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gabs_myfullbookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
This review (and others) can be found on My Full Bookshelf Reviews
A free copy was received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
At Your Service was not my favorite M!X Book. I liked it, but there were things that I didn't enjoy about it as well. It was still a super cute book I would recommend to a middle school girl in a heartbeat, though!
Chloe, the main character of At Your Service, had a well thought out personality. She was basically your average thirteen year old girl...except for the fact that she lives at an upscale New York hotel. Let's be honest, almost any kid who watched The Suite Life of Zach and Cody (which is, I guess, outdated now, but they still show reruns) has dreamed of living at a hotel. It's just cool. Plus, the girl had some really funny lists.
This book also has a nice message, and I appreciate that it wasn't in your face like some books. (All the M!X Books I have read are pretty good about not making their books 'preachy.') This one was about not being scared to ask for help when you need it, and also, to an extent, about not judging a book by its cover.
Things I didn't like were:
A.) The book has lots of little asterisks and then notes on the bottom, which started to annoy me after the bit. It ended up disrupting from the overall flow of the story.
B.) The secondary characters ended up being a bit stereotypical. Chloe's best friend, Paisley, was the outgoing sidekick to the main character that everyone seems to love. Alex was the totally hot prince from a foreign country that can steal hearts with a single glance. Sophie was the preppy, somewhat prissy sister. Ingrid was the youngest sister who seems sweet but is a bit spoiled.
C.) Like Chloe says, lists always seem more complete with a C option. Also like Chloe, I do not have anything to list for C.
I would still recommend it to girls, in the range of 9-13 years old. It was a cute story and I liked it, it just wasn't my favorite!
A free copy was received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
At Your Service was not my favorite M!X Book. I liked it, but there were things that I didn't enjoy about it as well. It was still a super cute book I would recommend to a middle school girl in a heartbeat, though!
Chloe, the main character of At Your Service, had a well thought out personality. She was basically your average thirteen year old girl...except for the fact that she lives at an upscale New York hotel. Let's be honest, almost any kid who watched The Suite Life of Zach and Cody (which is, I guess, outdated now, but they still show reruns) has dreamed of living at a hotel. It's just cool. Plus, the girl had some really funny lists.
This book also has a nice message, and I appreciate that it wasn't in your face like some books. (All the M!X Books I have read are pretty good about not making their books 'preachy.') This one was about not being scared to ask for help when you need it, and also, to an extent, about not judging a book by its cover.
Things I didn't like were:
A.) The book has lots of little asterisks and then notes on the bottom, which started to annoy me after the bit. It ended up disrupting from the overall flow of the story.
B.) The secondary characters ended up being a bit stereotypical. Chloe's best friend, Paisley, was the outgoing sidekick to the main character that everyone seems to love. Alex was the totally hot prince from a foreign country that can steal hearts with a single glance. Sophie was the preppy, somewhat prissy sister. Ingrid was the youngest sister who seems sweet but is a bit spoiled.
C.) Like Chloe says, lists always seem more complete with a C option. Also like Chloe, I do not have anything to list for C.
I would still recommend it to girls, in the range of 9-13 years old. It was a cute story and I liked it, it just wasn't my favorite!
suzannedix's review against another edition
4.0
A fun romp through NYC with a cast of great kids! I think 5th, 6th and 7th grade girls will love this story which has equal parts humor, friendship and adventure (and toss in a dash of an innocent first crush to round it off)!
Looking forward to seeing my students response to this one. And a huge thank you to [a:Jen Malone|7142495|Jen Malone|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1388954771p2/7142495.jpg] for hand delivering my ARC! So nice to be your neighbor (of sorts!):)
Looking forward to seeing my students response to this one. And a huge thank you to [a:Jen Malone|7142495|Jen Malone|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1388954771p2/7142495.jpg] for hand delivering my ARC! So nice to be your neighbor (of sorts!):)
janerose123's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I like this one. While reading this book, I thought it was not my type, but after I read chapter 3 or so, it got better. I guess the middle-grade genre is my type. After a chapter, there is a note in a footer like in chapter 2,
It was a fast-paced book with funny and lighthearted plots. Chloe loves working as a junior concierge at an exclusive NYC hotel--but when three royal kids come to stay, her hospitality is put to the ultimate test
Spoiler
" speaking of Eloise, she might have thought of plaza was the only hotel in New York City that let you have a turtle, but she was so, so wrong. We've totally had turtles here, cats, dogs, and more. Pretty much the only New York City Animal you will not ever find in St. Michele is a rat"It was a fast-paced book with funny and lighthearted plots. Chloe loves working as a junior concierge at an exclusive NYC hotel--but when three royal kids come to stay, her hospitality is put to the ultimate test
jbrooxd's review against another edition
5.0
LOVED this cute middle grade story. Concierge angle is different and fun. Great characters and setting. Light romance.
mrskatiefitz's review against another edition
3.0
Like her concierge father, Chloe Turner has a knack for helping people enjoy their vacations at the fancy New York City hotel where she lives. After she works extra hard to please a particularly bratty young guest, she is hired as the hotel's junior concierge, just in time for a visit from three young European royals. Chloe thinks she is prepared for the challenge of entertaining a prince and two princesses - until the youngest princess wanders off into the streets of New York on her own!
Though the events of At Your Service are pretty unlikely, the story will appeal to tween readers for a number of reasons. First is the behind-the-scenes look at the hotel industry. Kids tend to be fascinated by hotels, and this book introduces some of the lingo used by the employees as well as their day-to-day activities. Second is the mystery storyline. Though the story takes a while to get going, the main focus is figuring out where the missing princess has gone and where she will go next. This involves a lot of strategizing and quick thinking which really highlights Chloe's resourcefulness and independence and builds suspense. Finally, readers will like the subtle romance that develops between Chloe and Prince Alex. It's a very innocent relationship, with only a few instances of physical contact (holding hands, and a kiss), which will appeal to elementary and middle school readers.
Though At Your Service is from the same imprint as 30 Days of No Gossip and Best Friends... Until Someone Better Comes Along, it has an entirely different focus and will probably appeal to a totally different readership. Whereas these previous books are about girls acting catty and hurting each other's feelings, At Your Service features a girl using her wits to solve a problem and doing her best despite her mistakes.
Though the events of At Your Service are pretty unlikely, the story will appeal to tween readers for a number of reasons. First is the behind-the-scenes look at the hotel industry. Kids tend to be fascinated by hotels, and this book introduces some of the lingo used by the employees as well as their day-to-day activities. Second is the mystery storyline. Though the story takes a while to get going, the main focus is figuring out where the missing princess has gone and where she will go next. This involves a lot of strategizing and quick thinking which really highlights Chloe's resourcefulness and independence and builds suspense. Finally, readers will like the subtle romance that develops between Chloe and Prince Alex. It's a very innocent relationship, with only a few instances of physical contact (holding hands, and a kiss), which will appeal to elementary and middle school readers.
Though At Your Service is from the same imprint as 30 Days of No Gossip and Best Friends... Until Someone Better Comes Along, it has an entirely different focus and will probably appeal to a totally different readership. Whereas these previous books are about girls acting catty and hurting each other's feelings, At Your Service features a girl using her wits to solve a problem and doing her best despite her mistakes.
reader_fictions's review
3.0
Jen Malone has pleased me to the point of epic flailing with her YA contemporary novels (Wanderlost and Map to the Stars), so I decided the time had come to give her middle grade backlist a shot. So far so good because At Your Service is cute, funny, fluffy, and has a baby middle grade ship to boot.
While the ides of Chloe being employed as a junior concierge at a majorly classy New York City hotel at the age of thirteen is laughable, I do really love that Chloe dreams of concierging. It’s always nice to read about kids and teens who dream of careers outside of the ordinary. Pop culture tends to highlight a few main ones, and everyone can’t be an actor/singer/doctor/lawyer. Books like this open kids’ eyes to the fact that there are a whole bunch of cool things that a person can do.
Chloe’s job is to help her dad, the actual concierge, out with the kids who stay at the hotel. Since she’s young, she has a better idea what her peers would enjoy out in the city. As such, Chloe gets to hang out with royalty when the royal family of a small (fictional) European nation comes to stay at the hotel. They bond, explore the city, and get up to hijinks. Also, Chloe gets to flirt with the fourteen-year-old prince! View Spoiler » The resolution is quite satisfying, and I’m impressed with the parental involvement (middle grade parents sometimes are the most neglectful unaware people ever).
Very fun! If you like fluffy, shippy middle grade, Jen Malone is at your service!
While the ides of Chloe being employed as a junior concierge at a majorly classy New York City hotel at the age of thirteen is laughable, I do really love that Chloe dreams of concierging. It’s always nice to read about kids and teens who dream of careers outside of the ordinary. Pop culture tends to highlight a few main ones, and everyone can’t be an actor/singer/doctor/lawyer. Books like this open kids’ eyes to the fact that there are a whole bunch of cool things that a person can do.
Chloe’s job is to help her dad, the actual concierge, out with the kids who stay at the hotel. Since she’s young, she has a better idea what her peers would enjoy out in the city. As such, Chloe gets to hang out with royalty when the royal family of a small (fictional) European nation comes to stay at the hotel. They bond, explore the city, and get up to hijinks. Also, Chloe gets to flirt with the fourteen-year-old prince! View Spoiler » The resolution is quite satisfying, and I’m impressed with the parental involvement (middle grade parents sometimes are the most neglectful unaware people ever).
Very fun! If you like fluffy, shippy middle grade, Jen Malone is at your service!
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