Customer Reviews

Bittersweet Sixteen

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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

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!!!

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.

I myself love reading books for pleasure; all the books I read during the school year are for education purposes. Its nice to relax on the beach with a great fun teen book in hand. The first one I read this summer was Bittersweet sixteen. I LOVED it. I felt like I was inside these girls lives. I cant explain how much fun I was having reading it. Jill and Carrie's writing makes you feel as if you are apart of the characters lives..going along with them through their journey of having a sweet sixteen, and all the bits and pieces imbetween.
If you want a really good, cute read..then pick up bittersweet sixteen! I PROMISE you will love it.

Fifteen-year old Laura Finnegan can't quite decide if she's blessed or cursed to be able to attend Tate Academy, the top private all-girls school in New York. Since her parents are both professors at NYU, they definitely can't afford the twenty-thousand dollar a year tuition, so she's there on a scholarship. Laura definitely appreciates the opportunity, but there are times that the over-the-top behavior of her fellow students drives her crazy. Laura's passion is design, and she's a whiz with a sewing machine. Thankfully, her group of closest friends--best friend Whitney, Ava, and Kaitlin--are totally impressed with her fashion sense.

Whitney Blake, Laura's greatest friend, also happens to be the most popular girl at Tate Academy--and one of the richest. They have the perfect type of friendship; Laura never takes advantage of her friend's unlimited spending limit, and Whitney gives her friend the things she'd otherwise never get, like hand-me-down fashion designer clothes, trips with her on family vacations, and a guaranteed spot on the A-list. Things get a little crazy, though, when Sophie Mitchum moves from California to New York.

Sophie and Whitney circle each other like sharks on that first day, both knowing that they hold a special position in Tate Academy's pyramid of popularity. Whitney has always been Queen Bee, and instantly feels threatened by Sophie's sudden intrusion. Sophie held the same title back in California, and is determined not to ruin her chances on popularity at this new school. What follows is a short period of wariness that leads to mutual respect. That is, until Whitney learns that Sophie has scheduled her sweet sixteen blowout party on her birthday. Seems the girls share the same day, and things will never be the same at Tate Academy.

As the girls decide that maybe the situation can be salvaged by holding joint birthday parties (which just happened to be Laura's idea), things go from bad to worse. Laura finds herself in the middle of the mother of all wars when Whitney and Sophie can't work out their differences. Suddenly, designer handbags are flying, students are being used as pawns, boys are in the middle of a tug-of-war, and no one is getting the short end of the stick more than Laura. Whitney, her best friend forever, is causing more pain than a trip to the dentist, and Sophie, her new friend, isn't helping.

BITTERSWEET SIXTEEN is a funny, interesting look into the world of money, power, and popularity of teen girls who have more credit cards than they know what to do with. Definitely an entertaining read, as Laura must find out what having real friends is all about.

Bittersweet Sixteen

Bittersweet Sixteen, a novel by Carrie Karasyov and Jill Kargman, takes place in the upper east side of Manhattan at Tate, a private high school. Laura Finnegan, even being a scholarship student without the must-haves of the season, doesn't feel as out of place as you might think. That's because her long time best friend, Miss Whitney Blake, happens to be queen bee of the school. Everything changes though, when Sophie Mitchum, a former queen bee from her old high school in LA, moves to Tate and squeezes her way into their exclusive clique. Sophie being exuberantly rich and having the same birthday as Whitney has her taken to like a fish out of water. They soon become best friends, leaving Laura out of the mix when combining their sweet sixteens into one fabulous party. But as could have been predicted by their superficial bond, it all comes crashing down over a major fight leaving the school with two queen bees, two sweet sixteens, and Laura stuck smack dab in the middle.
One of my favorite scenes in the book is when both Sophie and Whitney come crawling back to Laura after demanding she choose between them. When she doesn't answer right away, they both drop her like a hot potato and deem her invisible. Laura after telling them off, demands that they make up if they want her forgiveness. This scene made me feel like cheering Laura on because they had been out right nasty towards her.
All in all, I'd give this book four stars. I'd have to say though that while it may look as if the over all theme of Bittersweet Sixteen is friendship it ands up being the same theme as those corny self books, just without the corniness. Be true to your self, and you'll be rewarded.

Fifteen-year-old Laura Finnegan has never been one of the privileged girls. She's simply been an ordinary girl placed in a privileged world thanks to the scholarship to Tate - the top private, all-girls academy in New York City - she was given years ago. Her parents are not movie producers or models. Just ordinary, hard-working college professors. Laura aspires to be as humble as them, but it's not easy when you're around braggarts day in and day out, and you happen to be best friends with the most gorgeous girl at school - Whitney Blake. Whitney Blake is bound to have the most excellent Sweet Sixteen blowout New York has ever seen. She's done plenty of research, and attended enough parties to know that she - with Laura's help - will be the belle of the ball. But when a new girl moves to town from Hollywood named Sophie Mitchum, Laura isn't so sure how things are going to turn out. However, with a little mediating from Laura, Sophie and Whitney become great friends. But when a falling out threatens to ruin the birthday season for everyone, Laura gets caught in the middle of the catfight, and must dodge as many Prada bags as she possibly can as the battle for fame, fortune, boys, and a super Sweet Sixteen threaten to tear the entire population of Tate students in two forever.

It is shocking to see how many novels about Sweet Sixteen's are being released ever since the popularity of MTV's MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEEN shot through the roof. However, having read many of these aptly written books, I find that each one gets better than the next. Carrie Karasyov & Jill Kargman's BITTERSWEET SIXTEEN is no exception. Combining three killer elements that make a young adult novel fabulous: money, popularity, and catfights; the two authors have woven a tale that is sure to put a smile on the lips of all readers - even if it is a devilish one. Laura is an enchanting character, whose kindness and "smarts" make her irresistible, while her interaction with Whitney and Sophie - among other characters - is well-thought out, and believable. With morals and life-lessons abound on each page, BITTERSWEET SIXTEEN most certainly takes the cake of being one of the more original Sweet Sixteen novels on the market today. So have your cake and eat it, too.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

Bittersweet Sixteen by Carrie Karasyov & Jill Kargman follows middle-class Laura and her wealthy friends through their sophomore year at an exclusive New York girls' academy as they compete no holds barred to host the best Sweet Sixteen ball and to land a date with the boy who has captured their fancy. This is an upscale version of an old yet good story; however, the excessive use of "Lolita lingo" will alienate some readers, and the repeated elite brand-name-dropping creates a materialistic atmosphere that somewhat belies the novel's commendable message that it's what's on the inside that counts. On the whole, narrator Laura is a down-to-earth, intelligent, unique fifteen-year-old, reminiscent of Cady from the film Mean Girls, though at times the affected teen speak seems at odds with this characterization. Laura's parents and crush object Jake ring true, but the characters of her "fully besties" Whitney and Sophie are not developed enough for us to believe that they are anything more than the shallow, selfish, malicious girls their actions show them to be. While this novel won't blow its readers "out of the Evian", younger teens will cheer for Laura through all the drama and nastiness, as she--with the help of a certain boy--learns to appreciate what she has and finds the confidence to follow her dreams.

Laura and Whitney have been friends for years, despite the fact that they couldn't be more opposite: Laura is the daughter of two NYU professors and is on scholarship to Tate; while Whitney is a blue-blooded Upper East Sider, raised in the lap of luxury. Enter Sophie, the daughter of a well-known movie director, who fights with Whitney to be the "queen bee" of their exclusive private girls' school. Everyone is obsessed with having the biggest and most over-the-top Sweet Sixteen Party. Although Laura goes along with her friends' materialistic behavior, she's still able to remain objective about her life.

The outcome is predictable when Whitney and Sophie, friends at first, begin fighting over a boy both of them like and figting over who will have the biggest and most expensive Sweet Sixteen Party. The authors do a wonderful job of depicting teenage angst in the voice of a teenager who isn't quite as self-absorbed as her friends are. I found it remarkable, though that Laura never feels resentment towards her friends for having more than she does. She's able to realize that, even though her parents don't have very much money, she still has a great life. This was a great one-sitting read that kept me hooked until the end.

That book was SOO good! I stayed up hours later than usual to finish this book, it is sooo great that I couldn't put it down until I finished this! I cried and laughed... I NEED a sequel!