How to Be Cool [Paperback]

Johanna Edwards (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 3, 2008

The next big book from the author of The Next Big Thing. Now in paperback!

After shedding over seventy pounds and hiding her nerdy side, Kylie Chase has reinvented herself as a savvy trendsetter. Her classes on How to Be Cool— which promise to transform students from geek to chic—have become Chicago’s hottest ticket.

But things start to unravel when Kylie’s apartment burns downs and she’s forced to move back in with her parents. With a sexy journalist shadowing her every move, Kylie fears her private embarrassment may become public knowledge. The stress is driving Kylie nuts—and the weight she fought so hard to lose is starting to creep back on. But with the help of her best friend Ruby, a confident plus-sized model, Kylie’s starting to learn that appearances aren’t everything. And that morphing from an “ugly duckling” into the queen of cool isn’t all it’s cracked up to be

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Returning from Your Big Break and The Next Big Thing, Edwards tracks Chicago-based image consultant Kylie Chase. Having been an overweight outcast in high school, Kylie works to save others from her younger self's fate: she talks one client out of wearing a Star Wars costume on a first date and keeps another from starring in a porno. But Kylie's deep dark secret is that she still imagines herself as a high school pudgette, and when hunky journalist Ty Benedict is assigned to cover her career, Kylie has to face the real person behind the carefully constructed image. Lame affirmations ("You are exactly who you think you are") and corny one-liners are less than cool, but Edwards makes Kylie's voice immediate and winning as she puts her through her success-doubt-success paces. (June)
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

“Edwards makes Kylie’s voice immediate and winning.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Kylie may not be the coolest girl on the block, but her flaws are precisely the reason readers will love her.”
—BookPage

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (June 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425221423
• ISBN-13: 978-0425221426
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,735,714 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smarter and easier to relate to than your average chick lit novel, June 20, 2007

By 

K. Hinton "avid reader" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: How To Be Cool (Hardcover)

Chicago native Kylie Chase has made a living out of being cool. Kylie used to be overweight, but through diligence and determination, has shed 75 pounds and reinvented herself as an image consultant and leader of a course called "How to Be Cool." As a former outcast in her school years, due to both her size and her interests, Kylie knows what it's like to feel out of place and promises to turn her clients from geek to chic in 8 weeks or less. In fact, her classes are causing such a splash that when playboy writer Ty Benedict moves from New York to Chicago to write for a men's magazine called Metro Guy, his first big story is to interview Kylie about "How to Be Cool."

Now, Kylie would never admit it, but she isn't nearly as cool as she'd like her clients to be. She finds herself reliving her high school years and thinking about her high school crush as their 10-year reunion creeps up. She's more likely to be at home on Friday night vegging out than hitting the clubs as she'd recommend to her clients. And, after a fire burns down her apartment building, she's temporarily living at home with her parents. Between the reunion, the article, and her living situation, Kylie's got her hands full. But can she pull things together enough to show Ty Benedict that she really does know how to be cool?

How to Be Cool was some of the best chick lit I've read all year. I'm used to these stories with a flawed heroine who can't help but lie to make herself and her life look better (think Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot and Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella). I'm also used to the "fat girl loses the weight and suddenly finds love" (think Jemima J by Jane Green). But Johanna Edwards has taken a storyline that's been done to death and revamped it with an interesting, while still flawed, heroine who it was difficult not to like. The scrapes Kylie got herself into were completely relatable and many times throughout the book I found myself sympathizing with the realistic problems that she was facing. That's what made this book stand out from some of the other so-so chick lit I've read in the past. I've been there, and the way Johanna Edwards writes about the emotions and conflict in Kylie's life was exactly the way I felt at that time. I loved How to Be Cool and would definitely recommend it for someone in the mood for a stellar beach read that's much smarter and easier to relate to than your average chick lit novel.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful story!, June 5, 2007

By 

Lillianne "love my kindle!" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How To Be Cool (Hardcover)

As usual, Johanna Edwards has come up with an original and unique idea for a book. How to Be Cool is a book about a young woman who makes her living by coaching others on how to improve their social skills and "Be Cool". While this book has been a quick read, it is notable that the writer packs the pages with detail and intricate story lines. My rating is 5 stars and a great read!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Skinny isn't everything?, November 23, 2007

By 

Deborah Crawford "Writer, Trainer, Walker, Sm... (Memphis, TN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How To Be Cool (Hardcover)

I like believable books about weight problems. Should be a popular topic seeing how obesity is rampant. Anyway, Kylie has a cool name, cool job, and since she got lost weight, her life is perfect, right? Well, not really as we find out here--skinny girls have problems, too!

I liked Kylie's clients a lot--I know people like that. Heck, I might be one! I did think she should have been smarter about the male louse in the book, but then I've been there, done that and still would probably do the same thing, but i digress. . .

If you like chick lit, you'll enjoy this book. It is a good read with likeable characters and a decent plot. Definitely a good distraction!