My Perfect Life [Mass Market Paperback]

Dyan Sheldon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 9, 2004

Dyan Sheldon brings back the winning cast of characters from CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN in a new tale of suburban high school woe - told through the eyes of an endearingly unassuming heroine.

With perfect parents, perfect friends, and perfect poise, it seems like Ella Gerard has it all. But when Ella’s new best friend (and resident drama queen), Lola Cep, nominates Ella to run for school president against her ex-best friend, the wickedly popular Carla Santini, many of the less-than-perfect aspects of Ella’s life — and of her family’s — begin to make themselves more than obvious. When the election votes are tallied, can Ella come out a winner without losing face? In this witty, poignant sequel to CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN, Dyan Sheldon brings back her winning cast of characters to tell another tale of suburban high school woe, this time through Ella's eyes.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10-Ella, 15, is tricked into running for class president by her pushy and flamboyant friend Lola, and the race takes a malicious twist when rich, popular Carla sets her heart on winning the election at any cost. The campaign gets nasty when Carla announces to the student body that Ella's mother is an alcoholic and when Ella finds out that Carla's dad made a pass at Lola. Being in the spotlight forces the protagonist to discover that she is not the shy, retiring person she always thought she was, and that she can overcome her parents' marital difficulties. The students discover what it is to be manipulated and controlled, and they make their voices heard at the ballot box. The plot is predictable, but the story is entertaining and well written. The characters reflect the personalities and cliques of kids in any high school. Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (Candlewick, 1999) gives a fuller understanding of these teens and their school. Those who enjoyed that book will appreciate the new scenarios in which the young people find themselves.
Susan Geye, Crowley Ninth Grade Campus, TX
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"It makes delicious reading, with Lola a delightful storyteller. Home-grown drama queens and teen shrinking violets will love it." Kids Out on Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (February 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763624365
• ISBN-13: 978-0763624361
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 0.6 x 6.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,650,846 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun Sequel to 'Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen', March 5, 2004

By 

Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Perfect Life (Mass Market Paperback)

Ella Gerard has always believed that she has the perfect life. Perfect grades, perfect poise, perfect house, perfect parents, perfect friends, whatever she has, it's perfect. That is, until Lola Cep (resident drama queen) moves to boring Dellwood, New Jersey, and shows her that her life seems perfect, but actually really isn't once you look through the "perfect" exterior. But when Lola nominates Ella for school president, pitting her up against the vicious and popular Carla Santini, all bets are off, and many of Ella's family secrets surface, showing just how un-perfect her and her family really are.

While I was reading CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN, I was dying to read a book from Ella's point of view, since Lola seemed a bit dramatic for my taste, but Ella seemed more grounded. I feel that I was a bit wrong. First of all, MY PERFECT LIFE features Lola so much that you would think that it's about her. Second, when Lola isn't taking over the story with her dramatic acts, Ella does nothing but talk about Lola. Third, Ella just seems a bit dull and boring after reading about Lola, who was so vivid and vibrant. But, the story still holds itself strong by touching on topics such as: alcoholism, school politics, slander, etc. I feel that Dyan Sheldon did a wonderful job in creating this novel about Ella, I just hope that she writes a sequel to this from Sam's point of view, as I find that he is a fascinating character, and I would love to get the chance to read more about him.

Erika Sorocco

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars more fun from the drama queens, May 18, 2004

By 

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

This review is from: My Perfect Life (Mass Market Paperback)

Ella Gerard stars in this sequel to CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN. Lola is not eligible to run for student body president against Carla Santini, so she volunteers Ella and their friend Sam as a slate, with herself as campaign manager.

Carla stops at nothing in her quest, from an expensive rally with Ella's mom as caterer to a mud-slinging campaign. Lola is more than ready to match wits with Carla, though, and Ella reluctantly comes along for the adventure. Lola's posters with pictures of Carla shopping and talking on her cell phone are funny, and soon students are taking a serious interest in the campaign. Ella finds that the more Carla tries to outdo them, the more Ella wants to win.

The campaign is not the only thing worrying Ella, though. Her mother is getting drunk fairly often, and her father is rarely at home. Everything comes to a head right before voting. Can she hold it together even through a terrifying debate in front of the entire school?

Though more serious in tone than CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN, MY PERFECT LIFE still maintains some humor and the same great characters, and readers will hope that Dyan Sheldon will return again to Dellwood High.

--- Reviewed by Amy Alessio

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Impressive, as Sequels Go..., March 28, 2004

By 

Willow (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Perfect Life (Mass Market Paperback)

I loved Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, and was at the bookstore the other day when I saw that there was a sequel. It's very good, almost better than the original.

MY PERFECT LIFE is told from Ella's viewpoint, not Lola's. It's really funny and all, but because Ella is not a drama queen and she's much more laid back than Lola. The book starts off with Lola announcing that she wants to run for student body president, and when Ella tells her that she can't run because she has only been at the high school for a year, Lola decides to nominate Ella instead. Sam Creek, the school's token bad boy/rebel, is running with Ella for vice president. Neither of them want to, but Lola nominated them and if they back out now they'll never live it down. Carla Santini is also running for president...and sure she'll win. Carla is Lola's arch nemisis - Lola will do anything to keep her from winning.

This book is really funny, with an unexpected twist of an ending. My only complaint with the book is: the first 20 or so pages are a little slow. In the long run, I highly recommend MY PERFECT LIFE for anyone looking for some funny, easy reading. (If you want to read this book, but haven't read Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, that's okay. It isn't really necessary. They make a few references to the book but you won't be lost without knowing what they're saying.)

Overall grade - B+