Dear Rachel Maddow

by Adrienne Kisner

Overview

In Adrienne Kisner's Dear Rachel Maddow, a high school girl deals with school politics and life after her brother’s death by drafting emails to MSNBC host Rachel Maddow in this funny and heartfelt young adult debut.

Brynn Haper's life has one steadying force—Rachel Maddow.

She watches her daily, and after writing to Rachel for a school project—and actually getting a response—Brynn starts drafting e-mails to Rachel but never sending them. Brynn tells Rachel about breaking up with her first serious girlfriend, about her brother Nick's death, about her passive mother and even worse stepfather, about how she's stuck in remedial courses at school and is considering dropping out.

Then Brynn is confronted with a moral dilemma. One student representative will be allowed to have a voice among the administration in the selection of a new school superintendent. Brynn's archnemesis, Adam, and ex-girlfriend, Sarah, believe only Honors students are worthy of the selection committee seat. Brynn feels all students deserve a voice. When she runs for the position, the knives are out. So she begins to ask herself: What Would Rachel Maddow Do?

Praise for Dear Rachel Maddow:

"What unfolds is a heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful tale of a struggling student who sees an injustice and steps in. She does so unwillingly, but still, she does. Brynn is realistically depicted and even though this novel is epistolary, the supporting characters are well fleshed out, too. A necessary purchase wherever there are teens." —School Library Journal, starred review

"In her debut novel, Kisner uses the epistolary format to portray the life of a girl who has very little parental support and is seemingly falling through the cracks at school. . .Revealing Brynn to be an individual with realistic insecurities, biases, and complexities, Kisner playfully explores the very human manner in which a stranger like Maddow might come to feel like a friend and confidant."—Publishers Weekly

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250308832
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	06/04/2019
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	1,138,227
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Adrienne Kisner has master's and doctorate degrees in theology from Boston University and was inspired by her work with high school and college students to write Dear Rachel Maddow. She is also a graduate of Vermont College of Fine Arts with an MFA in writing for children and young adults. Dear Rachel Maddow is her debut.

Editorial Reviews

"Kisner perfectly captures the dueling emotions of hope and hopelessness as Brynn attempts to carve out a place in an often-hostile world, weaving wry humor into some gutting looks at addiction, loss, and abandonment. Dear Rachel Maddow is the perfect book for anyone who has ever felt truly understood by a comforting, friendly face smiling at them from the TV screen." —Booklist

"This has all the hallmarks of a classic teen drama: the snooty rich-kid villain, the deceitful ex-girlfriend, the crappy stepfather, and the smartass outsider supported by a band of misfits (Brynn’s classmates). . .fans of dark humor and tough heroines will want to tune into this story of a luckless girl finally defining her own future—with or without the help of political pundits." —The Bulletin

From the Publisher

04/16/2018
Brynn Harper, 17, a former honors student, has been relegated to the “blue room,” the place where the “applied” or academically challenged juniors go. Brynn is whip smart, but dyslexia and a difficult home life make it hard for her to excel at school. As part of an assignment to write to a “celebrity hero,” Brynn reaches out to MSNBC host Rachel Maddow. Brynn sees Maddow as a fighter for truth and fairness, and she begins to write drafts of diarylike emails to her, without the intention of sending them. Things get complicated for Brynn as she finds herself challenging injustice during a school election while juggling a new romance, an ex-girlfriend who may be using her, and an increasingly dangerous home situation. In her debut novel, Kisner uses the epistolary format to portray the life of a girl who has very little parental support and is seemingly falling through the cracks at school. By writing in a first-person confessional style, Kisner allows her character to express herself with blatant honesty. She also shares other characters’ correspondence, offering additional insight into Brynn’s personality. Revealing Brynn to be an individual with realistic insecurities, biases, and complexities, Kisner playfully explores the very human manner in which a stranger like Maddow might come to feel like a friend and confidant. Ages 13–up. Agent: Catherine Drayton, InkWell Management. (June)

Publishers Weekly

Khristine Hvam does a stellar narration of this young adult epistolary novel featuring a quirky, troubled teen. After Brynn’s older brother died from a drug overdose, her grades plummeted, taking her from honors courses to the applied academics classes located in the basement of her high school. When a class assignment requires her to write to a personal hero, she chooses Rachel Maddow. Saving the messages as drafts, her emails become a personal journal, describing emotional abuse from her mother and stepfather, political intrigue at school, and the aftermath of her brother’s death. Hvam’s portrayal of Brynn is spot-on, breathing life into the character’s personality. Even with the serious subject matter, Hvam delivers an engaging performance. A.L.S.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2018 - AudioFile