PRESS

Not all of my books have been panned. Here's what some very nice people had to say about some of my books:

Publisher's Weekly on Friend Is Not a Verb:
"Offbeat characters, an intriguing mystery, and a sweet romance make Ehrenhaft's coming-of-age story stand out."

School Library Journal on That's Life, Samara Brooks:
"To Samara, 13, who isn't in it for the money, setting up a blackjack table at lunch seems like a good way to make friends. Then, when she gets called to the principal, she proposes to use the school's electron microscope to show that she and the other kids are just the same, at the genetic level, so they should be punished in the same way. When Samara's DNA ends up looking like symbols in the ancient Phaistos Disk and the Voynich Manuscript, everyone has questions about her identity. These questions remain largely ignored when the results are stolen, with Samara and her pals Lily and Nathan the main suspects. Told in three alternating points of view, the story touches on issues of science versus religion (with both looking ridiculous). It is a funny, fast-paced read, with some lingering questions about belief, science, and the supernatural for readers to mull over."

Booklist on Half Minute Horrors:
"A volume full of mostly one- or two-page horror stories from over 70 authors may sound like a gimmick, but it plays like the worst night of sleep you've ever had... The best are true exemplars of narrative economy: Sarah Weeks's One of a Kind has the gut punch of a good urban legend; Daniel Ehrenhaft's The Rash is as gruesome as it sounds; Chris Raschka's On a Tuesday During That Time of Year has no point but to upset the reader-well done! Heavyweights Lemony Snicket, Neil Gaiman, and M.T. Anderson weigh in... This one's a creepy keeper."

* Publisher's Weekly on The After Life:
"Ehrenhaft's (Drawing a Blank ) offbeat book about three damaged teens on an out-of-control road trip manages to be simultaneously funny and tragic. When their father dies suddenly, twins Kyle and Liz, and half-brother Will (from their father's first marriage and whom the man barely acknowledged) find themselves in a Florida law office watching a DVD. In it, their father not only comically announces, "I'm dead!," but also tells Will he can have $2 million-much less than the twins inherit-if he can drive the man's Volvo from Miami to New York City in 48 hours. (Will's uncle crashed his car-perhaps intentionally-after 9/11, and Will has yet to learn to drive.) As the siblings embark on this bizarre road trip, each works through tricky feelings towards their father and each other. Sociopath Kyle resents Will, Liz wants to help Will, and Will mostly drinks, takes drugs and passes out. The insanity only accelerates: Kyle learns that his business partner is cheating him out of his share from prepdate.com, their prep school dating Web site, unless he can date Liz; Will and Liz take Ecstasy at a party, share a slow dance and kiss; and when the three finally reach New York, they discover their dad has one trick left. Readers will almost certainly feel compelled to finish this surreal trip, even if, at the end, they are nearly as exhausted as the protagonists."
Ages 14-up. (Oct.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publisher's Weekly on Tell it to Naomi:
"Full of pep and laugh-aloud humor, this New York City-based novel relates the travails of narrator Dave Rosen, member of the "species [of]... puny, skinny, and awkward" sophomore boys at Roosevelt High. At first, Dave is eager to pose as his big sister, Naomi, an unemployed journalist who's been asked to pen an advice column for the school newspaper. He's well prepared to deal with the woes of his mostly female readers, since he always has been surrounded by women—his single mother and aunt as well as Naomi. ("My mom and Aunt Ruth inhabit a bizarre parallel universe where a woman can be both celibate Jewish ogre and funky, aging hippie—and there is no contradiction," he says with typical acerbity.) However, Dave soon finds out that leading a secret life as a wise and witty columnist isn't all that it's cracked up to be. For one thing, he has trouble distinguishing the phony letters he receives from the sincere ones. Also, by keeping his identity a secret, he misses his chance to impress the "beautiful" and "mysterious" new senior, Celeste. By the time Dave realizes that honesty really is the best policy, he owes apologies to a long list of people. Once again, Ehrenhaft (as Daniel Parker, author of the first three Wessex Papers novels) showcases snappy dialogue and an impeccable sense of timing. Readers will gleefully follow Dave into and out of his amusingly complicated web of deceit."
Ages 12-up. (June) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Publisher's Weekly on The Last Dog on Earth:
"This fast-paced thriller set in Oregon blends elements of science fiction and a Gary Paulsen-like survival story with a coming-of-age tale about a rebellious teenager and his dog...a smartly written, thoroughly engrossing tale."
Ages 9-12. (Feb.) Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature on 10 Things to Do Before I Die:
"Sixteen-year-old Ted is doing his usual thing: hanging out at the local burger joint with his friends Mark and Nikki. Talk turns to spring break, which has just started that day. When his friends find out that Ted has no real plans for the time off from school, they decide to help their friend out by compiling a list of things he needs to do. Later, when the trio determines that Ted has been poisoned by a disgruntled, dismissed fry cook, the list becomes even more important to them. With an estimated 24 hours left to live, Ted is supposed to accomplish all the things on his remarkable list, including jamming and partying with his favorite band, losing his virginity, and getting something named after him. How Ted and his friends attempt to accomplish the things on the list-and what they learn about themselves and each other in the process-makes for a fantastic whirlwind of a story."
2004, Delacorte/Random House, Ages 12 to 16.

KLIATT on The Wessex Papers:
"Even though the combined pages number almost 800, The Wessex Papers volumes are quick and enjoyable reads, with enough contemporary culture and plot twists to hold a YA reader's interest through to the last book."
(Category: Paperback Fiction. KLIATT Codes: JS-Recommended for junior and senior high school students.)

Okay, so a few very nice people had a few very nice things to say about a few of my books. Also, I was interviewed on YA Books Central. That was fun!