Bittersweet Sixteen [Paperback]

Carrie Karasyov (Author), Jill Kargman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2007

Balloons and streamers? Carvel cake? Those might be standard fair for your average birthday party, but Whitney Blake and Sophie Mitchum are anything but average. I’m Laura Finnegan - thrift store junkie and scholarship student at Tate, our posh all-girls high school in Manhattan. I’m not like Whit or Soph, but that doesn’t stop us from being BFFs. But then they started tuning in to the all-Sweet Sixteen, all-the-time channel. Now tempers are flaring, Prada bags are flying, and guys are being tossed around in vicious tug-of-war battles. Whose Sweet Sixteen will reign supreme?

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10–Laura, a scholarship student at an elite high school in New York City, is surrounded by superficial, backstabbing rich girls, all obsessed with having the best Sweet Sixteen party. Despite the differences in lifestyles, she has a solid group of friends, as well as a best friend, Whitney. Everything is running smoothly until the new girl, Sophie, arrives. She is extremely rich, pretty, and fashionable, and wiggles her way right into Laura's group of friends and disrupts the equilibrium of the clique. Before long, everyone is fighting. Laura is the only one who remains true to herself and, with the help of a certain boy, learns about the importance of friendship. Designer names are dropped throughout and the girls are fixated on their weight, capturing some of the issues that teenage girls obsess over in America. But underneath all the fluff and superficiality are lessons on friendship and love.–Kristen M. Todd, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“Disappointed that the multi–million copy selling Gossip Girl series by Cecily Von Ziegesar has closed the final chapter on the young socialites’ high school years? If you are, well then here’s the book for you.” (Right On! )

“Teen readers will love the details and vicariously whirl their way through social contexts they only read about in magazines, but they will also see what it means to be true to oneself.” (KLIATT )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060778466
• ISBN-13: 978-0060778460
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,558,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You'll Laugh, You'll Cry, and You'll Fling Pradas!, July 8, 2006

By 

Wantz Upon A Time Reviews (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bittersweet Sixteen (Hardcover)

Laura Finnegan attends a swanky all-girls' private school with the children of Manhattan's upper crust elite. As a scholarship student, Laura is careful not to take advantage of her über-rich best friend, Whitney Blake. In return, Whit offers everything from an open ear to designer hand-me-downs to trips with the Blake family to exotic locations. While Laura can't afford posh labels, she holds her own through a passion for sewing and design, which impresses her often-materialistic classmates.

Sophomore year is the biggest at their school. Add one part Sweet Sixteen, one part girl, and countless parts money, and it becomes a race to see who can throw the best, most expensive and star-studded birthday bash. Until now, it's been assumed that Whitney's event will be the celebration to end all celebrations.

The arrival of California party-girl Sophie Mitchum shakes up Whitney's planned bash--and it gets worse when Soph totally crushes on Jake, a student at a private boy's school on who Whit has staked her claim. With Laura caught in the middle, tensions between Whit and Soph escalate into full-blown Prada-flinging war.

Heavy in teen lingo and emotional drama, Bittersweet Sixteen introduces teens to an exclusive world dripping with money. What middle- or lower-class kid doesn't wish they could spend a day with their wealthy peers? These kids are represented in the character of Laura. She exists both in and outside the culture of the extremely rich, and it's not all kicks and giggles. As with any other social class, people are people, and everyone can find trouble, fight with friends, and find redemption. The question is how to get to where you want to go; and this is Laura's story of that journey.

Karasyov and Kargman write in a hip, chick-lit style that will appeal to most teenage girls. Despite the humorous beat, they evoke feelings common to today's teens. Think of this as the modern fable for the average kid who wishes they could grasp something more. "The grass is greener on the other side" is the theme here, only "The Jimmy Choos are better on the other side" might apply.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
7/8/2006

4½-Books / 5-Stars for Amazon

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sure to keep you up all night reading!!, August 21, 2006

By 

Tana Brown - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bittersweet Sixteen (Hardcover)

The story begins with Luara Finnegan, who is an average girl at a very high-end school, due to her scholorship and intelligence.The main characters are her best friend Whitney, and the new girl Sophie, but later on, other girls and boys get mixed in there too. All Laura's friends have a great deal of money and throughout the story major drama arises and spirals around the big sweet sixteen parties EVERYONE at this school has.The book starts out slow, so dont get discouraged, but then it gets very easy to get sucked into and boy is it juicy. If you're a girl who loves to dream of that perfect boy, feels out of place, loves drama, or even just enjoys the city of new york, fashion,or shopping, this is THE PERFECT book for you! I would read it again and again if i could just forget what happened so i could feel the suspense again!!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chick Lit at It's Finest, January 30, 2007

By 

Monica Petersen (Mesa, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bittersweet Sixteen (Hardcover)

Take one part Cinderella and three parts "Mean Girls", stir until boiling and you get Bittersweet Sixteen. This sassy chick lit novel combines the stresses of birthdays, boys, and best friends in the high class society of Manhattan at one of the most exclusive private schools. Laura Finnegan's life was great until little Miss Sophie Mitchum enters her school. With this new friend the entire social standing of Tate Academy is completely turned upside-down. You will laugh, cry, and rejoice with Laura's terrors and triumphs. This is a great read for anyone.