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No Use For A Name
What’s in a name?
Fifteen-year-old “Baby” Anderson has never thought much about her nickname, until she goes for her driver’s permit and discovers that her parents flat-out forgot to name her. As if being in high school wasn’t enough of an identity crisis.
As the fifth kid of her trashy, abusive mother and her barely-there father, home has never been a sanctuary. Cheerleading, the hot football player Derek Mattola, and her crazy cousin Kaia, are Baby’s escape from the harsh reality that is her messed-up life. She vows to keep her toxic family a secret, but as she tries on new identities and navigates the social ups and downs of her sophomore year, her two worlds collide.
Turns out, it’s not that easy to keep your identity private, especially if you don’t have one.
Fifteen-year-old “Baby” Anderson has never thought much about her nickname, until she goes for her driver’s permit and discovers that her parents flat-out forgot to name her. As if being in high school wasn’t enough of an identity crisis.
As the fifth kid of her trashy, abusive mother and her barely-there father, home has never been a sanctuary. Cheerleading, the hot football player Derek Mattola, and her crazy cousin Kaia, are Baby’s escape from the harsh reality that is her messed-up life. She vows to keep her toxic family a secret, but as she tries on new identities and navigates the social ups and downs of her sophomore year, her two worlds collide.
Turns out, it’s not that easy to keep your identity private, especially if you don’t have one.
256 pages, Paperback
First published April 5, 2016
404 people want to read
About the author
Penelope Wright
53 books70 followersPenelope Wright spent a quarter of her life on the east coast and the rest in Washington state. She worked her way through college in restaurants, hospitals, factories, and everything in between, finally graduating summa cum laude from the University of Washington after an absurdly long time. She loves both traditions and new experiences, and will try anything once, except skydiving, which is a hard no. She lives north of Seattle with her husband and two amazing teenagers.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 6, 2017
Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...
*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review*
15 year old Frances "Baby" Anderson is the youngest daughter of 5 to her absent parents. She never thought anything of her nickname until she went to the DMV to pick up her drivers permit and discovered that she doesn't actually have a name. Baby is starting at a new school and decides to try out different names in order to find one that fits and finally determine who she is.
The book is very fast paced and easy to read but I found that nothing really happened in it. There wasn't much plot to it other than trying to figure out who was related to who and it became confusing after a while to keep track of everything. I did think that the character development was very well done and I enjoyed that aspect of the story.
*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review*
15 year old Frances "Baby" Anderson is the youngest daughter of 5 to her absent parents. She never thought anything of her nickname until she went to the DMV to pick up her drivers permit and discovered that she doesn't actually have a name. Baby is starting at a new school and decides to try out different names in order to find one that fits and finally determine who she is.
The book is very fast paced and easy to read but I found that nothing really happened in it. There wasn't much plot to it other than trying to figure out who was related to who and it became confusing after a while to keep track of everything. I did think that the character development was very well done and I enjoyed that aspect of the story.
July 8, 2017
Original review
First of all, I want to thank Penelope Wright for giving me an ARC copy of her book, No Use For A Name!
No Use For A Name tells the story of a fifteen-year-old girl who doesn't actually have a name. "Baby" Anderson has a crappy mother and a father who's barely there. She wants to go for het driver's permit and that's how she discovers that she doesn't have a name. Besides having that kind of drama, she also discovers a lot of secrets while falling for a guy...
No Use For A Name is a really good book. I enjoyed reading it and it was really fast paced. I couldn't stop reading and I loved figuring out who was related to who and what was going on. No Use For A Name was such an easy and relaxing read!
First of all, I want to thank Penelope Wright for giving me an ARC copy of her book, No Use For A Name!
No Use For A Name tells the story of a fifteen-year-old girl who doesn't actually have a name. "Baby" Anderson has a crappy mother and a father who's barely there. She wants to go for het driver's permit and that's how she discovers that she doesn't have a name. Besides having that kind of drama, she also discovers a lot of secrets while falling for a guy...
No Use For A Name is a really good book. I enjoyed reading it and it was really fast paced. I couldn't stop reading and I loved figuring out who was related to who and what was going on. No Use For A Name was such an easy and relaxing read!
August 30, 2017
I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW......
No Use For a Name is such an amazing story!! i finished this book in just two days, and could not put it down. if it hadn't been for my ridiculous need for sleep i would't have stopped! anyway Penelope wrote such an amazing book, Baby's story kept me guessing all the way through, as soon as i thought i had it figured out, BAM! plot twist.....i strongly recommend everyone to read No Use For a Name, you wont regret it!
No Use For a Name is such an amazing story!! i finished this book in just two days, and could not put it down. if it hadn't been for my ridiculous need for sleep i would't have stopped! anyway Penelope wrote such an amazing book, Baby's story kept me guessing all the way through, as soon as i thought i had it figured out, BAM! plot twist.....i strongly recommend everyone to read No Use For a Name, you wont regret it!
June 11, 2017
This is a really good young adult book. There is sexual content in the book. But most young adult books have that. The protagonists in the story are likable and relatable. The antagonists in the story do their job of being easy to hate. It's an enjoyable story, it's well paced and it has a satisfying conclusion. I was very impressed with Penelope Wright's writing and I look forward to reading more books by her in the future.
June 4, 2017
I have read quite a few contemporary YA books lately and I always find myself disappointed with the level of the writing in style, story and language. This book was not like that though. It used the colloquial speech of contemporary YAs without dumbing down or stereotyping up the story. It was a very real story about teenagers as people experiencing the really crazy, unfair and, in many ways, fucked up thing we call life.
The characters had depth. They weren't shoved into this stereotypical shape; they were actual people with actual opinions that didn't necessarily conform to their 'character'. This made the story more believable and realistic. I mean really, as prevalent as these stereotypes are, does anyone really know anyone who fits perfectly into any of them? And yet authors keep using them constantly.
The story is also a pretty decent story to read. It is entertaining, in that it shows you another person struggles and their ability to keep getting up everyday despite them. I'm not explaining that right... It's just this story isn't exactly hopeful or encouraging (that may not be the word I want either). There is no moral development that leads to some greater outlook on life. There is a girl and everything in her life that could be set up against her, is. And yet she keeps getting up going anyway (keep on, keepin' on). And she is funny while she does it. That's inspiring, right? It should be. That's the silent struggle we all need to start taking some pride in.
Anyway, I would recommend this book to YA readers. Remember everyone has a deeper tale to tell than what they present in public. And those stereotypes are nothing more than exactly that, no one actually fits them; people are deeper and more complete than that.
On that note, my only criticism is the siblings. I think the dynamic between them was a bit unbelievable. I think with some more context it could have gotten to be believable, but as it stood it was a bit off. I've always found that no matter how bad it is, you can hate them all you want, but no one can talk bad about them and siblings will always be there when it counts. This changes dramatically with age and the ability to leave, but when you're all stuck in the shit, there is a camaraderie that surpasses the animosity even when insults like 'road humper' and 'cum dumpster' are the normal form of interaction. Like I said, this can change with context and that is the part I feel this story was missing ; the context to explain this loss of sibling cohesiveness.
The characters had depth. They weren't shoved into this stereotypical shape; they were actual people with actual opinions that didn't necessarily conform to their 'character'. This made the story more believable and realistic. I mean really, as prevalent as these stereotypes are, does anyone really know anyone who fits perfectly into any of them? And yet authors keep using them constantly.
The story is also a pretty decent story to read. It is entertaining, in that it shows you another person struggles and their ability to keep getting up everyday despite them. I'm not explaining that right... It's just this story isn't exactly hopeful or encouraging (that may not be the word I want either). There is no moral development that leads to some greater outlook on life. There is a girl and everything in her life that could be set up against her, is. And yet she keeps getting up going anyway (keep on, keepin' on). And she is funny while she does it. That's inspiring, right? It should be. That's the silent struggle we all need to start taking some pride in.
Anyway, I would recommend this book to YA readers. Remember everyone has a deeper tale to tell than what they present in public. And those stereotypes are nothing more than exactly that, no one actually fits them; people are deeper and more complete than that.
On that note, my only criticism is the siblings. I think the dynamic between them was a bit unbelievable. I think with some more context it could have gotten to be believable, but as it stood it was a bit off. I've always found that no matter how bad it is, you can hate them all you want, but no one can talk bad about them and siblings will always be there when it counts. This changes dramatically with age and the ability to leave, but when you're all stuck in the shit, there is a camaraderie that surpasses the animosity even when insults like 'road humper' and 'cum dumpster' are the normal form of interaction. Like I said, this can change with context and that is the part I feel this story was missing ; the context to explain this loss of sibling cohesiveness.
July 19, 2017
I received a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Actual rating: 4.5/5 stars
No Use for a Name by Penelope Wright follows fifteen year old Baby Anderson, a young girl who always believed her name to be Frances and "Baby" was just a nickname. Then she finds out that her parents just didn't name her, while she was trying to get her permit to drive, and so her legal name is Baby Girl Anderson. And even though she always knew her mother to be an abusive and trashy person, she never though her mom could sink as low as not naming her. This novel follows Baby's journey at a new school and trying out different names to find herself and who she wants to be.
I thoroughly enjoyed Baby and her story.
The characters, especially Baby, were well done. Her mother was someone that was easy to hate and Baby was someone that was super easy to love. Baby's home life absolutely broke my heart and I appreciated it made it a point to say that abuse doesn't have to be physical, it can easily be emotional and mental.
The development of the characters were decent. The only characters I felt that got any development were Baby and one other character I won't mention due to spoilers. And their developments were beautiful and touching.
The plot was alright, this was a very character based book so it didn't necessarily have a distinct "goal" or purpose. It was just about Baby's life and finding who she is, which absolutely loved.
The writing was extremely smooth, making it a fairly nice and quick read. I read it roughly in a day and a half and I wasn't trying to, this is just a novel that's hard to put down because you just want to know what happens to the character(s).
If you want a heart tugging contemporary novel, definitely pick this one up!
Actual rating: 4.5/5 stars
No Use for a Name by Penelope Wright follows fifteen year old Baby Anderson, a young girl who always believed her name to be Frances and "Baby" was just a nickname. Then she finds out that her parents just didn't name her, while she was trying to get her permit to drive, and so her legal name is Baby Girl Anderson. And even though she always knew her mother to be an abusive and trashy person, she never though her mom could sink as low as not naming her. This novel follows Baby's journey at a new school and trying out different names to find herself and who she wants to be.
I thoroughly enjoyed Baby and her story.
The characters, especially Baby, were well done. Her mother was someone that was easy to hate and Baby was someone that was super easy to love. Baby's home life absolutely broke my heart and I appreciated it made it a point to say that abuse doesn't have to be physical, it can easily be emotional and mental.
The development of the characters were decent. The only characters I felt that got any development were Baby and one other character I won't mention due to spoilers. And their developments were beautiful and touching.
The plot was alright, this was a very character based book so it didn't necessarily have a distinct "goal" or purpose. It was just about Baby's life and finding who she is, which absolutely loved.
The writing was extremely smooth, making it a fairly nice and quick read. I read it roughly in a day and a half and I wasn't trying to, this is just a novel that's hard to put down because you just want to know what happens to the character(s).
If you want a heart tugging contemporary novel, definitely pick this one up!
July 4, 2017
This book reads like a Lifetime Movie, and I mean that as a compliment. The story isn’t warm or fluffy, like other contemporary books, but it also isn’t too dark or unapproachable. While dark topics are discussed, it never changes the tone of the book. This is a great book to pick up when you want to read something quickly or if you’re taking part in a read-a-thon.
Baby is an interesting MC as she is flawed. While her situation is not relatable, Baby still reads like a relatable teenager in a crappy situation. The characters in the book are not explored too in depth, but that actually works for this story. You learn about the characters as the other characters learn about them, which helps the pacing of this story stay steady.
I’ve actually never read a book about a MC who was “nameless”, but I was pleasantly surprised by the plot in general. I wasn’t sure where the story was going to go, but it just follows the MC as navigates high school and deals with the struggles in her life. There were a couple of reveals in this story that work for the plot. They were not groundbreaking, shocking twists, but they were not annoying or overly predictable as well.
Baby is an interesting MC as she is flawed. While her situation is not relatable, Baby still reads like a relatable teenager in a crappy situation. The characters in the book are not explored too in depth, but that actually works for this story. You learn about the characters as the other characters learn about them, which helps the pacing of this story stay steady.
I’ve actually never read a book about a MC who was “nameless”, but I was pleasantly surprised by the plot in general. I wasn’t sure where the story was going to go, but it just follows the MC as navigates high school and deals with the struggles in her life. There were a couple of reveals in this story that work for the plot. They were not groundbreaking, shocking twists, but they were not annoying or overly predictable as well.
July 5, 2017
*I RECEIVED THIS BOOK FOR FREE FROM THE AUTHOR IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW*
Baby Anderson has had it rough! That's a nice way to describe the hand she was dealt. I loved this book. While, I did have some issues with the parental figures, I knew why things had to be that way. I expected so much out of the mother but the father was a different story. I'm glad things ended so well for Baby because I did start rooting for her before the half way point of this book. She deserved her happy ending.
Baby Anderson has had it rough! That's a nice way to describe the hand she was dealt. I loved this book. While, I did have some issues with the parental figures, I knew why things had to be that way. I expected so much out of the mother but the father was a different story. I'm glad things ended so well for Baby because I did start rooting for her before the half way point of this book. She deserved her happy ending.
July 29, 2017
Penelope Wright does a fantastic job in captivating one from the beginning. With the main character "Baby" Anderson finding out that she gets to name herself, per say, her story begins to unwind and as a girl in high school, she finds a whirlwind of adventure in a name.
The writing is well done, and the plot line is really really good. I enjoyed this book greatly and actually finished it in less than four hours. I would definitely read a sequel on "Baby" Anderson.
The writing is well done, and the plot line is really really good. I enjoyed this book greatly and actually finished it in less than four hours. I would definitely read a sequel on "Baby" Anderson.
July 3, 2016
NO USE FOR A NAME by Penelope Wright is the author’s debut contemporary young adult novel about fifteen-year-old “Baby” Anderson and her tumultuous sophomore year of high school.
The book opens with Baby going to get her driver’s permit and discovering that she has been called “Baby” her whole life because her parents forgot to actually give her a name. Thus begins Baby’s quest to find a name, define her view of family, and find her place in life.
NO USE FOR A NAME has excellent pacing, great tension, and some sweetness and humor mixed in for good measure. The language is strong—as necessitated by the subject matter—and there are some scenes that make the book more appropriate for older YA readers.
Baby and her cousin and best friend, Kaia, are multidimensional characters, and their escapades range from typical teenage fun (visiting the ice cream shop at the mall repeatedly because a cute boy works there) to somewhat typical poor choices (sneaking out after bedtime). The girls are likeable and relateable, and readers will be rooting for both to successfully sort out their myriad of problems. Some of the secondary characters are stereotypes, and the book starts with an improbable scenario (can you really get a drivers permit at age fifteen without a parent present?) and includes some others that would have made me pause in a less riveting book, but the constant drama and action had me flipping pages to race to the end rather than stopping to critique some of the scenarios.
This is a book that will give teens with dysfunctional backgrounds a heroine to whom they can relate, and all teens should appreciate the realistic look at high school relationships and challenges.
This review was first posted on the website YA Books Central. Visit here: http://www.yabookscentral.com/compone... for more of my reviews.
The book opens with Baby going to get her driver’s permit and discovering that she has been called “Baby” her whole life because her parents forgot to actually give her a name. Thus begins Baby’s quest to find a name, define her view of family, and find her place in life.
NO USE FOR A NAME has excellent pacing, great tension, and some sweetness and humor mixed in for good measure. The language is strong—as necessitated by the subject matter—and there are some scenes that make the book more appropriate for older YA readers.
Baby and her cousin and best friend, Kaia, are multidimensional characters, and their escapades range from typical teenage fun (visiting the ice cream shop at the mall repeatedly because a cute boy works there) to somewhat typical poor choices (sneaking out after bedtime). The girls are likeable and relateable, and readers will be rooting for both to successfully sort out their myriad of problems. Some of the secondary characters are stereotypes, and the book starts with an improbable scenario (can you really get a drivers permit at age fifteen without a parent present?) and includes some others that would have made me pause in a less riveting book, but the constant drama and action had me flipping pages to race to the end rather than stopping to critique some of the scenarios.
This is a book that will give teens with dysfunctional backgrounds a heroine to whom they can relate, and all teens should appreciate the realistic look at high school relationships and challenges.
This review was first posted on the website YA Books Central. Visit here: http://www.yabookscentral.com/compone... for more of my reviews.
June 26, 2016
3.5 stars
Bisa gitu, kejadian punya anak, tapi 'lupa' ga ngasih nama ke anaknya. Jadilah, si Baby Anderson ini punya nama "Baby Girl Anderson" di akte kelahirannya. Dan, Baby baru tau soal itu, waktu dia mo buat SIM di usia 16 tahun! Selama ini merasa disayang karena dipanggil Baby oleh orang-orang di sekitarnya, Baby justru akhirnya marah, karena setelah ditanyai soal nama, Ibunya hanya acuh aja.
Bungsu dari 5 orang bersaudara, dan hanya mempunyai seorang sahabat yang juga sepupunya, Baby memutuskan ga mau lagi dipanggil Baby, dan sibuk milih nama yang 'cocok' sama dia. Sewaktu dikenalin ke temen sepupunya, seorang cowok keren bernama Derek, dia mengaku bernama Barbie. Sewaktu marah sama Ibunya karena dituduh manja, dia nggak mau nengok kalo dipanggil Tawny.
Ceritanya antara bikin gemes, lucu sekaligus nyebelin. Sebel baget sama kakak-kakak si Baby. Apalagi si Rachel dan pacarnya.
Bisa gitu, kejadian punya anak, tapi 'lupa' ga ngasih nama ke anaknya. Jadilah, si Baby Anderson ini punya nama "Baby Girl Anderson" di akte kelahirannya. Dan, Baby baru tau soal itu, waktu dia mo buat SIM di usia 16 tahun! Selama ini merasa disayang karena dipanggil Baby oleh orang-orang di sekitarnya, Baby justru akhirnya marah, karena setelah ditanyai soal nama, Ibunya hanya acuh aja.
Bungsu dari 5 orang bersaudara, dan hanya mempunyai seorang sahabat yang juga sepupunya, Baby memutuskan ga mau lagi dipanggil Baby, dan sibuk milih nama yang 'cocok' sama dia. Sewaktu dikenalin ke temen sepupunya, seorang cowok keren bernama Derek, dia mengaku bernama Barbie. Sewaktu marah sama Ibunya karena dituduh manja, dia nggak mau nengok kalo dipanggil Tawny.
Ceritanya antara bikin gemes, lucu sekaligus nyebelin. Sebel baget sama kakak-kakak si Baby. Apalagi si Rachel dan pacarnya.
February 10, 2016
Fifteen-year-old "Baby" learns that life is not always as it appears. She seeks escape through cheerleading, hanging out with her crazy cousin, and Derek Mottola, a "hot" football player. Baby lives with her trashy mother, and her four siblings. She is ashamed of most of her family and their run-down trailer home, and is determined to keep it all as secret as she can. Through a series of events, Baby learns who she is, and learns many truths about life.
April 28, 2016
Wonderful story!
For fans of young adult fiction, this book will keep you engaged...and guessing...until the very end. I was hooked from page one, and didn't put it down again until I was finished. Highly recommend!
For fans of young adult fiction, this book will keep you engaged...and guessing...until the very end. I was hooked from page one, and didn't put it down again until I was finished. Highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews