806

A Novel

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Pub Date 13 Mar 2018 | Archive Date 09 Jan 2020

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Description

Sibling 1 throws blenders and plays guitar. Sibling 2 is allergic to everything and is into magic. Sibling 3 is a varsity swimmer with a group of female fans. Enough said.

The only thing they have in common is their biological father, and the only thing they can agree on is that they all want to meet him.

With the help of a broken-down, “borrowed” Jeep, KT, Jesse, and Gabe make their way across the country evading police, trying their luck on the slots, and meeting a life-changing pig, all to track down Donor 806, their father. Any hope of success requires smarts, luck, and ingenuity. Good thing they have each other...even if they don't see it that way.

Sibling 1 throws blenders and plays guitar. Sibling 2 is allergic to everything and is into magic. Sibling 3 is a varsity swimmer with a group of female fans. Enough said.

The only thing they have in...


A Note From the Publisher

About the Author
Internationally known lyricist with songs in films from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and How the Grinch Stole Christmas to Superstar and Tropic Thunder, Cynthia Weil has written countless pieces for film, theater, and artists like Kanye West. Weil has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and has been honored with multiple Grammy nominations and received two Grammy awards. It is only fitting, then, that 806 has a teen songwriter as its main character.


Other Notes

*Quirky teen road trip with high adventure


*Examines the definition of family and the many forms it can come in


*Explores serious questions of identity and belonging with lightness and humor


*Three very different characters with whom teens will identify
About the Author
Internationally known lyricist with songs in films from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and How the Grinch Stole Christmas to Superstar and Tropic Thunder, Cynthia Weil has...

Advance Praise

"806 is a lighthearted treatment of a serious topic…the book is wonderful and relatable for kids who may not have grown up in traditional biological families [and] reminds readers that other people, no matter how different they may seem, often share the same hopes and fears, and knowing that makes everything a little less lonely."
Foreword Reviews

"Fortune and misfortune are painted with broad, colorful strokes, and readers will enjoy predicting how the outrageous adventure will end."
Publishers Weekly

"[T]his fast-paced, humorous novel by renowned songwriter Weil....explores the real issues confronting children of sperm donors."
Booklist

"806 is a lighthearted treatment of a serious topic…the book is wonderful and relatable for kids who may not have grown up in traditional biological families [and] reminds readers that other people...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781939100146
PRICE $16.99 (USD)
PAGES 232

Available on NetGalley

Send to Kindle (PDF)

Average rating from 230 members


Featured Reviews

806, by Cynthia Weil, is a soul-searching, poignant, and funny story about a road trip to find the missing piece.

KT is a typical teenager living in St. Louis. She is in a band with her best friend, Sasha, and Dylan, who is in love with her, but KT has no interest. She just wants to play music, oh ya and find out who her dad is.

KT's mom always told her that her dad was an ex-boyfriend. When KT learns he is not actually her father, and that her father was actually a sperm donor, she goes online to do some research. Along the way she learns that she has two siblings. Together they go on an epic road trip to find out who Donor 806 is and along the way encounter many obstacles they need to overcome to complete their journey.

I really enjoyed this book and found myself cheering for the characters the whole time.

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I appreciate the protagonist's wit and heart. I was quickly pulled into the story, rooting for the main character as she tries to solve a mystery about where she came from. She's a relatable and sympathetic character, and I would recommend this book to all my students.

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Both funny and heartfelt, 806 warmed my heart. A story of discovery, both self-discovery and discovering who their real, biological father with a road trip in between. The characters in this book are relatable. That, being paired with the writing of the author, Cynthia Weil, made for a great experience of storytelling, along with allowing it to be a fast-paced read in most instances.

Whether you've been through a situation sort of similar, and are needing to go on a self-discovery journey, or not, this book will warm your heart and make your darker days more light-hearted. Get those fingers ready to download, and those feet ready to run to the bookstore, because this is certainly a must-read for 2018.

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Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: I had never really though about sperm-donor kids before.

Check out author's other books? Probably.

Recommend this book? Yes.

Notes and Opinions: This was a cute adventure book. I had never really thought about kids with sperm-donor parents before this book. I have known adopted kids and in fact my best friend is adopted but I have know very few, if any that have had a sperm-donor as a parent. Which surprised me a lot to think about honestly, I know many gay couples who have children but I guess I always assumed they just adopted, I had never thought too hard on the other options out their for them as well as for parents where one is sterile. So I really enjoyed this book and it taking me out of my comfort zone but still teaching me that "You never know what amazing things can happen". I loved the adventure these kids had in finding their bio dad and the obstacles that were presented. There were parts that felt a little too fairy tale-like but I truly enjoyed the read.

Go Into This One Knowing: These kids will do anything to find their bio dad including stealing, lying and being sneaky. This is about kids finding their sperm-donor parent which can be a touchy subject with some people.

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Thank you so much NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book for a review.

Love, love, loved this. It was such a quick and cute read that made me so happy. Beware of plot twists, cause Weil was not skimpy with them. The premise of the book is what made me want to pick it up, and I am so happy NetGalley allowed me to read this. It was so fun and such a feel good book it was insane! I gave it four stars because it could have been longer, I didn't really think we got enough of the characters and it was a bit rushed in parts. All in all though I would recommend to anyone who likes books with road trips in them, which I know I do.

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I do my reviews in the form of answering questions

What made me pick this book up:
I saw it on someone's blog and thought it sounded really interesting.

What did I like about the cover:
I actually really adore this cover. It's so cute. The colors are great, in the sunset. And I love the drawing of the jeep and the stars are really cute.

What made me read this book:
Like I said, I saw a review for it on someone's blog and thought it sounded interesting. Then I noticed it was on Netgalley to review and I just had to have it!

What did I like the most:
This book was honestly so good. A lot of people didn't like it because it's unrealistic or whatever. But I don't read a book for realistic, it's a work of fiction so take it for that.

With that being said, the story is awesome. Three very different kids trying to find the man who donated his little swimmers to them years ago. You can already tell this book is going to be awesome just by that.

The things they have to go through to find their dad is hilarious and unpredictable. From running out of gas in the middle of nowhere, having their jeep stolen, and a few other crazy things, you just never know what's going to happen next.
Like I said, the likelihood of all this is happening is unrealistic, but it made the book that much better.

The writing was well done. It wasn't slow, it didn't drag. It made me want to keep reading and not put the book down at all.

The characters were great honestly. KT the main girl, is a rock and roll give zero f*cks kind of girl. She is snarky and mean and I swear stuck in a grimace and an eye roll.
Gabe is a "nerd" who is allergic to everything under the sun. Probably literally. He's big into magic (Like actual magic, not MTG) and is socially awkward and cannot talk to girls.
Jessie is the opposite of Gabe. He's a blonde hair, six packed, swim god. He's a total ladies man and obviously hot.

So of course it's an odd tangle of people, but it works out well.

The whole book is just different. And I loved that about it.

What didn't I like:
KT was a little whiny, but not too bad to where it made me not want to read it.

Would I read the rest of the series/more from this author?
I would definitely read another one by this author. I wouldn't read a sequel to this, because it doesn't need a sequel. Definitely a standalone type book.

Overall This was a unique and interesting book that I really didn't want to put down. It had me giggling and I even almost started crying at one point. Definitely awesome.

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