New York Debut

Carter House Girls #6

by Melody Carlson

Mix six teenage girls and one '60s fashion icon (retired, of course) in an old Victorian-era boardinghome. Add boys and dating, a little high-school angst, and throw in a Kate Spade bag or two . . . and you've got The Carter House Girls, Melody Carlson's new chick lit series for young adults!New York DebutThe New Year promises to be lively for the Carter House girls. No sooner does the calendar page turn and the girls are forced to confront a whole load of difficulties. There is constant pressure from Mrs. Carter as the household prepares to participate in the high stakes Spring Fashion Week in New York City. Competition flares from all directions as the girls vie for top billing, premium outfits, and attention from favorite guys. Stresses mount and some personal challenges grow into serious problems. Will the girls survive the big city experience and the even bigger trials that come along with it?

Genres: Christian, Young Adult, Christian Fiction, Contemporary, Fiction, Audiobook, Teen

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 10, 2009

About the author

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, The Christmas Bus.

She also writes many teen books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series.

Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon.

Reviews

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the ending and Taylor’s character arc. I didn’t like Eliza at all (I don’t think you’re supposed to) and I felt sorry for Kriti. The grandmother is still completely oblivious and the most ineffectual guardian ever (even basically delegating DJ to look after the other girls). A short, quick read. I’m hopefully going to pick up the 7th one soon.

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 4 out of 5]

About this book:

“The New Year promises to be lively for the Carter House girls. No sooner does the calendar page turn and the girls are forced to confront a whole load of difficulties. There is constant pressure from Mrs. Carter as the household prepares to participate in the high stakes Spring Fashion Week in New York City. Competition flares from all directions as the girls vie for top billing, premium outfits, and attention from favorite guys. Stresses mount and some personal challenges grow into serious problems. Will the girls survive the big city experience and the even bigger trials that come along with it?”


Series: Book #6 (of eight) in the “Carter House Girls” series. (Book #1 Review Here! #2 Here! #3 Here! #4 Here! and #5 Here!) {Another series by this author, “On the Runway” mentions these characters after the final book. {Read #1 of that series review Here!} I personally would read the CHG series then the OTR series. :) }


Spiritual Content- Prayers; Scriptures are mentioned; Bible reading & quiet time; Witnessing; Talks about God & faiths; *Spoiler* While in rehab, Taylor gives her life to God *End of Spoiler*; Mentions of church events & sermons;
*Note: Taylor is called the devil woman; A mention of raising hell.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘duh’, a ‘what the—‘, a form of ‘wimp’, three ‘dumb’s, three ‘witch’s, and twelve ‘stupid’s; Curses are said, not written; Sarcasm, sass, & eye rolling; Taylor is working on her alcohol problem; Many mentions of rehab; Many mentions of drinking & drunks; Mentions of gambling, bars, & underage drinking; Mentions of clubbing; Mentions of drugs; Mentions of parties, alcohol, vomiting, & having to go the police station;
*Note: Many mentions of designers.


Sexual Content- a cheek kiss and a forehead kiss; a ‘babe’, a ‘foxy’, a ‘hot’, a ‘skank’; Eliza hints that DJ & Taylor are gay and has “no problem with sexual preferences” (they aren’t, of course); Mentions of kissing & flirting; A mention of a lady of the night; Boys, boyfriends, girlfriends, dates, exes, & all that drama;
*Notes: *Spoiler* Kriti has anorexia *End of Spoiler*; Mentions of eating disorders & weights; Mentions of curves, fat, “junk in the trunk”, & long legs; Mentions of & wearing bras & short skirts; Mentions of taking off shirts (girls looking into the minor).

-Desiree Jeanette “DJ” Lane, age 17
P.O.V. of DJ
203 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star (and a half)
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars
{Add 1-2 stars for girls in Public & Private School}
So far, this is my favorite of the series—but I can’t say much due to spoilers! ;)


Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

[Janna Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a few comments about the Carter House Girls series...

1) I really like this series. New York Debut is #6 in the series and even though I have missed a couple in the middle I can still enjoy the most recent addition, and enjoy it I did!

2) I need to make clear that the Carter House Girls is for YA, but not all YA (young adults). My almost 13 year old is not ready for this series. Period. The characters are diverse and interesting and cover all spectrums and I love the concept. 6 girls from various backgrounds come to Carter House to live while they go to a local high school. While at Carter House they learn about fashion, poise, manners, etc... or they are supposed to. Sounds good right. So why is it not right for my daughter yet? Melody Carlson deals with real issues in these books. Sadly, they really are real issues, but not issues that my daughter has been exposed to yet and I want to keep it that way for awhile longer. So these books will wait for her patiently on my shelf for the time being.

3) So what are some of these issues? Well, the main character, DJ, is a Christian but most of those around her (including her Grandma, Mrs. Carter) are not. Some of the issues dealt with in the books I have read include anorexia, reputations (as in sexual reputations), boyfriends, drinking... in this particular book, one of the girls is coming back from the rehab she checked herself into in the last book. So let me clarify that Melody deals with these issues wonderfully. But at this point my daughter wouldn't even know what rehab is.

I definitely recommend this series for high school girls in public school, even college girls and women like myself, but not for the younger girls that haven't been exposed to some of this yet. Just use your common sense and enjoy!

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing stand out about this one really. Although Taylor's storyline has been interesting to follow, especially now that she's out of rehab and the difference that has made to her life. Still would recommend it to tweens/young teens.

[Jessica (BookRockGoddess) Bolton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This are still good and quick reads.

[Wendi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for : Personal reading, great gift/read for teen girls, probably a good book for parents of teenage girls to read as well (gain some insight into today's teens!!)

In a nutshell: I was recently asked if I could recommend any "edgy" Christian fiction for young adult girls, and I have to say that New York Debut by Melody Carlson is just that (my niece even confirmed it!). This is the sixth book in the Carter House series. Carter House is a boarding house for teenage girls, and in this book, the girls are coming back from winter break, getting ready to head back to school, and are preparing to participate as models in New York's Fashion Week for one of the designers. The thing that makes this series so great is that the author has created teenage girls that have real-life problems. This book tackles issues like teenage drinking, eating disorders and peer pressure, and provides responsible actions and consequences (helping a friend enter rehab, encouraging another friend to eat healthier and know that she is perfect the way she is, police involvement and house arrest and consequences for girls who throw a party and sneak in alcohol, etc). And to make it even better, there is a bit of faith interspersed throughout the book in a way that is subtle and not overdone, girls who simply say, "I've been praying for you" can really make a statement to the girls reading this book. I love what this book stands for and the message Melody Carlson is giving today's girls - add that girls actually enjoy reading these books and you've got a great combination!

Extended Review:
Characters: The girls in the book talk and act in ways that today's girls can relate to and understand. A few of the girls are bent on making it through life the hard way, and they act as a good backdrop within the book to show the "good" choices that some of the other girls are making.

Story-Line: I can still remember being wrapped up in my own world as a teen, thinking that my parents knew NOTHING about what I was going through. I wish I could have been reading books like this one, where the story shows girls making tough choices (both good and bad), and having to deal with the consequences, and learning from each other, as well as getting a little exposure to faith, and knowing that it is ok to pray and lean on faith, even as a teen.

Readability: This is a young adult/teen book, and as such, it is written to a level that teen girls will be able to relate to. I enjoyed the book as an adult, but read it knowing that it was a teen fiction book.

Overall: This is a great book for teen girls (and adults), that will help impart the importance of making good choices, while allowing the reader to understand that making the wrong choice will result in consequences. I especially like that Melody Carlson has taken this opportunity to tackle some of the tough issues faced by today's teens. Note: this is the sixth book in the Carter House series, and I had no trouble reading it without having read the other books, but I would like to have read the other books as well.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 6 in the Carter House Girls series picks up as DJ is being picked up from the airport on her return from Las Vegas (see my review of book 5, Lost in Las Vegas). Taylor is noticeably absent and DJ has to share with her grandmother that she is at a rehab facility in California for alcohol abuse. Grandmother is upset and disappointed because she is afraid that Taylor won't make it back in time for Fashion Week in NYC.

As school starts up again after New Years, DJ, Rhiannon and Casey begin to notice that Kriti seems to be eating less and working out more. They do an intervention and Kriti confesses that Eliza has been influencing her to lose weight. They convince her she doesn't need to and move her in with DJ - away from Eliza.

Grandmother begins having classes on Saturday mornings to teach the girls about etiquette, manners and how to "own" the cat walk. She opens these up to the community and the Carter House girls find themselves spending time with Daisy, a new friend, and Madison and Tina, two old enemies.

I had only read book 5 prior to this book (other books in the series include Mixed Bags, Stealing Bradford, Homecoming Queen, and Viva Vermont). Again, it was hard to differentiate all the girls at first, and I would not have had a clue had I not read Lost in Las Vegas. I don't think it reads well as a stand alone. That being said, it does have good lessons and values for a teenage Christian girl to follow and illustrates how one can turn to God in all sorts of situations. I hope to eventually be able to go back and read the first 4 books in this series. Bikini Breakdown is book 7 of this series and it is due out in October 2009.

[Madeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not like this book as much as Lost in Las Vegas.
Other than D.J. the Carter House girls annoyed me. These girls were rich and spoiled, totally out of touch with the real world. Even the grandmother in the book had no clue of what went on with the girls, even amazed that one of her girls had ended up in rehab. Another girl had anorexia and seemed to overcome it as soon as her friends told she did. This felt unrealistic.
While the previous book, Lost in Las Vegas, focused on the wild life and the pain it causes, this one just focused on the meanness of girls and the fashion industry, neither which I have an interest to read about.
All in all, it was an allright read but nothing I would recommend to my friends.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was probably my favorite book in the series so far. I think I'm getting more interested in the characters lives and curious how the author will finish off the series (only two more books left!).

I think it's interesting how the girls turned their noses up at being tourists in New York City (glad they saw the tourist stuff anyway). Yes, I understand it's the stuff everyone sees, but surely it's a tourist attraction for a reason. If it was not fun or interesting, people would stop seeing it. I like tourist stuff, along with places off the beaten path.

Along with the fun, this book also tackled the issue of an eating disorder and also how to be fair and put others before yourself.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

The girls are slowly growing up (well, most of them) and I'm starting to see more depth of their character and really feel like I know them. I've been reading through the series fairly fast, so sometimes I feel like it is just a continuous story. But I'm always interested to see what kind of drama Melody Carlson will throw into the next book. She does a good job of portraying worldy situations with a Christian standpoint without sounding preachy or condemning. I did feel like one of the circumstances in this book was a little unrealistic, but only because it wasn't given much time in the story. I would still recommend this series.

*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2010...

[Janine Darragh · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is described as "Edgy Christian YA lit." I could see how some teen/tween girls would like it. I found it painful- in writing, plot, and substance. The Christian piece is definitely there, as the models are often "praying for" one another and "learning how to be a good Christian," and Taylor even finds Jesus at the detox/rehab center... To me, the eating disorder was wayyyyy too simplified. DJ notices that Kriti isn't eating much and is exercising a lot. She and her friends do an "intervention," where they all take off their shirts and point out all of their flaws. Kriti realizes she is thin and they all go out for hot fudge sundaes and fries (all in the course of about 4 pages). Blech.

[$hanel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final book is here and the Carter House Girls are thrilled to go to New York for their fashion debut! What could go wrong? A major fight between Taylor and Eliza, that`s what could go wrong! D.J. is now a fashion queen and can`t wait to go to this major debut! Will Taylor and Eliza get rid of that chance? Throughout the book D.J. can`t decide if she is good as a model or if she should give the fashion world up and go back to being a tomboy and having no sense of style. After all, these girls are only interested in style instead of personality... except for Casey that is. What will happen to D.J.`s dream?

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the surprising turn of events in Lost in Las Vegas, the previous Carter House Girls novel, New York Debut brings the characters back together for more moral dilemmas and current real-life issues. This one almost feels like the second season premiere of a television show; the previous installment left me wondering what would happen next, and now my interest in the characters has been renewed. I'm not sure how much farther Ms. Carlson can take this series; although I know there are at least two or three more Carter House books, I think that's as far as this storyline can go. Still, fans of the prior novels will most likely enjoy this one.

[Melody [not just some girl you can sway] · Rating 1 out of 5]

This author's books keep going into a downward spiral. Melody Carlson used to be one of my favorite authors, but this book has cemented her near the bottom of my least-favorite authors. The characters are exactly like others she's written, except for a few minuscule differences. The dialogue is completely unrealistic, the plotlines are cliched. It seems she's systematically going through every issue she's ever covered in her writing. Is Casey going to try Wicca? Or is some sort of vegan greenfreak going to move in? Honestly, don't waste your time on these. I couldn't even finish reading this.

[Tatum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is not something I would normally like, but I LOOOOOVE it, especially this book!!

The ending was really unexpected, and I loved the whole speech DJ gave Taylor about being good Christians (it was really true, too).

This book also brings up topics such as underage drinking, anorexia, and many more that young (Not too young, though; middle schoolers and high schoolers. I'm 13, by the way) girls should know about!

[Rachel Sorce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good 6th book in the Carter House Girls Series. Taylor is in rehab during the book and the rest of the girls are preparing for Fashion Week in New York City. I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the others, but overall it is a quick, light read!!

[Tatyana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the whole series! I probably wouldn't read it again but i still enjoyed them even still. I really related to the characters, well to DJ heehee. I don't have much to say about them but the stories were great and had a good message to them. So yeah. :)

[Eva · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the previous 5 books of this series, but this one BORED me to death, it was so repetitive of the other books. I don't think I'll be continuing the series.

[Tarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good!

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good installment of the Carter House Girls series. I really wish these were longer, though. Right when I get sucked back into the story, they end.

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked that this one took place during Fashion Week in New York.

[Makayla Bieber]

This one was really good it inspired me.

[Jessica Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is one of my favorites!

[The Third Place A Teen Library]

F CAR
chg bk. 6

[Jane Spreckelson]

loved it!

[Katherine]

so good

[Mary Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book! Melody does such a great job with these characters! I love them!

[Guitargirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad!

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was aweasome.