New York Times Book Review  "In her first book, a novel in stories, Elizabeth McKenzie introduces us to Ann Ransom, a funny, ferocious and intensely likeable narrator.  McKenzie is an accomplished humorist and a developed stylist, and she wastes no time dazzling the reader with her clean direct language, her simple but searing use of metaphor and her unflinching eye.  The paragraphs are put together with razor sharp concision, and the book is rich in both narrative and linguistic surprise.  An original."

 

Alan Cheuse, NPR's "All Things Considered"   "Within 15 pages Ann has broken Granny's arm and begun her discovery that the world is a wide and various place filled with all sorts of odd people with weird ideas and motives, which pretty much describes the world of the rest of these stories, populated by angry mothers, voracious boyfriends, laid-back California entrepreneurs, an odd Australian environmentalist .Hilarious . Call these anti-fairy tales, stories that seem so true you'll say to yourself, 'Oh, these awful and sometimes lovely things must have actually happened.' That's always the mark of a convincing writer."

C. Michael Curtis, The Atlantic Monthly  "In Stop That Girl, Elizabeth McKenzie's observations prove to be droll, shrewd, fair-minded , and irresistibly entertaining. This is a writer whose modesty and ingenuousness threaten to disguise the range and subtlety of her gifts."

Village Voice  "Stop That Girl is full of unexpected incidents-the damage is quirky but no less acute.  Candid, perceptive . [McKenzie's] tales flail with reckless energy . Appealingly idiosyncratic, sharpened throughout by a keen sense of humor."

 

Robert Olen Butler, Pulitzer-Prize winning author of A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain  "Elizabeth McKenzie takes two difficult forms-the novel-in-stories and the coming-of-age tale-and makes them work brilliantly together. Stop That Girl  is one of the funniest and smartest fiction debuts I've read in a long, long time."

 

Los Angeles Times Book Review  "McKenzie's take on childhood is so smart, funny and fiercely observant.[she] keeps delivering such delicious paragraphs.Gets the youthful intimation of mortality down to perfection."

San Francisco Chronicle  "It would be easy to give up on the quirky, girly coming-of-age novel, except that when it works, there are few forms more pleasurable to read. And Stop That Girl works, on just about every level . McKenzie has produced a lovely, funny, lucidly written account . her sentences are beautifully, cleanly made, with no excess nonsense . She's single-handedly reinvigorated the coming-of-age genre. Here is a writer to watch, and a book to breeze through with glee."

 

O Magazine  "Why is it such a kick to read Elizabeth McKenzie's "Stop That Girl?" Certainly Ann Ransom, the impulsive schoolgirl who comes of age in these interconnected tales, has more than her share of heartbreak.  Ann pursues life with a wary insight that couldn't be more engaging. A smart, swift-paced debut."

East Bay Express  "[McKenzie] is funny, and her stories are wry and tuned to pop culture and politics.  They inspire fantasies about being her best friend."

 

Tessa Hadley, author of Accidents in the Home and Everything Will Be All Right  "A deliciously intelligent novel, funny and original and exact. McKenzie has wonderful eye-and a relishing appetite-for the craziness that's everywhere in ordinary things if you know how to look."

 

Santa Cruz Sentinel  "[A] delightful novel about a girl growing up in the mosh pit of family . Ann is wise beyond her years; she's also a wiseacre. Her rebellious, buoyant nature gilds her words as well as her deeds . Smart girls everywhere will see themselves in Ann's smart mouth. Still-it's Ann in action that hallmarks the irrepressibly upbeat coming-of-age novel . [Stop That Girl] leads us to consider our own childhoods, and it does it in a way that is both poignant and optimistic."

 

Rocky Mountain News   "Lively . Ann is an engaging heroine with keen observations and self-deprecating humor. Through her, McKenzie explores the myriad dynamics of family and friendship in evocative and graceful prose."

 

Library Journal   "Mature and well wrought; although Ann is sometimes baffled by the choices of her loved ones, she does her best to respect and honor them.  This tendency, along with her humor, loyalty, and humility, makes Ann a completely likeable character in a completely likeable coming-of-age novel .Emotionally reverberant, this book is highly recommended."

 

The Charlotte Observer  "Delightful and wrenching...a dynamic and honest portrait of a girl's journey to womanhood."

 

Cincinnati City Beat  "The nine stories in this collection are laugh-out-loud funny, but often poignant enough to bring a lump to your throat . An intelligent, original read."

 

Jenny McPhee, author of No Ordinary Matter   "As is eminently apparent from the elegant style, sharp wit, and captivating voice in Stop That Girl, there will be no stopping Elizabeth McKenzie in her literary career. This is a superb book."

San Francisco Magazine  "Shockingly assured . What's most wonderful about these thoroughly entertaining stories is how subtle they are."

Daily Candy  "How about a coming-of-age story with a little imagination?  Ann's voice and sensibility give the book an extra touch of fun. (Dig the car chase that involves an estranged grandmother and Allen Ginsberg.) Stop that girl? When you get a load of her, you definitely won't want to."

 

Kate Walbert, author of Our Kind  "Stop That Girl runs at breakneck speed from beginning to end; this is a wildly original, unforgettable debut, funny and poignant and perfect for anyone who has survived childhood."

 

 

7x7 SF Magazine  "Stop That Girl chronicles the heartfelt stops and starts of a California girlhood . Refreshingly sweet."

 

 

Booklist    "Ann Ransom is unstoppable . McKenzie shows us that life in a series of stories that are linked like chains . Ann tells us of her eventful life in a matter-of-fact, deadpan voice-often wildly funny but just as often thoughtful and sad-that will appeal to both adults and YAs."

 

 

Publishers Weekly  "Wry, clever.McKenzie's humor, Ann's touching bravado and the collection's subtle evocation of emotional undercurrents make this a poignant, incisive debut."

 

Jane Hamilton, author of Disobedience  "Stop That Girl made me laugh out loud, not only because it's funny, but also from sheer delight.  At the same time, the novel provided that perfect companionable sadness that can only be found in a good book. Elizabeth McKenzie is a wonderful talent."-

 

The Daily Trojan  "Absurd situations, celebrity cameos, and lyrical writing. a witty and insightful look at the glue that holds dysfunctional families together."

 

Book Lust  "Stellar.Clever and bittersweet.Elizabeth McKenzie is definitely an author to watch out for.  Her writing is crisp, sharp, hilarious, touching, and utterly original."

 

Kirkus Reviews  "Deftly captures one woman's life . A fine first book, alive with energy, wit, and real promise."

 

Elizabeth Strout, author of Amy and Isabelle  "Vibrant and clear, these connected stories present a portrait of a family whose members are funny and hurtful and real, and watching them touched by time and change is very affecting. There is a lovely expansiveness here; surrounding the humor is the recognition that life is a serious deal."

Rachel Cline, author of What to Keep  "Starting with a mynah bird who says 'Kill me!,' Ann Ransom views her world with mordant glee. Reading Stop that Girl was like remembering a life I've never lived-a lucid, wistful pleasure of the keenest sort."

 

Lucinda Rosenfeld, author of Why She Went Home  "Elizabeth McKenzie renders a nineteen seventies adolescence with fresh images and quiet power. I couldn't get Stop That Girl out of my head."

 

Julie Orringer, author of How to Breathe Underwater  "Stop That Girl is sharp enough to make you howl with laughter, poignant enough to bring on tears. Ann Ransom, McKenzie's brave and unforgettable protagonist, can survive her turbulent childhood only by being gorgeously, fiercely herself. This is a terrific book."