| Story of a Girl (novel) | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Sara Zarr |
| Cover artist | Roger Hagadone |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Young adult literature |
| Publisher | Little, Brown, Bloomsbury Publishing |
| Publication date | 2007(hardcover), Feb.2008(paperback) |
| Pages | 192 |
Story of a Girl is a young-adult novel by Sara Zarr. It was released in 2007.
Contents |
The story centers around Deanna Lambert, a teen troubled by social exile and branding rumors. When she was thirteen, her father caught her and her brother's friend, seventeen-year-old Tommy Webber, having unprotected sex in the back of Tommy's Buick. Word gets around by Tommy, and Deanna is named the 'school slut'. Her father becomes distant and cold towards her, never showing any affection after what he witnessed.
Three years later, Deanna still lives in her small hometown of Pacifica, California. Her affair with Tommy Webber is still a popular gossip topic and her older brother, Darren, and his girlfriend, Stacy, now live in their basement with their illegitimate child, April. Keeping a fantasy of moving out of the house with Darren and Stacy in her mind and coming to a happy home, Deanna gets a summer job at a ratty pizza parlor, Picasso's Pizza, while also dealing with inhibited feelings of affection for her best friend, Jason, whom is dating her other friend, Lee.
As the summer progresses, Deanna's secret love of Jason deepens. She begins to become more and more envious of Lee, especially of Lee's happy home and inner peace. One day, Deanna finds that Stacy fled the house,leaving April behind, and does not return. At the same time, she develops a friendship with her boss at Picasso's, Michael, while working alongside Tommy Webber. One evening, Michael gives Deanna a ride home from work and Deanna's father grows suspicious of Michael's motives. Deanna then lashes out at her father for never again trusting her after he caught Deanna and Tommy in the car, which causes her father to temporarily leave.
At the end of the story Deanna reconciles with Lee and Jason, Stacy suddenly arrives home ( it is revealed that she left only intending to party before returning to motherhood ), and Deanna decides to truly move on from the affair she had so long ago. Coincidentally, her father also returns to his family and moves on from the past.
Producers Emily Lansbury and Kyra Sedgwick have optioned the film. Laurie Collyer wrote the screenplay and has signed on to direct the movie. Kevin Bacon, Mary-Kate Olsen and Terrence Howard (along with Kyra Sedgwick) are all slated to star in the film. The release date is not yet available.[6][7]