'Mean Girls' with motorcycles
Ever since Tina Fey's pretty damn good film Mean Girls appeared in 2004, there has been a definite uptick in the regular girl vs. "queen bee" formula. And it's always the same: a small, elite group of perfect-seeming, scheming girls; a ruthless leader who manipulates her prey with a smile and promise of friendship; a less cool friend is temporarily abandoned by the regular girl, who is seduced by the power of popularity; and a lesson about being true to yourself. Hell, sometimes the queen bee character is actually the protagonist (see Gossip Girl, The Clique). Some books deviate from this formula, like How to Not Be Popular; others are able to deconstruct popularity (I Love You, Beth Cooper; Geek Charming). The best put their own spin on the story of girl bullying. The worst copy directly from Tina.
When Paski's father announces that they're moving from New Mexico to L.A., Paski is nearly devastated. Her entire life is perfect - she's got two best friends, she's popular at school, and the cute guy she's crushed on for months has finally asked her out. Moody and resistant, she nevertheless makes the move with her dad and ends up in the ultra-rich Aliso Niguel High, where a group of pretty rich girls known as the Haters rule supreme. Right away, Paski catches the eye of not only Jessica Nguyen, the queen bee, but her incredibly hot and charismatic ex Chris Cabrera. Paski is sure Chris is her soul mate and that Jessica is trouble. And Paski has good instincts: she has visions that often tell her more things about those around her than she'd care to know. But the urge to fit in overcomes her, and she scores an invite to a party where she knows Chris will be. And even though her weird new friend Tina tells her not to go, Paski can't resist. What follows will test Paski's endurance and will teach her that those who feed on hate are the ones who really need love ... most of the time.
This is another example of a story that tries to do too many things all at once, only to have the end result add up to very little. Paski's journey is a familiar one, even when it takes some strange and even creative turns. Her visions are easily the most interesting thing about the story, and they allow her to make some meaningful connections and learn a few lessons. Her voice is messy, in a sort-of-recognizable bratty teen kind of way; not incredibly developed, but still enjoyable. Her dynamic with her liberal, sensitive father is unique. And the friends she makes inject the novel with some personality. Chris, the more-or-less inevitable hot soul mate, is an interesting take on the supposedly-unattainable hot guy trope; it doesn't always work here, as his attainability is such a given that their relationship lacks tension.
That's what is wrong with this book: after a while - after Jessica has revealed all her cards - there are no longer any stakes. Paski rejects Jessica and refuses to play by her rules, and then everything really starts working out in her favor. Jessica's role as worthy antagonist diminishes quickly as the story comes to an end. There is a big motocross race that gets absolutely no build-up, and the author leaves us in no doubt of the outcome. Even Paski's best trait, her visions, eventually work against the story: her instincts guide her so well that readers will easily figure out how things will end for her. And various subplots - Jessica's secret sweet side, Paski's father's shortcomings as a parent, Paski's frustration with her visions - are either wrapped up too quickly or fall by the wayside. The uneven plotting will throw readers off somewhat, as everything after the events of the party grows less interesting.
In the end, I'm not sure if Valdes-Rodriquez was trying to do anything new with the Mean Girls template. The same lessons are learned, the protagonist is rewarded with the guy, and any attempts to make Jessica human is glossed over so Paski can have her happy ending. It is clear that some thought went into the bulk of the story and its characters, but the author seems to have given up 3/4 of the way. A thoughtful but frustrating read. Rating: 3 drug-laced drinks out of 5.
When Paski's father announces that they're moving from New Mexico to L.A., Paski is nearly devastated. Her entire life is perfect - she's got two best friends, she's popular at school, and the cute guy she's crushed on for months has finally asked her out. Moody and resistant, she nevertheless makes the move with her dad and ends up in the ultra-rich Aliso Niguel High, where a group of pretty rich girls known as the Haters rule supreme. Right away, Paski catches the eye of not only Jessica Nguyen, the queen bee, but her incredibly hot and charismatic ex Chris Cabrera. Paski is sure Chris is her soul mate and that Jessica is trouble. And Paski has good instincts: she has visions that often tell her more things about those around her than she'd care to know. But the urge to fit in overcomes her, and she scores an invite to a party where she knows Chris will be. And even though her weird new friend Tina tells her not to go, Paski can't resist. What follows will test Paski's endurance and will teach her that those who feed on hate are the ones who really need love ... most of the time.
This is another example of a story that tries to do too many things all at once, only to have the end result add up to very little. Paski's journey is a familiar one, even when it takes some strange and even creative turns. Her visions are easily the most interesting thing about the story, and they allow her to make some meaningful connections and learn a few lessons. Her voice is messy, in a sort-of-recognizable bratty teen kind of way; not incredibly developed, but still enjoyable. Her dynamic with her liberal, sensitive father is unique. And the friends she makes inject the novel with some personality. Chris, the more-or-less inevitable hot soul mate, is an interesting take on the supposedly-unattainable hot guy trope; it doesn't always work here, as his attainability is such a given that their relationship lacks tension.
That's what is wrong with this book: after a while - after Jessica has revealed all her cards - there are no longer any stakes. Paski rejects Jessica and refuses to play by her rules, and then everything really starts working out in her favor. Jessica's role as worthy antagonist diminishes quickly as the story comes to an end. There is a big motocross race that gets absolutely no build-up, and the author leaves us in no doubt of the outcome. Even Paski's best trait, her visions, eventually work against the story: her instincts guide her so well that readers will easily figure out how things will end for her. And various subplots - Jessica's secret sweet side, Paski's father's shortcomings as a parent, Paski's frustration with her visions - are either wrapped up too quickly or fall by the wayside. The uneven plotting will throw readers off somewhat, as everything after the events of the party grows less interesting.
In the end, I'm not sure if Valdes-Rodriquez was trying to do anything new with the Mean Girls template. The same lessons are learned, the protagonist is rewarded with the guy, and any attempts to make Jessica human is glossed over so Paski can have her happy ending. It is clear that some thought went into the bulk of the story and its characters, but the author seems to have given up 3/4 of the way. A thoughtful but frustrating read. Rating: 3 drug-laced drinks out of 5.
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