Customer Reviews

Savvy Girl

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What could be more exciting than a summer internship at the coolest magazine? Chrissy Gibbons has landed a prized position as a summer intern at Savvy magazine. However, the summer doesn't turn out to be the one she expected.

Chrissy expects to be writing exciting articles and wowing the editors at Savvy. In reality, she is stuffing envelopes and fielding the letters that Adele should be handling. Adele spends her day planning her wedding and dealing with one mishap after another. Chrissy handles the mundane jobs but wants more out of her experience.

The editor of the magazine announces a new column. One of the summer interns will be selected to write a monthly column, Savvy Girl. Chrissy wants the prized column more than anything.

As the summer unfolds, Chrissy's opportunity to write a stunning column gets sidetracked by far more glamorous opportunities. Jessica, the fashion editor, has taken a shine to Chrissy and keeps inviting her along to exciting parties and fashion events. Soon, Chrissy is forgetting plans she's made with her best friend, and coming home drunk.

When a mutual friend makes her realize that her best friend is pretty upset with her home life, Chrissy realizes that she's changed, and not for the better. The realization helps her write the Savvy Girl column she's been neglecting and helps her become the person she knows she should be.

Lynn Messina is best known for her Red Dress Ink adult romance novels; SAVVY GIRL is her first book for young adults. She's captured the uncertainty of a young adult beautifully. Chrissy is desperate to fit in at her high fashion intern job, but needs to realize that she's still a teenager and has a lot more to learn about life.

Reviewed by: Jaglvr

A YA read that after completing I sit on the fence of whether I really enjoyed it or may be a little disappointed. One thought, I was confused the entire time as to the age of the character and the mishaps that she found herself in. I think her character could have been a hint older and I would have found it more believeable. But on the other side, I loved the storyline - a girl trying to tackle growing up and finding herself in the midst of an adult world, while trying to make the most of the moment of her lifetime.

I couldn't grasp the roles of her parents and their abilities to disregard her late night activities and behaviors that are well beyond her age group. Although, I fell in love with her best friend and the co workers that made up the majority of the story.

So to make it short and sweet, this was a cute read that I would pass onto my younger crowd of readers. I would say to those of my age group - a great light read in the middle of those deep reads.

This book can be summed up in one word: It's cute. It's a great beach-read. It's easy to read and once you get into the story, the book flies by.

Jessica relates Chrissy to her younger sister. She says she just wants the best for her younger sister because of her past. Then why would she be taking Chrissy out to parties? Buying her a bunch of drinks and getting her drunk? In trouble with her parents? This is the one thing that I found really... weird about this book. That one thing didn't add up.

This book is really predictable. I had pretty much the whole book figured out by the end.

Other than that, Savvy Girl is a great quick read. In the chilly winter, the hot setting will make you think of summer - and the romance will make you think of summer romance.

This book was pretty much medium-of-the-line young adult lit, but I will still read another book by Lynn Messina if she publishes any more.

This type of YA is usually a fun, fun read.

Chrissy is 17 and managed to snag an internship at Savvy magazine - she also gets the opportunity of submitting an essay that will give her the chance of becoming a Savvy columnist for a year.

The premise sounds great! I was all ready to loooooveee this book. Except that there is so much wrong with the storyline that I don't really know where to start.

First off, Chrissy was chosen among her other high school mates for this internship - presumably because she was bright and interested in developing her future skills (not to mention a great internship mark up on her cv) - yet, the author insists on portraying Chrissy as immature, clueless and completely self-absorbed (yes, I know I have just basically described most teenagers - but I was under the impression that Chrissy was a tad above all of this considering the prestigious internship she was handed). I mean, this girl is completely clueless...instead of actually learning and absorbing all that she can from her internship, she spends her days daydreaming about the cad (yes, you knew there had to be one) and basically flittering away a beautiful opportunity to learn from some of the "best" in the fashion world.

Also, the whole supermodel Jessica inviting lowly intern Chrissy to all these high-brow functions (hey Jessica did you know that Chrissy is not even supposed to be drinking since she is 17?????)is totally incredible and I did not buy it for a minute.

I was also pretty horrified by the fact that this 17 year old walks around New York City at 2:00 a.m. - drunk as a skunk with her shoes in her hands - looking for the subway platform - this was extremely creepy to me.

Finally, for those hoping to get a glimpse of what it is like to work at a fashion magazine - don't buy this book. There is a minimal amount of work being done by anyone at this fashion magazine AND the author barely mentions it at all. It is obvious that the "magazine" setting is just a set up for the storyline and is totally irrelevant to the whole thing.
Also, I cringe at all the perfect opportunities Chrissy has (the Savvy Girl column for example) and insists on blowing off - I think Chrissy needs to go back to high school for a couple of years and GROW UP!!! or stop trying to play with the grown ups and stick with being a teenager! I don't care which you choose - just pick up and stop being so clueless!

As you can read, I had many, many issues with this book.

I have enjoyed every single book by Lynn Messina, so I counted down the days until this one came out. Ironically it took me forever to read the book once I bought it and strangely, I didn't like it at first.

Cons: The first 31 pages were slow, but I refused to give up because again, I've liked every Messina book I've read. When I got to "Fatal Crush or Hunger Pangs," I remembered why I really like this author. She has a dry wit and the dialogue is dead on for the characters. But it seemed like this chapter was the one when Chrissy Gibbons, the 17-year-old New Yorker intern who is working for a well-known fashion magazine trying to become a columnist, becomes more down to Earth.

Chrissy starts off as this sort of valley girl character who says "so" before everything as though it's an adjective. It was annoying, however, I know girls who speak this way so I tolerated it. When Chrissy started cursing and talking about hip hop, it threw me off because it didn't really fit with the character at the opening of the book. I can't imagine this young lady listening to hip hop or spouting off vulgarity. So I was a little skeptical of this character's personality.

My only other con is that Chrissy was doing way too much drinking for a seventeen year old. If this was a backyard garage party, I could see it. But her parents were way too easy on her (and parents can always tell when their child is drunk, especially Chrissy's attentive parents). Not one bartender questioned her age, and that seemed very strange even for an exclusive party considering Chrissy was not described as a mature-looking woman.

Pros: As soon as Michael Davies came into the picture, her teenage awkwardness and schoolgirl crush set in. That's when she started reminding me of a real teenager. I thought Lily, Chrissy's best friend who is slightly spoiled and has parents going through a divorce, was completely believable throughout the read. Messina took readers on an easy-to-read tale of a teenager who has gotten in over her head hanging out with the head honchos in the fashion and magazine industry--attending exclusive parties, drinking, looking for gorgeous boys, irritating her parents, and making her outside friendships fragile. All of this is very much common while growing up, just this time it was with a fashion magazine.

Back to the topic of drinking (con above), Messina described Chrissy as very atypical, but after the explanation of her mentor (Lois') background, it made sense that Lois wouldn't pay attention or care about this.

Anyway, once the parties started, the book picked up. But the confusion on the very first train ride was what made me know I was going to love this book, and I did, especially the ending.

Chrissy is living large, that is, for a 17 year old. How fabulous to have a summer journalism internship at "Savvy Magazine." Rubbing shoulders with gorgeous models, high-profile industry icons, movie stars, and good-looking guys, is a dream come true for Chrissy.

Although best friend Lucy is so supportive and loves to hear about Chrissy's cool journalism internship in the big Apple, New York, at the same time she is also upset about her parent's divorce.

Chrissy finds it difficult to stay focused on her friend's personal problems because she is so caught up in her glamorous experiences at and for "Savvy Magazine."

Befriended by, Jessica, a famous model turned magazine executive, Chrissy puts aside friends and family for glitz and glamour. Chrissy lets the late-night parties, drinking, and flirting with a handsome hunk, Michael Davies, derail her from her personal and family values.

To top it all off each of the four interns, Chrissy included, are given the awesome opportunity to have their own monthly magazine column. But first, they must write a killer story to win over the magazine editor.

Does Chrissy get past her own need to party and hang with the rich and famous? Does her late-night partying cause challenges with her parents at home? Does she abandon her best friend Lucy? Does she write the knock-out story or lose her opportunity because of her own selfishness? Chrissy's journey and life lessons may surprise you.

Armchair Interview says: Enjoy!

Chrissy Gibbons plans on making it big, and has the perfect summer job to get her there: an internship at Savvy magazine, and a shot at becoming their first ever Savvy Girl columnist. Chrissy is ready to buckle down and endure some hard work, but is shocked and delighted when the legendary fashion editor and former model Jessica Cordero befriends her and invites her to all of the coolest parties. Caught up in the high of glamorous living, Chrissy begins to take risks to get what she wants--ones that could jeopardize her dreams, and alienate her friends.

Savvy Girl is a fresh and fun take on the magazine world that will delight girls seeking a light summer read that speaks to their aspirations and their way of life. Chrissy's world is one that many teen girls can relate to...one on the cusp of independence that's fraught with relationship and college preparation woes, the thrill of freedom, along with edgier elements of underage drinking.

While the idea of a fashion editor befriending a lowly intern is something that hasn't been explored very often, and offers a new and fun edge to the plot, all of the trademark elements of such books in this genre are present: the abandonment of friends, the fast paced routine, the inevitable crash and burn, and then the phoenix-like comeback. It makes the book a little predictable, but Messina has created Chrissy in such a way that girls won't but help love her despite the cliché. Savvy Girl is humorous and clever, and offers a message that between its covers that doesn't hurt to be repeated.