Being Audrey Hepburn

by Mitchell Kriegman

In Being Audrey Hepburn, Clarissa Explains It All-creator, Mitchell Kriegman, tells the story of a 19-year-old girl from Jersey who finds herself thrust into the world of socialites after being seen in Audrey Hepburn's dress from the film Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Lisbeth comes from a broken home in the land of tube tops, heavy eyeliner, frosted lip-gloss, juiceheads, hoop earrings and "the shore." She has a circle of friends who have dedicated their teenage lives to relieve the world of all its alcohol one drink at a time.

Obsessed with everything Audrey Hepburn, Lisbeth is transformed when she secretly tries on Audrey's iconic Givenchy. She becomes who she wants to be by pretending to be somebody she's not and living among the young and privileged Manhattan elite. Soon she's faced with choices that she would never imagine making – between who she's become and who she once was.

In the tradition of The Nanny Diaries and The Devil Wears Prada, this is a coming of age story that all begins with that little black dress…

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Teen

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2014

About the author

Mitchell Kriegman is the author of Being Audrey Hepburn, and an upcoming novel due out November 2015 called Things I Can’t Explain — a modern day sequel to his groundbreaking cult classic 90s Nickelodeon show, Clarissa Explains it All.

Kriegman created and won four Emmy’s for his work on other childrens’ classics such as Bear in the Big Blue House, Book of Pooh and It’s a Big Big World. He was the executive story editor of the original Ren and Stimpy. Rugrats, Doug and Rocko’s Modern Life. Besides writing original screenplays for Rogue, Universal, Disney, Columbia Pictures and others, his short stories have been published in The New Yorker, the National Lampoon, Glamour, New York Press and Harper’s Bazaar.

Before joining the team of SNL as a filmmaker, performer and writer, Mitchell began his career performing “An Evening of Stories and Tricks You Won’t See Anywhere” and other original performance art at the New York Dance Theater Workshop, The Kitchen, Franklin Furnace and more. His video works are part of The Museum of Broadcasting, Whitney Museum, and London Institute among others.

Kriegman's ".02 Cents Blog" is viewable here: http://blog.mitchellkriegman.com.

Mitchell Kriegman's speaking engagements are handled through the Macmillan Speakers Bureau. You can find a full list of his talks here: http://www.macmillanspeakers.com/mitc....

Please contact us if you are interested in hosting a bookstore, book club event or other in the Santa Barbara or L.A. area: http://mitchellkriegman.com/contact.

Reviews

[Zoë · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book 8/100 for 2015 and "A book based entirely on its cover" for the Popsugar reading challenge.
As you can tell by reading above, I had no idea what this book was about before I started reading it. All I knew was that the cover was cute and that it somehow involved the ever-so-elegant Audrey Hepburn. From the title alone, I thought it would be set in the 1950s to 60s focused on a body double who took over Hepburn's job when she needed a break from the limelight or something, but sadly, it was not. It didn't even have that much to do with Audrey Hepburn, just a girl named Lisbeth who put on her dress and tried to imitate her accent.
As bad as it sounds, I was pretty much unimpressed with the book the entire time. The plot felt like the premise of a Disney Channel original movie (in a bad way) with its moral lesson and cliche lines. It was also obvious at times that this book was written by a middle aged man that was narrating the story from the point of view of a teenage girl in the 21st century. The texting language was almost cringe-worthy (He ended almost every text with ;) and literally had a character write "sez" instead of "says". I don't know about you, but I have never texted or seen someone text like that.). The pacing felt off as well. I was bored up until the last 30 pages when it oddly got very fast-paced and random problems were solved as quickly as they appeared. But the aspect of the book that made me lower my rating the most were the characters. I honestly did not care for any of them, even the main character. Every person felt stereotypical, especially the characters of the upper crust. I couldn't see why Lisbeth felt the urge to be one of them, because they all felt like stuck-up trust fund babies (which she actually calls them a couple of times). I always need at least one character to root for in a book but in this one I either hated them or just didn't care.
Sadly, this book did nothing for me. I honestly wanted to like this book and tried to get myself into the mood for reading it by watching a few Audrey Hepburn films (one of the good things about this book, or at least the first 50 pages of the book, was that it gets you in the mood for looking up Audrey on Netflix), but the moment I started reading I felt like it was a chore.
Hopefully if you read this book, you'll like it more than me!

P.S. I'm sorry for the very long and rant-y review. I try to focus on the positives of a book when I write these, but I guess I'm in a rant type of mood tonight and I had to vent all of my problems to you all. Again, sorry!

[Razvan Banciu · Rating 3 out of 5]

The usual recipe for a Cinderella-like story: let us suffer in the beginning and be happy at the end; take a ton of syrup, some heart and soul, a little touch of humor, mix them well and wait for a while.
The funny fact is that "the cook" is a gentleman...

[Aditi · Rating 4 out of 5]

“No matter where you run, you just end up running into yourself.”
----Audrey Hepburn

Mitchell Kriegman, an American filmmaker cum writer, penned his tribute to the America's "fair lady", Audrey Hepburn with his new novel, Being Audrey Hepburn . It centers around Hepburn's one of the most die-hard fans, Lisbeth, who channels Hepburn's trademark and sophisticated grace and charm as she explores the world of glitz and glamor in NYC.

Synopsis:
Lisbeth comes from a broken home in the land of tube tops, heavy eyeliner, frosted lip-gloss, juiceheads, hoop earrings and “the shore.” She has a circle of friends who have dedicated their teenage lives to relieve the world of all its alcohol one drink at a time.
Obsessed with everything Audrey Hepburn, Lisbeth is transformed when she secretly tries on Audrey’s iconic Givenchy. She becomes who she wants to be by pretending to be somebody she’s not and living among the young and privileged Manhattan elite. Soon she’s faced with choices that she would never imagine making – between who she’s become and who she once was.

Lisbeth is 19 year old and like every other teenager, she too is confused with her career choices. Her best friend and a wanna-be fashion designer, Jess works at the Met for a part-time job. And in one such of regular shifts, she finds Hepburn's legendary LBD that was seen worn by her in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's. Now Lisbeth is a die-hard fan of Hepburn and when her friend calls her on a special evening to try on the dress, Lisbeth enters into a world which no regular teenager can ever happen to be in there. From pop-stars to wealthy multimillionaire to world famous designers to the daddys of the tinsel town, everyone soon became a phone call away in Lisbeth's fake glamorous world.

Note to the author: Sir, please make a movie on this book, not because it has lot of fashion and glamor, instead because of your touch to Audrey's life and how you once again made her alive from the very pages of this book.

From the very beginning of the book, the author's evocative narrative style entranced me and it is really astounding to see how the author channeled himself into a 19year old teenager's voice completely. Moreover, his narrative style is layered with funny anecdotes that will sometimes make you go ROFL. Also he unwrapped the adventures of Lisbeth in the glitzy world of glamor in a striking yet thoughtful way. He in fact addressed the issues faced by a regular teenager and how family drama can sometimes create a lot of havoc in their social lives, also how a teenager behaves in such crisis period in their lives.

Jersey girl's dreams to make it big in the NYC. I bet every American girl cherishes a dream like that! Lisbeth was just being Audrey when a golden opportunity struck her on the Met gala night. The author's characterization of Lisbeth is very real. Lisbeth is someone who will strike you as confused in the begining, and then someone who is head-first determined to reach her goals, to someone who can forgive quite easily unlike any other 19year old! The rest of the characters like Jess and Nan will make you fall for their down-to-earth demeanor. And honestly, Tabitha sounded lot of LiLo, wasting away her stardom and popularity to drugs and alcohol. There is also some elements of mystery added in the plot, which will keep you hooked on it. Although we see the whole story from Lisbeth's eyes, but the author leaves us with enough space to judge it with our own perspective. The way the author intricately layered his whole storyline, it 'll definitely make you feel all the hormones running high in the world of glamor. There is also some romance that will make you feel high with it's effect. Overall, the whole book turned out to be such a fun-ride for me. Not because the characters lacked depth or how I couldn't connect with the emotional element of this book, but because how a 19year old lives the best of her both worlds in the words of Mitchell Kriegman. No Lisbeth is not Miley Cyrus!! And if you want to relive your life wearing that legendary Little Black Dress of Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany's, go ahead pick a copy of this book for sure.

If Audrey Hepburn was alive, then she must have said, in Holly Golightly's tone, something as:
Darling, this is such an incredible book! You must devour the charm of it.

Verdict: Ahoy! all the Audrey Hepburn fans, Come Aboard! Get Ready to Take a Wild Ride to the Fun Side of Audrey Hepburn. For me, this was an addictive read!

Courtesy: Millions times thanks to the author, Mitchell Kriegman, for giving me an opportunity to read and review his book.

[Heather Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to be honest here. When I requested this book on Netgalley, I did it solely because it had the name “Audrey Hepburn” in the title. I didn’t even read the summary. Yes, I know. Some would shame me for that, but I am an Audrey fanatic, just like Lisbeth in the book. Of course, after I received access to the book, I read the summary. Better late than never, right?

When Lisbeth gets a message from her best friend, Jess, for an extremely rare opportunity to see THE black dress Audrey wore in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, she can’t resist. And neither could I. As the reader, I felt the same excitement that Lisbeth felt upon reading that message. I anxiously made the journey from Jersey to Manhattan along side her and squirmed with excitement as she came face to face with one of the most famous dresses in all of Hollywood.

Who knew a little black dress could change your life?

When Lisbeth gets to try the dress on, her entire world changes. What was a boring life in Jersey as a diner waitress, suddenly becomes a mysterious life in the spotlight along side some of the most well known New York City socialites. Of course, events in this book are less likely to happen than say Justin Bieber getting arrested, it was a fun journey to go on with the author and the main character, Lisbeth. The entire book is so fun and a nice break from the outside world. It’s also more than just an adventure for an Audrey fanatic. For Lisbeth, it’s a journey to find out who she is and what she wants to do with her life without the constant nagging from her mom. She learns a lot about herself throughout the book. Of course it takes many upsets and unfortunate events for her, but through it all, she learns some very important lessons.

I praise the author, Mitchell Kriegman, for writing such a fun and adventurous book. For this Audrey fan, I enjoyed this book from the beginning to the end. Of course, you don’t have to be an Audrey fan to enjoy this book. In fact, this book just might make you an Audrey fan. In that case, I encourage you indulge in a little Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Roman Holiday, just to name a few.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

http://www.theturningpages.com/2014/0...

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darling, I would give this book 6 out of 5 if possible!

Because when you first see it's an Audrey themed Ya:


But then you get into the fashion!



And the drama!



And of course the Audrey inspired romance!!




Basically,

You should read this book!

[eyes.2c · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just loved it!

Dreams and truth are all mixed up and threaded throughout with magic Audrey Hepburn moments, shaded over with Givenchy, Dolce and Gabbana, Gucci, and others.
As our fab lead Lisbeth Anne Wachowicz from New Jersey says, 'Here's the big secret, Audrey Hepburn is the cure for everything.' How many times have I hummed 'moon river' and then flashed back to that hair, those glasses and that little black dress. (Hands up those of us who have a little 'go to' black dress in their wardrobe!)
Lisbeth always adored, indeed lived, Audrey Hepburn. She works at a diner with her lifelong friend Jess, a budding fashion designer who also works for the MET.
That's how come Lisbeth gets to see that little black dress that Audrey H. wore in Breakfast at Tiffany's. And that's the beginning, where it all unfolds. Lisbeth's journey takes us into the world of the badly behaved rich and famous, into dark secrets and fair weather friends, finding out where one's heart lies and choosing your path. Along the way there's some romantic interest.
A cracker of a read! I was smitten by the character of Lisbeth. I loved the way in which Kriegman melded the ideas of fashion and design. My fingers itched to feel the fabrics. In fact I'm sure I can. His descriptions made me sense the uniqueness of these designs. They vibrated, they came alive. I adored the interesting touches Jess added, the makeovers that produce 'new look' creations. I must admit that for just a few seconds I flashed back to Molly Ringwald and 'Pretty in Pink' from the aspect of Andie's creativeness. 'Being Audrey' is so much more, and so much more in the now!
The jaded lives of the rich and famous come in for a drubbing. The crush and whirl and mindlessness of it all is highlighted.
Lisbeth, or rather her alter ego Lisbeth Dulac, her 'nom de plume' emerges as a strong character, from a dysfunctional family. Who isn't? Some just more so than others and Lisbeth's is definitely more so. Lisbeth's creation of a fashion blog recalled for me Tavi Gevinson who began her fashion blog at a much younger age. The whole thing of becoming a leader in a field and being noticed via the medium of blogging.
I loved Lisbeth's nan. A woman of class, ethereal yet no nonsense, a woman unshockable. A woman it seems from another world.
But best of all as I have more than intimated, I loved the world that author Kriegman has created. A world that morphs out of the much loved Audrey into ours, revolving around an iconic film moment and actress that espouses dreams fulfilled and hope.

A NetGalley ARC

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more reviews!

*3.5 star rating*

If someone asks me to choose over Marilyn Monroe or Audrey Hepburn, I'd definitely choose Audrey, who's for the win. She's changed fashion and acting history, and although I haven't watched any of her movies, everyone knows her and Kriegman has written a novel personally addressed to those who don't know who she is and those are obsessed with her. It doesn't really matter, as we'll all end up loving her and searching her up on Google the moment after they finish the book.



Says Audrey... I can imagine her actually saying it, though.

I guess you can say that this one's summary and storyline was very predictable, but real at the same time. It came out of a "real girl's" mind, and she just wanted to have a different role in the world and live on with fashion taste and popularity. Lisabeth is a Jersey girl, and doesn't feel that she fits in with her family. Her dad left when she was young, her mom is an alcoholic, and her brother and sister are complete wastes, as they always find a way to get into trouble. She works in a diner and is obsessed with Audrey Hepburn, whose movies are her remedy and the only way to save her at times. Then one day, her best friend tells her to use Audrey's Givenchy dress that she wore in Breakfast at Tiffany's, and to go into a party. Little does she know that there will be fear of getting caught, and an instant ticket into popularity and being in famous celebrity magazines.

Here, Kriegman has gotten readers to wonder what their ticket to being an A-lister would be. I won't even tell you mine, as it's completely unreal. But I guess that the unrealism worked in this case because I was looking for cuteness and a story that can only get a girl to dream. In some cases, the author got Lisabeth to act like a normal girl who just found her way around to being someone different. She owns a blog, cries when she's upset, helps people when they're vomiting in the bathroom because they took too many drugs... you get the story.

The fact that Lisabeth had such an obsession really got me to wonder what my remedy is. No, I don't idolize anyone so much to that point, but books are things that send chills down my spine and are things that I'm able to look back to. I guess people don't understand your opinion unless they share it, too, and that surely was the case for Lisabeth. I think that her best friend, Jess, and her grandmother only "got her," and that's even better. The less people know, the more mysterious and self-conscience you become.

"Breakfast at Tiffany's was the one-hour-and-fifty-five-minute version of my hopes and dreams and all the lurking dangers in-between. I'll never forget the first time I ever heard Holly Golightly talk about the mean reds. I immediately realized that there were mean reds around me all the time."

Lisabeth's character and her thoughts were the real point of this book. Yes, she did have ten minutes of fame, but I believe that she kept running back to whom she really is. I believe that she didn't have to go back to the plans that her mother made for her, but to what she really wanted to do in life. And hey, that's a lesson for everyone.

In a way, I picture this being a book that Audrey herself would actually read. Everything about it was almost-wonderful, though the romance wasn't too good. You see, the boy-band-guy who works at a diner with Lisabeth isn't my type, and I don't find Jake to be the right girl for her. Sure, he's a teenage heartthrob who she'll squeal about since he woke her up at 5 AM, about to throw a rock at her window... and yes, they ended up together, but I didn't approve of this. AND THAT OTHER KISS? WHAT WAS THAT!? I guess that Kriegman wanted Lisabeth to have a few rebellious streaks inside of her and to do things that she normally wouldn't, but I was shocked.

Mmm, hmmm, the plot was interesting, but I was shocked myself to see how some of it wasn't needed. I guess that about 50 pages could've been cut out from the beginning-of-the-middle, and nothing would be missed. *laughs* That's another negative.

What we actually got from this was a small-town girl who's sick of where she lives. Jersey isn't the place for her, and she has big dreams. There was people in her world who love her, and who always support her decisions and what crazy things she up to do. Yeah, she isn't sure with what she's going to do in her life, but she has time. My favourite character was her grandmother and her rosé champagne, hah.

"Flipping through Nan's scrapbook was one of my favorite things to do. Nan's photos were like a drug to me; they made all the darkness go away—all the ingenues and dashing young men, their faces golden with hope and possibility. I didn't know anyone in my family who believed in hope besides Nan."

I must say, Kriegman is a talented author who's absolutely knowing what he's doing here. We have a dreamy young girl exploring the world in a New York setting. We have a sucky romance and some boring points in the plot, but most of all, we learned how to be Audrey Hepburn and her legacy which she has on many people, young and old. You don't have to be a fan to read this, just go for it if you'd like a light fluffy novel with realism.

[Stacee · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars

I am a huge fan of Breakfast at Tiffany's and absolutely love the premise of this, but the execution wasn't for me.

I struggled with Lisbeth, she was a horrible friend. I completely understand wanting something different and needing to keep things compartmentalized, but she was so selfish. Especially when it came to Jess and Jake. Her remorse didn't seem realistic.

The twist of sorts was interesting, but by then it was too little too late, I just wanted it to be over. I know a lot of people will enjoy this and if the MC would have been just a bit different, I probably would have as well.

**Huge thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**

[HK · Rating 4 out of 5]

**4.5/5**

+ The Audrey Hepburn in this is just spot on.
+ There were so many plot twists in this... I just can't.

- To be honest, this book was kind of slow. I really enjoyed it, but it took me FOREVER to read. There's lots of action that goes on, but it's not like, "OH I HAVE TO STAY IN MY SEAT AND READ THIS ALL DAY."

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Review

I love old movies. I'm not particularly a huge fan of Audrey Hepburn, but i've seen Breakfast at Tiffany's and loved it. Even though I've never been really into fashion, especially high fashion (it confuses me), I can appreciate a beautiful dress or the artistic merit of an outfit. So when I read the synopsis for this book, I was excited. It sounded great, a Jersey girl who manages to sneak herself into the depth of New York high society. In actual execution, it was less than I was hoping for, but still an entertaining read.

Lisbeth has grown up with an alcoholic mother, a useless older sister and a brother who seems destined for jail. She lives in a not great neighborhood and works at a crummy diner. Pretty much the only bright spots in her life are her Nan, who lives in an assisted living home and exemplifies the word glamour and her best friend Jess, a talented clothes designer who's trying to get her designs out into the world. Life seems so boring, and Lisbeth has always escaped the family drama by hiding in her closet and watching all of Audrey Hepburn's movies and wishing her life was more full of glamour and high society than it is.

When Lisbeth gets stuck wearing the black dress that Audrey wore in Breakfast at Tiffany's in the middle of a party for the rich socialites at the Met, she feels like she is living the dream. After getting photographed a few times by accident and discovering a pop star puking her guts out in the bathroom, Lisbeth feels like she actually got away with being mistaken for a debutante herself. With Jess' help, she transforms her Nan's vintage dresses into one of a kind masterpieces and along the way launches her own fashion website that explodes into popularity. From one day to the next, her life completely changes.

Lisbeth in this book has some big horror movie scenes. You know the ones. Girl gets out of bed, walks down the dark, deserted, scary hallway at night in the haunted mansion. And the whole time you're screaming, leave! Just run out the front door and don't come back! Well Lisbeth walks herself right into some sticky situations and I just wanted to shake her a little bit. It seemed a little unrealistic to me that she magically insinuated herself right into all of these high society functions, with a fake Audrey Hepburn accident and zero backstory and no one doubts her. She gets invited to go shopping and even manages to fake her way into being thought a fashion critic at a very expensive store.

The pacing in this book was odd for me. The first half was pretty slow, I actually put it down and read different books in between which I rarely do, but the second half seemed to cram a lot of important scenes into not too much space. A lot of the fall out of Lisbeth's decisions were kind of glossed over in the end, and magically, everything worked out! And for the better too! And it was just all a little too tied up in a neat bow for me.

There were a lot of secondary characters and side stories worked in too that I just never felt really invested in. Her brother and sister were never really well developed characters, and even though I loved Lisbeth's best friend Jess, I could have kicked Lisbeth in the pants for how she treated her for part of the book. The biggest issue I had with the secondary characters was the love interests though. I just. . .didn't care about them. Neither of them were very interesting and they both seemed super smitten with Lisbeth even though I didn't find her character particularly exciting or worthy of it.

The biggest strength of this book was in the fashion and references to Audrey and the movies she was in. You could tell how much research was put into this book in order to convey the love of both fashion and her movies. The dresses that are created by Jess absolutely popped off the page, and I wanted to see every single one in person. I really loved how much detail was put into that side of the book, even though it was somewhat unrealistic to me that Lisbeth could magically have such a super successful fashion blog when she doesn't really seem to love fashion other than stalking celebrities online and watching Audrey Hepburn movies.

Overall, it was a fun read with a cute premise. I loved the idea of the story and I adored the inclusion of fashion and the insights into Audrey Hepburn's movies. Unsympathetic secondary characters and weird pacing detracted from the story for me, but it's still a solid 3 rating for me. I think if you're a huge lover of fashion or Audrey Hepburn, you will absolutely adore this book!

Read this review and more over at Reading on the Farm

[Karrie Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being Audrey Hepburn by Mitchell Kriegman
I received this Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) from Netgalley.

I’ve been an obsessed Audrey Hepburn fan since high school. I was lured in with Breakfast at Tiffany’s, seduced with Roman Holiday, and swept off my feet by Charade. It was during the time of my life when I was mystified by the Golden Age of Hollywood: the cinematic period where celebrities were fawned over but not dissected like they are today due to modern technology. Women had curves, the men wore suits, and it was still socially acceptable to smoke absolutely everywhere. Cancer be damned, am I right?

When I first saw this ARC, I knew I had to read it because it has Audrey Hepburn in the title. I also found out that the author, Mitchell Kriegman, created Clarissa Explains It All, one of my favorite tv shows as a kid. Combine an Audrey Hepburn fan with the voice of Clarissa Darling, and I knew this book would be fun!

Lisbeth is a 19 year old girl from Montclair, NJ who is an obsessed Audrey Hepburn fan. She has seen every movie and has memorized almost every line. She pretty much lives her life with the mantra “What Would Audrey Do?” and she does it. When she is caught wearing Audrey’s iconic Givenchy dress from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, her world goes into a tailspin and she is soon mingling with the high society of New York’s richest and elite. She pretends to be a socialite amongst these celebrities and trust fund kids, excited to have a taste of the glamorous lifestyle we’ve all been curious about.

I really enjoyed this book. I like that it takes place in New Jersey and that Lisbeth mentions everything from the PATH train at Grove Street to Hoboken, Jersey City, and the Jersey Shore. I must admit that even though I was excited by the NJ references at first, sometimes I got annoyed by it, like Kriegman wanted to really prove that he knows New Jersey. I get it, people from this state love to tan and we get the fistpump jokes. I think the constant NJ references were unnecessary and after some time, tiring.

I like Lisbeth’s relationship with her best friend Jess, who is the creative fashionista who makes all the fabulous clothing that Lisbeth wears to mingle with the rich. However, Lisbeth’s interactions with her family are easily pushed to the sidelines, which seemed unrealistic to me, especially towards the end of the book when the family storyline was resolved within a few sentences. And while her budding romance isn’t the focus of the plot, it really upset me that she realizes that the reason she was escaping into Being Audrey was to run away from a guy. I mean, come on Kriegman. He spends most of the book portraying Lisbeth as a lost young woman trying to find herself and by becoming Audrey Hepburn, she’s able to do things that she has never been able to do and develop a sense of self. Making the story be about a man completely negates all of the growth and development Lisbeth has made.

Overall, I recommend any Audrey Hepburn fan would appreciate this book. It’s a fun summer read with a crazy plot and characters you can relate to! And if you don’t love Audrey Hepburn already, well you need to sit down right and watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s now!

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[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being Audrey Hepburn by Mitchell Kriegman

Being Audrey Hepburn is a brilliant written story. Mitchell does a wonderful job on incorporating facts and details about Audrey Hepburn to give readers a more insightful look on her. The main character Lisbeth a Audrey Hepburn fanatic is thrown into a whirl of new emotions feelings surroundings and identity.Lisbeth a girl who watches Breakfast at Tiffanys in her little closet now wears high end versace and givenchy dresses and goes to high-end balls that only the richest and most famous people are allowed in to . She puts on this fake identity that resembles Audrey to a T, from the sweet innocent voice, to the elegance that Audrey Hepburn had. She lives a double life between fantasy and reality. Being the Audrey Hepburn fan that I am, I really enjoyed the facts that Kriegman added about Audrey, it was the first book in a while that I was able to really enjoy, because it is hard for me to get into books, it made me feel at comforted knowing I would really enjoy a story about one of my favorite Actresses. Throughout the book you as a reader might think you know what will happen next, and then BAM!! Kriegman throws a curveball that can change the entire dynamic of the characters and their relationships, which allows the reader to become even more immersed into the book.

The reasons I give this book such a great review is because I never felt bored while reading the book, it never really had that boring spot that made me dread reading it and waiting for something exciting to happen , Kriegman knew where to throw in suprises at the perfect time, to reel the reader back in. Mitchell creates and fits drama, love, and fairytales all into one book, and somehow it so well. That was what I also really enjoyed about the book at any given moment you could have two different types of stories happening which allowed me to just want to keep reading and reading. Each party she went to each dress she put on, what shoes, or purse she used was all a different story each and every time , no dress was the same. Every party she went to something wonderful happened. Each time she kept this story going she became more and more confident and comfortable being this person, it was like she was always meant to be this person. I feel as if this quote sets the tone for the entire book Remember it all started with that little break dress.” It all started with that little black dress. Yeah, I mean the little black dress- the wickedly fabulous, classic, fashion perfection Givenchy that Audrey Hepburn wore to brilliance in the opening scene of Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (Kriegman 1). “Remember it all started with that little black dress’(Kriegman 1)

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lisbeth comes from a family where she doesn't really fit in. Her mother is an alcoholic, her sister is quickly following suit, and her younger brother is struggling with some clear behavior disorders. Lisbeth's mother has a future all planned out for her since she is the "good daughter" with potential. However, it is a future Lisbeth wants nothing to do with.

Lisbeth's main support system comes from her Nan, who shares and understands her obsession with Audrey Hepburn, and her best friend Jess, a brilliant fashion student currently working as a museum curator. One night Lisbeth meets Jess at the museum and finds herself trying on the famous Givenchy made for Audrey. A couple turns of event lead to a night that will change her whole life. Lisbeth finds herself in a world she has been desperate to experience, but knows that it can't last. Partially because she is pretending to be someone she isn't. Specifically Audrey Hepburn.

At first, I was afraid that this was just going to be a fluffy story with a few mishaps and a little charm. In the beginning there was an awful lot of the author making sure we understood just how much Lisbeth loved Audrey Hepburn, and at one point I had to plead with the author to move on and stop repeating the word "Givenchy". However, those feelings quickly faded away as I became more connected to Lisbeth and found that there was much more to her and the story.

What we get is a young girl finding herself and deciding who and what she wants to be. Even through the charade, it seems that Lisbeth is finding herself rather than losing herself in this world that is vastly different from her own. It was rewarding to see her discovering her talents, and finding the courage to go after the life she really wanted rather than the one that was being forced on her. She definitely makes some questionable choices, and takes some crazy risks, but at the heart of it all I was cheering her on and hoping that she would find her place in the world and become a woman who knew herself.

I also enjoyed the evolution of the situation with her family and watching how even some serious challenges and struggles could help a very broken family start to heal.

This was a delightful and entertaining read, and I thought the narrator did a pretty great job of voicing Lisbeth. She sounded just like what I would imagine Lisbeth sounds like, which made it easy to become immersed in the story.

*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review

[Elisée · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any book that's neatly tucked away beneath an oversize table of those on clearance deserves to be unearthed. Especially if its cover bears the name of Audrey Hepburn.

Plot
This is one of those novels whose chapters are freakishly short to make it fast-paced, and the text is also relatively small--probably to stay within the 300-page range. Although I've never heard of Mitchell Kriegman, (this is the first work of his that I've read) I'm impressed with his ability to take on a female protagonist with his unique writing style and sense of humour.

Characters
I absolutely adored these characters; primary, secondary, extras--the whole lot. They are so believable and fit perfectly into each scene without issue :)
Thus, my mild obsession with Marilyn Monroe is nothing compared to that of 19-year old Lisbeth for all things Audrey Hepburn. It practically runs in her veins, so much that the minute she tries on THE Givenchy dress of Breakfast At Tiffanys, her double life as an A-lister swarmed by papparazzi becomes the norm. But then I outright hated her guts at page 208 for taking it too far. The things some will do fame...

Best friend Jessica (who goes by Jess) is the type of person everyone needs to have in their social circle. She's a genius with hairstyling and all the original designs that Lisbeth wears to the innumerable upscale parties.

Pop star Tabitha Eden is Lisbeth's "bathroom buddy," as she calls it, mainly because she was hammered that one night (and every other night) and needed someone like Lisbeth to hold her hair back. A bit of a case, she is. But we'll support her because of what "He who must not be named" has done. (And I'm NOT talking about the Harry Potter series)
Ryan's a loser--with a mullet. Courtney's a college dropout. And even though Lisbeth's mother is fictional, her behaviour and "situation"the fact that she's one hardcore alcoholic, I just don't feel it's my place to judge. Those parts felt so real to me, I swear I cried at the fallout of Lisbeth's careless ways.


I do fear that I'm spoiling too much, so I'll stop now. Just in time to thank Mr. Kriegman for paying homage to the most gracious, angelic being to walk this earth in the most weird and wonderful prose.

[I'd So Rather Be Reading {Nat} · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being Audrey Hepburn was such a fun, girly read! I loved everything about this whimsical, imaginative book. I kept finding myself wishing that I was Lisbeth: her rise to fame was inspiring and the clothes...oh the clothes...I wanted to wear them too (And look as good as Lisbeth did in them!).

Lisbeth is obsessed with Audrey Hepburn. She watches all of Hepburn's movies over and over, with Breakfast at Tiffany's being her favorite. Lisbeth's friend, Jess, works at the Met. Jess secretly lets Lisbeth try on the black Givenchy dress Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Jess fixes Lisbeth's hair and makeup to give her the whole "Audrey look." Well, to avoid discovery, Lisbeth has to rush downstairs, in the middle of a gala for New York's rich and famous young adults, and is mistaken for someone rich and famous. She meets a pop star in the bathroom, who wants to be friends, and soon finds herself enmeshed in a totally different world.

I thought that I knew where Being Audrey Hepburn was going. I was so surprised at the depth and intensity of this book. Kriegman kept the plot layered and very interesting. If you're not into fashion, this would still be a fun book to read. I loved that Lisbeth becomes a blogger (it's so fun, as a blogger, to read books about bloggers) and that she was mysterious and unpredictable. The conflict resolution came as a total surprise, and I found myself quite pleased with how the story wrapped up.

What made Being Audrey Hepburn so fun to read was that it was a glimpse into the world of Manhattan's elite. Lisbeth's rise to fame was like a Cinderella story: the whole time she was enjoying herself, I kept waiting for her to be discovered for who she truly was. There was so much creativity with the fashion, and diversity in the characters. I liked that the minor characters were so well-developed, and that Being Audrey Hepburn wasn't just about Lisbeth.

If you like contemporary YA, fashion, or blogging, I would highly recommend Being Audrey Hepburn!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

[Narfy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have to admit, I didn't look at who the author was before I began reading. I was several chapters in when I realized how in authentic the 19 year old character was. I suspected a 50 something year old woman was the author, checked the back jacket and well, partly right...50 year old, but male.
So the character did not seem like a 19 year old female between her knowledge of ancient pop culture references and starting a blog in 2014. She's also a completely terrible friend, daughter and love interest. She does everything out of self interest. And in the end, she doesn't report pedophilia (!!!) or even attempt to address what she did and apologize. As to why her grandma was being charged with a crime when her dead mobster grandfather was the issue, who knows? I mean, if you're running from mob life why stay in New Jersey? Seems like the time to move to Oregon or Colarado or something.
At any rate, the whole novel was contrived and silly.

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a fun well paced story of a Jersey 19 year old who uses her love of Audrey to get a glimpse into the New York socialite circle. It is an enjoyable read and I would feel good about recommending it to a friend. There are some parts of the story where the timeline doesn't quite match up, as well as some silly editing misses for example using eek instead of eke. But there weren't enough errors to detract from the story. The one thing I found most disturbing (and I know this makes me sound like a buzz-kill) is the abundance of underage drinking, and buzzed driving. At one point in the story our heroine gets on a motorcycle that her drunk date is driving and he races another driver to the next party. These are the sort of decisions that get teens killed, and it was hard to read them in such a lighthearted manner.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh man, I really wanted to love this story, but it stuttered for me in some areas. I'm not an Audrey Hepburn superfan by any means, so I was occasionally lost in history that felt irrelevant. Some of the fashion descriptions were ok, but I thought there were too many in general. There were a few pacing issues too - it went from pretty slow to too fast and then back to slow again.

I liked the calamities that Lisbeth got into, and it was fun to get a peak behind the scenes of the socialites. I also liked how the character grew and found her own way - there was definitely character growth throughout the story.

I would have appreciated it if the book had been a little more focused on Lisbeth's story and growth.

Note: I received a review copy of this title courtesy of the publisher.

[Holly Blades · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is honestly one of the best books I have ever read. I, like lisbeth, am obsessed with everything Audrey Hepburn so I connected with her on that. I loved the glamor of it all and the plot twist at the end was so unexpected, but amazing.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just sort of objectively, this book is not great. A laborious beginning awkwardly introduces characters, settings, and stakes, which the rest of the book does not entirely deliver on, instead counting on the reader's knowledge of similar stories to fill in the blanks.

The timeline of the book is unclear - action that I thought took place over two or three days apparently spanned several months. The tense of the storytelling is inconsistent in a way that *could* have worked, if it had been intentional. But it wasn't, so it was just kind of confusing.

Most importantly, the book owes an enormous debt to the Gossip Girl novels, with which it shares galas at The Met, the Hamptons, a love interest with green eyes, an overly influential blog, a protagonist obsessed with Audrey Hepburn, and so much more, which it never acknowledges.

All of that being said, it is a fairly engaging read, once you get past the beginning. The plot clips along, it has some genuinely surprising plot twists (one of which really comes out of the blue, but, it's fine) and is unexpectedly sympathetic to most of the characters. So, if you find yourself with limited reading opportunities, because you are in the midst of a global pandemic and the public libraries are closed, and your local bookstore is delivering but it takes a few days, and you have a long-standing policy of NEVER buying books from Amazon, and this is the book that you have at your disposal, it is far from the worst thing you could point your face at for a few hours.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had low expectations for this book, but I figured it would be a harmless and light read. And for the most part, my expectations were met. It’s a bit of a Cinderella story with an Audrey Hepburn skin over it - except the story itself has very little to do with Audrey Hepburn herself. For me, the most compelling parts were that of Lisbeth’s family and their various struggles, but Kriegman is way more interested in the milquetoast “glamorous New York life” that there is little to work with regarding the family dynamic. And for a novel that only came out in 2014, it feels incredibly outdated, like it belongs in the early 2000s - not just the middle-aged male Kriegman’s attempts at sounding like a teenaged girl, but the antagonists are too cartoonish, the plot too cheesy, and bland love interests. Several serious matters are trivialized for the sake of melodrama rather than delving into them appropriately, especially in the post- #MeToo world.

Definitely not the worst book I’ve read, but far from a recommendation.

[Molly Rene · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who loves Audrey Hepburn, especially Breakfast at Tiffany’s, I had such high hopes for this book. I was enthralled for a majority of it (even when it felt unrealistic) but 3/4 in it felt like the author jumped the shark.

Without spoilers, the plot twists felt so sudden and very cliché. There was no build up so many of these twists just seemed forced as Kriegman was trying to make the novel more dramatic. There is one scene in particular that is incredibly triggering but then the scene is never mentioned again throughout the book so what was the purpose of including it in the story?

Much of the novel is entertaining and Kreigman certainly did his research on haute couture fashions so I would say this is a good read for lounging around the beach or pool. Just don’t expect a moral lesson or some cathartic moment to come along while reading.

[Sahar Sabati · Rating 3 out of 5]

The allure, glamour, and charm exuded by Audrey Hepburn are sources of inspiration for many women. In Being Audrey Hepburn, nineteen year old Lisbeth’s obsession with the beautiful star and her movies brings her to a place she never thought she would ever step foot in.

Lisbeth’s life is not an easy one. Her father left her mother when she and her two siblings were young. Today, between her alcoholic mother, her angry sister, and her (criminally) mischievous younger brother, their house only has one safe spot where she can gather her thoughts. Inside her tiny closet, Lisbeth has escaped her reality countless times by following Audrey into alternate ones through her movies. This allows her to keep believing that somewhere, a better alternative is also waiting for her.

Then one day, Lisbeth is given the opportunity to try on “the” black Givenchy Audrey dress (Hepburn fans, you know which one!) and, through a series of unfortunate circumstance – or fortunate ones? – she is welcomed into a world of socialites and celebrities with too much money and too much time on their hands.

When one reaches for the stars, one can end up the main protagonist in a stereotypical rags to riches story. But more often than not, the story ends with the protagonist only a little ahead of the game, having learned important lessons that will come in handy as they pursue their dreams. And sometimes, the protagonist ends up in a place worse than where they started. The most realistic path seems to be the second option, and this is the fate that awaits Lisbeth. Cover blown, she is exposed as a fraud and has to deal with life-altering consequences. Some are heartbreaking, some are neutral, and some, thankfully, are positive: things are looking better with her family; Lisbeth used her adventures to help launch her friend Jesse; and her hastily started blog has caught the eye of a world-famous designer and an expert marketing agent.

Being Audrey Hepburn is a quick, interesting read that unfortunately falls short because of the unwritten messages it shares. For example, Lisbeth is a hard-working student being forced by her mother to become a nurse practitioner. While I don’t think parents should force their children down a specific career path, the alternative that author Kriegman seems to be encouraging is to step into a rich and glamorous world and blog about fashion. While I love a good fashion blog, I do not think it’s wise to suggest it as a safe career one can hope to escape a more traditional career with. Furthermore, another underlying message seems to be that a job as a waitress or a career as a nurse are not fulfilling. And, finally, it seems to be encouraging the belief that unless it is glamorous, a job is a lowly, unworthy option.

Another example: Lisbeth escapes her reality by delving into Audrey Hepburn movies. She also draws inspiration from the movie star’s real life ascent from unknown actress to superstar. But instead of learning from the latter, Lisbeth uses the former. That is to say, instead of learning from Audrey how to use her strengths to create realistic opportunities for herself and build her way, one step at a time, out of her current, very difficult situation, Lisbeth escapes her reality by stepping into a world of socialites and celebrities, a superficial and temporary situation that brings about some life altering consequences for her and her family.

Perhaps these were not two points the author wanted to make in her book, or perhaps they would have been effectively addressed if Kriegman had actually wrapped up her book more tidily. While a book should end with some ambiguity, allowing the reader to imagine what is going on, the breadth and depth of the ambiguity of this ending leaves the reader wondering what lessons Lisbeth has learned. This is all the more unsettling that this book is intended for a young adult audience. Do we really want them to decide that the best way out of a difficult home situation is by conning their way into a social circle with more material goods that offer a superficial and fragile way out?

It seemed at times that the author lost track the reason why the book was written. Is Being Audrey Hepburn just a fun book, a teenage soap opera with no other intention that to explore the idea of infiltrating the rich and famous? Is it about fashion, and glitz, and glamour? Then the more serious sides should be lightened, and more information about the rich and famous and fashion should be added. Is it a soap opera? Then remove a semblance to being a book of substance, and crank up the drama. Is it a book meant to analyse Lisbeth’s character and the consequences of her decisions? Is it a book meant to make readers reflect on how they can improve their situation in a realistic way? Then the lessons should have been more clearly drawn, and the author should not have diluted the development of Lisbeth’s character through the breadth and depth of the description of the glitz and glamour. This lack of focus is unfortunate, as Mitchell Kriegman is a good writer and managed to vividly bring to life some of the scenes in the book, but the lack of focus unfortunately really affected the quality of the story as a whole.

These weaknesses could be addressed in the form of a book club or a discussion group about books; but I would make sure to engage any young reader who has gone through this book in a conversation about Lisbeth’s decisions to make sure that they did not get lost in the underlying, sometimes contradictory messages of Being Audrey Hepburn.

First published on Blogcritics and at http://www.saharsreviews.com/book-rev....

[Stephanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Link: https://holedupinabook.blogspot.com/2...

So growing up, I obviously heard about Audrey Hepburn and saw the iconic photo of her in multiple places. However, I never once picked up the famous movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and I’m not exactly sure why not. Even to this day, I just have no real interest in checking it out even though it’s a classic and highly raved about. So when I saw this book, I figured why the hell not. I already didn’t watch the classic movie and have no real knowledge of Audrey other than the basics but since I love YA and this refers to her, I figured I’ll check it out.

While I enjoyed the plot (for the most part), I wasn’t such a huge fan of the characters nor the ending. Or the fact that it was highly unrealistic especially the fact that no one questioned her whatsoever about her background and somehow everyone knew about her within days. Like really? I doubt it.

The part that I was most confused about and disliked most about was the whole rape-y scene. It was written in such a strange manner that I couldn’t really figure out what actually happened. In a way, I guess it was written out in a very realistic way since Lisbeth was also groggy and couldn’t remember so because of that, the readers were also confused and didn’t know what just happened. However, my biggest qualm with this scene is the fact that even after Lisbeth figured it out (and found out that it was recorded), she didn’t freak out about it other than the principal of recording her. She wasn’t freaked that she just had sex with an old dude or the fact that she might be pregnant or whatever. These are things that a normal girl would obsess over after an incident such as that occurred. However, this didn’t happen at all and she just went on with her life. I think maybe it’s because the author is a male so he would never have considered such things since males don’t have these consequences but if you’re going to write in a female’s perspective, you need to actually write in their perspective and be wary of things that females are wary of. Otherwise it just seems incredibly strange and not at all well written. And because of this incident, my feelings prior changed a lot because I just couldn’t fathom this scene at all.

And at the same time, I wasn’t a huge fan of the characters either. To be perfectly honest, I actually really despised Lisbeth. I found her selfish, rude, immature and a bimbo. Why did I think she was all the above? There are literally so many different reasons. First of all, literally the only reason why this all worked out for her was because Jess was there to make the dresses. Actually this whole thing started because Jess called her to tell her about the Audrey Hepburn dress that she knew Lisbeth coveted. And rather than being concerned about Jess’ job on the line, she begged her to try it out and then proceeded to crash the party downstairs with it which then led to her photos being taken and so on and so forth. So without Jess, this whole story would not have occurred. HOWEVER, did Lisbeth even feel grateful to her? NO. Other than her name dropping “Designer X” to her newfound rich friends, when the whole fashion show was going to start, she didn’t even want to respond to her texts. Like seriously? How difficult is it to respond to your “best” friend that you’ll be there and don’t worry?! So Jess is there basically freaking out because 1) she has not heard from Lisbeth who had promised to be there and 2) Lisbeth took her best dress. I mean, Lisbeth ultimately showed up but she was late. I also found her incredibly immature because she literally did not care about her family whatsoever. I mean, I get that they’re a nuisance and you just want to get out but they were still there for you and it wasn’t as her mom hit her or anything. Plus rather than going to college and accepting the money that her mom paid already for the school, she didn’t even have the decency to tell her mother that she didn’t want to go until her mother was literally lying in a hospital bed. Seriously, what kind of daughter are you? Also, the whole guy relationship in the story (I forget his name…Jake? Jack? Something like that.) was crazy too. I felt so bad for him. Even though she knew how he felt towards her and vice versa, because of this whole famous craze thing suddenly, she completely forgot about him. She didn’t have the decency to 1) let him know that she couldn’t make the show he specifically invited her to, 2) didn’t even bother texting him back or call him back – in fact, she basically hung up on him, and 3) somehow expected at the end (at the Hamptons event) that things will go back to normal? I mean, come on. Anyways, there were just a ton of scenes when you really question her integrity and moral ethics. That’s probably why she fit in so well with Tabitha and the rich upper crust.

The other characters were okay – I really liked Jess actually. She was such a true friend and did not deserve a shit friend like Lisbeth. Plus she was the one who was truly gifted and talented. Like I said, without her designs and dresses, no one would have noticed Lisbeth.

I also hated the ending mainly because why did Jake (Jack?) get back together with Lisbeth?? Couldn’t he see what a shit ass person she is? Maybe he was just thinking with his small head or something. But the thing was that she wasn’t even that good looking either. She only fit well with those vintage dresses because they had no curves back then (the style at that time was very boyish) so what’s so special about her? Literally nothing.

[Spencer reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Préparation before reading this book is:

If you know about anna delvey you’re in good hands and if you don’t go read that article about her. Cause our protagonist is basically anna delvey before anna got caught in 2017. Anna is way smarter than poser named lisbeth.


read and watch Disney cringe “I’m living your dream not mine.”

Watch the derby stallion you will get the same vibes and watch model behavior it’s like two people in one. Because the actress plays two people in that movie and bonus point Justin timberlake 🤮🤢🔫

Read this book on march and now finished it today because of my habit of annotating the book.

For instance, I wanted to understand the psyche of the characters as well as writing their personality types just for my enjoyment.

The main protagonist is lisbeth. She’s the embodiment of main character energy written & created by a Wattpad writer.

Her anxiousness throughout the book made me want to wish she would ahut up as if she doesn’t have anything to say other than comparing herself to the wealthy & powerful. Not having the best times because she’s in New Jersey where nothing exciting happens but they have the Jersey shore and girls who talk and wear like alexa demie.

I guess (he didn’t mention alexa demie but you probably get the gist of girls not wearing dress and being masculine in doing so. Also, having tattos on the body is something lisbeth think is not lady like but she was like yeah it goes with outfit of jess’s orchestrated last minute runway on the high line.

Lisbeth is just as the character of Annette from cruel intentions. The ingenue who wants to be whisked away by a prince and has rose tinted glasses and being feeble minded is part of her personality.

I knew she was idiotic enough to put her nan’s maiden name just so she could not be impersonating a person.

Why didn’t she make a name up? She even mentioned that if they would trace her back it would be closer to her family.

Girl you just got yourself exposed do you know that?

I knew right away when she was putting herself in the spotlight and dahlia was on her last nerve because of her smart remarks which were a bunch of french words and be poised like holly golightly. “The I know what I’m doing even though I have no clue what should I do”

It was cringe. Everything and the texting with Isaak was odd it self because he seemed like a well respected formal business guy and a 14 year old who’s texts were incoherent like lisbeth and Tabitha eden.

Speaking of tabby who was really annoying and I could tell she’s a mix of cecelia from cruel intentions & Serena van der woodsen.

I know she goes through the pressure of being in the spotlight, child molestation from a young age by her uncle and negligence from her own mother and having a fake music career. She needs to thank god that lisbeth didn’t expose her and offered help.

Why there wasn’t a further closure between her & lisbeth and putting an end on her Jeffrey episten wannabe uncle? ( I’m not making fun of her situation and not going to mention his personality other than a pedo. His name is robert Francis and I’m not in mood to repeat that name)

Also, zk and dahlia are just two characters from cruel intentions Sebastian & kathryn. Really stupid, don’t have good jokes & shallow.

I knew there was something with him and creating this act against lis with dahlia (I felt I was watching a teen cringe romcom) that is badly scripted.

However, the writer created great descriptions of the places.

I kept on count of lisbeth ventures. In total are 8.

I think dahlia sent those limousines and I wanted to see her sad reaction that her plan didn’t work.

Also, in the end it was stupid and had it coming for lisbeth. I felt it was so unnecessary when she mentioned jess’s weight problems and bc her family is Italian so… (stereotype & racism)

Courtney changed derastically and their mother who we are unaware wither she will live or not. Because of the kidney transplant and her dramatic ass saying I don’t desrve to live and shit.

I didn’t like it one bit. The way her family reacted nonchalantly about the whole situation was stupid. The whole ordeal was feign and not realistic as if she didn’t get fined or why didn’t the uncle sue or get her behind bars? Is it because it would get him in trouble and he wants to hide and lurk in the shadows when Lisbeth should be the one in doing so?

I mean his the rich and powerful! He can put her in jail so easily as well as tabby can sue her for the damages she caused in her life or something?! In addition tabby’s mom wasn’t buying lisbeth game and when lisbeth heard arguing I believe the mother was calling tabby on how she trust people so easily. How did the world suddenly loved her and everything? The hate doesn’t dwindle down that swiftly.

Two stars for the creativity but the story is really the exact copy that you will find in oh yeah audrey which was released in the exact year.

Lisbeth is 19 and I’m 20. When reading this book it made her seem like a 15 year old. Who is not smart enough to differentiate the good from the bad.

Also, my two stars are for her nan she’s so graceful and funny. I loved when of the women at that old people center complained and said she’s a shark and cheats in bingo 💀

The story had plot holes all the way to its rushed ending we all do need to know what happened to the entire Tabitha, zk & dahlia thing where are they?

Also, lisbeth was comparing herself to her friend jess & bf jake. All of them had dreams and played with rules while she was being carried away in the land of her wrongdoings.

[Ashley Roundy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love anything vintage and love miss Audrey Hepburn. I loved the idea of seeing Audrey's dress from breakfast at Tiffany's and using her grandmas vintage debutant dresses and making a persona in a different world than her own. I myself collect vintage clothing, or vintage inspired so I know what it feels like to look at those clothes with admiration and excitement.

A lot of the dialogue seems forced at times, but I love the grandmother i think there should have been more time spent with her and their relationship. I read this years ago and still own it, I feel like I should give it another read sometime.

[Thea Boyne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thoughts:
-characters fell flat and they weren’t well developed
-plot was confusing and basically non-existent up until the last like 70 pages (I really didn’t expect it to go to such murder/fraud/mafia/cancer -y places) (kinda spoiler I guess?)
-several thoughtless and disrespectful politically incorrect references/comments
-boring at parts
-the only reason I stuck with this book was for the Grandma character, Nan, she was wonderful
-the Audrey Hepburn references were cool (I love Audrey Hepburn)

-overall pretty mediocre

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun to escape & become Audrey. She is my all time favorite icon. I really enjoyed the book. It was good to change my reading to a book like this. I usually read fantasy, mystery books. This was a good different. If you also adore Audrey Hepburn this should be one you should consider reading.
I took my longer to read since I’m in full time college & work too. I don’t like to rush myself. It’s not as good as some books I read but it was a good change of pace. I will admit I didn’t really care for the ending. I was hoping it end much differently.

[Alysia Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the average scoring of this book at the moment 3,5 is accurate. As others also mentioned, more than half of the novel is kind of "uncathy" if this would be a word :P It gets interesting at the end when everything happens very fast and almost everything changes.
Also the main character is annoying at some point as she considers herself almost as nothing but has a lot of people falling for her and she kind of joggling with them...
It's an OK book, maybe if i would have read it in another time of my life i would have liked it more.

[Julia Concepcion · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full of imagination and clever references to "Breakfast at Tiffany's." However, I definitely feel as if Kriegman crammed a lot into this book. It feels a bit bloated at times. Still, he definitely deserves credit for being able to write a believable female perspective. It seems rare for male authors to do so, especially for YA.