Life in outer space
(Book)

Shy film-geek Sam is totally cool with his low-key life hanging out with his nerdy friends, working haphazardly on his screenplay, and playing a little World of Warcraft. All he wants to do is get by until graduation. When cute, quirky new girl Camilla moves to Sam's small Australian town, he ignores her, knowing that as the daughter of a famous music critic and a girl who has lived all over the world, Camilla will quickly be absorbed into the popular crowd. Camilla, however, has different plans plans that include spending time with whomever she wants, like sincere, kind Sam and his friends.This charming story is like a modern YA-lit version of a John Hughes movie funny, sweet, gentle, awkward, and filled with an endearing cast of odd ducks. Although there is a little teenage drinking in this book (the drinking age in Australia is 16), this title is safe and satisfying in its depictions of friendship and first love. A great choice for those who wish to end their summers with a lighthearted romantic comedy.--Mack, Candice Copyright 2010 Booklist

Budding horror-filmmaker Sam is tight with his posse of fellow Aussie misfits: best friend Mike, who is gay and out to his pals but not to anyone else; highly excitable, fiercely loyal, undersized (in height, if not girth) Adrian, called the Troll by the school jocks; and consummate nerd-girl Allison. Then Camilla arrives on the scene: daughter of a peripatetic rock-and-roll journalist; beautiful; tattooed; worldly; lonely. Like a chameleon, she blends right in with the cool kids, but she also hangs with Sam and his crew, sometimes even managing to coax them into trying new things (going to the school dance, for example). The further Sam tiptoes out of his comfort zone, the more he comes into his own, realizing that his and Camillas friendship is a two-way street and not just infatuation on his part (though it is that, too). Camilla is like a John Green girl with slightly less angst; her pedestal is a bit lower than a Katherine, an Alaska, or a Margo Roth Spiegelman, so her actions seem a little more human. Theres also more to the book than the will-they-or-wont-they of Sam and Camilla. The supporting charactersMike especiallyare multifaceted and real. Snappy banter and fish-out-of-water situations combine with touching moments to create an entertaining and diverting read. elissa gershowitz (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Sam Kinnison may claim an address in Melbourne, Australia, but from the moment Camilla Carter walks into first-period English, he might as well live in outer space. The impossibly cool English transfer student is Bowen Lakes Secondary's own "statistical anomaly," breezing back and forth between the upper echelons of the "A-group" royalty and Sam and his friends at the very bottom of the social pecking order. And for some inexplicable reason, she actually seems to prefer hanging out with Sam. Kudos to the publisher for resisting the temptation to Americanize Sam's story and for allowing his brilliant and uniquely Australian humor to shine through. There's just something especially delicious about Sam's description of the king of the jocks (otherwise known as the "Assorted Vessels of Wank") as being a "pus-filled tumor on the arse of my life." Though a secondary storyline about Sam's gay best friend flounders, leaving his oft-referred-to sexuality feeling a bit gratuitous, there's much to enjoy in the budding relationship between Camilla and Sam. As both kids struggle with issues on the homefront, they find a genuine ease and comfort with one another that make them an unlikely couple worth rooting for. Much like a John Hughes movie, this is a humorous, heartfelt and angst-y romance with the potential to break the gender barrier. (Fiction. 14 up)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Shy film-geek Sam is totally cool with his low-key life hanging out with his nerdy friends, working haphazardly on his screenplay, and playing a little World of Warcraft. All he wants to do is get by until graduation. When cute, quirky new girl Camilla moves to Sam's small Australian town, he ignores her, knowing that as the daughter of a famous music critic and a girl who has lived all over the world, Camilla will quickly be absorbed into the popular crowd. Camilla, however, has different plans—plans that include spending time with whomever she wants, like sincere, kind Sam and his friends.This charming story is like a modern YA-lit version of a John Hughes movie—funny, sweet, gentle, awkward, and filled with an endearing cast of odd ducks. Although there is a little teenage drinking in this book (the drinking age in Australia is 16), this title is safe and satisfying in its depictions of friendship and first love. A great choice for those who wish to end their summers with a lighthearted romantic comedy. Copyright 2013 Booklist Reviews.