Synopsis:
In 1980 NYC, eighteen-year-old J.J. Buckingham is an
uptight trendoid. Working as a mannequin painter and a counter girl, she
moonlights as a creature of the nightclubs. J.J. falls for aloof,
crazy-talented artist and bicycle messenger X-It. In order to win his love, she
succumbs to the dark machinations of drug dealer Marko Voodoo. X-It will love
her if she’s the queen of underground Manhattan, right? Her plan backfires with
horrendous consequences. J.J. must scrap her way out of a maze of drugs, clubs,
and danger before she realizes she’s worthy of a better life. And true love
might just come in the form of a clean-cut geek in Buddy Holly glasses.
The Reviews are in!
This book completely captivated me from start to finish.
In fact, the first night I read about a quarter of it before bedtime. Then I
tossed and turned for an hour thinking about the book, until finally I turned
the lights back on, and read until a few hours before I needed to wake up. ~
William Hertling
X-It is a coming-of-age novel that is easily
identifiable with for anyone who ever felt less-than-cool enough, or alone, or
as though they weren't living up to personal expectations, which, I believe,
encompasses most of us. Reminiscent of Maggie Estep's "Diary of an
Emotional Idiot," X-It contains some perfect moments of quiet truth. ~
Wendy Whiplash
From the very first pages I was drawn to J.J. - From her
dripping purple hair dye through her slow, dark, and painful decent into the
80's punk/club scene. Jane George truly created a dynamic character with
incredible depth. To me this book read like a memoir, making it even more
powerful and at times bittersweet. ~ Karen Toz
About the Author
Author and illustrator Jane George lives in the San Francisco
Bay Area. She holds a BFA in illustration from the California College of the
Arts and has won awards for her art.
A dedicated writer for over a decade, she produces and publishes
her YA fantasy and literary titles under her personal imprint, Paper Grove
Publishing. Find out more at: www.Jane-George.com
Excerpt:
We’re
early for the show. The lobby contains very few patrons and a huge expanse of
lurid purple and blue carpeting. X-It pays, takes my hand, and leads me to the
center of the lobby. All I think about is the touch of his fingers on mine.
“Stand
here. Close your eyes, and hold out your hands,” he says.
Dazzling
golden leaves rain out of his messenger’s bag. Feather-light, fresh and spicy,
the leaves keep coming down. Upon my head. Into my palms. Onto the purple-blue
carpet, where they stick in perfect chromic contrast.
X-It’s
eyes glitter. “Happy Fall, J.J.!”
He’s
magical. He is everything I ever wanted to be. I move to throw my arms about
him, but he holds out his bag and shakes it, making sure all the leaves are
out.
I
take a step back.
We
walk home after the film. X-It veers away from me, drawn to a newsstand by the
image of Karisma smiling from several magazine covers at once.
“She’s
so perfect,” he says.
I
grit my teeth, yet straighten my spine in an effort to measure up.
“And
here’s Brooke Shields in her Calvins. Incredible. Who do you think is more
beautiful?”
I
think Brooke looks like a gilded giraffe-child, but that doesn’t prevent me
from envying every inch of Miss Shields. I want to scream at X-It, “Look at me!
I’m beautiful! And I’m just your size!”
But
I say, “I don’t know. We don’t have a mannequin head of Brooke, just Karisma.
So it’s hard to say.”
“I
think Brooke is perfect,” he says. “But if she was a mannequin, just think of
all the Prismacolor pencils you’d go through doing her eyebrows.”
So
he was listening when I told him how a mannequin’s eyebrows are drawn.
I
collapse against the brick wall in a fit of giggles. He joins me. Our heads arc
close together. X-It’s face swims before me, isolated by the electric and
bracing October night. His breath brushes my cheek. Our lips circle each other
more than once.
And
never manage to connect.
thank you for the giveaway opportunity and Thank you for sharing your lovely post at the hop xo
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