All-american Girl - Hardcover

Cabot, Meg

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060294698 ISBN 13: 9780060294694

Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens Books, 2002

Synopsis

After happening upon a situation where she ends up playing an important role in saving the president's life, Samantha Madison's simple life is turned upside-down as she soon becomes a major news story, gets an appointment to the U.N., and discovers that the president's son has a crush on her.

About this title

Review:

In All American Girl Meg Cabot shows that she is comfortably carving out a niche for herself as an author of teen-chick-lit, albeit with the same plot line: an ordinary American girl who thinks she's not ordinary becomes an involuntary celebrity and realises life's the same whatever. This time, rather than becoming princess of a small fictional nation, as Mia does in The Princess Diaries, the heroine Sam saves the American president's life. Perhaps when Cabot's on her fifth ordinary heroine who thinks she's not ordinary, becomes an involuntary celebrity etc the idea may lose its lustre, but this book is fun, witty, cynical and realistic enough to ensure that the idea still shines.

Sam lives in Washington DC, is the middle teenager between two very annoying sisters, and dyes all her clothes black. She has a best friend, she's not cool like her big sister, she doesn't have a boyfriend but thinks she's in love with someone, and she likes to draw. Her credentials as an "ordinary" girl who thinks she's a misfit (black clothes, not a cheerleader) are established immediately, and the story flies from there. Sam's appeal lies in how she's bothered about making things genuine in her life, whilst Cabot's winning touch is in her realism--the president is a normal guy who likes cookies; the plot where Sam saves him is not impossible; the resulting fuss is boring and her priorities lie elsewhere (making lists of Top Tens, worrying about who she wants to go out with, going to her drawing classes).

Fans of Princess Mia will probably read this book in one sitting, and become equally attached to Sam, with her usual teenage desire to feel unusual. For now Meg Cabot's star of an idea continues to shine brilliantly. --Olivia Dickinson

Review:

...ideal entertainment for the older child. -- Families South East Magazine, 1 September 02

About this edition

• Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens Books
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0060294698
• ISBN 13: 9780060294694
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 247