The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project
Age 11+
Children's & Young Adult Fiction & True Stories
Equal parts love story, mystery, and wacky adventure, this tongue-in-cheek novel both parodies and exemplifies the over-the-top zaniness that makes the manic pixie trope so evergreen in teen fiction.
Riley lives in TropeTown, where everyone plays stock roles in novels. Riley, a Manic Pixie Dream Boy, is sent to group therapy after going off-script. Riley knows that breaking the rules again could get him terminated, yet he feels there must be more to life than recycling the same clichés for readers' entertainment. Then he meets Zelda, a Manic Pixie Dream Girl (Geek Chic subtype), and falls head over heels in love. Zelda's in therapy too, along with several other Manic Pixies. But TropeTown has a dark secret, and if Riley and his fellow Manic Pixies don't get to the bottom of it, they may all be terminated.
Creators
Lenore Appelhans is the author of several books for children and teens. Her work has appeared on the Bank Street Best Books list, won a SCBWI Crystal Kite award, and been featured on boxes of Cheerios. Lenore is an ambivert, a proud Slytherpuff, and a world traveller. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She lives in the D.C. area with her family and her manic pixie dream cat.
Reviews
Funny, romantic, and delightfully meta—The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project was a joy to read from beginning to end.
How long has it been since you had a good laugh? This book is the one you’ve been waiting for. Witty, sharp, surprising—a refreshing read.
Recommend this well-crafted book to voracious readers of YA who will appreciate the satire.
School Library Journal
