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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
I love Elizabeth Eulberg's books. They're always funny, with a fun sense of quirky and witty humour, showcasing smart and intelligent girls, who are just as flawed as any other teenaged girl.
Especially in this book, Lexi's personality really took center stage. She took matters into her own hands (through a dare) and discovered more about herself deep inside and what beauty really meant. The most powerful part was of course, at the end, when Lexi finally figured out what was most important to her.
I wished the romance had been further developed! I wanted to see more Taylor and Lexi's relationship! :)
All in all, another great book from Elizabeth Eulberg (what can I say, I kind of love her books.. ) and I'm excited for whatever she has next.
Especially in this book, Lexi's personality really took center stage. She took matters into her own hands (through a dare) and discovered more about herself deep inside and what beauty really meant. The most powerful part was of course, at the end, when Lexi finally figured out what was most important to her.
I wished the romance had been further developed! I wanted to see more Taylor and Lexi's relationship! :)
All in all, another great book from Elizabeth Eulberg (what can I say, I kind of love her books.. ) and I'm excited for whatever she has next.
wow, what a wonderful wonderful story!
You get Lexi, the girl who has a great personality but has always been the one pushed aside for the pretty girls. And you have Mac, her little sister, who is beauty queen pageant kind of girl.
Lexi, based on some dares and some challenges, decides she might like to dress up and maybe see how the other half live - the dark side, as her friends call it. Cam and Benny - her friends - were so cute and such a fun addition to the story.
And I love that the book wasn't all squeeky clean. There are mistakes that both her mom AND Lexi make - and neither of them are forgiving. It's not all wrapped up in the end and things are messy and people are mean and aren't perfect and....it's just wonderful. It's so close to real life and these characters are so well done - the story just sucks you in. I loved it!
You get Lexi, the girl who has a great personality but has always been the one pushed aside for the pretty girls. And you have Mac, her little sister, who is beauty queen pageant kind of girl.
Lexi, based on some dares and some challenges, decides she might like to dress up and maybe see how the other half live - the dark side, as her friends call it. Cam and Benny - her friends - were so cute and such a fun addition to the story.
And I love that the book wasn't all squeeky clean. There are mistakes that both her mom AND Lexi make - and neither of them are forgiving. It's not all wrapped up in the end and things are messy and people are mean and aren't perfect and....it's just wonderful. It's so close to real life and these characters are so well done - the story just sucks you in. I loved it!
This is solidly three stars for me, I really enjoyed it, but there was nothing that really made me stand up and take notice. While I thought the beauty pageant was unique and certainly timely with all those TLC shows I see commercials for, I didn't think the situations and emotions that Lexi experienced outside of the beauty pageants was anything different or unique.
That said, I did think many of the more common situations and emotions were handled well. I actually read a large portion of the book without thinking I had a real attachment to Lexi, but then her mother does something so terrible and I got really angry just sitting by myself on my bed reading and that impressed me and made me think that although this book is rather quiet, it does have its merits.
There are a ton of things in here that I think are relatable to a wide range of people: parents divorcing, sibling rivalry, obesity, money problems, being an average girl, and an unrequited crush. But even though the book has all of those aspects I never thought it felt crowded or moved through things too quickly trying to get everything in.
I won't ruin the ending, but I thought that the direction that the love story goes in was my favorite part and something that isn't seen too much in YA literature, at least in my experience.
This was a good book that would be a solid recommendation for me for summer.
That said, I did think many of the more common situations and emotions were handled well. I actually read a large portion of the book without thinking I had a real attachment to Lexi, but then her mother does something so terrible and I got really angry just sitting by myself on my bed reading and that impressed me and made me think that although this book is rather quiet, it does have its merits.
There are a ton of things in here that I think are relatable to a wide range of people: parents divorcing, sibling rivalry, obesity, money problems, being an average girl, and an unrequited crush. But even though the book has all of those aspects I never thought it felt crowded or moved through things too quickly trying to get everything in.
I won't ruin the ending, but I thought that the direction that the love story goes in was my favorite part and something that isn't seen too much in YA literature, at least in my experience.
This was a good book that would be a solid recommendation for me for summer.
Why I Loved It: Oh the laughs I had reading this book. Lexi is part of a pageant family, which takes up a lot of time and lots and lots of money. On a dare, she goes from the girl with the great personality to the girl who looks good enough people don't look at the personality. But the ride? Oh it's tons of fun. The laughs I found in the book totally made my day. The voice was pretty high school-ish, so if that doesn't sounds appealing to you, you might want to stay away. For me, it was part of the charm of the book.
I am have never been part of pageants, and I avoid Toddlers in Tiaras like the flu. Honestly though, the book managed to capture the horrors and the quirks of pageants. She didn't dismiss them all together, just certain aspects. I can't even begin to imagine the research that was involved. Pairing the pageant with Lexi's search for what makes her happy was an awesome compare and contrast throughout the book. Lexi sees the world around her though the lens of being part of a pageant family.
There was so much to love about Lexi: her heart, her sense of humor, her work ethic, and her family devotion in the midst of chaos. Everything about Lexi was actually real. There was a love triangle in the book that didn't follow the normal trend. Lexi worked hard, and she had a mom that was crazy. Man there were moments that I hated what the mom stood for. And my gosh there were moments I needed to slap something.
Lexi's story is not all about a makeover or the girl who gets a makeover and then learns. Lexi's story is about family and being who you are because you want to. I know that the latter is pretty common, but it is presented in such a way that will make you laugh and scream and throw things and love what Lexi stands for. You will fall in love with her friends, and cheer on Lexi in her search. You will feel the joys and frustrations of being a teen in a very real way. The book is fabulous!
Who Should Read It: This is a great contemporary read. For those doing the contemporary challenge, ADD IT!!
I am have never been part of pageants, and I avoid Toddlers in Tiaras like the flu. Honestly though, the book managed to capture the horrors and the quirks of pageants. She didn't dismiss them all together, just certain aspects. I can't even begin to imagine the research that was involved. Pairing the pageant with Lexi's search for what makes her happy was an awesome compare and contrast throughout the book. Lexi sees the world around her though the lens of being part of a pageant family.
There was so much to love about Lexi: her heart, her sense of humor, her work ethic, and her family devotion in the midst of chaos. Everything about Lexi was actually real. There was a love triangle in the book that didn't follow the normal trend. Lexi worked hard, and she had a mom that was crazy. Man there were moments that I hated what the mom stood for. And my gosh there were moments I needed to slap something.
Lexi's story is not all about a makeover or the girl who gets a makeover and then learns. Lexi's story is about family and being who you are because you want to. I know that the latter is pretty common, but it is presented in such a way that will make you laugh and scream and throw things and love what Lexi stands for. You will fall in love with her friends, and cheer on Lexi in her search. You will feel the joys and frustrations of being a teen in a very real way. The book is fabulous!
Who Should Read It: This is a great contemporary read. For those doing the contemporary challenge, ADD IT!!
From the Page Trotters blog @ pagetrotter.blogspot.com
YAAY FOR YA!!!! Whelp, we gots us another awesome YA book! Lexi is awesomesauce. She is so me from high school it's not even funny. She's the wallflower, the always a bridesmaid never the bride, the girl with the great personality. Her mother is a looney tunes stage mom and a capital B! Her sister is a spoiled Honey Boo Boo brat, but we like her cause she's only seven. Her best friends kick ass in the friend department. Her dad is a P.O.S. Her crush is crush-worthy...until he isn't. Her nemesis is your typical Regina from Mean Girls. It's all very realistic and well done.
The toddler and tiara's theme was hilarious. I loved it. It felt so well researched I began to wonder HOW Ms. Eulberg actually researched this. Or maybe she was a toddler in a tiara. OR god forbid a stage mom. OR maybe she was Lexi. Lexi is so cool. She's hardworking, laid back, accepting, has an awesome sense of humor, and handles her pretty shit life well. The transformation she goes through blinds her for a second, like most modern day Cinderella's, and then she has her moment when she realizes that people should love you still even if you look like crap. The part where she storms the pageant? Ya that is going down in the books for one the best scenes/ speeches in YA history. I felt like patriotic music should have been playing in the background.
The dialogue was very high schoolish so if you are looking for a mature YA, I would look elsewhere. This is all about life lessons and loving yourself. The best part is that is teaches you something without going all "After School Special" on you. The only thing I wished happened in this book is that things with Taylor got resolved better. I really liked him. He was a good guy and got the short end of the stick. This has an HEA, but not a romantic one. So if you are looking for a romance-y YA, this isn't it either.
YAAY FOR YA!!!! Whelp, we gots us another awesome YA book! Lexi is awesomesauce. She is so me from high school it's not even funny. She's the wallflower, the always a bridesmaid never the bride, the girl with the great personality. Her mother is a looney tunes stage mom and a capital B! Her sister is a spoiled Honey Boo Boo brat, but we like her cause she's only seven. Her best friends kick ass in the friend department. Her dad is a P.O.S. Her crush is crush-worthy...until he isn't. Her nemesis is your typical Regina from Mean Girls. It's all very realistic and well done.
The toddler and tiara's theme was hilarious. I loved it. It felt so well researched I began to wonder HOW Ms. Eulberg actually researched this. Or maybe she was a toddler in a tiara. OR god forbid a stage mom. OR maybe she was Lexi. Lexi is so cool. She's hardworking, laid back, accepting, has an awesome sense of humor, and handles her pretty shit life well. The transformation she goes through blinds her for a second, like most modern day Cinderella's, and then she has her moment when she realizes that people should love you still even if you look like crap. The part where she storms the pageant? Ya that is going down in the books for one the best scenes/ speeches in YA history. I felt like patriotic music should have been playing in the background.
The dialogue was very high schoolish so if you are looking for a mature YA, I would look elsewhere. This is all about life lessons and loving yourself. The best part is that is teaches you something without going all "After School Special" on you. The only thing I wished happened in this book is that things with Taylor got resolved better. I really liked him. He was a good guy and got the short end of the stick. This has an HEA, but not a romantic one. So if you are looking for a romance-y YA, this isn't it either.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really wish this was better. Too caught up in a zero-sum game of "not like other girls" to focus on what's really interesting about the narrative: the abuse that the mother puts both sisters through with her pageant obsession.