Book Review: Audrey, Wait by Robin Benway

Audrey Wait by Robin Benway

Publisher: Razorbill

Publish Date: April 10, 2008

Hardcover, 320 pages
Young Adult

My Review:
Why I read this: I've heard about this one on several blogs and got it from my local library.  I thought it would be a perfect read-a-thon book and I was right.

How is the novel driven: Character and plot, it's a lot about the events in Audrey's life, but it's also how she grows and changes.

My thoughts: In this day and age of the internet and paparazzi, Audrey, Wait is really not a far-fetched story.  It is an entertaining story.  Poor Audrey's life is turned upside down just because she breaks up with her boyfriend and he writes a song.  At first this is great - I mean what teenage girl wouldn't love being invited to the best parties, partying with rock stars and hooking up with rock stars.  But then she learns about the other side, where everything you do ends up on the internet and everyone is talking about you.

I loved Audrey, Wait!, it's a fun book and a great way to look at the teenage life in extreme and not-so-extreme circumstances.  I like how Audrey grows and changes and I also like how her parents are involved in her life.  It's just one of those feel good books by the end, but not in a cheesy way - it's completely entertaining, it has lessons and there is a lot of fun.  I don't know what else to say that hasn't been said.

The book reads fast, the characters are interesting and the situations are fun.  Ms. Benway has a great way about her writing and I look forward to reading more books by her.

My Rating: 4.5/5.0


About the Book:

California high school student Audrey Cuttler dumps self-involved Evan, the lead singer of a little band called The Do-Gooders. Evan writes, “Audrey, Wait!,” a break-up song that’s so good it rockets up the billboard charts. And Audrey is suddenly famous!

Now rabid fans are invading her school. People is running articles about her arm-warmers. The lead singer of the Lolitas wants her as his muse. (And the Internet is documenting her every move!)

Audrey can’t hang out with her best friend or get with her new crush without being mobbed by fans and paparazzi.

Take a wild ride with Audrey as she makes headlines, has outrageous amounts of fun, confronts her ex on MTV, and gets the chance to show the world who she really is.

About the Author:

Robin Benway grew up in Orange County, California and attended college at both NYU & UCLA. At NYU, she won the Seth Barkas Prize for Best Fiction by an Undergraduate. She has worked at Ballantine, Knopf, Borders, and Book Soup in West Hollywood.

Robin currently lives in Santa Monica. To the best of her knowledge, no one has written a song about her. Yet.

Website

FTC Information: I received this book from my local library for my reading enjoyment.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

Book Review: Diary of A Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Publisher: Amulet Books

Publish Date: April 1, 2007

Hardcover, 244 pages
Middle Grades, Ages 9-12

My Review:
Why I read this: I read the 4th book in the series and was unimpressed, and not sure I wanted my son to read it.  But to be fair I wanted to read the series from the beginning and see how the character develops and understand the series better.

How is the novel driven: Plot, in short takes, it's like reading a bunch of comics.  It works great for kids (and adults) with short attention spans.  Each take is a different point in a several month period of Greg's life.

My thoughts: This is a really quick and funny read.  It kept me in stitches throughout the book and it felt very real to the middle school experience.  Middle school is a very tough time and I think this book brings quite a bit of humor to the experience.  Adults can remember this time of life and kids will see there is humor even when things seem hard.

I did not see anything disrespectful in this book that I thought I saw in the 4th book.  I will continue to read through the books and make my decision when I am through, but at this time I definitely feel the first book is a great for any middle gfrader to read, to show they are not alone and there is humor in this time of life.  I'm also a proponent of whatever gets a child to read and it doesn't harm them in any way let them read it.  I have always said if comics gets my child to read then so be it - it's still reading which is awesome.  Jeff Kinney does a great job mixing the comics with the book to make this a highly entertaining read.

I already have the second book coming to me from the library. 

My Rating: 4.25/5.0


About the Book:

Boys don’t keep diaries—or do they?

The launch of an exciting and innovatively illustrated new series narrated by an unforgettable kid every family can relate to

It’s a new school year, and Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. The hazards of growing up before you’re ready are uniquely revealed through words and drawings as Greg records them in his diary.

In book one of this debut series, Greg is happy to have Rowley, his sidekick, along for the ride. But when Rowley’s star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend’s newfound popularity to his own advantage, kicking off a chain of events that will test their friendship in hilarious fashion.

Author/illustrator Jeff Kinney recalls the growing pains of school life and introduces a new kind of hero who epitomizes the challenges of being a kid. As Greg says in his diary, “Just don’t expect me to be all ‘Dear Diary’ this and ‘Dear Diary’ that.” Luckily for us, what Greg Heffley says he won’t do and what he actually does are two very different things.

Since its launch in May 2004 on Funbrain.com, the Web version of Diary of a Wimpy Kid has been viewed by 20 million unique online readers. This year, it is averaging 70,000 readers a day.
About the Author:

Jeff Kinney is an author of children's books including Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series. Jeff was born in College Park, Maryland, in 1971 where he created a comic strip called "Igdoof."

Website

FTC Information: I received this book from my local library for my reading enjoyment, or simply to check up on what my kids read (really, no I didn't want to read or enjoy this one) ;).  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.