Jenny / Wondrous Reads's Reviews > Glitter Girl

Glitter Girl is a fun book for teens and tweens, with topical themes and an easy writing style that means I read it in one sitting. I enjoyed the overall story and the messages it conveys to fourteen-year-old girls, though I was a little shocked at just how self-centred some of the characters are. I don't think these girls are the kind I would have been friends with in high school!

In Glitter Girl, Kat keeps a popular blog which is picked up by a big cosmetics company looking to launch a new product: Glitter Girl. Kat and 49 other girls (one from each state), dubbed Alpha Girls, are picked to represent the products and hold sleepovers in order to spread the word around school. When Kat's BFF Jules feels left out and not cool enough to join in, Kat soon realises that there are important choices to be made that will define her friendships and future.

This book is a scary snapshot of what it could be like in high schools today. It's exaggerated, of course, but the general gist is there: girls are so preoccupied with money, fame and their appearance that they forget to notice what's going on around them and who gets hurt in the process. We're a very celebrity orientated society at the moment, with an emphasis put on looking and behaving a certain way. Glitter Girl magnifies these ideals and proves that happiness doesn't come from having the best car or the largest amount of money. If you haven't got friendship and compassion, you've got nothing.

Glitter Girl has a lot to say to teenage readers, given it's probably the most influential time in their lives. Kat learns a few home truths throughout the course of this book and her all-consuming power trip caused by Glitter Girl, but she takes responsibility and reevaluates a few aspects of herself. Mostly it's a book about friendship, loyalty, and doing the right thing; perfect for a high school library!

3.5/5