In my mind, I promised to get this posted before the week was out.  

This is the hardcover version which, while perhaps underwhelming, reflects the theme of the book better than the paperback version, which is more generic.  I was surprised to see that this is published in part by Disney; does this mean we can expect to see a made-for-TV movie starring Selena Gomez soon?  Well, I don't know about that.  
( Makeover. Dev's term for it was reinvent the brand, but I understood what it really meant. )

This book is basically a non-musical version of Hannah Montana (and yes, it is sad that I know even one lyric from the opening song by heart). 


Jen Calonita has written for Teen People and Entertainment Weekly, one of which is my favorite zine and other something I never read when I was actually a teen.  Predictably, this is the first in a series.

( Work, work, work, Kaitie-kins. It will pay off. )

I'm totally serious.  The only reason I did is because I had to read it for my Shakespeare & Children's Lit class (other survivers are here and here).  I've tried so hard to forget I ever read it, but I finally decided to bite the bullet and post a review.


Apparently, Sharon Draper has other book out that are much better, and reflect her decent talent for YA writing.  But this book is one huge FAIL, and I'm not about to excuse her.  Here's how much I didn't like it: I've sold it to a used book store.

( Seriously, don't read this. )

All right, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, since I never really lost my faith in the first place.  But I have been noticing that some of the books I've read lately, with the exception of Sweet 16, haven't really wowed me.  This book, however, is a major game-changer.


First of all, feast your eyes on this doozy of a cover.  Don't you just wish you could jump into it, a la Mary Poppins, and live in that colorful, cartoony version of New York?  Because among other things, this book is a gentle celebration of all things New York.

( Every other person in Silicon Valley is of Indian descent or related to an Internet tycoon, and frequently they're both. I'm actually considered pretty mainstream. )

This was a disappointingly short read.  For something based on one of the greatest books ever written, it's extraordinarily slight.


But don't worry, that's not all I have to say about this book.  It was actually very thought-provoking, not that I want to give the actual text too much credit.

I read a so-so review of this book a while ago, but I was so curious to see how it all plays out, so I felt okay in picking it up for myself.


Plus, I think the cover is intriguing.  It's all bright colors and big font, not to mention the Ken doll.  Kate Brian has many books out, including two series that look like Gossip Girl copycats (judging from the covers).

( We can make him as incredible as we want him to be! )</div>

Confession: I am not tech-savvy at all.  It took me months to learn how to put something in a link.  I don't own a cell phone, and am very clumsy at dialing numbers when I use someone else's.  It's a miracle I even have a livejournal account.  But this caught my eye, and it was so cute and cheap that I thought, "Why not?"


Since I've been on this YA kick, I decided I needed to venture out into the realm of the tech-savvy.  It's not my thing at all, but that's no reason to be so closed-minded.

( *gets ready to write a book review* )

I gotta get this over with.


Alyson N. has written at least five other YA novels, so I guess she's carved a nice niche for herself.  I say this with the utmost sincerity: Good for her.  Obviously she's got a lot of fans, and is much more successful than I am at this point in my life.  Having said that, I didn't care for this book.

( Could I trade this book in for two cases of lip gloss? )