Category: ARC Tour-2011

Title: Will Work For Prom Dress
Author: Aimee Ferris
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Publication Date: February 2011
Pages:272

Source: I received this book as part of an ARC Tour group I am in.

Publisher Comments:
Quigley Johnson has, reluctantly, given up the rest of her last year of high school to take part in her best friend Ann’s Betterment Plan, which will turn them into the best-dressed, most sought-after, most admired girls at their senior formal. Because – hey – who doesn’t want the perfect prom, complete with a dream dress and a devastatingly handsome date?

But the prom costs money – lots of money – and even though the girls could easily have Ann’s mom design their dresses (she’s only Victoria Parisi, one of the most famous designers in the world), Ann insists that they pay their own way. And that’s how Quigley gets stuck making artistic topping masterpieces on frozen pizzas canvases, before becoming a live model for Ms. Parisi’s fashion design class, where she meets Zander.

He’s cute, and cool, and funny, with a killer design sensibility (even if he can’t sketch). But is he too good to be true? And what about David, the hot, talented artist at school, who’s also kind of a jerk, but won’t leave Quigley alone? And Ann – she started the Betterment Plan to improve Quigley and herself, but it seems like it’s ripping their friendship to shreds.

This road to the prom dream may just end in disaster.

My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book. When I received this book I for some reason thought that this was a debut author but that’s not the case. Aimee is actually the author of S.A.S.S Girl Overboard which came out in 2007 and its a middle grade book. I will have to keep my eye out for that one.

The main characters are Quigley and her best friend Anne. Anne has come up with a BP (which means a betterment plan) and the goal is to get jobs so that they can get prom dress to go to their prom. I think Anne was sort of a great role model for Quigley because its evident that Anne has money, her mother is a famous fashion designer, (Victoria Parisi) and she could easily afford a prom dress or better yet have her mother design it for her but instead she decided it was better to work for the dresses.

All that is on Anne’s mind is getting the perfect dress and having the perfect boy on her arm for the event. Quigley reluctantly agrees and goes along with her best friend. Figuring they were working towards a goal what could possibly go wrong and how much trouble could they possibly get into?

Little does Quigley realize she is in for the ride of a life time (boy problems, feelings and someone going to jail). Anne manages to get them several jobs such as working an assembly line with frozen pizzas where the girls decide to get creative with the process (which you know, no good will come of this), then Anne gets them hired to work in a dinner theatre, but fails to tell Quigley what roll she will be playing and finally when Anne’s mother, Victoria, offers them a job to model clothes for upcoming designers. Anne jumps at the chance and drags Quigley with her. Little does Quigley realize that this will be the chance of a lifetime and will change their lives dramatically. Will it be the change that the girls want? Good or bad?

I loved the love interest that they girls had especially Quigley who had David (a boy her age and went to school with her) and Zander (who is a little older). You could see that David like her and at times I thought he was a bit of a jerk but realized he was doing it because he liked her. I loved Zander and I have to say that I loved that he was a designer who couldn’t sketch a design if his life depended on it and at one point I must admit that I thought he was a jerk but once I realized what then it all made sense. I liked how you didn’t know who would end up with Quigley in the end. Just as soon as you thought it would be David it flipped and you would think Zander and back and forth. I am really happy with the guy she ended up with.

Thanks to Holly for allowing me to be a part of the ARC Tour for this book.

*This book is being released today*

TITLE: Prom & Prejudice
AUTHOR: Elizabeth Eulberg
PUB DATE: January 1, 2011
PUBLISHER: POINT (Scholastic)
PAGES: 288

SOURCE: I received this book from Holly as part of her ARC Tours that she is hosting on her blog.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Synopsis (from Scholastic): It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single guy in his spring semester at Pemberly Academy must be in want of a prom date.

After winter break, the girls at very prestigious, very wealthy, girls-only Longbourn Academy are suddenly obsessed with the prom, which they share with the nearby, equally elitist, all-boys Pemberly school. Lizzie Bennett, who attends Longbourn on scholarship, isn’t exactly interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be – especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.

Lizzie is happy about her friend’s burgeoning romance, but less than impressed by Will Darcy, Charles’s friend, who’s as snobby and pretentious as his friend is nice. He doesn’t seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it’s because her family doesn’t have money. It doesn’t help that Charles doesn’t seem to be asking Jane to be his prom date, or that Lizzie meets George Wickham, who tells her that Will Darcy sabotaged his scholarship at Pemberly. Clearly Will Darcy is a pompous jerk who looks down on the middle class – so imagine Lizzie’s surprise when he asks her to the prom!

Will Lizzie’s prejudice and Will’s pride keep them apart? Or are they a prom couple in the making? From Elizabeth Eulberg comes a very funny, completely stylish prom-season delight of Jane Austen proportions.

MY THOUGHTS:
I have yet to read Elizabeth’s debut novel THE LONELY HEARTS CLUB which came out December 2009. I actually have it sitting in my TBR pile and plan on getting to it very soon. I just found out that the paperback version is going to be released today, January 1st, 2011 along with this her second book.

When I picked up the book from Tina because she was the person passing the book on to me in the tour she said I would love it and I have to say that Tina knows me very well. I did love the book and managed to devour it within a few hours (I would have finished it sooner had I not been interrupted several times). I was drawn in right away and had to continue to read to find out what would happen. Would there be a happy ending?

This is the retelling of Pride & Prejudice. I have to admit that I have never read Pride & Prejudice before and admit its something I always said I wanted to read but just never got around to do so. One day! In saying that I have to say that this is a modern day version of Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth made this her own version.

You don’t have to read Pride and Prejudice to enjoy this story but perhaps it will make you want to read it. That is the way I am feeling right now.

You can’t help but love Lizzie Bennet because she is just your typical teenager trying to fit into an environment that clearly doesn’t want her kind there. Are you wondering what I am talking about? Well Lizzie is attending a very elite private school called Longbourn Academy on a music scholarship. Longbourn girls don’t take very well to outsiders and make it a point to make their lives a living hell. Thankfully her roommate Jane isn’t like them and takes Lizzie under her wing. In the whole school she has another friend Charlotte who is also another scholarship girl.

Lizzie finds peace and acceptance in her music and her teacher. Its that that brings her joy and the real reason she is attending Longbourn. She knows this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and is determined not to let others spoil this chance for her.

Pemberley Academy is the boys school that is associated with the book and we realize through the story that the boys aren’t like the girls and some find it hard to believe the treatment scholarship kids get there.

When Jane introduces Lizzie to her boyfriends best friend, Will Darcy, we can see that Lizzie doesn’t really like him. I have to say that I didn’t really like him. I found him to be arrogant and snobbish. Thinking he was better then everyone else at times. But throughout the course of the book you slowly see Will breaking down the walls and proving to Lizzie he isn’t like the rest of the guys.

Will Lizzie change her mind about Will and realize that he might not be such a bad guy after all? Will she be like the other Longbourn girls and get excited about going to prom?

Other books by Elizabeth Eulberg:
-The Lonely Hearts Club