And Then Things Fall Apart

Sep 26, 2011 Alexa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, favourite-books

After reading an interview with Arlaina Tibensky on The Contemps, I impulse bought And Then Things Fall Apart (thank you Kindle).

It was love at first word. Not since I encountered Francesca Spinelli have I so instantly been hooked by a character's voice (I know regular readers, I know!).

Keek is fabulous, I just loved her. Her voice lunges out of the book, grabs hold of you, and keeps hold, long after the last word is read. Arlaina Tibensky does a wonderful job of making her just the right side o...more

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Dec 30, 2011 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, literary-fic, ya, read-in-2011, faves-read-in-2011

It's always nice when one cursorily reads something nice about a book on a blog, then months later randomly sees it at the library and picks it up whilst somewhat remembering hearing about it and not only does it turn out to be quite good, but Really Quite Good Indeed.

In And Then Things Fall Apart, high school student Keek has a revelatory summer after developing a later-in-life case of the chicken pox. She's feuding with her best friend and boyfriend, her parents are separated after her father...more It's always nice when one cursorily reads something nice about a book on a blog, then months later randomly sees it at the library and picks it up whilst somewhat remembering hearing about it and not only does it turn out to be quite good, but Really Quite Good Indeed.

In And Then Things Fall Apart, high school student Keek has a revelatory summer after developing a later-in-life case of the chicken pox. She's feuding with her best friend and boyfriend, her parents are separated after her father cheated with a waitress at the restaurant her family owns (a waitress who has become an inspirational friend of Keek's), and she's trapped at her Luddite grandmother's house in the meantime.

Sounds like the stuff of a fine enough guilty pleasure contemporary YA work, no? But through her writing, debut author Tibensky makes the story really shine. Obsessed with Sylvia Plath, Esther Greenwood, and The Bell Jar, Keek logs the ups and downs of her summer on her grandmother's typewriter, sprinkling in various works of poetry and other diversions.

Unreliable narrators are often my favorites, and though Keek is generally cogent, the histrionics of teenagerdom (and suffering from chicken pox, which apparently can cause extreme sickness if one doesn't catch it until many years past the infant & toddler years) take hold as we discover that though she believes her relationship with her best friend and boyfriend could be beyond repair, the actual situation may not be quite as serious. For readers who shy away from "unlikeable" protagonists, the novel may be off-putting, but for those who appreciate well-rounded, real characters, the narrative is a delight.

Tibensky is a fabulous writer in the vein of E Lockhart, writing a convincing and compulsively readable teenage voice while still mixing in plenty of brains and literary motifs on which to gnaw. It's too bad this wasn't picked up by the Morris committee, but I hope it receives some attention on award etc lists in the new year.

And though this is generally a very successful work, there are a couple points that keep it from being a 5-star read for me. The "sofa king" phrase felt a bit too cutesy for me, though I appreciate it a bit more when viewing it as a link from Amanda, the waitress with whom her father cheated though Keek viewed her as impossibly cool before finding out. Though Keek is furious with her, her continued usage shows that she's still somewhat connected to the idea of becoming 'cooler' than she sees herself.

Also, the epilogue is a bit out of tone with the rest, feeling more like the epilogue to a novel it is than the last entry of a girl's summer typewritten diary as written, to tie up loose ends.

Nevertheless, this is highly recommended for fans of well-written contemporary YA.(less)

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Apr 30, 2012 lucy by the sea rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fluff, young-adult-fiction

I like a good ramble and mumble grumble but this book has pretty much no plot. Her parents have broken up, shes an angsty virgin and that's about it for the whole book. I kept reading it and gave it 3 stars cos I quite liked the tone, shes witty and I liked the literary references.

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Oct 04, 2012 Monique Sanchiz rated it 4 of 5 stars

I bought this book a little more than six months ago on impulse, because I liked the Sylvia Plath reference and the typewriter in the cover, but didn't pick it up until recently because the blurb just wasn't very enticing and I felt like there were better things to read.

I do that sometimes. I buy books and then don't read them.

When I finally picked it up, I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't vapid or superficial. The main character is going through some very difficult stuff. And even though s...more I bought this book a little more than six months ago on impulse, because I liked the Sylvia Plath reference and the typewriter in the cover, but didn't pick it up until recently because the blurb just wasn't very enticing and I felt like there were better things to read.

I do that sometimes. I buy books and then don't read them.

When I finally picked it up, I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't vapid or superficial. The main character is going through some very difficult stuff. And even though she does come off as melodramatic sometimes, that's just her cover. What I really liked about this book is that Keek, ultimately, is tougher than she realizes. She's made of sterner stuff than possibly even her hero, Sylvia Plath (who killed herself when she was thirty. I mean sure it was different times and maybe she did have it worse than Keek, but you can't call someone who offs themselves tough, can you?).

This book also has no discernable plot. Like I said about Hunter S. Thompson's The Rum Diary in one of my older reviews, I dig books without plots. Life doesn't have a plot, does it? Having no plot really makes for a good reflective and realistic book, as long as the characters are super well-developed. If they're not, then the book is bound to be crap. But in this case, Keek was more than developed. She was real.

I can relate to her. She reminds me of me when I was a teenager. I'm not a teenager anymore and I don't miss those days. Remember when adults used to say you would miss High School when you grew up? Well, I'm grown now. And I really don't miss High School or being a teen at all. I've found that being an adult is WAY more fun. Sure you have jobs and responsibilities, but you also have the freedom to do whatever and go wherever the heck you want (as long as you can afford it). Your decisions are yours and your accomplishments and mistakes are yours, too.

But for a moment there, Keek really took me back to the days when it wasn't like that. When you depended on other people to take care of you, and not just financially but emotionally too. To the days when all you could think about were things like sex (and oh my gosh what would that be like?), and anger, and even death, a little. Keek does mention she wants to put her head in the oven like, three times, after all.

So I got it. I got her, I got the main character. I related. I also think that if this were real life, Keek would be the type of girl that would like being an adult more than being a teenager.

I recommend this to teens going through some tough times and that are looking for a laugh. It's a humorous book, in the end. It has to be when the topic is so depressing. (less)

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Apr 03, 2012 Shoshana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic, ya

This book is cute. I liked it. I recommend it. It's a YA novel with no real romance (although she is in a relationship - maybe) and really nothing happening, and I really like those two things about it. Tibensky pulls it off. Keek is sometimes a little too precocious - like, I don't totally buy it - but I enjoy her voice and her obsession with Sylvia Plath (even though I've never read The Bell Jar) and her typewriter habit. I was fascinated by the development of her relationships with her mom, h...more

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Jan 08, 2012 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: literacy, word-lovers, writing, ncbla

Fifteen-year-old Keek has had better summers. First, she endured mumps, and now she has chicken pox, and is staying with her paternal grandmother. Not to mention that her parents are separating and probably divorcing since her father cheated on her mother. Her mother is in California helping her own sister whose baby was born prematurely. Because she and her boyfriend had a fight, she is without a cell phone, and hasn't heard from him in several days. The novel spans some of the protagonist's da...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Lara rated it 2 of 5 stars

15-year old Keek’s life seems perfect. It’s the summer before sophomore year and she has the perfect family, the perfect boyfriend, the perfect job helping out at her parents’ restaurant, and the perfect co-worker and new best friend, Amanda. Then everything falls apart. Keek’s dad has an affair with Amanda. Keek finds out that her mom has been embezzling from the restaurant for months. Keek and her boyfriend, Matt, have a tremendous fight over the subject of his and her virginity (or lack there...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5
My take: Keek is short for Karina and she's just a 15 year old book geek who is cut off from civilization and sanity ash she convelesces in her grandmother's attic. She has the chicken pox which is much worse when you are a teenager. Her only company is a copy of Sylvia Plath's Bell Jar and an old typewriter. She isn't speaking to her adulterating father, her mother is choosing to be in California helping her own sister with a premature baby instead of caring for Keek, she and her boyfriend h...more 3.5
My take: Keek is short for Karina and she's just a 15 year old book geek who is cut off from civilization and sanity ash she convelesces in her grandmother's attic. She has the chicken pox which is much worse when you are a teenager. Her only company is a copy of Sylvia Plath's Bell Jar and an old typewriter. She isn't speaking to her adulterating father, her mother is choosing to be in California helping her own sister with a premature baby instead of caring for Keek, she and her boyfriend had a big fight, her best friend is the adulterating partner, and her high school best friend is estranged. So Keek writes on the typewriter.

The diary entries or whatever they would be called are a cross between self-centered and highly intellectual. The way the author fleshes out Keek develops her character very well. As a 15 year old teenager, she is self-centered. As a book geek, she puts many of us to shame. Unfortunately, that part was a little alienating since I haven't read Sylvia Plath. At the same time, Keek gives enough background information that Plath's work is reframed in Keek's mind and understandable.

Keek is obsessed with losing her virginity. She details the physical and sexual activities that she and Matt have managed to act out before she freaks out and has to leave. It is explicit enough that I would not hand the book to my teenage daughters with a recommendation. On the other hand, it is not fraught with unnecessary language (although swearing is present and I counted at least 3 or 4 'f' bombs) I wouldn't have a problem seeing it in a high school library.

The book is slow moving since Keek is nearly living in a vacuum. On the other hand, the limited contact she has with the people closest to her has definition and provides insight into her circumstances. Keek evolves while staying true to her character. Her opinions change quickly as she goes from loving Matt and everything about him to hating him passionately. (view spoiler)

Language - moderate.
Sex - heavy talk
Swearing - moderate to strong

Recommend? Maybe to a certain population of students.
(less)

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Jul 20, 2011 Jennah Scott rated it 3 of 5 stars

Keek is a huge fan of Sylvia Plath, specifically The Bell Jar. That book wasn't a favorite of mine growing up, and it still isn't. I thought that would be a turn off for me, but it wasn't. I will say, this book didn't make me want to run out and pick up The Bell Jar. But Arlaina Tibensky did a fabulous job relating parts of Plath's book to Keek's life experiences and internal debates.

Throughout the book Keek is dealing with some typical teen issues while suffering through chicken pox. Her boyfr...more

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Aug 13, 2011 Noelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: yay-for-ya, fairy-godmother, reviewed

First off, I need to express my undying love for the heroine of this book. Holy eff, Keek is just fantastic. I felt such a strong connection with her that several times it seemed like she was speaking directly to me, cracking me up with inside jokes and telling me stories I'd specifically appreciate. Keek's voice is so strong. She is real, funny and overall so damn INTERESTING. I loved her from her first feverish sentence. I'd even go as far as to call her one of my favorite heroines ever.

Somet...more First off, I need to express my undying love for the heroine of this book. Holy eff, Keek is just fantastic. I felt such a strong connection with her that several times it seemed like she was speaking directly to me, cracking me up with inside jokes and telling me stories I'd specifically appreciate. Keek's voice is so strong. She is real, funny and overall so damn INTERESTING. I loved her from her first feverish sentence. I'd even go as far as to call her one of my favorite heroines ever.

Sometimes though, it seemed Keek was closer to a sophomore in college than a sophomore in high school, some older version of Keek looking back on a fateful summer. But that could also be a result/fault of the format, which while genius in some ways, screwed with the overall feeling of the book in others. Keek is basically typing her thoughts while she's held hostage by the chicken pox and everything else in her life is in a massive upheaval. Originally it is absolutely hysterical because of her feverish rants and musings but as the fever subsides Keek's writing veers from absolute candor toward more general observations. This became especially obvious when it was time to wrap up the plot lines. The format made the endings seem so much tidier than they actually were because Keek was telling us her end evaluations after she had thought about it, not her unreserved reactions while things were actually happening. It contrasts to the emotional outbursts and inner monologue train of thought feeling of the feverish entries and ends up more like overly tidy summaries by a fifteen year old with enviable amounts of perspective and self-awareness.

BUT that introspection is also what makes Keek such a great character in the first place. I was ultimately charmed at all of the thought she put into everything (even when it bordered on becoming a The Bell Jar book report). This isn’t just some superficial stressing Keek is doing, this is analysis. She’s a deep thinker. She is looking for the deeper meaning of things, she’s trying to understand. And I absolutely freaking loved that about her. I think you will too.

I'd definitely recommend this book.

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Jul 06, 2011 Elissa Hoole rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book--as a reader, as a Plath-fan, as a poetry-lover, as a writer. Keek, a Bell-Jar-obsessed teen with the chicken pox, is isolated at her grandma's house with nothing but an old typewriter and a copy of her favorite book. She feverishly processes the breakups and betrayals of her life and connects them to the life of Bell Jar protagonist, Esther Greenwood. This structure requires a strong character voice, and the author definitely did a wonderful job creating Keek--angsty, funny,...more

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Jul 23, 2011 Shanyn (Chick Loves Lit) rated it 3 of 5 stars

The summary of this book describes it exactly - the narrative of Keek, a Sylvia Plath lover, bedridden with chicken pox and obsessed with her typewriter. What I didn't know going into it was how literal that description is - it is, in fact, the inner dialogue of Keek. The premise is that she is typing the entire thing on a typewriter at her grandmother's.

The beginning of the book is fun because she has a very high fever from the chicken pox. Arlaina Tibensky does a great job of putting a little...more

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Aug 20, 2011 Kelly Hager rated it 3 of 5 stars

Keek's life sucks. Her parents are splitting up (her dad cheated), she and her boyfriend had a huge fight and now she's quarantined at her grandmother's house with the chicken pox. (Which apparently is the worst thing ever when you're a teenager; she's sick for ages.) She's getting through it, though, thanks to a typewriter (did I mention that her grandma's house has no internet?) and a copy of The Bell Jar.

I need to re-read The Bell Jar, I think, because it is all over this novel and it's not a...more

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Oct 29, 2011 Abby Johnson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Fifteen year old Keek is having the worst summer of her life. Her parents are divorcing, her boyfriend and her best friend have both betrayed her, she's staying at her gram's house with NO INTERNET, and she's got the chicken pox. The only thing getting her through is rereading The Bell Jar and typing out all her thoughts and feelings on her grandmother's typewriter. Keek's a very realistic character and I think I would have completely identified with her when I was fifteen. Her ramblings got a b...more

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Sep 02, 2011 Trisha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-literature

An extraordinary book. Keek's narrative voice is defiant, vulnerable, and amazing. She is stuck in bed for the majority of the book dealing with the chicken pox, with little access to people or technology. The author does an excellent job of ensuring the story moves forward, often by flashing back to episodes in Keek's (real name, Karina) life before she was sick.

Keek's obsession with, and dependence on, Sylvia Plath's novel, 'The Bell Jar', really lifts 'And then Things Fall Apart' into a genu...more

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Oct 16, 2011 Jenn (Booksessed) rated it 5 of 5 stars

I liked this title; at least I think I did. Keeks was an interesting character. Not only does she love the book The Bell Jar, her fever from chickenpox makes her hallucinate. I’m fairly certain that her boyfriend problems would have really annoyed me if the hallucinations hadn’t been so funny. I found the fact that Keek’s boyfriend’s name was Matt. (My sweetheart’s name). Every time she was complaining about something that he’d done in the past, I had this internal dialogue of “not true!!” I’m c...more I liked this title; at least I think I did. Keeks was an interesting character. Not only does she love the book The Bell Jar, her fever from chickenpox makes her hallucinate. I’m fairly certain that her boyfriend problems would have really annoyed me if the hallucinations hadn’t been so funny. I found the fact that Keek’s boyfriend’s name was Matt. (My sweetheart’s name). Every time she was complaining about something that he’d done in the past, I had this internal dialogue of “not true!!” I’m completely biased and refuse to hear anything negative when the words “boyfriend” and “Matt” in the same sentence.

There is some “absent parent syndrome” in this novel and usually I hate that, but I think it was used brilliantly in this novel. Her parents are going through a divorce and so completely wrapped up in their own lives that they rarely check in with Keeks. I think that does happen a lot in divorce and it was interesting to see that in a novel. Keeks does have her Gram taking care of her though and her Gram Is. Awesome. There were some really funny scenes with the grandmother and a really touching scene involving a bathtub.

While I don’t think that this novel is perfect, I think that it touches upon a lot of issues: divorce, teen sex, frenemies in a way that a lot of girls will relate to or need to hear. (I can’t believe I just used the term “frenemies”…is that even how you spell it?)

I really liked that Keeks was a fan of Silvia Plath and The Bell Jar, well okay, I liked that she was a fan of reading in general. I don’t see enough of that in books. I really liked that her Gram supports her interests and goes along with it. I love when that happens.
The chapters were short and the book was formatted to appear as if they’d been typed on a typewriter, which was very unique yet suited the main character perfectly. The pacing of the story was good and I read it in just a couple hours.

Since I’m pretty much gushing, I think it’s safe to say that I do like this book. I would definitely read more from this author. (less)

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Dec 12, 2011 Jen Ryland added it

From "Best Kept YA Secrets 2011" www.jenryland.blogspot.com Dec 13, 2011

Sylvia Plath. Chicken Pox. An old-fashioned typewriter.

This sounds like a party game: pick three things out of a hat and make them into a story. But it works. Keek is quarantined at her grandmother's house with a case of the chicken pox and this mysterious device called a typewriter. She's pissed at her boyfriend. Her parents are splitting up. And she's obsessed with Sylvia Plath. This book is clever, poignant and funny. Ke...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Kristen rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is going to be a pretty short review because i don't have a whole lot to say. I really wanted to like And Then Things Fall Apart but there was not much about this book that I actually enjoyed.

I think all of the Sylvia Plath was a little too much for me. I feel like since I have never read The Bell Jar, i missed out on half of this book just because I didn't get any of the references. I always felt like I was missing something.

I also really couldn't connect with Keek very well. I felt like...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Roberta R. (Offbeat YA) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, family-issues, gorgeous-prose

Rated 4.5 really.

Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.

Pros: Gorgeous prose. Straightforward, engaging, lively-yet-deep lead that gets under your skin in the good way. "Bell Jar" references (if you love the book). Lots of bittersweet fun.
Cons: Heavy petting and sexual desire are discussed at lenght by a 15 years old girl.
Will appeal to: Those who like journal entries, multifaceted musings and Sylvia Plath.

Can I go all fangirl over this book? Because seriously, folks, that's...more Rated 4.5 really.

Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.

Pros: Gorgeous prose. Straightforward, engaging, lively-yet-deep lead that gets under your skin in the good way. "Bell Jar" references (if you love the book). Lots of bittersweet fun.
Cons: Heavy petting and sexual desire are discussed at lenght by a 15 years old girl.
Will appeal to: Those who like journal entries, multifaceted musings and Sylvia Plath.

Can I go all fangirl over this book? Because seriously, folks, that's what I feel like doing. [...] I would like to buy a huge stack of copies of this novel (um, I should get rich before...so not likely) and hand them out to the apparently massive number of people who haven't read it - at least according to Goodreads statistics. One could blame it on the marketing - but I suspect that a book with virtually no action and bearing all those Bell Jar references discouraged many potential readers. Well, I'll do my best to win some of them back with this review.
Every chapter of this book is sort of a journal entry by the 15 years old narrator Keek (Karina). I say "sort of" because she actually stresses the fact that she wouldn't call her pages a diary or a journal (chapter "July 25"). Also, she addresses a supposed "dear reader" here and there, turning her "journal" into an example of metafiction. The same thing happens - though in a different context - because of the constant references Keek makes to "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath. Having read and loved said book, Tibensky's novel caught my attention and immediately ended up in my to-read list, while the reference probably worked reversely for people who a) haven't read The Bell Jar or b) read The Bell Jar but didn't like it. Now, if Plath's novel proved not to be your cup of tea, it is very unlikely that Keek's story may appeal to you, because The Bell Jar has such an impact on her that you will probably feel irritated at the girl, and consequently unable to enjoy her narrative. But if you haven't read The Bell Jar, don't let that keep you away from Tibensky's novel. You would miss Keek's introspective but lively prose, rich imagery, authentically-teen-yet-often-mature remarks and speculations. I am well past Keek's age, and haven't endured the same trials she goes through when I was; nonetheless, I was able to tune into her emotions and feel her authenticity. It may help if you (like Keek...and me) have always found solace in books, and have nurtured a passion for words since a very young age. Because if you have, Keek will become your Esther Greenwood - or a teen version of her - and will speak on your behalf. [...]

Whole review here.(less)

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Dec 12, 2012 Elisquared rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: contemporary ya lovers, as well as literature lovers

Shelves: owned, contemporary, fiction, literature, family, romance, ya-middle-grade

This is a book I picked up last year at NCTE. I got to meet Arlaina Tibensky, and chat a little bit before getting my copy signed. She is hilarious, and based on her signature, has a love of Battlestar Galactica; it simply endeared me more to this awesome book! And Then Things Fall Apart is an introspective and intense look into a young woman’s life dealing with family, friend, and relationship issues.

Keek, the protagonist of the story, is stuck at her grandmother’s house with a gnarly case of t...more This is a book I picked up last year at NCTE. I got to meet Arlaina Tibensky, and chat a little bit before getting my copy signed. She is hilarious, and based on her signature, has a love of Battlestar Galactica; it simply endeared me more to this awesome book! And Then Things Fall Apart is an introspective and intense look into a young woman’s life dealing with family, friend, and relationship issues.

Keek, the protagonist of the story, is stuck at her grandmother’s house with a gnarly case of the chicken pox. The only items she has to entertain herself are a busted old typewriter and a worn-out copy of Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar. To make matters worse she had an epic fight with her boyfriend, got stabbed in the back by her best friend, and saw her parents’ marriage crumble. This is all taken in and regurgitated in Keek’s journal, which is the format of the book.

Keek is kept just on the right side of self-centered, angsty teen. Tibensky uses The Bell Jar in a very clever way, juxtaposing many of the book’s events with instances of Keek’s life. The story is very stylistic, with minimal dialogue and a stream of consciousness prose. this won’t appeal to everyone, but the crafting of the inner thoughts never borders on the dull.

There are inserts of present events that make the book relevant, and the development of some of Keek’s relationships are nicely done. The best one is between Keek and her grandmother. There are familial connections subtly placed throughout the book, and Tibensky shows those connections strengthening under the worst conditions. You should all know by now that I’m a sucker for family relationships, so I love the results of all the events. Besides the her ability to craft those connections, Tibensky also handles the realities of cheating carefully and thoughtfully. She’s able to convey the fact that things aren’t black and white, but complex and unfair and heartbreaking. Adults can be completely selfish, both the cheaters and the cheatees, but at the same time can give everything to bridge the destruction. It is these intricacies that allow Keek to move past much of her selfish tendencies and really evaluate the important parts of her life.

Definitely not a book for everyone, I think And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky is a great addition to the YA Contemporary genre. Not a fast sugar puff, but a slow reflection; you’ll need to freshen up on The Bell Jar and take your time during reading. But don’t take my word for it, check out And Then Things Fall Apart at your local bookstore or library!(less)

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Oct 10, 2012 Magan (Rather Be Reading) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, library-2012

[Review originally published on Rather Be Reading!]

I was so hopeful that And Then Things Fall Apart was going to be a sweet, fun read. It sounded like Keek was going through a lot and I was ready to go all Jersey Shore with a fist pump in celebration of another contemporary young adult book. I wish I could say that And Then Things Fell Apart lived up to my expectations.

Keek was a whiny fifteen-year-old character. She complained about absolutely everything. In the beginning, I gave her a lot of l...more [Review originally published on Rather Be Reading!]

I was so hopeful that And Then Things Fall Apart was going to be a sweet, fun read. It sounded like Keek was going through a lot and I was ready to go all Jersey Shore with a fist pump in celebration of another contemporary young adult book. I wish I could say that And Then Things Fell Apart lived up to my expectations.

Keek was a whiny fifteen-year-old character. She complained about absolutely everything. In the beginning, I gave her a lot of leeway because I understood she was dealing with tons of drama (i.e. a cheating dad, a runaway mother, and the chicken pox). And let’s face it – some (if not most) fifteen-year-olds are self-centered and annoying. Keek thought her world was ending because she’d gotten the chicken pox and she was upset her boyfriend hadn’t called her. She was hallucinating because of the fevers and often didn’t make much sense. She repeated herself endlessly. I sometimes found myself skipping over bits of text because she was saying the. exact. same. thing. again.

Keek is obsessed with two things, both of which I didn’t understand one bit. She is crazy about Sylvia Plath’s book The Bell Jar. She reads it constantly, references it multiple times on nearly every other page, and compares her situation to the characters. For someone who wasn’t familiar with the book, it was hard to care about that portion of the story. A lot of explaining was necessary to draw the parallel between Plath’s book and Keek’s life, but it didn’t really seem fitting when such an immature character was explaining the depths of Plath’s work.

Her second obsession: losing her virginity. I didn’t grasp why she “just wanted to get it over with.” This was where I felt most disconnected — Keek seemed so childish and young in many ways, but she was absorbed with Plath’s work and wanting to lose her virginity. Her actions and behavior didn’t convince me she was mature enough to understand or even begin to comprehend either of those two things. Her father had also just been outed for cheating on her mom; I didn’t believe someone in her position would treat something like their virginity so flippantly after finding out such devastating news.

The reader is very much inside Keek’s mind during the entire book. She’s solitary and alone because she’s sick, has few friends, and her boyfriend is MIA. Although I thought the concept for the book was fun, I found that there was only so much development that Tibensky could do with a sick character. She has rare conversations with her grandmother and she doesn’t communicate with her mom or dad. Due to the lack of dialogue, the story progressed slowly. I found it less believable that Keek would have matured in the ways that she did because she didn’t have anyone to guide her to a better understanding of all that was happening.

One of my least favorite parts of the book was the poetry. Keek is learning how to type and chooses to write poems. I didn’t feel like they blended into the story well. They didn’t add anything that gave me insight into Keek’s character and ultimately, I didn’t find they were necessary. I skipped over the poetry toward the end of the book because I felt like much of it became a filler.

Overall, I didn’t love And Then Things Fall Apart. I was on such a roll for great 2012 books, but this one didn’t cut it for me.(less)

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Apr 06, 2012 Lacey Crough rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-challenge, young-adult, favorites

A long long longgggg time ago, I wanted to be a writer. I was so like Briony from Atonement…making up little stories, sharing them with my family. I started a neighborhood newsletter. I have a tupperbox in my parent’s basement that is overflowing with stories and unfinished novels and journal upon journal. I wanted to be a writer so bad. I can’t help but wonder what happened to my beloved dream?

Then I read books like And Then Things Fall Apart and I basically want to be Keek, typing out my emoti...more

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Feb 08, 2012 Sarah (YA Love) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-ya, ncte-2011, realistic-fiction, young-adult-lit, read-in-2012, favorites, recommended-summer-reading-2012

Actually 4.5 stars

And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky is a prime example of great contemporary Y.A. literature. Keek has a true, authentic voice, which I enjoyed immensely. I’m actually struggling right now trying to find the words to write this review because I loved this book that much.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure if And Then Things Fall Apart was a book I wanted to read when I first heard about it. I hadn’t read that many reviews, and I’ve never finished reading The Bell Jar, so I d...more Actually 4.5 stars

And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky is a prime example of great contemporary Y.A. literature. Keek has a true, authentic voice, which I enjoyed immensely. I’m actually struggling right now trying to find the words to write this review because I loved this book that much.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure if And Then Things Fall Apart was a book I wanted to read when I first heard about it. I hadn’t read that many reviews, and I’ve never finished reading The Bell Jar, so I didn’t know if it was a book for me. When I was at NCTE, Arlaina Tibensky was signing, so I figured I’d buy a copy and get it signed for my classroom. Since then it’s been sitting on my shelf. Recently I bought a copy of Saving June by Hannah Harrington for my classroom, another book I haven’t read, and one of my freshmen read it. When she finished she told me she loved it and needed another book like Saving June. Since I haven’t read that one yet, I was at a loss, so I consulted Twitter. Thanks to Kelly at Stacked, I had a couple book recommendations for my student which included And Then Things Fall Apart. I didn’t have that in my classroom at the moment, so I gave my student the other recommend book and decided to read And Then Things Fall Apart. I know this is a long-winded story, but I’m SO GLAD I read it! Based on what my student said about Saving June and then Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers (which was the other read alike), I’m almost positive she’ll love And Then Things Fall Apart.

Anyway, back to why I loved this debut. I need to bring up Keek. She’s sick in bed with the chicken pox during summer vacation. Chicken pox become worse with age, so Keek is really suffering. To make matters worse, her mom is out of state, and her parents are about to get divorced, so she’s trapped at her Grandma’s house without any technology to interact with the outside world. But she does have a typewriter and her worn-with-love copy of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. To give herself something to do, she decides to start writing. Arlaina Tibensky’s novel is essentially Keek’s book. She has a wonderful sense of humor that’s made up of mostly snark and wit. Her voice is authentic, so it’s easy to picture Keek. There isn’t much dialogue because Keek is isolated for the most part, but also because she’s a character that really lives in her head. The lack of dialogue didn’t bother me at all, and it wasn’t something that I noticed until I saw some reviews on Goodreads after finishing. Keek, who’s real name is Karina, is very mature for her age in the way that she thinks. But on the other hand, she’ll sometimes act immature when it comes to her boyfriend Matt and her reactions to her parents. Teens that view themselves as being more mature than their peers will really identify with Keek.

While Keek is mature and a deep thinker, she’s inexperienced with boys, which adds to her insecurity with Matt. When she’s confronted with moving forward sexually with Matt, she often consults The Bell Jar for advice. Her virginity is always on her mind, as is Matt. At times Matt drives her crazy and she can’t stand him. Other times she’s thinking about times when she was madly in love with him and her hormones were driving her actions. Keek’s really conflicted; she doesn’t know if her feelings are real and why she’s so scared to have sex with Matt. Some readers might be put off by Keek’s thoughts about sex and her virginity; they might see it as being too mature for some readers. I read Keek’s memories of Matt and her thoughts about her virginity as very real and what many teens probably go through and think about.

The only fault I found with And Then Things Fell Apart, is that sometimes Keek’s voice and thoughts felt off character. She started to sound more like an adult, or like I was reading a non-YA novel. I normally wouldn’t say this is a bad thing, but Keek at times was too smart for her age.

Overall, if you want to read a fantastic example of contemporary Y.A., then I can’t recommend And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky enough. It’s humorous, honest, and just all-around great. I can’t wait to read more books written by Arlaina Tibensky.

P.S. If you’re currently on a budget, you’ll be happy to hear that this was released in paperback.(less)

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Oct 28, 2011 Angel rated it 5 of 5 stars

I DON'T EVEN CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS, I LOVE THIS BOOK. (Proper review below.)

Discovery: I first mentioned this book in an Anticipation post . While I hadn’t heard of it earlier in the year, the unique writing style drew me in.

+ Writing style. As I mentioned earlier, And Then Things Fall Apart isn’t a flashy story, but it has a vibrant voice. This book is a diary-of-sorts for Keek and the voice Arlaina Tibensky uses is perfect. The structure lapses into stream-of-consciousness and can sometimes be...more I DON'T EVEN CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS, I LOVE THIS BOOK. (Proper review below.)

Discovery: I first mentioned this book in an Anticipation post . While I hadn’t heard of it earlier in the year, the unique writing style drew me in.

+ Writing style. As I mentioned earlier, And Then Things Fall Apart isn’t a flashy story, but it has a vibrant voice. This book is a diary-of-sorts for Keek and the voice Arlaina Tibensky uses is perfect. The structure lapses into stream-of-consciousness and can sometimes be unwieldy, but what diary isn’t that way? Keek comes across as a smart, spunky teenager who knows what she wants in life, just not how she can get it. In that light, it’s very easy to understand her frustration with all the messes that have popped up in her life.

+ Poetry. I also really enjoyed the verses that Tibensky included every few chapters. More than anything, theygive the reader more insight into Keek’s thoughts and the emotions she can’t write in paragraphs. The titles were creative and funny, the poems themselves fragile bubbles of thought which Tibensky entrusts to the reader.

+/- Sylvia Plath parallels. Keek is obsessed with the Plath, which is obvious from the multiple mentions in each chapter. It does get repetitive by the halfway point–the reader can be trusted to recognize Esther Greenwood as the protagonist of The Bell Jar. Still, it doesn’t take away from the pure enjoyment of seeing a teenager fully engrossed in a literary figure, even if she is rather dark. I do think it’s clear that Keek admires the sense of control Esther “seems” to have over her life and that’s nothing new for a teenager. She is far more sensible about life though, and I have no worries that Keek will ever end up like Esther.

Recommendations: About thirty pages in, I put the book down, went to my mom and declared, “I love this book. I’m not even halfway, but I am so crazy in love with Keek and her story.” The poetry and writing structure may frustrate some readers who want a more straightforward story, but it’s a fun and thoughtful novel to devour.

Rating: Excellent.(less)

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Sep 23, 2011 Clementine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, fiction, ya, poems

For fifteen year old Keek, things have certainly been better. She’s in a huge fight with her boyfriend, her best friend betrayed her, her parents are splitting up, and Keek’s suffering from a wicked case of the chicken pox. Because her mom’s across the country visiting her sister and her dad is moping in the basement, Keek’s staying at her grandmother’s house, where technology doesn’t exist and all she has to distract her is her beloved copy of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath an ancient typewriter....more For fifteen year old Keek, things have certainly been better. She’s in a huge fight with her boyfriend, her best friend betrayed her, her parents are splitting up, and Keek’s suffering from a wicked case of the chicken pox. Because her mom’s across the country visiting her sister and her dad is moping in the basement, Keek’s staying at her grandmother’s house, where technology doesn’t exist and all she has to distract her is her beloved copy of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath an ancient typewriter.

Arlaina Tibensky’s cynical coming-of-age debut is, all things considered, pretty great. Told in diary-format, Keek’s documents her time at her grandmother’s house on the typewriter, alternating between writing poetry, lamenting about how sucky her life is, and comparing herself to Plath’s heroine Esther Greenwood in The Bell Jar. This is a smart, self-aware novel told in a conversational tone that is likely to resonate especially with slightly-more-jaded youth.

Keek is fifteen, and while much of her personality indicates this, she also often seems older than the average fifteen-year-old. This works, for the most part, as her entries vacillate between self-centered melodrama and highly introspective musings on the state of her life and on the characters in her favorite literature. She is oftentimes funny and passionate, and while she’s clearly taken with the fictional character of Esther Greenwood, her fascination with her never takes over Keek’s own personality.

Because of the novel’s format, voice is essential to the story working. The element of Keek’s voice is strong: it is clear, real, and honest. She fixates on the small details that would plague a teenage girl who is stuck without technology to distract her, which lends credibility to what Tibensky is attempting to do. There are moments where Keek is almost too self-aware for a young teenager though, and these moments are almost too “meta” to be authentic. Most readers will overlook this, though.

The novel moves fairly slowly (because Keek’s world has slowed down) and lacks much in the way of dialogue. Readers who prefer a quick story are going to struggle with Keek’s internal monologue. However, those who don’t mind narration (especially smart narration) are going to be rewarded: this is a book worth reading, and it’s a strong contender for what makes great contemporary YA.

And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky. Simon & Schuster: 2011. Library copy.(less)

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Apr 22, 2012 Judy (Geeky Reading) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

~4-4.5/5
[Taken from my blog: http://geekyreading.blogspot.com/2012... ]

I was expecting this to be good, and it was. I usually end up enjoying letter or journal style books, especially when it's about a person that might be rambling and thinking a lot throughout the book, and when I found out that's what this book is, I wasn't disappointed.
The book is about Keek, who has chicken pox and is staying with her Grandmother, while her parents are divorcing and she's trying to deal with her fight with h...more ~4-4.5/5
[Taken from my blog: http://geekyreading.blogspot.com/2012... ]

I was expecting this to be good, and it was. I usually end up enjoying letter or journal style books, especially when it's about a person that might be rambling and thinking a lot throughout the book, and when I found out that's what this book is, I wasn't disappointed.
The book is about Keek, who has chicken pox and is staying with her Grandmother, while her parents are divorcing and she's trying to deal with her fight with her boyfriend Matt, and so is re-reading The Bell Jar, her favorite book, (which I've never read, and so have no idea what the actual similarities are between this book and that one) and typing up her feelings on an old typewriter.
So, I did like Keek. I really got to know her in this book, and agreed with her on several things. I enjoyed her thoughts on everything, and her musings on it all while being sick, and I felt a little bad for her at some points. One of my favorite musings of hers, I think, would have to be what she thought of virginity. I won't say much more, but I really enjoyed that. (Oh, also, sofa king. That is the most amazing thing, ever, and I love it, and am so glad I read this book, just for that. I mean, I'm glad I read the book for everything else, too, but that? Icing on the cake, or whatever. And if you don't understand those two words, say them together, aloud, very fast. Isn't that awesome?)
I enjoyed living through everything with Matt and her parents and her friends, and just everyone else around her. Her parents took a bit of a turnaround, and they both kind of suck, but it seems like her dad, surprisingly, it getting higher on the scale than her mother is (because what her mother did, completely sucks; I mean, what he did sucks too, but it's more impractical and hateful what she did. It's like she took business and pleasure and mixed them together, and she shouldn't have done that. Not that what he did wasn't wrong, though, because it was). And Matt? There were some really nice, steamy scenes with him, which I enjoyed. And some of the time I liked him. But, honestly, he's kind of a douche (again, I don't like that word, but sometimes it just kind of fits, okay?). And I don't think he's getting all that better at the end of the book. I feel like he should be, but that's not how things turned out. Her friends, on the other hand, were, and so that was nice at least. Well, I guess Keek is, too, which is good.
The ending left a little to be desired, something a bit bigger and more definite. But that's alright.
Aside from some of those things, the book was really good. I liked being in Keek's head, and I liked how her journals were; they were very fun. The book was fun, and very easy to get through, and I was a little surprised by how attached I got to it, what with not wanting to put it down. I am definitely looking forward to Tibensky publishing more books in the future.(less)

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Oct 13, 2011 Hannah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, favorites, own-finished-copy

Honestly, the description for And Then Things Fall Apart sounds pretty average - not terrible, but nothing that hasn't been done before. But after reading so many reviews talking about how much fun this book is, I had to give it a try, and they were right - And Then Things Fall Apart is hilarious!

The best thing about this book is Keek. She's such a realistic character, I could picture her easily - it felt like I was reading about my best friend, not some fictional character. She's unique, blunt...more Honestly, the description for And Then Things Fall Apart sounds pretty average - not terrible, but nothing that hasn't been done before. But after reading so many reviews talking about how much fun this book is, I had to give it a try, and they were right - And Then Things Fall Apart is hilarious!

The best thing about this book is Keek. She's such a realistic character, I could picture her easily - it felt like I was reading about my best friend, not some fictional character. She's unique, blunt and quirky, and so much fun to read about. Yes, she's melodramatic at times, something that can really annoy me, but she knows she's being immature, and for some reason that made it totally fine, made me love her even more.

The writing is incredible. No, it's not the most meaningful and deep writing I've ever read, but that's not the point. This is, essentially, a journal, a format I'm not usually a fan of. It's so hard to get this format right, making the voice realistic but still enjoyable to read, but somehow Arlaina Tibensky did just that. And Then Things Fall Apart reads like a real journal, like we're right inside Keek's head, but it's still accessible to the reader, which must have been very, very hard to write.

I loved the whole "sofa king" thing - that is such an awesome idea! If you don't get it, try saying out loud really fast. It took me a while, but when I finally got it, I couldn't stop lauging!

The plot... There's not much I can say about the plot, since there isn't much happening in And Then Things Fall Apart - like the description says, it's basically just Keek sick in bed writing down her thoughts. That might sound weird, but somehow it works. If you need lots of action, this probably isn't the book for you, but it totally worked for me.

This book really made me want to read Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar. I've been kind of wary about it, since it's not like the books I usually read, but Keek persuaded me - I'm reading The Bell Jar as soon as possible!

This whole book is so adorable. Keek is an amazing character, and the style is unique, in a good way. I definitely recommend it!

Reviewed at http://www.paperbacktreasures.blogspo...(less)

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Sep 17, 2012 Kricket rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, teen-fiction, who-am-i, pacific-northwest

15 year old keek has the chicken pox, divorcing parents, a sick cousin, a boyfriend who lied by omission, and a sucky best friend. while her mom visits aforementioned cousin she camps out at her grandmother's with a fever, her well-thumbed copy of "the bell jar" by sylvia plath, and her grandma's typewriter, which she uses to type all of her feelings.

"and then things fall apart" is very dramatic and a little bit insane. considering that it was meant to be written by a teenager with lots of life...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-ya, ya

I'm going to give this one four stars, though I'm really not sure at all how to rate this one.

What I liked: Keek's voice. She's brilliantly sarcastic and self-deprecating and authentic and I loved it. I loved her growing relationship with her grandmother and her musings on random topics (I highlighted so very much in this book).

What bugged me: The resolution of pretty much everything (her relationship with her BFF, her boyfriend, her parents--especially her parents) happened so quickly at the e...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Patricia (Patricia's Particularity) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, wishlist, r-a-k

And Then Things Fall Apart is a refreshing look into the mind of a teenage girl watching her world fall apart around her, unable to gain any control over any aspect of it. Keek uses a form of journaling on her grandmother's typewriter, unable to have any technology, and Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar to explore her thoughts and feelings and what they really mean.

"Getting what I'm thinking onto paper is smudgy black letters feels good, like stretching or punching a wall. Or crying."

Keek's words flow...more And Then Things Fall Apart is a refreshing look into the mind of a teenage girl watching her world fall apart around her, unable to gain any control over any aspect of it. Keek uses a form of journaling on her grandmother's typewriter, unable to have any technology, and Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar to explore her thoughts and feelings and what they really mean.

"Getting what I'm thinking onto paper is smudgy black letters feels good, like stretching or punching a wall. Or crying."

Keek's words flow onto the page as one would think. She neither writes in a formal type nor in verse, but mixes many different types of forms to get her thoughts typed down. At the same time Keek compares her real life experiences with Esther's in The Bell Jar.

"I'm not the first person to ever be sick, enraged, depressed, delirious, betrayed, and confused all at the same time, or to use a typewriter to examine life in all of its jagged-edge glory. Sylvia Plath did it too, and she is the most inspired, beautiful, and subversive writer of her generation."

Keek's voice is unique and real, making it very beautiful. Not only is Keek releasing her thoughts and feelings, she is also quite funny and quirky, making jokes and even at times sounding delirious from being sick and stuck inside a house with her grandmother, her father living in the basement, and no means to contact the outside world except a land-line phone.

Arlaina Tibensky's unique writing form and voice creates a very unique type of novel. Rarely are authors able to make 'stream of conscious' writing successful, but Arlaina Tibensky is able to create a world for Keek in which she is given complete freedom to explore every detail about each and every single problem and trouble. For most, literature itself creates a connection to between the reader's life and the life(lives) within the novel, Arlaina Tibensky has taken this one step further by creating multi-dimensional connections, between the readers of her novel as well as Keek and her connection to The Bell Jar. Arlaina Tibensky has created a new and unique form of writing. Amazing. (less)

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