The Totally True Story of Gracie Byrne

(Paperback)

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A warmhearted story that will resonate with anyone who has ever dreamed of reinventing themselves. Kirkus Reviews

Its 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, shes still reeling from her parents divorce, and her grandmother Katherines Alzheimers is getting worse. So when Gracie finds a blank journal in Katherines vanity drawer, she begins writing stories about herselfa more popular version of herself, that is. But then the hot guy in her art class describes a dream he had about herthe exact scene she wrote about him in her journaland Gracie realizes that she can create any reality she wants, from acing tests to winning the attention of her previously indifferent classmates. But as her ability to change what is into what she wishes it to be grows stronger, Gracie starts to second-guess whats realespecially 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.

Reviews

Takaoka skillfully portrays teen interactions, as well as the messiness and love of family members caring for a relative with Alzheimers disease. She grounds readers in Gracies 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 ones self and pursuing ones 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 Takaokas 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

A charming romance with the boy across the street and the faithfully rendered 1980s setting (think corded telephones, cassette tapes, and midnight showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show) complete this original and absorbing fantasy tale.
The Horn Book

Author Bio

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.