Art Geeks and Prom Queens

This review might contain some spoilers (at least by my standards)...

Forced to move from New York (not City) with her Juicy sweatsuit loving mother to the real OC, baby, Rio (after the Duran Duran song) is miserable. (She's more at home in her worn out Cape Cod sweatshirt and jeans than the designer duds her mother, the former model, (and seemingly her entire new school) favors.)

Just when she's sure she's going to be a complete social outcast, Jas and Mason, two 'geeks' (except not exactly) in AP Art class befriend her. They even invite her to Jas' for lunch.

But what would a Gossip Girl-esque book be without a bi***y Queen Bee and her entourage and then some drama?

(and here sort of becomes a little review-y...)

Art-y Rio falls in with show more Jas and Mason and the 'art geeks' and their druginess (they smoke pot during that first lunch at Jas' and lots of other times) and one of their main pastimes seems to be sitting around talking about how stupid/dumb/ugly/stupid/idiotic the cheerleaders, jocks, popular kids are and engaging in verbal sparring with them.

But then when given the opportunity, of course, Rio becomes Kristi's (Queen Bee) best friend and that group says all the horrible stuff to Mason and Jas-with no argument from Rio.

I really didn't like this book. The 'popular' kids were calling the art kids on the drugs they were using and told Rio how they were just druggies.....but that was kind of true. Okay, so yes they did do the art and I'm all for anyone in art (don't ever doubt that) but when a character's constantly high but he's the good guy just because you make him arty.. Well, it doesn't make his 'enemies' wrong if they call him a druggie and he is basically constantly high.

So I didn't like the two character that I was supposed to like and be rooting for but I didn't like Kristi and her group either. Kristi was, basically every thing anyone's ever accused Kate Moss of-true or not-minus the model bit.

A bunch of coked out or stoned secondary characters, a wishy washy main character who couldn't stand up for herself at all, this book did not work for me. (And oh how I'm worried for Evermore now....) The writing itself (grammar, sentence structure, word choice-that sort of thing) was perfectly fine I think, I just didn't like what it all added up to tell. show less

Rio has moved to a new school and is going through the terrors of trying to make the right friends. Her mother, a former fashion model, continually pressures her to look perfect and socialize with the popular girls. The school is ruled by mean girl Kristi who can socially make or destroy anyone she wishes. Extreme bullying is a way of life. When Rio begins to emulate and even surpass Kristi in dictatorship, her mother is thrilled but inwardly, Rio is dying.

While this story lacks any real originality, Noël portrays the girls vividly and with insight. Much of the story focuses on what Kristi is willing to give up in order to fit in. It touches on drug use, drinking, and date rape. It would be a good basis for discussion between mother show more and daughter. show less

Book Title: Art Geeks and Prom Queens

Author: Alyson Noel

Published By: St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition edition (April 1, 2010)

Genre: Young Adult

Recommended Age: +13

Reviewed By: Emily Tuley / AngelsCryHavoc

Blog Reviewed For: Great Minds Think Aloud Literary Community

Rating: 5 Ravens

I’m a sucker for Young Adult books especially some of the ones that have that good moral behind the story. With todays Youth seeming to loose their innocence younger and younger each year or having to deal with the brutality of bullying that only seems to have gotten worse than when I was a kid it was some books like these that helped me cope with things and deal especially when it felt like I had no one to talk to or a parent I was delusional enough to show more think wouldn’t listen. I knew better once I had gotten older and there isn’t a moment or day that passes by that I don’t feel thankful for the dad I had god knows I probably put him through a few rounds of hell at my rebellious age.

This book is about a young girl of seventeen , Her name is Rio. Yes her mother named her after one of even my favorite Duran Duran songs from the eighties. Use to being the gangly awkward geek back in her home city of New York Rio is swept away to Orange County living in California and soon learns that over the time she thought she was awkward she had grown into her body and looked more like her retired “almost” Super model mother Jahne Jones. Starting out at the new school she meets with Mason a very trendy artsy girl and what others call a geek and Jas the extremely handsome laid back dreamer/Surfer that everyone calls a pot head or loser. To begin things seem simple and her crush for Jas makes things awkward but fun for Rio till she finds out he has a girl friend. Seeing the type of girl he dates Rio assumes of what the girl is like and tries to transform herself into that girl by joining in with the popular girls.

Kristi and her two lackeys as they are first known to Rio. Soon enough with all the debauchery and scandals that travel through the girls group Rio finds herself on top only to be quickly ripped down by Kristi and sunk into a brutal bullying and scandalous harassment of Rio. After breaking down talking to her mother and her father about the situation. Rio shows just how to properly handle a girl like Kristi and how to know that she’s nothing like what the others think she is. Reforming her bonds with Jas and Mason and finding out who she is not who everyone wants her to be Rio is a very smart, strong and lively girl that shows you no matter what wrongs you make you can always fix them with the rights and staying true to yourself.

This is definitely a book I will give to my daughter when she gets old in hopes that she will feel the inspiration I think it gives to all girls that read it and learns from it as well that it’s always good to be you. Not what the others think are you. show less

This book was a quick, easy read, but I didn't get much out of it. Character development within the novel was a problem. Teenagers certainly can be fickle, but I felt like the changes to Rio, the main character, were implausible. Additionally, I felt like the ending was forced into place without the developments that led to the ending.

Though I didn't appreciate the somewhat gratuitous drug use, on the whole, this novel was fairly harmless. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it, either.

The best YA high school novel I've read in a very long time. I absolutely love the voice, and the characters were fun and interesting. The plot isn't all that original, but the execution made it a fast, fun read. I'm definitely going to look for more books by her!

I thought this book was really well writen about a teenage girl that has to cope with all the different cliques, gossipers and guys. This book gives in good detail about how hard it is to be a teenager in high school. Being at a new school is hard this book gives a good perspective of this.

Laura B.

The best YA high school novel I've read in a very long time. I absolutely love the voice, and the characters were fun and interesting. The plot isn't all that original, but the execution made it a fast, fun read. I'm definitely going to look for more books by her!