It's All About Us (All About Us Series, Book 1) (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Tall, blonde Lissa Mansfield is used to being one of the "in" crowd--but being accepted by the popular girls at posh SpencerAcademy boarding school in San Francisco is turning out to be harder than she thought. And then there's her New-York-loudmouth roommate, Gillian Chang, who's not just happy to be a Christian herself--she's determined to out Lissa, too! If Lissa can just keep her faith under wraps long enough to hook Callum McCloud, the hottest guy in school, she'll be golden.
But when Callum pressures her to go all the way with him, Lissa has to decide for herself how far is too far. How can she see that line when he's so gorgeous and popular and she's so dazzled? And besides, she's too busy shopping for a Valentino and booking the hottest celeb for the Benefactors Ball. Who knew finding a place at SpencerAcademy would be so complicated?

About the Author

Shelley Adina is a world traveler and pop culture junkie with an incurable addiction to designer handbags. She knows the value of a relationship with a gracious God and loving Christian friends, and she's inviting today's teenage girls to join her in these refreshingly honest books about real life as a Christian teen--with a little extra glitz thrown in for fun! In between books, Adina loves traveling, listening to and making music, and watching all kinds of movies.

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: FaithWords (May 12, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446177989
• ISBN-13: 978-0446177986
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #663,452 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's all about friendships, June 26, 2008

By	Reader Views "www.readerviews.com" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

Reviewed by Rachael Stein (age 15) for Reader Views (6/08)

Lissa Mansfield has never had trouble fitting in with the popular crowd until she attends Spencer Academy, an upscale boarding school in San Francisco. And with a recent breakup with her boyfriend from her previous school, Lissa's determined to snag the hottest guy at Spencer Academy, Callum McCloud. But once she does, Callum starts pressuring Lissa to go farther than she wants to in their relationship. Lissa must find strength among her friends, both new and old, within herself, and also from her beliefs in Christianity to resolve her quickly multiplying problems.

When I first picked up "It's All About Us," I did not expect it to have a religious twist. I thought it would be another overdramatized story about a bad teen scene similar to "Gossip Girl," but I was very wrong, and that was definitely a relief. "It's All About Us" is about a girl struggling between following her beliefs or sacrificing them for popularity. I thought that Lissa's struggles were very realistic, and I found it very easy to relate to her even though her situation is completely different from mine. After all, everybody slips up sometimes and has to find a way to fix what they've done wrong. Though I did get a general idea of most the minor characters, they were not particularly developed, which I was mildly disappointed in. However, Lissa's wonderfully-developed character more than made up for the lack of characterization otherwise.

I enjoyed Adina's writing style, even though the name-dropping did get annoying sometimes. The plot was never too high action, but it did turn a little scandalous at times, although it was nothing more than rumors, which was as exciting as it got. I was glad that "It's All About Us" didn't somehow morph into a "Gossip Girl" style novel, because that would've ruined the message. Also, I liked how Adina didn't make all the characters into spoiled and unsupervised rich brats who like to mess around with drugs, alcohol, and members of the opposite sex all the time. It gave Adina's characters more credibility in my opinion.

"It's All About Us" appeals particularly to teen girls, though I'm sure older readers will still enjoy this novel. You don't need to be a believe in Christianity to enjoy this book; "It's All About Us" doesn't necessarily promote Christianity, but a message to follow your principles.

Adina successfully incorporated a great message into an enjoyable story. I most definitely recommend "It's All About Us," by Shelley Adina, because of its fun characters and the sincere meaning behind the story.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Teen christian, June 20, 2008

A Kid's Review

This book reminds me of the A-list ,and Gossip Girl books for Chirstian girls. I am very happy that the author kept the book fun and interesting without having to be for ages 15 and up. The main character lissa is struggling going to a new boarding school. After she goes to boarding school the most popular guy in school falls for her. But he wants to take their relationship all the way. What will she choose? Find out and read!

******************Spoiler***********************
I thought the ending was very good and a huge suprise and yes the guy is such a jerk.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Glitzy chick lit -- from a Christian perspective, July 24, 2008

By	Teenreads.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

Lissa Mansfield thought that changing schools would be no big deal. After all, she was the most popular girl back at her high school in Santa Barbara. However, in IT'S ALL ABOUT US, the first book in a brand-new series by Shelley Adina, former it-girl Lissa gets more than she bargained for when she transfers to Spencer Academy, an elite boarding school in San Francisco.

Lissa's dad is the famous Gabe Mansfield, director of some of the hottest new movies. An extended film shoot in Northern California means big changes for the whole family, including Lissa's entry into the world of boarding school. Beautiful, stylish and wealthy, she used to be a standout. But at ultra-posh Spencer, nobody is taking notice. Trouble begins immediately as Lissa and her new roommate, opinionated New Yorker Gillian Chang, think they have nothing in common. That is, until they discover that they both are committed Christians. However, it seems that Gillian is a bit more committed than Lissa, who becomes embarrassed when her roommate's religious zeal begins causing her problems with popular classmates.

Just as Lissa thinks she will never fit in, Spencer's hottest guy, Callum McCloud, begins to take notice of her. Lissa has had a crush on Callum since she arrived and is willing to do almost anything to become his girlfriend. The two begin to get very serious, very fast. Now that she is with Callum, Lissa suddenly finds herself back in the popular crowd to which she is accustomed. But her newfound popularity may have a big price tag. Lissa's new friends seem to be engaging in a number of activities that compromise her reputation --- big time. Not to mention that her relationship with Gillian and friend Carly, the only two people who would even associate with Lissa before, is more than tense. Lissa reaches a breaking point when she realizes that she may not be able to give Callum everything he wants without compromising her own values and identity. But is he, and the entire world of Spencer's it-crowd, really worth it?

While it may be somewhat over-the-top and unbelievable in its nature, pop culture junkies and fans of such reality programs as "Laguna Beach" will undoubtedly love IT'S ALL ABOUT US. It is fun, intriguing and has the potential to capture the attention of an audience more likely to be watching MTV than reading a novel. While the content may seem shallow to some, perhaps it is just what many teens need to start getting interested in reading again.

--- Reviewed by Jennifer Crosby