Book Review: Gorgeous by Paul Rudnick

Gorgeous by Paul Rudnick
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publish Date: April 30, 2013
Hardcover, 327 pages
ISBN: 9780545464260
Young Adult


My Review:
I wasn't sure what I was going to think of Gorgeous going in, but I was fascinated by the premise. In the end and through the journey of the book I am really glad I read it. It's a fast-paced read that presents an interesting look at beauty and love in our society today.

The book starts off with Becky's Mom's death and moves quickly to Becky accepting the plane ticket to New York to meet Tom Kelly and start off her year of becoming the most beautiful woman in the world. Becky is really unsure how this will work, but miraculously it does with Tom Kelly at her side. I like how Becky's feelings about things while not explained all at once, are revealed through the whole book, truly developing her as a character especially as she grows and changes. She was a fascinating character who goes through some tough trials and tribulations after some really big highs so to become who she does it is really a testament to her character and I like that. And the fun part is Rocher, her best friend who can always inject some sarcasm, reality and wit is right there with her most of the time. Rocher is an amazing addition to the book. She doesn't take away from Becky but really adds that right amount of realistic best friend.

The plot moves quickly through Rebecca's year and then the time after, but I felt things were covered well and my interest level was kept high once I got into the book. Character development really moved the book forward but there are several key events that make the plot. There are life lessons to be learned and even more as I think about it as I write up this review just a few days after finishing the book. There is a lot of pop culture and even references to stars/popular people that while they have different names you will immediately associate them with someone important. I enjoyed that aspect of the book and the people that Mr. Rudnick intentionally (or unintentionally) references are iconic and timeless so whether you read this book now or ten years from now I feel these people will still be relevant.

I think Gorgeous was an amazing book. One word of warning to parents, there is strong language in the book, but other than that, I think the meaning of the book outweighs the language. The meaning that comes through is really amazing when you sit and ruminate on it. The thoughts about beauty being only part of the equation, not really doing anything to get the limelight (just being gorgeous) and possibly doing more once you get the limelight really resonated with me. I think if more people were like Becky the world could be a better place, even ordinary people who don't have the ears of politicians, royals or movie stars. Kudos to Mr. Rudnick for an entertaining and thought-provoking book!

About the Book:
Inner beauty wants out.

When eighteen-year-old Becky Randle’s mother dies, she’s summoned from her Missouri trailer park to meet Tom Kelly, the world’s top designer. He makes her an impossible offer: He’ll create three dresses to transform Becky from a nothing special girl into the most beautiful woman who ever lived.

Becky thinks Tom is a lunatic, or that he’s producing a hidden camera show called World’s Most Gullible Poor People. But she accepts, and she’s remade as Rebecca. When Becky looks in the mirror, she sees herself – an awkward mess of split ends and cankles. But when anyone else looks at Becky, they see pure five-alarm hotness.

Soon Rebecca is on the cover of Vogue, the new Hollywood darling, and dating celebrities. Then Becky meets Prince Gregory, heir to the British throne, and everything starts to crumble. Because Rebecca aside, Becky loves him. But to love her back, Gregory would have to look past the blinding Rebecca to see the real girl inside. And Becky knows there’s not enough magic in the world.

A screamingly defiant, hugely naughty, and impossibly fun free fall past the cat walks, the red carpets, and even the halls of Buckingham Palace, Gorgeous does the impossible: It makes you see yourself clearly for the first time.

About the Author (from Goodreads.com):
Paul M. Rudnick is an American playwright, screenwriter and novelist. His plays include I Hate Hamlet, Jeffrey, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Valhalla and The New Century. He also wrote for Premiere magazine under the pseudonym Libby Gelman-Waxner. He is openly gay.
 

***I received this book from the publisher for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.  ***

Book Review: The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Publisher: Scholastic

Publish Date: April 1, 2012

Hardcover, 342 pages
Fiction, Young Adult, Adventure
 ISBN: 978-0545284134
The Ascendance Trilogy #1

My Review: 
What an amazing book.  I was so thrilled to get an arc from Scholastic and I remember requesting it, but I couldn't remember what it was about.  Then I started seeing the hype about it, and sometimes I dread books with a lot of hype because I don't always like them.  But I decided to go ahead and pick it up because I was interested and I'm glad I did because I could not put it down.

I was thinking this would be a fantasy book, and it kind of is, but really it isn't.  It's just set in a different setting than our world.  More like in the past, yet not.  It's a kingdom, there is fighting, there is discontent and they don't have all the technology and luxuries we do.  But so far in the stories there aren't dragons or ogres or anything truly magic like that.  There is however treachery and secret passageways and things aren't always as they seem.

Sage is really interesting, he's an orphan and he's his own person.  I like that about him.  No matter what his luck has been, he seems to stay true to himself even when he doesn't quite know who he is.  I also enjoy getting to know the other boys that Conner is grooming to be the prince, but Sage is obviously the standout with good reason.  Ms. Nielsen has great character development in the story where the ones who seem so great in the beginning begin to show their faults where as the ones that seem to have their faults begin to show their strengths.  It is so interesting.

The plot moves quickly.  With all of Conner's plotting, and Sage's counter-plotting and the training the plot moves along at a breakneck pace leading to the end of the novel where revelation after revelation takes place and the book ends and you are left saying "Please Ms. Nielsen, release the next book now!" and you mean it in a good way of course.  It's a non-stop thrill ride that will leave you ready for the next book, but satisfied with this book.

The False Prince lives up to it's hype for me and I will be passing it on to my son for his enjoyment.  With it's witty banter, fast pace and exciting revelations, it has me clamoring for the next book.  A job well done Ms. Nielsen!

My Rating: 5.0/5.0


About the Book:
THE FALSE PRINCE is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats

About the Author (from Goodreads.com): 
Jennifer lives at the base of a very tall mountain in Northern Utah with her husband, three children, and a naughty puppy. She loves the smell of rainy days, hot chocolate, and old books, preferably all at once. She is a former speech teacher, theater director, and enjoyed a brief but disastrous career as a door-to-door pollster. In her spare time, Jennifer tends to panic, wondering what she has forgotten to do that has allowed her any spare time.

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FTC Information: I received this book from the publisher, Scholastic for an honest review.  I do make money from purchases made at The Book Depository, Alibris and B&N.com, but all money is used to fund giveaways and shipping for giveaways from the blog.