About the Book
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Author:
- Meg Cabot
BFF Charm: Yay
Talky Talk: Right On
Bonus Factors: Weird Science
Relationship Status: Dishy Girlfriend
The Deal:
Dorky, video-game playing, science nerd and activist Emerson Watts is in love with her best friend, Christopher. Natch, he just sees her as a pal, but it’s still the two of them against the mean girls world. Her little sister, Frida, is a mean girl in training. When Frida begs to go to the grand opening of the evil corporation Stark Megastore to get a hot new pop star’s autograph, Em’s parents make her and Christopher accompany her. And that’s where things get freaky — supermodel Nikki Howard passes out and Em gets nailed on the head by a plasma screen TV (I KNOW, right?? Crazy). Em wakes up in the hospital months later … as Nikki Howard. And Stark Megstore is watching her every move. If she screws up and people realize Em’s NOT really Nikki Howard, they’ll bankrupt her parents and little sister, and maybe even send them to jail! So how’s she going to get Christopher — the one guy in the world immune to a supermodel’s charms –to fall in love with her when he thinks she’s Nikki??
BFF Charm: Yay
Em’s confusion and dorkiness is way endearing. years of being thought an L-7 LOSER make her use her supermodel superpowers for good, not evil, so you never have to worry about her trying to steal your boyfriend (although Nikki Howard, before she had Em Watt’s brain transplanted into her body, totally would have). She’s also able to see the good in some of the craziest places, like Nikki’s bff Lulu Collins (think Nicole Richie to Nikki’s Paris Hilton). PLUS, she totally has an amazing closet full of clothes and would let you borrow ANYTHING!!
Swoonworthy Scale: 8
Ok, so Meg Cabot totally got her start writing romance novels. The heat, whether between Em and Christopher, or Em/Nikki and any boy (Nikki’s body just CAN’T resist boys!) is pretty sizzling. And that’s not EVEN talking about the weird triangle between Em/Nikki, Christopher, and the old Em (who everyone thinks is dead). Of course Em’s still in love with Christopher — Nikki’s boy-crazy body hasn’t changed that — but he’s in love with the dead her! But don’t worry — when it’s hot, it’s HOTT.
Talky Talk: Right On
These aren’t literary masterpieces or anything, but Meg Cabot totally catches the right tone of high school. Em’s a brainiac, but still confused and clueless, the socialites are just clueless, the mean girls are WAY mean, the sister rivalry is intense. I love Meg Cabot because she’s not afraid to let her heroines fly their dork flags HIGH, and drops in mentions of things like Lifetime Television. There’s a lot of fashion and lip gloss talk, and quite a few brand names thrown around, but it makes sense in context.
Bonus Factor: Weird Science
Umm, BRAIN TRANSPLANT?!??!
Relationship Status: Dishy Girlfriend
Ok, so these aren’t books I’d want to date, they’re books I’d want to call up and take shoe shopping and on a Sephora binge, and then to get mani/pedis and cake (what? you can eat cake anytime). Plus, the total cliffhangers at the ends of the books — ones that leave you saying, “WHAT?!?!?? NO WAY!!!” — def. ensure I’ll be back for one more.
P.S. Ok, I really just want Meg Cabot to be my dishy bff. We could watch Lifetime and Buffy and eat cake and do each other’s nails. Please, Meg??
FTC Full Disclosure: I purchased my own copies of these books. I received neither money nor cocktails for writing this review (dammit!). Airhead and Being Nikki are available now.
