Rachel Vail is the award-winning author of more than 30 books for young people. As a theater lover, Rachel sees and reads as many plays as she can. Well, That Was Awkward was in part inspired by her love of the play Cyrano - another tale of secrets, wit, self-confidence, self-loathing, friendship, identity-hiding, and romance that blossoms between all the wrong people. Or does it? Rachel lives in New York City with her husband, their two sons, and (like Gracie) a tortoise named Lightning. You can visit her online at www.RachelVail.com or on Twitter: @rachelvailbooks From the Hardcover edition.
Through her protagonist's rollicking commentary, Vail captures the anguish and hilarity at the heart of middle school. --The Horn Book, starred review Vail may be disguised as an adult, but somewhere inside she is hiding a sensitive, confused, hormonal, loving, and intelligent adolescent. Using Cyrano de Bergerac as a model, Vail has created a fast-paced comedy characterizing a teen girl's growing pains on the journey toward womanhood. Bring a tissue (or a pack), and enjoy. --VOYA, starred review As per her usual blend of energy, wit, and genuine emotion, Vail has created a story that is at once delightfully gossipy, playfully ironic, and deeply moving. --BCCB, starred review Heartwarming, funny, and tender . . . Call it cute, call it clever--Vail fluently captures the spirit of today's American middle-schoolers. --Booklist Hilarious and heartfelt. --Kirkus Reviews This tween romance proves that some stories stand the test of time. --School Library Journal Vail skillfully details the politics of middle school, mean girls, first dates, and best friends in this sensitive and funny coming-of-age story. --Publishers Weekly Praise for Rachel Vail's Unfriended Another winner by Rachel Vail. At times laugh-out-loud funny, and other times heartbreaking., Unfriended is the kind of book I wish there were more of: emotionally complex, beautifully written, and impossble to put down. I never wanted it to end. --Meg Cabot Rachel Vail should be required reading for all middle-schoolers. Deft and funny, this tale of the doom and drama of friendships played out in a digital universe is pitch-perfect and sheer fun. --Judy Blundell, author of What I Saw and How I Lied Rachel Vail's ingenious, humorous, and compassionate storytelling brings her six narrators so fully alive that by the end of her book you cannot imagine ever 'unfriending' any of them. --Mary Pope Osborne, author of the Magic Treehouse books With keen insight, Vail reveals the internal struggles with uncertainty and self-doubt that can plague young teens regardless of popularity status. . . With a resolution that is both realistic and hopeful, Vail captures the complexity of middle school social challenges, insightfully addressing the issues of friendships and integrity. --Publishers Weekly Vail has a great ear for dialogue, and her characters. . . are well differentiated and realistic. --VOYA Vail has always had her finger solidly on the pulse of middle-school social dynamics, with an uncanny ear for young teen dialogue and a real empathy for the wide and awkward range of social and physical development that characterize this age . . . Vail's considerable fan base alone would justify multiple-copy purchase plans, but the hot-button topic of cyberbullying will further increase requests. --Booklist A realistic portrayal of middle school life . . . A solid choice that will ignite meaningful discussion. --School Library Journal Vail captures the complexity of middle school social challenges, insightfully addressing the issues of friendships and integrity. --Kirkus Reviews