The Lipstick Laws

Dec 27, 2010 Nic rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: younger teens

Shelves: arc, young-adult

The first thing that grab me about this book was the striking cover that makes it hard to resist. Normally, I would say no to the whole mean girl subject, as I am not a big fan. But I thought I give it a try and well I was right, it still isn't my thing.

The Lipstick Law is a fun and quick read that made me laugh out loud several times but as an older reader reading young adult, I found this too young for me. I couldn't relate to the characters and the choices they made. Not that I didn't like Ap...more

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Nov 27, 2010 Brooke rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, netgalley-slash-egalley, favourites, fun-fun-fun, realistic-fiction

I loved this book!

Filled with witty, laugh-out-loud moments, The Lipstick Laws had my attention from the first page. Each character was unique, some lovable and others loathe-able. I loved April, her Lipstick Lawbreakers and of course, McGerk. From a disastrous beginning to a happy ending, I loved experiencing April's journey and watching her grow (and get some well earned revenge).

I won't say much as I don't want to spoil this for anyone else, but there was not a dull moment in the book in my...more

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May 28, 2011 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: houghton

Originally posted at Read Me Bookmark Me Love Me

The Lipstick Laws begins with April's first day of school as a sophomore. She is lonely and considered a nobody, her only friend having recently moved away. After being partnered with Britney Taylor in gym class, a series of (un)fortunate events land April at the cool girls' lunch table. She knows that she shouldn't be friends with them but she's the stereotypical teenage girl, unable to resist the lure of popularity and eager to do anything in ord...more Originally posted at Read Me Bookmark Me Love Me

The Lipstick Laws begins with April's first day of school as a sophomore. She is lonely and considered a nobody, her only friend having recently moved away. After being partnered with Britney Taylor in gym class, a series of (un)fortunate events land April at the cool girls' lunch table. She knows that she shouldn't be friends with them but she's the stereotypical teenage girl, unable to resist the lure of popularity and eager to do anything in order to have friends. April later finds that being popular isn't all that it's cracked up to be. When she is initiated into the group, she signs her freedom away to the lipstick laws. Breaking any one of the seven means that you're out of the group and your life is ruined. Aren't I glad I'm not her?

April's an interesting character. While good at heart, she's somewhat shallow and constantly worries about her looks, stuffing her bra, wearing makeup and refusing to be friends with a guy because he's geeky and unattractive. Surprisingly, I didn't find this to be annoying at all. I actually found April to be quite adorable and she made me laugh throughout the novel. Amy Holder portrays this innocently lost but sassy tone perfectly, completely convincing me that April is a teenager. On the first day, April runs into the new resident hottie, Matthew Brentwood aka Mr Hottie-Body Brentwood. When he walks past her desk in homeroom, she describes him as being "BEEEE-YOOOOU-TI-FUL". Honestly. I'd like some of his "delicious hot-guy aroma" to waft past me too! April also believes that "the person who created the torture device called gym class should be clobbered with an enormous frozen cucumber". I think we're sharing a brain here. April is always amusing and a joy to read about.

The novel follows the events in April's life as she tries to fit in, gets spit back out and begins to grow up. I won't spoil the book by telling you what happens but I'll tell you that The Lipstick Laws is fun, cheeky and guaranteed to put a smile on your face. I think that it's a great story with developed characters and is an artful storytelling of the many ups and downs in life. I wholly felt her emotions and always understood what she was thinking, though I didn't necessarily agree with all of her choices. I might have even shed a tear at one point! The Lipstick Laws ends on a wonderfully positive note as April comes to some powerful realisations and becomes a really great person. The morals of this novel are refreshing, the journey heartwarming and fun. I recommend this book to anyone who will listen! It's very engaging and, if you're like me, you'll love it and read it all in one sitting.(less)

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Dec 12, 2010 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This contemporary YA book was a nice read. It has the typical formula of high school girls, drama, and boys, but not annoying in the least. I wasn’t quite sure if it would be hokey or good based on the cover, but I can honestly recommend this as a clean read, may even be middle grade worthy.

We learn about shy, unnoticed April Bowers whose best friend has moved to another city. The first day of school is a scary ordeal to face with no friends to speak of until she is paired in gym with one of the...more This contemporary YA book was a nice read. It has the typical formula of high school girls, drama, and boys, but not annoying in the least. I wasn’t quite sure if it would be hokey or good based on the cover, but I can honestly recommend this as a clean read, may even be middle grade worthy.

We learn about shy, unnoticed April Bowers whose best friend has moved to another city. The first day of school is a scary ordeal to face with no friends to speak of until she is paired in gym with one of the most popular girls in school. Britney seems to have it all, looks, money, and a gaggle of girls to follow her. She takes an interest in grooming April to be her next goose in the flock.

Being popular and looked up to by others is every high school girl’s perfect scenario. I don’t care who you are, deep down, we all want to be considered attractive, liked, and wanted. April is no different and seizes her opportunity to rise in social ranks by Britney association. Little does she know Britney is also one of the meanest girls and rules her fans, I mean friends, with an iron fist. In order to be friends with Britney, you have to be deemed suitable and moldable to Britney’s will. A perfect “puppet” as one of the geese was overheard to have said. If you fit that bill, then you are asked to swear to The Lipstick Laws. I won’t go into all of them, but basically Britney owns you and everything you do is at her approval and for her benefit.

Needless to say, April ends up not being able to be the perfect puppet and is soon kicked out of the circle. Her problem now is anyone Britney doesn’t like will be made an example of at school. Britney is notorious for scaring girls into transferring schools, which becomes her goal toward April. Thankfully, the author gave April a spine and she does not go down without a fight. She forms The Lipstick Lawbreakers with other girls that have felt the wrath of Britney and lived to tell about it. Their purpose: Get back at Brittney, Lawbreaker style.

One tactic after another ensues, Britney and April firing shots at each other to get the upper hand. Among them: a black eye, a tampon episode, stealing another’s “man”, and an unfortunate stuffed bra incident. I will say, with the drama of high school, some of these things could happen, but this being fiction, all things are exaggerated for a full year’s worth of drama. Through this experience, April begins to take on Britney-esque qualities herself in the pursuit of revenge. But, with a wonderful new support team around her, she doesn’t completely give into the Dark Side.

The love interests in this book are not the main focus, but a side bar to the feuding. The guys include Hottie Body Brentwood, Stalker McGerk, and an unexpected cross dresser? I won’t tell you who ends up with whom, but April and Britney both have things revealed about them at the spring dance that changes the rules of the game for all.

This book was a cute read and Holder did a nice job of capturing the essence of high school girl drama. I would have hated to have someone like Britney not like me, so I’m grateful and hopeful that the Britney’s of this world stay fictional or cause less damage. I do hope the April Bowers of the real world make the same decisions in the end and learn there is more to life than high school’s petty issues. It’s just a drop in the bucket compared to the rest of your life.(less)

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Apr 08, 2011 Sara McClung added it

Shelves: arc, loved, read-in-2011, read-in-one-sitting, ya, netgalley

I made the mistake of starting The Lipstick Laws at 11pm. And I'm TIRED today because I read until I was finished with it. I LOVED this book.

I was cracking up from page one. No, paragraph one. No, sentence one. Amy Holder's funny meter for girls reminded me a lot of Don Calame's funny meter for boys (in his book Swim the Fly) in that I laughed almost once (or more) a page--and many of those times out loud.

There are many great things about this book, but my absolute favorite is the main character...more

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Dec 11, 2010 Skye rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review is also up on my blog, at http://inthegoodbooks.blogspot.com

April's beginning her sophomore year completely friendless after her best - and only - friend moved away. So when the most popular girl in school, Britney Taylor, befriends her, who cares how horrible she is? She's April's ticket to popularity.

But when Britney reveals the Lipstick Laws - laws that her friends must obey in order to stay her friends - April starts to wonder if it's all worth it.

April's a character any girl can...more

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Nov 14, 2010 Tina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, netgalley, 2010, arc, contemporary, ya

Original post at One More Page

The Lipstick Laws is one of those books that is good to read when you have been too immersed in out-of-this-world books, particularly ones full of magic or suspense or people chasing other people to kill them. This is the kind of book that you'd want to read to get back to reality, to remind you that real life could also be as exciting (and sometimes, as terrifying) as fantasy ones.

I picked up The Lipstick Laws as a palate cleanser after reading books about witches...more Original post at One More Page

The Lipstick Laws is one of those books that is good to read when you have been too immersed in out-of-this-world books, particularly ones full of magic or suspense or people chasing other people to kill them. This is the kind of book that you'd want to read to get back to reality, to remind you that real life could also be as exciting (and sometimes, as terrifying) as fantasy ones.

I picked up The Lipstick Laws as a palate cleanser after reading books about witches and warlocks and zombies. Even if I have been reading a few contemporaries in between the fantasy ones, I felt like my brain needed something easier, something with less mystery and emotional baggage than the ones I have read recently.

April is practically invisible in school, until she gets paired with popular Britney Taylor, who accepts her into her circle of friends. Even if Britney was a horrific friend, April could not resist the lure of popularity, especially if it would make her new crush, Matt Brentwood, notice her. Before she knows it, she takes The Lipstick Oath, and it sends her life spiraling out of control because of the silly rules and the price of Britney Taylor's friendship.

I have never watched Mean Girls movie in full, but this book reminds me of that. Britney was absolutely horrible and shallow and it's easy to dislike her for her stuck up attitude, at least until the author reveals why Britney changed and what she had to live with. This gives Britney more dimension as a villain in April's life, even if it doesn't excuse her attitude. April, on the other hand, can get a bit frustrating at times because it took her so long to realize what she was in danger of turning into something she was trying to destroy. While her epiphany on how she was acting didn't make heavenly light shine upon her but instead felt more like a light bulb moment, it felt like a natural realization for someone April's age to think as she assess her situation. I like how the author gave the heroine and the villain unique voices and yet still manage to juxtapose their lives for us readers to see how similar they can be.

Reading The Lipstick Laws makes me very thankful that my high school life wasn't like that. My high school life was relatively boring, really, save for some contests won and Student Council projects and trips. Then again, I wasn't a part of the popular clique -- I wasn't even sure if there was a popular clique in my school. This lack of similar high school experience prevents me from empathizing with the characters in this novel, but it certainly did not make me enjoy this book less. :)

The Lipstick Laws will be out on April 2011 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Much thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reading copy ebook!(less)

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Jul 26, 2011 Allison rated it 1 of 5 stars

This tried to be Mean Girls for tweens and it failed miserably. I thought maybe I read this at the wrong time with the sweltering heat and the power outage caused by electrical fires in front of some fucking idiots’ houses who think they’re so cool for renting to a billion people and buying even more air conditioners to keep their empty heads a frigid 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Seriously I like the smell of burning wires and kerosene better than this book.

April Bowers has been in the same high schoo...more This tried to be Mean Girls for tweens and it failed miserably. I thought maybe I read this at the wrong time with the sweltering heat and the power outage caused by electrical fires in front of some fucking idiots’ houses who think they’re so cool for renting to a billion people and buying even more air conditioners to keep their empty heads a frigid 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Seriously I like the smell of burning wires and kerosene better than this book.

April Bowers has been in the same high school for two years but she had no friends except for Haley, who moved before sophomore year to Kansas. Probably to get away from April. With Haley gone, April had no one. I don’t believe that one bit. Even in a small school, there is always someone to be friends with. I go to a big school and every period, I had at least two people to talk and laugh with. And I’m not even the friendliest person around! April had Delvin McGerk but she wrote him off as this dork with a long nickname I never cared to remember. He had a genuine interest in being friends with her but I guess their mothers’ friendship made her think that Delvin was hanging on her because his mother told him to.

She doesn’t stay friendless for long when she becomes gym partners with Britney Taylor, the cliché popular mean girl. Britney quickly invites her to her inner circle. Those girls put the me in mean. Like everyone else in this book, they were underdeveloped. Jessica is the nice one, Brianna is the desperate-to-be-accepted one, and Erin is Britney’s second cousin. Can’t forget the incompetent Britney! She isn’t quite TSTL because that’s April’s role but I suspect Britney was made stupid on purpose to make April look smarter in comparison. Only April would hang around a girl who calls her jumbo-me and tolerate her Rank-a-Skank game. And then Britney dumps April for ruining her designer shoes from Paris. Boo hoo! It took a month for that. I would have dumped April before the first week was up.

Which brings me to April, the worst protagonist I’ve read this year. She took way too much crap from Britney. Her bra-stuffing addiction would have been a fun quirk if she had used chicken cutlet inserts instead of Kleenex tissues. Think about the trees! Both for the tissues and the paper used to print this crap. After she got her ass dumped by Britney and her poodle minions, she still cared about what Britney thought of her. Grow a backbone!

For most of the book, April fawned for Matthew Brentwood, who she nicknamed Mr. Hottie-Body Brentwood. Why she liked him besides his hot body, I wouldn’t know. Except near the end when he disagreed with April’s actions toward Britney, saving him from being completely one-dimensional. She did say that they flirted but it was all behind the scenes. Cut the crap and just go for it, you stinky gym sock! Calling Britney a bimbo, tramp, and melon boobs for having a nice body and making a move on Matthew when April was too chicken to was low. It’s like April is saying that all girls with big breasts are bimbos and tramps. Britney knows what she wants which was getting back at April for ruining her fugly shoes. April can learn a thing or two for her. Too bad she can’t hear this wonderful advice I’m giving her.

Don’t get me started on the Mean Girls comparisons. I think the word fugly was used a good fifty times. The Lipstick Laws was a wannabe Burn Book. I’ll stop before I get out of hand more than I already have.

The ending was perfect because it was just as dumb as everything else. (view spoiler)

This would have suited my taste in books when I was in middle school. No, I'm kidding. I may have been a few years younger but I knew a shallow, crappy book when it ended up on my request shelf. If I didn't request for every new YA title I could find, I probably wouldn't have ended up with this. Oh well.(less)

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Jan 31, 2011 Megan Bostic rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was immediately drawn in by the voice of this YA novel. It's unique and fresh and grabs your attention. April Bowers is like most teens, she hates her flaws (her flat chest), is desperate for friendship, and has a crush on one of the hottest guys in school. In order to get what she wants, she makes a deal with the devil in the form of Britney Taylor, the hottest, most popular girl in school. She signs her life away by pledging to follow the Lipstick Laws.

Following these superficial laws aren't...more

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Nov 28, 2010 Lauren rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalleybooks

It's no secret that I absolutely adore the movie Mean Girls, so when I found out that Amy Holder's The Lipstick Laws was similar to it, I was even more excited about it.

As it turns out, I had every right to be that way, because The Lipstick Laws is pure gold. It's the book for every girl or boy out there who wanted to fight back when the "popular" girls tore them done but didn't know how to.

The Lipstick Laws tells the tale of April Bowers, a girl who's so not looking forward to her sophomore ye...more It's no secret that I absolutely adore the movie Mean Girls, so when I found out that Amy Holder's The Lipstick Laws was similar to it, I was even more excited about it.

As it turns out, I had every right to be that way, because The Lipstick Laws is pure gold. It's the book for every girl or boy out there who wanted to fight back when the "popular" girls tore them done but didn't know how to.

The Lipstick Laws tells the tale of April Bowers, a girl who's so not looking forward to her sophomore year of high school. For one, her best and only friend just moved away. Secondly, her parents just took away her cell phone, and she's obsessing over the fact that she has absolutely no boobs. Though, everything changes the day she gets pared up with Brittany Taylor, queen bee of Penford High School, in gym class. Brittany, who is always looking for a charity case to support, swoops April up into her evil grip, promising popularity, friends, and boys galore. Though, is Brittany as perfect or as nice as she appears to be? Plus, what will happen when she finds out about April's biggest secrets? Will she be there or manage to throw April to the dogs? And if the later occurs, will April fight back? Only time will tell in this highly addicting book of high school hierarchy.

April Bowers was naive but funny, loyal, and as it turns out, the perfect choice to lead this story. April was someone who while I liked and related to in many ways, I still wanted to shake on the shoulders sometimes for her silly decisions at times. Though, I have to admit, I could understand why she made the choices she did, and since she learned from most of them, I'll let her slide on it. One of the things I loved most about her was that when Brittany threw her to the dogs so to say, April didn't sit back and cower about it, instead she fought back ten times harder. I also loved the addition of the side characters such as Haley and the other Lipstick Lawbreakers as well. All were just as funny and loyal as April.

Another high point of this book was the premise and the execution was even better, thankfully! I loved the idea of The Lipstick Laws, especially every little plot line that came with it because they always managed to keep me on my feet, curious to see what would occur next. I loved Brittany's little group because while they were evil and self absorbed to the max, they still managed to be a blast to read about.

In all, Amy Holder has a fantastic debut within The Lipstick Laws, one that makes me excited to see what she has next for us, especially if it's a sequel to The Lipstick Laws.

Grade: A(less)

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Nov 04, 2010 Catherine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: about-a-girl

The Lipstick Laws is a story that almost any girl has lived. Being alone & not really fitting in, then finding a niche only to be kicked out for some stupid reason down the line & suffering the wrath of "The Queen Bee". Who wouldn't want to get revenge? But would you actually take it? Or would choose the higher road?

At first I wanted to slap Britney AND our heroine, April. But as the story progressed I realized that I would completely feel comfortable handing this book down to my prete...more

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Oct 19, 2012 Meghanleng9 rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Lipstick Laws is a young adult novel written in by Amy Holder, taking place in present time. I would recommend this book for teenage girls, because they could relate best to it. The protagonist is April Bowers, a girl who struggles to fit in, and the antagonist is Britney Taylor who makes April’s life miserable. After April’s best friend Haley moved away she was left without a single friend. In Aprils struggles to fit in, she fell into the group of Lipstick Law lords, popular but mean girls....more

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May 17, 2012 Manda rated it 2 of 5 stars

The second I started reading this book I felt like it was really familiar. It didn’t take me long to realize that it was very much like Mean Girls. I adored that movie, so I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about this book.

The Lipstick Laws really wasn’t for me. It wasn’t a bad book, but I just felt like it was very bland and not very deep. The character April seemed extremely vain to me the whole time and not much better than the main mean girl. I don’t feel like there every was a time when she realize...more

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Aug 26, 2011 Jodi Papazian rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-reads

Ugh, this was a rather big disappointment. I thought this was going to be a really funny, indulgent read. At first it had seemed like it was going to be a bit like "Mean Girls" with a twist -with the outcasted girl wreaking havoc on the mean, popular clique. I guess in a way it was, but it just wasn't all that entertaining.
Sophomore April finds herself going from complete unknown to swept up into the popular clique at the start of the school year. After being forced to sit through makeovers a...more Ugh, this was a rather big disappointment. I thought this was going to be a really funny, indulgent read. At first it had seemed like it was going to be a bit like "Mean Girls" with a twist -with the outcasted girl wreaking havoc on the mean, popular clique. I guess in a way it was, but it just wasn't all that entertaining.
Sophomore April finds herself going from complete unknown to swept up into the popular clique at the start of the school year. After being forced to sit through makeovers and other mindless tests, she is sworn in to the club via a set of Lipstick Laws. The Lipstick Laws dictate the many silly rules of things that these girls can and cannot do. I mean, seriously, I felt like I was reading a first-version script of Mean Girls at this point. April, however, doesn't find herself in good with the girls for long and soon she is kicked out. After her former friends publicly humiliate her, April decides to find other girls who have been banished and form some sort of revenge club.
Petty activities take place with each group scheming against one another. The whole thing seemed overly childish and even though I was supposed to be rooting for her, April herself wasn't a very likable character.
I found the plot to be boring and the overall story to not be very well-written. Some of the analogies had me literally rolling my eyes. I believe, at one point, April referred to her arch-nemesis Britney as "rich a double fudge." The language just was not realistic to how teens talk today. It made me feel like this was being written by someone who was old and out of touch with young adults.
Lastly, way too much of the plot revolved around April stuffing her bra. Yes, it is true that it did have something to do with the ending of the story, however, the constant references made the ending way too predictable.
I think that The Lipstick Laws will find it's niche with younger teens. The cover is certainly appealing enough and the back has an intriguing enough blurb to grab their interest.(less)

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Jun 26, 2011 Avery rated it 3 of 5 stars

Simply put I think that this is a fun and lighthearted read- nothing more, nothing less. I think that why I can't gush about this book as much as others have (seriously, a few months back when this book first was released on NetGalley there was a gazillion and one positive reviews about it) because I just can't relate to the young characters and their high school experience (I don't know about y'all, but my high school experience was nothing like the one in this book and that isn't because I was...more

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May 23, 2011 Emily May rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, 2011, arc, ya-na, annoying

If you don't take this book too seriously, it's a fun and enjoyable read filled with laugh-out-loud moments. It's not particularly life-changing and the angst is only small-scale (thank god) but this is what made it so refreshing. It's the age-old story of surviving high school and all the cliques, bitchiness, gossiping and heartbreak that goes with it. Put simply, this is a novel about boyfriends, girlfriends, and make-up. Naturally, it's full of jealousies and insecurities as well but the tone...more

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Apr 15, 2011 Aimee (Coffee Table Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

I couldn't help but envision this with the actors from Mean Girls. It felt so much like the movie, that I couldn't help but imagine Regina George as Britney. Overall, I really liked this. It did, however, make me ecstatic that I'm not in high school anymore.

What really grabbed my attention with this was the Lipstick Lawbreakers. I really liked this. One, it gave April a way to salvage part of her pride. Two, she made some good friends. While they were out for revenge, they actually were able to...more

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Apr 15, 2011 Heather from NightlyReading rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a really cute read that reminded me alot of the movie Mean Girls.

April is dreading the first day of school. Her best and only friend moved to Kansas leaving her all alone.

Brit is the most popular girl in school. She is beautiful, everyone wants to be her firend and all the guys adore her.

When April and Brit get teamed up together as gym partners, Brit takes April under her wing and starts inviting her to sit with the group at lunch. At first, April is super excited, but when she is told...more

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Mar 28, 2011 Amy Jacobs rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

The Lipstick Laws reminded me of the movies Mean Girls and Heathers all rolled into one. It had the popular clique that everyone wants to be apart of that you can only join with invitation. When Britney gets the chance to join the popular Lipstick Girls, she is wary but excited. She has been warned by her best friend, who moved away, to stay away from them. Yet, Britney can't refuse joining the exclusive group and becoming something more than a nobody in school.

The Lipstick Laws is a quick and...more

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Mar 20, 2011 cecilia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: red-covers

The Lipstick Laws follows along the same lines as Mean Girls and starts on a promising note with a sarcastic, instantly lovable narrator by the name of April Bowers. I especially loved the recipe for Deliciously Dramatic Teenage Stew that Amy Holder dreamed up - it definitely gives new meaning to food for thought :)

The Lipstick Laws puts its own unique spin on the whole high school clique theme and definitely has a lot of fun with paybacks. Brittany definitely tops the cake as far as ultimate Me...more

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Mar 17, 2011 Kelly Hager rated it 3 of 5 stars

April Bowers accidentally finds herself a member of the popular group after telling a small lie. Well, a sort of small lie. She and Regina George Britney Taylor are partnered in gym class and when Britney doesn't know who she is, she says that she just moved there. Which is sort of true, if by "just moved," you mean "moved a year ago."

So anyway, now April's popular and soon, she's invited to take the Lipstick Oath and agree to abide by all their rules. And she does. But soon, she finds herself s...more

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Mar 10, 2011 Dana added it

Book: The Lipstick Laws
Author: Amy Holder
Pages: 243
Series: none

Who: April Bowers, Darci Madison, Delvin “Mc Gerk” Britney Taylor, Jessica, Erin, Brianna & Some surprising girls.
What: Being crule to others at first and then deciding to change and get revenge.
Where: High School
When: Fall-Spring school year (sophmore year)
Why: Britney Taylor thinks that she is one of the most amazing girls in school when reality she isn’t. April Bowers isn’t like that; she is the complete opposite and uses her...more

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Mar 09, 2011 Julia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Reviewed by Mishel at RexRobotReviews.com

April Bowers is pretty much invisible at Penford High School. It’s the beginning of her sophomore year and her best (and only) friend has moved away. She’s a compulsive bra-stuffer, currently cell-phone-less, and dreading the first day of school. But she soon finds herself sucked into the crazy world that is high school popularity when the Queen Bee, Britney Taylor, takes April under her wing. Britney gets absolutely any and everything she wants. She intr...more Reviewed by Mishel at RexRobotReviews.com

April Bowers is pretty much invisible at Penford High School. It’s the beginning of her sophomore year and her best (and only) friend has moved away. She’s a compulsive bra-stuffer, currently cell-phone-less, and dreading the first day of school. But she soon finds herself sucked into the crazy world that is high school popularity when the Queen Bee, Britney Taylor, takes April under her wing. Britney gets absolutely any and everything she wants. She introduces April to the exclusive Lipstick Laws, which are a number of guidelines and rules to live by. But when April breaks one of the laws she’s quickly kicked to the curb and shunned by Britney, her clique, and most of the school. But April isn’t one to cower in the corner and cry about things. She is determined to get revenge, especially when Britney goes after April’s crush. No one messes with one’s crushes or exes…it’s in the Lipstick Laws!

The Lipstick Laws definitely has a “Mean Girls” feel to it. I admit I both liked and disliked April. I loved watching her finally stand up for herself in the end. But there were times she was too hypocritical and petty for my tastes. Of course, that’s part of the moral of the story but I kind wanted to shake the girl. I had no problem hating Britney; she’s the villain! But she’s a perfect example of how a screwed up family life can shape a person and their personality. There were times when I felt a bit bad for her but she’s true “mean girl” material.

There were many delightfully funny parts throughout the story. I enjoyed the camaraderie of the Lipstick Lawbreakers. I felt that April’s new friends could have been developed a little more or could have had a little more “air time” in the story though. I was actually rooting for the guy that had the crush on April. But I was pretty satisfied in the end with April’s choices.

On a funny personal note: I’m actually good friends with a girl named Brittany Taylor. I found it pretty hilarious that the villain in the story has the same name because my Brittany is one of the sweetest and funniest girls I’ve ever known. I can’t wait to tell her about her literary doppelganger! She enjoys reading and I think she’ll get a kick out of The Lipstick Laws.

I think a lot of readers, young and old, will find The Lipstick Laws appealing in some way. The book mimics what high school students all over the world have to go through in some form or the other. All readers may not be able to relate to the characters but I think the morals of the story and the overall effect will hit home with many. I think anyone who is looking for a fun, cute, and “mean girls” type read should give The Lipstick Laws a shot.

P.S. (cover talk)

The cover is actually what made me want to read the book. I love the chick-lit feel and it of course it goes very well with the story. (less)

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Feb 24, 2011 Karla Nellenbach rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Book: THE LIPSTICK LAWS

The Author: Amy Holder

The Publisher: Graphia Books (an Imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Release Date: April 4, 2011

Summary:

April Bowers ranks so low on the social scale that the needle doesn't even move when she jumps on it. New to Penford High last year, her only friend moves out of state just before the school year starts, leaving April without a single friend...really without anyone who even knows she exists.

When a stroke of luck--April isn't sure whether that l...more

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Apr 12, 2011 Lindsay Paige added it · review of another edition

Shelves: dac2011, reviewed

Where do I start? First impressions aren't everything, because if they were, I wouldn't have finished this book. Within the first few pages, I wanted to put it down because I thought it was a remake of Mean Girls and I don't care to read that. But something about the tone and April's character kept me going. Plus, I didn't want to judge the entire book on a few pages.

Next, I was a little baffled that April was a bra stuffer. Why? Because I don't think too many girls do that nowadays. (But, that...more Where do I start? First impressions aren't everything, because if they were, I wouldn't have finished this book. Within the first few pages, I wanted to put it down because I thought it was a remake of Mean Girls and I don't care to read that. But something about the tone and April's character kept me going. Plus, I didn't want to judge the entire book on a few pages.

Next, I was a little baffled that April was a bra stuffer. Why? Because I don't think too many girls do that nowadays. (But, that totally means nothing when I go to a school and am surrounded by double D girls) I could definitely relate to her with that anyway because every girl has insecurities over their body. However, I couldn't relate to her with the popularity or the want to be popular. I've never really care much about the ladder of popularity nor do I usually pay that much attention to it. I have my friends and I'm satisfied.

April doesn't have friends since her best friend moved to Kanas and one day she is thrust into popularity with Brit-Brat aka Britney Taylor. While I couldn't relate to her with the popular stuff, I could relate to how she felt when she was about to lose a "friend". I was also able to relate to how wrapped up you can get in the game of revenge. Been there. Done that. Luckily, me and April both learned some important lessons.

Holder does a great job creating a light, fun, laugh out loud tone. It was easy to just sail through the book and it was great to see the characters grow. I'm excited to read more by Holder. She definitely has a writing charisma.

Addict's Last Words: Amy Holder's debut novel? A success.

To Buy or To Borrow: Gut instinct? Buy. But it could depend on the whole popular thing and if you wouldn't mind reading something like that.

Disclosure: A limited copy of this book was provided for me by NetGalley.com. No payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was not any obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely mine and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist, or the readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.(less)

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Mar 23, 2011 Siobhan (Totally Bookalicious) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-top-10

Original Post Thoughts of a Mad Hatter!

The Lipstick Laws is by far one the best book I have read this year so far. I devoured it in about 4 hours. It is entertaining and very funny. Ok more like Laugh Out Loud funny.

It follow April as she returns to school after the summer. Her best friend as moved away and she has no one else. So when paired up with Britney in gym class everything changes for April. She has a chance at being popular. However, being popular isn't has great as it seems and poor A...more

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Mar 28, 2011 Suz rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: friends and family and other's

First of all, the cover of this book was part of the reason I wanted to read it, because it’s pretty and I’m a girl and girls usually like pretty things. Plus, the whole premise of the book just sort screamed one word out at me: FUN!

And I was so very not disappointed, either.

The Lipstick Laws is sort of like Mean Girls plus Clique equals a world of fun, flirty, sabotage. Also, who doesn’t want to be one of the most popular girl’s in high school, sitting with the best and the prettiest girls at...more First of all, the cover of this book was part of the reason I wanted to read it, because it’s pretty and I’m a girl and girls usually like pretty things. Plus, the whole premise of the book just sort screamed one word out at me: FUN!

And I was so very not disappointed, either.

The Lipstick Laws is sort of like Mean Girls plus Clique equals a world of fun, flirty, sabotage. Also, who doesn’t want to be one of the most popular girl’s in high school, sitting with the best and the prettiest girls at lunch, and hanging with them at the mall on a Saturday afternoon?

The main character of the book is extremely relatable and pretty much down to earth, witty, an all around good girl just trying to get through high school unscathed without experiencing more humiliation than possible, while trying to end up dating the hottest boy in school. Oh, and she’s got to have friends.

The lipstick law’s themselves, oh my lord; I don’t even think I could have lived by them. I mean, seriously, I think they’d probably have to invent a few more just to accommodate me. Those laws were hilarious and heinous at the same time and way too crazy. Everyone has flaws and these girls are no exception to the rule, in fact that’s why a few of these laws were designed around those flaws. The “mean girls” aren’t just mean for the sake of being mean, there are reasons why they act out.

In a lot of ways, the book sort of reminded me of that old saying, “Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.” It’s a good message to be sending to the younger generation or anyone in general. Plus, by telling the story this way and having each of the girls invent a law wrapped around their issue, past, or whatever the case may be, it gives the story a new twist on an already older story that’s been told.

For me, personally, one of the things I enjoyed most about this book, is how realistic the author wrote each one of her character’s, from the mean girl Britney to the geek who actually turned out to be a hottie after all, Delvin McGerk. It was just really fun to sit back and watch the feud between the Lipstick Lawless and the Lipstick Lawbreakers unfold, with all of their crazy schemes and antics all to the tune of a Taylor Swift song, “she took him faster than you could say sabotage.”

In the end, after all of the feuding, the schemes, and the crazy shenanigan’s April showed that she was the better person, by taking the high road and refusing to let Britney and the leftover Lipstick Lawless lackeys ruin the rest of her senior year, when presented with a chance to stoop to her level – she simply didn’t.

It was a nice wrap-up to a story that I was half afraid would end up being a bit cliché, I was very pleasantly surprised and happy with the how quickly I became engrossed with the story and just didn’t want to put the book down until I’d read the last page to make sure that April did end up with the hottie of her dreams and a group of really fantastic friends to round everything out.
Oh, and the boobical cubical was pretty damn funny. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that might be looking for a fun, fast-paced, light summer read or just in general. It gets four stars from me easily and is a book that I will re-visit every summer or at random times during the year for a re-read, when I need something to make laugh out loud hysterically and root for those crazy rebel Lipstick Lawbreaker’s.

All in all, I was happy to receive a copy of this in e-pub format through Net Galley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in exchange for an honest review. I do not charge for my reviews, as I enjoy reading and speaking honestly and openly about what I did or didn't enjoy about the books I read. (less)

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Feb 13, 2011 Reaganstar rated it 3 of 5 stars

Similar to Mean Girls, you get to meet the main character, a girl who is insecure as she returns to high school, after the loss of her best friend who has just moved away.
Starting off with a lie immediately to the "Queen Bee" you know this will come back and bite here by the end of the story. This story shows the ups and downs of being on both sides of the popularity fence, the no one, and the popular crowd.

You watch the main character April grow through the story from being no one.. to having i...more

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Jan 29, 2011 -k The Lady Critic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book, for-review

I’m at a loss of words for how to review this (e)book. It was so like so many other books and movies (Mean Girls, Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood) that I’m biased on liking it purely for its similarities. However, the thing that really set this apart was the characters and the ending.

I thought that April was one of those typical high school girls who had always wanted to fit in and never knew her niche because she wasn’t true to herself. I liked reading about her journey through the ups and down...more I’m at a loss of words for how to review this (e)book. It was so like so many other books and movies (Mean Girls, Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood) that I’m biased on liking it purely for its similarities. However, the thing that really set this apart was the characters and the ending.

I thought that April was one of those typical high school girls who had always wanted to fit in and never knew her niche because she wasn’t true to herself. I liked reading about her journey through the ups and downs of popularity and how through that ordeal she was able to find not only herself but some true friends. Her maturation as she went through the book was both natural and completely believable despite her devious behaviour and outrageous actions.

The Lipstick Lawbreakers made me laugh as I read about their escapades and really, they were quite evil-mastermind brilliant. I wish that I had the balls to pull off the stunts that they did. In fact, there’s this one customer at work who rages over absolutely nothing and leaves the cashiers in tears who I’d like to hand over to them to deal with...

I thought that the ending was brilliant. It had self-realization, secret sharing, boob popping, and rain checks. I was laughing and crying in outrage and experiencing so many other emotions with the last dozen pages or so. This was also the last straw for how much I hated Britney (which was a good thing) and how satisfactory it was to see her get her just deserts.

Although I like this cover, I’m not keen on the candy heart between the teeth. With the lips and teeth looking so real, the candy just looks out of place. It also has nothing to do with the book... but whatever. It’s a pretty cover nonetheless.

This was a fantastic debut and I hope that any other books from Holder are as good, though maybe a little more original in content (to be fair, that’s a very hard thing to do since everything has pretty much been done already). I’m giving this an 8/10.

I want to thank netGalley and everyone who made this book available for me to read several months early.
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Mar 27, 2011 Chelsea rated it 2 of 5 stars

As a sophomore at a new school (she was a freshman there too), April Bowers is tragically not cool. Not nearly as cool as Brittany Taylor, the most popular and prettiest girl in the whole school. So when Brittany turns her attention to April, she is more than just thrilled. But April's best friend Haley warns her that Brittany is a lot meaner than she seems, a message that April ignores until it's too late. Being shunned from the Lipstick Lawlords stings, but with the help of a few others like h...more

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