Carmen

Carole Fréchette
Translated by Susan Ouriou
• ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Award finalist - Young Adult Fiction 2005

Fiction / Teen Fiction / Social Situations - Peer Pressure
Age 12+ • 112 pages • 4 1/2 x 7"
ISBN 0–88995–322–8 cloth   • CDN 9.95 • USA 9.95
ISBN 0–88995–365–1 paper • CDN 6.95 • USA 6.95

"Today . . . I want . . . I . . . I want to be loved."

On a gray Valentine's Day, fifteen year–old Carmen's world is turned upside down. She must give a presentation in class, and her fear of public speaking is making her sick. To make matters worse, Carmen is convinced today is the day she'll die of shame. If only she hadn't put that note in Simon Krasinski's locker asking him to the school dance!

Instead of going to school, Carmen runs the other way into an adventure she could never have imagined. When she meets a local rock star at a laundromat, Carmen is propelled into a journey of self-discovery where maybe, just maybe, she'll find the elusive love she so desires.

Translated by Susan Ouriou.

"The novel is hypnotizing; from the first line to the last page."
–The Calgary Herald

"..[a] quirky, disarming novel . . . a journey that Fréchette charts with an all-seeing eye, a pitch-perfect ear and a voice that will resonate with readers."
–The Globe and Mail

"Carmen is a mature, wistful narrative that captures the nuances of an adolescent girl’s angst about love and identity.
Highly Recommended."
–CM Magazine

"This slim volume is full of angst and self-discovery. Fans of Laurie Lalse Anderson’s Speak will relate to this layered character."
–School Library Journal

"Fréchette has crafted an entertaining coming-of-age story that is both funny and poignant."
–The United Church Observer