Carpe Diem
-
-
4.6 • 7 Ratings
-
-
- $11.99
-
- $11.99
Publisher Description
In this delightful romantic adventure, a 16-year-old overachiever learns how to seize the day.
"I've got my entire life planned out for the next ten years — including my PhD and Pulitzer Prize," claims 16-year-old overachiever Vassar Spore, daughter of overachiever parents, who in true overachiever fashion named her after an elite women's college.
Vassar expects her sophomore summer to include AP and AAP (Advanced Advanced Placement) classes. Surprise! Enter a world-traveling relative who sends her plans into a tailspin when she blackmails Vassar's parents into forcing their only child to backpack with her through Southeast Asia.
On a journey from Malaysia to Cambodia to the remote jungles of Laos, Vassar sweats, falls in love, hones her outdoor survival skills — and uncovers a family secret that turns her whole world upside-down.
Vassar Spore can plan on one thing: she'll never be the same again.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Take a traveler as reluctant as Anne Tyler's accidental tourist and add the number of misadventures found in The Out-of-Towners, and you have the recipe for Cornwell's hilarious, adventure-packed first novel. Valedictorian hopeful Vassar Spore has her summer all planned out when her bohemian grandmother somehow blackmails her Type A parents into letting her take Vassar backpacking through Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos. So instead of enrolling in AP courses in summer school, Vassar finds herself hiking through jungles with Grandma Gerd and an Asian cowboy chaperone, and battling food poisoning, venom-carrying critters and primitive tribes (one of which holds Vassar hostage). The more humiliations and unwanted surprises Vassar endures, the more likable she becomes, shedding pride and primness along with her obsessive reliance on routine. Her rapid succession of crises, while jaw-dropping, appears more plausible than the family secret that is revealed bit by bit during the course of their travels. Although readers will probably figure out the mystery long before the protagonist does, the exotic settings and the wacky predicaments will exercise a strong enough grip to hold readers' imaginations. Ages 12-up.
Customer Reviews
Wonderful
This is one of my all time favorite books. I got it at my local library about five years ago, read it within the next few hours, and bought my own copy the next day only to spend the next week or so repeatedly reading the book. Ever since then, I've probably read it about twenty times and it never fails to amaze me. What appeals to me the most is the fact that I may as well have the word "wanderlust" tattooed on my forehead. Foreign countries have always fascinated me and this book always eases my wanderlust a tiny bit while also managing to keep the flame of "OHHH I want to see this!" alive.
Vassar is a lovely character. She's incredibly annoying and selfish at first, but she has her moments that just make you love her anyway - like her snarky comments towards the wonderful Hanks.
Oh, Hanks... I never would've thought that I would end up loving an odd creature like him. Asian meets Western really doesn't sound too appealing, but the fact that Autumn Cornwell managed to pull it off makes me want to bow at her feet and worship her. Hanks is, simply put, perfect. He's hilarious, cute, quite sexy when he wants to be and just all around wonderful.
Grandma Gerd reminds me of who I want to be when I'm old. I don't want to be the cookie cutter grandma that bakes all day long. I want to be the crazy grandma that takes you to weird countries or maybe just small, amazing, and odd trips.
The character development in the book is extremely well done. We all watch Vassar transform from an uptight little crouch into the lovely adventurous Frani. Hanks... Well, I'd like to say he doesn't need any developing. He's perfect the way he is. Grandma Gerd just manages to go from her devil may care attitude to a slightly more responsible one, which is what I was missing in her at the beginning.
Really, though, there is only one thing to say... This is going to be a book I will have my children read when the time comes.
carpe diem
wow this book was great. there was so much adventure so it was never boring. to antone about to read it just keep going. the plot is great and really interseting and the charters are developed well. over all carpe diem is just a great book