Inside the Mind of Gideon Rayburn

by Sarah Miller Narrated by Cassandra Campbell

Overview

What if you could get inside the head of the boy you love? Hear his every thought? Know his every dream? Listen in on his every fantasy?

The narrator of*Inside the Mind of Gideon Rayburn*can, and she tells us the story of her beloved Gid, an adorably clueless boy who flukes his way into one of the fanciest New England prep schools. Gideon's more than a little out of his league at Midvale, especially compared to Cullen and Nicholas, his charming but morally ambiguous roommates. They terrorize Gideon as they initiate him with a bet over Gid's borderline virginity, and the feisty, sexy Molly McGarry. Gideon is torn-he wants to prove himself, but he also wants Pilar Benitez-Jones, the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. Hooking up with Molly might be possible, but winning Pilar would be legendary. On the other hand, Gideon actually likes Molly. It's all incredibly confusing and intoxicating. And one hysterically funny girl is savoring Gideon's every thought. But who is she?

Editorial Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

On his first day at an elite New England boarding school, Gideon Rayburn doesn't know about the mysterious female visitor inexplicably tucked inside his head listening to and commenting on his most intimate thoughts ranging from cafeteria food to losing his virginity. So through an often confusing jumble of Gideon's own thoughts and the quasi-omnipotent female's observations, readers watch from two vantage points as Gideon shakes off his working-class roots and tries to fit in with his wealthy and generally vapid classmates. Attempting to assimilate, Gideon bets his roommates that he will bed his classmate Molly McGarry. Unsurprisingly, Gideon falls for Molly and faces a moral conflict, which he solves in a way that slightly and possibly unrealistically panders to a female audience. A typical prep-school tale complete with excess, drugs and sex, but with a failed twist that is frequently awkward and quickly grows predictable. (Fiction. YA)

From the Publisher

[An] amusing novel...[with] a unique twist...Readers will have a good time living inside Gid's head as he slowly becomes more confident and goes a little wild along the way.” —Publishers Weekly

“Smart, funny, sexy and totally true, reading Inside the Mind of Gideon Rayburn is like getting access to a club you've always wondered about...and then you're inside and it's better than you imagined it ever could be. And everyone is wearing the cutest yellow thongs!” —Zoey Dean, author of the New York Times bestselling A-List series

“Being inside Gideon's mind is like reading the personal diary of a guy you have a huge crush on and discovering that he's funny, sexy, wise, and more human than you ever imagined.” —Cecily von Ziegesar, author of the New York Times bestselling Gossip Girl series

“Teenage angst has never been so appealing. First-time novelist Sarah Miller has written a funny and penetrating story….[her] humor is sophisticated, and her character portrayal is rich and discerning.” —Library Journal

“The humor, well-developed characters, and fast-moving plot make the book deserving of shelf-space, and teens will enjoy figuring out the identity of the narrator, who is revealed at the end.” —School Library Journal

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169178548
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	05/09/2006
Edition description:	Unabridged

Read an Excerpt

Chapter One Who am I?

Like most girls, I want a lot. Fame and fortune. Equal rights. Shoes no one else has. But I'd trade all that in for the Perfect Guy. (Don't tell me there's something wrong with that. I dare you to name a single person who doesn't spend most of her time thinking about love.) Anyway, ever since I could think, I have been imagining and reimagining the exact sort of boy I want to love and would love me back. Basically, I imagine someone who has all the good attributes of the male species and whose bad ones wouldn't ruin my life.

I never thought it would be a guy like Gideon Rayburn. He's not gorgeous, not overwhelmingly brilliant, not all that great at sports. Jesus. Why am I bothering to explain to you why the guy isn't stereotypically crushworthy? Trust me, you'll see for yourself soon enough.

The point is he's so not the kind of guy I ever thought I would fall for. But then again, how would I have guessed that I'd be seeing what goes on inside his head? That my eyes and thoughts would go with him everywhere? When you know someone this great this well, it's kind of impossible not to fall in love with him. And when I say I know him well, understand: As I tell you his story, as it happens, I not only know what he's doing, I know what he wishes he were doing, what he thinks he should be doing, and what he would wish he were doing if he were just a slightly better person. (Don't get me wrong, I said he was great and he is. But he's a boy. He's fifteen. And he's a typical American kid from the suburbs. My point: He's got a lot working for and against him.)

By the way, Gideon has no idea I'm inside his head. Guys are cute, butthey're not very observant.

My feelings, though perhaps passionate for someone of my age and experience, are pretty normal. But my situation--that is unique, and that's what puts me in a position to tell you everything. I mean it. Everything you've ever wondered about what guys think (and feared about what they want), I'm going to tell you. You are going to learn what boys say when girls are not in the room and how they feel when they're on top of one. I will, for now, leave out one very crucial thing: who I am. I'm in this story too, and not just inside Gid's head. But there are a lot of girls--and women--in this story. Which one am I?

Copyright © 2006 by Sarah Miller

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