Grosse Pointe Girl: Tales from a Suburban Adolescence

By Justine Firnhaber-Baker

Welcome to Grosse Pointe, Michigan, where social rank is determined by the age of your money and the dryness of your martini. The new girl in town, Emma Harris, must prove herself hip to the rigid rules of adolescent conformity. The quest for cool, she discovers, is one long final exam. To pass she must be cruel to be kind (ditching her best friend for the popular crowd), dress to impress (trading her favorite Esprit shirt for three plastic bracelets), and master the art of seduction (puckering up with Mulberry Stain or Peaches 'n' Cream lip gloss). Life is all about making choices -- the right ones. Will Emma's social acrobatics put her on the short list for that coveted country club membership? Will the digits of her zip code pass muster? If her parents split up, will the gossip help or hurt her in the rankings? Grosse Pointe Girl serves as an indispensable road map through the dysfunction privilege brings. So put on your Guess? jeans and your jelly shoes and come along for the ride to the adolescent days that time forgot, but you never will.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743256123
• ISBN13: 9780743256124
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 2.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Loved it!

Funny and original, this book is one of my favorites. True, some of the stories are "well-worn" but they are told in such a way that it seems fresh and new. I recommend this book 100%.

Rings so true...

It's been awhile since I was a teenager, but this book brought it all back - the joys, the angst, the discomfort, the mystery that is high school and beyond. If you liked this book you might also like "The Year of Secret Assignments" by Jaclyn Moriarty and "An Egg on Three Sticks" by Jackie Moyer Fischer.

Impressive

This is a book that I stole from my girlfriend at the beach, and became increasingly attached as I read. I would say that the female 'coming of age' novel has now officially been updated, much in the same way that David Eggers' "A Heartbreaking Work.." has updated the genre for men.

Suburban life at it's best

Spanning the years of Emma Harris's middle school to 10-year reunion experience, GROSSE POINTE GIRL is a short, yet revealing look at adolescence. Remember the days of 'going' with someone, terrifying, yet hopeful school dances, and navigating the dangerous waters of female friendships? It's all captured here in snapshot form.Grosse Pointe is a suburb of Detroit and after Emma's parents divorce, she is living on the fringes...

Grosse Pointe Girl

Grosse Pointe Girl by Sarah Grace McCandless is not a typical diary from the well-to-do in this northern suburb of Detroit. It is instead almost an understated peek at the angst of the adolescence of one of its residents. It is not a whine, and like fine wine, the flavor is subtle yet rich. It truly sneaks up on you. Each chapter is well written with a vivid imagery, but "The Lochmoor Moms" is truly the apex. In one final...