Getting the Girl
REVIEWS
BCCB, October 2008, starred review
“Juby again demonstrates her ability to tell a story that's richly colored
all the way to the edges... Whether kids fancy themselves unlikely stand-up
heroes or just wish there was one out there as they enter high school, they'll
relish Sherman's endearingly dorky nobility.”
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Delightful noir motifs distinguish the tale... As always, Juby endows
her endearing characters with quirky, comedic voices and original backgrounds.”
Horn Book Magazine, September/October 2008
“The author of the Alice MacLeod series, having successfully tried her
hand at a horse story in Another Kind of Cowboy, now applies her signature
brand of humor to a detective novel. Given the dearth of sleuthing capers for
the high school crowd, here's hoping that Juby delivers on the promise of sequels.”
Quill and Quire
“Think Harriet the Spy meets Sam Spade, with a good dose of Wayne’s World thrown in. Funny, honest, self-effacing, the Mack is the charmingly irresistible heart that beats behind Juby’s funny and immensely readable Getting the Girl. …”
“Juby’s take on Sherman and the teen male perspective rings true. She handles her main character deftly, crafting his voice and actions into heroic proportions. From Mack’s embarrassment over his bartending, burlesque-dancing mom to his ongoing commentary about his raging hormones and his various turn-ons and fetishes, his deadpan style is hilarious, resulting in equally hilarious stunts and escapades.”
School Library Journal
“As if appealing to both genders and espousing integrity weren’t enough, the story is often funny, with an endearing main character. Getting the Girl is a pursuit worth undertaking.”
“Susan Juby’s hilarious story of high school hierarchy and the one super nerd who’s determined to stand up for what’s right even if he has to topple Trophy Wives to do it is equal parts Say Anything and The Pink Panther.
“...full of delicious dramatic irony. The final scene, in which Sherman prepares and serves dinner to a mixed group of invited guests, while the defiling problem explodes around him, is worth the price of the book in itself. ... This short, compelling, amusing novel takes dead aim at how the bystanders are complicit in bullying, how hurtful and malicious behaviour can destroy lives and how one courageous, persistent person can inspire others to change their lives.”
“highly recommended”