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All-American Girl #2
Ready or Not: Siap Atau Tidak
Samantha Madison - si penyelamat Presiden di All-American Girl/Pahlawan Amerika - kembali lagi. Ia tetap suka panik dan cepat menarik keputusan sendiri. Buku ini menceritakan bagaimana sifatnya itu membuat kacau-balau hubungannya dengan sang pacar yang putra presiden, pekerjaan sambilannya di toko penyewaan video, juga hubungannya dengan keluarganya. Pokoknya tidak ada yang namanya hari sepi dalam hidup Samantha Madison!
263 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2005
About the author
Meg Cabot
204 books35.7k followersLibrarian note: AKA Jenny Carroll (1-800-Where-R-You series), AKA Patricia Cabot (historical romance novels).
Meg Cabot was born on February 1, 1967, during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign. Fortunately she grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where few people were aware of the stigma of being a fire horse -- at least until Meg became a teenager, when she flunked freshman Algebra twice, then decided to cut her own bangs. After six years as an undergrad at Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City (in the middle of a sanitation worker strike) to pursue a career as an illustrator, at which she failed miserably, forcing her to turn to her favorite hobby--writing novels--for emotional succor. She worked various jobs to pay the rent, including a decade-long stint as the assistant manager of a 700 bed freshmen dormitory at NYU, a position she still occasionally misses.
She is now the author of nearly fifty books for both adults and teens, selling fifteen million copies worldwide, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, most notably The Princess Diaries series, which is currently being published in over 38 countries, and was made into two hit movies by Disney. In addition, Meg wrote the Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You? series (on which the television series, Missing, was based), two All-American Girl books, Teen Idol, Avalon High, How to Be Popular, Pants on Fire, Jinx, a series of novels written entirely in email format (Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, and Every Boy's Got One), a mystery series (Size 12 Is Not Fat/ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned), and a chick-lit series called Queen of Babble.
Meg is now writing a new children's series called Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls. Her new paranormal series, Abandon, debuts in Summer of 2011.
Meg currently divides her time between Key West, Indiana, and New York City with a primary cat (one-eyed Henrietta), various back-up cats, and her husband, who doesn't know he married a fire horse. Please don't tell him.
Series:
* Airhead
* The Princess Diaries
* Mediator
Meg Cabot was born on February 1, 1967, during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign. Fortunately she grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where few people were aware of the stigma of being a fire horse -- at least until Meg became a teenager, when she flunked freshman Algebra twice, then decided to cut her own bangs. After six years as an undergrad at Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City (in the middle of a sanitation worker strike) to pursue a career as an illustrator, at which she failed miserably, forcing her to turn to her favorite hobby--writing novels--for emotional succor. She worked various jobs to pay the rent, including a decade-long stint as the assistant manager of a 700 bed freshmen dormitory at NYU, a position she still occasionally misses.
She is now the author of nearly fifty books for both adults and teens, selling fifteen million copies worldwide, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, most notably The Princess Diaries series, which is currently being published in over 38 countries, and was made into two hit movies by Disney. In addition, Meg wrote the Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You? series (on which the television series, Missing, was based), two All-American Girl books, Teen Idol, Avalon High, How to Be Popular, Pants on Fire, Jinx, a series of novels written entirely in email format (Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, and Every Boy's Got One), a mystery series (Size 12 Is Not Fat/ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned), and a chick-lit series called Queen of Babble.
Meg is now writing a new children's series called Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls. Her new paranormal series, Abandon, debuts in Summer of 2011.
Meg currently divides her time between Key West, Indiana, and New York City with a primary cat (one-eyed Henrietta), various back-up cats, and her husband, who doesn't know he married a fire horse. Please don't tell him.
Series:
* Airhead
* The Princess Diaries
* Mediator
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 964 reviews
May 11, 2008
Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com
Is this book controversial? You bet! Is it funny! No doubt about it. Is it appropriate reading material for all ages? Depends on what you deem appropriate.
I've read with interest the other reviews for READY OR NOT, Meg Cabot's sequel to All-American Girl. I even agree with a lot of them. But before I start my review, let me remind you of one salient point--this book is a work of FICTION. It was written by a HUMAN who has her OWN views of life. Just as everyone on Amazon isn't going to agree on whether or not abortion is right, or the war in Iraq is necessary, or whether religion should be allowed in public schools, no two people are going to agree on whether or not *SPOILER* Sam should have had sex with her boyfriend at the age of almost seventeen.
That said, I loved the book. I'm a thirty-year-old happily married mother of two, and I still enjoyed Ms. Cabot's individual brand of humor, the trials of being a teenager, and the ability of one person to make a difference in the world.
The Samantha Madison of ALL-AMERICAN GIRL has grown up. She's older, she's dyed her hair because she "needed a change," and she's wondering what to do now that her boyfriend, David, who just happens to be the son of the US President, has invited her to Camp David over Thanksgiving weekend to play "parcheesi."
Sam is all ready reeling--from the realization that she either looks like a cute Ashlee Simpson (her older sister Lucy's comment on the dye job, which is not good) or a dead Joan of Arc (her younger sister Rebecca's comment on the hair, which could be good depending on how you look at it); the fact that "life studies" in art class obviously means "naked people" (really not good that the first naked man you see is a complete stranger); and the knowledge that the President seems to think providing the teens of America birth-control should not be done without their parents approval.
I truly enjoyed READY OR NOT. The message is a powerful one--the sexuality of a person should be based on their maturity, not their age, and that birth-control is a personal decision of the person engaging in sexual activities. That said, however, never once does the book become preachy about teen sexuality. I can understand where some parents might not like having their teenage daughters reading about a sixteen-year-old who decides to have sex with her boyfriend, but I personally would rather have my daughter read a book about a girl who knows what a big decision it is, comes to peace with it in her mind, and seeks out ways to avoid the dangers that are associated with sex no matter what your age--pregnancy and disease--then have her feel ashamed to research her decision.
I think the subject matter was wonderfully handled, and by no means is the entire book about Sam trying to decide whether or not to have sex with David. A lot of reviewers will attempt to make it be so, just because the subject matter is a touchy one. But it's also about Sam wanting to be her own person, not just "the girl who saved the President." It's about learning to love yourself as you are, and understanding the intricacies of your family, and taking important steps in your life to make the world a better place.
Samantha Madison grew up in this book, and that's how it should be. Any parent who thinks their teenager isn't thinking about sex is sadly mistaken--it's just a fact of life. And Meg Cabot presents a wonderful story about the highs and lows of falling in love, of making life-altering decisions, and being the best person you can be.
Is this book controversial? You bet! Is it funny! No doubt about it. Is it appropriate reading material for all ages? Depends on what you deem appropriate.
I've read with interest the other reviews for READY OR NOT, Meg Cabot's sequel to All-American Girl. I even agree with a lot of them. But before I start my review, let me remind you of one salient point--this book is a work of FICTION. It was written by a HUMAN who has her OWN views of life. Just as everyone on Amazon isn't going to agree on whether or not abortion is right, or the war in Iraq is necessary, or whether religion should be allowed in public schools, no two people are going to agree on whether or not *SPOILER* Sam should have had sex with her boyfriend at the age of almost seventeen.
That said, I loved the book. I'm a thirty-year-old happily married mother of two, and I still enjoyed Ms. Cabot's individual brand of humor, the trials of being a teenager, and the ability of one person to make a difference in the world.
The Samantha Madison of ALL-AMERICAN GIRL has grown up. She's older, she's dyed her hair because she "needed a change," and she's wondering what to do now that her boyfriend, David, who just happens to be the son of the US President, has invited her to Camp David over Thanksgiving weekend to play "parcheesi."
Sam is all ready reeling--from the realization that she either looks like a cute Ashlee Simpson (her older sister Lucy's comment on the dye job, which is not good) or a dead Joan of Arc (her younger sister Rebecca's comment on the hair, which could be good depending on how you look at it); the fact that "life studies" in art class obviously means "naked people" (really not good that the first naked man you see is a complete stranger); and the knowledge that the President seems to think providing the teens of America birth-control should not be done without their parents approval.
I truly enjoyed READY OR NOT. The message is a powerful one--the sexuality of a person should be based on their maturity, not their age, and that birth-control is a personal decision of the person engaging in sexual activities. That said, however, never once does the book become preachy about teen sexuality. I can understand where some parents might not like having their teenage daughters reading about a sixteen-year-old who decides to have sex with her boyfriend, but I personally would rather have my daughter read a book about a girl who knows what a big decision it is, comes to peace with it in her mind, and seeks out ways to avoid the dangers that are associated with sex no matter what your age--pregnancy and disease--then have her feel ashamed to research her decision.
I think the subject matter was wonderfully handled, and by no means is the entire book about Sam trying to decide whether or not to have sex with David. A lot of reviewers will attempt to make it be so, just because the subject matter is a touchy one. But it's also about Sam wanting to be her own person, not just "the girl who saved the President." It's about learning to love yourself as you are, and understanding the intricacies of your family, and taking important steps in your life to make the world a better place.
Samantha Madison grew up in this book, and that's how it should be. Any parent who thinks their teenager isn't thinking about sex is sadly mistaken--it's just a fact of life. And Meg Cabot presents a wonderful story about the highs and lows of falling in love, of making life-altering decisions, and being the best person you can be.
May 27, 2019
Wow. So many salty reviews from people because there’s a YA book about a girl who has been dating her boyfriend for over a year and is considering whether to have sex with him or not. I don’t know if it’s just because it’s an older book (first published in 2005) but DAMN. So many angry people that a book dares to go against abstinence only education.
I remember loving this book back when I first read it. It was one of the few YA books I remember that actually talked about sex, contraception, and female masturbation. OH NO. Clutch your pearls now if you haven’t passed out already!!!
This book isn’t explicit, it’s about a girl deciding if she feels ready or not to lose her virginity. She talks to people about it. Her sister buys her condoms and spermicidal foam. They talk about the possible negative consequences. Sam doesn’t take this decision lightly.
I really love how this book was much more political than the first one. Sam uses her platform to speak out against the President’s “Return to Family” initiative. Which of course is some “return to tradition” bullshit that actually wants to take away teen’s access to birth control. Also there’s a subplot about slut shaming, even though it wasn’t called that at the time.
This is by no means a perfect book, it’s definitely a little bit dated by today’s standards. But mostly I think it still holds up pretty well.
I remember loving this book back when I first read it. It was one of the few YA books I remember that actually talked about sex, contraception, and female masturbation. OH NO. Clutch your pearls now if you haven’t passed out already!!!
This book isn’t explicit, it’s about a girl deciding if she feels ready or not to lose her virginity. She talks to people about it. Her sister buys her condoms and spermicidal foam. They talk about the possible negative consequences. Sam doesn’t take this decision lightly.
I really love how this book was much more political than the first one. Sam uses her platform to speak out against the President’s “Return to Family” initiative. Which of course is some “return to tradition” bullshit that actually wants to take away teen’s access to birth control. Also there’s a subplot about slut shaming, even though it wasn’t called that at the time.
This is by no means a perfect book, it’s definitely a little bit dated by today’s standards. But mostly I think it still holds up pretty well.
August 31, 2007
bad sequel to a great book that didn't need a sequel
February 18, 2008
I was so so so disapointed in this book its not even funny! This book not olny was a let down but it angered me too because It sent a terrible message to the millions of young women who read it myself included. I read the book before this one and enjoyed it as a nice light sugar read and so I figured the sequel would be along the same lines but I was shocked and outraged by this books out right support of casual sex. The message any young women would get from reading this book is that there is no reason to wait to have sex and its just meant to be casual and fun. NOT the message that teen girls need to be hearing at all!! My opinion of the Author Meg Cabot has definately been altered forever because of this book and not in a good way at all!
October 6, 2007
Heard not-great things about this one before I read it, but I had liked All American Girl so much that I felt like I needed to give Meg Cabot a shot! I have to say that I'm with the critics on this one. Story and believability are sacrificed by agenda driven theoretical sex education. I could not empathize with Samantha at amu point beyong Chapter 2 or 3 since her conflict is entirely mentally fabricated and could easily have been resolved at any point with some simple communication. While I am all for writing about difficult subjects that are by all means an everyday part of adolescent life, creating believable scenarios and encouraging open communication in relationships would be a much better resolution to this reader than clarification sex.
A very disappointing follow up to an fun, relatable, and enjoyable original.
A very disappointing follow up to an fun, relatable, and enjoyable original.
August 27, 2019
2.5 stars
Not bad.
But I wished it was better than the first one.
Many of the reviews were negative since the book was all about sex. But then again, this is a young-adult book so that won't be a big issue for me.
I think the ending should have been more descriptive.
Not bad.
But I wished it was better than the first one.
Many of the reviews were negative since the book was all about sex. But then again, this is a young-adult book so that won't be a big issue for me.
I think the ending should have been more descriptive.
August 24, 2015
2.5
Okay so in this book, I wanted to straight up kill Sam.
This whole entire book is her debating with herself whether or not she was ready for sex, and it was a misunderstanding between her and her boyfriend David.
He invited Sam to join him and his family at Camp David for Thanksgiving break to spend time together and play games.
Samantha immediately jumped to the conclusion that the board game Parcheesi was a code word for sex or something.
So throughout the entire book, she's flipping back and forth between yes and no.
In fact, this entire book could have been a short story! It's literally just many extra chapters of Sam being a dumb-face devoted to making me go bald due to having pulled all my hair out from frustration.
Literally I was like shoot me now and clenching my teeth. I was so annoyed!
She could have just TALKED to David instead of assuming and wasting everyone's time!
And she just kept on jumping to conclusions. *rolls eyes* God you IDIOT!
At least she confided in Lucy. I liked her more in this book! Any yay, she got rid of Jack. Her crush on that nerd was really cute. Ans she stood up for Sam! So awesome!
Rebecca is still weird.
Also there were wayyy too many "top tens".
Blegh.
Okay so in this book, I wanted to straight up kill Sam.
This whole entire book is her debating with herself whether or not she was ready for sex, and it was a misunderstanding between her and her boyfriend David.
He invited Sam to join him and his family at Camp David for Thanksgiving break to spend time together and play games.
Samantha immediately jumped to the conclusion that the board game Parcheesi was a code word for sex or something.
So throughout the entire book, she's flipping back and forth between yes and no.
In fact, this entire book could have been a short story! It's literally just many extra chapters of Sam being a dumb-face devoted to making me go bald due to having pulled all my hair out from frustration.
Literally I was like shoot me now and clenching my teeth. I was so annoyed!
She could have just TALKED to David instead of assuming and wasting everyone's time!
And she just kept on jumping to conclusions. *rolls eyes* God you IDIOT!
At least she confided in Lucy. I liked her more in this book! Any yay, she got rid of Jack. Her crush on that nerd was really cute. Ans she stood up for Sam! So awesome!
Rebecca is still weird.
Also there were wayyy too many "top tens".
Blegh.
Did Not Finish
September 1, 2023DNF po 60 stronie. Czytanie tego to katorga, a ja aż tyle złego w życiu nie zrobiłam.
October 17, 2020
Woohoo, finished this duology!
Ready or Not was a pretty quick book to breeze through. While I enjoyed the first book, the sequel just didn't make sense to me. It just kind of felt like a filler and pretty unnecessary. I also got really annoyed by all the repetitiveness throughout the book. Maybe it would've been better if Sam was more grown up about certain situations.. but alas, she wasn't.
In the end, I tried and I'm glad that I eventually finished both books.
Ready or Not was a pretty quick book to breeze through. While I enjoyed the first book, the sequel just didn't make sense to me. It just kind of felt like a filler and pretty unnecessary. I also got really annoyed by all the repetitiveness throughout the book. Maybe it would've been better if Sam was more grown up about certain situations.. but alas, she wasn't.
In the end, I tried and I'm glad that I eventually finished both books.
September 17, 2008
I really was not expecting this book to address the issues that it did, so that was a pleasant surprise. Unlike many reviewers I've seen, I did not mind that our main character, Samantha, has grown up a year since the events of the first book. That was refreshing and realistic. And I didn't mind the sex part either--but what really bothered me was the ending, where she does decide to have sex with him. Ironically, I had been rooting for that the whole book through, but the way it happened was just so... agh.
I mean, Sam spends the entire novel agonizing over whether or not to have sex with her boyfriend, thinking when he invites her to spend the weekend away with his family he means they'll be intimate together. Up until that point they have not even been naked with each other. So when the time comes, Sam thinks she's going to have to turn him down since she's decided she's not ready. But in the end... they wind up having sex.
WHAT?!
That came out of freaking NOWHERE!! Up until that point Sam had been saying she was going to say no to him. Then all of a sudden she does it anyway!? And the worst part of it is, we have no idea why! We get NO insight into her thoughts or motivations on that matter. Based on what she says to other characters later, what happens that night is that they have sex and she loses her virginity, and probably not much else, because she reveals she didn't get off herself.
First of all, I just want to say that this is totally ridiculous. Two virgins who have not even seen each other naked get intimate for the first time, and sex happens. Really? REALLY?? Two virgins? You think they'd both be so worked up and nervous about having sex that they'd start out with something a little more basic, and then WORK UP to sex. I mean, that's a really healthy progression; much less pressure and much less stress. But, no. They just go right ahead and do it as if there aren't ANY other activities they could be involved in. And that's another thing that bugs me; Meg Cabot holding up the old cliche that penetrative vaginal sex is THE sex, the only sex, and that's just not fair to girls, who often do not get off from that alone (another fact that isn't brought up). I mean, she doesn't mention anything else the whole novel through.
The worst part, though, is how Sam behaves afterwards. We don't get any insight into her thoughts through her narration, we only get a conversation with her sister and a conversation with a co-worker that tells us what happened with her boyfriend that night. The conversation with her sister only reveals to us that they did it and that she didn't come (they discuss other details but they aren't spelled out in the text), and the conversation with the co-worker reveals that Sam had fun. Oh? How did she have so much fun if all that happened is she was penetrated for the very first time (which had to have hurt), and didn't even get to come herself? Especially after she was so nervous the entire book about losing her virginity, there's no way she could all of a sudden magically unwind enough to enjoy it.
Furthermore, I really resent that she doesn't give any confessions to the reader in her narration, like "Okay, so it did hurt a little" or "You know, I actually don't feel all that different; I'm not sure what the fuss was about." But no. Apparently, it was perfect and dream-fulfilling, since she never tells us otherwise.
The reason I'm so upset that nothing was spelled out is because this book is for teenagers! A lot of whom may be contemplating losing their virginity sometime sooner or later, and may be looking to this book as an indicator of what it will be like. And according to this book, it's no trouble at all, with no pain to speak of, and "fun" the first time. Um, try fairly complicated, at least a LITTLE bit painful no matter what, and somewhat awkward (which is not to say there aren't positive aspects too, but to focus ONLY on them?).
I'm not saying a first time can't be perfect and magical and easy and totally painless, I'm sure that occurs on rare occasions--but those are RARE occasions, NOT the norm. It's really just giving unfair, unrealistic expectations, and I would expect more from Meg Cabot. Mostly, I just resent being shut out of Sam's thought processes after the most important event in the whole book, when we've been privy to them all up until that point.
Meg Cabot... I really expected better!
I mean, Sam spends the entire novel agonizing over whether or not to have sex with her boyfriend, thinking when he invites her to spend the weekend away with his family he means they'll be intimate together. Up until that point they have not even been naked with each other. So when the time comes, Sam thinks she's going to have to turn him down since she's decided she's not ready. But in the end... they wind up having sex.
WHAT?!
That came out of freaking NOWHERE!! Up until that point Sam had been saying she was going to say no to him. Then all of a sudden she does it anyway!? And the worst part of it is, we have no idea why! We get NO insight into her thoughts or motivations on that matter. Based on what she says to other characters later, what happens that night is that they have sex and she loses her virginity, and probably not much else, because she reveals she didn't get off herself.
First of all, I just want to say that this is totally ridiculous. Two virgins who have not even seen each other naked get intimate for the first time, and sex happens. Really? REALLY?? Two virgins? You think they'd both be so worked up and nervous about having sex that they'd start out with something a little more basic, and then WORK UP to sex. I mean, that's a really healthy progression; much less pressure and much less stress. But, no. They just go right ahead and do it as if there aren't ANY other activities they could be involved in. And that's another thing that bugs me; Meg Cabot holding up the old cliche that penetrative vaginal sex is THE sex, the only sex, and that's just not fair to girls, who often do not get off from that alone (another fact that isn't brought up). I mean, she doesn't mention anything else the whole novel through.
The worst part, though, is how Sam behaves afterwards. We don't get any insight into her thoughts through her narration, we only get a conversation with her sister and a conversation with a co-worker that tells us what happened with her boyfriend that night. The conversation with her sister only reveals to us that they did it and that she didn't come (they discuss other details but they aren't spelled out in the text), and the conversation with the co-worker reveals that Sam had fun. Oh? How did she have so much fun if all that happened is she was penetrated for the very first time (which had to have hurt), and didn't even get to come herself? Especially after she was so nervous the entire book about losing her virginity, there's no way she could all of a sudden magically unwind enough to enjoy it.
Furthermore, I really resent that she doesn't give any confessions to the reader in her narration, like "Okay, so it did hurt a little" or "You know, I actually don't feel all that different; I'm not sure what the fuss was about." But no. Apparently, it was perfect and dream-fulfilling, since she never tells us otherwise.
The reason I'm so upset that nothing was spelled out is because this book is for teenagers! A lot of whom may be contemplating losing their virginity sometime sooner or later, and may be looking to this book as an indicator of what it will be like. And according to this book, it's no trouble at all, with no pain to speak of, and "fun" the first time. Um, try fairly complicated, at least a LITTLE bit painful no matter what, and somewhat awkward (which is not to say there aren't positive aspects too, but to focus ONLY on them?).
I'm not saying a first time can't be perfect and magical and easy and totally painless, I'm sure that occurs on rare occasions--but those are RARE occasions, NOT the norm. It's really just giving unfair, unrealistic expectations, and I would expect more from Meg Cabot. Mostly, I just resent being shut out of Sam's thought processes after the most important event in the whole book, when we've been privy to them all up until that point.
Meg Cabot... I really expected better!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2009
I don't like it when authors push an agenda, especially in young adult books. to me, this book was all about a young girl deciding when to lose her virginity. i'm not promoting censorship, but this book does not have a good direction for its audience. with parents unaware of activities, an older sibling willing to purchase contraceptive, and the professions of the two children being 'in love', why would any young reader not think this is acceptable, and even desirable? the girl is 16, her boyfriend slightly older, and it follows that readers of this book could be even younger. i think there is a burden of responsibility on the author to be more careful in choosing subject matter for books that are marketed to impressionable young people. teens are already bombarded with sexual influence in the media.
March 9, 2011
I don't understand all the bad reviews about this book. Most justifies the one star they grant it by the "wrong" sexual topics for teens the book contains.
Well, what a bunch of prudes.
I was really scared about this book when I started reading it because of these said reviews. And I'm not going to lie that I was a bit surprised by the open, blunt sexual content I found right from the beginning. But it was not "wrong", or too explicit for teens. It was all right.
And furthermore, most of the other bad reviews about this book were structured around the fact that sex DOES change a relationship, mostly for the worse. Which is what the book denies.
I'm not going to say that I'm apt to disagree or agree here, since I have never been in a serious, long relationship (Yes, I, too, do not know what is wrong with me), but, in my opinion, the book was real fun. And I had some good laughs.
The only sad point I am left to comment here is that in this particular book (the first one for me, as I have a shelf in my room totally devoted to Meg Cabot) she has this habit of bad-mouthing celebrities, which I did not think was so nice. I mean, what's the poit? What did John Mayer, Brittany Murphy and Britney Spears ever do to her? I'll bet she particularly regretted the Brittany Murphy remarks some years later.
Well, what a bunch of prudes.
I was really scared about this book when I started reading it because of these said reviews. And I'm not going to lie that I was a bit surprised by the open, blunt sexual content I found right from the beginning. But it was not "wrong", or too explicit for teens. It was all right.
And furthermore, most of the other bad reviews about this book were structured around the fact that sex DOES change a relationship, mostly for the worse. Which is what the book denies.
I'm not going to say that I'm apt to disagree or agree here, since I have never been in a serious, long relationship (Yes, I, too, do not know what is wrong with me), but, in my opinion, the book was real fun. And I had some good laughs.
The only sad point I am left to comment here is that in this particular book (the first one for me, as I have a shelf in my room totally devoted to Meg Cabot) she has this habit of bad-mouthing celebrities, which I did not think was so nice. I mean, what's the poit? What did John Mayer, Brittany Murphy and Britney Spears ever do to her? I'll bet she particularly regretted the Brittany Murphy remarks some years later.
September 22, 2017
This book, in retrospect, actually had a huge influence on me as a 16-year-old growing up in conservative Christianity
Like it's all about sex positivity, it has a subplot about slut-shaming, our heroine goes to bat for teenage access to birth control, AND there's a scene with in-depth female masturbation instructions
Like it's all about sex positivity, it has a subplot about slut-shaming, our heroine goes to bat for teenage access to birth control, AND there's a scene with in-depth female masturbation instructions
October 30, 2011
Is it a bad thing I'm not surprised by all the bad reviews?
Anyone?
Ok.... maybe not such a bad thing. So I downloaded All American Girl: Ready or Not when I was looking for something new to listen to while I was at work. I personally prefer to listen to books when I'm at work because music ends up being a distraction and I inevitably start dancing in my chair... which is always a bad thing in my case. So, I downloaded this one, remembering how much I liked All American Girl when I first read it.
The story follows Sam Maddison's life after she saves the president. Roughly a year has passed since the end of the first book and our favourite red-head is enjoying her relationship with now boyfriend David. After dying her hair black, Sam's life takes an interesting turn when David invites her to spend Thanksgiving with his family, which she of course interprets as him wanting to have sex with her. Oh, and there's also this new initiative the president is introducing.
I dunno about the reviewers who hated the book because of the whole 'sex is good' thing, but that's what I liked about it. This is a novel aimed at teenagers which presents sex in a positive light, while dealing with issues like contraception and female sexual pleasure. I was a little shocked at first because this was a book written by an American... but on the whole I really liked how Cabot presented the issue. Not to mention she also touches on the whole Abstinence movement and provides statistics as to why it's not the best method of sex-ed. I was thoroughly impressed.
I also felt Sam read as a realistic teenage girl, which further endeared me to the book. She was whiny, a bit self-righteous and a little bitchy. The supporting cast was also a treat. Lucy in particular got some lovely development and a sweet little side-plot with her SAT tutor. Not to mention the 'slut-solidarity' thing. I loved that little scene. A bit preachy and contrived, but God I loved it. Miss Cabot handled the bullying instances very well, which is always a very good thing in my books.
Props also have to go to the narrator of the book: Caroline McCormic (if the spelling is wrong please let me know!). Her narration just made the text come alive for me.
So... big question time: Would I reccomend this book to anyone?
Yes, yes I would.
Maybe it's because I'm Australian and the whole abstinence thing isn't big down here, but the teen-sex thing really didn't bother me.
Anyone?
Ok.... maybe not such a bad thing. So I downloaded All American Girl: Ready or Not when I was looking for something new to listen to while I was at work. I personally prefer to listen to books when I'm at work because music ends up being a distraction and I inevitably start dancing in my chair... which is always a bad thing in my case. So, I downloaded this one, remembering how much I liked All American Girl when I first read it.
The story follows Sam Maddison's life after she saves the president. Roughly a year has passed since the end of the first book and our favourite red-head is enjoying her relationship with now boyfriend David. After dying her hair black, Sam's life takes an interesting turn when David invites her to spend Thanksgiving with his family, which she of course interprets as him wanting to have sex with her. Oh, and there's also this new initiative the president is introducing.
I dunno about the reviewers who hated the book because of the whole 'sex is good' thing, but that's what I liked about it. This is a novel aimed at teenagers which presents sex in a positive light, while dealing with issues like contraception and female sexual pleasure. I was a little shocked at first because this was a book written by an American... but on the whole I really liked how Cabot presented the issue. Not to mention she also touches on the whole Abstinence movement and provides statistics as to why it's not the best method of sex-ed. I was thoroughly impressed.
I also felt Sam read as a realistic teenage girl, which further endeared me to the book. She was whiny, a bit self-righteous and a little bitchy. The supporting cast was also a treat. Lucy in particular got some lovely development and a sweet little side-plot with her SAT tutor. Not to mention the 'slut-solidarity' thing. I loved that little scene. A bit preachy and contrived, but God I loved it. Miss Cabot handled the bullying instances very well, which is always a very good thing in my books.
Props also have to go to the narrator of the book: Caroline McCormic (if the spelling is wrong please let me know!). Her narration just made the text come alive for me.
So... big question time: Would I reccomend this book to anyone?
Yes, yes I would.
Maybe it's because I'm Australian and the whole abstinence thing isn't big down here, but the teen-sex thing really didn't bother me.
October 18, 2009
Very disappointed in the way sex is addressed in this novel. The writing is juvenile and the main characters easily swayed in their "ideals". This character goes to such lengths to make statements about her political views and her individuality that the entire books just seems contrived. I quickly read this one by the way, skipping through boring and unnecessary dialogue and chanting in my head "shes going to make a mature choice, she going to grow up and decide to wait". But alas, she succumbs to the pressure of her peers and her hormones convincing herself it's her body and her choice. The "abstinence advocate group" is depicted as judgmental and cruel. I mean like....why should you wait...like....everyone is doing it. I hope that if my daughters choose to read this some day that they will see it for the ridiculous fiction it really is. I don't care what Meg Cabot says, sex does change a relationship and if you have to convince yourself you are ready........YOU AREN'T READY. This concludes my daily rant. Please join me for further frustration later in the week!
March 22, 2009
So I was just telling my husband last night how much I like Meg Cabot's YA books b/c they don't have cussing and sex in them. Boy, was I WRONG!!! So I liked All American Girl, but this sequel has something to be desired of. The WHOLE book is focused around Samantha (the main character) trying to decided if she's "Ready or Not" to have sex with her boyfriend (the President's son) because she THINKS he indicated that he wanted to when he never really did. So during the whole debate she talks to her sister about it and she advises her to "practice on herself" in the bathtub and then she says how much she did practice and then ends the book with talking about how she, and i quote, "jumped his bones."
This is definitely NOT a good book for teens. I mean, that's what the WHOLE book was about. I'm just sad that I again wasted my time reading it!
This is definitely NOT a good book for teens. I mean, that's what the WHOLE book was about. I'm just sad that I again wasted my time reading it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2024
i did NOT have high hopes for this book after All American Girl- in fact i put off reading it for almost a year… ☹️
but this series has redeemed itself! sam was wayyyyy less annoying in this book so there’s that.
i’m glad she finally got over her sisters gross boyfriend and was #commited to david (what a dreamboat by the way 😛 he’s all i could ask for as a 17 year old girl- i am a 17 year old girl if that wasn’t clear).
and even though all that was good i think the best part was sams relationship with her sister, lucy. in the first book and even the start of this book, sam was a #hater when it came to lucy but as the book progressed i really enjoyed seeing how their relationship improved and sam realizing that lucy
isn’t all that bad they just have different likes and interests.
also lucy and that nerdy kid!!! so cute, she deserves him after that gross little jack.
but this series has redeemed itself! sam was wayyyyy less annoying in this book so there’s that.
i’m glad she finally got over her sisters gross boyfriend and was #commited to david (what a dreamboat by the way 😛 he’s all i could ask for as a 17 year old girl- i am a 17 year old girl if that wasn’t clear).
and even though all that was good i think the best part was sams relationship with her sister, lucy. in the first book and even the start of this book, sam was a #hater when it came to lucy but as the book progressed i really enjoyed seeing how their relationship improved and sam realizing that lucy
isn’t all that bad they just have different likes and interests.
also lucy and that nerdy kid!!! so cute, she deserves him after that gross little jack.
March 28, 2015
Sigh…
To be honest, I had no plans on reviewing this one until I started reviewing the first (see introduction).
Was it as horrible as I remembered?
Well, yes and no. I didn’t like how blatant it was essentially a sex ed book. But at the same time I can’t completely fault it for trying to give out relevant information for teens who’s sex ed classes pretty much consisted of having sex will make you go to hell.
Then I guess that means everyone’s birth parents are going to hell.
I digress.
Ready or Not came out roughly ten or so years ago, when Conservative Christians were the bread and butter of the Republican party. Lots of measures that are now found by mainstream America to be appalling were considered a-okay. And honestly, some of these measures still exist-i.e. taking away a woman’s right to choose. While Ready or Not doesn’t exactly go in that direction (thank God), it does discuss the whole birth control issue. And it’s the first book to address the annoying trope known as slut slamming.
Grant it, it was done in an over the top and cringe worthy way.
Might I just add, I really, really, hate message books.
Even ten years ago, when I was a member of the targeted audience this is the sort of thing that drove me insane. Now, I just rolled my eyes throughout the reading experience.
And to be frank, it was like Cabot phoned this one in. I think I read somewhere that originally this story was conceived as a Lucy centric companion sequel (however, upon looking for the blog entry where I think Meg mentions it, it looks to be scraped or I just imagined reading it).
That would’ve been awesome.
But people whined and we got this sorry sequel.
I’m sorry, but I did not care to listen about Sam complain about how everyone doesn’t like her sorry dye job and how she obsesses in a Mia Thermopolis type of way about having sex.
It’s just boring.
Lucy is a character I wanted to explore more. And I couldn’t even really get into her side romance with Harold because it was pushed to the side for moaning about Ebony Midnight Whisper Hair Dye.
My advice with this one, unless you’re inanely curious skip it. I’ll only be recommending it for those assholes who frequently use the slut slamming trope.
To be honest, I had no plans on reviewing this one until I started reviewing the first (see introduction).
Was it as horrible as I remembered?
Well, yes and no. I didn’t like how blatant it was essentially a sex ed book. But at the same time I can’t completely fault it for trying to give out relevant information for teens who’s sex ed classes pretty much consisted of having sex will make you go to hell.
Then I guess that means everyone’s birth parents are going to hell.
I digress.
Ready or Not came out roughly ten or so years ago, when Conservative Christians were the bread and butter of the Republican party. Lots of measures that are now found by mainstream America to be appalling were considered a-okay. And honestly, some of these measures still exist-i.e. taking away a woman’s right to choose. While Ready or Not doesn’t exactly go in that direction (thank God), it does discuss the whole birth control issue. And it’s the first book to address the annoying trope known as slut slamming.
Grant it, it was done in an over the top and cringe worthy way.
Might I just add, I really, really, hate message books.
Even ten years ago, when I was a member of the targeted audience this is the sort of thing that drove me insane. Now, I just rolled my eyes throughout the reading experience.
And to be frank, it was like Cabot phoned this one in. I think I read somewhere that originally this story was conceived as a Lucy centric companion sequel (however, upon looking for the blog entry where I think Meg mentions it, it looks to be scraped or I just imagined reading it).
That would’ve been awesome.
But people whined and we got this sorry sequel.
I’m sorry, but I did not care to listen about Sam complain about how everyone doesn’t like her sorry dye job and how she obsesses in a Mia Thermopolis type of way about having sex.
It’s just boring.
Lucy is a character I wanted to explore more. And I couldn’t even really get into her side romance with Harold because it was pushed to the side for moaning about Ebony Midnight Whisper Hair Dye.
My advice with this one, unless you’re inanely curious skip it. I’ll only be recommending it for those assholes who frequently use the slut slamming trope.
January 11, 2012
OMG SHE HAS SEX! I can't believe this happens in a YA book! And i love this book for that very reason. I remember the first time I read it i was so so incredulous. This time i read all the bad reviews first, so i thought my surprise hid some of it's flaws. IT DID NOT! I think some of the haters have never read meg cabot books before and perhaps have never been teenagers. First, all of meg cabot's characters talk that way, get over it. secondly, this was entirely her own decision, there was no thought of doing it to please her boyfriend or because he wanted her to. He had no idea, actually, he couldn't pressure her because she mistakenly thought he brought it up.
I think the anti-sex people would have hated it no matter what because she has sex. so, if a character in a YA book has sex, what should it look like? I guess their answer is a tale of woe, where she gets a VD and dies (yes, the bible thumpers still call them VDs.) so the real question is how to do it right?
I think she should think about it for a while, not just make a quick decision at a party. she should have gone out with the guy for at least a year and make her decision independent of how much he wants to. She should consult older people she trusts, masturbate to know her body first, and use two forms of birth control. I think sam lost her virginity just right! thanks for the good advice, meg cabot!
I think the anti-sex people would have hated it no matter what because she has sex. so, if a character in a YA book has sex, what should it look like? I guess their answer is a tale of woe, where she gets a VD and dies (yes, the bible thumpers still call them VDs.) so the real question is how to do it right?
I think she should think about it for a while, not just make a quick decision at a party. she should have gone out with the guy for at least a year and make her decision independent of how much he wants to. She should consult older people she trusts, masturbate to know her body first, and use two forms of birth control. I think sam lost her virginity just right! thanks for the good advice, meg cabot!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2008
Puke-tastic and vomitrocious. That's about it. Awful, trashy piece of filth. Should have known, and thankfully I got rid of it after realizing that it wasn't going anywhere but in one direction. The entire freaking novel was fixated on sexual intercourse and the potentiality of said action between two characters. Utterly inspid and tasteless. That does not count as literature, though maybe a one hundred and twenty-third rate rag would publish it. Also, this sort of book makes up a large portion of "literature" in America, whether it is classified as teen, YA, romance, sci-fi/ fantasy, mystery/ crime or something else. Makes you want to scream in frustration.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2015
Habe ich mich immer aufgeregt über Samantha. Wiederholend (bis zum kaum aushalten) Panik schieben anstatt einfach mit ihrem superboyfriend David zu sprechen. Lucy ist doch eindeutig die coolere der beiden!
October 2, 2018
70 points/100 (3 ¾ stars/5)
So, this entire book is about a young woman thinking that her boyfriend might want to have sex with her, and freaking out about it. As an adult, I find this utterly ridiculous. Had I read this as a young adult before I had sex? I probably would have found it less so. That said, this is a very sensitive topic that was handled very well by Meg Cabot. She covered a lot of nuances quickly but with meaning and were very impactful. I hope this book managed to help a lot of teenager figure out how they want to handle the topic.
So, this entire book is about a young woman thinking that her boyfriend might want to have sex with her, and freaking out about it. As an adult, I find this utterly ridiculous. Had I read this as a young adult before I had sex? I probably would have found it less so. That said, this is a very sensitive topic that was handled very well by Meg Cabot. She covered a lot of nuances quickly but with meaning and were very impactful. I hope this book managed to help a lot of teenager figure out how they want to handle the topic.
May 30, 2011
Review from 1/4/2025:
This sequel to All-American Girl has mature themes
The All-American Girl duology consists of All-American Girl (AAG), originally published in 2002, and this sequel, Ready or Not, originally published in 2005. A year has passed since the events at the end of AAG, and Samantha Madison is now a 16-year-old junior, who has for the past year been dating David, the son of the President of the United States. He is currently 17 years old and a high school senior. Their lives are very busy, and they only manage to see each other infrequently for dates which are always supervised because there are Secret Service agents with David at all times. However, David calls Sam multiple times a day, and they are very much in love.
It is not only the lack of opportunity that has meant that Sam and David have not progressed sexually past kissing and mild groping above the waist. Even if they had the privacy available to become more adventurous, they are both virgins and Sam, especially, is enormously naïve and prudish. In that regard, she could not be more different than her 17-year-old sister, Lucy, who is a beautiful, outgoing, very popular cheerleader, who dated her boyfriend, Jack (a significant subcharacter in AAG), for several years, and who, Sam is completely convinced, was blithely sexually active with him. Their parents are both extremely busy professionals, who are hardly ever home, and the two girls, and their 12-year-old, genius-IQ, precocious, younger sister, Rebecca, have been de facto raised by their conservative, bossy, Latina nanny/cook/housekeeper.
The totality of the central conflict of this story consists of Samantha endlessly angsting over the decision as to whether she is “ready or not” to have intercourse with David over Thanksgiving. He has invited her to spend the holiday with him and his parents at Camp David, and she somehow gets it into her head, on the day he first issues the invitation, that because she will be staying overnight, this must somehow inevitably mean that David is inviting her solely so that they can consummate their relationship. David never actually says anything remotely suggesting that he is after sex, but Sam has a bad habit of constantly attributing thoughts and motivations to other people, not just David, without ever attempting to test the accuracy of her assumptions by direct conversation. Instead, she treats her wild guesses as if they are revelations from above and infallibly correct. Thus, the entire romantic conflict between her and David during the totality of this book involves a huge misunderstanding that one brief, rational conversation could have instantly cleared up. That conversation takes forever to actually happen, because Sam spends a huge amount of time avoiding David because she is too priggish to discuss sex with him. When Lucy springs a discussion of safe-sex and masturbation on Sam, she practically has the vapors, like a Victorian maiden.
There is also a lot of slut-shaming that goes on in this book, primarily at the hands of a classic Mean Girl, whose disgraceful bullying goes on far too long. Sam passes up multiple chances to confront the MG when she slut-shames other girls, and when the MG finally slut-shames Sam herself, instead of showing enough personal growth to open her mouth and speak up, the author continues to leave Sam voiceless, instead employing Lucy to do the hard work of confrontation on Sam’s behalf, as a deus ex machina. The structure of this big climax scene could be described, in the positive, as an “homage” to the climax scene from the Kevin Kline movie from 1997, In and Out. Or one could see it, less charitably, as a direct copy.
The main source of the attempts at humor in this chick lit novel resides in another strong cinematic echo, in this case, the sex-farce films of the late 1950s and early-to-mid-1960s, in which there's a whole lot of sexual innuendo, with sex consistently presented as something shameful that only wicked unmarried people indulge in, without anybody ever actually having sex. For example, Pillow Talk of 1959 with Doris Day and Rock Hudson and Don't Make Waves of 1967 with Tony Curtis and Claudia Cardinale.
Unfortunately, this book is not as endearingly humorous as AAG. It also shows its age in several major ways: no social media, few cell phones, and frequent outdated references to TV shows, movies, and then-famous teen musicians and actors, who are currently middle aged, and whom most adolescents of this and future eras will have difficulty imagining as worthy of worship, if they even know who they are at all.
I experienced this novel in audiobook format, narrated by the talented actor, Ariadne Meyers. Unlike far too many narrators of YA novels, she has avoided the pitfall of portraying the female, teen protagonist as incessantly, petulantly whining. Instead, she succeeds in making Samantha a far less unsympathetic protagonist throughout the story by artfully varying her intonation to express a variety of moods for Sam. Ms. Meyers has also done a great job portraying both female and male characters, of all ages.
This sequel to All-American Girl has mature themes
The All-American Girl duology consists of All-American Girl (AAG), originally published in 2002, and this sequel, Ready or Not, originally published in 2005. A year has passed since the events at the end of AAG, and Samantha Madison is now a 16-year-old junior, who has for the past year been dating David, the son of the President of the United States. He is currently 17 years old and a high school senior. Their lives are very busy, and they only manage to see each other infrequently for dates which are always supervised because there are Secret Service agents with David at all times. However, David calls Sam multiple times a day, and they are very much in love.
It is not only the lack of opportunity that has meant that Sam and David have not progressed sexually past kissing and mild groping above the waist. Even if they had the privacy available to become more adventurous, they are both virgins and Sam, especially, is enormously naïve and prudish. In that regard, she could not be more different than her 17-year-old sister, Lucy, who is a beautiful, outgoing, very popular cheerleader, who dated her boyfriend, Jack (a significant subcharacter in AAG), for several years, and who, Sam is completely convinced, was blithely sexually active with him. Their parents are both extremely busy professionals, who are hardly ever home, and the two girls, and their 12-year-old, genius-IQ, precocious, younger sister, Rebecca, have been de facto raised by their conservative, bossy, Latina nanny/cook/housekeeper.
The totality of the central conflict of this story consists of Samantha endlessly angsting over the decision as to whether she is “ready or not” to have intercourse with David over Thanksgiving. He has invited her to spend the holiday with him and his parents at Camp David, and she somehow gets it into her head, on the day he first issues the invitation, that because she will be staying overnight, this must somehow inevitably mean that David is inviting her solely so that they can consummate their relationship. David never actually says anything remotely suggesting that he is after sex, but Sam has a bad habit of constantly attributing thoughts and motivations to other people, not just David, without ever attempting to test the accuracy of her assumptions by direct conversation. Instead, she treats her wild guesses as if they are revelations from above and infallibly correct. Thus, the entire romantic conflict between her and David during the totality of this book involves a huge misunderstanding that one brief, rational conversation could have instantly cleared up. That conversation takes forever to actually happen, because Sam spends a huge amount of time avoiding David because she is too priggish to discuss sex with him. When Lucy springs a discussion of safe-sex and masturbation on Sam, she practically has the vapors, like a Victorian maiden.
There is also a lot of slut-shaming that goes on in this book, primarily at the hands of a classic Mean Girl, whose disgraceful bullying goes on far too long. Sam passes up multiple chances to confront the MG when she slut-shames other girls, and when the MG finally slut-shames Sam herself, instead of showing enough personal growth to open her mouth and speak up, the author continues to leave Sam voiceless, instead employing Lucy to do the hard work of confrontation on Sam’s behalf, as a deus ex machina. The structure of this big climax scene could be described, in the positive, as an “homage” to the climax scene from the Kevin Kline movie from 1997, In and Out. Or one could see it, less charitably, as a direct copy.
The main source of the attempts at humor in this chick lit novel resides in another strong cinematic echo, in this case, the sex-farce films of the late 1950s and early-to-mid-1960s, in which there's a whole lot of sexual innuendo, with sex consistently presented as something shameful that only wicked unmarried people indulge in, without anybody ever actually having sex. For example, Pillow Talk of 1959 with Doris Day and Rock Hudson and Don't Make Waves of 1967 with Tony Curtis and Claudia Cardinale.
Unfortunately, this book is not as endearingly humorous as AAG. It also shows its age in several major ways: no social media, few cell phones, and frequent outdated references to TV shows, movies, and then-famous teen musicians and actors, who are currently middle aged, and whom most adolescents of this and future eras will have difficulty imagining as worthy of worship, if they even know who they are at all.
I experienced this novel in audiobook format, narrated by the talented actor, Ariadne Meyers. Unlike far too many narrators of YA novels, she has avoided the pitfall of portraying the female, teen protagonist as incessantly, petulantly whining. Instead, she succeeds in making Samantha a far less unsympathetic protagonist throughout the story by artfully varying her intonation to express a variety of moods for Sam. Ms. Meyers has also done a great job portraying both female and male characters, of all ages.
December 24, 2011
This book was terrible. The whole book basically revolves around Samantha's misinterpretations of her boyfriend David's intentions when he invited her to go away overnight with him and his parents (his father's the president). Samantha was an annoying protagonist for many reasons, one of them being how oblivious she is to everything and how she always thinks everything David says has to do with sex. For instance, David says his mom needs to know if Samantha can go with them to Camp David, because she needs to know what size of turkey to buy. Samantha interprets this as him asking about buying "rubbers". Also, Samantha continually uses the term "I mean". She just adds it into the majority of her sentences, even though it is often unnecessary. At the end, David's intentions are clearly innocent, and not at all what Samantha thinks.
I just can't think of anything good about the protagonist. On the other hand, some of the subplots were more interesting than the main plot. For instance, Lucy and Harold were actually far more interesting to learn about than Samantha.
I really was disappointed with this book and how it promotes that sex is "casual".
I would not recommend it.
I just can't think of anything good about the protagonist. On the other hand, some of the subplots were more interesting than the main plot. For instance, Lucy and Harold were actually far more interesting to learn about than Samantha.
I really was disappointed with this book and how it promotes that sex is "casual".
I would not recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2020
I still say that if you can't even say 'sex' when talking about sex then you're not ready to have it. This book was entertaining enough but it's so very bubblegum. I don't love that Samantha couldn't stand her hair so much that she dyed it black and cut it but that's her choice! There were only a few cringey moments in this book and I enjoyed Samantha and David's relationship. I'm surprised at how much I liked Lucy in this book. She's a good big sister.
February 19, 2008
I liked this book, but it wasn't as good as the first book. It's still a good and funny book, but the whole thing is basically about sex--it doesn't have much of a plot. Then, I expected the end to be more moralistic, but it was just like "And then we had sex. The end." It was kind of weird, like Meg Cabot didn't know how to end the book.
January 27, 2022
Znacie ten typ książki, gdzie bohaterowie trwają w permanentnym „złym zrozumieniu siebie nawzajem” i wystarczyłaby JEDNA minuta, JEDNO pytanie, które by wszystko naprawiło?
Tak, oto jedna z tych pozycji.
Szkoda, cholernie zmarnowany potencjał po 1 tomie.
Tak, oto jedna z tych pozycji.
Szkoda, cholernie zmarnowany potencjał po 1 tomie.
April 13, 2025
Another trip down memory lane. This book was my Sex Ed. It was more informative and understanding than my abstinence only health class. What fun it was to read this as an adult. Other than the pop culture references like PDAs, Americas Next Top Model, etc. it totally holds up.
September 1, 2024
This book has aged so well and should be required reading for all the tweens
I also can’t believe I’ve read two books this year called “Ready or Not”
I also can’t believe I’ve read two books this year called “Ready or Not”
December 26, 2010
(This is my first-ever full-length review, so if it sucks, cut me some slack, 'kay?)
So, Meg Cabot. The Queen of Contemporary Young Adult. I've been wanting to read her a long time, and kept putting it off, since, thanks to the deluge of books of hers in bookstores, I could never decide which one to pick up. So, when I found All-American Girl #2, I picked it up based on the first book, a sample of which I'd read up on Amazon and adored. The first book wasn't available (that happens a LOT on Paki bookstores--they always have sequels but never the first books), but I took what I could.
I knew from what I'd heard that the book would be a light, fluffy read, so I never really went in with high expectations. Which turned out to be a good thing, since while this book is actually quite a quick, fun-filled read, it's not something you'd want to read when you're in a very deep, reflective mood. You probably knew that, however. (Although, I should say, this book did touch upon the moral rightness of casual sex.)
First up, the cons:
1) WAY too short for me. I'm not saying I like HUGE-lenghted books, though lately I've been reading a lot of those kind of books (and all of them have turned out to be pretty darn good). Despite the length factor, though, the personalities of the protags DO shine through. I just wanted to read more of their adventures and get to see some more deep character development. Since this book was so short, it often seemed too quick to be credible.
2) Unbelievable scenarios. But they're hilarious to read, so what the heck?
3) All of the 'I mean's. For e.g., 'I don't even know what she was doing home. Lucy, I mean.' 'Although I'm beginning to wonder if Jack even has any. College friends, I mean.' You get my point. They're even used in dialogues. And all the Capital-lettered words. Wow. BUT, teens do speak in that somewhat exaggerated manner (er, yeah, hey!), and it never really grated THAT much on my nerves, so I was able to overlook it.
4) The resolution in the end...I never fully understood why Sam changed her mind at the last moment.
Now, the pros!
1) DAVID! (insert me swooning here) He's a totally believable romantic male lead that actually does have flaws! Now, it's not like I've come across guys like that in real life, but hey, a girl can dream, can't she? And decent guys do exist, though they're dismally absent from my life's man-radar.
2) Sam's and David's relationship. He calls her every day, twice, just to ask what's up. And not in that obsessive must-know-what-my-GF's-up-to way, but because he genuinely likes talking to her. AND, they both have white-trash names for each other: Sharona and Daryl. That totally won me over.
3) LUCY. And Harold Minsky. Read the book, and you'll get what I'm talking about.
4) The book's addictive! Really. It's so much fun to read I sped through it in one three-hour sitting.
5) Meg DEFINITELY knows how to 'show' things instead of tell. And in this way, the personalities of the characters really came across!
While this book isn't a masterpeice and might not be everyone's cup of tea, you'll still enjoy it because of the awesome dialogue and endearing characters. I'm definitely reading more of Cabot in the future.
So, Meg Cabot. The Queen of Contemporary Young Adult. I've been wanting to read her a long time, and kept putting it off, since, thanks to the deluge of books of hers in bookstores, I could never decide which one to pick up. So, when I found All-American Girl #2, I picked it up based on the first book, a sample of which I'd read up on Amazon and adored. The first book wasn't available (that happens a LOT on Paki bookstores--they always have sequels but never the first books), but I took what I could.
I knew from what I'd heard that the book would be a light, fluffy read, so I never really went in with high expectations. Which turned out to be a good thing, since while this book is actually quite a quick, fun-filled read, it's not something you'd want to read when you're in a very deep, reflective mood. You probably knew that, however. (Although, I should say, this book did touch upon the moral rightness of casual sex.)
First up, the cons:
1) WAY too short for me. I'm not saying I like HUGE-lenghted books, though lately I've been reading a lot of those kind of books (and all of them have turned out to be pretty darn good). Despite the length factor, though, the personalities of the protags DO shine through. I just wanted to read more of their adventures and get to see some more deep character development. Since this book was so short, it often seemed too quick to be credible.
2) Unbelievable scenarios. But they're hilarious to read, so what the heck?
3) All of the 'I mean's. For e.g., 'I don't even know what she was doing home. Lucy, I mean.' 'Although I'm beginning to wonder if Jack even has any. College friends, I mean.' You get my point. They're even used in dialogues. And all the Capital-lettered words. Wow. BUT, teens do speak in that somewhat exaggerated manner (er, yeah, hey!), and it never really grated THAT much on my nerves, so I was able to overlook it.
4) The resolution in the end...I never fully understood why Sam changed her mind at the last moment.
Now, the pros!
1) DAVID! (insert me swooning here) He's a totally believable romantic male lead that actually does have flaws! Now, it's not like I've come across guys like that in real life, but hey, a girl can dream, can't she? And decent guys do exist, though they're dismally absent from my life's man-radar.
2) Sam's and David's relationship. He calls her every day, twice, just to ask what's up. And not in that obsessive must-know-what-my-GF's-up-to way, but because he genuinely likes talking to her. AND, they both have white-trash names for each other: Sharona and Daryl. That totally won me over.
3) LUCY. And Harold Minsky. Read the book, and you'll get what I'm talking about.
4) The book's addictive! Really. It's so much fun to read I sped through it in one three-hour sitting.
5) Meg DEFINITELY knows how to 'show' things instead of tell. And in this way, the personalities of the characters really came across!
While this book isn't a masterpeice and might not be everyone's cup of tea, you'll still enjoy it because of the awesome dialogue and endearing characters. I'm definitely reading more of Cabot in the future.
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