Book Review: Last Summer by Holly Chamberlin

Last Summer by Holly Chamberlin tells the story of two families who have lived next door to each other for as long as they can remember. They have been there for each other through deaths, divorce, and the ups and downs of life. Their fourteen year old daughters have also grown up together and have become best friends over the years. All that changes during the girls' ninth grade year. 

Under the pressure of seeing her best friend bullied and not wanting to speak up and possibly become a victim, Meg betrays Rosie, who then suffers an emotional breakdown in the latter part of the school year. This book traces the course of events that occur the summer following the girls' freshman year, as they try to forgive and test their friendship once more. 

The story has four different perspectives: Jane (Rosie's mother), Frannie (Meg's mother), Rosie, and Meg; as well as diary entries from Rosie that tell the depth of the bullying she went through, by others and herself. Each perspective gives the reader a chance to get to know each character and identify with their thoughts, feelings, and emotions as the summer wears on. 

I loved this book. Any novel that addresses the issue of bullying hits me hard, and this one was no exception. I identified the most with Rosie's diary entries, as they became more helpless and empty as the year wore on. This may sound a bit too cliche, but the entries were heartbreaking. Reading Meg's perspective gave me insight on her longing to be forgiven by Rosie. I also enjoyed both mothers' points of view, as they not only wanted to help their daughters, but also rekindle their own friendship. 

All in all this book is a must read for the summer. It's a tear-jerker, but definitely worth it. 

Fiction about Fashion

First of all, sorry for the lack of posts, though this one will probably be the last until the end of April, after exams. I thought I'd post something a little different this time: some books where fashion is one of the key or underlying themes (well, maybe not themes, but basically, they're always talking about who's wearing what).

Pretty Little Liars
...started off as books! Yes, they did, and just as much as style is commented on in the show, so too with the books. Spencer Hastings was the preppy one, Hanna Marin was the girly girl, Emily Fields was the athlete, and Aria Montgomery was a mix of vintage / eclectic. Clearly they reinforced this with the show, putting Spencer in pleated skirts and plaid, Hanna in floral dresses and floaty tops, Emily in jeans and t-shirts, and Aria in leather jackets and feather earrings.

The Clique Series
Please do not groan. I know the series is corny and totally not realistic, but Lisi Harrison wrapped up the series with a really good lesson. I actually wanted to know what would have happened if there was another book! This series is about a group of spoiled seventh graders who take a new girl under their wing who doesn't care about fashion at all, just about making friends. The girls wear all the big labels like Ralph Lauren, Tiffany & Co., Juicy Couture, Ron Herman...the list goes on. They always need to have the latest trends and go shopping at least once a week. This series made me more aware of the biggest fashion designers and labels.

How to be Popular
This has got to be one of my all-time favourite books, though fashion is really only mentioned at the beginning, where social outcast Steph Landry wants to turn things around in her junior year of high school. The rest of the book describes her rise to the top (well, I guess you could say that); and contrary to what you may think, she does this solely by being nice and outgoing to everyone (even though they have tortured her for years).

Kiss & Blog, Art Geeks and Prom Queens
Two books by Alyson Noel that I absolutely love, plot-wise and fashion-wise. Kiss & Blog is about two girls deciding that this year (sophomore year) will be their time to shine. They've spent the summer reading fashion magazines, learning how to put on makeup, and buying new clothes. Unfortunately, Winter is not as willing to be fake and phony to get in with the popular crowd as her friend Sloane, who ditches her as soon as she makes it on the cheer-leading squad. Unlike Sloane, Winter has a more artsy fashion sense and prefers leather jackets, studs, tunics, and leggings to the pastel colours of the popular crowd. I only liked Art Geeks and Prom Queens because of the fashion at the beginning; the rest was along the lines of drinking, partying, and boyfriend drama, but it did have a good ending. The story line is similar to that of Kiss & Blog, except it's the new girl trying to fit in.

Frenemies
Another corny book about two best friends entering seventh grade (I know what you're thinking- "Maria, why on earth do you read tween novels?"). This book is all about fashion. The two girls take on writing an online fashion column for their school's paper. They have really good taste in fashion, and lots of advice on what to wear (and what not to wear). But the story takes a turn as the girls' tastes in clothes start to veer apart. Apparently there's a sequel, but I haven't read it (yet).

On another note, I finally made a Polyvore account! See my creations at http://mariathefashionista.polyvore.com/.

Stay stylish this month, as I won't be around to update you on doing so!

Seventeen Ultimate Guide to Style: Book Review

This book showcases six different iconic styles: girly, edgy, boho, classic, glam, and indie. Each section features eight essential pieces and gives outfit ideas using them. In addition, there is advice from Seventeen models and their favourite looks, as well celebrity inspiration, styling tips, a "look book" (made up of runway, celebrity, and street style looks), and where to shop. The book also features an accessory guide, and fit guides for jeans, bathing suits, and undergarments. Written by Ann Shoket and the editors of Seventeen, this book not only gives a ton of fashion advice and ideas, it also showcases real people who have that style.

Overall, I thought this was a great book. It differs from Seventeen's other book, 500 Style Tips because it pays more attention to creating different styles, as opposed to a bunch of outfits for different places. The book was well-organized and had endless outfit ideas. The only critique I have for this book is even though it did mention that your style could be a combination of the styles presented, it did not provide any mix-and-match style ideas. Though thinking about it now, that was probably a good thing; I mean, they had to leave room for creativity, right? It's like what Miranda Cosgrove says on the back of the book: "I love to mix styles- some days I like to wear edgier things, some days I wear really girly stuff."
You probably already know what my style is: girly. As soon as I turned to the page and saw floral prints, ruffles, ballet flats, and cardigans, I was definitely in the right place. Reading through the rest of the book though, I concluded that my style is a mix of girly, classic, and bohemian.  What's yours?

Cool Hair: Book Review

This book, entitled "Cool Hair: A Teenager's Guide to the Best Beauty Secrets on Hair, Makeup, and Style," presents a wide variety of information on hair types and styles, as well as a chapter on skin and makeup. However, I did not come across anything on personal style or fashion, just advice here and there.
At first glance, this book seemed a little outdated. When I read that it was published in 2003, I thought, okay, it's not too old. That changed after I read the first few chapters. The book gives off a strong vibe that teenagers should experiment with their hair as much as possible- dye it, perm it, curl it, straighten it- because it will grow back. It overemphasized the fact that teens should be a little rebellious and try new things, which gave the writing style a dated feel.
Overall, this book did provide a great deal of information. It went through the different hair types and recommended new styles to go for and products to use and avoid. It stressed the importance of finding a good stylist who knows what will work (and what won't) with your hair.
The other sections of the book provided tips for healthy skin and the basics for makeup. It stressed the importance of a good diet to maintain a healthy complexion (this also goes for great hair). There was a breakdown of skin types and what products to use for each, as well as a section on dealing with acne. The chapter on makeup listed the essentials for a makeup bag. This includes foundation, concealer, powder, blush, lipstick (or gloss), eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara, as well as brushes, a pair of tweezers, an eyelash curler, and Q-Tips.  There was also a quick run through of how to apply your makeup in the morning.
Overall, "Cool Hair" was a little outdated, but it did have some essential tips and tricks that even I forget! The main theme of this book was that if you look good, you feel good, which I believe is true.
Stay tuned for more book reviews!