Earlier this morning when I looked out the window and it was like, BLIZZARDING HORRIBLY, I decided the finished copies of Cracked Up to Be would not arrive because I had this sneaking suspicion the UPS people probably valued their lives more than my happiness (UPS people are so selfish that way). So I went to bed and wept soft, sad tears of impatience…
FOR NOTHING.
BECAUSE UPS CAME TODAY!
I stared at the envelope in wonder. What would the spine look like? The back? I was dying to see both. And then I spent thirty minutes struggling to open the package because apparently writing does not build up arm muscle. Who knew. Maybe if my family hadn’t stood around LAUGHING AT ME for all thirty of those minutes, this blog entry would be coming to you thirty minutes sooner, but that is neither here nor there because:
!!!!
Yes, the lighting for the photographs kind of sucks. This is what happens when you live in an environmentally friendly house, SIGH! But ooh, they look so nice in person, you guys. They’re all matte and green and the back is so nice and they’re so soft and cuddly. Yes, I have been cuddling my book. Rubbing it all over my face, even. Oh yeah.
[rub rub rub]
Thank you, St. Martin’s Press! Thank you, Sara! Thank you, Amy! Thank you, Santa!!! Thank you, everyone reading this for being there for this and every moment leading up to it! Thank you to my husband ~*RPATTZ*~ for being my rock. GROUP HUG!
Geeky moment: I held it up next to my favourite Alyson Noel book, Saving Zoe (you guys get that book ASAP and then we can anticipate Evermore together). And then I was like, “I’m published where she’s published!” And then I pinched my arm like, 500 times.
So this is what it says on the back of the book, which is different than what is floating around the Internets:
WHAT’S THE WORST THING YOU’VE EVER DONE?
When “Perfect” Parker Fadley starts drinking at school and failing her classes, all of St. Peter’s High goes on alert. How has the cheerleading captain, girlfriend of the most popular guy in school, consummate teacher’s pet, and future valedictorian fallen so far from grace?
Parker doesn’t want to talk about it. She’d just like to be left alone, to disappear, to be ignored. But her parents have placed her on suicide watch and her counselors are demanding the truth. Worse, there’s a nice guy falling in love with her and he’s making her feel things again when she’d really rather not be feeling anything at all.
Nobody would have guessed she’s turn out like this. But nobody knows the truth.
Something horrible has happened, and it just might be her fault.
You know how you can find out what horrible thing happened?! You can buy the book or you can wait for someone to inevitably spoil it, but I would go for the former, because I’m gonna go all JK Rowling on people’s asses about spoilers. Except not really, because I don’t think people would be all that afraid of someone who can’t even open the envelope her finished copies arrived in and I hear JK Rowling opens her author copies with HER TEETH.
Anyways, while I have been busy napping and toughing out my revisions for SGA, Cracked Up to Be has been having a pretty hectic week. First it are become a book and and now, since LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer copies shipped, it’s starting to get… reviewed! By book bloggers! Who seem to like it! Check it:
Megan at Write Meg! said: “Summers’s writing is succint, moving and deliberate. It doesn’t feel like there’s a word that out-of-place. As I went on the emotional journey of reconciliation with Parker, I felt like maybe I was reconciling something, too. The ending did catch me by surprise, but was wholly satisfying. I can’t recommend this book highly enough — in fact, I can’t really think of anything I disliked about it.”
Read the full, spoiler-free review here.
Sharon at Sharon Loves Books and Cats said: “I was hooked on this book from the start. I had a late night because could not go to bed until I finished reading the entire book. [...] As for the plot, it was intense and fast paced.”Read the full, spoiler-free review here.
SPOILER ALERT!
Runa at One Reader’s Trash… said: “This is one book where the ending really reverberates and it’s not one you’re likely to forget. I loved the big moments. There were times when I thought I knew, without a doubt, what was going to happen, but then pleasantly found out that I was completely wrong.”Read the (SPOILER ALERT!) review here.
It’s really crazy–good crazy–to me that people are not only taking the time to read the book, but to take the time to share their opinions on it. I’m really grateful that Cracked Up to Be has received such thoughtful/considered reviews. Thank you, book bloggers!
Earlier this week, I did an interview with the loverly ladies at The 5 Randoms. If this entry hasn’t made your eyes cross with Courtney overload, you can read it over here.
And that’s pretty much everything. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some book caressing to do. It sounds so wrong, but trust me, bbs, it feels sooo right.
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publication date
Tuesday December 9th, 2008 @ 4:36pm
902 words, 89 sentencesmeta stuff
categories: cracked up to be,omg,some girls are (your mom)
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Congratulations, Courtney!
Oooh… purty cover… Congratulations, doll!
EEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeee…
So, so awesome. Can’t wait to get my copy. Thanks for sharing your exciting moment with us. Are you going on a book tour?
OMG BB IT IS FINALLY THERE! i’m sure that you and ~rpattz~ celebrated appropriately. which is why you are not tweeting right now. speaking of, you tweet too much for someone who is married to ~rpattz~ bb. or the rest of us. MOAR ACTION.
ok so we (the hubby toooooo) are sooo excited for this to be in our hands! AND YOU WILL SIGN MY COPY, SPARKLE-WIFE.
Hi Courtney! Thanks so much for the link — I was incredibly excited to see it pop up. Just finished your book last night and I loved it, as you’ve probably seen. Best wishes!
Oh, I am so so so so so so so excited for you and the world (the world because it finally gets CUTB in print)! I love the spine and the back, it’s so excited to see them finally.
Right before I read this I called my local bookstore to pre-order and it was so fun to say “Um, it’s called Cracked Up to Be. By Courtney Summers. MY FRIEND AND WIFE.”
I died when I read this: Thank you to my husband ~*RPATTZ*~ for being my rock.
xoxo.
I will not click the spoilery link. I will not! But I kinda want to. IS IT THE TWENTY-THIRD YET?
Whoot Whoo!!! Congratulations. I can only imagine how that feels!!! :)
Repeating what I said on twitter and flickr but Yayyyyyyyyyyyyy and whoop whoop and other such exclamations :)
Am gonna be sitting by my front door on the 23rd waiting for the postman to drop my copy through the post box :) xx
CONGRATULATIONS MY C-P.
And just so you know, I am getting desperate. I can’t wait until January to read CUTB! I wants it now!!!
SQUEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! I am so very elated for you! I am looking forward to having a copy in my hands! I am so excited to read the book, finally! Hooray ! Happy holidays to you! Omg so many exclamation points!
I was lucky enough to get a finished copy from St. Martin’s press. I had a nice time comparing the cover to the ARC.
Ahh, I can’t wait to buy my own copy. -wantwantwant-
Two things I want you to know:
-I would totally rub my own book on my face. It may sound creepy but if my name’s ever on the front cover of a book, that book is gonna slide all over my face!
-thinking I’ll need to buy a copy of your book. And I promise I won’t do any rubbing, promise! Cuz that would be kinda weird.
Oh one more thing-
I went out in that blizzard and bought books, and I feel so darn good about it!!!
*happy dance* awesome! i hate all those people that got to read it before me though ^_^
There is no such thing as Courtney overload.
I may have shed a little tear reading this. Or maybe a lot of them. I am so proud of you, Courtney. You’ve come a long way bb.
Eeeeeeeeeee!!!!! Omg, I heart the plaid on the spine matching the Catholic school skirt! What a nice job! And the new blurb is GREAT! So glad we all voted on the red brick wall pic too, because it goes ~perfectly~. Your next book will have to be about stalkers because I AM GOING TO STALK YOUR BOOK. !!!
~*SPARKLE-HEARTS*~
Courtney,
This is all so fantastic! Congratulations! Ain’t it exciting to touch, see and smell your book? You must be in heaven!
BTW, forget the typo’s. Nothing can be done about ‘em now. Just celebrate the moment…:-)!
Cheers,
Edna
I can’t wait for this book to arrive in my store!
Brad: Danke!
w: eee! Thank you. Thank you for proofing it. :)
Anthony: EEEEEEeeeeee!
Sue: Thank you! I hope you like it when you get it. I might be doing a few local things, but at this point everything’s up in the air.
S: omg, me and ~*RPATTZ*~ totally celebrated by reading the script of New Moon and I was Bella. ok, not really. lulz. THANK YOU BB, FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT. YOU ARE SUCH A GOOD WIFE TO ME.
Megan: Hi, Megan! Thank you so much for such a great review–it was so cool to see it up on your site and I’m absolutely thrilled that you enjoyed it!
whitney: eeeee! thank you! and eeeeee! man, I hope one day I can get somewhere near you and do a book thing so I can introduce you to people as my wife because the opportunities around here are SCARCE. THE WORLD NEEDS TO KNOW, BB! THE WORLD. ~*~ xoxoxo
Annika: ALMOST! STAY SPOILER-FREE & STRONG, BB!
Jennifer: Thank you so much! It’s not totally sunk in yet!
starrynite: thank you thank you thank you for all your whoops and yays!! I hope the post travels fast. :)
Briony: MERCI, MY C-P! Eeeee!
ula: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! xo!!!!! Thank you!!!!
sharonanne: I’ve been comparing my last ARC to the finished copy a lot too. I’m so pleased with the new cover. :)
khy: yay! I’m glad it’s wanted. thank you. :)
Heidi: I am glad I’m not alone in this face rubbing business! I swear… I bet everyone does it and they just don’t admit it. And hee, what you do in the privacy of your own home is not my business! ;) and YAY! right on! books are worth braving blizzards for!
tristian: it won’t be much longer before you can read it!! :D
Lori: I will take your word for it, bb. since I Courtney overload you all the time. ooh maaaan, your comment is going to make me cry. this book wouldn’t be without you. <333333333333 you are the best. <33333
Emily: eeeeeeee!! I was so excited to see the plaid! I was dying to see the spine & the back and I’m thrilled with how it looks. and THANK YOU bb! I am so glad about the red brick wall too… it all ~*came together*~ and eeeeeee ARE YOU GOING TO SLEEP STALK MY BOOK THOUGH? BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE GRAND.
edna: thank you so much! I’m in total heaven. and I’m not gonna sweat the typo. I’m just gonna say it gives the book ~character~ :D
Trish: !!!!! (I wish you could see my smile right now, it’s HUGE!)
I can’t wait to read your book, Courtney. It’ll be the first book I buy with my Christmas gift cards at Chapters, I’m telling you!
CONGRATULATIONS!!! Great reviews and the books look amazing!!! :)
Angela: Eee! Thank you! I hope you like it! :D
Sruble: THANK YOU! !!!
It is so purty. Seriously. I love. Happy for you!
Look what I missed look what I missed look what I missed!
You must be so proud and happy and excited! Are you floating right now, are you?
I want a book now! I am buying this the day it comes out! But I don’t want anyone to talk to me about it until I read it because I don’t want to know the secret about Parker. If anyone starts talking to me about your book, Courtney, I’m going to plug up my ears and start singing at the top of my lungs until they stop it. And I cannot sing. So everyone I know better be warned. After I read it, they can talk. Maybe I should just stay home till the 23rd?
Teri: Thank you, thank you!
Nova: I am totally floating. I have yet to come down. Hee. I hope you stay spoiler free until the 23rd!!! :D
WOO HOO! *does a little dance* Enjoy the pretty bookies.
Love your bio.
Courts! They’re absolutely beautiful! (I feel like I’m talking to a mother who just delivered a basketload of babies) I’m triple excited for you and can’t wait to get to the store and buy the real-deal soon! Congrats!!!
Courtney,
Congratulations! How great to receive them after deciding they wouldn’t arrive–makes it even sweeter!
The book looks great. Fantastic cover (I like the face not showing), nice layout on back, and good copy on the back. I’m not even going to read the reviews till after Amazon delivers my copy because I don’t want anyone spoiling it for me!
CONGRATS!! I’m sending you virtual hot chocolate with marshmallows so you can curl up somewhere cozy and hold your book some more. (All books need that, you know.)
That is one glorious spine! I love comparing all the details of advance copies and final copies. ( I work as a designer) And yours is so fun to compare! At first glance they look very similar and then you start to notice all the little differences! Say- do you know Melissa Walker? She does this great feature on her blog about cover stories every week! I’d sure love to hear your story! You should get in touch with her if you are interested! :D And once again, LOVED your book!
Little Willow: Eee! Thank you!
TKT: !!! Thank you!!!
Danette: Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it when you read it. I’m totally nervous!!!
Alea: Eee, thank you! I had fun holding up the ARC to the final copy. I was so excited about seeing the spine it was ridiculous. I lurk at Melissa’s blog! I love her cover stories! And thank you so, so much for your review. It’s still making my day!!! :D
Sure thing! You should email Melissa! I definitely want to hear more about the cover!
OH GOD I AM SO EXCITED
MEHMET YOUR NAME IS IN IT!!!!!!
i remember you telling me that, and me dying asdjklwadhwakldhsfalkdjfhadskjhfas. you are so effing sweet what am i going to do with you? agghhhhhhh. maybe i’ll call and ask tori to make an actually good album. that might make up for it?
heee. do you think that’s possible though? ZING! :)
xo