Amy Holder

Total DNF for me. I think this is my first ever DNF too.

It was just so tired and cliched. The characters weren't so much cardboard cut outs as strange archetypes constructed from tissue paper. The story was cliched, the set up overtly familiar, the teen speak often cringeworthy and the archetypal high school teenagers tired and boring.

It was trying so hard to be Mean Girls and failed miserably. Tina Fey's movie works well, even though it's a derivative set up, because it's smart. Regina George isn't stupid (unlike the queen bee in this book, Britney - yes, she's called Britney - who is extremely stupid to the point where you wonder how she functions at all), plus she's subtle. She doesn't scream like a banshee or just insult people to their faces with terms as worn out and overused as old shoe leather; she's subtle and plays the game well. All the humour, wit and non-condescending attitudes that Mean Girls gave the high school queen bee comedy are used to painfully bad effect in The Lipstick Laws. I did not care at all about the supposed plight of the heroine; there was no need for her to put up with any of the BS and her reasons for doing so were ridiculous, even by the standards of trashy high school comedies. The story just made teenagers look stupid and only good for our mockery. If you've ever seen a 1990s high school movie, you've read this book and probably gotten more enjoyment from it.… (altro)

This is not my normal sort of reading choice, but since I read it, I have to say that I enjoyed it overall. It was very reminiscent of Mean Girls, but it didn't end the same way. Britney and April never made peace, but their relationship did run its course. I think April's sudden growth of character at the formal seemed a bit far fetched based on my own experience with teens, but she came to the realization that she had been acting extremely superficial for most of the book before it was all over, so I can say I am satisfied. It was a pretty good story. As with many books of from this genre, I was very disappointed with the lack of adult involvement during many of the book's key junctures, particularly during the formal and school locker incident, but that seems to be a hallmark of this sort of book allowing the characters to solve the problems in their own way, so I understand. If you normally read this sort of book, I recommend this one. It kept me reading.… (altro)

If you don't take this book too seriously, it's a fun and enjoyable read filled with laugh-out-loud moments. It's not particularly life-changing and the angst is only small-scale (thank god) but this is what made it so refreshing. It's the age-old story of surviving high school and all the cliques, bitchiness, gossiping and heartbreak that goes with it. Put simply, this is a novel about boyfriends, girlfriends, and make-up. Naturally, it's full of jealousies and insecurities as well but the tone is very light.

The book opens up on the school bus with April (the protagonist) comparing her non-existent boobs with that of 'Double-D Darci' and admitting to her obsession with 'bra-stuffing'. If only I could say I never did that to get in to older films at the cinema! It's a story that nearly every teenage girl can relate to in some way and anyone who's ever been to high school will definitely recognise some (if not all) of the characters. It reminds me a lot of Mean Girls, a movie that is so much more than meets the eye.



April is a decent character, but not a great one; funny and easy to relate to, but nothing special. She has all the stereotypical qualities that we expect from a teenage girl in a young adult chick-lit novel, and exactly nothing extra to make her stand out - she delivers our expectations and never exceeds them.

So.. will you like this book? You probably will if:

- You enjoyed the movie Mean Girls
- You are a fan of light-hearted, chick lit novels
- You're into the less than serious high school dramas

This book won't change your life or give you a brand new perspective on some philosophical idea, but who reads a book called 'The Lipstick Laws' for that kind of thing anyway. It's humourous and very easy to read.

… (altro)

This was a really fun and quick read. High school + cliques = the story of my life. I think that most people {unless you were the uber popular in high school and if you were, why are you reading my stuff…kidding, yeah, kidding hehe} will identify with the main character. You long to belong and would pretty much sign your life away to do so…wait, don't we still do that with houses and cars and credit cards? Um, anyway, the book was witty, funny and a true coming of age story that is a must read.… (altro)