Flashback Friday: Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer

the lowdown

Gigi and her two best friends, Neerja, and Bea, are just biding their time in high school, waiting for their all but certain acceptances to good colleges so that their lives can begin. When they hit the Ivy Leagues, they'll have everything. But when they discover how empty Neerja's idolized, genius older sister's senior yearbook is, they realized that there may be more to getting everything than what they thought. They decide that they've got to take action to get everything they deserve, including a full yearbook.
I actually just read this recently, but it was published a while ago. I wanted to read this because it seemed like something that I could relate to...in high school I was definitely a lot like Gigi.  I also hate reading books about girls who aren't interested in being perceived as intelligent. It's a huge pet peeve of mine, so I figured I would really like this book. Overall, it was a cute read. Nothing groundbreaking, but it didn't really pretend to be and I wasn't expecting that. I found Gigi to be a relatable character, with some feminist undertones that I appreciated. 

the good 

• The friendship. I absolutely wanted to go hang out with Gigi, Neerja and Bea. I seriously adored their best friendship and the way they support each other. This little friendship group was definitely the highlight of the book, and they serve of a great example of how to write female friendships without cattiness. I really enjoyed reading about them growing as they were pushed out of their comfort zones. 
• The supporting characters, specifically Gigi's family. I love that Gigi's mother is another smart female (this book has them in spades!) and that she cares a lot about Gigi even though she's not there for her all the time. But I especially liked Gigi's hilarious french-speaking grandmother who pretty much lets her do what she wants. As far as the love interest goes...it's hard to say much without giving the plot away, but I liked him a lot, too, but wish that he would have been developed a little more.
• I really appreciated the representation in this book. It can always be better, and actually the main character Gigi is pretty bland, but I appreciated that Neerja was Indian and that there were references being made to a lesbian couple.

the bad 

• The plot was definitely predictable. I can't say that there was anything about this book that caught me off guard or surprised me. That being said, it was an enjoying sort of predictable, and it was paced well. 
• There wasn't much of substance here. It was a nice, light pick-me-up read, which is what I was expecting, but I would't have been disappointed if I found that it covered deeper and more difficult topics. There was definitely room for it--some of the characters had some really interesting and trying family situations that I think could have been fleshed out a little more. 

the quote
"Friends should have the right to adopt one another after age thirteen."

skip it/borrow it/buy it
Borrow it. This book is definitely worth reading if you're looking for a smart young adult book. I don't see myself coming back to reread this one, though, and so this is a great one to grab from your local library or a generous friend.

overall score: 7/10

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