St. Martin’s Griffin, January 2013.
Told in lyrical prose, USES FOR BOYS is the story of a lost girl. A girl whose mother is constantly looking for a man to complete her, who has learned to live with the very little she has, and who has met all the wrong boys her whole life. From the one who touched her on the bus, to the others who take advantage of her, Anna can’t seem to catch a break. Her best friend Toy — whom she met shopping at a thrift store — is her only rock. But even this relationship is toxic, as Toy goes on and on about her perfect boyfriends and her amazing life, while Anna fantasizes about the lives of the girls on her walls — pages torn from magazines.
USES FOR BOYS by Erica Lorraine Scheidt is the sort of book that is best taken in sips, rather than gulps. It is as jarring as it is beautifully written. It’s the sort of book that leaves you with just the right questions, and is certainly going to attract fans of Francesca Lia Block and Laurie Halse Anderson.
“USES FOR BOYS by Erica Lorraine Scheidt is the sort of book that is best taken in sips, rather than gulps. It is as jarring as it is beautifully written. It’s the sort of book that leaves you with just the right questions, and is certainly going to attract fans of Francesca Lia Block and Laurie Halse Anderson.” http://www.ekristinanderson.com/?p=4857