Customer Reviews

PRINCESS ASHLEY (Laurel-Leaf Contemporary Fiction)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Princess Ashley" was a believable story about teens, high school cliques, the quest for popularity, and destructive behavior in the guise of fun. Chelsea is a typical teenage girl, flattered out of her mind when the school's head honchoette, Ashley, includes her in the golden inner circle. Ashley's golden boyfriend, Craig, is a youngster dying on the inside for some guidelines in his life and receiving none from his parents or peers. He's in charge and he's a drunk. Chelsea gets in over her head when the golden duo make plans that end in tragedy. Peck's book is a good read and a true-to-life story of what lengths high school kids will go to be cool. No, it's deeper than that. They're desperately trying to be accepted.

This is one of only a few books about high school kids that I really related to when I was in high school myself. The characters are so real and multidimensional. You see how shallow and immature golden girl Ashley really is, yet you also realize she has problems that make you just a little more sympathetic, and you're even drawn by her seeming worldiness and sophistication just enough to understand narrator Chelsea's admiration for her. Didn't we all wish at one time or another that we could be part of the In Crowd? Chelsea herself is a wonderfully realistic teenager, and her character is extremely well developed as we follow her through high school. Her relationship with her mother is very true to life, and progresses believably as Chelsea matures. And Pod is probably the most loveable, interesting high school boy I've ever come across in young adult fiction. This is one of those books that I've saved since I was a teenager and re-read once a year or so. This book in particular is a real blast from my past as it was published when I was in high school and makes references to things that were big then (Molly Ringwald, Sheila E singing "The Glamourous Life"). Though those things may make it a bit dated, the storyline and characters are sure to appeal to young adults today.

I first read this book when I was in 8th or 9th grade and was enjoying social leperdom at my high school. I think it is one of the most absorbing, accurate fictional accounts of teenage life ever written. In the past 15 or 16 years, I've read this book at least 10 times, and it never gets old. Our herione, Chelsea, is new in town and is in the throes of teenage-itis. She hates her mom, she's trying to dress punk, she's trying to keep her head down at her new school . . . but then beautiful, untouchable Ashley Packard singles her out for friendship, and so begins Chelsea's battle to not lose herself in Ashley's pretentious and even dangerous social world. With some help from her offbeat friend Pod, she may stand a chance of graduating from high school with her integrity intact.

I just love this book - the plot, the characters, the dialogue - a masterpiece from Richard Peck. What a shame it's not in print anymore! I think today's teenage girls need this story just as much, if not more than I did.

I thought that Peck did a fantastic job keeping humor in his work, even though it had such grim moments. His characters were easy to identify with (as usual), and very realistic.

Princess Ashley is an amazing book. I chose to read this book because I thought it would be an easy book to relate to, and it is. This book follows a young girl who moves to a new place and begins highscool. She becomes into the popular group with Ashley. My favorite charater is Chelsea because she is just a normal girl trying to fit in. I think that the best part of Princess Ashley was when Chelsea and her boyfriend, Pod, dress up as hippies and go to a party. I would reccomend this book to any tennager because you can really relate.

Chelsea Olinger moved to a new school as a sophomore, with the intentions of getting by unnoticed. It became nearly impossible when she met a girl named Ashley Packard, who she believed to be the most amazing person she had ever come across. Chelsea admired everything about her, and wanted to be just like her. Maybe a little bit too much like her. Chelsea's mother tried to warn her that Ashley was only a fake, but it was up to Chelsea to find out the truth and realize who her true friends were!
Princess Ashley is one of the most captivating books I have read. Richard Peck, expresses through his writing how it really is to be a teenager. It was so easy for me to relate to the way the characters felt, and it even gave me advice about things I had never even thought of. I believe that every teenager should read this book. It will give you advice, encouragement, different point of views, and almost make you feel as if you're not alone in this world. Once you pick up Princess Ashley, there is no putting it down!

Princess Ashley was a very good book. It gave realistic views on teenagers. Most everything in the book was very believable. There was only one thing that was hard to believe in the book. I realize some people have hard times in their lives, but everything bad that could possibly happen to a teenager happened to Chelsea, the main character. However, the book got a strong message across and I encourage young people especially to read Princess Ashley by Richard Peck.