Twenty Questions for Gloria
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
At 15, Gloria longs for adventure, something beyond her ordinary suburban life. When a mysterious new boy strolls into school, bent on breaking all the rules, Gloria is ready to fall under his spell.
Uman is funny, confident, and smart. He does what he wants without a care for what anyone thinks. The only people for him, he says, are the mad ones, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing but burn, burn, burn.
He is everything Gloria wants to be. He can whisk her away and show her a more daring, more exciting life in which the only limits are the boundaries of her own boldness. But Uman is not all he seems. And by the time she learns the truth about him, she’s a long way from home . . . and the whole country wants to know: Where’s Gloria?
For fans of Dreamland by Sarah Dessen, Stolen by Lucy Christopher, and the Mara Dyer books by Michelle Hodkin.
Praise for Twenty Questions for Gloria
“The witty banter . . . will appeal to teens who love books with quirky dialogue and zingy one-liners, which also provide a refreshing and authentic counterpoint to the darker themes that run through the story. . . . For fans of Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor & Park.”—SLJ
“Bedford’s (Never Ending, 2014) skillful writing and unusual format will draw in teens who identify with the urge to cast off the mundane and find their place in the world.”—Booklist
“Dropping clues with absolute control over the novel’s trajectory, Bedford builds tension from the initial interview to the surprising final scene.”—Horn Book
“Feels like it should be a Sherlock Holmes style novel and I mean that in the best way possible because it has that allure and mystery, and yet still keeps it humble with its quirky characters, romance-on-the-side . . . it’s an amazing novel to read.”—The Guardian, UK
“A gripping tale . . . should definitely be on your reading list.”—Escapades of a Bookworm (UK)
“An outstanding novel which poses big questions while immersing the reader in a fast-moving narrative.”—The School Librarian (UK)
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
With an eye for adolescent introspection, Bedford (Never Ending) sets this story in present-day England, where 15-year-old Gloria has just returned to her parents after having run away for two weeks with new student Uman Padeem. How their unauthorized adventure came about is revealed in flashbacks and through direct questioning about their escapade by a detective inspector. For Gloria, Uman's impulsivity, passion, and fearlessness embodied everything she felt was missing from her normal, public school life. And so one day, the two simply walked away from it all. The story initially focuses on Uman's possible whereabouts after Gloria's return, yet Bedford's narrative is less a mystery and more a portrayal of an adolescent grappling with existential dilemmas. The transition from the events of Gloria's disappearance to the present day builds suspense and raises questions about whether adulthood requires settling into conformity. Uman's character is underdeveloped, but readers will empathize with Gloria's desire for escape while hoping that she can find a middle ground that allows for adventure without recklessness. Ages 14 up.