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Fringe Girl #4
Fringe Benefits
You can take the girl out of Brooklyn—or can you?
Waitressing at an exclusive tennis and squash club isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Just ask Adora Benet. For as long as she can remember, summer has meant European vacations and sleepaway camp. But this summer is different. While her friends scatter the globe for adventures of their own, Dora finds herself stuck in Brooklyn, learning the true meaning of a dollar.
Fortunately for this working girl, there are fringe benefits that come with the territory: cool older friends who really know how to party, for one thing. And an unexpected gig at a veterinarian’s office with a totally hot doctor. Soon Dora’s boring summer turns into her first taste of real life. But with all these new responsibilities and thrilling relationships, freedom can get a little scary sometimes…
Waitressing at an exclusive tennis and squash club isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Just ask Adora Benet. For as long as she can remember, summer has meant European vacations and sleepaway camp. But this summer is different. While her friends scatter the globe for adventures of their own, Dora finds herself stuck in Brooklyn, learning the true meaning of a dollar.
Fortunately for this working girl, there are fringe benefits that come with the territory: cool older friends who really know how to party, for one thing. And an unexpected gig at a veterinarian’s office with a totally hot doctor. Soon Dora’s boring summer turns into her first taste of real life. But with all these new responsibilities and thrilling relationships, freedom can get a little scary sometimes…
- GenresYoung Adult
272 pages, Paperback
First published August 27, 2008
About the author
Valerie Frankel
52 books112 followersShe's written twenty books (e.g., The Accidental Virgin and The Girlfriend Curse), and contributed to dozens of publications including the New York Times, Self, Allure, Glamour, Parenting and Good Housekeeping. Her memoir, Thin Is the New Happy, about overcoming bad body image after 30 years of dieting and self-loathing, was recently described as "Rueful, zestful and surprisingly funny," by the New York Times.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 10, 2012
Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com
It's the end of her junior year, and Adora Benet can't wait for the fun in the sun to begin. Just being able to spend even more time with her best friends gets her excited. That is, until she finds out that each of them have their own plans.
Liza is going to stay with her parents earlier than expected in Bermuda to help them with the snorkeling business down there.
Eli applied to be in the Salzburg Youth Orchestra and finally got the callback. Her dream is beginning to come true faster than she expected - who wouldn't want to learn and play where Mozart lived?
Since both of her friends have deserted her, all Adora has left is her boyfriend, Noel. Unfortunately, even Noel has plans. He and his dad are going to hike the thousand-mile long Appalachian Trail. Of course, Adora knows that this is the perfect opportunity for Noel to spend time with his dad. If only it didn't last the entire summer!
Everyone is going away, even Joya, who is attending an art camp in Vermont. So what's Adora to do with all this free time? Her parents think that instead of volunteer work, Adora should get a job to learn what responsibility really is. At first, Adora is totally against the idea; but, unfortunately, she has no choice since her parents have cut her off. After applying to a couple of places, Adora finally lands a job as a waitress at the local country club, Brick. Although skeptical at first, Adora quickly discovers that a job that has hot guys walking around, mature co-workers, and cool parties isn't so bad.
This will be one summer Adora will never forget - let's just hope that she remembers that responsibility is what she is trying to learn.
Valerie Frankel takes us back to when we all had to learn the value of a dollar and the whole responsibility spiel that our parents reiterated from time to time. We all know that Adora has never had any trouble making new friends and adapting to her surroundings. And this summer right before her senior year is no exception.
Fast-paced and highly enjoyable, FRINGE BENEFITS lets readers finally get a glimpse of Adora outside her high school life and into the one where the real world awaits. After reading this novel, most will wonder why their summer vacations were never as exciting!
It's the end of her junior year, and Adora Benet can't wait for the fun in the sun to begin. Just being able to spend even more time with her best friends gets her excited. That is, until she finds out that each of them have their own plans.
Liza is going to stay with her parents earlier than expected in Bermuda to help them with the snorkeling business down there.
Eli applied to be in the Salzburg Youth Orchestra and finally got the callback. Her dream is beginning to come true faster than she expected - who wouldn't want to learn and play where Mozart lived?
Since both of her friends have deserted her, all Adora has left is her boyfriend, Noel. Unfortunately, even Noel has plans. He and his dad are going to hike the thousand-mile long Appalachian Trail. Of course, Adora knows that this is the perfect opportunity for Noel to spend time with his dad. If only it didn't last the entire summer!
Everyone is going away, even Joya, who is attending an art camp in Vermont. So what's Adora to do with all this free time? Her parents think that instead of volunteer work, Adora should get a job to learn what responsibility really is. At first, Adora is totally against the idea; but, unfortunately, she has no choice since her parents have cut her off. After applying to a couple of places, Adora finally lands a job as a waitress at the local country club, Brick. Although skeptical at first, Adora quickly discovers that a job that has hot guys walking around, mature co-workers, and cool parties isn't so bad.
This will be one summer Adora will never forget - let's just hope that she remembers that responsibility is what she is trying to learn.
Valerie Frankel takes us back to when we all had to learn the value of a dollar and the whole responsibility spiel that our parents reiterated from time to time. We all know that Adora has never had any trouble making new friends and adapting to her surroundings. And this summer right before her senior year is no exception.
Fast-paced and highly enjoyable, FRINGE BENEFITS lets readers finally get a glimpse of Adora outside her high school life and into the one where the real world awaits. After reading this novel, most will wonder why their summer vacations were never as exciting!
December 11, 2008
Adora Benet is so not looking forward to her summer. Her best friends Eli and Liza are off globetrotting and having adventures in exotic locales. Her boyfriend Noel is leaving Brooklyn to go camping of all things. And worst of all, Dora’s parents are forcing her to get a job to learn the true meaning of the dollar. But the summer turns out to be not as bad as Dora thought it would be. She lands a waitressing job at an exclusive tennis and squash club and another at a vet’s office. There are the cooler and older friends who know how to have fun and an adorable pet cat her parents may or may not know about, not to mention the super hot animal doctor she works with. Btu this is also Dora’s first experience in the real world, and she’s about to learn that life is far from being just a big party.
Fringe Benefits was a fun and satisfying read. Dora’s character is mostly realistically drawn, from her relationship insecurities to her desire to be universally liked. I really admired Dora’s positive relationship with her family and her unwavering loyalty to her best friends because this made her a very likable person. Dora’s authenticity made her easy to relate to as well. The story is interesting enough, mostly because of Dora’s humor and very unique trains of thought, but much of the plot, especially the ending, left much to be desired. The story end with a huge sense of accomplishment and some of Dora’s problems were still left up in the air. I did like how Dora grew as a person, but frankly, I thought the ending was kind of lame. Nothing really stood out to me about this novel, and I probably won’t finish reading the series, but it’s still a short and sweet read.
Fringe Benefits is the fourth installment in Frankel’s Fringe Girl series, but it is still easy to understand on its own. Fringe Benefits is a meaningful and not-too-trashy guilty pleasure for fans of The Queen Geek Social Club by Laura Preble and The Elite series by Jennifer Banash.
reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com
Fringe Benefits was a fun and satisfying read. Dora’s character is mostly realistically drawn, from her relationship insecurities to her desire to be universally liked. I really admired Dora’s positive relationship with her family and her unwavering loyalty to her best friends because this made her a very likable person. Dora’s authenticity made her easy to relate to as well. The story is interesting enough, mostly because of Dora’s humor and very unique trains of thought, but much of the plot, especially the ending, left much to be desired. The story end with a huge sense of accomplishment and some of Dora’s problems were still left up in the air. I did like how Dora grew as a person, but frankly, I thought the ending was kind of lame. Nothing really stood out to me about this novel, and I probably won’t finish reading the series, but it’s still a short and sweet read.
Fringe Benefits is the fourth installment in Frankel’s Fringe Girl series, but it is still easy to understand on its own. Fringe Benefits is a meaningful and not-too-trashy guilty pleasure for fans of The Queen Geek Social Club by Laura Preble and The Elite series by Jennifer Banash.
reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com
October 26, 2008
Adora Benet will be spending the summer alone. She initially thought her two best friends, Eli and Liza, and her boyfriend, Noel would be in town for the summer. That was until Eli announced that she would be heading to New York for the youth’s orchestra, Liza is going to Bermuda to spend the summer with her parents and Noel is going to be hiking the Appalachian Trail with his estranged father. It couldn’t get much worse... but it does.
Her mom and dad have cut her off, financially and insist that she will be getting a job this summer. But what Adora thinks is going to be the summer from hell, ends up being a summer to remember!
I have to say that I haven’t read any other books in this series! And I hate to do it, but my library didn’t have the other titles, either did bookswim and I didn’t have the extra cash to buy the first three books. So, I did something that I’ve never done before.... I read a book out of order! But I have to say, I didn’t feel lost at any time and I really enjoyed it! I might just have to find a way to get the first three books, because I would love to read them! Fringe Benefits was funny and entertaining. It had interesting and memorable characters, and a fast paced story line. Frankel’s writing was enjoyable and easy to read. She made me feel like these characters were real people! Adora’s problems aren’t unlike what many teens face and she finds her way through adversity, resulting in the ultimate understanding what makes her, her!
Her mom and dad have cut her off, financially and insist that she will be getting a job this summer. But what Adora thinks is going to be the summer from hell, ends up being a summer to remember!
I have to say that I haven’t read any other books in this series! And I hate to do it, but my library didn’t have the other titles, either did bookswim and I didn’t have the extra cash to buy the first three books. So, I did something that I’ve never done before.... I read a book out of order! But I have to say, I didn’t feel lost at any time and I really enjoyed it! I might just have to find a way to get the first three books, because I would love to read them! Fringe Benefits was funny and entertaining. It had interesting and memorable characters, and a fast paced story line. Frankel’s writing was enjoyable and easy to read. She made me feel like these characters were real people! Adora’s problems aren’t unlike what many teens face and she finds her way through adversity, resulting in the ultimate understanding what makes her, her!
April 16, 2013
Why have more people not read this series? I thought it was really good!!
I didn't like the ending to this one though. Did anyone else feel like this wasn't supposed to be the end of this series? I felt like there should be another book. It felt really open-ended. She was talking about school, and how everything is going to go, what she would do. I felt like that was an opened.. I was hoping for another book, but since it's been about 5 years since this last one, I guess there's no more coming. Sad, but still.. It was a good series. People, read this series. It was awesome! :)
I didn't like the ending to this one though. Did anyone else feel like this wasn't supposed to be the end of this series? I felt like there should be another book. It felt really open-ended. She was talking about school, and how everything is going to go, what she would do. I felt like that was an opened.. I was hoping for another book, but since it's been about 5 years since this last one, I guess there's no more coming. Sad, but still.. It was a good series. People, read this series. It was awesome! :)
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews