Ned Vizzini Signs in Redondo Beach
Attendees at Comic-Con International had a chance to engage with bestselling young-adult author Ned Vizzini (It's Kind of a Funny Story) and get a sneak peek at his novel of teen geekdom, The Other Normals. Lev Grossman's blurb reads, "The Other Normals is wildly imaginative, incredibly funny, and weirdly wise. I don't know where Vizzini gets this stuff – it's like he's tapped into the collective unconscious of alienated adolescents everywhere." Sounds like our kind of protagonist / book!
Bestselling young-adult author Ned Vizzini (It's Kind of a Funny Story) is thrilled to visit Southern California's premiere science-fiction and fantasy bookseller [his description, not ours -- thanks!] for a reading and signing of his new book, The Other Normals!
"With a deft sense of humor and a keen ear for funny and realistic teen dialogue, Vizzini explores one teen everyman's quest to become a hero, one roll of the six-sided die at a time… Great geeky fun."
--KIRKUS REVIEWS
Ned will read from The Other Normals and sign whatever attendees bring (that he's written). He'll also do Q&A. Please note this event is at the Redondo Beach store. You can pre-order books for the event by clicking the link below. You can pick up a copy in either Mysterious Galaxy location after Tuesday, September 25.
This event is free and open to the public! Please come down for this WEEKEND READING!
2810 Artesia Blvd
90278 Redondo Beach
The Other Normals (Hardcover)
By Ned Vizzini
Email or call for price.
Published: Balzer + Bray - September 25th, 2012
Given the chance, fifteen-year-old Peregrine "Perry" Eckert would dedicate every waking moment to Creatures & Caverns, an epic role-playing game rich with magical creatures, spell casting, and deadly weapons. The world of C&C is where he feels most comfortable in his own skin. But that isn't happening—not if his parents have anything to do with it. Concerned their son lacks social skills, they ship him off to summer camp to become a man. They want him to be outdoors playing with kids his own age and meeting girls—rather than indoors alone, with only his gaming alter ego for company. Perry knows he's in for the worst summer of his life.
Everything changes, however, when Perry gets to camp and stumbles into the World of the Other Normals. There he meets Mortin Enaw, one of the creators of C&C, and other mythical creatures from the game, including the alluring Ada Ember, whom Perry finds more beautiful than any human girl he's ever met. Perry's new otherworldly friends need his help to save their princess and prevent mass violence. As they embark on their quest, Perry realizes that his nerdy childhood has uniquely prepared him to be a great warrior in this world, and maybe even a hero. But to save the princess, Perry will have to learn how to make real connections in the human world as well.
Teen Angst? Naaah . . . (Paperback)
Published: Ember - September 14th, 2010
"The events in these stories are real. Some names have been changes so I don't get yelled at." —Ned Vizzini Ned Vizzini writes about the weird, funny, and sometimes mortifying moments that made up his teen years. With wit, irony, and honesty, Teen Angst? Naaah . . . invites you into Ned's world of school, parents, cool (and almost cool), street people, rock bands, friends, fame, camp, sex (sort of), Cancún (almost), prom, beer, video games, and more.
It's Kind of a Funny Story (Paperback)
Published: Disney-Hyperion - May 2007
Like many ambitious New York City teenagers, Craig Gilner sees entry into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School as the ticket to his future. Determined to succeed at life—which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job—Craig studies night and day to ace the entrance exam, and does. That's when things start to get crazy. At his new school, Craig realizes that he isn't brilliant compared to the other kids; he's just average, and maybe not even that. He soon sees his once-perfect future crumbling away. The stress becomes unbearable and Craig stops eating and sleeping—until, one night, he nearly kills himself. Craig's suicidal episode gets him checked into a mental hospital, where his new neighbors include a transsexual sex addict, a girl who has scarred her own face with scissors, and the self-elected President Armelio. There, isolated from the crushing pressures of school and friends, Craig is finally able to confront the sources of his anxiety. Ned Vizzini, who himself spent time in a psychiatric hospital, has created a remarkably moving tale about the sometimes unexpected road to happiness. For a novel about depression, it's definitely a funny story.