California Dreaming (A-List # 10)

California Dreaming
A-List # 10
Zoey Dean
Little, Brown and Company
978-0-316-11353-3

This is the final installment of Anna, Cammie, Sam, and Dee’s journey.  ‘California dreaming’ was a great finale to a great series. It starts out with heart pumping adrenaline and life changing scenes and ends with calming but yet life-changing scenes. This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I couldn't wait to turn the page and find out what would happen next if you have followed the series and have loved the characters you absolutely need to read this book because it is phenomenal and it gives you a great ending to the characters you love so much.
The cover of ‘California dreaming’ is beautiful showcasing the Beverly Hills Hotel, a black sleek sports car, and a pretty blonde girl in a green dress, with a smile that would light up any room.
That really draws in the reader not only is it a good cover to fit with the story but I think overall it would make anyone pick it up and read what it’s about.

So in this book we see our entire favorite A-List characters, slowly turn into adults. The book starts off with where the last book left off which is a tad bit different from the other books that tended to skip a few weeks in time. This is Anna on the plane, which doesn’t exactly go good for her. It takes a life or death turn, which catches the eye of everyone else after that everyone really starts to do some hardcore thinking on what they really want to do with their lives and their futures. They are all looking at the fact that life could end tomorrow so they really need to figure out what to do.


With big decisions in store for the group like whether Anna’s going to go to Yale or Bali, whether Sam wants to get married and go to Paris to stay and go to USC, Cammie’s decision of what to do with Adam and the club her and Ben have pulled together. You really have no idea what anyone is going to choose. There is a lot of drama in the final installment but it’s more of an adult level of drama. They are trying to figure things out about themselves and their future and that is a new side to all of them. For example Anna’s path has been laid out for her from the beginning; Yale was her destination since she could talk. Yet in this book she is really considering not going to Yale at all. It’s very intriguing and emotional to watch her go through all of these events that led up to her final decision. It’s like that for almost all the main characters in this book.  Although there were a few typos just like with all the other books, it was a really great read.
‘California Dreaming’ made me laugh and cry. It was an emotional roller coaster and I loved it! There were heart wrenching moments and moments of pure joy. All around it was a beautifully written book and a perfect ending to the characters stories.

* I purchased this book on my own accord and decided to review it. I was not compensated for this review.

Beautiful Stranger (A-List #9)

Beautiful Stranger

A-List # 9
Zoey Dean
Little, Brown and Company
978-0-316-11352-6

            Now this is the A-list novel I have been waiting for, without even knowing it. This one left me on the edge of my seat, dying to turn the page. ‘Beautiful Stranger’
captured my attention, the way none of the other ones did. All kinds of emotions were evoked by reading this novel.

The novel starts with Anna trying out her ‘dating’ Ben and Caine at the same time. She enjoys a night with both of them. She is as usual conflicted because, well that’s just so Anna. Which is starting to get annoying, to be honest but it still makes a great story. I find myself yelling at Anna’s character to just go for it, stop being her mother and being so darn well bred and cautious.

Anna is thrown for quite a loop when Caine tells her that he’s going back to his ex-girlfriend Bernadette and he cannot see her anymore. Anna feels relieved, she thinks her decision is made up for her, however what she doesn’t see coming, is Ben dumping her as well. When Anna is very supportive of something Ben is doing, he is finished with her.

Eduardo pops a big question to Sam and from there on Sam is beyond paranoid. Even going as far as dumping him when she catches him doing something that was supposed to be a surprise for her. Sam really starts to become a woman in this one although her self-esteem issues do get her into trouble with Eduardo.

Cammie is more than happy to help Ben in his dream of starting up a club and even more than that. She is trying to get back into his arms after Adam so cruelly stood her up and picked Michigan over her. She would love to give Adam and Anna something to be jealous over. The old Cammie is back yet again but with a few more grown up qualities.

When Sam and Anna go to New York for a week, Anna’s life is turned upside down. She will be going to Yale soon but her Yale meeting was less that exciting and her old childhood friend Logan appearance makes things even more complicating. Will she continue on the path she has had laid out for her since she was eight or start a new one that is actually for the real Anna?

This novel was really a step up in the A-List series, I really enjoyed all the books before these but this one was exceptionally good. The characters showed more depth, I felt like they branched off into a new world. They definitely weren’t in that high school stage of life anymore, and I can honestly say it’s such an enjoyment to see that.

A very wonderful book, intriguing, delicious and well worth your time.

* I purchased this book on my own accord and decided to review it. I was not compensated for this review.

Some Like It Hot (A-List) Review

Some Like It Hot
A-List Novel # 6
By: Zoey Dean
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
ISBN:0-316-01093-6
Rating: Must read!

In this sixth installment of the A-list the story of the young and rich, Zoey Dean’s focus is mainly on prom. Overall this book is a great read; it has a great plot and wonderful storyline. Each character has his/herown little story happening inside this one. It does start out a little bit slow in the beginning but then it picks up.

In the beginning none of the wonderful A-list really even consider going to prom. They are all so above it. Sam however starts to consider it when Anna stated that she wants to go. Then when Sam finds out about a documentary contest, which would be perfect to showcase her talents. She sets her sights on making prom happen and getting her A-list friends to go.

Anna seems to have it made in this one or so it seems. Ben is home for the summer and they finally settled on an honest relationship. Even better than that Ben is taking her to prom but could this very attractive and very curvy family friend that is living in Ben’s house cause new problems? Who knew perfect Anna had so many insecurities.

There is a new side of Cammie shown in this book as the mystery of her mother’s death unravels slowly. The question is will she take it out on Adam because he’s the one who found the truth?

Dee gets a night pass from Ojai Psychiatric Institute for the prom she’s still an inpatient there   being treated for bi-polar. We see a brand new Dee in this book. Could it really be that Dee is actually normal now?

Dee goes to prom with Ben’s friend from Princeton, Jack and they find they have some scary reality in common. There only issue is how they are going to ditch her chaperone from the institute, Marshall.

After the Bel-Air Grand Hotel burns down thanks to one of our not so good girls. She didn’t do it on purpose and she actually feels guilty for once, which is quit shocking. There is mad panic about getting another venue for prom. Sam steps in and takes over getting her father’s movie set for Ben-Hur. She pretty much saves the day for the prom weenies as she calls them. Only problem is now Eduardo can’t take her to the prom. So she goes with Parker as a friend…or at least that’s what they said.

This book had all the drama and glamour and designer dresses that all the other had. However there wasn’t as much cattiness in this one which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but some readers may miss this. Like I said before it started a bit slow but then it picked right up and I was sucked right into the story. The biggest thing that kept me intrigued was the mystery of Cammie’s mother’s death. Another great scene that will capture everyone is prom prep, when all the girls work together to help one less fortunate girl.

This book is definitely geared toward the high school and early college ages. They will be most definitely intrigued by how these girls live, everyone who loves the Gossip Girl series and The It Girl series will love this book and I must recommend the rest of the book in the A-List series, they are delicious!

A definite must read in the series!

* I purchased this book on my own accord and decided to review it. I was not compensated for this review.

Heart of Glass (A-List Novel) Review

Heart of Glass
A-List Novel # 8
By: Zoey Dean
Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company
ISBN: 0-316-01096-0
Rating: Absolutely Amazing!

‘Heart of Glass’ blew me away; it was by far the best book in the series yet. To start with, the cover pulled me in. It is very colorful and has a Cinderella feel to it, with a very pretty girl in a green corseted dress walking barefoot down a staircase.

The book had quite a few elements that the others lacked. This one showed new sides to characters that I think a lot of readers have been longing to see. It had very touching moments. Which I will discuss later in this review, but this book was truly an enjoyment to read. It was a very fast read, once I started it I couldn’t put it down. ‘Heart of Glass’ has very memorable characters and very memorable scenes.

In this volume we follow the outrageously different group of characters in their first summer after graduating high school. Some pretty unbelievable and amazing things happen to all of them as well as some pretty terrible things.

Anna and Cammie find themselves in some legal trouble, that even the most expensive lawyer cannot get them out of without doing community service. However if you are thinking orange jumpsuits and picking up garbage on the side of the road for these two fashionistas, you are very mistaken.  Even these girls’ punishments are glamorous.  They end up helping to organize a charity fashion show, for a charity called New Visions to help at risk teens set their lives on the right track.  It seems to be a pretty cushion filled job for Cammie and Anna but there  are lots of twists and turns that could very well knock these girls right off their extremely expensive stilettos.

Cammie and Anna surprisingly got along in this book for the most part and end up helping each other out a lot through this book. Anna brings out the good side in Cammie and Cammie brings out the wild side in Anna. The girls bonded over helping one New Visions girl, Champagne reach her dream of being a model. Although the question is after the fashion show is over will Anna and Cammie go back to hating each other?

Sam is back with Eduardo and couldn’t be happier except she is convinced that Poppy, her stepmother is cheating on her father. So she asked Parker to help her bust Poppy in exchange for three scenes in her father’s new movie Ben-Hur; but how far will she go to take Poppy down and will it be worth it?

Dee and Jack are getting serious, a little too serious for either of them to handle but when another guy, Aaron moves in on Dee with Jack fight to make it work or just let Dee go?

Anna was so sure she was done with Ben in the end of the last book, but Ben isn’t nearly done with Anna. He is planning to wait around until she comes to her senses, even though she’s dating someone else who is covered in tattoos. But when Anna finds out some possibly incriminating information about Caine will she go running back to Ben?

Cammie is tired of being put on the back burner for Adam’s precious Michigan. It will only be a matter of time before Cammie’s horns start to poke out again and demand attention.

‘Heart of Glass’ showed a new dimension to the A-List characters. I can honestly say that I fell in love with this book. Just when I thought I had something all figured out, I was thrown for another loop, some parts I was so shocked that I couldn’t even put it into words and other times the brilliance in the scenes just blew me away. I have loved this series since the moment I picked up the first novel ‘The A- List’ however I think this one set the stakes higher.

‘Heart of Glass’ is a real work of art and I would recommend anyone who is a fan of the ‘Gossip Girl’ series or any works like that to get this series immediately. It was a very touching story especially when it comes to the story of the girls helping Champagne and the New Vision girls. I found this book very relatable except for the fact that if I had to do community service I can guarantee it would be much less glamorous and there is no way I would be so lucky.

Fantastic book with great, memorable characters and scenes that definitely give you something to talk about, I love how it can be touching and yet catty at the same time, truly impressive.

‘Heart of Glass’ is one you don’t want to miss.

* I purchased this book on my own accord and decided to review it. I was not compensated for this review.

American Beauty (A-List Novel) Book Review

American Beauty

A-list novel # 7

By: Zoey Dean

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company.

ISBN: 0 – 316 – 01094 – 4

Rating: Must read!

American Beauty is a delicious treat for anyone who loves drama, romance, and betrayal of the young and rich if you love the Gossip Girl and The It Girl series you will love the A-list novels. There is just as much drama as there are top name designers. However the A-list is set in good old Los Angeles, California, which works well for the series.

In American Beauty we are once again following Anna in her quest to be more outgoing since her initial move from New York to LA in the first novel The A-list in this seventh fascicle we follow Anna and her new friends Sam, Dee, and Cammie (who is actually her enemy but they are in the same circle) as they prepare to graduate from high school and move on to the next stage of their lives.

We have Anna who seems to be the main character of the book that is privileged and has come from old money originally from Manhattan she is modest and well-mannered. She was raised much differently from the girls in California which is what gives this series such a nice contrast because it really is about her coming to California to change herself.

Then we have Sam who is the first to befriend Anna. She is the total opposite of Anna she comes from new money her father is a very famous movie star and she is spoiled, popular, and dramatic but she is also very loyal and has a big heart. Although she only lets her friends see it because in Hollywood, it is very important to show people you have the power.

Then there’s Cammie who has been Sam's best friend since they were little. She is the ultimate bad girl her father is a talent agent and he is known for being one of the toughest men in the business. She is the one with the most power in high school. She is most definitely selfish and spoiled and she's compared to a Python a lot.

Last but not least we have Dee. She is friends with everybody. She can be a little out there in her ways of thinking and strange at times but she's loyal and a very sweet, sweet girl.

Those are the main characters that the book focuses on as well as their significant others just like the rest of the series. Some new relationships are formed and others are left hanging by a thread. This book was a great volume in the set and was one of the best in the series yet. It tied up a lot of loose ends that had been forming in some of the previous books. However the one thing I do not like about all of the books in this series is that every time you finish a book and start a new one, you lose a few weeks. There are always a few weeks skipped in between there which disappoints me because with the way that the last one ended I wanted to read about a certain confrontation. That's all I'll say. So I don't give anything away in case you haven't read the one before this.

I have always loved the portrayal of the characters in the series and this book is no different. The characters were three-dimensional their character delineation was direct and with new characters there were developments that occurred slowly. I really do love how the characters are portrayed with so much detail and so much background there is always a little mystery left of the characters so there's always more to come but you know enough to get attached to them and that is really brilliant. It really pulls you in and you begin to relate to the character. At least that's what I did.

I found American Beauty to be one of the more realistic books and relatable in the series. I could easily see myself doing the same thing in most of the scenes as the girls did or reacting the same way, such as Sam going after Eduardo and Anna not willing to just forgive and forget with Ben towards the end.

The setting of Los Angeles works fantastically with American Beauty as well as with the rest of the series. It shows the glamour and difference in Anna's life back then and Anna's life now. The setting helps to show the contrast between Manhattan and LA they really are total opposites and the A-list novels show in detail how that is. That is what Anna is trying to do with herself show a whole new Anna to the world and to herself. It also shows a little inside peek into the lives of the rich and famous teenagers that we wonder so much about.

I did notice a few typos throughout the book such as calling Cammie, Anna, which to me was very humorous considering their enemies and Cammie would be very angry by being mistaken for Anna.

These girls are an unlikely group that became friends, sans Anna and Cammie, they had gone through so many things together throughout this series and they have grown a lot and it shows in this book. I love that Anna is constantly at war with herself. It's like breaking old habits I can really relate to that. It's really refreshing when she can break out of her old, “This is How We Do Things Big Book (East Coast WASP Edition)” shell and let loose. I find myself rooting for her throughout all of it.

I did find myself getting tired of the Ben and Anna drama in this one. I feel like it's becoming a toxic love story like it hasn’t worked already because it's not going to work. I think Anna needs to be paired with somebody else and we need to move on from that and I hope that's where the direction of the next book is going because I'm really feel like there is no way the Ben and Anna story can be continued and it can still be enjoyable.

Overall American Beauty is a must read for teenagers and young adults that love to see how the other half lives. They will gravitate toward the series because it has all the drama, romance, betrayal, and family problems that they all go through themselves only these people are privileged rich kids and they will get to see how they handle it differently and/or similarly to them and makes for a delectable series that teens will not be able to resist.

* I purchased this book on my own accord and decided to review it. I was not compensated for this review.