The Stalker Chronicles

The Stalker Chronicles
Moore, Carley, Release date: March 27, 2012.
The Stalker Chronicles.
New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.
240 pages, hardcover.
$16.99
ISBN 9780374371807.

Format: Advanced Reader Copy (ARC)
Rating: 4.0/5.0 stars

Plot Summary
Cammie Bliss is trying to break her "stalking" habit, one that makes her the target of her high school peers who think she is both cute and crazy. Stalker: a label she acquired over time, and now can't seem to shake it in a small town where everyone knows everything.

When a new boy, Toby, moves into town, Cammie and her one friend, Rosie, see this as a chance for Cammie to start over - without the stalking. As the story moves forward, flashbacks of younger Cammie and her entry into stalking help illustrate how she arrived here. Set on becoming "normal", Cammie really does try. But, old habits are hard to break – and with an increasingly more popular, younger brother and parents on the verge of a divorce - can Cammie still keep it together?

Critical Evaluation
Moore writes with an understanding of the teenage psyche, in a style that will allow the reader to both laugh and wince at the same time. She has created such a lovable character: Cammie, who readers can relate to how quickly, and sadly, she became defined by what she does and no longer seems bothered by her own behaviors.

Moore’s prose paints a picture of the milder teen world and how teens interact – both good and bad. Considering Cammie’s behaviors, Moore doesn’t allow the teasing to be as intense as it could be – and her use of the journalism/English teacher to be the one who addresses her obsession does feel a bit of a cliché.

Readers easily see that it is never with malice that Cammie acts the way she does, as she is brutally honest with herself as she is with those around her. With a last name of Bliss, can we expect anything less than a happy ending for Cammie?

Reader’s Annotation
Cammie is a typical high school sophomore, except maybe for the fact that she obsesses to the point of stalking, both boys and friends (mostly boys), as she can't help herself. When Toby moves to quiet little Lakewood, where everyone knows everything and they wo't let you forget it - can Cammie start over and become the normal girl she strives for?

Information About the Author
Carley Moore is a poet and creative writing professor at New York University. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. Moore wrote pieces of The Stalker Chronicles during the New York Writer's Coalition, and credits having writer friends who help support her efforts as she made the transition from poetry to fiction.

She is married to poet Matt Longabucco, and gave birth to a little girl: Malka, during the writing of this novel. She does admit that she stalked Matt and it all worked out for them.

(Moore, 2011) and (Moore, 2012, p. 228).

Genre:

Fiction: Contemporary – coming of age

Read-Alikes

High School's Not Forever - Jane Bluestein
Good Girls - Laura Ruby

Curriculum Ties
The Stalker Chronicles represents the epitome of what can go wrong when teens fail to communicate effectively so could be used to support a health unit on communication skills.

Booktalking Ideas
1) One of Cammie's stream of consciousness efforts to make small talk, when she's nervous.

2) Cammie and Toby sneaking into the abandoned historic theater, likes it's a normal teen's first date destination.

Book Trailer Links
N/A

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 12 and up

Challenge Issues
stalking

First, I would share some of the recommendations used as part of the selection process, including reviews from resources as noted below. Next, I would point out the value in allowing these types of materials to be optional reading as teens grow ever closer to adulthood and making their own decisions. Finally, following our school district’s policy #KEC, after explaining that our school district’s philosophy is that no parent or group of parents has the right to determine the reading matter for children other than their own, I would refer the parent or community member to the building principal, so that he/she can file a written complaint to begin the process of review.

Awards
N/A

Why Title Included & Selection Tools
I love reading debut novels, as they are often rich with the story of the author's childhood years - as we are all taught to 'write what you know' first. And, we all have moments of good intentions that somehow go awry -- for teens it is especially important to read books that show how the protagonist moves and grows from the experience.

Also, both Carley Moore and Madeleine George will be visiting our area in April, hosting many local girls' book club groups from grades 7 and up for in-depth discussions on topics important to them -- while sharing their new YA novels.