All-American Girl

by Meg Cabot

Book Review

Publishers Weekly :

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Cabot (The Princess Diaries) presents another teen-pleasing novel and another likable heroine in this story set in Washington, D.C. Feisty, red-haired Samantha, a self-described "urban rebel" who has dyed all of her clothes black, is a 15-year-old middle child, uncomfortably wedged between her popular, cheerleader older sister, Lucy, and her brainy 11-year-old sister, Rebecca. And she has a major crush on Jack, Lucy's nonconformistartist boyfriend, whom she feels is far better suited to her than to her rather vacuous sister. The entertainingly opinionated narrator's wry top-10 lists add considerably to the tale's charm and speedy pacing, among them, the "top ten reasons why I can't stand my sister Lucy" and the "top ten signs that Jack loves me and not my sister Lucy and just hasn't realized it yet." Sam's life suddenly changes dramatically when, while standing on the sidewalk one afternoon, she foils an attempt to assassinate the President. She becomes a national hero overnight, is named teen ambassador to the United Nations and eventually lands the president's son as her beau. Despite these rather unlikely plot twists (in a comic coincidence, the president's son also happens to be a fellow student in her art class whom she finds attractive), Sam's spunky and intermittently affecting narrative, as well as the true-to-life voices of the supporting cast of characters, make this a convincing and diverting tale. As Sam learns important truths about herself, Cabot interjects a worthy message into her comedic caper. Ages 12-up.

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School Library Journal :

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Gr 5-10-While waiting for her ride home from an after-school art class, Samantha Madison, a sophomore at John Adams Preparatory School in Washington, DC, inadvertently saves the President's life by jumping on the back of a would-be assassin. Suddenly, she is a celebrity, invited to the White House for dinner, named the teen ambassador to the U.N., and revered by her fellow classmates. Yet, even her new star status doesn't allow her to get what she really wants-a date with her sister's boyfriend, Jack. Hoping to make him jealous, she asks out the President's son. The plan backfires, but Samantha discovers who she really is in the process. Cabot uses vision as a metaphor for how a budding artist grows to "see" herself and others more clearly. The first-person narrative contains Samantha's top-10 lists between chapters, adding to the hilarious plot. The setting is used to interject a few historical facts about the White House and its former residents without intruding on the entertaining story. Readers will enjoy Samantha's interactions with the other delightful characters, especially her sisters. Cabot fully understands teens, their language, and their world. There are at least 10 reasons why libraries will want to own this book, but the most important one is that it simply will not stay on the shelves.-Linda L. Plevak, Saint Mary's Hall, San Antonio, TX

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Review
: Booklist :

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Gr. 9-12. Cabot, author of the best-selling Princess Diaries series, offers another hilarious, page-turning fantasy about an outsider who is thrown into the glamorous spotlight. Unlike her older sister Lucy, high-school sophomore Samantha lurks on the edges of her school's social scene. Her passions are art and, unfortunately, Lucy's boyfriend Jack, a rebellious teen artist who lives in the same toney Washington, D.C., suburb. When Samantha inadvertently saves the president from an attempted assassination, her life drastically alters: she not only becomes a national hero and the «it» girl at her school but also ends up dating the president's cute son. Absurdly far-fetched? Absolutely, but like Cabot's previous books, that's exactly why this is so much fun. Cabot throws in plenty of obstacles and well-paced social angst to keep up the suspense, making Sam's romantic happy ending hard earned. There's also surprising depth in the characters and plenty of authenticity in the cultural details and the teenage voices--particularly in Sam's poignant, laugh-out-loud narration. Expect this to fly off the shelves.

¾: Gillian Engberg.

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