also shares new experiences with her new friend Julie B. It also provides personal knowledge of how the characters were able to get away with shoplifting from those particular boutiques.Īnother aspect of this novel that I enjoyed was that the portrayal of a young teenage girl seemed very accurate and thoroughly demonstrated what its like to be peer pressured by someone you look up to. I also liked the idea that the narrator is based off of Pollack because it gives the story a bit of truth and it gives Pollack first hand knowledge of the stores and trends that were around in the 80's.

is slightly based off of the author, Jenny Pollack, who shared these experiences of shoplifting when she was a teenager in the 80's, which explains the choice for that time period. Another interesting fact is that Julie P. That is one aspect of this novel that I really enjoyed and I found myself searching for the fashion brands and trends that were referenced while reading this book. The novel takes place in the 1980's and therefore showcases the boutiques and fashion trends that were around during that time period. Both Julies use the term 'got' as a sort of code for 'stealing'. into the life of shoplifting and fashion. The book features the life of a high school girl named Julie Prodsky who becomes best friends with Julie Braverman. 'Klepto' by Jenny Pollack was one of my favorite books in high school and continues to be one of my favorite YA novels.

Read it, watch 'Footloose' and 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun', and get lost in the tacky self-obsession that was the 80's. I sort of enjoyed it, despite it's vapid characterizations, unnecessarily planted swear-words, detailed descriptions of shop-lifting techniques and endlessly exhausting references to 1980's teen culture with no real explanation of those references to make them relatable or understandable for a 2000's teen. There's a certain nostaligic kitschy-ness that makes it hard to put down, but like eating too much of something that isn't good for you but still tastes great, it starts to give you a stomach ache.

Did you own a leotard and legwarmers in the 80's even though you weren't a dancer? Did you wear scrunchies and headbands in your hair, own an Esprit outfit, sport a Swatch watch and totally totally love watching 'Fame' on tv? If the answer is yes and some part of you longs for a book that will take you straight into the heart of the 80's fashion obsession, this book might be for you.

Klepto by Jenny Pollack