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The Makeover of James Orville Wickenbee
At Fairport High School, Jana has taken on a special project. She's determined to turn James Orville Wickenbee, her brother's new best friend, into one of the "cool kids." After all, Jana can't afford to have James--a "nobody," not to mention a Mormon--ruin her plans to get her brother elected as student body president. The problem is, Alex doesn't want to be president, and James has no interest in becoming popular. Not to worry--Jana has everything under control. James will just have to be president instead. The makeover might take some extra work, but she's ready for the challenge. She's very convincing. In fact, the entire school begins to see James as "Super-Jim." But the "makeover" creates a surprise that nobody saw coming, especially Jana.
272 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
June 17, 2014
This book was a surprising pleasure to read.
When you work in a Bookstore, you have access to many many books- and read plenty (however, working in a Bookstore is not all reading and enjoyment- all of my reading happened during breaks and afterhours.) You read a lot of books that are just like the last one you read- and you finish and think- eh, I could've lived without reading that one, some you wonder why you even bothered finishing- feeling that you wasted a good 6 hours of your life.
That is not this book. The Makeover of James Orville Wickenbee is charming, with an easy, clear writing style, fleshed out characters and an amusing plot, with several touching moments. Moments that make you appreciate life, and remind you there is good in the world.Most of the books in this genre are so romance driven, but this book focused on the characters and their development. It's a delight. It focuses on the influence of the one. It's inspiring and idealistic.
It's a light and easy read, something to take your mind of the ills of the world. It's an underrated book- people see the title and cover and think it's just another typical teenage romance novel, but its not- it's deeper than that.
It's about friendship, forgiveness, and acceptance. It's about beating that snobby girl who rules the school with her holier-and-hotter-than-thou attitude with a candidate that stands for goodness, service and general kindness.
It was the first book I'd suggest to everyone- because it's not typical, it's a special one that leaves you with a feeling of peace, contentment if not happiness.
SPOILERS AHEAD
As for the end I think it was great! This was a YA novel but it was not about the romance. I loved how opened ended it was. I've seen a lot of complaints about it, but it was perfect- it fit the tone of the book.
When you work in a Bookstore, you have access to many many books- and read plenty (however, working in a Bookstore is not all reading and enjoyment- all of my reading happened during breaks and afterhours.) You read a lot of books that are just like the last one you read- and you finish and think- eh, I could've lived without reading that one, some you wonder why you even bothered finishing- feeling that you wasted a good 6 hours of your life.
That is not this book. The Makeover of James Orville Wickenbee is charming, with an easy, clear writing style, fleshed out characters and an amusing plot, with several touching moments. Moments that make you appreciate life, and remind you there is good in the world.Most of the books in this genre are so romance driven, but this book focused on the characters and their development. It's a delight. It focuses on the influence of the one. It's inspiring and idealistic.
It's a light and easy read, something to take your mind of the ills of the world. It's an underrated book- people see the title and cover and think it's just another typical teenage romance novel, but its not- it's deeper than that.
It's about friendship, forgiveness, and acceptance. It's about beating that snobby girl who rules the school with her holier-and-hotter-than-thou attitude with a candidate that stands for goodness, service and general kindness.
It was the first book I'd suggest to everyone- because it's not typical, it's a special one that leaves you with a feeling of peace, contentment if not happiness.
SPOILERS AHEAD
As for the end I think it was great! This was a YA novel but it was not about the romance. I loved how opened ended it was. I've seen a lot of complaints about it, but it was perfect- it fit the tone of the book.
September 13, 2008
The concept of young adult LDS fiction sounds cringe-worthy, but this novel actually wasn't as bad as I was expecting. As far as the main character's conversion goes, it was MUCH more realistic than in any other LDS fiction I've read (which isn't a lot, but still). Of course, in the end, she still ends up converting, but it wouldn't be an LDS novel if she didn't after all. Still, I thought the fact that she really struggled accepting it was refreshing though, since in most books the main character accepts the gospel in a snap of the fingers. The part of this book which was unrealistic, however, was once the high school fell under the presidency of James Orville Wickenbee, everyone follows his advice to "be nice and be good kids", which for anyone who's been in high school, is completely fantastical and impossible. Teenagers just aren't that motivated, y'know? And for much of the novel the main character got on my nerves. She's an outright snob, bordering on complete know-it-all brat (and at times acts like just that). But overall, this was MUCH better than I was expecting. Any LDS teen would enjoy this a lot.
February 7, 2009
I would have given it four stars,but I remember when I read it about 2 years ago that I hated the ending! It could have ended so much better instead there was only a hint of a happy ending. I guess I just like happy endings to much, but this story was supposed to tell you the happy ending not make you assume it happened.
March 18, 2009
Good story but I hated the ending. I don't want to use my imagination to decide how they end up. I want more.
January 16, 2018
I feel like I wasted my time reading this book. The main character is snarky, conceited, cold, & harsh to everyone around her, & she thinks it's for everyone's best interest that she treats them this way. The first 20 pages of the book mostly dealt with her appraising the looks of those that surround her, & comparing those people to the food & animals they most resemble. It continues the entire book. While there were some moments that made me want to know how the story ends, it wasn't worth the cruelty I read through to get there. And the ending of the book is awful too. It doesn't really end, just gives a kind of opinionated cliff-hanger as if the author got tired of writing & called it done. Don't waste your time; read a different book.
April 3, 2020
Jana's life takes an interesting twist when one of her extended family marries a Mormon. now one of her fringe relatives, although not by blood is the lamest kid in school, James Orville Wickenbee. this wouldn't be a problem but her brother decides that he and James are now best friends, which is now a problem. as she learns more she is horrified, who is this crazy guy who prays all the time wont drink coffee and reads the bible so much? she makes it her mission to change James from zero to the school hero. as the makeover progresses she learns a lot about what makes James tick and learns what her brother sees in him, a genuinely nice guy. with graduation around the corner James is going to head of on his mission for the church but not before trying one last time to get Jana to learn about the church. over the two years they write occasionally, but its not till the day James gets home that Jana truly learns the greatest lesson ofall, that we are all children of God.
i enjoyed it, this idea that the makeover for James changes into a friendship that leads to him being able to share with her the messages that she needs to hear when she needs to hear them is amazing. it is an escapist book with a good moral but not much depth to it.
mild-swearing
i enjoyed it, this idea that the makeover for James changes into a friendship that leads to him being able to share with her the messages that she needs to hear when she needs to hear them is amazing. it is an escapist book with a good moral but not much depth to it.
mild-swearing
February 27, 2023
I'm only half way through but I am so impressed with her writing style. I am so sad she has not written more books : (
February 4, 2009
The main character, Jana, annoyed me to no end in the first 50 pages. I was on the verge of putting the book on my bookshelf and calling it "a good try" when Alex, her twin brother, FINALLY yelled at her convincingly enough that she stopped being EXTREMELY annoying... she was only very annoying. For me, I thought this book was like a figuritive trip to Oz for her to get a brain, a heart, and a nerve. She eventually became easier to read.
The other problem I had with this book is that, to me, it didn't seem realistic. At first, it was a too harsh look at high school students. Sure, teenagers are typically hormonal and pretty superficial people, but not to the extent that Bateman wrote them as. Then, she swung to the other side of the spectrum to too accepting and morally strong high school students. I can see how a good school president could maybe set a friendly tone in the school by organizing charity events... but half the school isn't going to convert to the church and 90% of the student body won't give up their alcoholic parties because a geek-turned-gorgeous says so.
What I liked about the story was that it was a makeover story and that James Orville Wickenbee seemed like a realistic character in the midst of something crazy. I liked that Jana eventually did realize that, to a certain degree, looks aren't everything and that one shouldn't choose their friends depending on how socially acceptable that person is.
The other problem I had with this book is that, to me, it didn't seem realistic. At first, it was a too harsh look at high school students. Sure, teenagers are typically hormonal and pretty superficial people, but not to the extent that Bateman wrote them as. Then, she swung to the other side of the spectrum to too accepting and morally strong high school students. I can see how a good school president could maybe set a friendly tone in the school by organizing charity events... but half the school isn't going to convert to the church and 90% of the student body won't give up their alcoholic parties because a geek-turned-gorgeous says so.
What I liked about the story was that it was a makeover story and that James Orville Wickenbee seemed like a realistic character in the midst of something crazy. I liked that Jana eventually did realize that, to a certain degree, looks aren't everything and that one shouldn't choose their friends depending on how socially acceptable that person is.
July 21, 2010
This a fun, light summer read that will leave you with a good feeling afterward. The narrator reminded me a lot of Polly in Scones and Sensibility by Lindsay Eland. Jana is one of those girls who feels ugly on the inside, but presents herself as confident on the outside. She has an agenda to change everyone around her into what she thinks they should be. At the top of her list is brother Alex. He would be perfect in politics, only he doesn't want to be. Then along comes James...with big glasses, thick white socks and a shirt that doesn't quite fit he is the perfect candidate for a makeover before he can be seen at their lunch table.
It does get a little annoying living inside of Jana's head through the entire novel until she begins to change. She likes to stereotype and look down at others. But, you'll want to see what happens with her and James so the pages keep flipping. The plot is somewhat predictable but I was entertained and endeared to James. His mere existence and character changes the lives of all those around him. He embodies the idea that beauty is more than skin deep. This is a clean read, and in my opinion is great for middle grades, junior high-sophomores in high school. I enjoyed it and give the book three stars!
It does get a little annoying living inside of Jana's head through the entire novel until she begins to change. She likes to stereotype and look down at others. But, you'll want to see what happens with her and James so the pages keep flipping. The plot is somewhat predictable but I was entertained and endeared to James. His mere existence and character changes the lives of all those around him. He embodies the idea that beauty is more than skin deep. This is a clean read, and in my opinion is great for middle grades, junior high-sophomores in high school. I enjoyed it and give the book three stars!
March 13, 2009
This book was okay... a fast easy read. It's more for a young teenage audience. I enjoyed the fact that James was trying to change the whole school the most. He made everyone want to be better people, and remembering my high school experience, that would take a lot of courage. Jana was somewhat annoying, and i figured she would eventually start to really like the church, but I was glad when it finally happened. I did NOT like the end. The book started with her being at the airport waiting for James to arrive, and that continued through a lot of the chapters. I just felt like it was supposed to be the most exciting moment of the book, and then it ended without us knowing what she said to him. I was disappointed. But I guess the most exciting moment was when she finally realized that she did want to be a part of the Gospel. I just wish we could've read about her telling that to James!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2015
On the surface, this book is an LDS conversion story with a bit of a romance wrapped in. The story itself would have earned a couple of stars from me. The deeper themes were what pushed this one to the top. Quirky characters, nerds and do-gooders at the top of the social structure sound implausible but the basic idea that people are really looking for something better and hoping it comes in a well-designed package is actually very true-to-life. The power of a single person to cause significant change is proven. Image does count and can create barriers in a less than perfect world. This book reminded me of Stargirl another book about the power of change.
January 30, 2009
I remember when most all LDS fiction were romances revolving around conversion stories. Now we've branched out into historical stories, suspense thrillers, and even science fiction. However, The Makeover of James Orville Wickenbee is back to the original genre (though it's more a conversion story than a romance). I thought it was very well written, with great characters and believable conversation. And conversion stories really are powerful. When Jana can't get her twin brother to run for high school class president, she takes on the project to turn a geek into the front runner instead--and gets more than she bargained for. Funny, thoughtful, and enjoyable to read.
July 22, 2009
Overall I enjoyed reading this book- but I did have a few issues with it. Most of what I didn't like were centered around the writing style of the author. For example; there were a few moments where suddenly the character would have a needed "prop" and I was left wondering where the item suddenly came from- also there were a few areas that I had to go back a paragraph or two in order to figure out where/when we were at (the sequence splits between the past and present). I do like that most of her characters change by the end of the book- only one did not. Overall it was an entertaining, quick read, but in no way believable. But then that's why we read fiction- right? :)
February 4, 2008
This book is about a super-smart girl named Jana so I think it is quite possibly one of the best books I've ever read. Just kidding. I actually picked it up because Cali and Kimi loved the cover. It was a good book meant for lds-teens about a girl who does a makeover on a mormon nerd to help him become student body president of their high school. She, of course, learns important lessons along the way. Christine, I would suggest this book to you if you have any time for fun reading. I think you would relate to the smart girl and the problems with all of the high school shallow people.
June 9, 2008
No surprise that the girl determined to makeover her brother's friend is herself made over; however, her journey is not altogether predictable. I appreciated the genuine flavor of Jana's struggle to understand herself, to realize who and what she should associate with, and to open her heart to the possibility of a God who loved her. Her concerns were real, and the author resolved Jana's fears in a believeable way. This was a well-written book that I read straight through in five or six hours.
April 7, 2010
It was clean (um, hello LDS fiction) and it didn't involve sappy romance so it should have been fabulous in my book, but the characters and writing style, ok, and the storyline didn't quite pan out. It would be an excellent read for a tween or early teen, or I would even highly recommend it for times when you feel like reading something brainless. But given it's complete lack of literary value, I really can't give it more than two stars.
June 14, 2011
I was really wanting a fun-read and the library didn't have any of the ones I was looking for so I just grabbed this off the shelf because I remembered seeing it in the deseret book ad or something and was pleasantly surprised! It was like candy to read and it was interesting to picture how someone not in our church might view our missionary efforts and I loved how it ended. James is an awesome missionary and even though this is a fiction book it inspired me to want to be better.
August 2, 2013
I enjoyed this enough to finish, but as with most LDS fic, it came with a healthy dose of cheese! I liked the "makeover" part, but the whole change that comes over the high school seemed a bit far-fetched. And again, as with most LDS fic, there is a lot of doctrine thrown in, which makes me wonder who this is being written for... Why would anyone not LDS read this? But, I do think LDS teens would enjoy this.
March 15, 2009
Gezz people can be jerks! This books good so far, talk about going from poor to rich and stuck up. 15 year old Lana wants her twin brother Alex to run for class prez. but he's not up for it. Now Alex's best friend James is going to run. But catch this, He's the mollyiest mormon around and Lana dosen't think he's got the gutts to go through with it... We'll see about that!!
March 13, 2009
Jana Bennings has big plans for her twin brother, the only problem is that he's not interested in running for student body office. When their good friend James decides to run, Jana help transform the would be geek into Super Jim. The only problem is that James is a Mormon and Jana's not so sure about his idealistic platform for president.
A good easy read.
A good easy read.
October 12, 2011
Really, I would rate this a 4.5, but decided to give it the benefit of the doubt. Something about me really loved this book. Part of it was the lack of sappy romance. Part of it was the inclusion of fun friendships. Part of it was the idealistic views that may not seem realistic but are wonderful to shoot for all the same. I am all over idealistic books. They inspire.
Great read!
Great read!
October 12, 2007
I guess I probably wouldn't recommend this book, although I kept reading to the very end. The writing was a bit amateur, and the storyline was extremely basic. Sometimes, though, it's ok to read an easy book where you don't have to think.
August 27, 2008
What I found most interesting about this book was that James was an intelligent and interesting person before the makeover. James might have needed to change his outward appearance (I loved his mother's reaction), but certainly not his inward self.
November 20, 2008
I have not read this book but Gabrielle(my 16 year old daughter) did. She said it was OK but she finished it which means it is at least a 3 stars rate! Maybe I'll pass to McCall. Could be a little cheesy but there again I did not personally read it.
February 2, 2009
Cute turn-around story. Good for teens. The writing style changes from narrative to more introspective towards the end, which was a little awkward. Does make you think about the motivations behind your behaviors.
February 16, 2009
This book was fun. I read it in a day - I just couldn't wait to find out what would happen. If you are a Mormon, you will understand it better than if you weren't. It was a cute young adult book. I would recommend it to any teenage girl. It teaches great values, whether you are Mormon or not.
May 30, 2009
So this was a 99cent find at Desert Book and i needed a light read. I actually really enjoyed this book. There was no deep meaning or awe ha moments but it kept me interested and it made me laugh! Fun light read with kiddos around:)
March 8, 2011
This was a fun easy read. The book made me think about how much we judge people by appearance and not as much as what they are on the inside. I also liked the idea of how much a difference one person can make. My one big complaint was that the book ended too soon! I wanted more of a resolve.
January 13, 2011
Cute LDS read. Perfect for youth. Althouh I find it really hard to believe that anyone proclaims "Heavenly stars!" when they are exasperated, espcially someone non-LDS, living in OH. Also, "wowsers!" It was annoying.
June 26, 2014
Jana wants to transform James into "Super-Jim" so he can become president of the high school. He goes about it all "wrong" but in the end his way is the best way--standing up for his values, making friends with everyone, and worrying more about people and less about looks. Fun read...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews