By the Book

By: Amanda Sellet

Narrated by: Laura Knight Keating

Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

In this clever YA rom-com debut perfect for fans of Kasie West and Ashley Poston, a teen obsessed with 19th-century literature tries to cull advice on life and love from her favorite classic heroines to disastrous results - especially when she falls for the school's resident Lothario.

Mary Porter-Malcolm has prepared for high school in the one way she knows how: an extensive review of classic literature to help navigate the friendships, romantic liaisons, and overall drama she has come to expect from such an "esteemed" institution. When some new friends seem in danger of falling for the same tricks employed since the days of Austen and Tolstoy, Mary swoops in to create the Scoundrel Survival Guide, using archetypes of literature's debonair bad boys to signal red flags.

But despite her best efforts, she soon finds herself unable to listen to her own good advice and falling for a supposed cad - the same one she warned her friends from whom to stay away. Without a convenient rain-swept moor to flee to, Mary is forced to admit that real life doesn't follow the same rules as fiction and that if she wants a happy ending, she's going to have to write it herself.

©2020 Amanda Sellet (P)2020 Recorded Books

A very satisfying read from a new author

I loved this book-its cleverly written and entertaining. Such a treat to have the great literary novels we were forced to read in high school brought to life and made relevant in today’s culture. The narrator is excellent. I can’t wait to hear more from this author!

Enjoyed listening to this one

Thoroughly enjoyed every minute of listening to this one. Well written and fun to listen to!

Predictable but pleasant.

Overall a pleasant escape. Captured a higher ed family dynamic well along with high school friendships.

Where to start.

As a teen myself it was easy for me to relate to the characters and the events going on. I definitely feel like it could have had a second book to it but I have to say I loved the way Amanda Sellet ended it.

A joy to read!

This had laughs and live and friendship and character development...I loved every minute of it!

I listened to this book several times

So many characters. Each distinct and interesting. Great narrator with a good reading intonation, not too fast or slow. The author’s prose is full of fun metaphor and literary references. Written in first person narrative, I did not at first reading understand we were getting the protagonist Mary’s subjective interpretation of what is happening. After finishing the story once I had to hear the whole book again to notice the clues in the story she did not interpret correctly. And a very sweet and somewhat innocent set of characters, almost all of them.

A complete tapestry of AMAZING

I've never met characters like these and very much wish I knew every one of them personally. My favorite aspect of the book was the interactions between MPM and Alex -- quite possibly the cleverest romantic dialogue I've ever read.

Growing up on the classics, I found the literary references refreshing and fun, and absolutely loved how they were woven into a hilarious and modern story.

Also, the narrator is AMAZING. Her voice is as fresh and unique and subtly brilliant as the characters she brings to life. She's seriously first-rate and I will seek out other books she narrates just to hear her read them.

All in all, a funny, well thought-out, articulate, innocent, irreverent and totally unique book that, once I got immersed in, didn't want to ever end.

I have a book hangover and there’s no “hair of the dog” because this is a debut.

I usually save my audible credits for my kids but I both listened to and read a sample of this book and was captivated. I loved entering Mary’s world so much. She was so well written that I could envision sitting down to tea with her. I also have a soft spot for characters who come by self-awareness slowly and see things clearly when they are best able to handle them. Fortunately for us readers, Mary is not the only well-drawn character. I could clearly see and enjoy her entire family, her dear friends, and if course, Alex Ritter. Even the bookstore owners and her frenemy, Anjuli get the full treatment, so rare in contemporary fiction. I look forward to inhabiting a world created by Amanda Sellet again in the near future.

An absolute delight!

I hope this becomes a series. The supporting cast is so lovable, they deserve their own books.

Absolutely loved this story!

I absolutely loved this book. It’s very charming, witty, whimsical, and a fun comfort read. The narrator is phenomenal. I loved the voices of the characters and it made the story so much more enjoyable. Highly recommended this book.