CARRIE PILBY
Written by Caren Lissner
Narrated by Allyson Ryan
4/5
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About this audiobook
1. List 10 things you love (and DO THEM!)
2. Join a club (and TALK TO PEOPLE!)
3. Go on a date (with someone you actually LIKE!)
4. Tell someone you care (your therapist DOESN'T COUNT!)
5. Celebrate New Year's (with OTHER PEOPLE!)
Seriously? Carrie would rather stay in bed than deal with the immoral, sex-obsessed hypocrites who seem to overrun her hometown, New York City. She's sick of trying to be like everybody else. She isn't! But when her own therapist gives her a five-point plan to change her social-outcast status, Carrie takes a hard look at herself—and agrees to try.
Suddenly the world doesn't seem so bad. But is prodigy Carrie really going to dumb things down just to fit in?
Caren Lissner
Caren Lissner describes herself as a “chronic creative writer” who is constantly thinking of story ideas. A University of Pennsylvania graduate with a B.A. in English, she published both serious and humorous pieces in the New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, McSweeney’s, and Weatherwise Magazine. The joys and frustrations of single nerd-dom in the big city drove her to write the novel Carrie Pilby. You can visit her online at carenlissner.com.
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Reviews for CARRIE PILBY
90 ratings8 reviews
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Can you call something a Mary-Sue if the author doesn't really write a happy ending for herself? I had read the book years ago and forgotten what I thought of it (I suspected I liked it), so when it came back to the book exchange, I decided to give it another try. I could not finish it.
At first, I felt a real connection to the character: I too am too smart for my own good (I am hardly a genius but I would qualify for Mensa, if you would believe that is any measurement of intelligence), am doing nothing with my degree, unemployed, living alone mired in my belief in the bullshit of the world (surprisingly, my nickname is "cheerleader" for my optimistic disposition - few know what a cynic I am). You would think this book would be right up my alley (I thought this book was right up my alley!) but, for a character meant to be so intelligent she really lacked any insight for herself (forgiveable, she was going through something) or any of her rants. The rants, which I feel this book was actually meant to be a vehicle for as it lacked plot (even for a character exploration) were not some witty nor intelligent observations of the world but merely depressive whining. I'm usually all for depressive whining but it just didn't work.
It also bugged me how she "proofread" the legal documents: while the job is now obsolete, it was never as easy as holding the two documents over one another to look for differences. IF it was that easy, law firms would have been doing it for years! A significant reason proofreaders are necessary is due to documents rarely being exactly the same size. The character copped out, just like the writer. That inattentive detail just took me out of the story.
It might be interesting for a teen, who is developing intelligence and a healthy dose of cynicism, but not for an adult who already has. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Oh CARRIE PILBY...how I love thee (the book not a literal person..hehe), let me count the ways. I love your spunk and personality even though at times I found bits of myself in you. I love your willingness to right wrongs no one else would touch. I love your hermit like nature that grows to accept others in your own time and space. I love...the story OVERALL! A great read from cover to cover...if her "personal ad" doesn't draw you in with it's straight forward nature and humor to boot...you might want to check your pulse! Recommended read for girls of all ages....definitely one to check out. Happy reading!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How sad that a YA novel from 2010 should seem so dated. Carrie's a prodigy who graduated from Harvard at age 19 and is living in a nice Manhattan apartment and neighborhood, rent paid for by her indulgent and guilty father, and not working. SO WHAT'S THE PROBLEM HERE? Well, white privilege of course, but the death of Carrie's mom when she was two rarely comes up in her discussions with her shrink. instead, he focuses on her solitary, introverted lifestyle and gives her a few tasks to accomplish to create positive change in her life. They're pretty routine, but Carrie does pull them off and feels better. But still, my urge was to tell her to GO DO SOME VOLUNTEER WORK or something, sheesh. The writing is fine - but still so indulgent."Each of us should have the feeling, even if only for once in our life, of having someone so entranced by us that every inconsequential thing about us becomes an object of fascination.""I subscribe to fourteen magazines, and just seeing the cavalcade of colors in my mailbox fills me with joy.""On the rare occasions I meet people now, I find that they consider snowboarding a cultural activity and that their main reading material is TV Guide. And I don't know how to respond to that. So mostly I stay in bed.""I've always thought that my thoughts would someday serve a great purpose in the world, but the more days that pass, the more unlikely it seems."
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The main character is an adult child prodigy. The story addresses the "otherness" that all of us experience.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Carrie Pilby has always been a bit different. She is a child prodigy that graduated college before most of us would even start it. Her hobbies include reading the dictionary, debating morals with herself (and others if she can), and sleeping in her New York apartment. Carrie has a hard time relating to the people around her. She just doesn't get them, and they just don't get her. She's unhappy and alone, although good luck trying to get her to admit it.Carrie is a fantastic character. She readily admits that she just doesn't understand people. She knows it's because of her childhood and intelligence. With the help of her psychologist, she sets up a list of things to do by New Year's that will help her open up to other people and relate to them better.I was a bit surprised to see this was a Harlequin. There is a bit of romance in the story, but it is definitely on the back burner of the story. At center stage is Carrie and the odd group of people she ends up finding herself involved with. They are all very unique and I could see the good, as well as the bad, in all of them. They were the perfect characters to contrast the various aspects of Carrie's personality.There were no fast paced action sequences or sudden turns of events, but the story moved along like a gentle stream that was very relaxing with just enough ripples to keep things interesting. Carrie's struggles were written in a way that anyone could find a piece of her to relate to.5/5
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5When I read the synopsis of this book I had to have it. It's not the type of book I generally read, but it just sounded like something I would really like. I got an advanced reading copy through netgalley(dot)com to read. It was a great read, a fun read, and the kind of read that really makes you think about the way you interact with the people around you.Carrie Pilby is a genius. She skipped three grades in elementary school and graduated from Harvard with a degree in phliosophy at the age of 19. Although her mental development is outstanding, as with many super smart people, her social development is severely lacking. She is living in an apartment her dad pays for, with no job, she spends most of her time sleeping and reading with no real interaction with others. She is, as everyone in New York City is (according to her), seeing a therapist. Her therapist makes her write up a list of things she will do to be more socially active. This list has items on it like "join a group" and "go on a date". Carrie, who is not used to failing an assignment, sets out to fulfill this list and finds out a lot about the people around her and even more about herself.This book is very funny and very heartfelt. Carrie is the type of person who has a direct line from her brain to her mouth and it makes for hilarious situations. She is a great character, someone you can really care about but she is also kind of a jerk sometimes and has her faults. Carrie has a serious chip on her shoulder about humanity; everyone is too dumb to be friends with, no one gets her, and there is no one out there that she should waste her precious intelligence getting to know. I think a lot of people will relate to Carrie, especially those that are a bit more introverted. I know I remember going through some of the things that Carrie goes through, for example walking into a room full of people and feeling completely alone or having a brain to mouth moment where everyone looks at you like "Oh My God, where did she come up with that."Carrie also deals with a lot of moral issues. She is a late bloomer sexually and has never seen the appeal of the over-drinking, sex-obsessiveness, and drug use that (supposedly) comes with the college experience. It has always left her feeling a bit morally superior, yet left out. I also related to this, and I am sure other people will. I didn't drink in college and wasn't all that interested in boys in high school; there were just so many other interesting things to learn. Carrie captures the awkwardness of being this type of person yet trying to fit in with "normal" people in their 20's really well. She also has some interesting relationship baggage. She got involved in a relationship with one of her professors in college and questions the rightness of that. At one point she also gets involved with a guy who is seeing her even though he is engaged to someone else. This really makes her question the morality of humans in general and question what is actually right.Carrie changes throughout the book; although she still has a lot of things to work on by the end of the book. I thought the overall message delivered was a good one and a vaild one; people need to remember that no matter how different we all are most people have something good and interesting about themselves to share, you just need to give them a chance. The characterization in the book was excellent (very realistic people) and the plot well organized; making for a wonderful read that was hard to put down.Overall I absolutely loved this book. I related to what Carrie went through as a character and enjoyed watching her make the journey to a better socialized nineteen year old. I loved the message that we, as humans, should be a bit more tolerant and accepting of each other. I really enjoyed Lissner's writing style; it was fun, witty, very readable, and engaging. I will be keeping an eye out for future books from her.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Carrie Pilby is a 19-year-old Harvard graduate who doesn't understand her peer group's obsession with drinking, sex, and other mindless diversions. She'd much rather curl up with a classic movie and ignore the rest of the world. But at her therapist's insistence, she attempts to break out of her comfort zone by completing a list of tasks, including joining a club, going on a date, and making plans for New Year's Eve. Originally published by Harlequin's 'chick lit' line, Red Dress Ink, in 2003, the book was recently re-released it under the new HarlequinTeen imprint. This seems like a better fit for the novel's jaded prodigy, who, while extremely intelligent, still has a lot of growing up to do. Carrie's behavior can be frustrating at times, but she displays a lot of growth as she steps out of her solitary comfort zone. As a fellow introvert, I was charmed by Carrie's quirky demeanor and the cast of characters she grew close to.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ah, what a fun read. Such a sympathetic narrator, who exhibits real growth throughout the book. Carrie Pilby is a child genious who finds herself a jobless, directionless university graduate in New York City at age 19. She's quirky and smart and interesting and she tells us her story, showing how she comes to be more willing to let people in her life and accept them with more flaws than she once would have tolerated.