Are You Going to Be Less Shallow Ever?

Published: May 1st, 2011

Are You Going To Kiss Me Now?

By: Sloane Tanen

Sourcebooks Fire

ISBN-13: 9781402254611

High school junior Francesca Manning is an outsider, an aspiring writer and secret devourer of celebrity gossip mags. A fake essay to "Seventeen" wins her the celeb-schmoozing opportunity of a lifetime, but after the plane crashes, she's stranded on a desert island with five of the most clueless, self-involved headcases to escape Hollywood.

Review

   Francesca Manning is an average girl, who wishes her life was a little better.  She is secretly addicted to celebrity gossip magazines, so when the prize in Seventeen magazine for a writing contest is to go to a disadvantaged country with a whole bunch of celebrities she embellishes just a little bit to win.  For instance, maybe her Dad isn't really dead like she said he was.  Of course, nothing turns out the way she thought it would.  For one thing all of the celebrities are jerks.  Then they all get stuck on a deserted island when their plane goes down and gets wrecked.  None of the celebrities are useful in the fight for survival.  Fran needs to find a way to get them off the island before they die or she goes crazy - whichever comes first!  This book was not as funny as it sounded when I first read the synopsis.  There was almost no plot to this novel, it was pretty much just unadulterated satire - and not even that good.  It tried a little too hard to get the point across, and I felt like none of the characters really evolved except for Milan (one of the snotty, Lohan-like celebs).  The rest of them were kind of just placeholders to fill in the blanks.  This had a promising premise and it could've been way better, but it really fell short.  Plus, didn't like how "sexy" it got between Fran and Cisco (who turned out to be a man-whore anyways).  Just felt really sleazy.  I wouldn't recommend this book, but if you feel you must read it don't do it if you're under fourteen.

VERDICT:  1.5/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*