Gr 7 Up-Emerson Watts (Em, please) has never quite fit in at her alternative high school in this first installment (Point, 2008) of a new series by Meg Cabot. The teen is critical of the popular consumer-driven crowd and always has a witty, sarcastic remark about the group and their actions. Em's one friend, Christopher, shares her passion for playing video games and diss-ing their fellow students. Much to her horror, Em is coerced into accompanying her younger sister to a grand opening event at a megastore. A freak accident at the store puts Em in the hospital for several weeks. When she awakens from a coma, Em discovers that her brain was surgically placed in the body of Nikki Howard, a , popular teen super model who collapsed at the same event. Em is forced to confront her feminist opinions and to accept Nikki for being more than just an airhead. Narrator Stina Nielsen deftly portrays Em's transition from a level-headed, opinionated tomboy to an overwhelmed, looks-obsessed celebrity. She portrays Em's reluctance to change and her stubborn refusal to mature with realism and pragmatism. The tale moves along quickly for listeners who can suspend their disbelief and get caught up in the snappy, realistic dialogue. Fans of Cabot's other books will be delighted and look forward to the next title in the series.-Wendy Woodfill, Hennepin County Library, Minnetonka, MN Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.

About the Author

Meg Cabot is the author of The Princess Diaries series as well as several other series and bestselling novels for teenagers. Her books have sold millions of copies round the world. She has lived in various parts of the US and France, but now lives in Key West, Florida, with her husband and one-eyed cat, Henrietta.

Reviews

Gr 7 Up-Emerson Watts (Em, please) has never quite fit in at her alternative high school in this first installment (Point, 2008) of a new series by Meg Cabot. The teen is critical of the popular consumer-driven crowd and always has a witty, sarcastic remark about the group and their actions. Em's one friend, Christopher, shares her passion for playing video games and diss-ing their fellow students. Much to her horror, Em is coerced into accompanying her younger sister to a grand opening event at a megastore. A freak accident at the store puts Em in the hospital for several weeks. When she awakens from a coma, Em discovers that her brain was surgically placed in the body of Nikki Howard, a , popular teen super model who collapsed at the same event. Em is forced to confront her feminist opinions and to accept Nikki for being more than just an airhead. Narrator Stina Nielsen deftly portrays Em's transition from a level-headed, opinionated tomboy to an overwhelmed, looks-obsessed celebrity. She portrays Em's reluctance to change and her stubborn refusal to mature with realism and pragmatism. The tale moves along quickly for listeners who can suspend their disbelief and get caught up in the snappy, realistic dialogue. Fans of Cabot's other books will be delighted and look forward to the next title in the series.-Wendy Woodfill, Hennepin County Library, Minnetonka, MN Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.

Cabot (the Princess Diaries series) dishes up all the story ingredients her fans have come to know and love--romance, humor, believable teen dialogue and even a fantastical twist. This last bit requires a major suspension of disbelief, but willing readers will love it. Emerson Watts, 16, likes living in New York City's SoHo neighborhood, but she can't tolerate most of the students at her private high school. She and her best friend (and secret crush), Christopher, escape their outcast status by immersing themselves in online video games. But Emerson's bland world shatters when she attends the opening of a new Stark Megastore and suffers a terrible accident. She wakes up in the hospital one month later in someone else's body--and not just anyone else's, but that of superhot teen model Nikki Howard. Cabot's portrayal of Emerson is brilliant. She's a too-cool-for-school independent chick, but she doesn't grow annoying, because the author makes it clear her sarcasm stems from not fitting in. Once she's Nikki Howard, however, she has to rethink her positions on the social order. Pure fun, this first series installment will leave readers clamoring for the next. Ages 12-up. (June) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.