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| Image courtesy of www.megcabot.com |
Meg Cabot
2002
The Summary
Samantha Madison is an average girl, who has run into a bit of trouble:
One, she's forced to take drawing lessons after her parent's discover she's drawing caricatures during her German class - for a fee; two, she's in love with her sister's boyfriend; three, she just saved the president of the United States from being assassinated.
The Good
Honestly, I've enjoyed reading Meg Cabot's novel in the past. Having finished it twice, now, I find her characters charming and her story exceptionally well-written. Although the plot seems absurd given the circumstances, Cabot manages to create a story that's both intriguing (even with its absurdity) and engrossing.
Likewise, the characters in All-American Girl are spectacularly depicted. They have depth and breadth, emotion that makes them simultaneously compelling and sympathetic.
In particular, you'll find yourself enjoying Samantha Madison, the central protagonist and narrator. She's intelligent and sarcastic, but she's also thorough and flawed. She has a unique voice, but it's a voice we may have heard at one time or another when faced with our own woes from high school.
You'll like her.
She's also a fan of creating lists in the middle of her narration, which comes across as a positive thing in my opinion.
The Bad
Occasionally, Samantha's narration comes across as petty. I mean, she's a teenage girl. Her tone of voice will sometimes sound juvenile, she will sometimes frustrate you with her teenager logic (and her infatuation with Gwen Stefani), and she will not always present the most likable qualities.
However, Samantha is only human - and she also happens to be a teenager thrown into a very difficult situation.
The Ugly
I can't say which is worse: a broken heart or a broken arm.
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