Review: The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder

Publisher: Houlton Mifflin Harcourt/Graphia
Publishing Date: April 4th, 2011
ISBN: 9780547363066
Pages: 240 pgs

My Rating: 3 stars

Summary from GoodReads:

At Penford High School, Britney Taylor is the queen bee. She dates whomever she likes, rules over her inner circle of friends like Genghis Khan, and can ruin anyone's life with a snap of perfectly manicured fingers. Just ask the unfortunate few who have crossed her. For April Bowers, Britney is also the answer to her prayers. April is so unpopular, kids don't even know she exists. But one lunch spent at Britney's table, and April is basking in the glow of popularity. But Britney's friendship comes with a high price tag. How much is April willing to pay?


My Review:
I received this book via NetGalley and I was immediately drawn in by the cover. I know that age old phrase "Don't judge a book by it's cover" but I would hazaard a guess that if you're honest with yourself most people who read books do judge a book by it's cover. I am way more apt to buy an edition with a nice cover as opposed to an edition with a less than nice cover even if the words inside are all the same. Anyhow, I have to admit that I read this book a day and I couldn't put it down. That doesn't necessarily mean that it was the best book I have ever read but it was definitley light and easy to get into. I like Holder's writing style and I would probably read another one of her novels. That being said, I think that for me, being 28, it was hard for me to relate to the characters in this novel. I remember being in high school and wanting desperately to fit in but I'm not sure that I would sacrifice my happiness just to fit in with the popular crowd. I was definitely the awkward teen; some may even say I was a geek/nerd but I remember having a good group of friends and support system that I'm not sure I would have traded in for the bitchiness displayed in this book. I have to admit that I became frustrated with the main character at times because I felt like she was losing her integrity by following in the same footsteps as "Brit-Brat". I am glad that in the end she turned it around but I found myself wanting to yell at her sometiemes. I can definitley see the appeal of this book for teen readers but I felt that my age difference made it a bit difficult to enjoy the book as much as I would have if I was 16. Overall, I give this book 3 out of 5 stars but I would definitely recommend it for teens.