Customer Reviews

Teen Idol

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Seventeen-year-old high school junior, Jenny (Jen) Greenley has always been great at solving everyone's problems. Friendships, relationships, parents, work, anything you have a problem with, she'll help you. Which is why she is Clayton High School's Ask Annie advice columnist. However, no one in school knows that. Not even Jen's best friend, Trina. But when nineteen-year-old screen heartthrob, Luke Striker, comes to Clayton High School posing as a transfer student named Lucas Smith, to research a new role, and Jen is forced to be his guide, she realizes that maybe she's not as good at figuring people out as she thought she was, as there's something about Luke that she can't quite put her finger on. I mean, who knew that a guy as famous as Luke Striker could actually have feelings, and care about people? But all bets are completely off when Luke asks Jen to Clayton High School's Spring Fling dance. And not as a friend, but as an actual...date.

Meg Cabot, being Meg Cabot, is able to create a mountain out of a molehill, and that's what she's accomplished with TEEN IDOL. Jen is a fun character, who so many girls will be able to relate to, as she is the All-American, girl-next-door who wants to help everyone, and cares more about everyone else in the world, and all of their problems, more than she cares about herself and her own problems. Luke Striker is a character who all female readers will fall in love with, as he is so not like what you'd expect from a teen celebrity. He's caring, intelligent, kind, not to mention very easy on the eyes. Cabot has created another book that will capture the hearts of readers the world over. Don't miss TEEN IDOL!!

Erika Sorocco

Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

Jen Greenley is the "It" girl in all the magazines. Reporters want to know what color she's wearing to the Clayton High School Spring Fling, and whether she's going to wear her hair up or down. Despite what you may think, though, Jen Greenley is not the title's "teen idol" --- she's just going to the Spring Fling with one.

It all started when reliable, thoughtful Jen, advice columnist for the school paper and "everybody's best friend," was asked by the school administration to guide a new student, Lucas Smith, through his first days at Clayton. Jen and the administration are the only ones who know that Lucas Smith is really Luke Striker, the hottest movie star in Hollywood. All the girls at Clayton think the new boy is cute, but when he accidentally reveals his true identity, Jen finds herself thrown headfirst into her fifteen minutes of fame, and a lot of turmoil with her friends and classmates.

Meg Cabot's trademark charming wit and ability to capture Jen's multitude of emotions make this book a delightful read for everyone. Jen's transformation from laid-back listener to instigator of social change, with inspiration from Luke Striker, will have you cheering for everyone touched by Jen's bravery. TEEN IDOL is a story with messages concerning self-image, confidence and friendships, but Cabot always keeps it lighthearted and funny. A perfect read for summer --- or fall, or winter, or spring.

--- Reviewed by Carlie Webber

The main character in this book seems quite different than the ones in Meg's other books- but definitley had a great personality.

Jenny has always been the 'mayonaisse' of the social sandwich- she keeps everything together and everybody, yes EVERYBODY, in her school loves her. Little do they know that she is the secret author in the Advice Columnist of the school newspaper, Ask Annie.

When a teen hearthrob actor comes to their small Indiana school to "study" for a part he will soon be playing, Jenny is the one trusted with his real identity. As more people figure out who he is, he causes Jenny to question her role in the school. Will Jenny be able to help save a few of the school or will she falter under the pressure of being the girl everybody loves?

I personally thought that this story was incredibly well-written. Cabot grasped the way schools usually work and twisted it into a manner that can't help but be loved! AKA: IT ROCKED!!!!

Although this book wasn't what I expected, it is still just as fun and enjoyable as all of Meg Cabot's other books have been. Jenny, the main character, is likeable, entertaining, and easy to relate to, as are the many issues that she has to deal with. Even though most of us will probably never meet a celebrity, standing up for other people without being scared of being teased ourselves is something I can definitly relate to. I loved this book, and you will too if you liked any of Meg Cabot's other works!

Meg Cabot does it again in her new book Teen Idol. Her signature humor and Jane Austen style happy endings shine in her newest book. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a good summer read or has read her books before. Its defintely worth losing sleep over to stay up and finish reading!!!

Meg Cabot's writing is always good. She is the master of the absurd, quasi-fairy-tale young adult novel. The Princess Diaries (by which I mean its sequels, too) are absolutely fantastic; ditto All-American Girl. So naturally I had very high hopes for Teen Idol. Surprisingly, however, I didn't find it nearly as satisfying a read.

The plot revolves around high school junior Jenny Greenley, "everybody's best friend," who is so good at keeping secrets that she has been appointed the school's undercover advice columnist. So when Luke Striker, Hollywood teenybopper heartthrob, comes to Jenny's small town school to research a role (undercover stuff, again), naturally it's Jenny the faculty calls upon to be Striker's chaperone. Wackiness, of course, ensues.

Although the story is perfectly entertaining (especially the scenes dealing with Jenny's choir director, Mr. Hall, "who used to be on Broadway, but now taught a high-school choir in southern Indiana"), I thought there were a lot of areas where it fell short. The characters didn't seem three-dimensional; they seemed more like names than people. There was no immediate sense of personality such as is found in Ms. Cabot's other books. The ending was a good one for the story, but I hadn't found myself rooting for anyone in particular, so really it was neither here nor there.

On the plus side, the writing is funny as always, and the lessons learned here are worth learning if one needs to learn them. Jenny's transformation of an underling classmate and their subsequent friendship is a touching subplot. But if you're looking for an absolutely wonderful young adult read, go straight to The Princess Diaries, or All-American Girl. Ms. Cabot has a lot going for her.

In Teen Idol, Jen Greenley is really good at solving people's problems. She is Ask Annie, the advice columnist at her school. No one knows though and she has to keep it a secret, but she has another secret to keep, too. Luke Striker, a teen celebrity is posing undercover as Lucas Smith to research how a normal high school experience is like, for his next role, since he never had one himself. Jen is assigned to guide him around. She realizes that he is just like a normal high school kid even though he is famous. Throughout the book Jen never sees what is right under her nose; who her soul mate really is. To find out what happens to Jen, read this book, it's really good!! I would reccomend reading all of Meg Cabot's other books too!

Meg Cabot is a great author and this is a great book. Jenny Greenley is always the peacemaker at school. She is nice to everyone and everybody likes her. Then Luke a teenage heartthrob and star comes to her school. Her principal asks her to keep his identity secret and to show him around. Once everyone finds out who is in the disguise (LUKE) there is no telling what will happen. Will Jenny fall in love? Will she still be the peacemaker? Will her friends be made at her when they find out she's been showing Luke around?

Okay, this book is fantastic. I read it yesterday, like six hours after it came out in bookstores. Yes, perhaps that was obsessional of me, but you know what? The past 30 hours of your life would have been so much awesomer if you had spent them reading this book.

Seriously: it's funny and it's heartwarming and it's smart and it's like a fairy tale. The only way you could hate this book would be if you hated The Princess Diaries. And, really, does ANYBODY hate The Princess Diaries?

Jenny Greenly is a highschool junior who everyone loves. She is like the mayonnaise in a sandwich, she keeps things together and good. So ever since...ever, she's been solving and giving advice to people's problems. She is even the school secret advice columnist, who nobody (except 2 people) know about. She knows she is like the mayonnaise, and takes as a fact that she's nice little Jenny Greenley. Then one day a big-time movie star comes to her highschool because he wants to experience a real life high school. He is playing miserable high schooler in a movie and thinks he needs to experience the "real feeling". But since he is a 2 thumbs up hottie that every girl (maybe even a guy) loves, Jenny is expected by the staff to keep him under cover so he really gets to experience this highschool life. While being his guide as well as keep-him-under coverer, she learns to find her "true self". The actor knocks some good sense into her brain and she realizes if being "nice little Jenny Greenly" is what she really wants people to recognize her as. She also finally is able to find her true love.