The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl

Product Description
Seventeen-year-old Alba is an aspiring comic-book artist, pastry enthusiast, and eternal optimist. She thinks life in her tiny town is awesome (if predictable) and she never wants it to change. Unfortunately Alba’s just finished Year 12—so the only thing she can predict is that everything’s going to change. Even so, Alba didn’t see the end of the world coming. Apart from a questionable television psychic, no one did. And for some reason, the world seems to be taking this guy seriously.

As the tiny town is besieged by doomsday enthusiasts, Alba’s life is thrown into chaos. The childhood friend she thought was gone forever unexpectedly reappears; the boy who has been her best friend forever is determined to leave; and even her latest comic book creation, Cinnamon Girl, is out of control. It could be the very last summer of Alba’s life, but impending Armageddon might turn out to be the least of her problems. Alba is about to discover that when it comes to her heart, there may not be infinite time to get things right.…

From School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up—Alba is content with her life helping her mum run the local bakery and working on her graphic novels. Her current work in progress, The Adventures of Cinnamon Girl, exaggerates events that she and her friends experience. One day, her best friend, Grady, finds a clip on YouTube with Alvin Smith (alias Ordinary Ned), who warns everyone that the apocalypse is coming and the only place that is safe is Eden Valley. This news brings flocks of people to town, quickly transforming it into a version of Woodstock. Meanwhile, Daniel Gordon, an old flame and childhood friend of Alba's, comes back to town, causing Alba to face some familiar feelings. With the apocalypse coming, Alba has some difficult choices to make, including which boy should have her heart. Keil starts out the novel with a casual, conversational style, with Alba speaking directly to readers. However, that style is quickly dropped, and Alba begins narrating the story, forgetting about readers. The pacing is slow, and the character development is weak, particularly the protagonist. Keil throws in an unrealistic twist, which will most likely disappoint. Meanwhile, the relationship between Alba and Grady is predictable, resulting in an anticlimactic ending. VERDICT This is a slow novel with flat characters that should be purchased only by libraries with a large budget and a very high graphic novel fan base.—Erin Holt, Williamson Cty. Public Library, Franklin, TN
Review
"An amusing and perceptive take on post-adolescent life changes--with a twist." ---Kirkus Reviews

"Alba is a feisty, fun, and introspective narrator…" ---Publishers Weekly
About the Author
Melissa Keil was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, and has been a giant book nerd for as long as she can remember. Melissa studied Cinema and Anthropology at uni, and then spent a few more years studiously avoiding getting a real job by dabbling in a bunch of graduate stuff, including Writing and Editing. In between she was a high school teacher, Middle-Eastern tour guide, waitress, community theatre dogs-body, and IT help-desk person (hands down, my most unsuccessful job to date). Now, by day, she is a children’s book editor, and spends most of the rest of her time reading, writing, and watching YouTube. 'Life in Outer Space' is her debut YA novel. It’s a young adult romantic comedy that combines some of her many loves – movies, music, karate, old cinemas, Star Wars, and all things geek.