Smart Girls Get What They Want [Kindle Edition]

Sarah Strohmeyer (Author)

Book Description

Gigi, Bea, and Neerja are best friends and total overachievers. Even if they aren't the most popular girls in school, they aren't too worried. They know their real lives will begin once they get to their Ivy League colleges. There will be ivy, and there will be cute guys in the libraries (hopefully with English accents)! But when an unexpected event shows them they're missing out on the full high school experience, it's time to come out of the honors lounge and into the spotlight. They make a pact: They will each take on their greatest challenge—and they will totally rock it.

Gigi decides to run for student rep, but she'll have to get over her fear of public speaking—and go head-to-head with gorgeous California Will. Bea used to be one of the best skiers around, until she was derailed. It could be time for her to take the plunge again. And Neerja loves the drama club but has always stayed behind the scenes—until now.

These friends are determined to show the world that smart girls really can get what they want—but that could mean getting way more attention than they ever bargained for. . . .

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The spot-on teenage characters keep the book energized and romantic....Strohmeyer excels at exploring the bonds of friendship and the complications of teenagers' lives. Smart readers will find a heroine in girly, intellectual Gigi--all the while winking at her nerdy jokes." (Publisher's Weekly)

“In her YA debut, adult author Strohmeyer (Kindred Spirits) excels at exploring the bonds of friendship and the complications of teenagers’ lives. Smart readers will find a heroine in girly, intellectual Gigi-all the while winking at her nerdy jokes.” (Publishers Weekly )

“Gigi is a quirky, smart, endearing character with a wry sense of humor, and her strong friendship with Bea and Neerja is one of the high points of the book .... A great read to recommend to Meg Cabot fans.” (School Library Journal )

“Sarah Strohmeyer gets what readers want: a fresh, funny book full of likable characters, drama, and plenty of romance that kept me turning pages until late into the night.” (Meg Cabot, bestselling author of ABANDON and THE PRINCESS DIARIES )

“This realistic novel, with touches of humor, is a welcome addition to bookshelves.” (Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) )

“The author of The Cinderella Pact (2006) shows a humorist’s ear for the cadence of teen language in this smart foray into teen literature.” (Kirkus Reviews )

“What a refreshingly realistic story about accomplished, ambitious and unapologetically intelligent teen girls! Full of wry observations about high school politics and drama, Smart Girls Get What They Want is for any reader still figuring out who you want to be.” (Megan McCafferty, New York Times bestselling author of BUMPED and the Jessica Darling series )

“Sex and the City meets Pride and Prejudice in this funny, smart and heart-warming book. Brainy babes, unite! This book is for you.” (Patricia McCormick, author of SOLD and NEVER FALL DOWN )

About the Author

Sarah Strohmeyer is a bestselling and award-winning novelist whose books include The Cinderella Pact (which became the Lifetime Original Movie Lying to Be Perfect), The Sleeping Beauty Proposal, The Secret Lives of Fortunate Wives, Sweet Love, and the Bubbles mystery series. For teens she has also written How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True. She lives with her family outside Montpelier, Vermont.

Product Details

• File Size: 431 KB
• Print Length: 373 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0061953415
• Publisher: Balzer + Bray; Reprint edition (June 26, 2012)
• Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
• Language: English
• ASIN: B006SJLLVE
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,470 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Smart girls want SMART GIRLS GET WHAT THEY WANT June 1, 2012

By Liviania VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I chose to review Sarah Strohmeyer's young adult debut because of its irresistible title: SMART GIRLS GET WHAT THEY WANT. Combined with the excellent blurb, I was sold. (I'm not big on the cover though. No smart girl would wear those unflattering frames.)

Gigi, Bea, and Neerja become friends in elementary school. It's a friendship that's still holding steady in high school. It's good for them, since they support each other's endeavors and are in no way frenemies. But it's bad because they've never had to risk themselves by going outside of their little circle. Then they read Neerja's older sister's yearbook and realize that none of their idol's classmates knew who she was. Gigi, Bea, and Neerja want more. They want social lives and to leave a mark on their high school.

I love that the girls don't have to compromise who they are to get what they want. Strohmeyer's novel is a tale of stretching yourself and doing things that you want to do even though they scare you. It's a tale of getting to know new people and being surprised to how much more there is to them beneath the surface. (Or realizing that the surface is nice but shallow.) It is not a tale of dumbing yourself down to get a guy or ditching your old friends in pursuit of new ones.

Despite their closeness, the girls don't want exactly the same things. Neerja wants to act in the school play and finally make a move on Justin, the guy she's been crushing on forever. Bea wants to join the endangered women's ski team even though she had to give the sport up after her brother had a serious accident. Gigi wants to run for student rep to change a policy that's threatening her Ivy League future and to prevent budget cuts that would cripple the school's Art programs and reduce the librarian to part time.... But even though their dreams are different, they're willing to help each other reach their goals.

SMART GIRLS GET WHAT THEY WANT is funny and clever with romance that is predictable but well-done. (And, wonderfully, the Indian girl gets just as much or more romance as the blonde white girl.) Strohmeyer's adult fans will enjoy this novel and it should bring her a legion of teen fans as well. I absolutely love this book and hope you will too. It's everything I could want in contemporary YA. SMART GIRLS GET WHAT THEY WANT, and they want books written about them that are this good. Read more ›

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Sends the wrong message August 14, 2012

By Dr Cathy Goodwin TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Other reviewers have summarized the key points of this book. In the first few pages, Gigi is accused of cheating on an exam. She is shocked.

However, as a reader I was more shocked. Surely the school would have notified her parents. Given the high stakes nature of the situation - this school has a lot of students bound for Ivy League colleges - the parents would have insisted on a different outcome.

I won't tell you what the principal decided, but it was a bizarre and unfair solution. As a former college professor, I can tell you that it's pretty easy to figure out what happened. Just have the students take another exam in separate rooms. If just one student is under suspicion, ask him or her to explain what's going on.

Additionally, I didn't like the message that was out there. High school can be miserable for a lot of people, but it's not the end of the world. Gigi and her friends discover that a friend's big sister might be going to Princeton on scholarship, but she had a bleak high school career. Well, so what? Many smart students - including Gigi's own mother in this book - come into their own when they get to college.

The ending that "explains" the cheating episode is implausible and also silly. We need some books where girls don't have to be beautiful and "in."

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars "Smart Girls Get What They Want" Is A Smart Choice For `Tween And Teen Readers August 28, 2012

By delicateflower152 TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Sarah Stohmeyer has given readers three likeable, intelligent young women as protagonists in her latest YA novel "Smart Girls Get What They Want." This book has a refreshing perspective - the main characters seem to be intelligent, motivated, and genuinely caring. They like their parents and their siblings; they try to do what is right; and they are true friends.

Gigi, Bea, and Neerja have been best friends since childhood. They are the "smart girls" - those academic overachievers who seem to do nothing but study. In fact, that perception is the motivating factor that causes the three young women to step outside academia and to become more involved in extracurricular activities. Couple this with youthful romances; an accusation that one of the three has been involved in cheating on an exam; and growing involvement with their school's other students; and the result is a very enjoyable read.

There were a number of aspects that I liked about "Smart Girls Get What They Want." Sarah Stohmeyer portrays Gigi, Bea, and Neerja as confident with their intelligence and motivated to expand their horizons. They are not rebellious or "mean;" the three genuinely care about each other and about those around them. All three girls have mothers who are professionals; all three young women have goals. "Smart Girls Get What They Want" is well written; Stohmeyer does not resort to profane language or teen sexual escapades to advance the story.

There were several points during my reading of "Smart Girls Get What They Want" that I found "troubling." Gigi, Bea, and Neerja seemed to be unknowns to other students - from experience I know that everyone in a class knows who the "smart girls" are. They may not be friends, but they are known to others.... I found it hard to believe that Gigi did not know Mike Ipolito was as intelligent as he was or that she was so readily accepted by the "in" girls when she finally spoke to them. Nevertheless, these are minor factors and did not affect my overall enjoyment of "Smart Girls Get What They Want."

I recommend "Smart Girls Get What They Want" for those who like reading about intelligent young women who value friendship. It is a smart choice for `tween and teen readers. Read more ›

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Girl Power at its Best! June 28, 2012

By annababyy

Format:Hardcover

When this book showed up in the mail along with a few others from HarperTeen I had no idea what it was about. I honestly had never even heard of it, and since I'm not a big contemporary reader I was a bit skeptical. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised! Not only is this book adorably fun, but it's a great summer read! Gigi and her friends, Bea and Neerja, have been holding themselves back from enjoying high school by spending all their time doing homework, but they've finally decided enough is enough! This is a great story about overcoming social anxiety, the pressures of succeeding, and learning to enjoy high school while still getting good grades!

Gigi is so smart, yet so dumb sometimes which definitely had me face palming a few times. She doesn't have the best taste in boys, although I thought she did for awhile! And her need to succeed has her oblivious to the social world around her. I absolutely ADORED her! Not only was she hilarious, but she was pretty too! I loved reading a story about a girl who was not only smart, but also pretty because I feel like that can be kind of rare in YA. Usually, it's the hot popular girl vs. the mousy-haired book nerd but there's no in between. It was so refreshing to read about someone who was pretty and proud to be so brilliant! Bea and Neerja were also incredibly awesome. Bea especially. I would definitely love to have girls like that for my friends!

The story itself is nicely paced, while staying fun and entertaining. It's told from Gigi's POV and she's got a pretty hilarious mind, I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion. Beware, there is a love triangle but it is definitely done well.... I even found myself having a hard time choosing between the two boys, or even figuring out if they had feelings for Gigi at all! Strohmeyer does an awesome job of putting the reader in Gigi's shoes, because I really felt like I was her. When Gigi felt anxious, I felt anxious for her. When she got excited, I found myself with a huge grin on my face! I'm so happy I had the chance to pick up this book, because it was just so fun!

Overall, I absolutely LOVED Smart Girls Get What They Want! I was so happy to read about a Smart Girl going after what she wanted and putting herself out there on the social chopping block. High school isn't easy and it was great to see a group of friends who could stick together and make the best of it, while maintaining their 4.0 averages! If you're looking for a fun, exciting, cute, and just plain awesome summer read, Smart Girls is the way to go!! Read more ›

More About the Author

After being placed on other "must read" YA lists, SMART GIRLS GET WHAT THEY WANT has recently been chosen by Texas school librarians for the 2013 Lone Star Reading List, a great honor since Texas is a BIG state. Thank you, librarians!
It's also my fourteenth novel, but my first for young adults after writing mysteries and stand alones, one of which, THE CINDERELLA PACT, became the Lifetime Movie - LYING TO BE PERFECT. Of all these, SMART GIRLS has been my favorite to write because not only was I a "smart girl," but so were my daughter and her friends who, like me, grew tired of playing second fiddle. I figured the time had come for our kind to receive the kudos, the attention and the boys. The bad girls had hogged center stage long enough.
Before I wrote novels, I was a newspaper reporter of questionable talent for twenty years, never quite serious or responsible enough for the duty of recording all the news that's fit to print. (My definition of what was fit to print and my editors' often clashed. Apparently, it was not necessary to describe certain cops as "super cute.")
Some novelists begin their careers by winning literary contests or writing their first manuscripts while pursuing a masters degree. I began mine by placing Barbie in forty contemporary and historical settings with photos taken by my friend (and awesome photographer) Geoff Hansen. BARBIE UNBOUND: A PARODY OF THE BARBIE OBSESSION became a cult hit, landed me on CBS This Morning and USA Today. It was, briefly, the most shoplifted book in America.
After that, I wrote the Bubbles Yablonsky mystery series featuring a bubble-headed blonde ditzy - or is she? - hairdresser with a gift for gossip who becomes a newspaper reporter. Kind of like a memoir, sure. And then a bunch of novels about women.
Today, I live in Vermont with my husband, a lawyer, and son, Sam, an upcoming high school junior. My daughter, Anna, is a senior at Bryn Mawr College where there are A LOT of smart girls. Also, there's Fred, my five-year-old basset hound and between you and me, the love of my life.