It's All About Us (All About Us Series, Book 1) [Paperback]

Shelley Adina (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 12, 2008

Tall, blonde Lissa Mansfield is used to being one of the "in" crowd--but being accepted by the popular girls at posh Spencer Academy boarding school in San Francisco is turning out to be harder than she thought. And then there's her New-York-loudmouth roommate, Gillian Chang, who's not just happy to be a Christian herself--she's determined to out Lissa, too! If Lissa can just keep her faith under wraps long enough to hook Callum McCloud, the hottest guy in school, she'll be golden.
But when Callum pressures her to go all the way with him, Lissa has to decide for herself how far is too far. How can she see that line when he's so gorgeous and popular and she's so dazzled? And besides, she's too busy shopping for a Valentino and booking the hottest celeb for the Benefactors Ball. Who knew finding a place at Spencer Academy would be so complicated?

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: FaithWords (May 12, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446177989
• ISBN-13: 978-0446177986
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,115,508 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Award-winning author Shelley Adina wrote her first teen novel when she was 13. It was rejected by the literary publisher to whom she sent it, but he did say she knew how to tell a story. That was enough to keep her going through the rest of her adolescence, a career, a move to another country, a B.A. in Literature, an M.F.A. in Writing Popular Fiction, and countless manuscript pages. Between books, Shelley loves traveling, playing the piano and Celtic harp, watching movies, and making period costumes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Teen christian, June 20, 2008

A Kid's Review

This review is from: It's All About Us (All About Us Series, Book 1) (Paperback)

This book reminds me of the A-list ,and Gossip Girl books for Chirstian girls. I am very happy that the author kept the book fun and interesting without having to be for ages 15 and up. The main character lissa is struggling going to a new boarding school. After she goes to boarding school the most popular guy in school falls for her. But he wants to take their relationship all the way. What will she choose? Find out and read!

******************Spoiler***********************
I thought the ending was very good and a huge suprise and yes the guy is such a jerk.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Glitzy chick lit -- from a Christian perspective, July 24, 2008

By 

Teenreads.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: It's All About Us (All About Us Series, Book 1) (Paperback)

Lissa Mansfield thought that changing schools would be no big deal. After all, she was the most popular girl back at her high school in Santa Barbara. However, in IT'S ALL ABOUT US, the first book in a brand-new series by Shelley Adina, former it-girl Lissa gets more than she bargained for when she transfers to Spencer Academy, an elite boarding school in San Francisco.

Lissa's dad is the famous Gabe Mansfield, director of some of the hottest new movies. An extended film shoot in Northern California means big changes for the whole family, including Lissa's entry into the world of boarding school. Beautiful, stylish and wealthy, she used to be a standout. But at ultra-posh Spencer, nobody is taking notice. Trouble begins immediately as Lissa and her new roommate, opinionated New Yorker Gillian Chang, think they have nothing in common. That is, until they discover that they both are committed Christians. However, it seems that Gillian is a bit more committed than Lissa, who becomes embarrassed when her roommate's religious zeal begins causing her problems with popular classmates.

Just as Lissa thinks she will never fit in, Spencer's hottest guy, Callum McCloud, begins to take notice of her. Lissa has had a crush on Callum since she arrived and is willing to do almost anything to become his girlfriend. The two begin to get very serious, very fast. Now that she is with Callum, Lissa suddenly finds herself back in the popular crowd to which she is accustomed. But her newfound popularity may have a big price tag. Lissa's new friends seem to be engaging in a number of activities that compromise her reputation --- big time. Not to mention that her relationship with Gillian and friend Carly, the only two people who would even associate with Lissa before, is more than tense. Lissa reaches a breaking point when she realizes that she may not be able to give Callum everything he wants without compromising her own values and identity. But is he, and the entire world of Spencer's it-crowd, really worth it?

While it may be somewhat over-the-top and unbelievable in its nature, pop culture junkies and fans of such reality programs as "Laguna Beach" will undoubtedly love IT'S ALL ABOUT US. It is fun, intriguing and has the potential to capture the attention of an audience more likely to be watching MTV than reading a novel. While the content may seem shallow to some, perhaps it is just what many teens need to start getting interested in reading again.

--- Reviewed by Jennifer Crosby

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars --, April 17, 2009

By 

Christian Review of Books - See all my reviews

This review is from: It's All About Us (All About Us Series, Book 1) (Paperback)

Are you looking for a realistic view of teen life in a fictional setting? Do you have a teen girl who enjoys Christian fiction? Then Shelley's series about three friends is the perfect choice.

We are introduced to Lissa as she begins life at a high end boarding school where nearly everyone comes from families with money. We see the ins and outs of dorm life and how teens struggle with their faith. I honestly felt like I was snooping into a real teen's world. Shelley is able to capture the language and life of teens everywhere and makes these character's lives believable.

Lissa has been a believer for several years, but her desire to remain at the top with the popular kids has her making very poor choices. Thankfully, her roommate, Gillian is straight with her and tries to challenge Lissa's choices. Lissa on the other hand thinks Gillian doesn't understand that what she's going through and tries to convince Gillian as well as herself that she is praying and seeking God's will.

This book will help teen girls see that when boys are involved they may think they're making good choices and that going "a little way" isn't too bad because at least they're not having sex. Shelley is fantastic at showing that compromising isn't part of God's will for any of us. I really think teens will "get" this book and it will minister to those who have made poor choices while being a Christian.