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siobhancollierauthor's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book, the characters were well fleshed out (with perhaps, the exception of Danny) and the narrative was humorous. Even though some of the moments felt slapstick or unpredictable, it worked with Anna's personality. I did wish she would wise up to the obvious at some points, but then Anna is delightfully naive so I gave it a pass. It did also irritate me that she was embarrassed about the things she liked, such as the Wolverine vest moment, it felt like with her character, with her bubbly enthusiasm, she shouldn't have thought twice about having comic book garb. But overall, it was a good, funny, light-hearted read.
jessicad90's review against another edition
3.0
Voor mij is It-girl een boek dat van de 14-jarige Jessica vast en zeker vijf sterren had ontvangen, maar van de nu 25-jarige Jessica ontvangt het slechts drie sterren. Voor mijn gevoel val ik eigenlijk buiten de doelgroep van dit boek, maar toch heeft het verhaal mij genoeg kunnen boeien door de humor die in het boek zit en de goede boodschap voor de onzekere jongeren. Daarnaast is het boek heel vlot geschreven en leest je het in no-time uit. En ondanks dat ik er wel meerdere minpunten in heb gevonden, heeft het boek mij genoeg gepakt om mij nieuwsgierig te maken naar It-girl 2! Ik raad het boek zeker aan in de leeftijdscategorie 11 tot 16 jaar.
Lees de complete recensie op Reviews & Roses
(www.reviewsandroses.nl)
Lees de complete recensie op Reviews & Roses
(www.reviewsandroses.nl)
mehsi's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book in Dutch, but I will write the review in English (as I am planning on reading the second book and I will read that one in English).
I set Josie Graham on fire.
And that is how, dear readers, this book starts. And from there on our girl Anna (short for Anastasia, but don't call her that) will go from one unlucky moment to another, it seems she is quite the clumsy person. Setting people accidentally on fire, her dad's office, letting her dog go loose, making weird noises when in the neighbourhood of her crush (Brendan), stumbling against various furniture (and falling backwards when there are visitors). The list is endless, but you know what, I like Anna. Even though it seems she is pretty accident prone, she is a great girl, though she really needs to find her priorities. Popularity or friends for life? Which one will she pick? At times I wanted to shake her and show her the truth.
Anna's life is really a rollercoaster of fun (and also typical teenager stuff). Starting with a new school, the dad being romantic and falling in love with a famous star, first love and confusion, best friends, and so much more.
I also loved how interesting Anna's home situation was. Generally parents are either together, are single parents, or divorced. But no, not with Anna. Anna's parent were never married, nor were they together for long. Anna was the product of them getting together for a bit, Anna's mom getting pregnant, and voilà Anna was in the world. Anna's mom and dad are great friends, and Anna's mom sometimes visits Anna when she is in town (she is a travel journalist, so she is generally in some part of the world). Oh don't worry, Anna's mom is sure to call her daughter or mail her quite a bit of time. Even bringing very odd presents back from wherever she was the last time.
Anna's dad is a writer (and apparently a good one), and Anna lives with him. And in their house there is a crazy and weird dog, named Dog (yes, he is called Dog, maybe that is why he is so crazy).
The book made me laugh out loud so many times, I even read some parts out loud to my boyfriend who was also laughing hard after hearing them.
Anna's best friends are great, though I didn't trust them that much in the beginning. I am not sure how to explain, they seemed like they took Anna under their wings for some bad reason. Luckily, as the story progresses I could see that they all really cared about her. Jesse was a great girl and really funny. I loved how in such a short time she knew exactly what Anna would do, or how she would react to stuff.
All the stuff about being famous, becoming famous, becoming popular, they were all really great and I enjoyed reading them. It was fun how Anna went from unknown to suddenly very popular, and how she had to learn how to handle that suddenly fame, but also the popularity that came with it.
The book is mostly just story from Anna's point of view, but we also have some parts that are mails, and also parts that were notes that Anna and Jess wrote to each other during class. I really liked that this was done, it gave the book some variety and made it even more fun to read.
All in all, this is one book I would recommend. It is one book I will be adding in English to my collection. I will also be sure to check out the second book when it comes out. I just want to know how stuff continue for Anna. I hope the next book will bring the wedding, some more romance between Anna and a certain character, and some more hilarious antics. I can't wait!
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I set Josie Graham on fire.
And that is how, dear readers, this book starts. And from there on our girl Anna (short for Anastasia, but don't call her that) will go from one unlucky moment to another, it seems she is quite the clumsy person. Setting people accidentally on fire, her dad's office, letting her dog go loose, making weird noises when in the neighbourhood of her crush (Brendan), stumbling against various furniture (and falling backwards when there are visitors). The list is endless, but you know what, I like Anna. Even though it seems she is pretty accident prone, she is a great girl, though she really needs to find her priorities. Popularity or friends for life? Which one will she pick? At times I wanted to shake her and show her the truth.
Anna's life is really a rollercoaster of fun (and also typical teenager stuff). Starting with a new school, the dad being romantic and falling in love with a famous star, first love and confusion, best friends, and so much more.
I also loved how interesting Anna's home situation was. Generally parents are either together, are single parents, or divorced. But no, not with Anna. Anna's parent were never married, nor were they together for long. Anna was the product of them getting together for a bit, Anna's mom getting pregnant, and voilà Anna was in the world. Anna's mom and dad are great friends, and Anna's mom sometimes visits Anna when she is in town (she is a travel journalist, so she is generally in some part of the world). Oh don't worry, Anna's mom is sure to call her daughter or mail her quite a bit of time. Even bringing very odd presents back from wherever she was the last time.
Anna's dad is a writer (and apparently a good one), and Anna lives with him. And in their house there is a crazy and weird dog, named Dog (yes, he is called Dog, maybe that is why he is so crazy).
The book made me laugh out loud so many times, I even read some parts out loud to my boyfriend who was also laughing hard after hearing them.
Anna's best friends are great, though I didn't trust them that much in the beginning. I am not sure how to explain, they seemed like they took Anna under their wings for some bad reason. Luckily, as the story progresses I could see that they all really cared about her. Jesse was a great girl and really funny. I loved how in such a short time she knew exactly what Anna would do, or how she would react to stuff.
All the stuff about being famous, becoming famous, becoming popular, they were all really great and I enjoyed reading them. It was fun how Anna went from unknown to suddenly very popular, and how she had to learn how to handle that suddenly fame, but also the popularity that came with it.
The book is mostly just story from Anna's point of view, but we also have some parts that are mails, and also parts that were notes that Anna and Jess wrote to each other during class. I really liked that this was done, it gave the book some variety and made it even more fun to read.
All in all, this is one book I would recommend. It is one book I will be adding in English to my collection. I will also be sure to check out the second book when it comes out. I just want to know how stuff continue for Anna. I hope the next book will bring the wedding, some more romance between Anna and a certain character, and some more hilarious antics. I can't wait!
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
mel_inzeboite's review against another edition
C'était fun de relire son favori du collège
misspashx's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
limeminearia's review against another edition
4.0
School Library Journal
BIRCHALL, Katy. The It Girl. 352p. ebook available. S. & S./Aladdin. Jun. 2016. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781481463621.
Gr 5-8–In this witty British import, a middle schooler must face her own insecurity after her social status gets an unexpected boost. Anna Huntley, 12, is most comfortable at home with her journalist single dad, watching old movies and communing with her pet/soulmate, Dog. She's terrified she'll embarrass her only friends, Jess and Danny, into abandoning her. Anna's quirky personality and frequent misreading of situations are bemusing, even to Jess. When Anna's father starts dating a superstar, the potential for public humiliation is high. For naive Anna, navigating the limelight as well as normal adolescence (crushes! field trips!) is a test for her already shaky social instincts.
After she imperils both her sweet fledgling romance with a fellow nerd and, worse, her friendship with Jess, she must rely on her new blended family's support to scheme her way back to happiness. Smart plotting has the well developed adult characters and Marianne, Anna's surprisingly nice celebutante sister, demonstrate that anyone worth knowing is a little dorky. Birchall's debut is appropriate for younger readers yet sharp enough to keep older middle schoolers rooting for a well-earned happy ending. There are flaws: a slightly slow start, some culturally insensitive asides—Anna's goals include feeding rice to African children, and unlikely tween email habits. VERDICT Though not nearly as nuanced and authentic, this is in the vein of Rebecca Stead's Goodbye Stranger; its juicy premise gives way to supportive female friendship and realistic self-discovery, without losing its teen appeal.–Miriam DesHarnais, Towson University, MD
BIRCHALL, Katy. The It Girl. 352p. ebook available. S. & S./Aladdin. Jun. 2016. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781481463621.
Gr 5-8–In this witty British import, a middle schooler must face her own insecurity after her social status gets an unexpected boost. Anna Huntley, 12, is most comfortable at home with her journalist single dad, watching old movies and communing with her pet/soulmate, Dog. She's terrified she'll embarrass her only friends, Jess and Danny, into abandoning her. Anna's quirky personality and frequent misreading of situations are bemusing, even to Jess. When Anna's father starts dating a superstar, the potential for public humiliation is high. For naive Anna, navigating the limelight as well as normal adolescence (crushes! field trips!) is a test for her already shaky social instincts.
After she imperils both her sweet fledgling romance with a fellow nerd and, worse, her friendship with Jess, she must rely on her new blended family's support to scheme her way back to happiness. Smart plotting has the well developed adult characters and Marianne, Anna's surprisingly nice celebutante sister, demonstrate that anyone worth knowing is a little dorky. Birchall's debut is appropriate for younger readers yet sharp enough to keep older middle schoolers rooting for a well-earned happy ending. There are flaws: a slightly slow start, some culturally insensitive asides—Anna's goals include feeding rice to African children, and unlikely tween email habits. VERDICT Though not nearly as nuanced and authentic, this is in the vein of Rebecca Stead's Goodbye Stranger; its juicy premise gives way to supportive female friendship and realistic self-discovery, without losing its teen appeal.–Miriam DesHarnais, Towson University, MD
the_jesus_fandom's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book so much when I read it as a tween. Upon reread, it’s not as great and very formulaic, but back when I was the target audience this was a great book. Ironically, I vividly remember reading about that one girl wearing a bandana thing and going to the laser gun thing (which I didn’t know so I envisioned it as just a shooting range) but it wasn’t even an actual scene in the book, it was just mentioned, so that’s pretty funny.
This book was pretty clearly dated by having Marvel comics as an obscure thing, because nowadays everyone knows who Iron Man and Stan Lee are, that’s not a super niche nerdy thing anymore. The Lord of the Rings reference was a bit much tho, that really skirted close to “I’m not like other girls”, but that’s really just what you sign up for with books like these
juliareads32's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Ging nicht in pick-me Richtung fand ich sehr gut. Außerdem zu relatable 😭
UND LUSTIG WAR ES AUCH NOCH, kannst du dir das vorstellen Tina?
Ich finde nur sie hatte eher 16 als 14 sein können.
UND LUSTIG WAR ES AUCH NOCH, kannst du dir das vorstellen Tina?
Ich finde nur sie hatte eher 16 als 14 sein können.
michalice's review against another edition
4.0
When I first saw The It Girl on NetGalley I wasn't too sure what to think, but after reading a sampler sent from the publisher I could not stop laughing, so I knew I had to read this.
Anna, the protagonist, lives with her Dad who interviews celebrities for his job, she is a geek through and through, and has two great friends, Danny and Jess, who are always at her side. After a freak accident involving a bunsen burner and the hair of the most popular girl in school, her social status has surprisingly gotten lower, if that was at all possible. She has her friends still, but is now the laughing stock of the school with snide commends and remarks thrown at her.
The It Girl is a laugh out loud book, I love Anna and her geekyness, and also her need to hide in the cupboard in the recovery position. Thankfully I read this book at home, otherwise I'm sure I would have gotten strange looks for laughing so much. When I began reading I instantly felt sorry for Anna, a genuine accident, which when described was hilarious but please don't try it yourselves, and she suffers for it throughout the book.
When it was revealed that her Dad was going engaged to a celebrity, who also had a famous daughter, I wanted Ana to be OK. But after we get to know Helena and Marianne I really did like them. Reading books with celebrities in them, especially when they come into the family, you expect them to be pushy, and look down at everyone. But Helena was really down to earth, and Marianne had a lot more in common with Ana than I expected.
When Ana becomes popular I felt sorry for how she was treated, but also disliked the way she dealt with it. I was beyond happy to see her come to her senses and fix things. Ana's love interest wasn't someone who stood out for me initially, but I liked seeing how it came about.
The It girl was a quick read for me, and I was surprised at how much I loved it but also how much it took me by surprise. As the story progresses I had the ending sorted in my head, but it turned out completely opposite to what I expected, and also left me wanting more. The characters were not only likeable, but also very believable.
Final Verdict
Katy Birchall has done a fantastic job with The It Girl. It is sure to entertain readers of all ages, and I can't wait to get my hands on the next installment.
Anna, the protagonist, lives with her Dad who interviews celebrities for his job, she is a geek through and through, and has two great friends, Danny and Jess, who are always at her side. After a freak accident involving a bunsen burner and the hair of the most popular girl in school, her social status has surprisingly gotten lower, if that was at all possible. She has her friends still, but is now the laughing stock of the school with snide commends and remarks thrown at her.
The It Girl is a laugh out loud book, I love Anna and her geekyness, and also her need to hide in the cupboard in the recovery position. Thankfully I read this book at home, otherwise I'm sure I would have gotten strange looks for laughing so much. When I began reading I instantly felt sorry for Anna, a genuine accident, which when described was hilarious but please don't try it yourselves, and she suffers for it throughout the book.
When it was revealed that her Dad was going engaged to a celebrity, who also had a famous daughter, I wanted Ana to be OK. But after we get to know Helena and Marianne I really did like them. Reading books with celebrities in them, especially when they come into the family, you expect them to be pushy, and look down at everyone. But Helena was really down to earth, and Marianne had a lot more in common with Ana than I expected.
When Ana becomes popular I felt sorry for how she was treated, but also disliked the way she dealt with it. I was beyond happy to see her come to her senses and fix things. Ana's love interest wasn't someone who stood out for me initially, but I liked seeing how it came about.
The It girl was a quick read for me, and I was surprised at how much I loved it but also how much it took me by surprise. As the story progresses I had the ending sorted in my head, but it turned out completely opposite to what I expected, and also left me wanting more. The characters were not only likeable, but also very believable.
Final Verdict
Katy Birchall has done a fantastic job with The It Girl. It is sure to entertain readers of all ages, and I can't wait to get my hands on the next installment.