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Young adult chick-lit has become more and more popular in
the last few years, catching up with the saturation of the
adult chick-lit market. YA chick-lit is quite similar to
traditional chick-lit, but with school issues and popularity
in the place of work dilemmas and social climbing and, of
course, toned-down sexuality.
As far as YA chick-lit goes, Beaner O’Brian’s Absolutely
Ginormous Guidebook to Guys by Naomi Nash is a pretty good
read. Beaner is the fifteen-year-old daughter of a music
executive whose summer is being ruined by the fact that she
must complete an essay on the opposite sex before school
begins the next month. Beaner, who has procrastinated all
summer, has a serious case of writer’s block. Her friends —
sassy Taryn, giggly Mandy, and grown-up Carrie — are no
help, but they urge her to get some real life experience
with guys to help her write her assignment. Unfortunately,
Beaner’s father is reluctant to let her date and, even if he
would let her, all the guys Beaner meets seem to only think
of her as a buddy. That is, until Beaner stumbles into her
father’s office and meets Antonio (real name Eugene), one of
the lead singers of the hot new boy band S.W.A.K. Antonio
takes an instant liking to Beaner and, before long, is
arranging a date through her father.
However, while Beaner is overwhelmed by Antonio’s
attentions, her mind is also on her sister’s crumbling
wedding plans and her newfound attraction to Faris Aloul, an
intern at her father’s office. Will Beaner be able to figure
out what’s important in her life? And will she ever get her
essay written before school starts?
Beaner O’Brian is a cute, sassy book that will be appealing
to pre-teen and teenaged girls. Beaner is a great main
character because she’s spunky, funny, and easy to relate
to. Her situation is also appealing because of its
combination of believability (school essays and parent
troubles) and star-struck fantasy (what teenaged girl
wouldn’t want a boy band member to fall for them?).
Recommended for young girls and for those of us who are
still young at heart.
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Angela McQuay/2005 for curled
up with a good kid's book |
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For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews,
visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)
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Beaner O'Brian's Absolutely Ginormous Guidebook to Guys