This is a super fun book for any woman who was a boy-crazy girl in the 80's & 90's. So much Sweet Valley High and Babysitter's Club memories! Book covers have really come a long way. Perfect read for a pop culture aficionado wanting to relive her high school days!

For any thirtysomething woman wanting to regain their youth then this book is worth a read. It'll remind you of all the teenage angst we went through by sharing stories from the likes of Judy Blume. A humorous and enjoyable read.

I loved this book! So I wasn’t expecting it to be anything like it was. All the facts of how YA books came about and the different genres that driven it, and the companies that brought them to life. Definitely brought back so much nostalgia for me since I read a good chunk in my early pre-teen years.

This book was the sassy research paper I never knew I wanted! In all honesty, I was hoping for a jaunt down memory lane and it delivered but it also taught me about the problems and business of 80s and 90s teen books that I hadn’t thought about. I was reminded of authors I had loved and forgotten (Hello Cherie Bennet!) and looked at formerly beloved authors in a new light, yes I see you Lurlene McDaniels. While calling this an extended research paper may make you step away, reconsider. Moss’ writing interjects enough current vernacular and topics along with her ability to laugh at herself and the rest of us who read through these decades make this an immensely enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was a huge fan of BSC, Thoroughbred, and The Gymnasts, so that hit of nostalgia was great. I may be a tad too young to fully appreciate the sections on “problem novels,” etc., but still really enjoyed the book overall.

loved this! moss won me over in the intro by making me laugh out loud. i also loved that she referred to reading these books in your 30s as a form of self-care. (i agree, it's surprisingly relaxing.) with how much i absolutely love the teen creeps podcast (which gets a shout out, yay!) it's no surprise that i thoroughly enjoyed this book. i will be buying a physical copy of this as well.

I enjoyed this book - but as a reader from Britain there were a lot of series here that I hadn't come across and obviously a lot of series that were integral to my childhood in the same era that weren't included. But it was nice to be able to revisit and learn more about the US series that I had loved so much - and I liked the author's loving but irreverant tone.

Fun.

Pretty much everything I wanted. It's s fun pop cultural dive into the history of Teen/Tween fiction from Nancy Drew to the Wakefield Twins.

The format is fun, lively and perfect to pick up and put down in between running for class prez and prom Queen and baby-sitter of the year and fending off an ancient curse brought on by your family's inability to be decent human beings for one second.

While th majority of the coverage is for the 80s/90s, Moss goes into the history of these books (primarily a female audience) as cultural stand ins for young girls to get an idea of being a not quite adult.

This is not meant to be a dictionary of every single series or author to write in the category since the earliest days. This gives a very broad overview, often discussing well known titles and authors, of the category with some lesser known variables.

I am disappointed there wasn't a section devoted to fantasy/sci-fi, but then these were much less common. Still wanted to see the Secret of the Unciorn Queen books mentioned tho. But I could name at least a dozen series that weren't mentioned here because again this is a broad overview not a comprehensive compendium. (I would so buy that though, can we kickstart it?).

Lots of fun for the nostalgia and even more for the laughs. Moss is witty and snarky, while still maintaining an academic tone.

As a former teen who went through both a Babysitter's Club and the One Last Wish phases, I enjoyed the trip down memory lane in Paperback Crush. Author Gabrielle Moss gives modern insight into these books that helped shape our lives. Moss writes like the best friend we all wish we had growing up: she's funny, wise and smart. Get this in the hands of those in their 30s and 40s who spent a lot of time in the paperback aisles at the library!

I have been looking forward to this book for quite some time! It truly did not disappoint! This book was a giggle fueled journey through the books that made me love reading. What a fun book!

Enjoyed this read about Teen books from my younger years. Funny, nostalgic, I enjoyed this flashback to the books of my past.

Holy nostalgia, Batman! Being a tween/teen girl in the 1980s/90s was seriously the best. All the angsty music, poor fashion choices that seemed so rad at the time, and of course, teen girl YA lit! Moss takes you on a hilarious tour through all of the highlights of this amazing genre. Babysitters and twins, streets full of fear and books with girls dying tragically, if it could happen, it did in late 20th century teen schlock. And even if it literally could not ever happen, it still did. All girls my age (mid-30s) need to pick this up and take trip down memory lane. Or Fear Street. Or a little jaunt to Stoneybrook. Or to New York which, as we all learned, is a personality type more than a city (looking at you, Stacey...)

This was a blast from the past and I couldn’t stop reading it. No matter where I was, I found myself pulling out my phone to read this. I laughed, I cringed, I remembered how old I was, and then I laughed some more.

I remember reading some of these books when I was a kid. It was definitely a perk from being a 90’s kid. Some of these titles I have never heard of and they were instantly added to my forever growing tbr. Some of them should be coming in through request at work and I can’t wait to see the look on my coworkers faces. They already know how weird I am.

Each chapter brings something new and hilarious to the table. Gabrielle has a way of making you want to read a book and laugh hysterically at the same time. It was pure genius.

I really enjoyed this book. Her wittiness and that nostalgia feeling is definitely a force to be reckoned with. I’m glad someone else shares my love for these amazing titles, which can now be found at your local thrift store for cents.

And always remember that "Teenagers and romantic love go together like a drunk person and a six day old piece of pizza: it’s a pairing destined to lead only to pain, but you try to keep them apart."

Worth reading for the comprehensive selection of paperback cover pictures alone. A thoughtful, good-humoured reflection on the history of YA with nostalgic, informative focus on the 80s and 90s.

I spent a significant amount of time as a teen at the library and at various Borders/Waldenbooks. I may not have read all of these books but I read many of them and the others I recognized the covers. How many hours I whiled away on the Fear Street books, how I made sure my name was on the top of the waiting list at my local library for Christopher Pike’s or Richie Tankersley Cusick. I read BSC, the spin-offs, I had shelves of V.C. Andrews. Of course there was the book where the girl dumps her boring blonde jock boyfriend for the brooding dark haired new boy who was also a werewolf you know that book. This book is a reminder of my teenage reading habits, so many hours on horror novels. I did have a Sweet Valley phase as well. I devoured this book in a day I absolutely could not help myself. This book brought back many great memories of all the books I have loved before.

This book was a lot of fun to read. It seemed very well researched and brought back some memories for me. A lot of the books that were discussed were before my time (70s and 80s), but it was fun to read about the various themes in YA books. I think I need to go back and revisit some authors/book series!

While I was definitely more of a mid-90s paperback reader, this book brought on a wave of nostalgia for Kristi, Mary Ann, and the Wakefield twins of series past. As a librarian, I found it super interesting to read about the history and evolution of YA books, and the added bonus was reading about characters that I held near and dear to my heart as a developing reader. I loved the format of the book, and the photos brought me back to a time where I was in my childhood library’s basement, looking through the assortment of well-read and well-loved “vintage” (at the time) 80s YA books that I considered to be my version of romance novels! This was a light, fun, interesting read that I want to share with everyone! Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!

More like 4.5. I had to immediately request this book as soon as I saw it. I have been impatiently waiting for this book to come out and it did not disappoint. When I was reading this, I truly felt like the author wrote it just for me, someone else understands my love of 80s and 90s YA fic. Gabrielle Moss, you are my spirit animal!

This will make for a perfect Christmas present for women with teen children. Not only will it give the mother a bit of nostalgia and a spring board to talk to their children; it could even inspire more reading on both sides. Many of my students have been coming into school with their mother’s books recently... I can see this book sparking that trend.

Paperback Crush writes about the paperback YA series in the 80s and 90s and trends in the newly developing YA category. This is a fun read that brought back a lot of childhood memories of the books I used to read growing up. I think this will be a must read for anyone 30 and older.