Fans of contemporary coming-of-age young adult fiction will root for Carly Klein. She fights to find her place in the world. She even has to lie to everyone in her life to get there.

Carly Klein is neglected by her self-absorbed parents. They divorce by the time she’s sixteen. She is sustained by her best friend, Lauren. But when Lauren and her family move away, Carly is forced to find new ways to entertain herself. It doesn’t take her long to locate the perfect topic and subjects: her therapist mother’s patients.

Carly soon becomes obsessed with one patient in particular—Daniel, a blind junior at Columbia College. She is desperate to become part of his life. She knows he’ll never be interested in a high school girl. To get close to him, she pretends to be a student at neighboring Barnard College. Becoming Carly Klein follows Carly on a roller coaster romp. The story captures the exhilaration and disappointment of first love. It also explores the unintended consequences of disguise, deception, and discovery.

Carly Klein is neglected by her self-absorbed parents. She faces the upheaval of their divorce. The sixteen-year-old finds solace in the support of her best friend Lauren. But when Lauren and her family suddenly move, Carly’s world crumbles, leaving her grasping for a sense of purpose. In a twist of fate, Carly discovers a tantalizing distraction within her own home—the enigmatic patients of her therapist mother.

Drawn to one patient in particular, Daniel, a blind junior at Columbia College, Carly’s curiosity morphs into obsession. Carly is convinced that her affection never be reciprocated due to their age difference. She concocts a daring plan. She decides to masquerade as a Barnard College student to infiltrate Daniel’s world. What starts as a harmless ruse quickly becomes a whirlwind of emotion and intrigue. Carly navigates the dizzying highs and crushing lows of falling in love.

Becoming Carly Klein takes readers on a roller-coaster romp. The story explores the exhilaration and disappointment of first love. It also delves into the unintended consequences of disguise, deception, and discovery.

Join thousands of other readers who are devouring and recommending, this most unique and different in so many ways story by Elizabeth Harlan
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Endorsements & Review Blurbs

If Holden Caulfield had a great-grandchild, it might be Carly Klein. J. D. Salinger used Holden as narrator to animate his novel; Elizabeth Harlan uses her powers of vivid observation. This will be a riveting read for many teenagers—and a meaningful cautionary tale for their parents.Glenn Kramon Assistant Managing Editor at The New York Times

Harlan captures the electric energy and tension of a teen awkwardly keeping secrets with sparkling prose and witty dialogue. Many core themes carry through for teens of any generation. Harlan highlights hallmarks of the Gen X era. These include latchkey parenting. Teens also enjoy the freedom to explore a city without adult supervision.
Artisan Book Reviews – Professional Author Services – Since 2008

“As much as her plot and characters, it’s Elizabeth Harlan’s spare, elegant way with words that gives Carly’s coming of age story its power to engage a reader of any age, gender, or station. Count me one.”
—Brooke Kroeger, author of Undaunted: How Women Changed American Journalism 

“In Becoming Carly Klein, Elizabeth Harlan vividly portrays the gripping and emotionally charged coming-of-age journey of an Upper East Side teenage girl in 1980s New York. As Carly forges her path to self-discovery, she is captivated by love, only to face a betrayal that tests her resolve. Through the trials of heartbreak and the struggle for reconciliation, she unearths her inner strength and resilience, proving that even in the face of adversity, the human spirit has the power to heal and rise anew.”
—Maryam Banikarim, one of Fast Company’s “Top 10 Disrupters”

“Carly Klein is memorable: hilarious, heart-wrenching, and very often a liar. Like many heroines, she must grow up.  So must the adults around her. Becoming Carly Klein is a superb novel about this aching process of becoming both honest and honorable.”
—Catharine Stimpson, former president of the Modern Language Association, former head of the MacArthur Foundation, and NYU professor and Dean Emerita

“In Becoming Carly Klein, Elizabeth Harlan has given us a heartwarming adventure of a young girl coming of age in 1980s New York City. Not only Carly but her mom and dad as well grow up through this lively and engaging tale of family strife, first love, youthful rebellion, deception, heartbreak, and healing.”
—Senator Connie Mack, United States Senate 1989–2001, author of Citizen Mack: Politics, An Honorable Calling

“As I reflected upon this beautiful, hilarious, heartrending, truthful, and captivating work, two words finally came to me: a marvel.”
—J. L. Logan, Literature Bibliographer, Princeton University

“Catch the vibe of 1980s NYC—ambitious, gritty, stark, and real—in this utterly charming coming-of-age novel with a cast of memorably flawed and deeply human characters.”
—Melissa Walker, author of Small Town Sinners and Unbreak My Heart

“Under Harlan’s brilliant and deft touch, Becoming Carly Klein is a fearless exploration of how stepping in the wrong direction can help us step into ourselves. Perceptive and engrossing, this coming-of-age story is an anthem for an under-parented generation, and a reminder that growing up can happen at any age . . . in all its funny, heartbreaking, and messy glory! A deeply satisfying read and one not to miss.”
—Mary Pascual, author of The Byways and Walk the Web Lightly