Girl Unmoored

Apron Bramhall has come unmoored. It’s 1985 and her mom has passed away, her evil stepmother is pregnant, and her best friend has traded her in for a newer model. Fortunately, she’s about to be saved by Jesus. Not that Jesus—the actor who plays him in Jesus Christ, Superstar. Apron is desperate to avoid the look-alike Mike (no one should look that much like Jesus unless they can perform a miracle or two), but suddenly he’s everywhere. Until one day, she’s stuck in church with him—of all places. And then something happens; Apron’s broken teenage heart blinks on for the first time since she’s been adrift.

Mike and his grumpy boyfriend, Chad, offer her a summer job in their flower store and Apron’s world seems to calm. But when she uncovers Chad’s secret, coming of age becomes almost too much bear. She’s forced to see things the adults around her fail to—like what love really means and who is paying too much for it.

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REVIEWS FOR GIRL UNMOORED

“Girl Unmoored by Jennifer Gooch Hummer may be the undiscovered young-adult novel of the summer”
— Entertainment Weekly
“Love, loss, and the coming of age of one remarkable girl blaze through this haunting debut like a shooting star you’d wish upon. It’s tough and tender, funny and smart, and it frankly took my breath away. I loved it.”
— Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You
“Fierce, funny, deeply eloquent, and unerringly honest, Girl Unmoored is all four courses and dessert. What a dazzling, satisfying novel!”
— Gwendolyn Gross, bestselling author of The Orphan Sister and When She Was Gone
“With stunning emotional honesty, Girl Unmoored shaves away layers of innocence to reveal the true meaning of love, and the power we have to save one another. Effortlessly funny and poignant, Jennifer Gooch Hummer’s masterful debut offers surprises until the very end. I am head over heels for this book, and will gladly scream its praises from the rafters — for sure a must-read!”
— Elise Allen, New York Times bestselling co-author of Elixir and author of Populazzi
“This book sneaks up on you. One moment you’re laughing at the quick wit and the next you can’t swallow down the lump in your throat. An intimate story of the entanglement of love and loss, Girl Unmoored breaks through the wall around your heart, giving it room to expand.”
— Susan Henderson, bestselling author of Up from the Blue
“From the shadows of loss and uncertainty to the ultimate act of forgiveness, Girl Unmoored is a uniquely rendered and quirky coming-of-age tale that will break your heart one minute and have you laughing out loud the next.”
— Beth Hoffman, New York Times bestselling author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt and Looking for Me 
“With Girl Unmoored, Jennifer Gooch Hummer proves that Love is ultimately about the F-word: family, friendship, and faith in the human heart. This novel is worth a price above rubies. ”
— Adam Novak, Head, WME Story Department and author of The Non-Pro
“To borrow one of Apron’s phrases, this book rings the doorbell of my heart.”
— Gayle Brandeis, author of My Life with the Lincolns and Delta Girls
“Jennifer Gooch Hummer’s debut novel, Girl Unmoored, introduces readers to a character not easily forgotten. Apron is one of a kind. Think Scout from To Kill A Mockingbird plunked down into the year 1985, trying to deal with Cinderella’s wicked stepmother. This book is filled with hilarious misunderstandings, the poignancy of losing a parent too young, and a fresh new style.”
— Jo-Ann Mapson, author of Solomon’s Oak and Finding Casey
“Apron may be adrift, but Hummer’s debut is on track.”
“I simply can not recommend this book highly enough-for the story, for the incredibly good writing, for the adorable heroine and the cast of supporting characters…”
“Girl Unmoored” helps moor us all.”
“Don’t you just love it when you discover a brilliant new author? I was giddy with excitement after I read the irresistible novel, Girl Unmoored”
— Barnes & Noble Book Blog
“GIRL UNMOORED is on its way to becoming a classic coming-of-age.”
“Read this book. You will feel human and alive. It’s the one I’m going to be touting all year, declaring to others that this is the book we should all be trying to write. And the one we should all want to read.”
“Poignant, candid, and heartbreakingly unique, Girl Unmoored is the best debut novel I’ve read in 2012.”
“If you only read one teen novel this year, Girl Unmoored is the book to read.”
Holy Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Batman! There is a new coming of age novel on the scene and it’s awesome!
“Loved. With a capital L-O-V-E-D.”
“I count myself lucky to have read GIRL UNMOORED.”
“a perfectly balanced novel… and a deeply relatable coming-of-age story.”
“Pick this up. Like, yesterday.”
“a beautiful story about love…a page turner”
“Girl Unmoored crosses genre.”
— The Nervous Breakdown
“I simply fell in love with Apron.”
“I think you should just trust me when I say read it. Put down whatever mish-mash you’re reading and find this book.”
— Anthology of a Girl
“Since the beginning of literature, authors have attempted to pin down a definition for the emotion we humans call “love.” From Shakespeare to Stephenie Meyer, millions upon millions of different opinions have been put to paper. However, I have never discovered one as pure and simple as Hummer’s.”
“It’s a beautiful story of what love really means…”
— Hooked to Books
“Hummer handles this… novel with tenderness and grace, showing her skills as a brilliant storyteller.
— Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews
“Have you ever come across a book that you find yourself unable to put down? Girl Unmoored is definitely that kind of book.”
— Fire and Ice
“Apron’s voice rings true … – she’s utterly captivating. I wanted to hug her.”
— cupcake’s (Book) cupboard
“…a quirky coming of age story that crosses genres.”
“I laughed, I cried… I felt mad, I felt glad… I liked, loved and loathed, and this range of emotions was all thanks to the skilled storytelling ability of Jennifer Gooch Hummer.”
— YA’s The Word
“Sometimes you just luck out and find a new author that blows you away. That’s what Jennifer Gooch Hummer has done with Girl Unmoored!”
— I’d Rather Be At The Beach
“This is Hummer’s debut novel and it is all sweet, sad and funny in equal measure.”
— The Windy Pages
“Seriously give this a read, it was a wonderful story that I just couldn’t put down.”
“I fell hard for the characters”
“…it(s) hard to believe Girl Unmoored is a debut novel”
“…it took off right from the very beginning… I adored this book.”
“I could not put it down. When I had to put it down, all I wanted to do was pick it back up again.”
“… an earnest telling of her story that will undoubtedly touch the hearts of adult readers.”
“I had been waiting, impatiently, to fall in love with a book this summer and I fell for this one.”
“…days later, even now, these characters are in my head. I just really loved this book.”

Awards FOR GIRL UNMOORED

Winner YA Fiction
Winner YA Book of the Year
Winner YA Fiction
YA Fiction Mature Themes
Indie Excellence Awards 2012
Winner Cross-Genre Fiction
Finalist Best New Book
Finalist Cross-Genre Fiction
Next Generation Indie Book Awards 2012
Finalist Chick Lit Fiction
Next Generation Indie Book Awards 2012
Finalist Best Fiction Cover Art