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Girlfriend Material

by Melissa Kantor (Goodreads Author)

3.79 of 5 stars 3.79 · rating details · 1,244 ratings · 187 reviews

If Kate were Lady Brett Ashley, the devastating heroine of Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, she'd spend her summers careering around the Riviera in her coupe, breaking hearts by the dozen—because why not? In reality, Kate's never even had a boyfriend, and she'll be spending the summer abetting her mom's lame ploy to make her dad jealous: running off to Cape Cod and crashing...more

Hardcover, 251 pages

Published May 5th 2009 by Hyperion Books

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May 18, 2009 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Girlfriend Material is a quick, cute, summer read! It would be excellent to throw in your bag for a day at the beach.

While initially I was expecting quite a bit a fluff, perhaps a summer fling romance, there were some deeper elements at play in this novel. It’s more about Kate discovering what type of girl she is, not so much “girlfriend.” Deeper element number 1) finding your place when your parents are having problems. Number 2) sibling jealousy, overcoming the closeness you feel one sibling...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Dianna Geers for TeensReadToo.com

Katie had the perfect summer in progress: hanging out at her best friend's house, creative writing classes, and tons of time to perfect her tennis game so she could make varsity the next school year. That is until her mom decides to take Katie along with her for "time away" from her father so they can reevaluate their relationship.

Katie wants to be home living her life and is mad that her mom drags her along to her mother's best friend Tina's house. I...more

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Aug 10, 2009 Nian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009

To this day, my favorite Kantor book is still Confessions of a Not It Girl.

I'm always pleased to pick up a book by Kantor, especially since she has a talent for writing from a teen's perspective. True, Girlfriend Material's protagonist used a bit too many immature "like"s but no real harm done. It sounded exactly like a teenager, just not like Dessen's witty and matured 17 year olds.

I liked Kate. Her personality consisted of a little of everything. And while others would say that this was the pe...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Magdely added it

In the book Girlfriend Material, Kate has never had a boyfriend which always makes her question if she is girlfriend material. It's summer and all Kate wants to do is hangout with her bestfriend, but her mom has different plans for them two.. They're planning on going to Cape Cod to visit the Cooper-Melnicks family. Kate isn't as close to her mom like her sister is, but she knows that the only reason her Mom wants to go to Cape Cod is to ignore the divorce. When Kate arrives to Cape Cod she sees...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Vy rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: summer reads; quick, funny reads

I just finished this book and got on Goodreads to read the reviews because I had a feeling my disappointment with the book was out of the ordinary. Turns out, I was right. I AM insane for not enjoying this book that much- at least, according to all those 4/5-star reviews, I am.
Anyway, it's not that I fully disliked the book: nuh-uh, no way. It actually made me laugh out loud several times because Kate is a raw type of witty teenage girl. Emphasis on "teenage girl". She freaks out about Adam (th...more I just finished this book and got on Goodreads to read the reviews because I had a feeling my disappointment with the book was out of the ordinary. Turns out, I was right. I AM insane for not enjoying this book that much- at least, according to all those 4/5-star reviews, I am.
Anyway, it's not that I fully disliked the book: nuh-uh, no way. It actually made me laugh out loud several times because Kate is a raw type of witty teenage girl. Emphasis on "teenage girl". She freaks out about Adam (the boy who went from less-cute-than-gorgeous-Lawrence to super-cute-no-matter-what-he's-wearing) and it's completely relatable.
But then, there are the issues. I felt like the characters were all under-developed. Like they could have been described with more detail for me to grow to like them. For example, Adam. I can't tell if I like him or not. I mean, in the beginning, it's predictable that he's going to be the one Kate falls for, and he seems so sweet and cute and perfect (what with their bump-in at the library and his quoting of the classics), but then he always wants to make out with Kate, but then wait!- he calls her awesome. But then they hardly ever have deep conversations I would think lovers had first before making out with each other constantly? (I felt like there could have been so much more dialogue throughout the whole book.) But then wait!- he's soooo cute. But then he has a girlfriend? But then wait!- Kate loves him! It's just on-and-off with Adam. And then there's the main character, Kate. Or Katherine. She's great, I like her, but I didn't really love her, I don't think. In almost all the YA books, the main girl character is witty, successfully contributes to clever bantering, and is stubborn but in a good way. But I feel like Kate lacked anything special. She cared a lot about fitting in with the girls, and I understand that, but I would have liked it better if she, instead of acting cool, acted like herself more. So then the group would have grown to like HER as Kate, not the cool-chick she wanted to seem like. But really it all boils down to the under-development of the characters.
But I guess I'm crazy, since everyone loved this book! And I don't not recommend it- it's funny. I just expected more. (less)

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Jun 06, 2011 Krista Basilio rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kate was just an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl that never had a boyfriend and wants to spend her ordinary summer with her best friend. In Girlfriend Material by Melissa Kantor, Kate's mother dragged her away from the perfect summer halfway across the continent to spend it staying with people she hadn't seen since she was six. They were practically strangers to her! Not only has Kate's parents' relationship always been far from perfect, but Kate really starts to worry when her mom starts flirtin...more

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Apr 26, 2011 Remi Immler rated it 5 of 5 stars

Summer? In Utah? Not likely. Her mom, crazy and all, has planned to take her across the country from Salt Lake City to Cape Cod to stay with some family friends. Not only were her summer plans to play tennis and take a writing class were ruined, she also has to stay with a long lost friend, Sarah. Well, supposively a friend. While stuck with Sarah for the whole summer, she starts to bond with her friends, yet Sarah is still obnoxious towards her. Fourth of July comes around, and at the traditio...more

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Apr 16, 2011 Jody Sparks rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked this book. I picked it up mostly because it was published by Disney-Hyperion and I'll be attending an upcoming conference with one of their editors. I always feel better if I've come with at least one of their books read. Possibly I've read more, but nothing comes to mind. Anyway, I started another book from that publishing house, put it down, and picked this one up. Girlfriend Material was a light and breezy read. I liked how Kate, the main character, struggled to understand what it mea...more

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Apr 12, 2011 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who loves chick flicks

Kate Draper's Summer has been ultimately ruined before it's even started. Her mom has planned to drag her across the country from Salt Lake City to Cape Cod to stay with some family friends. Not only are her plans to participate in her local writing circle and play competitive tennis ruined for the Summer, she also has to spend it in an unfamiliar home with a girl she truly does not like, Sarah. Kate eventually gets to know Sarah's friends pretty well, but Sarah still acts bitter towards Kate. D...more

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Apr 10, 2011 Faith Santiago rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ladies, we have all asked ourselves if the boys we crush on are "boyfriend material," but have you ever questioned if you were "girlfriend material"? Melissa Kantor explores this phenomenon found romantic relationships in her novel, Girlfriend Material. Never having a boyfriend, Kate is shipped off to Cape Cod to spend time with her mom who's planned to separate from her father. Confused and alone, Kate finds comfort in a boy from the small town she is forced to stay in. As much as she wishes to...more

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Dec 12, 2010 NovelReaction added it

Kate was just an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl that never had a boyfriend and wants to spend her ordinary summer with her best friend. In Girlfriend Material by Melissa Kantor, Kate’s mother dragged her away from the perfect summer halfway across the continent to spend it staying with people she hadn’t seen since she was six. They were practically strangers to her! Not only has Kate’s parents’ relationship always been far from perfect, but Kate really starts to worry when her mom starts flirtin...more

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Jul 24, 2010 Handd51 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: summer-2010-how-many-can-i-read, ya

I'm pretty surprised to like this book as much as I do - it begins as an ordinary high school romance piece, which it is. But seomhow it gains depth along the way. First, the heroine fancies herself a writer, and she is a reaader, so all this literary references show up all the time to give the story - and the readers - readers a bit more meat. And even tho there is a standard happy romance ending, the plot twists that get us there offer young readers more to think about, and the character inter...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reads

I am a sucker for young adult books that involve new relationship angst. They remind me so much of my teenage self. In the movies it seems as if people just magically waltz into love and relationships like they were meant to always be together. In real life? There is a lot more hand wringing and dissecting the meaning of conversations and questioning ... just a lot of anxiety. At least that is the way it was for me. That's why I loved this sweet book by Melissa Kantor. I could see so much of mys...more I am a sucker for young adult books that involve new relationship angst. They remind me so much of my teenage self. In the movies it seems as if people just magically waltz into love and relationships like they were meant to always be together. In real life? There is a lot more hand wringing and dissecting the meaning of conversations and questioning ... just a lot of anxiety. At least that is the way it was for me. That's why I loved this sweet book by Melissa Kantor. I could see so much of myself in Kate.

Kate, a Utah girl, is on the east coast with her mother who is "taking a break" from her troubled marriage to Kate's father. This always happens, but this time it seems like things might be a bit more permanent. Kate does not want to be there at the house of her mother's college friend, Tina. Tina's daughter, Sarah, doesn't seem to want Kate there. The summer seems to be headed for disaster. But then Kate meets Adam, a funny, witty, book-loving boy who seems to be just who she needs. She likes him, but does he like her? And should she tell him how she feels when this could be just "hanging out" for him? Really, that's all that this book is about. There is a little drama involving the marriage of Kate's parents and her reaction to it. There is a little bit about Kate's slight estrangement from her bff who has found a new boyfriend. But really this is a story about a girl who likes a boy, but isn't sure if he likes her back. Then, when she thinks she knows, it turns out that she isn't sure again.

A book that is simply about boy-girl relationship angst seems like it wouldn't be much, but I enjoyed it a lot. Like I say, I think that many girls in the midst of new relationships at that age could understand what Kate was going through. I loved her little inner thoughts where she fantasized about what perfect conversations she could have with Adam, only to find that real life didn't quite go as smoothly as she wished. I loved her constant questioning about the true meaning of everything that Adam said to her. Was he just being nice? Did he want her to be his girlfriend? Or was she just a meaningless fling for him? A classic scene is when Kate plays Adam in tennis, knowing that she could beat him, but wondering if that would be a good thing or a bad thing. She over-thought almost everything when it came to Adam. But, it turns out, Adam had just as much angst about Kate. It turns out that these relationship beginnings are just as confusing for boys as they are for girls. The ending was sweet. I kind of wanted to know more about how things progressed for everyone in the story all the way through the summer, but even so, I think that the book ended in just the right way.

So, this is a sweet little young adult romance that I recommend. The characters are fun, especially Kate. She's funny, with a good amount of irrational anxiety and over-reaction to life events to keep her easy to relate to. She is how I saw myself at her age, and I loved reading her story. Four stars.(less)

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Oct 22, 2012 Mackenzie Campbell rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is the best book ever , its about a teenage girl named Kate. That summer , her mom takes her on a trip to visit some old family friends they havent seen in about foever. Her first impression of the family & surroundings was not very pleasing. Her mothere's old friend's daughter Sarah doesnt really seem interested in her. She has to teach some angry kid to play tennis & finding a way to feel placed in Sarahs group of friends seems kind of hard. Telling herself she would just kee...more

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Jul 06, 2011 Jord¥n rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: ppl who want a good book to read at the beach

Recommended to Jord¥n by: teacher

ok first of all this is a really good book to bring with u to the beach on a nice hot day. well thats what i did anyway :) the reason why i even chose this book was because my teacher recommeneded it me a yr ago but i never got the chance to read it(was in a vampire mood)and i love the cover so oirginal and simple but caught my attention right away. i took a weekly trip to my library a week ago and saw this sitting on the shelf and i was thinking to myself, i already had 3 books to get from ther...more

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Apr 09, 2010 CAiTLiN rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 18, 2011 Lillie Mansour rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought it was good, but kind of slow at the beginning. The book is about the main character, Kate, who guest Cape Cod because her parent might be getting a divorce. While she's there she meets a boy named Adam who she really likes. After dating for a while, she figures out he has a girlfriend. Kate freaks out after she finds out and went over to tell Adam she loved him, but not knowing, told his twin brother. In the end, everything works out well. My opinions of the characters was that Kate w...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Erin Forson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Girlfriend Material
by Melissa Cantor
Can you really know anyone completely? That's what Kate wonders when her mother and father take a "sabbatical" from one another and Kate's mom decides to take Kate with her for a summer in Cape Cod. Far from being excited about bumming around on the beach all summer, Kate resents being separated from her best friend and her writing class so that her mom can spend time brooding and moaning over how rough her life is being married. When an old flame seems to ma...more

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Jul 04, 2011 Mia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed, favorites, read-in-2011

Originally posted at Girl about Books

First of all, I think the plot synopsis is pretty bit misleading. After reading the synopsis, I couldn't help but think that maybe this Kate is some desperate, fragile and troubled girl.

Kate is NOT like that at all. She’s a sweet, fun and totally relatable girl who just wants to have a happy normal family. I find the story simple yet captivating. Melissa Kantor is one of those authors who makes me feel comfortable in her writing. She writes flawlessly and ca...more

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Sep 07, 2010 Kristy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: advisory-2010-2011, summer2010

Girlfriend Material by Melissa Kantor
Reading one of her books, The Breakup Bible, and enjoying it, I decided to try another one of her books, and this one didn’t disappoint me. This book is about how Kate, the antagonist and her mother takes a break from her dad, since her parents are having issues. This is a romance story on how Kate starts to show her real feelings about everything. She’s tired of hiding it all to herself, she eventually express all her hidden anger on the idea of her parent’...more

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Mar 27, 2010 Court rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 26, 2013 Breanna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Spending a summer in Cape Cod should be fun, relaxing, and relatively uneventful, right? This is what Kate thought, but it turns out she was completely wrong.

Kate is used to spending most summers at home in Salt Lake City. She would normally be found playing tennis with her friend Laura or attending a writing class, but this summer is different. Lately, her mom and dad have been having relationship problems, so her mom decides to take a trip to Cape Cod to visit her best friend Tina. Kate is...more Spending a summer in Cape Cod should be fun, relaxing, and relatively uneventful, right? This is what Kate thought, but it turns out she was completely wrong.

Kate is used to spending most summers at home in Salt Lake City. She would normally be found playing tennis with her friend Laura or attending a writing class, but this summer is different. Lately, her mom and dad have been having relationship problems, so her mom decides to take a trip to Cape Cod to visit her best friend Tina. Kate is okay with this until she finds out that she is going on the trip as well. At first Kate is upset because a) she will have to leave her best friend Laura and b) she isn't exactly super close with her mom, but then she remembers that Tina has a daughter named Sarah. Sarah is slightly older than Kate, but the two of them got along really well when they were kids, so Kate is excited to reconcile with her. Once she arrives in Cape Cod though, Kate is upset to find out that Sarah shows no interest in becoming friends again; she ignores and acts slightly rude to Kate. With such a bad start to her trip, Kate is unsure if things will ever get better, but then she meets Adam. Right away, she likes him, and he likes her back, but as soon as the two develop a breezy summer romance, things start to get complicated. Between surprising secrets, friendship changes and relationship problems, Kate's life gets very perplexing. It all comes down to Kate confronting her feelings in order to make the right choice, but will she?

In general, I found this romantic novel by Melissa Kantor to be very well-written. The author wrote in such a casual way, so I found it easy to keep reading. Her use of plot twists kept me compelled and guessing the whole time, which to me is an indicator of a good book. The only thing that I wasn't too fond of were some of the scenes. A few parts seemed unnecessary for the development of the story, and could be a little lagging as well as boring. Aside from this minor downfall, this novel is great and completely suitable for teens.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel. At first, I wasn't completely sold on it, but as I read more, I began to like it. I give it 4 stars!(less)

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Jul 17, 2011 Ashlyn Rae (TeenageReader) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

Girlfriend Material is so cute! It has everything you would want in a summer novel. It’s now one of my favorite summer reads. If you haven’t read it already, you have to read it as soon as you can! And weho isn’t drawn to the cutest cover ever?
Melissa Kantor writes amazing characters. It’s so easy to like them! (Or maybe in fall in love with them!) Kate is cute, sweet, quirky, and absolutely hilarious. Its not that she’s crazy, but what goes on in her head will have you laughing and thinking, “W...more

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Jun 30, 2009 alexis rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-books

Summary: Kate wishes she was Lady Brett Ashley.

She wishes she would spend her summers on the beach breaking hearts.

But, in real life, Kate hasn't even had a boyfriend.

Her summer will be playing along with her mom's plan to make her dad jealous.

Running to the Cape.

The Cooper-Melnick's, whom they happen to be staying with, have a beautiful daughter, Sarah.

Sarah seems to be a lot like Lady Brett Ashley to Kate.

Kate can tell that Sarah is not to thrilled to have Kate there.

The perfect summer dreams...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Nina Ardianti rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: coming-of-age, light-reading, young-adult

I never read any book of Melissa Kantor before. I don't know why I instantly grabbed this book when I visited Kinokuniya some times ago. Maybe it's because of the famous Confessions of a Not It Girl (which I haven't read. But have one copy back home. It's my sister's anyway).

You can find the synopsis above. I won't rewrite it here.

The story, is actually enjoyable. Katie's mom dragged her to the other side of country in this summer. Leaving her dad at home. Her sister stayed at her dorm in colleg...more

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Apr 24, 2011 Clarabel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Une lecture de plage, par excellence. Cela se lit vite et s'oubliera tout aussi rapidement.
Kate et sa mère bousculent leur été en débarquant sur la côte Est chez des amis (problème de couple pour la mère, sentiment d'injustice pour la fille qui a renoncé à tous ses projets). Au début l'adolescente patauge dans la semoule et déteste Cape Cod et ses habitants (surtout Sarah, la fille de ses hôtes). Et puis elle s'amourache d'Adam, mais découvre que sa mère n'a pas l'intention de réparer les pots c...more

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Oct 28, 2009 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-lit

I'm a fan of Melissa Kantor. Some authors just win you over with style or voice, and Kantor has definitely won me over with hers. She knows where to inject humor, heartbreak, and awkwardness, and she knows how to write about these things in a relatable way. Based on her writing, I sense that she really cares about young adults (junior high, high school), and it's refreshing to read something that feels compassionate at its core. It gives her a legitimacy that other YA authors lack.

Girlfriend Ma...more

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Mar 21, 2011 Brooke T rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is definitely a light read. I was mostly disappointed but expected the book to not have as much detail considering the size of the book. I really liked the main character, Kate. She is hilarious and reminded me of myself. I’ve been in almost every one of the situations that was described and had her same thinking process. I think this is why I related to her so well. She wants to be a confident and independent woman and is having a hard time finding out who she is. When she meets Adam,...more

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Jul 30, 2010 Brooke rated it 3 of 5 stars

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May 02, 2010 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars

I just started this book and it's pretty good. I think this book is interesting because it's comparing to girls together kind of. It compares a girl named Kate and a girl named Sarah. Sarah is one year older than Kate and she act so much cooler. In this book all Kate wants for the summer is to be cool and have a boyfriend and to have everyone like her, but that all changes when her mom makes plans to go visit her old collage roomate at the beach. Kate can still have all she wanted at home at the...more

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“Apparently, he was too busy living his own life to be a character in the imaginary novel that was mine.” — 13 people liked it

“Apparently, he was too bust living his own life to be a character in the imaginary novel that was mine.” — 2 people liked it

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