The Totally True Story of Gracie Byrne

Shannon Takaoka

$47.95

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Candlewick Press,U.S.
31 October 2023

Gracie feels like a minor character in her own life story—until a mysterious journal turns her fictional stories into reality.

It’s 1987, and sixteen-year-old Gracie Byrne wishes her life were totally different. Shy and awkward, she has trouble fitting in at her new school, she’s still reeling from her parents’ divorce, and her grandmother Katherine’s Alzheimer’s is getting worse. So when Gracie finds a blank journal in Katherine’s vanity drawer, she begins writing stories about herself—a more popular version of herself, that is. But then the hot guy in her art class describes a dream he had about her—the exact scene she wrote about him in her journal—and Gracie realizes that she can create any reality she wants, from acing tests to winning the attention of her previously indifferent classmates. As her ability to change what is into what she wishes it to be grows stronger, though, Gracie starts to second-guess what’s real—especially when it comes to a budding relationship with her cute neighbor, Tom. This compelling story deftly blends friendship, family, and romance . . . and bends the bounds of reality itself.

By: Shannon Takaoka
Imprint: Candlewick Press,U.S.
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 217mm, Width: 151mm, Spine: 30mm
Weight: 544g
ISBN: 9781536228786
ISBN 10: 1536228788
Pages: 384
Publication Date: 31 October 2023
Recommended Age: From 14 years
Audience: Young adult , Preschool (0-5)
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Shannon Takaoka is the author of the young adult novel Everything I Thought I Knew, which was a 2021 Kansas National Education Association Reading Circle Recommended Title and a 2022 TAYSHAS Reading List Selection. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family, where she also works as a business writer and editor.

Reviews for The Totally True Story of Gracie Byrne

Takaoka skillfully portrays teen interactions, as well as the messiness and love of family members caring for a relative with Alzheimer’s disease. She grounds readers in Gracie’s 1987 world, from an immersive midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show to Orange Juliuses at the local mall, landline phones, and Aqua Net. . . . A warmhearted story that will resonate with anyone who has ever dreamed of reinventing themselves. —Kirkus Reviews A 16-year-old realizes that she can alter reality via her journal in this pensive tale by Takaoka. . . Immersive prose effectively conveys the push and pull between honoring one’s self and pursuing one’s desires. Via moments of young love and old loss, and themes of coming back to oneself, Takaoka delivers a moving and emotionally satisfying read. —Publishers Weekly In Shannon Takaoka’s charming novel The Totally True Story of Gracie Byrne, a struggling girl finds a magical journal that lets her rewrite her own life. . . . The Totally True Story of Gracie Byrne is a delightful coming-of-age novel in which an unhappy girl learns to appreciate the ups and downs of life. —Foreword Reviews