Rating: 
Summary: Amazing
Review: Josephine Alibrandi is an Italian-Australian, 17 year old girl and is about to do her HSC. She wants a year where she will get good grades, not get into trouble, keep her scholarshi, and go to university to become a lawyer and marry her dream man John Barton.
Her troubles first start when the father she never knew comes into her life, causing emotional trauma.
I don't know what the deal with racial discrimination is in America but in Australia racism is very present and Josephine is not pardoned by it, her Italian background gives her strife when fellow classmates make fun of her culture.
And what would a teenage girls life be like without a bit of romance. Although she has had a long time crush on John Barton she is starting to fall for another boy, and again she has found herself in another horrible situation.
This book is a fantastic read, it will make you cry and it will make you laugh. But I would definately recomend this book to any teenager or adult. Read the book before you see the movie (the book is much better)
Rating: 
Summary: Looking for Alibrandi
Review: Based on a true story, Looking For Alibrandi is the award wining novel by the greatly admired author, Melina Marchetta. Located in Sydney, Marchetta teaches English at an all boy's high school. Working closely with students during their HSC has given Marchetta an understanding which has helped her create such a realistic and believable drama- Looking For Alibrandi.
Caught up in the middle of two cultures, life is particularly complicated. On a scholarship at St Martha's where everything is about money, prestige and what your father does for a living, 17 year old Josie feels out of place. Surrounded by society's richest people, Josie Alibrandi doesn't quite fit in. Self conscious of her Italian background, Josie craves acceptance. As the pressures of final year exams emerge, Josie sees the HSC as her deadline, and decides that this year there will be no distractions.
Josie has big plans for the year, which includes blitzing her final exams so she can go to university and study law, and making the man of her dreams fall in love with her. Simplicity is not a characteristic within Josie's life. Caught up in the Alibrandi curse, Josie's Grandmother believes that they have no right to belong. Despite being told that Jesus died for her sins, Josie believes that she is going to be the first Alibrandi woman to have a say in how her life turns out.
Brought up only by her mother, Josie's first hurdle is the appearance of her father, Michael Andretti. Unaware he even had a daughter, Michael moved back to Sydney to work in a law firm. Josie believes that fathers are useless, and because she has such a close, loving relationship with her mother, Josie sees no need for a third member of the family. Yet Michael's presence is helpful when he is called to save Josie from losing her scholarship at St Martha's.
After almost being expelled, Josie decides that there are not going to be anymore distractions, "back to being a saint". Again things are not that easy. However, there is always a slither of hope. His name is John Barton. Captain of St Anthony's, he is experiencing great pressure from his father, a politician, who is trying to run his life. Josie has great plans for the future and she sees him as part of these plans. But like real life there is always something standing in the way. His name is Jacob Coote. Captain of Cook High he is a motor bike riding rebel, who has recently dealt with the death of his mother. However, Josie does not lose sight of what she has always wanted. She has John Barton's sole and he has hers.
This novel is about searching for satisfaction and belonging. Throughout Looking for Alibrandi, Josie is continually learning new things about herself and her family. She is constantly searching for her identity and trying to find a sense of belonging. This novel looks at coming of age and the much sadness and joy that often comes with it. The characters within Looking For Alibrandi are very realistic and I recommend this novel for people aged 14 years and above.
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Summary: Looking for Alibrandi
Review: D. Rousseau Looking For Alibrandi Over the summer I read a great book called "Looking for Alibrandi". The author is Melina Marchetta, and although it is fiction it is a great story. I really like how expressive the Author is throughout the whole book. Sometimes she is so specific that I actually felt like I was in the book with all the characters. I also liked the part when Jose & Anna were in the McDonalds parking lot when Greg Sims was harassing them, then Jacob Coote came and saved the day. I liked that part because it showed that Jacob really did care about Josie. Another part I liked was when Josie broke Carly's nose because of the racist things she had said. I was really proud of her for standing up for herself even though it was wrong to break Carly's nose. I also enjoyed reading about her relationship with her Dad, especially the part when he took Josie on the trip with him. I thought that was really great because it showed how she and Michel were finally getting along well when at first she hated him. I have to admit I haven't read many novels like this one. In fact I don't think I've ever read one that expresses so much and that gives a really good meaning of some of the bad things that happen in life, but that something good does come to people who are true to their heart. The novel that this book comes closest to would probably be "Island of the Blue Dolphins". It is very detailed just like "Looking For Alibrandi" and I was very touched after I read both novels. This novel has a very good theme to it. If anyone were to ask me for a good book to read I would definitely recommend reading "Looking for Alibrandi". Although it is a very good book I probably wouldn't recommend it for anyone under the age of 11. I say that because it did have some language and some events that might be a little inappropriate for anyone under 11. So if anyone asked me what it was about I would say, a girl who is dealing with her friends, boys, her family, schoolwork, her culture and many more hurdles. I really liked this book because it was so realistic and really made you think. I enjoyed reading it and I hope the author has written another book like it so I can read that one too!
Rating: 
Summary: Looking for Alibrandi
Review: For as long as she can remember, seventeen year old Josephine Alibrandi has believed her life to be anything but fortunate. Born to a single impecunious mother from a strong Italian background, Josie has never met her father and doesn't fit in at her elitist Sydney Catholic school on account of her scholarship and inability to conform. She also refuses to embrace any part of her heritage, including her grandmother. However, to make her existence even more of a nightmare, she is constantly reminded of these factors by arch- nemesis "Poison Ivy." Not only is Ivy her superior as school captain, but she is also after the charming, white-collar, extremely wealthy, John Barton. The very same man Josie believes she is destined to be with. Just when Josie thinks her life couldn't possibly become anymore convoluted, she is finding herself more and more attracted to blue-collar bad boy Jacob Coote. And what does her fathers reappearance after a seventeen year absence mean for her? Not to mention having to bear the burden of a thirty five year old secret, her Nona's been keeping, after mistakenly stumbling across it. Will this new information threaten to make her feel more estranged from both her family and heritage than she already does, or will it bring her closer to them. And will she be strong enough to cope when tragedy strikes so close to home? That is all of course without even contemplating the stresses of her upcoming HSC. Set in Australia in the 1990's, this book is a turbulent ride of self-discovery, which deals with themes deemed extremely topical in today's modern teenage society. Not only does Marchetta build realism through creating strength within her characters, she further authenticates them by making their struggles identifiable to a majority of teenagers. She does this by using interrelated themes, such as identity, culture, illegitimacy, sex, single parent families and elitism, to name a few, which ultimately transcend culture. The end product of which, is a novel relevant to teenagers all around the world. Melina Marchetta's main protagonist Josie, can only be described as awe inspiring, covering new territory that was not seen previously in Australian literature. I love this book for it's rare and honest view of the struggles teenagers face in today's modern world. Josie's complexities as a character, implore the reader to keep going so as to see how she handles each of the perplexing situations which befall her. There is also an enjoyably mix of the dramatic and comedic. This type of honest, identifiable and offbeat, teenage subject matter is to an extent what can be seen as Marchetta's trademark. When also considering the content of her newly released, second novel Saving Francesca, which focuses on a young teenaged girl who finds it hard to cope with the pressures of study, family, friendship and the male school environment, when starting at a newly converted co-ed Sydney private school. "Looking for Alibrandi" is definitely worth reading and has in my experience captured readers of all ages and genders.
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Summary: Summer Book Review - Looking for Alibrandi
Review: I enjoyed reading the novel Looking For Alibrandi because it was different from any novel I have ever read. It was interesting reading about the lifestyle of a teenage girl - Josephine Alibrandi - growing up without a father in Australia. I also enjoyed reading about Josephine's problems and challenges and learning how she solved them. In addition, I liked this novel because it was set in the 1990's, so I could relate to Josephine's life more than the lives of the other characters I read about in other novels this summer, which were set in much earlier times. This novel is similar to the other novels I read this summer, because in each of the novels, a girl was the key character. They all dealt with some of the issues that face girls as they grow up and deal with different relationships, even though the novels were set in completely different time periods. For example, the novel Beyond The Burning Time was set in the late 1600's, and the Fifth Chinese Daughter was set in the early 1900's, unlike Looking For Alibrandi that was set in the 1990's. The differences in the timeframes made each of the girl's lives very different, but in many ways each of their individual challenges were the same. They were all trying to deal with different relationships with their parents. For example, Josephine had a very good relationship with her mother because she was the only parent Josephine had. In Beyond the Burning Time, Mary Chase had a very close relationship with her mother Virginia Chase because Mary's father had died just after Mary had been born. In the Fifth Chinese Daughter, Jade Snow had an average relationship with her mother and father but when Jade Snow started getting older, the relationship between her mother and father slowly began to drift away. Overall, Looking For Alibrandi was a very good book with unexpected turns in the plot. I could hardly put the book down, and I would recommend this book to others.
Rating:
Summary: not my usual type of book
Review: I'm an avid reader, in fact, I read so much that my family actually grounds me from reading sometimes (though not very often because I'm not really a trouble-maker). I usually read science-fiction/fantasy type stuff, but my mom was really getting angry with me for never trying anything new that I finally picked this book up at my school library.
I finished it in three hours. I went back, and I read it again. and again. this book was very inspiring to me because Josephine Alibrandi has a lot of the same ideals, and characteristics that I have. I learned a lot from her, and even though I still don't read a lot of books that aren't science-fiction/fantasy, this book remains one of my favorites. I encourage you to pick it up and read it, even if it doesn't look like the kind of thing that would interest you. you won't be dissapointed.
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Summary: Looking... and Found a Classic
Review: If one reads any of my other book reviews it is not hard to tell that I have a flare for the unusualy, but the novel was one that I enjoyed never-the-less. I think it is so universal because everyone can relate to Joe's problems and situations. We have all have trouble choosing a boyfriend or girlfriend, and we have all had problems with family from time to time. I think the real beauty is how she deals with her father in the novel, something I was touched by and can relate to personally. A must read.
Rating:
Summary: Looking for Alibrandi -- Moving and Realistic
Review: Looking for Alibrandi is a realistic book about the powerful struggles of a seventeen-year-old girl of Italian descent living in Australia. It talks about the conflicts she has between her grandmother, mother, schoolwork, and, of course, boys. Josephine Alibrandi is trying to find her true identity while learning the twisted reality of her family's past. She experiences anger, frustration, embarrassment, surprise and other emotions that affect the way she goes on living her life. She makes trouble a lot in school. Because of this, she loses an honorary position that is rightfully hers, and is greatly disappointed. At the end, she has to decide who she really is and what she really wants from her life. Looking for Alibrandi is one of the best books I have ever read. Even though it is told from Josephine's point of view, it seems to really show everyone's true emotion and feeling of the subject. I could really relate to Josephine's problems and understood her very well. I was, however, kind of disappointed about the ending, unless the author is planning a sequel. When I read this I became very drawn to it. I felt like I was really experiencing her life, through her eyes. I would laugh with her and cry with her out loud.
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Summary: Finding Josie
Review: Looking For Alibrandi, by Melina Marchetta, is a novel set in Sydney, Australia about a high school senior named Josephine Alibrandi. She is a confused, rambunctious, carefree, Italian middle-class scholarship student searching for her identity. Although sometimes she is emotionally unstable due to being ridiculed by her peers, she has a good heart and is fun to be with. Her religion and Italian background play major roles in her life. Josie has never had a male influence; her mother became pregnant at age sixteen, and her father�s family moved away soon thereafter. Because of her pregnancy without being married, Josie�s mother, Christina, is an outcast in her traditional Italian community. Her critical and traditional grandmother makes sure she follows the rules of her community, while her teachers try to keep her out of trouble, although she normally finds herself in it. But Josie�s senior year at St. Martha is different. First, her father comes back into her life, and she finds out two nice boys, John Barton, popular and rich, and Jacob Coote, a working rebel, both like her. John Barton becomes one of Josie�s good friends, but he has many problems because of all the pressure he is under from his father. Jacob Coote, on the other hand, ends up becoming deeply involved with Josie. Josie has many ups and downs, which makes the story interesting and relative to life. But with the support of her family and friends, she survives all these hardships. She is so grateful to have a loving father by her side, and three wonderful best friends to look up to for help. This year Josie finds herself. She learns more about her background and culture, deals with issues such as boys, stress, suicide, and leaves behind the naiveté little girl she once was.
Rating:
Summary: Looking for Alibrandi
Review: Looking for Alibrandi, written by Melina Marcheta, is a book about Josephine Alibrandi, a seventeen year-old Australian girl of Italian descent. The book describes how Josephine tries to find herself in the midst of many personal problems and teenage challenges.
Josephine comes from a non-traditional family. She does not know who her father is, and she has been raised by a hard working, loving mom who has had a difficult life. Josephine's grandmother is the other important person in her life. The grandmother drives Josehine crazy because she is always in everyone's business, and is very old-fashioned and strict. Josephine attends a private, Catholic high school, and is often in trouble with the nuns because of her "smart mouth". She gets in fights with some of the girls at school because they constantly make fun of her Italian heritage. Josephine likes a rich, smart boy named John Barton, until she meets a middle class, trouble maker named Jacob Coote. She has a difficult time deciding who is right for her, and everyone else in the book has an opinion of their own.
Things get more complicated for Josephine when she finally meets her biological father. She is not sure whether she should have him in her life. She always wanted to meet him, but now she is not sure if she wants to even talk to him.
Will things ever get easy for Josephine? Will she find out who she is and what is most important in life? You need to read this incredible book to find out.
Looking for Alibrandi is one of the best books I have ever read. I could not put the book down. It perfectly captures the life and mind of Josephine. This book is the first one that I have read that describes a teenager's life. Even though I have read a lot of good books, I have never related to the main character as I did with Josephine. Her sense of humor is very much like mine. I admire that Josephine is able to stand up for herself and her family. Although she shouldn't hit people, I cheered for her when she caused a nasty girl to have a bloody nose.
The author, Melina Marchetta, writes about difficult and sometimes sad topics in a very humorous way. When It seems as if Ms. Marcetta is speaking for all teenagers when she portrays the lives of Josephine and friends. Although Looking for Alibrandi may appeal more to girls that to boys, reading this book would show boys all of the pressures that teenage girls face every day. I would strongly recommend this fabulous book to anyone. However, the subject matter is probably not appropriate for children younger than 12.
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