Customer Reviews

Faking 19

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Alex, a 17 year-old AP student, has lately gone from a promising young student into failing her classes and hanging out in LA with her friend M, who happens to be the most popular girl in school. The girls wind up pretending they are 19 and snagging older boyfriends. But how long can that last? Before long, Alex is in trouble with her mother and guidance counselor. M meanwhile comes from a rich family that doesn't care what she does.

Soon enough, Alex's new boyfriend finds out her true age, and things come crashing down. Alex realizes she must get over her resentment for her wayward father (who refuses to pay for her college tuition), and make an effort in school of she might not graduate with her class.

"Faking 19" was a very engaging and fast-paced read. The author does a great job of getting the reader into Alex's head and make them feel her emotions. The story is well-written, capturing the girls' teen angst perfectly. Overall a great book, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes the Gossip Girl series and other teen books.

Despite the differences in their financial backgrounds, Alex and M. are still just two teen girls trying to figure things out. Alex is bored with school and is beginning to fail several classes as she tries to fit into a faster grove of life. She would like to go to college, but with her grades failing and living with her single mom, what are the chances? M. has doors opened thanks to her beauty and because her parents belong to the right country clubs. She doesn't have to worry about college because Daddy can pay her way. Both girls decide it's more fun to party than hang out with their boring classmates. It's their senior year so why the heck not?

Alex is witty, bright and funny in her observations of the world around her and looks at friends and herself with candor:

"I'm big into grooming. In an average shower I use shampoo, conditioner (deep conditioner in the summer), lavender-scented shaving gel, facial cleanser, facial scrub, and body cleansing gel, followed by body scrub. While my skin is still damp I spray on body oil, which I let soak in for about sixty seconds, then I lightly pat my skin dry and apply body lotion, deodorant, astringent, lip balm, leave-in conditioner, and a tiny bit of some perfume sample. This month it's Gucci Rush because I like the name. I'm a total product whore."

Somewhere along the line Alex is beginning to worry about this "burden" of being a virgin and decides that if the right fella comes along she just might get the whole business over with:

"My mom talks about the giant steps that women have taken since she was my age, but I just don't see it. I mean, maybe we can vote and stuff but there's still these really burdensome social rules that just won't change, like sex. It may seem like everybody in your school is doing it, and most of them probably are, but let's face it, girls that experiment get labeled as sluts, while the guys get the stud trophy. And that's why there will be no sweaty high school stuff for me. No getting biblical in the backseat with some icky senior."

It's with this philosophy in mind that she and M. are able to lie about their ages and begin hanging out with two older rich guys, Connor and Trevor. But when she confesses her lie to Connor (after the deed is done), there is an immediate falling out. While Alex agonizes over the consequences of this situation, she begins to notice that M. is acting more erratic than usual. Finally, and most unexpectedly, Alex discovers that M. is a regular user of heavy drugs in this high-party lifestyle she loves.

As Alex pulls away from M. and the "almost" relationship with Connor, she discovers some great things about herself. Her English teacher encourages her short story writing and her counselor advises her about college possibilities. She also must deal with a detached father and her mother who, though she does come around, does not at first want to recognize her daughter's troubled life.

Both the cover of this clever little book and its story have a "Gossip Girl" kind of feel to it. Parents and educators should be aware that the sexual situations in this story are handled very casually. FAKING 19 does allow that there are some serious consequences when we let ourselves become sidetracked from what is really important. Alex and M., despite their foolish mistakes, are fresh and endearing characters.

--- Reviewed by Sally M. Tibbetts

I read an excellent book called Faking 19 by Alyson Noel. The main characters are Alex and Madison, but everyone calls her "M". "M" is one of the most popular girls in the school, she is pretty, she is on the cheerleading squad, she is rich and she gets good grades. Alex on the other hand, she is not rich, she doesn't get good grades, she isn't involved in any school activities, but she is pretty. Alex and "M" are very adventurous. Almost every weekend they go to LA and go into clubs. One night they went into a club, Alex met a guy named Connor. Alex "M" and Connor go to an art gallery where "M" meets one of Connors friends, Trevor. All four of them start talking and Trevor asks everyone if they want to go to his house and have a party since his parents weren't home. Alex and "M" didn't know what to do so they just went. When they got there Alex and Connor thought that the party was boring so they went outside to take a walk. They started talking and Connor asked Alex how old she was. Alex was speechless so she asked Connor how old he was and he said 23. She was in shock because she was only 17 and she liked him. So she lied and said that she was 19. So now Alex and "M" are starting relationships based on lies. Later Alex finds out that pretty soon she will be alone because Connor is moving to London, "M' is going to Princeton ,and her work associates is moving to NYC. Alex decides that since everyone has something going for them, that she should try to get her grades up and maybe get into a college. After studying, paying attention, and getting to all of her classes early, she finds out from her guidance counselor bthat she can enter herself in a writting contest since she loves to write creative stories. If she wins this contest she will win a 2,000 dollar scholarship. I liked this book a lot. It was very dramatic and life like. Everything about this book seemed real, the characters, their actions, and the school. I think Faking 19 was a very interesting book.

Faking 19 isn't just a shallow book about some messed up teenagers life. This book really goes to and captures real life experiences that happen to teens. Alyson Noel really knew what being a teen is about and how it works and what goes on with us between friends and ones own head. Alex and M have great lives and our great friends. But for real?

Alex has the life any teen would want. A popular best friend, she has skills that lead her to straight A's and she's great looking too. But as High School progresses Alex finds herself in a deep hole she dug herself into. Now she's failing almost all of her classes and skips them just as often as anyone's would normally go to them. She could care less about her future until she gets a severe reality check. She won't be able to get into college. If you rule out her not being able to pay for it. Since her parents split up her father doesn't want to pay for college, and a scholarship is out of the question, regarding her grades. After she has an intense meeting with her Mom and the Guidance Counselor, she knows she needs to pull up her grades, and fast. But she skips and takes a trip to LA, where her and her popular, rich and beautiful best friend M, takes her. There they meet their future, Connor for Alex, and Trevor for M. They're hot older guys, around 23, while these "innocent" girls are only 17. But of course,17 is way too young. So why not be, say, 19. Connor and Alex get into an intense relationship, and quickly, in the heat of the moment, start to have sex. At the last second she screams to tell him she's not ready. Alex just hasn't known this guy long enough. This wasn't special enough. Her FIRST time had to be great right I mean yeah, this guy was hot, gorgeous, rich and powerful. But did he love her? Did he even know her? But maybe he really wants to get to know her, maybe it can work. As time progresses the girls create meaningful relationships with these men. But Trevor gets M into something neither Alex nor M expected. She starts smoking pot, doing ecstasy and coke. M's mom finds her pot in a shoe and gets mad. But M goes and blames it on Alex, in fear or getting in trouble. Yet in reality, M's mom could care less if it was hers. She has her own problems. Her husband is having an affair and she can't let herself leave him. She loves her materialistic life, and doesn't want to sacrifice it. And to make things worse for M, she finds her Dad out? with his new girlfriend, and uses it against him to be able to spend even more money. But Alex doesn't have problems like her. She finally haves sex with Connor, and it's amazing. So they do it again another day, even though Alex still needs to bring her grades up. And in the morning she tells Connor she's 17. He flips out. Their relationship is ILLEGAL! So there goes their relationship. Down the drain, they're over. Now Alex really decides to focus. She gets down to work and brings her grades up a lot. She even wins a scholarship. She starts doing great, but for real? Her and M start having problems. Alex realizes M bribes her to do things. And she hates that. Maybe she even hates M. She needs time to think.

I think this book is exceptionally written. Noel really dug deep into what happens with our lives. I think the book should have a sequel or maybe be longer though. I absolutely love the last chapter and how things pull together, but the ending with the last few chapters keeps you wondering. I like how you can make up your own ideas about how it all turns out, but I always want to know more. I think this book had depth and real meaning and it goes to show what materialism does to your life. It lets you know that drugs get you somewhere that you don't want to be and it can ruin your relationship with your friends really easily. And how lies just never end and lies make more lies that ends you up in a mess. One that's just too hard to untangle.

Alyson Noël took me for a joyride in FAKING 19 into the oh-so-fabulous, wild party life of two beautiful high school seniors in SoCal. At first glance, Alex may seem like she has it all. She's pretty, smart, and her best friend is the most popular girl at school, M. But the truth is, Alex has some pretty hefty family problems and she's undergoing a major identity crisis. Oh, and on top of all that, she's failing all of her classes and might not graduate from high school, never mind college.

Alex wasn't always this way. Freshman and sophomore years, she was on top of her game, a straight-A honors student. Those were her glory years. Now, she'd much rather hit the L.A. club scene with M every night instead of worrying about something trivial like her grades. It doesn't matter anyway; her dad won't pay for her to go to college, so what's the point?

One day, when Alex and M are out on the town, they meet a couple of cute, older British guys. Connor and Trevor are attractive and charming, and the girls immediately fall for them. Connor owns a record label and is filthy rich. Alex thinks that he just might be her ticket out of her dull life, and then she won't even need that college education her counselor so desperately wants her to achieve.

But when everything doesn't go exactly as Alex fantasizes, she realizes that the only person she can count on is herself. Ultimately, Alex discovers that there's more to life than who's wearing the prettiest dress or who snags the hottest guy.

Even though this book is about gorgeous teenage girls going clubbing in L.A., Alyson Noël still manages to create characters that I can identify with. Underneath the glamorous exterior, Alex is just another girl struggling to get through her high school years. Along the way, she learns an invaluable rule of life: Success is a gift that you give to yourself.

Reviewed by: Amber Gibson

This Book is highly recommended by me. I read four books in the past week that were all the same type and this is by far the best.It has one girls life the excitement as well as leaving you with a bit of inspriation. It's truly well written for teens.

Ms. Noel really has an ear for dialogue, and a real sense of the joys and traumas of teens. I've recommended this to all of my friends. It's a fast, entertaining, and moving read.

Faking 19 was a very entertaining book. One that I am sure almost every high school girl can relate to. Dealing with society's pressure to always look good, the most popular, and do everything your not supposed to just to be accepted.

In this book, you become introduced to two very spontaneous California girls; Alex and M. Alex and M are best friends, and hardly ever go anywhere without being by each other's side. M is a straight-A student who wins over everyone with popularity, beauty, and "daddy's credit card". Now Alex on the other hand has gone from an AP student who participated in every school activity, to a failing senior who might not even be able to pull up her grades to graduate! At this point in her life, Alex is going through the hard times of her parents getting divorced, her mom not being able to pay for her college, and a dad who refuses to help out his daughter because his new girl friend and job are more important to him.

Being in this position, Alex has practically given up on everything. One evening, M and Alex go out and happen to meet these two very good looking 23-year-old guys from England. Although both girls are only 17 years old, they decide to try their luck a pull off a "Faking 19." Getting caught up in parties, alcohol, and clubbing, the girls find themselves in a situation in which they don't know how to get out of. To make the situation even worse, M starts using party drugs.

The author uses a very descriptive technique that enables you to visualize the story in your head as you read along. Also, the story line matches so well with teenagers, and life in high school that it seems very realistic.

So what really happens to M and Alex? Do they ever find their way out? Does Alex ever get her self together? I guess you will just have to read to find out.
YOU WON'T BE DISSAPOINTED! =]

Not your superficial teen read, this book has depth of character and is exceptionally well written. It is a story about one girl's struggle to overcome choices made by others, who ultimately realizes that she has the power to control the direction of her own life. It is funny and sad, but will leave you feeling good. You won't want to put it down.

One of my favorites! Alyson Noel is such a great author, it's hard to choose between her books but I LOVE this one!