Oh Yeah, Audrey!

by Tucker Shaw

It’s 5:00 a.m. on Fifth Avenue, and 16-year-old Gemma Beasley is standing in front of Tiffany & Co. wearing the perfect black dress with her coffee in hand—just like Holly Golightly. As the cofounder of a successful Tumblr blog—Oh Yeah Audrey!—devoted to all things Audrey Hepburn, Gemma has traveled to New York in order to meet up with her fellow bloggers for the first time. She has meticulously planned out a 24-hour adventure in homage to Breakfast at Tiffany’s ; however, her plans are derailed when a glamorous boy sweeps in and offers her the New York experience she’s always dreamed of. Gemma soon learns who her true friends are and that, sometimes, no matter where you go, you just end up finding yourself.Filled with hip and sparkling prose, Oh Yeah, Audrey! is as much a story of friendship as it is a love letter to New York, Audrey Hepburn, and the character she made Holly Golightly.

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

243 pages, Hardcover

First published October 14, 2014

About the author

Tucker Shaw's new YA novel, WHEN YOU CALL MY NAME, follows two gay teenagers during the height of the AIDS crisis in New York City in 1990. In hard times, nothing is more powerful than friendship.

Reviews

[KL (Cat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm actually rather surprised at the low rating of Oh Yeah, Audrey!.


It is a fun, lighthearted read— all the other reviews critique it as too fast-paced and too light; but this is meant to be "chick-lit", and the novel delivers what the summary promises. This story is about friendship and our Gemma finding herself whilst in the midst of her tribute to Audrey Hepburn's Holly Golightly, and sometimes really, that's all it needs to be.

[Aliyah Castillo · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were times where I thought this was going to be a four star book. Ultimately, I really enjoyed the book, more than I thought I would. There were a lot of great pockets of reflection for the main character (I genuinely enjoyed the main character and kind of found everyone around her to be the problem). The whole Audrey Hepburn thing was definitely lost on me, and the whole romantic interest thing was…not my favorite. So that was why I gave it 3. Also, the friends could have been a TAD bit more dynamic than they were given an opportunity to be, especially at the end. Overall, enjoyed it! But just wasn’t super fleshed out for my taste. I think there were some missed opportunities.

[Cora Tea Party Princess · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 Words: Friendship, attraction, obsession, vintage, quirky.

This was a very quick read.

It's not the best quickie out there, but it was enjoyable. Especially if you're a fan of Audrey Hepburn and Breakfast at Tiffany's.

This is a great day-in-the-life of Gemma Beasley, and I loved how her story was told. It was sweet and fun and light and fluffy, and perfect for reading in your lunch break when it's raining outside and you need to cheer up a little.

Don't walk into this book expecting amazing revelations and a gripping story, you won't find that. What you'll find instead is a fun and flirty look at a teenager who loves all things Audrey and is struggling to grow up following the death of her mother.

And look at that cover. It's a stunner.

I received a copy of this for free via NetGalley for review purposes.

[Ashleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I managed to read Oh Yeah, Audrey! in one day. It’s light, quick and easy to breeze through and I definitely enjoyed it, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression on me and I won’t be in a rush to recommend it to friends.

One of the issues is that, because this book is set within a time frame of just 24 hours, there’s not much room for character development at all. That said, Tucker Shaw does manage to squeeze in the perfect amount of adventure, from checking in at a swanky hotel and gatecrashing a Sotheby’s auction to meeting a mystery boy and sneaking into an underground club. Self-discovery is a key element to Oh Yeah, Audrey! too.

Oh Yeah, Audrey! is fun, thoughtful, has a gorgeous cover, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. But it won’t blow you away, and there are hundreds of other books out there that I think you’ll enjoy more.

There are two exceptions: first is if you’re an Audrey Hepburn fan and second is if you’re a keen Tumblr user. For both of those types of people, this book is a real treat. You’ll immediately relate to the three brilliant main characters and enjoy the many references throughout the book.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only gave this 3 stars because I love the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's. It's got a ton of references to the movie and some to the old time movie stars. Otherwise it would have been a 2 star read. The end took a really weird turn. It should have just stuck to the original story of the pilgrimage to NY for a Tiffanys weekend instead of trying to draw a parallel between Holly Golightly and the main character. I'm not sure teens would appreciate this book at all if they are not fans of the movie.

[Remy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've even ruined it for Audrey. Which sounds stupid, I know, because she's been dead for twenty years. But she's my hero.

Obviously this is not a 'serious' novel at all. It's a quick and fun read and I appreciate how it truly doesn't try to be anything more than that. And thus I'm amused at the number of people who disliked this so vitriolically in the reviews, though I can certainly see why... though, c'mon man, it's just some teens who want to spend a day recreating Breakfast at Tiffany's. Were you expecting War and Peace?

The story is very easy to follow: Audrey Hepburn superfan Gemma travels from Philadelphia to New York dressed as Holly Golightly without telling her widowed dad, in order to meet her online friends whom she runs a Hepburn Tumblr blog with to spend their day living out Breakfast at Tiffany's. They have an itinerary and everything.... but with the appearance of a mysterious rich boy who seems intent on showing her around, Gemma chooses to spend the day instead hitting New York rich people spots with him. But after she's done this the whole day, said boy reveals himself to be not so gentlemanly, even demanding she give back the Audrey Hepburn dress he bid for her at an auction. Gemma wanders New York until she reconciles with her friends in front of Tiffany's window display once again. *Moon River starts playing in the distance*

Now, I have to admit: I picked this up because once again I mistook this for some alternative cover of a Kevin Kwan book... that was in the YA section. Hah, I know. But look, the past week has not been easy on me, and it has tested my mental health and my conscience like no other. For once I just wanted to read a fun book that wouldn't completely destroy my brain. And this is that book, fair and square.

A lot of people in the reviews have issues with the characters not going through major growth and for being supremely cookie-cutter, and though it may be true, I think they forget to factor in the fact that this story literally takes place over the course of one single day. That stuff you want takes time, and as for the characters being mostly one-dimensional, how else is our protagonist supposed to see all that and more if she's literally just met her online friends in person that very day? I frankly thought it just made it more digestible and more focused on the story being told, and I liked that. So relax bruh, it's Not That Deep!

And finally, if I have to bare my soul a little; another reason I like this is because I related to Gemma a LOT. When you're in love with someone who died before you were even born, people tend to question you lots; think you're crazy and have all sorts of problems. When Gemma lamented about this, I truly felt for her, and I think that helped me really understand all that she was doing on a much more personal and genuine level. This scene, one where she sees Audrey Hepburn's dresses on auction and is sad that if the rich people all around buy them, they'll be "so much closer to her than [she'll] ever be" may come off a trite and cheesy, but I'm just going to come clean and say that because of this, I feel seen. I just feel it.

I've watched Breakfast at Tiffany's exactly once before, and actually don't fancy it. Besides Audrey's iconic wardrobe and the cat scene at the end, I don't care for its love story and the setting and especially Mickey Rooney yellowfacing as Mr Yunioshi. But I can't deny its massive impact on pop culture, and especially not when its such a big part of this story. I think what really stood out to me here on the whole is Gemma's love for Audrey, and Oh Yeah! was it so much fun to see. This story just lifted my mood, and thus I must ask:

Must a book/movie be 'good'? Is it not enough to sit somewhere dark and read about one girl's journey to honour Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly for a day as she 'finds' herself?

[Becca - PrettyLittleMemoirs · Rating 5 out of 5]

+ Minor plot references, no major spoilers +

Gemma Beasley was standing on Fifth Avenue in New York City outside Tiffany & Co at 5am, wearing the iconic black dress, holding coffee and feeling like Holly Golightly herself. But it's not just a simple story of a girl who loved Audrey Hepburn - Oh Yeah, Audrey! was Gemma's life. After her family were struck with a loss, Gemma threw herself into her Tumblr page, filled with all things Audrey Hepburn, and called it Oh Yeah, Audrey! She was devoted to it 100% and there wasn't a day that she didn't post something on the page.
She wasn't running away, per say, by going to New York without her father's permission. She was merely being the Gemma that she wanted to be - not just the one she pretended to be.
In New York, she's ready to meet fellow Audrey and Holly Golightly fans from Oh Yeah, Audrey! A boy called Bryan; from what Gemma knows, he's on the rich side, from California. And not forgetting Trina, who was one of my favourite characters by far. Her charismatic and unique characteristics and personality almost stole the spotlight from Gemma herself. Together, the three of them set off on a planned-down-to-the-small-details plan while they're in the Big Apple, revolving around all things Audrey. But more than one familiar face appears on their journey, and one of them really takes Gemma by surprise...
Read more: http://prettylittlememoirs.blogspot.c...

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the idea behind this book. Breakfast at Tiffany’s is such an iconic film and I was intrigued by how the author would turn it into a contemporary novel for young readers. Oh Yeah, Audrey! is a fun and very quick read, even for a slow reader like me – but it wasn’t memorable enough for me.

My first and biggest problem was that I couldn’t connect with the characters. At all. I didn’t really like Gemma or her “friends”. The only person I liked was the girl who used to post mean comments on the Oh Yeah, Audrey Tumblr page – at least she wasn’t fake.

Gemma’s attitude towards her dad drove me crazy and I would have liked to grab her by the shoulders and shake her a couple of times. They had both lost someone close to their hearts (Gemma’s mum) and it’s completely understandable that he wants to spend more time with her. She’s the only loved one he has left, for goodness’ sake. At sixteen, I think you’re old enough to realise that. (On the plus side, she did eventually.)

Read more >>

[Stacee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited for this book. I'm a sucker for Breakfast at Tiffany's and Audrey and Tiffany's. The synopsis sounded cute and fluffy and it turned out to be so disappointing.

I get that it's all about Audrey, but it's really ALL ABOUT AUDREY. The friends who meet up don't really talk about anything else. And yes, I get that the blog is a bit of an escape for everyone, but they've forged this relationship built on a movie and no one seems to know anything else about each other.

And then there's a scene where the boy basically says that he showed Gemma a good time and spent money on her, so she better deliver on her part of the evening. It was very brief, but still. I guess this was the wake up call she needed?

The ending was a bit abrupt. I liked the idea of the little slice of time they had, but I think it could have been done a bit better.

**Huge thanks to Amulet and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**

[Luna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh Yeah, Audrey! is a quick and easy read. I read nearly 80% of the book in 2 lunches and waiting at the bus stop. The entire storyline takes place in 26 hours.

Gemma is in New York to meet her online friends for the Breakfast at Tiffany’s adventure they have planned. My expectations for this book were a few hours of fun escapism and one the one hand Oh Yeah, Audrey! delivers but I never connected with Gemma or the other characters. Because the book has such a short timeframe there isn’t a lot of character growth.

Part of me enjoyed just going along with Gemma’s adventure. There is certainly a bit of a movie-magic feel to the story but that went downhill after Sotheby’s. ‘Bad idea’ was flashing in big bright letters but Gemma still went and she lost me completely at that point.

Oh Yeah, Audrey! wasn’t quite the book I anticipated but maybe if I’d been a bigger fan of the film or Gemma it would have had a happier ending.

[Kendall · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is honestly not good at all. I was bored and wanted to read a fluff book and read this in three hours tops- and it was terrible. The plot was super predictable and trite, and the ending didn't really resolve. Don't read it.

[Kirsty · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe I needed to have seen breakfast at Tiffany's first. Just didn't appeal at all

[Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

OH YEAH, AUDREY! was a novel that had more to it than I anticipated. Our main character, Gemma, is a sixteen year old girl that struggles with the loss of her mother and her loneliness. She has internet friends, and at the time of the novel, she is meeting with them for the first time in New York City to essentially reenact "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Immediately, Gemma is swept into a new world, so unlike her daily life. This story dealt with a lot of things I never would have expected, and it was handled well. I didn't enjoy this book as much as I was hoping too, but that's because I wasn't expecting something as serious. In some aspects, the book was fun, but the more serious tone definitely outweighed the fun parts. I also felt that our character, Gemma, wasn't developed very well. While this book did only take place over a day, I thought that our narrator would be more established.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

The jacket of this book caught my attention so I purchased it. (The book itself is adorable too!) It was a cute, fast read! Side note however, in reality it would be so scary being the father of Gemma as well as Gemma for putting herself in multiple potentially dangerous situations. A parents nightmare. But this is a work of fiction and with that said, it was a delight to read. Now excuse me while I go to Netflix and watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s…again!

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute read. Didn’t realize it was a YA . Still enjoyed it. Easy read. Great for all the die hard Audrey fans.

[Jennifer V. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Last year must have been a big year for Audrey Hepburn fans because Oh, Yeah, Audrey! A Novel (Amulet Books/Abrams, 2014) by Tucker Shaw is the second teen novel inspired by Breakfast at Tiffany’s (and written by a man) that I’ve read that was published in 2014. At its bare bones, I liked the book. SPOILER ALERT! Teenaged Gemma, obsessed with Breakfast at Tiffany’s, meets up in New York City with other fans she’s met online. Their goal is to complete a walking tour of places associated with the book and movie and finish up with a movie screening, all in honor of some anniversary. Blinded by her love and admiration for Holly Golightly (played by Audrey Hepburn), Gemma refuses to see the character for what she is: a prostitute. Gemma is convinced that the men in the book just liked handing over money for the sheer privilege of being in Holly’s company.

The meetup and tour get started, but Gemma quickly finds herself swept off her feet by one of the guys she met online. So much so that she abandons the rest of her friends and the tour. And who wouldn’t? Dusty is filthy rich and well-connected. He buys Gemma a vintage evening dress (previously owned by Hepburn herself). He takes Gemma to an exclusive art gallery opening, an overbooked classy restaurant, and an underground music venue. Gemma is infatuated with him but unaware that Dusty doesn’t share her feelings. He just considers it all advance payment for the services she’s expected to render at the end of their evening.

With this storyline, I think Oh, Yeah, Audrey had a lot of promise. However, when it comes to the execution, I would’ve preferred more. The book got a really, really slow start. And I mean really. Over 100 pages in (out of 243 pages total), I still didn’t know the plot. The author could’ve speeded things up by jumping right into the action, revealing the necessary background information as each character was introduced rather than placing so much at the beginning.

The characters didn’t need so much introduction anyway. They were rather cookie-cutter, even for Young Adult Fiction. It’s far-fetched enough to have one rich guy spending money like water on the heroine, but to be honest, two is a bit ridiculous. The book also fed off of some particularly annoying stereotypes: all Californians are rich, all Asian men are gay, and all gays are fashionable. All this wrapped up into one dreadful character, or should I say caricature. Or maybe it’s brilliant parody of Mickey Rooney’s dreadful portrayal of Mr. Yunioshi. I can’t tell. At any rate, it does raise the question of why a Japanese-American would be so in-love with the whole Breakfast at Tiffany’s craze.

As for improving the main plot: I would’ve liked to have seen Gemma come into conflict with Holly Golightly’s other unseemly characteristics, not just her escort service. It seemed as if Shaw’s heroine had read a rose-colored version of Truman Capote’s short-story, free of theft, racism, and slander. The subplots also could’ve benefited from further development. I don’t think Shaw got his money’s worth out of them. Gemma and her friends come to terms with their sort-of-enemy way too early in the course of the story. Gemma’s parental issues seem relegated to needless filler. I also think that the significance of the heroine abandoning the walking tour for a date is lost when the reader considers that she and her friends together had abandoned it to go shopping and checkout the Hepburn dress auction beforehand.

I guess in the end I have to admit disappointment. Oh, Yeah, Audrey had not just an entertaining story to tell, but also an important lesson about how naïve young people can end up in trouble. I really wish the book had been a draft, not the finished product. Some teen girls will probably like it, but I think it ended up as merely a shadow of what it could’ve been. If asked, I’d have to recommend Being Audrey Hepburn by Mitchell Kriegman instead.

[C.A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was torn between a 2 star and 3 star rating for about 3 minutes so I finally settled on picking 3, but just know that I really mean a 2.5. Ok so I have some mixed feelings about this book. So let's just do a pros and cons thing.

Pros:
•The cute cover!
•Short but sweet, read in a little over 2 hours.
•Audrey Hepburn!!!
•Fun and hopeful beginnings, light hearted and cool initial adventures for the protagonist and her friends.
•Features some rather likable characters with fun to read about personalities, specifically Bryan and Telly.
• Entertaining and interesting at times, I did stay up till late to finish this book. Although this doesn't mean much coming from me, I do that all the time.
•Enjoyable for teens looking for a quick read.

And now, dun dun dun...
The Cons:
•The main character, Gemma, was really annoying at times. Like really? Running off to New York and then deliberately ignoring your worried father's texts and calls because he's "annoying"? All while knowing he's lonely from his wife's recent death? Like, really? How selfish could you be? Not to mention ditching her friends for some rich boy. I won't even go further into this because I don't wanna give spoilers.
• The randomness of the addition of a certain female character to her friend group TELLY! . The way the author did that was so rushed and random and unnecessary. It was like the author decided to throw the character in at the last second so he just wrote a quick little scene to make it happen, despite if it was realistic or not. Not saying I didn't like the character, just the way she was introduced.
• The male love interest, Dusty, meeting up with Gemma in the first place at the auction was REALLY unrealistic, considering they never showed romantic signs to each other prior to that moment. And him taking her to all these places? When would that ever happen in real life?
• Reading about all the places Dusty took Gemma on their date was really boring. Towards the end of it I really just ended up skimming. The author did not need to draw those scenes out as much as he did. Just unnecessary.
• The rudeness of Trina at many points in the book. Namely when they first met Telly (although Bryan was no angel during that point himself), and when Gemma was literally sobbing at the end. Like, have you no heart? Are people actually like that? "Oh, so now she wants to cry!" . That was an actual Trina quote.
•Gemma's whole thing with being poor and her mother's death didn't really fit right. Both seemed added just for sympathy for the main character. To make her a bit more likable. It's like the author mentioned her mother's death, using it as a crutch, an excuse, every time Gemma did something wrong, like ignoring her dad's texts.
• The ending. It was abrupt, rushed and dissatisfying. For such a light read it failed to leave me happy.

[Anna Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sixteen-year-old Gemma Beasley lives an ordinary, boring life with her parents. Than her Mom dies and in her grief, Gemma starts a Tumblr blog about Audrey Hepburn, called Oh Yeah, Audrey! to pass the time. It's in doing this she discovers her favorite movie of all time, Breakfast At Tiffany's, and her idol: Holly Golightly. Through the blog she becomes friends with Bryan and Trina, other Audrey fans from other parts of the U.S. She even gets someone named Telly involved, who constantly makes hateful comments. The friends make a plan to meet in New York, for an Audrey themed day, ending with a revival showing of Breakfast at Tiffany's. It's shaping up to be a day to remember, when Gemma is presented with the opportunity for adventure of the romantic sort, with a mysterious weathly boy named Dusty. But is he everything he seems? And can her friends forgive her for ditching them? Will Gemma's adventure be everything she wants it to be?

This book is extremely light. Yes, it's chick-lit, but that doesn't mean that at least the characters can't have substance. I have to say, that the plot was really cute (if unbelievable at times, especially a plot point involving Gemma getting her hands on one of Audrey Hepburn's dresses). I liked the friends hanging out and for the most part Bryan and Trina seemed pretty cool. Probably the low point for me with their friendship was how judgemental they were of Telly when she came to apologize about putting down Audrey. She tries to tell them all the great humanitarian things Audrey did, but Bryan brushes her off. She basically says, "Who cares about the fashion?" and Bryan shallowly tells her that's all that really matters. Then near the end when Gemma learns Dusty's true colors and finds out what a slimeball he really is, Trina is EXTREMELY mean and judgemental. She basically wants everyone to shun Gemma.

Basically the book ends with the friends reuniting and woo-hoo, it's all better! Not! The author brought in a subplot about Gemma's unresolved feelings about her Mother's death and it seemed really abrupt/unfinished. Not to mention, the whole thing is set within a 24 hour period and it just really doesn't allow for a lot of depth. Gemma was basically an any-girl, cardboard cutout and I was never really able to picture her through the whole book. Overall, I just felt like this book was too shallow to be good reading. There's a difference between fluff, and wasted potential. This is the latter.

VERDICT: 2/5 Stars

*I reviewed this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is October 14th, 2014.*

[Estelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review originally posted on Rather Be Reading Blog.

As someone who runs two blogs and meets people from the internet a lot, I could totally relate to Gemma, who decides to start a Tumblr page about Audrey Hepburn to help her get through a hard time. Through the Tumblr, she meets two friends, Bryan and Trina, who she talks to all the time but she doesn’t find herself really confiding in just yet. But they all plan to meet for the first time to see a monumental movie screening of Breakfast at Tiffany’s in New York City.

Sure, Gemma lies to her dad about where she is going but at this point, she needs a little space to do something on her own. And so their city adventure begins but never according to Gemma’s original schedule. There’s a shopping trip, a fancy auction, and the surprise visits of two other internet personalities she was not expecting. So instead of hitting all the Holly Golightley spots in Manhattan, Gemma is swept up in a magical evening with Dusty, a boy she also met on the internet. Does she make a choice to hang out with her friends or go on a once in a lifetime date with Dusty?

Well, you’ll see.

In a span of 24 hours, Gemma is forced to face a lot of truths: why she feels so close to Holly Golightley and Audrey Hepburn, how important these friendships are to her, and also coming to terms with the changes in her family life. While the strict timeline did cause me to feel a bit of suspense, I really wish there had been more time to learn about Gemma’s relationship with her father and spend time with Bryan and Triana, her friends who lived far, far away. When would they see each other again?! On the other hand, I liked how Shaw was not prejudiced over internet friendships being REAL because, in so many instances, they are and they blossom into these wonderful real life things.

Oh Yeah, Audrey! was a great New York City adventure, and I could imagine it as a really fun Disney Channel/ABC Family movie. It definitely inspired me to watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s again, too. All in all, it was a fast-paced read that made me think a lot about fandom and making pals and what we flock to when we are feeling alone. I hope Shaw has another young adult book up his sleeve.

[Fabulous Book Fiend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: I absolutely flew through this book, the short chapters and diary-like form making it an easy read. I picked this book up on a whim, not really knowing what it was about but loving the front cover. I think I'd seeing a few people haul this on booktube and loved the look of it so I grabbed it in a B&N whilst in Texas over Xmas.

I really loved the premise behind this book, it is definitely a story from modern times, a group of people coming together because of a Tumblr page and meeting in a location that none of them lives in for the appreciation aof Audrey Hepburn. This could only happen in this age of technology and I think it is something that many readers will be able to relate to and deals with the issue of people online friend IRL (in real life!).

Of course, Gemma isn't the only character in the novel aside from Audrey Hepburn as well! We have the friends she met online, fabulous, gay, right Bryan, Holly Golightly wannabe Trina, Telly who is actually the most genuine out of the group and then there's a boy, there's always a boy, who kind of puts the whole Audrey marathon in jeopardy! I liked reading about all the characters. If anything, they could have been a little more developed, I would have liked to have seen the evening from Bryan or Trina's point of view, but then the book would t have been as quick a read as it was so I'm not complaining too much.

The storyline itself was simple, I think further development would have made the book longer and the. It may not have appealed as well to a young adult audience but at the same time, I really would have liked a little more depth. The setting of New York City was, of course, fabulous and I loved the fact that a lot of this novel took place late at night or early in the morning and so you didn't have the business of the city or the wail of sirens the whole book long, the sunset, the sunrise and the dark nights are beautifully described and fitting for the overall subject of the novel. This is a novel about self discovery and freind ship and I really hope there is a sequel soon becaus I really did enjoy reading it and want to hear more from theses characters!

[Shanna Klutts · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was excited about this book. I love Holly Golightly, I love Audrey Hepburn, and I thought I would love a cute book about how a young girl decides to go to New York and create this epic Breakfast at Tiffany’s trip. But then it took a dark turn. I read one reviewer who said it was supposed to be light-hearted fun? As a mother, and a cop’s wife, I kept waiting for her to be trafficked. I kept yelling at her that she was stupid and naive, and that she was never going to see her father again. There was no real relationship forming moments. It was boom - we are insta-friends; boom - girl we totally don’t like is ok now; boom - shopping; boom - hot guy buys a TEN THOUSAND dollar dress for 16 yr old girl and then asks girl out and “friends” you literally just met that morning say go with it so you TRUST THEM?; boom - date (we skip 5 hours with friends because they were the means to get her to the date); boom - random places around New York showing what a jerk hot guy really is; boom - making out because hot stalker boy calls you “enchanting” and gives cheesiest line ever; boom - chance to do the right thing and stay with insta-friends passes you by as you decide to SPEND THE NIGHT with total stranger; boom - yeah...completely taken by surprise that all he wanted was sex because you are vulnerable and he spent all that dough and thought you were a sure thing so you leave...more wandering NYC and only really seeing the rose-colored glasses of it all. Still doesn’t answer dad when he texts because she is feeling sorry for herself. Boom - same place as we started and insta-friends instantly forgive her for wrapped up ending the author totally didn’t earn.
It doesn’t even live up to a cautionary tale. Everything was just hinted at. Telly stalking instagram to find where they are. Sotheby’s just happened to be doing Audrey’s dress that same weekend, clothes that Gemma had literally gushed over to stalker boy however long before. Going off with absolute strangers and dad has no idea where you are. But it’s ok because no one was hurt too badly and hey, we have “friends” now.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was very fast to read, very light and kind of cool. The best rate I could give it is an "IT WAS OK", which that means 2 stars in goodreads, but I will add half of another star because it hooked me.

Gemma tell us a story of a seventeen year old who doesn't really know who is she, that is a totally fangirl of Holly Golightly, aka Audrey Hepburn, and who is making a journey to discover who she really wants to be. The book spins around the book/movie called "Breakfast at Tiffany's". In the prologue, recommend us to watch the movie first, but because I wasn't in the mood, I didn't. I kind of understood everything and I wasn't that lost. Gemma loves stories, but her story is one of the most hard to tell for her. Being an orphan and living with a depressed father wasnt how she would like to end her story. So one day, she woke up and took a bus to New York (just like Holly).

Her friends: Brayn, Trina & Telly. Those three are seriously the best. There's another character, Dusty. At first, Dusty was really cute and I even said that I love him. Later on, we see his true face. And Gemma begins to wonder who really she is after spending a whole night alone thinking about her life. Missing her father and his friends, she went back to everything began... Tiffany's.

Why I didn't like so much the book? Because it was too fast. It was in one day. The character doesn't develop too much, she just figured something that was in her head all the time. The second characters weren't that developed and Dusty was a jerk. I wanted more love or even a better end. I wanted to know what her father would say after "running away". I just wanted more. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't buy the book. The cover is beautiful, but the content is not that much.

[Elly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review also appears at Quiet World Books

This is a cute book, it's one of those quick to read, easy to jump in to kind of books. Protagonist Gemma is obsessed with Audrey Hepburn, particularly the incarnation of Audrey Hepburn that Holly Golightly represents. It would be fair to say that she is obsessed with Holly Golightly specifically looking at the events that unfold in the novel itself but while the focus is on Breakfast at Tiffany's there is plenty of mention of Audrey herself and her other work (including her humanitarian work).

Gemma has run away from home for the day to meet up with friends she has met over Tumblr who share a love of all things Audrey. It's a fairly predictable book for its type, but that is definitely something to like about it. This is the kind of book that you want to read when you're sitting in the sun and you don't want to tax your brain. I found myself cringing over some of Gemma's choices but I did ultimately enjoy it.

[Angelique · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★☆

My review:


Oh yeah, Audrey is a fun light read. I absolutely love ya books that have anything to do with Audrey Hepburn. The story starts with Gemma running away to New York City to meet up with her friends to honor Audrey Hepburn and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Gemma is still coping with the loss of her mother in the book; she hasn’t plucked up the courage to tell her friends about it. I felt connected with Gemma because she was so relatable. She comes from a poor family who had to scrimp and save wherever they can. Along with that, Gemma cannot relate to anyone in her generation, because of that she’s alone with her imagination and her vintage clothes. I thoroughly enjoyed this book because of the interesting friends Gemma made through her tumblr blog. I love that the author decided to put a twist in this story by making Gemma experience what Holly Golightly felt when she was in New York. This story is about self discovery in the most exciting city.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seventeen year old Gemma is obsessed with Audrey Hepburn, especially as her character Holly Golightly form Breakfast at Tiffany's. For one magical day she and some online friends decide to meet up in New York city and have an Audrey/Holly day. The book covers 24 hours including meeting outside of Tiffany's at 6 a.m. for breakfast of coffee and pastries. It is fun but sad too as Gemma makes choices which don't always work out, she does learn more about herself and true friendship. It is a quick and easy read which I would recommend for some light hearted fun.
My book was a free copy kindly provided by Good Reads.

[☽ A u d r e y N g u y e n ☾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ehhhh....
It didn't end very well but, it was cute-ish. A typical YA contemporary romance about discovering your true self. Gemma and her friends were a little too obsessed with Audrey Hepburn tbh. And Dusty was just one of those stereotypical "nice guy but not really nice" type of guy. Overall, 2 out of 5 stars

[Selah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn't what I was expecting. I expected teen chick lit - fluffy, frothy, candy floss. This was more - it touched on grief, bullying, cyber bullying, loyalty, honesty, sexpectations, and friendship.

[Megan Russell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh no, Audrey.

I have no words to describe this book. The premise was promising, but it fell so, so flat. I'm glad it was a quick read because I prayed for it to be over soon. Do yourself a favor, and don't.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was really great for me to read i got threw it really fast and as well as it being a book about audery hepburn and her followers i think this book is also about real world struggles as well like losing a parent or money issues

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, breezy novel. A must read for Audrey Hepburn and Breakfast at Tiffany fans.