Big News from Joe Schreiber

Over at his blog, The Scary Parent, horror writer Joe Schreiber has some exciting news. First, he has sold a new YA novel, entitled Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick. Schreiber mentions that he wrote Au Revoir in a three week fit of whatever the opposite of writer's block is earlier this year and after a choice bit of editing, he's been trying to find a home for it. Well that home is Houghton Mifflin, and they've bought not only Au Revoir but an unwritten sequel as well.

Schreiber goes on to provide some more information about the book.

"Au Revoir is a middle-aged novelist's attempt to recapture what it feels like to be back in high school again, that simultaneous sense of anything-is-possible exhiliration and sheer adrenalized panic."

and

"...what might happen if John Hughes had been hired to write La Femme Nikita.Basically, Au Revoir is about a high school kid with a female foreign exchange student living in his house, who turns out to be an international assassin with a one-night multi-kill job in New York City before she gets sent back home. As the night gets progressively wilder, our teenage hero gets roped into driving her around whether he likes it or not. The idea kind of drove me nuts, in a very pleasant way, like a pop song that you can't get out of your head..."

Sounds like your standard novel sale right? It was, and then someone mentioned the sale in a industry magazine with the tagline "Ferris Bueller meets the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." To put it more bluntly, "Classic Movie Beloved Across Generations" + "Biggest Book on the Planet Right Now"

Any guesses what happened next?

If you are thinking, Joe Schreiber solo dance party, you are only partially correct. But if you guessed Hollywood bidding war, you're right. Paramount eventually ended up with the rights and while by no means a guarantee any movie will ever be made, it's still a step in the right direction and a sign that there is something special in the story. And while Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick isn't the catchiest title I've ever heard the book itself does sound pretty cool. I'll be keeping an eye out for this one.


In an industry where rejections outweigh sales by a sizeable margin, it's always cool when you hear news like this. Congrats to Joe and good luck with the new property!