An adorable, completely original YA voice.
Lotus Lowenstein's life is merde. She dreams of moving to Paris and becoming an exi... read full description
Lotus Lowenstein's life is merde. She dreams of moving to Paris and becoming an exi... read full description
reviews
Feb 20, 2010
Susan
rated it: 
Lotus is the most obnoxious character I was forced to spend time with since Chloe (Chloe Leiberman, Sometimes Wong). It's interesting that both authors have a similar flaw in their work: Chloe was writing an application for design school, and the book was her application, but it continued, in precisely the same style and fashion, after she mailed off the application, as if the author forgot her premise. Similarly, Lotus starts off writing a diary for her sophomore English class (they are readi
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Dec 06, 2009
Alea
rated it: 
The Pillow Book of Lotus Lowenstein was a fabulous, delicious and hilarious book! It's really hard to pick a favorite part of it. The entire book is written as Lotus's diary and her observations about her friends and family. Lotus lives in Brooklyn, is obsessed with all things French, and has a fantastic sense of humor. She's someone I would want to hang out with.
I love how she wanted to immerse herself in French culture and existentialism. She's really into fashion and just getting More...
I love how she wanted to immerse herself in French culture and existentialism. She's really into fashion and just getting More...
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Mar 13, 2010
Lydia
rated it: 
This pillow book is fantastic in its character portrayals and flamboyant in its mediocrity.
Lotus spends the majority of her journal contemplating the meaninglessness of life. She gets into trouble with her only friend and her family couldn't care less. She tries to lose weight by eating only French croissants and cheeses. She finds America petty for not allowing minors to drink alcohol as they are in France. Get the picture? Libby Schmais's first young adult novel is hilarious in its brut More...
Lotus spends the majority of her journal contemplating the meaninglessness of life. She gets into trouble with her only friend and her family couldn't care less. She tries to lose weight by eating only French croissants and cheeses. She finds America petty for not allowing minors to drink alcohol as they are in France. Get the picture? Libby Schmais's first young adult novel is hilarious in its brut More...
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May 13, 2011
Carly
rated it:
Now, any contemporary YA is pretty much a surefire hit with me - I love the genre above all others and it's my go to for fun, light hearted reads and leave me with a smile on my face. The Pillow Book of Lotus Lowenstein isn't going to top your list of favourite books but it'll put you in a good mood and provide you with a couple of hours of entertainment - perfect for the sunny days ahead of us.
Lotus is, for want of a better word, a pretentious teen who adores all things French. She More...
Lotus is, for want of a better word, a pretentious teen who adores all things French. She More...
Jul 13, 2009
Jake
rated it:
Lotus Lowenstein's dream life involves Paris, an adoring existentialist Frenchman, a slightly less full-figured silhouette, and more Paris. Her real life involves Brooklyn, crazy parents, liking the same boy as her best friend, and failing French. To meet her goals, Lotus must get creative. This is the diary of a year in Lotus's life, and a funnier year was never had by anyone. Lotus is such a vibrant character: headstrong, opinionated, sometimes a little bit misguided, you'll find yourself wish
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Feb 23, 2011
kb
rated it:
Sad to say, the book didn't live up to all my eggzitement. Sure, Lotus reads like a younger Bridget Jones or a little older Georgia Nicolson (who is a favorite YA character of mine), which is vair attaching for me but it was the plot that fell short. The author might have thought that it would be too ambitious to take her character Lotus, who is French-obsessed in food, fashion, culture, and mind, further than having the almost-generic weird but lovable family (think Alice MacLeod's), a best fri
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Sep 15, 2010
Lisa *The Future Mrs. McConnell*
rated it:
It was pretty much set in stone that I would enjoy this book, seeing as how I'm a lover of (almost) all things French. I'm happy to say it did not dissapoint. Any Francophile will love this book for all the little French factoids alone. I love that it was written in diary format and that all the days of the week were written in French. I also love that the word "merde" was used several times. LOL, or as the French would say MDR. ;) I enjoyed the story, but thought it fell a little flat
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Dec 03, 2009
Steph Su
rated it:
Chatty, cute, and touching, Libby Schmais’ YA debut, THE PILLOW BOOK OF LOTUS LOWENSTEIN, will satisfy fans of Helen Fielding’s BRIDGET JONES’ DIARY and Louise Rennison’s Georgia Nicholson series.
Lotus is a relatable protagonist whose obsession with French culture brings a flair of uniqueness to novels-in-diary-format. Lotus may be occasionally shallow, dumb, and obsessed, which will turn her off to readers who don’t enjoy those kinds of characters, but she is loyal to her friends an More...
Lotus is a relatable protagonist whose obsession with French culture brings a flair of uniqueness to novels-in-diary-format. Lotus may be occasionally shallow, dumb, and obsessed, which will turn her off to readers who don’t enjoy those kinds of characters, but she is loyal to her friends an More...
Dec 30, 2009
Sarah-Greenbeanteenqueen
rated it:
I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this book, because I have a pet peeve with books that contain a lot of forgein language that I can't translate. But I had lots of fun reading this one. And author Libby Schmais does a great job mixing in French and I never felt like it was distracting and I still understood it!
Lotus is a fun character and there were several times I was laughing over her thoughts and sayings. She's very quirky, funny, and has an awesome fashion sense, which I 'd love to More...
Lotus is a fun character and there were several times I was laughing over her thoughts and sayings. She's very quirky, funny, and has an awesome fashion sense, which I 'd love to More...
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Feb 07, 2010
Linda
rated it:
Funny throughout, with an original voice. Lotus is determined to live a stylish French life, despite being trapped in her Park Slope neighborhood. French club, a boy, a friend who likes the same boy, a dad working in theater, obsessions with Simone and Sartre, New York, a trip to Montreal. What's not to like? A good fit for fans of Louise Rennison's Georgia Nicolson series.
Apr 30, 2010
Jennifer
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Reviewed by Angela S. for TeensReadToo.com
Lotus Lowenstein is enamored with all things French. She has been begging her parents to let her go to Paris during the summer, but her parents tell her they can't afford it. So, what's a girl to do? Start a French club, of course!
Lotus decides to start a club at school to discuss all things French. At first, its only members are Lotus and her BFF, Joni. But then the cute new boy in school, Sean, decides to join, because he loves More...
Lotus Lowenstein is enamored with all things French. She has been begging her parents to let her go to Paris during the summer, but her parents tell her they can't afford it. So, what's a girl to do? Start a French club, of course!
Lotus decides to start a club at school to discuss all things French. At first, its only members are Lotus and her BFF, Joni. But then the cute new boy in school, Sean, decides to join, because he loves More...
Dec 27, 2011
Wendy
rated it: 
It was so hard to make myself finish this; I'm not sure why I persisted. Good premise, weird execution. Lotus is really immature and read more twelve than sixteen (writing emails to her favorite author and expecting immediate responses?); I wouldn't have a problem with that, because I've known some very young high schoolers and they need books too, but it made the parts where things get sexual kind of uncomfortable. So many improbabilities with the plot. Vague inappropriateness with her teacher
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Apr 13, 2010
Liza
rated it:
I know the main character was interested in France, but there are only so many cliche French phrases a person can read, over and over and over again, without wanting to carve out her brain with a stale baguette. I also felt that the characters were shallow and lacking any definition. I stopped after 50+ pages.
Dec 28, 2009
Danie
rated it:
Eh, this was okay about a girl obsessed with french culture, crushing on the same guy as her friend, trying to make over her teacher and then convincing said teacher to take her and her so called french club (herself and the boy and her friend). The girls become friends again in the end. Big surprise.
Apr 19, 2010
I found the first few pages tedious so I did not keep going. However, I am in a very picky reading mood right now so it might have been the right book for me at this moment so I do not feel comfortable rating it.
Mar 02, 2011
Farren
rated it: 
this book ir great. it makes you guess through out the book. this book is very supportive of teens. it describes waht teens go through everywhere no matter where they are.tramindious.
Feb 17, 2010
Sharon
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Another one of my daughter's selections that I read. Kind of like Breaking Away except the heroine is in love with all things French and is a fashionista instead of a cyclist.
Jan 19, 2010
Leslie
rated it:
Très cute! I fell in love the quirky character Lotus. I wasn't sure about the book, since I'm not particularly a fan of French culture, but it sucked me in. And the French throughout the book wasn't intimidating at all, rather I had already picked up on a few phrases by the time I was done. I found the plot to be predictable; it was really the characters that made the story. The ending left me satisfied, albeit hungrier than when I began. An enchanting, fluffy read.
(I received this book th More...
(I received this book th More...
Oct 13, 2011
Karina
rated it:
Cute fluff about a naive francophile who comes to term with the fact that she doesn't need some dude to be happy, she just needs her best friend and her favorite book, French Women Don't Get Fat.
Mar 21, 2010
Anna
rated it:
Frivilous fun that grew somewhat tiresome. Read Sue Limb's "Girl, 15, Charming but Insane" series instead.
Dec 15, 2011
Shelbyt
rated it:
The Pilloew book of Lotus Lowenstwein is a interesting book and you can learn a lot from it. There are a lot of things for teens girls to be able to relate to.
Jan 11, 2010
Allison
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What a great read- perfectly charming and breezy! The main character is over-the-top yet very relatable- she'd be fun to hang out with.
May 25, 2011
Kara
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I loved Lotus' voice. She was amusing and her ideas and dreams of grandeur reminded me of myself. I always wanted to be different and interesting. She is a hipster without some of the irritation that comes along with the hipsters.
It was a fantastic light read. Funny and satisfying.
It was a fantastic light read. Funny and satisfying.
Nov 09, 2010
Hannah
rated it:
this book was pretty good but it didnt seem to have much point or meaning to it. I just wish there had been a little more to it than a girl with boy problems who wants to go to montreal. It was missing something and wasnt really worth reading
May 02, 2010
Lindsaygail
rated it:
Eh. I lost interest. It's definitely cute, but maybe I'm just not in the right mood for cute.
Feb 03, 2012
