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18 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A scorching way to kick-off your summer!, May 1, 2007
Sixteen-year-old Eastport High School senior, Katie Ellison, isn't a split personality per se, but she is leading a double life, that would certainly shock many of the people around her who think that she's sweet, kind, and hardworking. Sure, she's all of those things, but she's also a liar, and a cheater. After all, not only is Katie running for Quahog (pronounced koh-hog) Princess, even though she loathes quahogs (clams) with every fiber of her being, but she's also juggling not one, but two super cute, uber-popular boyfriends, and adding insult to injury, she's managed to keep her mouth shut ever since eighth grade regarding the night the words "Tommy Sullivan is a freak" were spray-painted on the wall of the local junior high. Of course, Katie feels badly for keeping the truth to herself for all these years, but her guilt isn't strong enough to come clean. Aside from all that, however, Katie's life appears to be picture perfect. That is, until Tommy Sullivan returns to the tiny town of Eastport, Connecticut, unannounced, and ready to reclaim the fame that has been associated with his name for all these years. Katie instantly knows that Tommy's arrival means nothing but trouble, and vows to steer clear of the infamous guy. Unfortunately, Tommy's plans are quite different than Katie's, and he spends as much time as possible hovering around Katie. The problem is that Tommy seems to have a sixth sense when it comes to Katie, and has a way of deciphering all of Katie's tiny secrets. Secrets that she'd prefer to keep under wraps. But the more Tommy learns, the more frightened Katie becomes. After all, she's managed to keep her tiny indiscretions to herself for all these years, and she certainly doesn't need someone like Tommy Sullivan coming into the picture to destroy her senior year. But, as Tommy digs a little deeper into Katie's so-called secret life, he begins to uncover a slew of secrets that need to stay buried, including the awful truth regarding that faithful night in eighth grade, and the tricky, no-good, drama-filled deceptions she's gotten herself mixed-up in over the years. Now, Katie must find a way to silence Tommy, or at least run him out of town, if she plans on saving face, her reputation, her relationships, and overcoming the agony caused by the legendary Tommy Sullivan, in an attempt to come out on top, and have the senior year she's always dreamed of. Otherwise, she's at risk of being left friendless, boyfriendless, and, quite possibly, in prison, for wanting to ring Tommy's neck!
Meg Cabot manages to always create something splendid whenever she touches pen to paper, and that talent has once again reared its head with the release of PANTS ON FIRE. Like Cabot's Mia Thermopolis, Jess Mastriani, Samantha Madison, Heather Wells, and everyone in between, Katie Ellison is a character who is easy to love from page one. Her outgoing, exuberant personality make her bubbly and upbeat; while the interactions she takes part in with her closest friends - Sidney and Shaniqua - leave you fighting off a serious case of the giggles. While Cabot is oft-times known for her characters living in large cities, such as New York or Washington D.C., where anonymity reigns, this time, she has taken her characters and placed them in the quaint, Old Towne-esque fishing village of Eastport, Connecticut. While small-town backdrops sometimes take the fun out of a story, Cabot manages to make the switch gracefully, and create an enormous amount of small-town drama that will most certainly please readers who find themselves tuning in to various teen TV dramas on a regular basis. Katie and her friends bring a sense of pizzazz to the story, but Tommy Sullivan's arrival in Eastport certainly brings a rebellious side to the tale, which adds a little propane to the flame, and only works to make PANTS ON FIRE even more sizzling. Fabulous characters, combined with Cabot's trademark humor and wit make PANTS ON FIRE a can't-miss novel. A scorching way to kick-off your summer!
Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Liar, Liar, May 3, 2007
Katie is your classic teenage perfectionist--top student, Homecoming Queen hopeful, beauty pageant contestant, football star's girlfriend, movie star's girlfriend. Okay, so maybe her life isn't so perfect after all.
She is cheating on her ultra-perfect boyfriend, thinks her best friend is a ditz and doesn't even like the clams that sustain her hometown's economy. Katie spends her life lying to make everyone like her, and she's miserable.
She's miserable, that is, until her old friend Tommy moves back to town after being run out four years before for a heinous crime no one talks about. Now she just wishes the earth would open up and swallow her and get it over with, especially when she starts getting the tinglies from her head to her toes when she sees what a hottie Tommy has become.
As with any Meg Cabot book, you really get into the mind of the main character. Though Katie does some pretty horrible things, you learn to love her well-meaning deceptions and root for her despite the fact that she doesn't always root for herself.
This is a wonderful book with characters that are true to life and situations that could turn anyone into the blundering idiot that Katie so often becomes when trying to hide her true feelings. The only thing keeping this book from being a perfect five is its close resemblance to other Cabot books--the love stories are becoming a little repetitive--and the ending wraps up just a little too neatly.
A little bit of mystery, a dash of sports, some big fat lies and a lot of fun, "Pants on Fire" is well worth the quiet evening it will take to read.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow, I really liked it!, May 10, 2007
Now, I don't usually go for stuff like this. No vampires, magic or ninjas, but I really liked this book. I had never read any Meg Cabot until I picked up Prom Nights From Hell (for Stephenie Meyer, of course). What a smart move on Ms Cabots part to contribute to that book. I liked her offering in that, so I decided to give this one a shot. I'm glad I did. It was a very quick read but it totally won me over. I can recall being in situations that were made worse by lies, although not quite to the extent of Katie's, so I could even relate to the book. I loved the small town setting, it made it even more entertaining. Kind of reminded me of a Christopher Guest mockumentary (A Mighty Wind, Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman)with the quahog pageant. All in all, a great job!! I think I'll have to check out some of her other books now.
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