From the Publisher

A first novel of refreshingly original letters exchanged between teenage friends, refrigerator notes from a madcap mother, and darkly comic epistles from the heroine's internal voice of self-doubt.

The Association of Teenagers" is coming down pretty hard on Elizabeth Clarry. What is she to do when her best friend Celia keeps disappearing, her absent father suddenly reappears, and her communication with her mother consists entirely of wacky notes left on the refrigerator? And now, because her English teacher wants to rekindle the "Joy of the Envelope" in the "Age of the Internet," a complete and utter stranger knows more about Elizabeth than anyone else.

But Elizabeth is on the verge of some big changes. She is about to outgrow a friend, discover a great new friend, kiss the sexiest guy alive, and run in a marathon. Who needs "The Association of Teenagers" anyway?!

Jaclyn Moriarty's hilariously candid novel shows that the roller coaster ride of being a teenager is every bit as fun as it is harrowing.

About the Author:
Jaclyn Moriarty grew up in Sydney with four sisters, one brother, two dogs, and twelve chickens. She studied English and Law at the University of Sydney, received her Master's degree atYale, and received her Ph.D. at Cambridge University. She now lives in Sydney, where she works as a Media and Entertainment Lawyer.

Publishers Weekly

Coyly channeling teen quirkiness and enthusiasm, Moriarty captures the essence of a girl's adolescent years in her epistolary first novel. Consisting entirely of letters and notes written to and from protagonist Elizabeth Clarry, this peek into the life of an Australian teenager reads like a clandestine perusal of a very capably written diary. The daughter of divorced parents, Elizabeth is becoming reacquainted with her father, who has recently returned to Australia and wants to make up for all the time with her he's missed--this consists primarily of dragging her to expensive restaurants. Her life is further complicated by her best friend, Celia Buckley, who careens from one escapade to the next, confident someone else will bail her out. An English assignment lands Elizabeth a pen pal from a neighboring school, and she is becoming a serious long-distance runner, but Celia (and boys, of course) are serious distractions. Holding her own despite internal doubts, Elizabeth navigates the murky waters of adolescence essentially alone. Her mother is a parody of a contemporary career woman: emotionally dependent and immersed in her job at an ad agency, she leaves dizzy notes (many of which are no more than thinly veiled pleas for help with ad campaigns) around the house for Elizabeth, who is left to cook, clean and look after herself. Although adults may find the novel cloying at times, and younger readers might miss some of the humor (especially where the behavior of the adults is concerned), this teen's journey of self-discovery is a pleasant, feather-light distraction. (Mar.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature

When Elizabeth Clarry's English teacher rekindles "the joy of the envelope" in his private school students by having them correspond with a pen pal from a nearby public high school, the fifteen-year-old long distance runner finds herself confiding in "A Complete and Utter Stranger." Elizabeth's life is complicated. Her emotionally unstable best friend, Celia, keeps running away from home. Her estranged father has moved back to Australia and is trying to creep into her life. Her mother, a workaholic advertising executive, is a distant presence and communicates with her daughter via short, wacky messages left around their house. Written entirely in the form of letters, notes and postcards, Moriarty's debut novel is quirky and utterly delightful. It includes missives from several imaginary organizations like "The Society of People Who Are Definitely Going to Fail High School (and Most Probably Life as Well!)," "The Cold Hard Truth Association," and "The Best Friend's Club" that serve as mouthpieces for Elizabeth's angst-laden psyche. Moriarty creates an endearing, believable heroine and tells her story with compassion, intelligence and humor. 2001, St. Martin's Press, $16.95. Ages 12 up. Reviewer:Ellen R. Braaf

VOYA

In this sprightly epistolary novel, fifteen-year-old Australian Elizabeth Clarry must deal with a variety of vexing adolescent dilemmas. Her best friend, Celia, has run away to join the circus. Her father, who abandoned his family when Elizabeth was a baby, has returned to Sydney and wants to do the right thing by his daughter—which seems mostly to consist of taking her out to trendy restaurants. Her mother, who works at an ad agency, communicates with Elizabeth almost exclusively through strange notes taped to the refrigerator. Worst of all, her English teacher insists that she become a pen pal with a girl from a public school. Then there is homework, and boys, and her friends' sex lives, and the half-marathon for which she is training. Beset with doubts, Elizabeth fantasizes constantly about receiving letters from such decidedly unhelpful organizations as the Best Friends Club and the Cold Hard Truth Association. At times touching, other times hilarious, Celia is at its best when Moriarty provides just the right idiosyncratic detail; for example, Elizabeth's mother requests that her daughter help her by listing things to do using purple lipstick, or Elizabeth decides to include a piece of cherry and apricot slice in a letter to her pen pal. Occasionally, however, the imaginary missives from the Best Friends Club get a bit repetitive, and the epistolary format, although allowing great intimacy, becomes rather artificial. Nevertheless this novel should appeal to any young adult who also enjoyed Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding (Viking, 1998). VOYA CODES: 3Q 4P S A/YA (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12;Adult and Young Adult). 2001, St. Martin's, 288p, . Ages 16 to Adult. Reviewer: Michael Levy SOURCE: VOYA, April 2001 (Vol. 24, No.1)

KLIATT

This fresh and funny Australian novel tells of the increasingly complex life of teenager Elizabeth Clarry. Elizabeth feels that dealing with the usual adolescent concerns—school, appearance, boys—would be plenty, but now her best friend Celia has run off to join the circus, her long-absent father is back in town and trying to reestablish a relationship, and on top of it all her English teacher wants her to write letters to some pen pal she's never met at a neighboring high school. Told entirely in letters, postcards, fridge notes from Elizabeth's busy ad-exec mother, and imaginary communications from Elizabeth's mostly critical inner self, the story relates how Elizabeth meets an attractive fellow-marathon runner, goes off with him to rescue free-spirited Celia from the circus, and watches, aghast, as they fall in love. We also learn how she meets her pen pal and they become real friends—and how her pen pal helps her find a boyfriend. She also connects with her father's son by his new wife and learns some truths about her family. Elizabeth is feisty and charming, and she and the novel are a delight. Like Paula Danziger and Ann Martin's P.S. Longer Letter Later, another epistolary novel, this tells of relationships and especially friendships in a humorous but insightful fashion. Here's hoping this first-time author will continue writing for YAs. Category: Paperback Fiction. KLIATT Codes: JS*—Exceptional book, recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2000, St. Martin's, Griffin, 278p., $12.95. Ages 13 to 18. Reviewer: Paula Rohrlick; KLIATT SOURCE: KLIATT, March 2002 (Vol. 36, No. 2)

Library Journal

Elizabeth Clarry is the 15-year-old heroine of this epistolary novel, which consists of notes left by her mother on the refrigerator, letters from a pen pal at a school three blocks from hers, and (imaginary) communications from The Association of Teenagers, The Best Friends Club, etc. The readership may be a problem for this first novel, which appeared in Australia in the young adult market but now is targeted for adults. Will they be interested in the standard adolescent angst litany: I'm unattractive, no one likes me, my parents are idiots, etc.? Perhaps not, but teen readers will certainly recognize the situations and be pleased by the happy ending. Fun for the right reader. Rebecca Sturm Kelm, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Life isn't going well for high school student Elizabeth Clarry. Her absentee father just moved back to Australia from Canada for a year, and now he wants to spend "quality time" with her. She's getting anonymous love notes from a boy who refuses to tell her his name. Worst of all, her best friend has run away and joined the circus. In this funny, engaging novel-told as a series of notes and letters-Elizabeth deals with imperfect parents and romantic disappointments as well as tragedies large and small. Over the course of the story, she confronts everything from pimples and forgotten homework to the death of a pet and a suicide attempt by her best friend. Eventually, Elizabeth learns to stop obsessing over the flighty, thoughtless Celia and comes to appreciate her own gifts. Her intelligence and wry sense of humor come through strongly in her letters to her mother and her friends. Elizabeth's ditzy mother and new pen pal are especially vivid characters. At times the story tries to juggle too many plot elements, but, overall, this is a light, enjoyable novel about a memorable young woman.-Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

When a teenager acquires a pen-pal and a life, highs and lows alternate as dizzily as adolescent hormone levels in this engaging Australian debut. Elizabeth Clarry lives in Sydney with her divorced mother. Her father, remarried and moved to Canada, is currently back for a year, making her mom tense and Elizabeth uncertain. Her story, told in letters and notes, begins when the new English teacher, wanting to"rekindle the joy of the envelope," insists the class correspond with students at a local high school. Elizabeth draws Christina Kratovac, and the two begin writing to each other. At first their letters merely reprise likes and dislikes: Elizabeth enjoys running, and her best friend is Celia; Christina has a boyfriend, Derek, and four siblings. But the correspondence takes off when Elizabeth describes how Celia, an impulsive self-dramatizer, has suddenly run away and joined a circus, and how she and handsome fellow-student Saxon Walker set off to bring her back. Unfortunately, Saxon now seems to prefer Celia. In addition to her letters from Christina, Elizabeth frequently receives notes from her mother, who works in an ad agency and leaves instructions for dinner, as well as requests for ideas, on pieces of paper stuck to the fridge or pushed under Elizabeth's door. As Christina confides how Derek is pressuring her to"go all the way," Elizabeth is shocked to learn that she has a half-brother living in Sydney with her father. Life looks up, though, when Christina tells Elizabeth that she's learned her pen-pal has a secret admirer. The two girls finally meet by chance, and Elizabeth gives a party that forges new connections and reveals old ones. Before that, though, she must oncemorerescue Celia, who has run away with Saxon to parachute from the top of the Empire State Building. Adolescence, zits and all, described with wit and empathy.

What People Are Saying

Melina Marchetta
Elizabeth Clarry is exactly the sort of person i'd love for a best friend.
—(Melina Marchetta, Author of Looking for Alibrandi)

Product Details

• Reading Group Guide
• Read an Excerpt

Reading Group Guide

Review: "Dare to steal a glance into Elizabeth's teen years...it feels a little like snooping into someone's personal drawers-but after a while, you'll relish the sneak peeks...Sassy Celia is no sorry sister." -Seventeen

Review: "I absolutely loved Feeling Sorry for Celia and wish I had written it myself. It's so funny and so gripping -it describes perfectly the confusion and bittersweet hope of being a teenager. Written with exquisite deftness, immense warmth and humanity, it is the best 'feel-good' book I've read in a long time." -Marian Keyes, author of Last Chance Saloon and Rachel's Holiday

Review: "Elizabeth is feisty and charming, and she and the novel are a delight...this tells of relationships and especially friendships in a humorous but insightful fashion." -Kliatt

Review: "Highs and lows alternate as dizzily as adolescent hormone levels in this engaging Australian debut...Adolescence, zits and all, described with wit and empathy." -Kirkus Reviews

"Edgy and irreverent...a sharp, witty take on friendship, family, and the roller-coaster ride of adolescence. [Elizabeth is] to-fall-in-love-with." -Gotham magazine

Discussion Questions:

Who grows and changes more over the course of the novel, Celia or Elizabeth? How and why?

How does the structure of Feeling Sorry for Celia with letters, postcards, and messages from societies such as "The Cold Hard Truth Association" affect the reading experience? How does this structure reflect the experience of being a teenager?

What is the significance of Elizabeth's letters from "The Association of Teenagers" throughout the story?

Compare the development of Elizabeth's friendship with Celia to that of her friendship with Christina. Do you think that Elizabeth would have become friends with Christina if they had met in person?

Some readers feel sorry for Elizabeth. Does she feel that way about herself? What about the characters around her?

After Celia begins dating Saxon, she writes Elizabeth a letter: "I feel as if I have lost you. You are a different person. It's like you've disappeared.... You weren't happy for me. You never asked me a single question about Saxon or about how I felt. Maybe you thought you had to be cruel to me so I'd learn how to survive on my own. But maybe you were being too cruel, Lizzy? Maybe you just weren't being fair?" Is this true?

Describe why most teenagers and adults, who remember what it was like to be a teenager, would identify with some of the experiences that Elizabeth and Christina share with each other?

Why do you think Celia is always running away from home?

What does the outcome of Elizabeth's relationships with Celia and Christina tell us about the nature of friendship?

About the Author: Jaclyn Moriarty's Feeling Sorry for Celia has been nominated Best Book of the Year by the American Library Association, for YALSA's 2002 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers, and for the 2002 Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award. Jaclyn Moriarty lives in Sydney, Australia where she works as a media and entertainment lawyer.

Read an Excerpt

Feeling Sorry for Celia

St. Martin's Press

Excerpt

Dear Ms. Clarry,

It has come to our attention that you are incredibly bad at being a teenager.

I mean, take a look at your bedroom.

You haven't got any posters on your wall. (Don't try to tell us that that picture counts. A kitten drowning in a strawberry milkshake? Designed by your mother as an ad for carpet cleaner? Give us a break.)

You have a paper chain made of old Christmas cards hanging from your curtain rod. The only makeup you have is banana-flavored lip gloss and it's melting all over your Little Mermaid quilt cover. (Actually, we don't think that lip gloss counts as makeup at all.)

Not to hurt your feelings or anything, but you are an embarrassment to teenagerhood. Therefore, could you please climb into the refrigerator and wait very quietly until your teenage years end?

Thank you.

PS. Also, you don't seem to understand how to get a snow tan. You look like a slice of watermelon.

!!!! IMPORTANT !!!!! LOOK AT THIS NOTE !!!! !!! ELIZABETH !!!! OVER HERE !!!! ON THE FRIDGE !!!!! LIBBY.

I HOPE YOU SAW THIS NOTE.

GOOD MORNING.

EAT THE OATMEAL IN THE BIG, SILVER SAUCEPAN ON THE STOVE. PUT SOME ALOE ON YOUR FACE.

DON'T BURN YOUR FACE LIKE THAT AGAIN, YOUR SKIN WILL ALL PEEL AWAY AND THERE WILL BE NOTHING LEFT BUT BONES AND BRAIN AND EYEBALLS.

IT IS VERY AND EXTREMELY COLD TODAY, WEAR SEVEN PAIRS OF STOCKINGS.

HAVE A NICE FIRST DAY BACK AT SCHOOL.

LOVE FROM YOUR THOUGHTFUL AND CONSIDERATE MOTHER.

Mum,

Take it easy. I saw the note.

I didn't eat the oatmeal, I gave it to Lochie. I hate oatmeal. If you really cared about me, you would know that.

I am not wearing any stockings at all. It's not that cold. You have some kind of body temperature problem.

The really weird thing is that I didn't burn my face like this on purpose.

And I'm not using aloe because it's disgusting. Thank you for your nice warning about the bones and brains and eyeballs though.

Dear Ms. Clarry,

It is with great pleasure that we invite you to join our Society.

We have just found out about your holiday. It's so impressive! You had four assignments, an English essay, and a chapter of math to do. And you didn't do one single piece of homework!

Fabulous!

Also, we have a feeling that you have a history test today. And you're trying to study now? On the bus? With the Brookfield boys climbing onto each other's shoulders to get to the emergency roof exit? And with Celia about to get on the bus at any moment? And you think that's going to make a difference!!!

That's really very amusing, Elizabeth. We like you for it.

You're perfect for our Society and we're very excited about having you join.

The Society of People Who Are Definitely Going to Fail High School

A LETTER TO A COMPLETE AND OTTER STRANGER

Dear Complete and Utter Stranger,

The first thing that I have to say is that I hate oatmeal. I really hate it. And you know what? If you like oatmeal at all? I mean even the tiniest bit? I mean, say you were lost in the Himalayas, right, and you hadn't eaten anything except a Mars Bar for about seven years, right, and you're really cold and your fingers are all dropping off, right, and you look behind this rock, and there's this bowl of oatmeal?

Say you would even think about eating the oatmeal?

Well, JUST DON'T BOTHER WRITING TO ME, OKAY?

I don't want to hurt your feelings or anything, but I don't think I want to have anything to do with you.

The second thing that I have to say is that it's okay if you don't want to read this. If you want to just tear it into tiny little pieces and throw it away? Or you want to tip sulphuric acid all over it, or whatever?

That's okay.

I'm only writing it because of Mr. Botherit. He's our new English teacher and he seems really upset that the Art of Letter Writing is lost to the Internet generation, so he's going to rekindle the joy of the ENVELOPE. Next he's going to bring in a club and a saber-toothed tiger and rekindle the joy of the STONE AGE.

Anyway, but Mr. Botherit also organized the letter exchange because he's upset that our school has nothing to do with your school. He said that if two schools are exactly three blocks away from each other they should forge ties. I don't want to hurt your feelings or anything, but I think we've been okay so far without any tie forging. I think you've been okay without us too.

The good thing about this is that Mr. Botherit doesn't seem to know that Mrs. Cheerson, our old teacher? She gave us an essay to write over the holiday It was on To Kill a Mockingbird, which I read and it was good, and I think it's stupid to spoil a good book by writing an essay on it. So I didn't do it.

Mr. Botherit wrote these things on the board and he says we should put them in here. So I have to say them to you and I'm very sorry.

1. My name: just look at the bottom of the letter, and it says it there.