I Love You, Beth Cooper
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Denis Cooverman didn't want to give a typical graduation speech, cherishing memories and embracing challenges and crap. So, instead, he stood up in front of his 512 class-mates and their 3,000 relatives and said some-thing really important:
"I love you, Beth Cooper."
It would have been such a sweet, romantic moment. Except that:
Beth, the head cheerleader, has only the vaguest idea who Denis is.
And Denis, the captain of the debate team, is so far out of her league he is barely even the same species.
And then there's Kevin, Beth's remarkably large boyfriend, in town on furlough from the United States Army.
Complications ensue.
Denis comes of age overnight in this exhilar-ating, endearing novel that reminds us why we can't wait to escape high school but can never leave it behind.
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Author Extras
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Critical Praise for
I Love You, Beth Cooper
"I Love You, Beth Cooper…made B&N fiction buyer Sessalee Hensley ‘laugh-snort through my nose.’"
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USA Today
"Hip and hysterical...a fun, teen coming-of-age story."
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Buffalo News
"Doyle’s hilarious debut novel [moves] at a clip but never forgets that humor needs heart, too." Grade: A
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Entertainment Weekly
"It’s all outlandish fun, but what do you expect from a former Simpsons writer?"
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Daily Candy Los Angeles
"Doyle [injects] his own brand of insightful, engaging humor and convincingly recreates the high school experience..."
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New York Press
"…the book is great... dark, absurdist, insanely funny send-up of a John Hughes movie…Buy it."
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New York magazine
"...a romp, a goof, a wedgie to the coming-of-age novel... the book is blessed release."
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Cleveland Plain Dealer
"Gleefully clever and adroitly sweet."
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USA Today
"A smart, incredibly funny pastiche…Doyle’s writing is fast-paced and full of self-aware nods to the audience."
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Houston Press - Blogs
"Fresh, sweet, seriously funny."
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Newsweek
"This funny, hopeful novel is like a John Hughes movie in book form."
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Indianapolis Star
"...darn funny."
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Salt Lake City Tribune
One of the "best comedy books of the summer."
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Time Out Chicago
"…this side-splitting novel of adolescence is a classic teen movie waiting to be made."
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Entertainment Weekly - The Must List
"…this book is laugh-out-loud funny…"
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John Searles, NBC Weekend Today Show
"…hilarious high school romp... never ceases to charm...unlike, say, PE."
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E! Online - Cool Stuff
"...a demonstration of the power of good comic writing…"
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Weekly Standard
"Larry Doyle…gives a 21st-century gloss to this familiar tale… wickedly funny…"
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New York Times Book Review
"…hilarious coming-of-age novel…"
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Rocky Mountain News
"...an instant classic, right up there with great end-of-school landmarks like American Graffiti and Dazed and Confused."
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Tom Perrotta, bestselling author of LITTLE CHILDREN
"Larry Doyle has created a perfect literary hot fudge sundae: sweet, naughty, delicious, irresistible."
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Kurt Andersen
"If this book doesn’t make you laugh out loud, something is wrong with you."
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Dave Barry
"In the flagrantly funny I Love You, Beth Cooper, Larry Doyle gives the coming-of-age novel a swirly."
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Vanity Fair
"...hilarious..."
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Esquire
"…outrageously funny novel… "
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Booklist
"...a one-night-only joyride through Larry Doyle’s brilliant sense of humor."
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David Schickler, author of SWEET AND VICIOUS and KISSING IN MANHATTAN
"Hilarious, suspenseful, and a little good-kind-of-sad, the novel is a mashup of John Hughes movies.
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Blueprint Magazine
Reader Reviews from First Look
"Mr. Doyle has delved into the mind of pretty much every adolesant. Denis spends one great-horrible night with the girl of his dreams, during which he learns that everyone has the same fears and asperations."
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Mike (Virginia Beach, VA)
"Mr. Doyle has delved into the mind of pretty much every adolesant. Denis spends one great-horrible night with the girl of his dreams, during which he learns that everyone has the same fears and asperations."
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Mike (Virginia Beach, VA)
"Larry Doyle had me up late into the night with I Love You, Beth Cooper, and I felt like I had been out all night long with Dennis. This book was funny and interesting. It took me back to high school days and all of the crazy things that teenagers do. Great!"
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Kat (Hastings, MN)
"This was a great read! I laughed out loud at several moments, and took certain portions I found extremely funny and read them out loud to my boyfriend (who just happens to be in the Army). We really found the reference to the Regulations quite hilarious and on point! This book was a great blend of your favorite 80's high school drama movie (think Sixteen Candles), mixed together with a little Napoleon Dynamite, some up tempo action/chase scenes and a few awkward romantic moments. I cheered, laughed, applauded and was even angry throughout the book. You see yourself a little in everyone—who you were in high school and who you wanted to be—if only we had the hindsight. Thank you!"
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Jennifer (Richmond, VA)
"Warning: do not read this book in public unless you are prepared for staring as you consistently laugh out loud. From the the first paragraph Larry Doyle draws you in to the fabled day in Denis Cooverman's life. From the descriptions to the dialogue, Doyle captures spot on the relationships and situations of a gangly, awkward high school outcast without the stereotypical resolution of similar high school movies. Though it is clear Doyle was most likely an avid fan of John Hughes movies in the early 80's, he is able to raise the situation and genre. I personally have never laughed out loud so frequently while reading a book. If you're looking for a funny book that is enjoyable to read, I Love You, Beth Cooper is perfect. Like all good books, I was sad when I finished, but am secretly hoping Doyle will write a sequel. Because I will follow Denis, and hopefully his best friend, in their adventures to wherever they might take me."
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Karen (Washington, DC)
"The premise of this book is great—a geeky high school valedictorian confesses his secret love for the head cheerleader during his graduation speech to illustrate his theme of living with no regrets. The aftermath of such a confession is complete chaos. The entire novel takes place over a period of one night—a night that the valedictorian, against all odds, gets to spend with the head cheerleader of his desires, his best friend, and the head cheerleader's two female follows (er, friends). The group spends the majority of the night running from the head cheerleader's Army boyfriend, who desperately wants to maim the valedictorian for even mentioning his love for the head cheerleader. During the events of the evening, the valedictorian gets to finally, truly know his secret crush, faults and all, and perhaps discovers that while it is easy to love someone from afar, it is more difficult to love them up close. However, he also finds that not only does he love Beth Cooper, the unknown crush, but he also loves Beth Cooper, the true person. I am not sure of the audience to which this book will be marketed, but I missed some of the pop-cultural and sexual references and I'm only 31. Nonetheless, this book tells the story of every high school student's secret dream to get to spend one night with the young man or woman of her or his desires. We usually don't have a chance to confess our secret love for a member of our class at graduation, and probably wouldn't do so if we did have the opportunity, and it's even more unlikely that we would spend graduation night with that secret crush, running from his girlfriend or her boyfriend. As a fantasy, this book hits the mark!"
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Amy (Tucson, AZ)
"I laughed out loud. Doyle reminded me of the awkward and unintentional comedy of high school, and of all of the things that I wish had said. I loved the dialogue and I could almost smell the stale beer of the bad high school parties that I attended. Great stuff."
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Todd (Gilbert, AZ)
"I loved this book, and am dying to know what happens next!!! I loved the three-on-three-on-two interactions between the two sets of male characters and the females. Denis and Rich are at once pathetic and adorable, and I was absolutely rooting for them, despite Rich's complete inability (even in the most dire situations) to stop quoting from movies. With citation. Beth, Cammy, and Treece were the perfect girl group, and Kevin and his goons provided some nice action. I would recommend Doyle's writing to anyone who has any trace of a sense of humor!"
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Melissa (Cedar Knolls, NJ)
"Great story about how the nerd wins out in the end, although very painful to get to that point. I was grabbed from the beginning. The writing was very detailed, which I enjoyed. Reminded me a lot of all of those 80's teen movies, which was awesome!"
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Margaret (Chestnut Ridge, NY)
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Go, Mutants!
The author of I Love You, Beth Cooper returns with an ingenious contemporary satire set in an alternate universe populated by the aliens, mutants, and atomic monsters of B-movie legend. It came to Earth . . . and now its spawn goes to high school. Earth has survived repeated alien invasions,...
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