Ready or Not: An All-American Girl Novel

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It's a hit!

I read “All American Girl” in the spring and have been dying to read this sequel. It really wasn't bad as most made it out to be whenever I leafed ... (show more)

I read “All American Girl” in the spring and have been dying to read this sequel. It really wasn't bad as most made it out to be whenever I leafed through the reviews.
Sex is a major theme, but it wasn't as bad as most make it out to be. It's on the mind of teenage girls, and its written of Samantha trying to understand and conclude if she wants to have sex. It's to be expected, and it's quite silly of a reader to pick up a book and not want to get into the mind of it's characters.
I felt this book also gave more character to Samantha's sister, Lucy. It gets her past the annoyed older sister with some depth, but not much, as the reader is left with in the first book. “Ready” digs a bit deeper to the character of Lucy and who is she and what she stands for.
I was also deeply impressed with some of the ideas in this book. The idea that screaming abstinence is not always the answer. It's sickened me for years, since my 10th grade health class, how ignorant my generation is about sex, and because parent are afraid to talk about it. This is addressed in this book and I wanted to dance when I read it.
The plot was quick, and not very deep to the eye. But, within the character of Samantha, the simple few days were full of self discovery. Not necessarily growth, but certainly she found a few pieces of herself.
Overall, “Ready or Not” was a pretty good read and a nice continuation from All American Girl. (show less)

 

 

by Mia Kovka

No, it's a flop!

Not a good follow-up to "All-American Girl". It also seems to put out the wrong message about sex--that it's okay for teens provided they take meas... (show more)

Not a good follow-up to "All-American Girl". It also seems to put out the wrong message about sex--that it's okay for teens provided they take measures to protect themselves. For a book that seems to be aimed more at young teens versus 16+, I found it to be appalling. If you liked "All-American Girl", don't waste your time reading this trash. (show less)

 

 

by Teresina Carper

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  All-American Girl: cute, funny, entertaining, innocent fun!
  Ready or Not: cute, funny, entertaining, fun and anything but innocent!!!

  Ready or Not was an excellent book and i really enjoyed reading it! I was genuinely happy for Sam when her David finally...accomplished what Sam had beeen grappling with throughout the entire novel, shall we say? However, i felt that it was a little inappropriate, considereing the demographic. It seemed as if "All-American Girl," was geared toward... (show more)

  All-American Girl: cute, funny, entertaining, innocent fun!
  Ready or Not: cute, funny, entertaining, fun and anything but innocent!!!

  Ready or Not was an excellent book and i really enjoyed reading it! I was genuinely happy for Sam when her David finally...accomplished what Sam had beeen grappling with throughout the entire novel, shall we say? However, i felt that it was a little inappropriate, considereing the demographic. It seemed as if "All-American Girl," was geared toward younger teens (the 13-15 group), but the issue thrown around in "Ready or Not," seems much more appropriate for the more mature teen (age 16+). Perhaps, if "All-American Girl," hadn't been so young teen oriented, then "Ready or Not," would seem more appropriate/acceptable.

  That being said, the way Cabot portrayed it was excellent! She adressed the subject so that it made teens who haven't "played parcheesi" realize that it's nothing to take lightly (as illustrated by the Right Way members and the idea of being labled a slut for dong certain things). But, she also wrote so that, if you are a teen who has "played parcheesi" you won't feel ashamed about it (as illustrated by Sam's positive experience and general happiness after the whole ordeal was over and done with). (show less)

   

   

  by Alexa DeSocio on Jul 31, 2009 at 01:51AM

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  Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

  Is this book controversial? You bet! Is it funny! No doubt about it. Is it appropriate reading material for all ages? Depends on what you deem appropriate.

  I've read with interest the other reviews for READY OR NOT, Meg Cabot's sequel to All-American Girl. I even agree with a lot of them. But before I start my review, let me remind you of one salient point--this book is a work of FICTION. It was written by a HUMAN who has her OWN views of life. Just ... (show more)

  Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

  Is this book controversial? You bet! Is it funny! No doubt about it. Is it appropriate reading material for all ages? Depends on what you deem appropriate.

  I've read with interest the other reviews for READY OR NOT, Meg Cabot's sequel to All-American Girl. I even agree with a lot of them. But before I start my review, let me remind you of one salient point--this book is a work of FICTION. It was written by a HUMAN who has her OWN views of life. Just as everyone on Amazon isn't going to agree on whether or not abortion is right, or the war in Iraq is necessary, or whether religion should be allowed in public schools, no two people are going to agree on whether or not *SPOILER* Sam should have had sex with her boyfriend at the age of almost seventeen.

  That said, I loved the book. I'm a thirty-year-old happily married mother of two, and I still enjoyed Ms. Cabot's individual brand of humor, the trials of being a teenager, and the ability of one person to make a difference in the world.

  The Samantha Madison of ALL-AMERICAN GIRL has grown up. She's older, she's dyed her hair because she "needed a change," and she's wondering what to do now that her boyfriend, David, who just happens to be the son of the US President, has invited her to Camp David over Thanksgiving weekend to play "parcheesi."

  Sam is all ready reeling--from the realization that she either looks like a cute Ashlee Simpson (her older sister Lucy's comment on the dye job, which is not good) or a dead Joan of Arc (her younger sister Rebecca's comment on the hair, which could be good depending on how you look at it); the fact that "life studies" in art class obviously means "naked people" (really not good that the first naked man you see is a complete stranger); and the knowledge that the President seems to think providing the teens of America birth-control should not be done without their parents approval.

  I truly enjoyed READY OR NOT. The message is a powerful one--the sexuality of a person should be based on their maturity, not their age, and that birth-control is a personal decision of the person engaging in sexual activities. That said, however, never once does the book become preachy about teen sexuality. I can understand where some parents might not like having their teenage daughters reading about a sixteen-year-old who decides to have sex with her boyfriend, but I personally would rather have my daughter read a book about a girl who knows what a big decision it is, comes to peace with it in her mind, and seeks out ways to avoid the dangers that are associated with sex no matter what your age--pregnancy and disease--then have her feel ashamed to research her decision.

  I think the subject matter was wonderfully handled, and by no means is the entire book about Sam trying to decide whether or not to have sex with David. A lot of reviewers will attempt to make it be so, just because the subject matter is a touchy one. But it's also about Sam wanting to be her own person, not just "the girl who saved the President." It's about learning to love yourself as you are, and understanding the intricacies of your family, and taking important steps in your life to make the world a better place.

  Samantha Madison grew up in this book, and that's how it should be. Any parent who thinks their teenager isn't thinking about sex is sadly mistaken--it's just a fact of life. And Meg Cabot presents a wonderful story about the highs and lows of falling in love, of making life-altering decisions, and being the best person you can be. (show less)

   

   

  by Jennifer Brown Wardrip on Mar 17, 2009 at 12:57PM

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