Pants on Fire (Hardcover)

by Meg Cabot (Author)
Key Phrases: quahog fritters, pageant tent, soda station, Tommy Sullivan, Quahog Princess, Eric Fluteley (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Katie Ellison is a big-time liar: she is running for the title of Quahog Princess, but she can't stand the clams her town is famous for, and she juggles two boyfriends. But the lie that weighs on her soul the most is the big secret that she is keeping about her former best friend, Tommy. To complicate matters, Tommy suddenly returns to town after a four-year absence that began after he spilled the beans about local football players who cheated on their SATs. Katie sorts through her attraction to multiple guys, including Tommy, who became all grown up and gorgeous while he was away. Lightweight and predictable, this is still an enjoyable read that's sure to be popular with Cabot's many fans. Debbie Carton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description

Katie Ellison is not a liar.

It's just that telling the truth is so . . . tricky. She knows she shouldn't be making out with a drama club hottie behind her football-player boyfriend's back. She should probably admit that she can't stand eating quahogs (clams), especially since she's running for Quahog Princess in her hometown's annual Quahog Festival. And it would be a relief to finally tell someone what really happened the night Tommy Sullivan is a freak was spray-painted on the new wall outside the junior high school gymnasium—in neon orange, which still hasn't been sandblasted off. After all, everyone knows that's what drove Tommy out of town four years ago.

But now Tommy Sullivan has come back. Katie is sure he's out for revenge, and she'll do anything to hang on to her perfect (if slightly dishonest) existence. Even if it means telling more lies than ever. Even if, now that Tommy's around, she's actually—no lie—having the time of her life.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen; First Edition (Stated), First Printing edition (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060880155
• ISBN-13: 978-0060880156
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #473,849 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A scorching way to kick-off your summer!, May 1, 2007

By	Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Where's Meg Cabot?, May 29, 2007

By	Kim Baccellia, YA author "Kim" (Southern California) - See all my reviews

Katie Ellison is not a liar. It's just that telling the truth is so... tricky. Katie doesn't like quahogs(clams) but she's running for the Quahogs Princess contest, she's making out with Seth but also with Eric. Then to make matters worse, Tommy Sullivan comes back to town. Katie's sure it's for revenge. She's willing to do anything to hang on to her existence. Even if that means telling more lies.

I have to admit, I didn't enjoy this book as much as her other work. I feel like calling out--Where's Meg Cabot? Please come back!

The writing felt rushed and I didn't care if Katie got her life together. I was more interested in Tommy.

I'm hoping her other books that are coming out this summer are better. Thank goodness I checked this book out from the library.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, I really liked it!, May 10, 2007

By	Sora Hikaru "Michelle" (PA) - See all my reviews

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.