Today I'm reviewing Barbie Girl (Baby Doll #1) as part of the Review Tour for Xpresso Book Tours. Get ready to read about a different type of contemporary romance.
Barbie Girl by Heidi Acosta (Baby Doll #1)
Publication date: November 1st 2012
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
The only thing that 17 year old Barbie Starr wants to do is graduate high school so she and her little brother, Everett, can get out of Alabama. She doesn’t care about the rumors that are spread around about her like wild fire. Rumors are nothing new to her. Sure, maybe she could change her reputation, but why bother. She is leaving Alabama as soon as she can. That is, if she can pass algebra and graduate.
The only thing Dylan Knight would like to do is go through high school unnoticed; he has had enough of the drama that is high school. He took the whole of last summer to bulk-up: finally he is not being called names or being shoved into lockers. He wants to remain on the outside of the circle of constant rumors that surround the so-called popular kids who get all the attention. He would not, however, mind if his long time crush Katie took notice of him.
But it is Barbie who notices Dylan and she offers him a deal he can’t pass up: if he helps her pass algebra, she’ll help him get the girl of his dreams. Dylan agrees, but, as it turns out, nothing is simple when it comes to Barbie. Somehow, she can’t help but draw attention to herself — and to him. Soon Dylan finds himself tossed into the whirlwind of rumors that seem to follow Barbie everywhere. Can he save his reputation and still get the girl of his dreams? Or will Barbie be the one to break through his carefully-built facade?
The only thing Dylan Knight would like to do is go through high school unnoticed; he has had enough of the drama that is high school. He took the whole of last summer to bulk-up: finally he is not being called names or being shoved into lockers. He wants to remain on the outside of the circle of constant rumors that surround the so-called popular kids who get all the attention. He would not, however, mind if his long time crush Katie took notice of him.
But it is Barbie who notices Dylan and she offers him a deal he can’t pass up: if he helps her pass algebra, she’ll help him get the girl of his dreams. Dylan agrees, but, as it turns out, nothing is simple when it comes to Barbie. Somehow, she can’t help but draw attention to herself — and to him. Soon Dylan finds himself tossed into the whirlwind of rumors that seem to follow Barbie everywhere. Can he save his reputation and still get the girl of his dreams? Or will Barbie be the one to break through his carefully-built facade?
Purchase:
--Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/barbie-girl-heidi-acosta/1113843355
--Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/251464
Review
Barbie Girl takes the boy meets girl motif and throws it in a blender. Straight laced Dylan Knight just wants to be with Katie in a fairy-tale romance. But what he gets instead is love advice from the school slut Barbie in exchange for tutoring her in algebra so she can pass and graduate. Things get intense when he starts having feelings for her. Will he still go after Katie, the girl of his dreams or defy convention and chase the rebellious girl that never even entered his fantasies?
Barbie and Dylan are two characters I had to fall in love with. One they come right off the page as real life teenagers. Heidi doesn't try too hard to make us believe they're teens, she lets the story speak for itself and boy does it. These two teens just want to get through high school in one piece. Dylan does it by bulking up so he won't get bullied anymore and Barbie by becoming the 'pretend' school slut to escape the reality of an alcoholic mother and dependent younger brother. Two Dylan isn't written like a lot of guys in contemporary fiction, he's neither a ladies man or some super nerd minus the glasses. He's a regular guy who is smart and just wants to get the girl of his dreams. He ends up starting to like a girl he at first thought could only enter his nightmares but young love can get strange. Three Barbie shows that hooking up is not always about the pleasure but also hiding insecurities and numbing yourself to reality. I learned quite a bit from reading her character's perspective and will look at girl's stereotyped as sluts a little differently. Four the story is absolutely engaging and page turning. The dual perspective that go from chapter to chapter keep you clued in as to what both Dylan and Barbie are thinking. If you like romance, contemporary or just a really good story that defies convention, this is for you. I don't go running down romance so I can testify to this truth. I only picked this book because the summary interested me and a fellow blogger gushed about it. Guess what though? No regrets! I need the sequel. NOW.
Before I go I have to give a shout out to an awesome secondary character. So many times they get left in the dust but chubby best friend of Dylan, Third is always front and center. Whether in Barbie's or Dylan's perspective, he makes a great appearance and offers both comedic relief and great insight in his fun teen boy way. Despite some lewd remarks and questionable fashion sense Third is a nice person and excellent best friend. He starts off ogling Barbie but comes to see her as a fun person to hang out with while she helps Dylan get his dream girl by pretending to be his girlfriend. He still gets teased unlike Dylan but that doesn't kill his spark as he witnesses Barbie and Dylan's love/hate relationship. Also he single-handedly keeps the tight budget Barbie fed during lunchtime. What a modern day gentleman. *Grins*
So in short get a copy of this book. The characters and storyline are fun, unique and engaging from beginning to end. You will be screaming for a sequel. Yes Heidi Acosta. We are waiting.
Rating: 5 Starts!!
Author Bio:
Heidi Acosta was born on Long Island, New York. Moving around a lot when she was younger, she has lived in New York, Arizona, New York (again), Washington, Georgia, and Florida, in that order. Each place offered her something special, but she will always consider New York her home.
Heidi started writing as soon as she could spell. When she was three, Heidi’s mother gave her a copy of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House in the Big Woods; thus beginning her lifelong love affair with literature.
Writing soon also became a form of therapy for Heidi, when she realized that no matter what was happening in her life, she could find emotional escape while writing. Some of her earliest stories featured her as a princess who explored new worlds with her horse Buttercup. If it sounds romantic, it wasn’t, there was no prince charming in those fairy lands (boys where yucky).
Heidi now resides in Florida with her husband, very active daughter, one hyper Chihuahua, two sweet cats, and one very fat moody cat.
Heidi started writing as soon as she could spell. When she was three, Heidi’s mother gave her a copy of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House in the Big Woods; thus beginning her lifelong love affair with literature.
Writing soon also became a form of therapy for Heidi, when she realized that no matter what was happening in her life, she could find emotional escape while writing. Some of her earliest stories featured her as a princess who explored new worlds with her horse Buttercup. If it sounds romantic, it wasn’t, there was no prince charming in those fairy lands (boys where yucky).
Heidi now resides in Florida with her husband, very active daughter, one hyper Chihuahua, two sweet cats, and one very fat moody cat.
Author Links:
-Website: http://authorheidiacosta.blogspot.ca/
-Twitter: https://twitter.com/Barbiegirlnovel
-Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Authorheidiacosta
I am so glad you liked it!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds amazing! I love when tropes are tossed into a blender. ;-)
ReplyDelete