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Paisley Hanover #1
Paisley Hanover Acts Out
Always one of the popular kids, stylish and quirky sophomore Paisley Hanover gets a rude awakening when she’s booted out of yearbook and into the badlands of drama class. Out of her element, but only momentarily out of ideas, Paisley takes action— and an unexpected liking to her drama buddies. The result? An undercover crusade that could bring down the Pleasant Hill popularity pecking order… and Paisley along with it.
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432 pages, Paperback
First published October 2, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
November 1, 2008
Pure genius! OMG. Did I just say that? I totally did. Paisley Hanover is a lovable 15-year-old protagonist—clever, snarky, flawed, and a huge abuser of "OMG." Who knew that high school could be so much fun? I can't wait to read the second book in the series. Oh wait—I have to finish writing it first.
May 2, 2009
Look out, popular kids. Paisley Hanover is tired of your crap, and she's doing something about it! Cameron Tuttle's hilarious teen novel explores high school life from the perspective of a popular girl who dares to be (*gasp*) unpopular.
Told in first-person narrative, Paisley Hanover Acts Out is like reading a teenage girl's private diary, complete with OMG's and mentions of below-the-belt crushes on boys. There are sidenotes interspersed throughout the novel that give extra tidbits of information to offer the reader the inside scoop on Pleasant Hill (or "Pleasant Hell"). The plot follows the snarky, witty Paisley as she starts her sophomore year and soon finds out that the people she thought were her friends are not so nice, and those she had previously overlooked are not so bad after all. After she loses the last spot in yearbook class to a fellow popular girl, Paisley gets stuck in drama class only to discover that the drama geeks are actually cool, and acting isn't as horrible as she thought it would be. In fact, she's really good at it.
As Paisley tries to break down the barriers between the Pops and the UnPops, she changes her attitude toward the kids in her high school who she had misjudged in the past. She opens up the eyes of the students and faculty to the unfair class system that exists at her school. When Paisley interacts with the UnPops, she gradually becomes one herself and finds that it's a lot more fun than being popular.
When reading the book, I noticed that a certain phrase popped up again and again. Whenever Paisley talks to an UnPop and vows not to act like a Pop toward them anymore, she follows up with, "And I meant it." It signifies that she, along with a lot of Pops, had said nice things to unpopular kids in the past, but it was just lip service. Now that she's making a change, she actually means what she says now. Paisley isn't perfect. She sometimes sits and stares when she witnesses unfair treatment of UnPops, yet the reader can still sympathize with her. How many times have we been put in a situation where we could've stopped something from happening but were too scared or worried about how others might think of us? Paisley Hanover is a prime example of a teenager who's faced with such situations and may not always do the right thing, but she does her best to make amends.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was like watching a CW teen drama unfold page after page (but in a good way). Paisley Hanover gets a gold star from me. I wish more teenage girls read books like this instead of Twilight. They'd learn a lot more from a character like Paisley Hanover than Bella Swan. And I mean that.
Told in first-person narrative, Paisley Hanover Acts Out is like reading a teenage girl's private diary, complete with OMG's and mentions of below-the-belt crushes on boys. There are sidenotes interspersed throughout the novel that give extra tidbits of information to offer the reader the inside scoop on Pleasant Hill (or "Pleasant Hell"). The plot follows the snarky, witty Paisley as she starts her sophomore year and soon finds out that the people she thought were her friends are not so nice, and those she had previously overlooked are not so bad after all. After she loses the last spot in yearbook class to a fellow popular girl, Paisley gets stuck in drama class only to discover that the drama geeks are actually cool, and acting isn't as horrible as she thought it would be. In fact, she's really good at it.
As Paisley tries to break down the barriers between the Pops and the UnPops, she changes her attitude toward the kids in her high school who she had misjudged in the past. She opens up the eyes of the students and faculty to the unfair class system that exists at her school. When Paisley interacts with the UnPops, she gradually becomes one herself and finds that it's a lot more fun than being popular.
When reading the book, I noticed that a certain phrase popped up again and again. Whenever Paisley talks to an UnPop and vows not to act like a Pop toward them anymore, she follows up with, "And I meant it." It signifies that she, along with a lot of Pops, had said nice things to unpopular kids in the past, but it was just lip service. Now that she's making a change, she actually means what she says now. Paisley isn't perfect. She sometimes sits and stares when she witnesses unfair treatment of UnPops, yet the reader can still sympathize with her. How many times have we been put in a situation where we could've stopped something from happening but were too scared or worried about how others might think of us? Paisley Hanover is a prime example of a teenager who's faced with such situations and may not always do the right thing, but she does her best to make amends.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was like watching a CW teen drama unfold page after page (but in a good way). Paisley Hanover gets a gold star from me. I wish more teenage girls read books like this instead of Twilight. They'd learn a lot more from a character like Paisley Hanover than Bella Swan. And I mean that.
December 16, 2008
*Flamingnet Top Choice Award Winner*
OMG! This book was AWESOME!!
Paisley Hanover is just like most other high school sophomores. She's hoping to be popular, hang out with her friends, and get into college. She has even developed a seven-point plan on how to get into the college of her choice. However, this plan has to be thrown out the window when she finds out that the administration overbooked the Yearbook class by one person. And it just so happens that the two people who aren't on the list are her and Candy Esposito (the most populat girl in school). It's not even a contest. Along with losing, Paisley also completely humiliates herself by doing a new move called the "spastic jazz hands". This, and many other events, turn into the worst (or the best?) year of her life. Or so she says.
Don't be fooled by the pink on the cover! This is an awesome book! I thought, "Oh boy...what did I get myself into..." and then I read the book and it was so much better than I thought!
(Full review available on flamingnet.com)
OMG! This book was AWESOME!!
Paisley Hanover is just like most other high school sophomores. She's hoping to be popular, hang out with her friends, and get into college. She has even developed a seven-point plan on how to get into the college of her choice. However, this plan has to be thrown out the window when she finds out that the administration overbooked the Yearbook class by one person. And it just so happens that the two people who aren't on the list are her and Candy Esposito (the most populat girl in school). It's not even a contest. Along with losing, Paisley also completely humiliates herself by doing a new move called the "spastic jazz hands". This, and many other events, turn into the worst (or the best?) year of her life. Or so she says.
Don't be fooled by the pink on the cover! This is an awesome book! I thought, "Oh boy...what did I get myself into..." and then I read the book and it was so much better than I thought!
(Full review available on flamingnet.com)
January 24, 2023
“I am weird. You have no idea how exhausting it is to appear this normal all the time.”
i had this book ever since i was in the 3rd grade, but i read it for the first time when i was 12 years old. i can’t remember how many times i re-read it tho. i’m guessing this is my 4th time? this was one of my fav books to re-read when i was younger, i thought they were so cool and mature but now that i’m in my early 20s, i’m realizing that they’re still babies 😂 i rooted for clint when i was younger but now that i’m older, i think eric is the right choice for her. clint is such a red flag, eric feels safe and kind. i never finished the series tho, but i finally found the second book! also, i love books that have main characters working for the school newspaper and i love re-reading books i once loved, i always find new things every time 🫶🏻
i had this book ever since i was in the 3rd grade, but i read it for the first time when i was 12 years old. i can’t remember how many times i re-read it tho. i’m guessing this is my 4th time? this was one of my fav books to re-read when i was younger, i thought they were so cool and mature but now that i’m in my early 20s, i’m realizing that they’re still babies 😂 i rooted for clint when i was younger but now that i’m older, i think eric is the right choice for her. clint is such a red flag, eric feels safe and kind. i never finished the series tho, but i finally found the second book! also, i love books that have main characters working for the school newspaper and i love re-reading books i once loved, i always find new things every time 🫶🏻
March 3, 2009
Popular Paisley Hanover's sophomore year is supposed to be great. Since, she has three amazing best friends, extremely supportive but slightly weird parents, and decent grades. She even has a seven step plan on how to make her sophomore year one to remember. Though, as she tries to tackle the first step on her list ( get on the yearbook staff) everything goes horribly wrong!
It turns out that they made a big mistake leaving poor Paisley to have to join drama ( the horror of all horrors) instead of yearbook. Paisley thinks her life can't get worse. But unfortunately it can! Her best friends aren't talking to her after she accidentally sent a mean message to one of them, she made a fool out of her self in front of her crush, Eric Sobel, and now a YouTube video is going around showing her doing something so embarrassing that she can't even stand to watch it!
Though, with help from her new drama buddies, she comes up with a plan to take down the popular people at her school, even if it means bringing herself down with it.
To be honest, I wasn't excepting much from this. I can't exactly key point why, but I think it had something to do with the cover and summary. They just weren't eye catching enough. Though, as soon as I started it, I feel in love with Paisley's story. Since, it was extremely funny and seemed shockingly real!
The plot and writing in Paisley Hanover Acts Out was cute and interesting. I loved that Carmen not only had a novel within this, but a "notebook" filled with Paisley's drawings and thoughts. It was a great idea! Also, the plot was original which made me keep flipping the pages wondering what was going to happen next. Plus, near the end Carmen keep throwing in surprises that had my prediction of what was going to happen go completely off track.
Although, I had a couple of problems with the book. For one, Paisley Hanover Acts Out had some of the weirdest transitions ever. There was this one time when she was talking about soccer and then all of sudden it flipped to her describing her best friends in the next paragraph! Also, sometimes the writing was redundant.
The real stars of this novel were Paisley Hanover and her friends (the unpopular ones). They were hilarious and snarky which made you become completely interested in their lives. Plus, they all had this sense of reality which I admired.
Overall, Paisley Hanover Acts Out was one of the funniest books that I have read in awhile, even though it become somewhat shallow at times. I can't wait to read the sequel to this, Paisley Hanover Kisses and Tells, which comes out in October!
Grade: B+
It turns out that they made a big mistake leaving poor Paisley to have to join drama ( the horror of all horrors) instead of yearbook. Paisley thinks her life can't get worse. But unfortunately it can! Her best friends aren't talking to her after she accidentally sent a mean message to one of them, she made a fool out of her self in front of her crush, Eric Sobel, and now a YouTube video is going around showing her doing something so embarrassing that she can't even stand to watch it!
Though, with help from her new drama buddies, she comes up with a plan to take down the popular people at her school, even if it means bringing herself down with it.
To be honest, I wasn't excepting much from this. I can't exactly key point why, but I think it had something to do with the cover and summary. They just weren't eye catching enough. Though, as soon as I started it, I feel in love with Paisley's story. Since, it was extremely funny and seemed shockingly real!
The plot and writing in Paisley Hanover Acts Out was cute and interesting. I loved that Carmen not only had a novel within this, but a "notebook" filled with Paisley's drawings and thoughts. It was a great idea! Also, the plot was original which made me keep flipping the pages wondering what was going to happen next. Plus, near the end Carmen keep throwing in surprises that had my prediction of what was going to happen go completely off track.
Although, I had a couple of problems with the book. For one, Paisley Hanover Acts Out had some of the weirdest transitions ever. There was this one time when she was talking about soccer and then all of sudden it flipped to her describing her best friends in the next paragraph! Also, sometimes the writing was redundant.
The real stars of this novel were Paisley Hanover and her friends (the unpopular ones). They were hilarious and snarky which made you become completely interested in their lives. Plus, they all had this sense of reality which I admired.
Overall, Paisley Hanover Acts Out was one of the funniest books that I have read in awhile, even though it become somewhat shallow at times. I can't wait to read the sequel to this, Paisley Hanover Kisses and Tells, which comes out in October!
Grade: B+
September 22, 2010
In a year filled with depressing (and overrated) dystopian futures,endless vampire/werewolf/zombie crap and other stuff that makes me want to reach for the Xanax, here is chick lit that is so wittily written that it made me laugh!
Characters who feel REAL--just when you think you know them, they surprise you, just like real people! And a plot that has a lot of the standard high school stuff, but again, has unexpected twists and turns that surprise you.
I am tempted to give this 3 stars or even 2 because the author gave HERSELF 5 and I hate that. But I can't do that to this book. It's too good for that.
And I am eagerly waiting to get my hands on the sequel.
Characters who feel REAL--just when you think you know them, they surprise you, just like real people! And a plot that has a lot of the standard high school stuff, but again, has unexpected twists and turns that surprise you.
I am tempted to give this 3 stars or even 2 because the author gave HERSELF 5 and I hate that. But I can't do that to this book. It's too good for that.
And I am eagerly waiting to get my hands on the sequel.
January 5, 2015
Great book for all of the Ms. Unpleasant! many (should I say all? lol) teenage girls will surely love this story because of the "popularity" that we call......and you can see the different problems that a teenage student may encounter.
May 16, 2016
4.5
I really enjoyed this book! Can't wait for book 2 :)
I really enjoyed this book! Can't wait for book 2 :)
January 3, 2024
My first book finished in 2024!!! And it’s a throwback!! I had so much fun reading this again since probably elementary school. I can’t wait to read the second book and I am prayinggggg I can find the third and final book in the series somewhere because I need to know how it ends. P.s. team Clint always.
February 14, 2019
This is an amazing book of a teenage life.
December 20, 2020
Unpopular. Be yourself. Absolutely adored this book.
Read
July 13, 2021A book that will make you look back at your high school years. And wish you were her.
August 13, 2021
Super cute highschool romcom with a whole lot of dram. I want to know what happens next!
Read
December 30, 20202020 note: Review originally posted in 2009. May contain statements I no longer agree with.
I definitely should have read this one sooner. Why on earth did I put reading this off? It was so good! I've had it for months and I totally put off reading and reviewing it (sorry Book Divas!) and now I don't know why! I just really really hopethere'll be more! Hold on while I go scope out the website. YAY there's another one!! I need that book sooner rather than later. Okay, I'm focusing. Even though the website is super cute.
Characters: Cameron Tuttle has a definite talent for making super realistic characters, and Paisley is awesome. When the book starts out she's a little shallow, a little too concerned with popularity and all that stuff, but she grows into a really interesting, super cool person. She sort of reminds me a little bit of an American Georgia Nicholson. (That, and, according to the notes in my review notebook, Yan.) I started out the book not always liking her, but by the middle of the book, I woohoo'd out loud when she ran for class president. (And I'm glad I was alone in the house for that.) One thing I thought was cool was that Paisley has a problem with typos and at one point spells sidebar "sidebra", so throughout the book are little notes, called sidebras, on the sides of the pages. Totally charmed me, as I love sidebars but usually they're just in brackets (see above for examples) so that was rather unique.
As for the other characters, they were great, too. I am absolutely in love with one of the guys she likes, Clint, not so much with the other, Eric. Eric's nice and everything, I just like Clint better because he's a total bad boy. He has a tattoo, a motorcycle, and he reads... but I digress.
Plot: A clerical error causes Paisley to have to compete with another girl for the last spot in Yearbook and spastic jazz hands later, she has to do Drama instead. A good part of the plot is Paisley's self-growth, but it does have some good twists and turns to keep you on edge, and a good dose of romance. (And yes, I said spastic jazz hands. Which becomes infamous. I give you this quote for proof:
PG-13 stuff: A little bit of underage drinking, but Paisley doesn't do any herself (which is another thing that I like about this, because I hate that in books, it's one of my pet peeves) and it was done honestly and realistically. A couple of mild curses, but I'm like the only person on earth who would call them curses and I don't swear.
Cons, complaints, bad stuff, etc.: This isn't really a bit deal, and a lot of books do this, but there were a couple of times when they'd show her texts and it'd throw me off. Maybe this is just me (probably is at this point), but I don't have a cell phone and the abbreviations boggle my mind for a couple of seconds before I get them. Otherwise nothing stands out.
Paisley's Not Book: The book (my copy, at least, but I'd hope it'd be all of them) comes in this really cute slipcover that velcros shut and has a companion book called Paisley's Not Book (she crossed the E out) and is her notebook, which is mentioned often throughout the book. Libraries might take it out, though, so if you buy books, I'd consider buying this one just for that. It has Paisley's drawings, notes, doodles, notes from the other people in her life, each in their own handwriting, and totally charmed me, sort of reminding me of Jim Benton's Dear Dumb Diary books, only for an older audience. I love notebooks for one. (I had a dream about them last night. Yep, I had a dream about notebooks. Why I'll never know.) For another, it was just plain funny. Likeshigoogley ! She came up with that word out of no where, and I propose that we make it the new... um, how about awesome? That work for all you? Shigoogley!
Cover comments: I don't like it that much. I think half the reason I put off reading it was because the cover makes it look too fluffy. (Bad Laina!) But the back illustrations are really cute.
Conclusion: I made about a million notes while I was reading this, which I only do with books I love or hate and I definitely didn't hate this one. I can't recommend you read this enough and I can't wait to get my hands on the second one! Four out of five.
Reviewed for Book Divas and my blog here.
I definitely should have read this one sooner. Why on earth did I put reading this off? It was so good! I've had it for months and I totally put off reading and reviewing it (sorry Book Divas!) and now I don't know why! I just really really hopethere'll be more! Hold on while I go scope out the website. YAY there's another one!! I need that book sooner rather than later. Okay, I'm focusing. Even though the website is super cute.
Characters: Cameron Tuttle has a definite talent for making super realistic characters, and Paisley is awesome. When the book starts out she's a little shallow, a little too concerned with popularity and all that stuff, but she grows into a really interesting, super cool person. She sort of reminds me a little bit of an American Georgia Nicholson. (That, and, according to the notes in my review notebook, Yan.) I started out the book not always liking her, but by the middle of the book, I woohoo'd out loud when she ran for class president. (And I'm glad I was alone in the house for that.) One thing I thought was cool was that Paisley has a problem with typos and at one point spells sidebar "sidebra", so throughout the book are little notes, called sidebras, on the sides of the pages. Totally charmed me, as I love sidebars but usually they're just in brackets (see above for examples) so that was rather unique.
As for the other characters, they were great, too. I am absolutely in love with one of the guys she likes, Clint, not so much with the other, Eric. Eric's nice and everything, I just like Clint better because he's a total bad boy. He has a tattoo, a motorcycle, and he reads... but I digress.
Plot: A clerical error causes Paisley to have to compete with another girl for the last spot in Yearbook and spastic jazz hands later, she has to do Drama instead. A good part of the plot is Paisley's self-growth, but it does have some good twists and turns to keep you on edge, and a good dose of romance. (And yes, I said spastic jazz hands. Which becomes infamous. I give you this quote for proof:
The Hornettes were doing spastic jazz hands as the kicked around in a circle and crumpled into a bud of butts. Everybody cheered.
I wanted to feel pissed, but I was kind of amazed. My weirdest, most embarrassing moment of high school life had been incorporated into Pleasant Hill High pop culture. I didn't know what to think of that.
PG-13 stuff: A little bit of underage drinking, but Paisley doesn't do any herself (which is another thing that I like about this, because I hate that in books, it's one of my pet peeves) and it was done honestly and realistically. A couple of mild curses, but I'm like the only person on earth who would call them curses and I don't swear.
Cons, complaints, bad stuff, etc.: This isn't really a bit deal, and a lot of books do this, but there were a couple of times when they'd show her texts and it'd throw me off. Maybe this is just me (probably is at this point), but I don't have a cell phone and the abbreviations boggle my mind for a couple of seconds before I get them. Otherwise nothing stands out.
Paisley's Not Book: The book (my copy, at least, but I'd hope it'd be all of them) comes in this really cute slipcover that velcros shut and has a companion book called Paisley's Not Book (she crossed the E out) and is her notebook, which is mentioned often throughout the book. Libraries might take it out, though, so if you buy books, I'd consider buying this one just for that. It has Paisley's drawings, notes, doodles, notes from the other people in her life, each in their own handwriting, and totally charmed me, sort of reminding me of Jim Benton's Dear Dumb Diary books, only for an older audience. I love notebooks for one. (I had a dream about them last night. Yep, I had a dream about notebooks. Why I'll never know.) For another, it was just plain funny. Likeshigoogley ! She came up with that word out of no where, and I propose that we make it the new... um, how about awesome? That work for all you? Shigoogley!
Cover comments: I don't like it that much. I think half the reason I put off reading it was because the cover makes it look too fluffy. (Bad Laina!) But the back illustrations are really cute.
Conclusion: I made about a million notes while I was reading this, which I only do with books I love or hate and I definitely didn't hate this one. I can't recommend you read this enough and I can't wait to get my hands on the second one! Four out of five.
Reviewed for Book Divas and my blog here.
September 24, 2017
It was above average. Interesting characters, themes, plot. Pretty well done. I enjoyed this book, and liked how everything felt like it fit. Like you could tell the author really planned out the book before she wrote it. The whole thing was kinda predictable, though. And some parts felt unnecessary.
This book also ended without tying up a lot of loose ends. I know that there's a sequel, but I still have some small questions that I'm pretty sure will go unanswered. Like, ???
Oh well. This was a nice little read. Entertaining. It wasn't anything special, and wasn't quite good enough for me to bother reading the sequel, but it wasn't bad.
This book also ended without tying up a lot of loose ends. I know that there's a sequel, but I still have some small questions that I'm pretty sure will go unanswered. Like, ???
Oh well. This was a nice little read. Entertaining. It wasn't anything special, and wasn't quite good enough for me to bother reading the sequel, but it wasn't bad.
June 29, 2010
Paisley Hanover has a plan, had a plan, a seven point plan to be exact. That went out the window as she spastic jazzed her way out of Yearbook (don’t ask). Now she’s stuck with the popularity-impaired drama freaks. On top of that her best friend is no longer on speaking terms with her after something weird happened at a summer party. Now Paisley has to figure out how to get her life back on track. She has a play performance (with a boy she’s got a below-the-belt crush on); she’s running for student council, trying to get her best-y back and oh yeah, a following of misUNderstood kids. All while trying to live a perfectly normal high school life full of crushes (above and below the belt), friends and popularity.
Paisley Hanover is not very smart. She’s of moderate intelligence which makes her more believable as a misfit stuck in a rah-rah’s body. This was a fun read, reminiscent of the Georgia Nicolson series (except not British and no one is funnier than Georgia. NO ONE!). I found the characters were pretty believable. There were nasty ones and dorky ones, smart ones and jock ones. Some times it seemed a little exaggerated for comic effect, but it is high school so you know…I’m not sure what else to say really. Paisley wasn’t a heroine really, sometimes I found her very naïve and full of herself but *shrug* it happens. I definitely want to read the next book in this series because this one ended on a “oh, come on!” kind of note. This was fun and great for sitting outside on a hot day and giggling to.
First Line:
“I took a deep breath outside the door to Yearbook class and then sauntered—yes, I actually sauntered—into the room, doing my best imitation of calm, confident me.
Favorite Line:
“Bentley Jones, Dwight Cashel, and Eric Sobel had turned the corner and were headed in my direction, talking and laughing like the world were made of lollipops and midgets.”
Paisley Hanover is not very smart. She’s of moderate intelligence which makes her more believable as a misfit stuck in a rah-rah’s body. This was a fun read, reminiscent of the Georgia Nicolson series (except not British and no one is funnier than Georgia. NO ONE!). I found the characters were pretty believable. There were nasty ones and dorky ones, smart ones and jock ones. Some times it seemed a little exaggerated for comic effect, but it is high school so you know…I’m not sure what else to say really. Paisley wasn’t a heroine really, sometimes I found her very naïve and full of herself but *shrug* it happens. I definitely want to read the next book in this series because this one ended on a “oh, come on!” kind of note. This was fun and great for sitting outside on a hot day and giggling to.
First Line:
“I took a deep breath outside the door to Yearbook class and then sauntered—yes, I actually sauntered—into the room, doing my best imitation of calm, confident me.
Favorite Line:
“Bentley Jones, Dwight Cashel, and Eric Sobel had turned the corner and were headed in my direction, talking and laughing like the world were made of lollipops and midgets.”
July 14, 2010
OMG, I loved this book! At first when I picked it up I thought to myself that I wasn't going to get though this too quickly and the cover was cute. Little did I know the Un-Amazingness of this book. 'Un' being a good thing.
Paisley Hanover in the beginning of the story has a plan to join year book but after a very funny and random slip up she has no choice but to join the drama club which are filled with probably the most interesting characters in the whole series. Paisley finds out that she's actually beginning to like drama and the friends she's making. But in the process she's noticing that her friends are turning into popular clones and hardly every spending time with her. She then begins to question the meaning and purpose of 'Being Popular' and thus Miss Un.
Miss Un is her secret identity so that she can expresses herself. Little does she know that her powerful message is hitting home to a lot of the students and some are out to expose her.
This book is funny, clever, romantic, honest, quirky, inspiring, and Un-believeable. This book was so fantastic that I wish every high school student would read it. And every adult. Paisley deals with friends, boys, school, family and so much more that its hard not to like her. I say read this book and enjoy.
Paisley Hanover in the beginning of the story has a plan to join year book but after a very funny and random slip up she has no choice but to join the drama club which are filled with probably the most interesting characters in the whole series. Paisley finds out that she's actually beginning to like drama and the friends she's making. But in the process she's noticing that her friends are turning into popular clones and hardly every spending time with her. She then begins to question the meaning and purpose of 'Being Popular' and thus Miss Un.
Miss Un is her secret identity so that she can expresses herself. Little does she know that her powerful message is hitting home to a lot of the students and some are out to expose her.
This book is funny, clever, romantic, honest, quirky, inspiring, and Un-believeable. This book was so fantastic that I wish every high school student would read it. And every adult. Paisley deals with friends, boys, school, family and so much more that its hard not to like her. I say read this book and enjoy.
October 2, 2012
In and of itself, this is a cute story, particularly with the somewhat hapless, ditzy Paisley who you can't help but like...the text speak is annoying to those of us above the tween age. But I have to say not only is there nothing new here, but I think we as a society are really in danger of creating yet another type of reverse discrimination. Books and movie about bullying continue to take the same old stance...creating a class warfare between the have and have nots. It puts me in mind of an issue of Seventeen I read some years back, where an article was telling girls not to bother to talk to or be friendly with pretty girls because we have no personality. I took offense to that then and I take offense to the barrage of materials directed at teens consistently putting down the good looking and successful. In yet another failed liberal utopian idea, we are now putting down one group in order to raise the self esteem of another. Seemingly innocuous books like this are a part of it,although that is most likely not the author's intention.
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August 26, 2010Well so far it's totally chic lit, which I can enjoy the only problem is I keep finding myself flipping to the back with the note book where every thing is given away because it is much more flashy and entertaining to me than the actual words. I'm guessing it will be a super good book that I will enjoy a lot but I just tihnk it's gonna take me a while to get into it. I'm not too far anyways. I'm sure Paisley Hanover will get me back reading again with her quirky cluelessness and spastic jazz hands.
Why I put in this review now is that I think I WILL finish it later but for now I'm leaving it on my shelf. Although I would recommend it to someone who doesn't get bored and distracted easily like me... I'm on page 56.
Why I put in this review now is that I think I WILL finish it later but for now I'm leaving it on my shelf. Although I would recommend it to someone who doesn't get bored and distracted easily like me... I'm on page 56.
April 5, 2012
I am a huge hater of cheesy, melodramatic teen high school books. I hate unrealistic guys, unrealistic parents, annoying characters. And when I found this book, I said to myself "Wow, this is how I would like to write my own teen high school book."
I loved every single thing about it. Paisley is an average teenage girl in high school who I'm sure, every girl could relate to. She's torn between two guys (Clint & Eric), or maybe, three? (Hutch?) And I love the love square in the series. It's nothing too cheesy and not full of drama, just enough to keep you excited.
I'd definitely recommend this to anyone out there who will go, is going, had gone to high school.
I loved every single thing about it. Paisley is an average teenage girl in high school who I'm sure, every girl could relate to. She's torn between two guys (Clint & Eric), or maybe, three? (Hutch?) And I love the love square in the series. It's nothing too cheesy and not full of drama, just enough to keep you excited.
I'd definitely recommend this to anyone out there who will go, is going, had gone to high school.
April 13, 2013
Paisley Hanover was always a popular student at school, that is until one day she landed in Drama class and it changed her perspective. As she started hanging out with the "unpopular" students, she realizes she could relate much more with than than the popular ones. So she decides to speak out on behalf of the unpopular kids under the pen name, "Ms.Unpleasant."
I have to say I found this book really refreshing and new compared to the other teenage books I have read before. The author is spreading across a powerful message but she uses satire in her writing. I feel like teenagers can relate more with this style of penmanship rather than the formal writing styles we often see.
I have to say I found this book really refreshing and new compared to the other teenage books I have read before. The author is spreading across a powerful message but she uses satire in her writing. I feel like teenagers can relate more with this style of penmanship rather than the formal writing styles we often see.
February 19, 2009
If you want a snarky, silly-but-serious, real-deal kinda high school book, read this. I think this is great for high school girls, as well as girls in their 20s, because you remember what it was like! I think this is an example of a character who is inconsistent in the teenage way, but still very likable and relatable (see entry for Eclipse about Bella). It is obvious she is still finding herself and where she fits it, but that's ok! I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
May 26, 2010
Being a junior high student, popularity is a big deal to me. All the time I dread being a part of the "middle class", but only now, after reading this book, am I able to see through the eyes of a popular girl, and know popularity isn't all what it's cut out to be. I learned that popularity causes pressure to be different, while the "others" are more free to express themselves without pier pressure. Popular people are also forced to complete risky tasks that the less popular people aren't. I strongly recommend "Paisley Acts Out" to all junior high students, even the popular kids.
July 1, 2009
Paisley is your typical high school student---popular but not on the A-List. But then she gets removed from Yearbook class and "dumped in drama" and nothing is the same. So starts her story of new friends, new priorities, and a new sense of self. Paisley tries her hand at being UN-of a kind: UNsane, UNdiscovered, UNpredictable. Hooray for Paisley! The book's packaging is unique and Paisley's additional "Not Book" (notebook) is a clever collection of teenage stream of consciousness.
November 18, 2009
Paisley's perfect plan for success after high school hinges on a becoming Yearbook editor her senior year. Unfortunately, it's only day 1 as a sophomore and she has already humiliated herself, been booted out of yearbook, and into a drama class with the freaks and weirdos. Now what is she supposed to do?
High school drama with spunk and a sense of humor. Paisley's antics made me cringe at some points and laugh at others. Some language.
High school drama with spunk and a sense of humor. Paisley's antics made me cringe at some points and laugh at others. Some language.
June 14, 2013
I really liked it was smart and witty it made me very sad when i was on the last page Paisley Hanover is a great mascot for teenage blunders and awkward problems
when i opened i was like this
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lpc...
it was what i was looking for
i could not put it down
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6m...
When i finished the book
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lm4...
when i opened i was like this
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lpc...
it was what i was looking for
i could not put it down
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6m...
When i finished the book
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lm4...
December 19, 2018
I HEART PAISLEY HANOVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SHE IS SOOO QUIRKY AND COOL AND CONFIDENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love all of her little quirks and sayings (i.e. the soundtrack in her head, locker stalker, big kiss class dismissed) I will be quoting her forever and ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love the characters in this book also. I'm not sure who i like more, Clint or Eric. I LOVE THEM BOTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and they are both very MANFIDENT!
June 19, 2016
THIS WAS SUCH A GOOD BOOK! It's extremely unique, and develops complex relationships and entirely realistic and relatable characters. And also the humor of the book is SPOT ON. Also, did I mention plot twists? I love plot twists, and for me, there was a ton of them. And I couldn't stop reading it. I adored this book. Especially Paisley's 'Not Book' was a mega great feature. Now it's time to binge-read the next book...
July 11, 2012
I just finished the book and I'm headed to the library to get the next! It makes me not miss high school days. I'm glad to see a character that wants to come out of society's norm and know what normal is for her- just be yourself with out the mess. I feel sorry for Jen- she doesn't know who she is. I can't wait to see who Paisley picks- I'm torn between Eric and Clint.
September 1, 2012
I went to this high school, overlapping with author Cameron Tuttle for three years. Paisley was fun and snarky - much like the author herself. I found myself back in high school and wondering just who each of those characters was patterned after. My sister and I have certainly had many giggles thinking we have the soccer hunk and drama dude figured out.
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