O'Connell, Tyne. Pulling princes; the Calypso chronicles.O'CONNELL, Tyne. Pulling princes; the Calypso Calypso, in Greek mythology Calypso (kəlĭp`sō), nymph, daughter of Atlas, in Homer's Odyssey. She lived on the island of Ogygia and there entertained Odysseus for seven years. chronicles. Bloomsbury. 224p. c2004. 1-58234-957-6, $16.95. JS This is a first YA novel by an experienced British author best known for adult comedy novels. O'Connell once attended a Catholic boarding school in England, as do her own three children, and so she is comfortable describing the life Calypso leads at just such a school. Calypso is actually an American, sent to St. Augustine's by her California parents; as the story begins she still feels like a misfit mis·fit n. 1. Something of the wrong size or shape for its purpose. 2. One who is unable to adjust to one's environment or circumstances or is considered to be disturbingly different from others. , even after several years at the place. Now 14 years old, she has a new roommate and her life changes. She and her one true friend. Star (daughter of a rock star), are sharing a room with The Honorable Georgina Castle Orpington, and she and Star finally are learning what it is like to connect with the British aristocracy aristocracy (ăr'ĭstŏk`rəsē) [Gr.,=rule by the best], in political science, government by a social elite. In the West the political concept of aristocracy derives from Plato's formulation in the Republic. , for better and for worse. Calypso also meets Freddie, a royal prince, in a fencing fencing, sport of dueling with foil, épée, and saber. Modern Fencing The weapons and rules of modern fencing evolved from combat weapons and their usage. lesson with the nearby boys' school. They strike up a flirtation that escalates into an incident that gets into all the British tabloids. But this doesn't give you any idea of just how outrageously funny this story is: O'Connell writes just about everything for laughs. She satirizes the rich girls and their obsessions. She is kind toward the nuns who run the school, who truly are intelligent, tolerant, and loving in their dealings with their wacky students. The girls hide vodka vodka (vŏd`kə), traditional spirituous drink of Russia, the Baltic states, and Poland; it is now consumed internationally. The best vodka is distilled from rye and barley malt, but the cheaper corn and potatoes are commonly employed. in their Body Shop bottles, they smoke and then spray Febreze around to cover the smell, they swear and plot against one another; they use their intelligence and creativity in madcap ways, and they actually do know how to be loyal friends. This book (could it be first of a series?) fits right in with other funny British teenage stories, but I think it has carved carve v. carved, carv·ing, carves v.tr. 1. a. To divide into pieces by cutting; slice: carved a roast. b. out its own niche in a posh boarding school setting. Claire Rosser, KLIATT |
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