Review: Paisley Hanover Acts Out - Cameron Tuttle

Where I got it: Inter-library loan
Rating: 3 stars
Cover Rating: 3 stars (It doesn't really look like Paisley, but I like the bright colors.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: March 5, 2009
Publisher: Dial
Page Count: 344 p. + 82 p. Paisley's Notebook 

Paisley Hanover has a plan, had a plan, a seven point plan to be exact. That went out the window as she spastic jazzed her way out of Yearbook (don’t ask). Now she’s stuck with the popularity-impaired drama freaks. On top of that her best friend is no longer on speaking terms with her after something weird happened at a summer party. Now Paisley has to figure out how to get her life back on track. She has a play performance (with a boy she’s got a below-the-belt crush on); she’s running for student council, trying to get her best-y back and oh yeah, a following of misUNderstood kids. All while trying to live a perfectly normal high school life full of crushes (above and below the belt), friends and popularity.

Paisley Hanover is not very smart. She’s of moderate intelligence which makes her more believable as a misfit stuck in a rah-rah’s body. This was a fun read, reminiscent of the Georgia Nicolson series (except not British and no one is funnier than Georgia. NO ONE!). I found the characters were pretty believable. There were nasty ones and dorky ones, smart ones and jock ones. Some times it seemed a little exaggerated for comic effect, but it is high school so you know…I’m not sure what else to say really. Paisley wasn’t a heroine really, sometimes I found her very naïve and full of herself but *shrug* it happens. I definitely want to read the next book in this series because this one ended on a “oh, come on!” kind of note. This was fun and great for sitting outside on a hot day and giggling to.

First Line:

“I took a deep breath outside the door to Yearbook class and then sauntered—yes, I actually sauntered—into the room, doing my best imitation of calm, confident me.

Favorite Line:

“Bentley Jones, Dwight Cashel, and Eric Sobel had turned the corner and were headed in my direction, talking and laughing like the world were made of lollipops and midgets.”