5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, June 12, 2007
Cordelia Packer is going to see her sister in northern California, leaving from her home in San Diego, but she doesn't have a travel partner. Until Jacob (Cordelia's older sister's ex-boyfriend), who is totally obnoxious but cute, offers to travel along with her.
Cordelia has the trip all planned out, with an itinerary -- there are even scheduled rest stops. This is how she does everything.
But that's not how Jacob does anything! He likes to take his time and not rush through anything. Cordelia knows that the trip is off to a bad start when Jacob shows up at noon when he was supposed to be there at nine!
While they are in the desolate, California desert -- the car breaks down. How will perfectionist Cordelia and wild child Jacob handle the situation? And will Cordelia be able to stay faithful to her perfect boyfriend?
I really liked reading this kind of predictable book. There were enough twists and turns to keep you interested! GETTING LOST WITH BOYS is a very fun book to read while basking in the sun!
Reviewed by: Taylor Rector
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Is this a story or a catalog?, March 7, 2011
This review is from: Getting Lost with Boys (Kindle Edition)
I purchased this book last night, and it took me all of two hours to read it. When I was finished, I was so disappointed by the complete lack of coherent reviews here on Amazon, I knew I had to write one of my own. I know this is teen fiction, but I've read a lot of teen fiction that I thoroughly enjoyed. Susane Colasanti, Jennifer Echols, and Sarah Dessen are great teen fiction authors. Hailey Abbott? Not so much.
First of all, this book reads like a catalog or a teen fashion magazine. I was 13% through when I began to wonder if I'd made a mistake and downloaded an issue of Teen Vogue. I had been so inundated with product placement at that point that it inspired me to begin highlighting every brand name I stumbled across so that I could compile a list. The worst part is they aren't even used in a way that makes sense. No realism such as, "Cordelia drank a Coke". That would be fine. Instead, the readers are treated to passages like, "The sun had gone from blazing to blistering so she had proceeded to sweat through her pale blue striped Lacoste polo shirt. Her lips were in desperate need of some L'Occitane shea butter tinted lip balm..." One of my other favorites is when Cordelia "locks herself in the bathroom with all of her favorite products". When she finished soaking in the tub, she "patted herself dry and smoothed on some Elizabeth Arden Green Tea body lotion."
Just to give you an idea of what you're up against as far as the rampant commercialism in this book, here's my compiled list of brand names:
Excel
Tom's of Maine
Treo
Marc Jacobs
Jimmy Choo
Juicy
Jansport (this was particularly infuriating as Cordelia didn't just put things in her "backpack", but in her "Jansport")
Listerine
Urban Outfitters
Taco Bell
The Container Store
Elfa
Origins (specifically, Cordelia washes herself with Origins Pomegranate Wash)
Powerbook (again, couldn't she have just turned on her laptop? Oh, no, that would be too vague)
Google
MapQuest
Yahoo!
Swatch (she couldn't just look at her watch, either)
iPod
Elizabeth Arden
Victoria's Secret
Gucci
Holiday Inn Express
Doritos
Combos
Toyota Prius
Cargo
Tarte
Steve Madden
Aeropostale
Hold Everything
Williams-Sonoma
Absolut Vodka
Gymboree
Mandalay Bay Hotel
Travelocity
Lacoste
L'Occitane
Us Weekly
In Touch
Tommy Hilfiger
Twix
Purell
Anthropologie
Bliss Lemon and Sage Soapy Sap
Joe's Jeans
J. Crew
Converse
Quaker Rice Cakes
Malia Mills
Prada
Kors
Love Sac
Aerobed
Seven
Guess?
MAC
Dolce & Gabbana
ABC Carpet & Home
Oral-B Brush Ups
This is all crammed into a book that took me a couple of hours to read. I think there's a brand name on every page. I may have missed some.
Commercialism aside, this book is just not well-written. First is Ms. Abbott's apparent indecision when it comes to the age of her female protagonist. Cordelia is supposedly 16 years old, yet she at one point gets herself a room at the "Holiday Inn Express". I'm sorry, but I don't know too many 16-year-old girls who can do that since you have to be 18 to get a hotel room. At the end of the book, Cordelia goes to a club with her sister and Jake and all three proceed to not only get in, but also get a hold of alcoholic drinks. Yes, it may be a college town, but I kinda think they'd still have a problem serving a 16 year old girl a rum and Coke (gasp! I missed Coke!).
The characters are two-dimensional and sloppily portrayed cliche's. Cordelia's boyfriend, Paul, is the ultimate cliche with his vegan lifestyle, his arrogant assumptions that everyone would be perfect if they were just like him, his over-zealous concern for the environment, etc. The guy reads like a cartoon character. Cordelia is infuriating. She's supposed to be an "uptight, type A personality", but honestly, for the first half of the book, she's just a raging bitch. We watch as Jake's character goes from "Devil-may-care goofball" to slightly serious guy with his own issues. His character is the most inconsistent overall.
I was a little flabbergasted at the ending, as well. After spending the entire book highlighting Cordelia's fear of flying, Abbott decides that the key to getting over your fears is just....having the right guy there with you? I thought we were supposed to be teaching young girls independence and self-sufficiency? But after being literally phobic of flying, Cordelia is able to sit on a plane with Jake and be calm and unafraid. Sorry, I have an anxiety disorder and various phobias and one does not just "get over it" that easily.
I don't mind fluff, that's why I read these kinds of books from time-to-time. This book, however, is inconsistent, poorly-written, slightly offensive tripe.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing book by the pool, December 30, 2008
This was the first book i read by Hailey Abbott and i truly loved it. Right after i read it i just wanted to go snuggle with my boyfriend and stay there forever.
Its not too long and the wording is not 4th grade but not so complex you have to run to the dictonary every 5 sentences.
The romance is cute and realistic, making the story line believable.
You learn alot about the two characters through out their journey and you want more when it ends
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
