Book Overview
Janet's symbiotic relationship with her best friend is put to the test by the arrival of a controlling boyfriend in Dyan Sheldon's witty, diary-style sequel to PLANET JANET. Now that her mum, the Mad Cow, has split from her cad of a dad, Janet Bandry - despite her Creative, Artistic Mind - is leaving the Dark Phase to enter the Work Force. Only one thing can ease the physical torture of waitressing at a local Mexican restaurant - a dreamy waiter named Ethan who definitely has romantic designs on . . . Disha, Janet's best friend. Janet, of course, is mature enough to get over it - except for the fact that Disha now won't hang out with anyone but her possessive new beau. And if that's not appalling enough, even the Mad Cow is newly besotted - with a bearded suitor who has her singing old folk songs and boycotting evil corporate greed. Good thing Janet is sensible enough to start an advice column for the school paper and has her mates David and Marcus to talk to, as the entire female species seems to have gone insane. Detailed in humorously melodramatic diary entries and including a glossary of Britishisms, PLANET JANET IN ORBIT follows the precarious path of a comically self-absorbed teen who is learning some useful lessons about loyalty, family, and friendship.
Format:Hardcover
Language:English
ISBN:0763627550
ISBN13:9780763627553
Release Date:September 2005
Publisher:Candlewick Press (MA)
Length:276 Pages
Weight:0.75 lbs.
Dimensions:1.0" x 5.1" x 7.3"
Age Range:14 years and up
Grade Range:Grade 9 and higher
Customer Reviews
1 rating
An ingenious work of journal-told teenagedom, written through the eyes of a cynic with a sense of hu
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
Almost seventeen-year-old Janet Bandry is looking forward to a relaxing summer that involves lounging on the beaches of Greece, and taking part in crazy love affairs with foreign waiters. However, just as soon as her summer begins, it is already ruined by the Mad Cow - aka her mother - who insists that if Janet wants to have new back-to-school clothes, she'll have to work for them herself by getting a...job. Which is how she ends up working at a crummy Mexican restaurant, where the owner is constantly confiscating her wages. Honestly, if it weren't for Ethan - her ultra hip co-worker - she would have quit after day one. But if she quits, he'll obviously never ask her out. As if being a wage slave weren't bad enough, everyone around Janet is in love - including her mother, who is suddenly dating Buskin' Bob, a man who confiscates Janet's hair products, and has her eating weeds. If only Janet could turn to her best friend, but, alas, Disha has fallen head-over-heels in love with a hunky Australian, and left her in the dust. No wonder Janet has been sent into orbit. Dyan Sheldon's more publicized novels - CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN and MY PERFECT LIFE - never really struck a chord with me, in the same fashion that her PLANET JANET books have. Which is why I'm shocked that they aren't well known. Janet is one of the most hilarious teen characters to hit the young adult market in years. Her narcissistic, cynical take on her life, and the world around her is laugh-out-loud funny; while her comical family - extended relatives included - are bizarre and full of surprises that keep the reader guessing until the very last page. PLANET JANET IN ORBIT is just as good as Sheldon's first Janet tale PLANET JANET. I only hope that there are more to come. An ingenious work of journal-told teenagedom, written through the eyes of a cynic with a sense of humor. Erika Sorocco Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper
Copyright © 2025 Thriftbooks.com
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information | Cookie Policy | Cookie Preferences | Accessibility Statement
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
