Born in South Africa, Emma Rathbone was a Henry Hoyns Fellow at the University of Virginia, where she received her M.F.A. The Patterns of Paper Monsters is her debut novel. Convicted of armed robbery, 17-year-old Jacob is sentenced to a Virginia detention center. Bored, Jacob begins romancing an inmate he bumps into once in a while. But when Jacob is asked to help bring the center down, he must choose between his new relationship and the chance for escape.
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"I give 5 stars to any book that makes me laugh out loud - not that this is strictly a comedy, but the writing is sharp and witty without being overly clever. +10 points for Andrea's "Now I'm slimy." "
— Zoe (5 out of 5 stars)
" I felt comfortable in this kid's head. Great book. More with quotes soon. "
— Jen, 3/20/2011" This just wasn't my kind of book. I think other people could enjoy it a lot more than I did. I don't get the title even after reading the book, but at least I love the cover. "
— Katie, 3/3/2011" Love. It's the kind of book I want to write, wish I'd written. "
— Sarah, 1/1/2011" Hmmm..I really liked the tone in this book. I enjoyed the humor and Jacob's views on things. I also liked how descriptive Rathbone is of the juvenile center. However, there were many points where I almost fell asleep. I didn't really get into it and felt that mostly it was lacking in plot. "
— Aubrey, 12/16/2010" Strong start but feels incomplete, somehow. Frustrating in it's lack of overall focus but well-written, so it must be forgiven, I guess. "
— Elysabeth, 11/25/2010" I bought this because it was a local author and at my nearby Indie book store, a staff pick. I enjoyed it. The author did a good job with a teens voice, I thought. I was a quick read. "
— mim, 11/18/2010" If I'm reincarnated as a person I'm going to read it when I'm 18 "
— Liz, 10/10/2010" Really liked the main character -- funny as hell. The writing was lovely, though the story was a bit predictable (although I will say that I never felt bored). <br/> <br/> "
— Greta, 8/19/2010Emma Rathbone is a novelist and the recipient of a Christopher Isherwood Grant in Fiction. Her work can also be seen in the Virginia Quarterly Review and online at the New Yorker. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia Creative Writing Program.
Steven Boyer is a graduate of the Juilliard School and has appeared both on stage and screen.