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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
If you haven't read Gorgeous yet then you are totally missing out on a great book. Paul Rudnick made me laugh my ass off and when I wasn't laughing my butt off I was crying silently because Becky is an amazing character that I totally got attached to. I've never been one for fashion stuff but this book isn't like that. It's bursting with beautiful fashion designs, hilarious characters, awesome jokes that I'm totally using and overall just such an amazing read! Get your hands on it because it's totally worth it! :D
This may be a 2.5 star book. I honestly don't know if I like this one or not. It was weird, and I can't decide if it is good weird or bad weird. The characters were kind of 2D, and the author's screenplay background is apparent in the dialogue (it's up to you to decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing).
Fair warning - stay away if you are the type of person to read something and go, "That's ridiculous! That would NEVER happen!"
I could see younger YA readers enjoying the story line (country bumpkin gets transformed into the most beautiful girl in the world thanks to a mysterious designer, becomes a model/movie star/girlfriend of the Prince of England), but I would be hesitant to suggest it to them because of the language (angry parents make me nervous).
Rant time:
Fair warning - stay away if you are the type of person to read something and go, "That's ridiculous! That would NEVER happen!"
I could see younger YA readers enjoying the story line (country bumpkin gets transformed into the most beautiful girl in the world thanks to a mysterious designer, becomes a model/movie star/girlfriend of the Prince of England), but I would be hesitant to suggest it to them because of the language (angry parents make me nervous).
Rant time:
Spoiler
I mainly gave this book two stars instead of three because of the whole prince story line. It just felt like a really bad rom-com when Gregory stopped in the middle of a UN speech to propose.
Review found on The Life & Times Blog.
The cover and the premise of this book really caught my attention when I first saw it. It seemed like an interesting mix of magic and self-esteem/inner beauty.
Becky is 18 years old and lives in a trailer park in East Trawley, Missouri, with her mom. She is very close to her mom, but there are some things from her mom’s past that she has never revealed to Becky.
“Things have happened to me, all sorts of things, grown-up things and I just, I got overwhelmed. I let myself get overwhelmed. And I don’t think that’s been fair to you, not one little bit. But something is going to happen to you. And it’s going to be magical. “She was gripping my hand very tightly and looking right into my eyes. “And it might be scary and you might not know what it means, not at first. But it’s going to change your life, forever. And Becky, I want you to swear to me, because I love you so much, and because you deserve everything, you deserve the whole world, so Becky, when the magic shows up — I want you to say yes.” –Paul Rudnick, Gorgeous
When her mom dies, after being sick for almost a year, she receives the opportunity of a lifetime; cash plus a trip to New York.
In NY, world-renowned designer, Tom Kelley offers her the chance to be the world’s most beautiful woman with the help of three dresses; one red, one white, and one black., she is hesitant, but eventually agrees to his terms.
Beck has some self-esteem issues. She feels awkward, didn’t really fit in at school, and believes she really is no one special, easily to be forgotten. However she does want more out of her life aside from working as a store clerk in her hometown, she is just afraid to really go after it. With the help of Tom, she begins to feel like her dreams might come true.
Even though they use a small sample of her blood when designing the magical dresses, which I am assuming aids in the magic, it would have been nice to find out how the magic was actually possible.
But once it begins to work, Becky becomes Rebecca. And she finds out that if she is in the company of at least one other person, she looks like a gorgeous beauty, but when she is alone, she looks like her original normal self. Once the public sees Rebecca, they become so enraptured by her beauty, that all they want to do is stare, take pictures, and wonder who she is.
As great as it is to feel admired and for people to believe you are really beautiful, Becky soon discovers that there is catch to this magic.
Becky does fall in love (a little fast), but the romance does not take center-stage in this story.
I’m not sure how I exactly felt about this book. The plot was interesting, but it was not a story that I couldn't put down. But maybe it was just me. Overall it was entertaining and I liked it; just not as much as I was hoping I would. Gorgeous takes the reader on a journey with Becky as she learns of her mother’s past, her father, and of inner beauty and the importance of self-worth.
**I received this book courtesy of Scholastic Press in exchange for nothing, but my honest opinion.**
The cover and the premise of this book really caught my attention when I first saw it. It seemed like an interesting mix of magic and self-esteem/inner beauty.
Becky is 18 years old and lives in a trailer park in East Trawley, Missouri, with her mom. She is very close to her mom, but there are some things from her mom’s past that she has never revealed to Becky.
“Things have happened to me, all sorts of things, grown-up things and I just, I got overwhelmed. I let myself get overwhelmed. And I don’t think that’s been fair to you, not one little bit. But something is going to happen to you. And it’s going to be magical. “She was gripping my hand very tightly and looking right into my eyes. “And it might be scary and you might not know what it means, not at first. But it’s going to change your life, forever. And Becky, I want you to swear to me, because I love you so much, and because you deserve everything, you deserve the whole world, so Becky, when the magic shows up — I want you to say yes.” –Paul Rudnick, Gorgeous
When her mom dies, after being sick for almost a year, she receives the opportunity of a lifetime; cash plus a trip to New York.
In NY, world-renowned designer, Tom Kelley offers her the chance to be the world’s most beautiful woman with the help of three dresses; one red, one white, and one black., she is hesitant, but eventually agrees to his terms.
Beck has some self-esteem issues. She feels awkward, didn’t really fit in at school, and believes she really is no one special, easily to be forgotten. However she does want more out of her life aside from working as a store clerk in her hometown, she is just afraid to really go after it. With the help of Tom, she begins to feel like her dreams might come true.
Even though they use a small sample of her blood when designing the magical dresses, which I am assuming aids in the magic, it would have been nice to find out how the magic was actually possible.
But once it begins to work, Becky becomes Rebecca. And she finds out that if she is in the company of at least one other person, she looks like a gorgeous beauty, but when she is alone, she looks like her original normal self. Once the public sees Rebecca, they become so enraptured by her beauty, that all they want to do is stare, take pictures, and wonder who she is.
As great as it is to feel admired and for people to believe you are really beautiful, Becky soon discovers that there is catch to this magic.
Becky does fall in love (a little fast), but the romance does not take center-stage in this story.
I’m not sure how I exactly felt about this book. The plot was interesting, but it was not a story that I couldn't put down. But maybe it was just me. Overall it was entertaining and I liked it; just not as much as I was hoping I would. Gorgeous takes the reader on a journey with Becky as she learns of her mother’s past, her father, and of inner beauty and the importance of self-worth.
**I received this book courtesy of Scholastic Press in exchange for nothing, but my honest opinion.**
Note to self when recommending books for younger teens: this book had a ton of swearing. And I don't mean light, fluffy swearing. Creative swearing though. Funny and a definite page-turner.
ARC reviewed by Jessica for Book Sake.
I’m a bit torn on what to think of this story. On one hand – it tries to teach that what’s inside is what counts, but it fails to do so. Basically life crumbles when you aren’t gorgeous, then it takes a lot of work to tell people that “I know I’m ugly now, but I’m a really cool person”. None of the magic that is used to make Becky “gorgeous” is ever explained, nor is the reasoning of why her mother was the way she was.
Also – the “three dresses” that were to transform her confused me. They made her a lot more than three dresses and she wasn’t only transformed when wearing the dresses. I don’t know if the real Rebecca was enough to carry the story of the good girl coming through. Her reasoning for wanting to marry royalty was a bit much.
What I did like about the book was the fact that it put down in words how beautiful people are treated. We, usually, judge based on looks, money, and status and often those judgements are wrong in many ways. Just because someone is born with good looks, or in this case, magically created good looks, doesn’t mean they are someone to be worshiped!
Book Received: For free from publisher in exchange for an honest review
I’m a bit torn on what to think of this story. On one hand – it tries to teach that what’s inside is what counts, but it fails to do so. Basically life crumbles when you aren’t gorgeous, then it takes a lot of work to tell people that “I know I’m ugly now, but I’m a really cool person”. None of the magic that is used to make Becky “gorgeous” is ever explained, nor is the reasoning of why her mother was the way she was.
Also – the “three dresses” that were to transform her confused me. They made her a lot more than three dresses and she wasn’t only transformed when wearing the dresses. I don’t know if the real Rebecca was enough to carry the story of the good girl coming through. Her reasoning for wanting to marry royalty was a bit much.
What I did like about the book was the fact that it put down in words how beautiful people are treated. We, usually, judge based on looks, money, and status and often those judgements are wrong in many ways. Just because someone is born with good looks, or in this case, magically created good looks, doesn’t mean they are someone to be worshiped!
Book Received: For free from publisher in exchange for an honest review
In this modern yet equally fantastical retelling of Cinderella, Becky, a poor eighteen year old girl living in rural Missouri, is swept up in the fascinating world of fashion, celebrity, Hollywood and British royalty. Following the death of her mother, Becky learns that the very isolated existence she has always known was because of her mother's deep fear of ever being discovered as the former cover girl model that she was. As Becky is cleaning out her mother's clothes to donate to charity, she finds a small note with a phone number on it. Becky calls the number and so begins the fantasy. Secrets and mysteries unravel slowly as Becky falls under the tutelage of Tom Kelly , the pre-eminent fashion designer who discovered Becky's mother. Becky is soon transformed into the world's most beautiful woman by the gift of three magical dresses from Tom. This spell will expire in one year. If Becky does not marry by the end of the year, her life will return to normal. Her quiet life in Missouri long behind her, Becky embarks on a whirl-wind journey to find true love while trying to remain true to herself.
A novel that drops the f-bomb within the first three paragraphs makes this a challenging title for school library shelves. The language is flagrant and at times hilarious (Becky's besty Rocher really has a colorful mouth on her) and without it (or at least much much less of it) this could easily be a light-hearted, chick-lit book to recommend to high school girls. It could offer escapism and romance with a sense of humor. However, this book better belongs in "New Adult" sections of a public library collection. The book too is overly long with readers dragged along through Part III to finally get to the happy ending.
[I listened to this one and highly recommend the audiobook. The reader does a great job with accents from southern drawl to British aristocracy.]
Tagline: Inner beauty wants out. Recommended ages 17 and up.
A novel that drops the f-bomb within the first three paragraphs makes this a challenging title for school library shelves. The language is flagrant and at times hilarious (Becky's besty Rocher really has a colorful mouth on her) and without it (or at least much much less of it) this could easily be a light-hearted, chick-lit book to recommend to high school girls. It could offer escapism and romance with a sense of humor. However, this book better belongs in "New Adult" sections of a public library collection. The book too is overly long with readers dragged along through Part III to finally get to the happy ending.
[I listened to this one and highly recommend the audiobook. The reader does a great job with accents from southern drawl to British aristocracy.]
Tagline: Inner beauty wants out. Recommended ages 17 and up.
I really liked this book. Such a fun idea and a great story. The characters were great and I loved listening to the audio book!
I didn't expect a whole lot from this book and I wasn't surprised. Very little character development and the explanation at the end was wish washy at best. Brain candy if you ain't the type of person to want and try to figure out the "magic" of her dresses.
Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Part of the reason I picked this book to read was Meg Cabot's endorsement although I have been led astray by similar endorsements. The other part is just the amazing sounding summary with three dresses changing the life of one young girl in unbelievable ways including an introduction to the charming Prince Gregory, heir to the British throne.
Long-time readers might be surprised by the specifics of what my favorite part was although the fact that I found it hilarious obviously explains why it was my favorite. What part was it? Well, it is Becky's best friend Rocher's inventively clever cursing. Yes, I said cursing as in profanity. I have never read such clever language and it really made me think of it as an art form almost. The unusual ways she phrased her thoughts (and the fact that it wasn't on every page) really pleased me.
I also really liked the way I was unable to predict all of the plot twists. Now I maybe should have been able to figure some things out but I didn't and instead just got to enjoy and gasp at some of the shifts. The ending sentence was also fantastic-something to refer back to when you remember how much high school sucked and how much better your life is now (at least that is my experience.)
My main complaint is a bit of a SPOILER so don't read if you want to preserve the mystery.
That reason is the way that Tom is dead (?) or holographic...I don't really know and I would have liked it more straightforward and explained. I don't understand how any of that worked and it left me frustrated rather than just being able to swallow what was offered.
Cover: Gorgeous ;) Love the red dress although I think it would have been interesting to see the red, white, and black dresses.
Part of the reason I picked this book to read was Meg Cabot's endorsement although I have been led astray by similar endorsements. The other part is just the amazing sounding summary with three dresses changing the life of one young girl in unbelievable ways including an introduction to the charming Prince Gregory, heir to the British throne.
Long-time readers might be surprised by the specifics of what my favorite part was although the fact that I found it hilarious obviously explains why it was my favorite. What part was it? Well, it is Becky's best friend Rocher's inventively clever cursing. Yes, I said cursing as in profanity. I have never read such clever language and it really made me think of it as an art form almost. The unusual ways she phrased her thoughts (and the fact that it wasn't on every page) really pleased me.
I also really liked the way I was unable to predict all of the plot twists. Now I maybe should have been able to figure some things out but I didn't and instead just got to enjoy and gasp at some of the shifts. The ending sentence was also fantastic-something to refer back to when you remember how much high school sucked and how much better your life is now (at least that is my experience.)
My main complaint is a bit of a SPOILER so don't read if you want to preserve the mystery.
That reason is the way that Tom is dead (?) or holographic...I don't really know and I would have liked it more straightforward and explained. I don't understand how any of that worked and it left me frustrated rather than just being able to swallow what was offered.
Cover: Gorgeous ;) Love the red dress although I think it would have been interesting to see the red, white, and black dresses.
I’ll be honest: When I first heard about Gorgeous, I was quite skeptical about the chances that I’d actually like it. I mean — magical dresses? The fashion world? Um, no.
Fortunately, I decided to check it out anyway, and to see for myself what all the buzz was about. And I’m happy that I did. Gorgeous is a modern-day fairy tale about inner beauty, the traps that fame can bring, and finding out who you are and what you want. It’s sweet and funny all at the same time, and never drags for a second.
Highly recommended, for teens and adults. See my full review at http://bookshelffantasies.com/2013/07/20/book-review-gorgeous/.
Fortunately, I decided to check it out anyway, and to see for myself what all the buzz was about. And I’m happy that I did. Gorgeous is a modern-day fairy tale about inner beauty, the traps that fame can bring, and finding out who you are and what you want. It’s sweet and funny all at the same time, and never drags for a second.
Highly recommended, for teens and adults. See my full review at http://bookshelffantasies.com/2013/07/20/book-review-gorgeous/.