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CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Apr 28, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A widely praised book written by a 19-year-old Harvard University student has been recalled over allegations of plagiarism.
Kaavya Viswanathan was 17 when she inked an alleged $500,000 contract for her first book, "How Opal Mehta got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life."
On Amazon.com this week, it was ranked number 68.
But after accusations the work pinched content from two novels by Megan McCafferty, Opal's publisher Little, Brown & Co. announced Thursday night all unsold copies of the book should be returned.
The Boston Globe reports about half of the 100,000 copies of the book have been shipped, which was released April 4.
Viswanathan maintains any similarities between her book and others are purely coincidence, something her publisher backs her on.
Random House, the parent company of McCafferty's publisher, called the book "literary identity theft."
Little, Brown & Co. said Opal, a book about an Indian-born girl whose parents are obsessed that she get into Harvard, may be revised and reprinted.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
