. Her mom gave her one, she clicked it on and off, made swirls of light. Her mom's boyfriend went to his truck to get another.
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May 03, 2011
Mary (BookHounds)
rated it:
This book is such a love letter to the 70's which is a time I know well. I still can't figure out the name of the narrator, but I guess it might be "Jo" and maybe this book is a bit of memoir of the author. Jo is at that awkward period in every girls life which seems to happen around fourteen. Flea (Felicia), her best friend shares the horribleness of this age with Jo (the narrator). This should be a hit with adults as well as teens since it describes the angst and anguish that acc
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Dec 31, 2011
Jody
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This book was good but NOT worth the hype it's been receiving. I find it interesting that a novel with a 14 year-old protagonist and very much about friends, boys, and school, got such glowing reviews. Why is this? Well, my theory is that because this is being marketed to adults rather than teens, it's playing on the reminiscent/sentimental vibe; whereas if you gave this book to a teenager, they'd likely find it boring. Given how much YA I read, I can safely say there are SO MANY better teenage-
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May 21, 2011
Kate
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Pitch-perfect evocation of adolescence, with language that is both stark and dreamy, In Zanesville paints a hurts-so-good landscape of lower middle class life and family relationships. Jo Ann Beard's young heroine displays both casual corruption and embarrassed nobility in her journey toward maturity and an uncertain future.
From the startling, smoky beginning scene to the introduction of a bowl of malted milk balls, the plot and setting zig just when you expect them to zag, and delig More...
From the startling, smoky beginning scene to the introduction of a bowl of malted milk balls, the plot and setting zig just when you expect them to zag, and delig More...
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May 18, 2011
Michelle
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1970s coming-of-age story about a 14 year old girl living in a small Midwestern town. The narrator (who shall remain nameless) has a fantastic voice. She is funny and irreverent and clever (example: she refers to someone as “a boy with the ruinous name Milton”). Her best friend Felicia, aka Flea, is also perfectly portrayed and I also thoroughly enjoyed the 1970s mom archetype our narrator is forced to live with. Ultimately, though, despite the strength of the narrator’s personality, there just
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Jun 26, 2011
Laura Stone
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“In Zanesville” is a pitch-perfect coming-of-age story that fully captures the aching agony of teen angst, focusing on the alluring pull of peer pressure among the in-crowd and loyalty to the old guard. Author Jo Ann Beard’s fourteen-year-old narrator (whose name, Jo, is only hinted at) considers herself a sidekick, a role she’s happy to play until life begins to force her and her best friend, Flea (Felicia) outside their insular cocoon. “I’d like to be the kind of person who can do something
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May 28, 2011
Digna
rated it:
A witty tale of an average American teenager in a dysfunctional family.
If you were a teen in the 1970's you can definitely relate to INZANESVILLE. The main character a 14 year old teenager girl is also the narrator and remains annonymous throughout the book. Despite her dysfunctional family which includes her chain smoking mother and her non-working alcoholic father, the narator seeems to emotionally lead a rather normal teenage life. Follow her and laugh as I did as she leads you More...
If you were a teen in the 1970's you can definitely relate to INZANESVILLE. The main character a 14 year old teenager girl is also the narrator and remains annonymous throughout the book. Despite her dysfunctional family which includes her chain smoking mother and her non-working alcoholic father, the narator seeems to emotionally lead a rather normal teenage life. Follow her and laugh as I did as she leads you More...
Jun 10, 2011
Julie
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To be honest, I have no recollection of where I heard about this book or why I decided to read it -- but I am glad I did. It is a story of teenage angst, of a girl and her childhood best friend trying to navigate the surreal landscape of adolescence. From babysitting together for a strange family (and being fired after their pyro-maniac son sets fire to the house), to spending the night together (sort of still under parental supervision, but with a perceived sense of freedom in the family camper
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May 11, 2011
Deborah
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"Inzanesville" is a steady walk through the mire and joys of insanity called adolescence while trying to navigate the delicate, treacherous landmines of a dysfunctional family. Inzanesville is shortly recognized as a euphemism of Insanesville and we are abruptly drawn into the place and time of what we understand is going to be a gripping story.
Jo Ann Beard is an earthy writer. She is a writer who doesn't who doesn't use flowery language. She's an author of grass roots. More...
Jo Ann Beard is an earthy writer. She is a writer who doesn't who doesn't use flowery language. She's an author of grass roots. More...
Jun 06, 2011
Janet
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I would probably read the ingredient list on a cake mix box if it was written by Jo Ann Beard - yeah, she's that good. That said, the 14 year old narrator of this fiction didn't ring true for me - what would ring true is the narrator at 40 looking backwards and interpreting how she felt at 14. By definition, middle school girls are coltish, painfully self-conscious and wear their hearts on the outside like bloody valentines but introspective? No. Oh wait, I've left out that huge percentage of
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Jul 15, 2011
Tracy
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I was instantly able to relate to the narrator! I think most teenage girls, especially those who grew up in the 70s and 80s, could. Overall, the novel evokes a feeling of nostalgia for a life you haven't really lived. Keen, witty dialogue and observations. I love the depiction of the family dynamics in this novel - so realistic and spot on. I admit the narrator's mother was my favorite character. Two small issues: (1) I would have LIKED to know the narrator's name, but I can appreciate the lite
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Jun 16, 2011
Hobart
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The 1970's weren't the easiest time for a couple of 14 year old girls to grow up--just ask In Zanesville's unnamed narrator and her best friend. In this coming of age novel, we see the two of them deal with odd babysitting gigs, clothes, strange teachers, annoying/horrible family situations, self-awareness, friends, brushes with popularity, and (of course) boys at that awkward and vital time of life. Jo Ann Beard depicts their struggles, failures (and even a success or two) in a well-written (
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May 16, 2011
Christine
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Coming off the heels of the Rob Lowe autobiography, I have spent the last two weeks on a trip back in time to the 80's, and at the forefront of this journey has been parenting, for some strange reason. This story of a girl in junior high trying to find her place was so reminiscent of my grade school and junior high days - both set in small mid-western towns, trying to navigate the awful tween years with a sidekick and crazy families. I enjoyed the story for the real portrayal of coming of age i
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May 28, 2011
Leah
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I was blown away by "Boys of My Youth", and Jo Ann Beard's follow-up novel did not fail to disappoint. I probably still slightly prefer "Boys of My Youth" because it was so personal and a little more ambitious in scope, but "In Zanesville" is excellent. Like "Boys of My Youth" it is so evocative of the thrills, confusion, and trials of adolescence, without ever succumbing to cliche or redundancy. Jo Ann Beard is masterful at relating the details of food
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Feb 05, 2012
Sally
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Genuinely loved this book. Maybe because I found myself back in the 70's, reliving some of my teenage years that the 14-yr. old narrator, growing up in Zanesville, IL, brings to life. Funny how so many seemingly insignificant experiences introduce the character to new words--or at least how to pronounce them (e.g. ethereal), and etiquette--for someone whose family doesn't regularly entertain or dine out. Beard is a wonderful writer; her description of mundane occurences and people that impact
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Jan 19, 2012
Karyl
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Growing up is hard. It's even harder when you're a fourteen-year-old girl who doesn't really fit in anywhere. The narrator of In Zanesville is totally comfortable to be flying under the radar, to act a sidekick to her best friend Felicia, with whom she manages to get in a fair amount of trouble. Her home life is chaos, with an alcoholic father, a chain-smoking mother, an older sister who torments her, and a little brother who just wants to be loved. Yet when the rules are broken just enough
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Jan 28, 2012
Set in the hardscrabble factory town of Zanesville, IL circa 1970, a nameless 14-year-old girl babysits with her best friend Felicia in order to pay for the clothes they set aside on lay away. They slip in and out of British accents for fun, have sleepovers, secretly adopt and name stray cats, sneak around and spy on neighbors, deal with pitiful parents and really mean sisters. Their friendship will be tested later on when they deal with cliques and boys and parties. This is all spot-on funny, y
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Jan 07, 2012
Alex
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Wow. I wasn’t really expecting anything when I read this novel, but what I was greeted with was a terrific, sharply observed portrait of what it is like to be a fourteen-year old girl. That’s all the novel is about, really: a few months in a fourtee- year-old girl’s life. Still, I read it like it was a suspense novel. While this seemingly autobiographical novel’s events didn’t mirror my own life experience, I could see myself in all of the narrator’s emotions. The scene in which she has what cou
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May 09, 2011
Susan
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If you'd like to remember what it feels like to be a young teenage girl, this is the book for you. The narrator remains nameless even though the reader certainly gets to know her very well with that exception . . . (I attribute this to the fact that she has not yet firmly established a personal identity). Meanwhile our unnamed heroine is navigating the turbulent waters of adolescence in which slumber parties, clothing, hair, boys and babysitting are primary ingredients. At the same time more
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