Young Adult Novels
- 2008 National Book Award Winner (Young People’s Literature)
- An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
- A School Library Journal Best Book of 2008
- Romantic Times Book Review 2008 (Reviewers’ Choice Nominee)
“An extraordinary story…Gripping” — The Wall Street Journal
“Readers can taste Evie’s alienation and her yearning; It’s a stylish, addictive brew.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Blundell navigates this multidimensional plotline with unique, well-developed characters and insightful dialogue.” — School Library Journal, starred review
“Judy Blundell takes readers into the mind and heart of a teenager hungry for the truth and afraid of what she might find.” — The Washington Post
“Blundell crafts a richly atmospheric period piece, reminiscent of the films that intrigue adolescent Evie, movies about worldly wise dames played by Joan Crawford or Barbara Stanwyck. The girl’s heartbreaking coming-of-age tale rings true as she brazenly joins the world of adult deception and lies yet manages ultimately to pull off her own small but significant stand for social justice.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review
“Using pitch-perfect dialogue and short sentences filled with meaning, Blundell has crafted a suspenseful, historical mystery that not only subtly explores issues of post–WWII racism, sexism, and socioeconomic class, but also realistically captures the headiness of first love and the crushing realization that adults are not all-powerful.” — Booklist
“This beautifully written story is full of period detail, from a post-war New York City right out of Life magazine to a sleepy and sticky Florida courthouse, and its well-drawn and original characters spring to life on the page…this gripping novel would also make a top-notch read for adults.” — Bookpage.com
“This incredibly well-crafted story is set in 1940s Florida and delightful blends mystery, history and a girl's first crush in a compelling story about family secrets.” — McClatchy Newspapers
What I Saw and How I Lied
- 2008 National Book Award Winner (Young People’s Literature)
- An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
- A School Library Journal Best Book of 2008
- Romantic Times Book Review 2008 (Reviewers’ Choice Nominee)
“An extraordinary story…Gripping” — The Wall Street Journal
“Readers can taste Evie’s alienation and her yearning; It’s a stylish, addictive brew.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Blundell navigates this multidimensional plotline with unique, well-developed characters and insightful dialogue.” — School Library Journal, starred review
“Judy Blundell takes readers into the mind and heart of a teenager hungry for the truth and afraid of what she might find.” — The Washington Post
“Blundell crafts a richly atmospheric period piece, reminiscent of the films that intrigue adolescent Evie, movies about worldly wise dames played by Joan Crawford or Barbara Stanwyck. The girl’s heartbreaking coming-of-age tale rings true as she brazenly joins the world of adult deception and lies yet manages ultimately to pull off her own small but significant stand for social justice.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review
“Using pitch-perfect dialogue and short sentences filled with meaning, Blundell has crafted a suspenseful, historical mystery that not only subtly explores issues of post–WWII racism, sexism, and socioeconomic class, but also realistically captures the headiness of first love and the crushing realization that adults are not all-powerful.” — Booklist
“This beautifully written story is full of period detail, from a post-war New York City right out of Life magazine to a sleepy and sticky Florida courthouse, and its well-drawn and original characters spring to life on the page…this gripping novel would also make a top-notch read for adults.” — Bookpage.com
“This incredibly well-crafted story is set in 1940s Florida and delightful blends mystery, history and a girl's first crush in a compelling story about family secrets.” — McClatchy Newspapers
- YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults 2011
“Blundell is a master of the literary slow build, and her emotive yet sober style is reminiscent of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s in ‘The Great Gatsby’…‘Strings Attached’ may take place in a time long before its intended readers were born, but Kit's predicament is compelling and her choices relevant and easily transposed to the modern day.” — Los Angeles Times
“Blundell smartly explicates the dark side of male-female relationships.” — New York Times Book Review
“[A]n intense young-adult mystery… Stylish prose creates a sense of time and place…” — The Washington Post
“From the first pages of this sophisticated novel for young adults, we are immersed in the scrappy, wisecracking, hard-edged world of 1950s Manhattan.” — The Wall Street Journal
“National Book Award–winner Blundell (What I Saw and How I Lied) successfully constructs a complex web of intrigue that connects characters in unexpected ways. History and theater buffs will especially appreciate her attention to detail — Blundell again demonstrates she can turn out first-rate historical fiction.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review
“National Book Award–winner Blundell (What I Saw and How I Lied, 2008) delivers a brilliantly conceived novel set against the backdrop of the 1950 Kefauver mob hearings and the Red Scare with a story of redemption and truth at its core.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Blundell weaves a complex story. Readers will get a generous dose of history here, but it's the glamour and mystery, along with concern for Kit and her family, that will keep them hooked. Strings Attached is a winner.” — Bookpage
Strings Attached
- YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults 2011
“Blundell is a master of the literary slow build, and her emotive yet sober style is reminiscent of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s in ‘The Great Gatsby’…‘Strings Attached’ may take place in a time long before its intended readers were born, but Kit's predicament is compelling and her choices relevant and easily transposed to the modern day.” — Los Angeles Times
“Blundell smartly explicates the dark side of male-female relationships.” — New York Times Book Review
“[A]n intense young-adult mystery… Stylish prose creates a sense of time and place…” — The Washington Post
“From the first pages of this sophisticated novel for young adults, we are immersed in the scrappy, wisecracking, hard-edged world of 1950s Manhattan.” — The Wall Street Journal
“National Book Award–winner Blundell (What I Saw and How I Lied) successfully constructs a complex web of intrigue that connects characters in unexpected ways. History and theater buffs will especially appreciate her attention to detail — Blundell again demonstrates she can turn out first-rate historical fiction.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review
“National Book Award–winner Blundell (What I Saw and How I Lied, 2008) delivers a brilliantly conceived novel set against the backdrop of the 1950 Kefauver mob hearings and the Red Scare with a story of redemption and truth at its core.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Blundell weaves a complex story. Readers will get a generous dose of history here, but it's the glamour and mystery, along with concern for Kit and her family, that will keep them hooked. Strings Attached is a winner.” — Bookpage