"Populazzi" by Elise Allen was released in paperback on Tuesday, August 7! So if you weren't able to read it in hardcover, now's your chance!
I really enjoyed this book when I read it last year, so I wanted to repost my review, originally posted
here.
"Populazzi"
by Elise Allen
Publisher: Harcourt Children's
Release Date: Aug 1, 2011
Source: ARC sent by publisher and Book Sparks
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Summary from goodreads.com:
Cara has never been one of those
girls: confident, self-possessed, and always ready with the perfect
thing to say. A girl at the very top of the popularity tower. One of the
Populazzi.
Now, junior year could change everything. Cara’s
moving to a new school, and her best friend urges her to seize the
moment—with the help of the Ladder. Its rungs are relationships, and if
Cara transforms into the perfect girlfriend for guys ever-higher on the
tower, she’ll reach the ultimate goal: Supreme Populazzi.
The
Ladder seems like a lighthearted social experiment, a straight climb up,
but it quickly becomes gnarled and twisted. And when everything goes
wrong, only the most audacious act Cara can think of has a chance of
setting things even a little bit right.
My Review:
This book was a scandalous roller coaster ride through high school's social ladder. I think the book will appeal to teens because of all of the scandal, parties, and make out sessions. The overall message is good, though, and as long as you don't take the rest too seriously, it's a really fun ride.
Cara herself was likable enough. I think she meant well, she just let the peer pressure of high school lead her into one bad decision after another. Cara's best friend, Claudia was an aggravating character, she seemed to
talk Cara into most of her huge list of bad decisions. With friends like
these, who needs enemies?
My favorite character was Archer, he was the most real in my opinion. Along with the Star Wars super-fan, Archer was the only character who was a genuine friend to Cara. I actually felt sorry for the other boyfriends that Cara used on her climb to the top of the Populazzi stratosphere.
There's quite a bit of sex, drugs, and alcohol in the book, which was a little surprising to me for YA. But I guess there is a lot of this in teen movies and tv, too. Overall, it's more of a 'what not to do' type of story, though.
Main Characters: 3/5
Supporting Characters: 3/5
Setting: 4/5
Romance: 3/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Cover: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Bottom Line: This is a fun, Gossip Girl-esque page turner that I think teens will gobble up!
About POPULAZZI (In paperback August 7)
What
would you do if you had the chance to erase your past and reinvent
yourself as the person you’ve always wanted to be? Would you grab it?
Would you stick with it, no matter what the consequences? Cara Leonard
always wished she could be one of those girls: confident,
self-possessed, and never at a loss for the perfect thing to say. One of
the Populazzi.
It
always seemed impossible… but now could be her chance. When Cara moves
to a new school just before junior year, her best friend urges her to
seize the opportunity and change her life… with the help of The Ladder.
Its rungs are relationships, and if Cara transforms herself into the
perfect girlfriend for guys higher and higher on the Popularity Tower,
she can reach the ultimate goal: Supreme Populazzi,
the most popular girl in school. The Ladder seems like a lighthearted
social experiment — a straight climb up — but it quickly becomes gnarled
and twisted. And when everything goes wrong, only the most audacious
act Cara can think of has a chance of setting things even a little bit
right.
POPULAZZI is
Elise Allen’s first solo novel but she previously co-wrote the
bestselling novel ELIXIR with author and actress Hilary Duff and is at
work on the next book in the series with Hilary. She's written for
several television shows from Cosby to Muppets to
Dinosaur
Train, which garnered her two Daytime Emmy Awards. Elise Allen has among
the most random television-writing resumes ever, with credits that run
the gamut from Cosby to Dinosaur Train. She recently fulfilled one of
her many life’s ambitions by writing for the Muppets. Another ambition,
anytime-access to Disneyland’s Club 33, is for the moment still a pipe
dream. Elise has a sick penchant for running marathons, and can’t seem
to stop even though fifteen really should be enough already. She lives
in L.A. with her husband, daughter, and insatiable food-hound of a dog,
Riley. For more, visit www.eliseallen.com or follow Elise on Twitter at www.twitter.com/EliseLAllen.
Praise for Elise Allen’s POPULAZZI
“Fresh, funny, and sometimes wrenching, POPULAZZI nails what it’s like to try to find yourself while navigating the crazy world of high school. I loved it." – Hilary Duff
"In
her first solo novel, Allen offers a smart mix of hilarity and tragedy
in this Macbeth–meets–Mean Girls tale.” - Publisher's Weekly
“Hilarious, psychologically chewy, downright Machiavellian, and heartfelt in all the most satisfying ways. Populazzi had
me blazing through pages. Elise Allen rocks!” – Matthew Quick, author
ofSorta Like a Rock Star and The Silver Linings Playbook
“Populazzi is
a fresh, fun peek behind the popularity curtain. If you ever wanted to
fit in, wondered how to climb the popularity ladder, or needed how to
figure out which guy was the best for you- then you’ll love this book.
Elise Allen is a welcome new voice in YA fiction and Populazzi is destined to climb the best seller lists.” – Eileen Cook, author of The Education of Hailey Kendrick
