Messy [Hardcover]

First Impressions: The authors first book, Spoiled, will never make it to the top of my all-time favorite books, but I read it late last summer and it was a fun summer-time read. That's basically what I was looking for when I picked up my copy of Messy. It is summer and I'm out of school until August and I wanted to read a book that didn't require me to think too much.

First 50 Pages: I thought that Messy was a sequel to Spoiled, but not so much. I would classify it as a companion novel and I don't really think that you need to read Spoiled in order to enjoy this book. I would also say that Messy and Spoiled are more fun to read than anything else. They aren't terribly long and either would make for a nice afternoon at the beach. When I finished Messy I definitely think I liked it more than Spoiled, probably because it had a new narrator. I was never crazy about one of the old narrators, Molly, and she doesn't have such a huge role in this book.

Characters & Plot: Like I stated before, this book is just plain fun to read. The plot is very light and easy-going and it doesn't require much thought. This time around, Messy is narrated by Brooke and Max, who is Molly's best friend. Brooke is slightly obnoxious and she craves attention. Max is much more likable, but both have big dreams of making it into the spotlight. That is basically what this book is about; the race for fame and fortune.

The funny thing is, is that neither girl really likes one another, yet they end up working together in this book for the pursuit of their dreams. Max however, is the true main character. She is snarky and hilarious at times and is willing to do just about anything to get the money to move to New York City, even if it means she has to put up with Brooke. Brooke has a blog and she needs a writer and of course, Max takes up the job, which comes with a few fun surprises. I definitely loved Max and she kind of reminded me of myself when I was around her age, even her obsession with moving to NYC (which I actually did!)

Final Thoughts: Again, this was a fun book. It had some great character dialog and it moved at a good pace. It's nothing fancy or life-changing but it kept me entertained for a few hours. I would definitely recommend it to teens who are looking for a good summertime book to read!

I really enjoyed 'Spoiled' but I REALLY enjoyed 'Messy'. It's a super clever follow up, and refreshing to see more character development and snarky Hollywood inside life that every teen dreams of being part of. I hope there's a TV series, or 3rd book - or more from the authors. I read it in two sittings over one weekend because I wanted to know what happens next -- and that's a RARE find. 5 stars!

Second books can often suffer from sequel-itis, causing them to not live up to the first. This is not the case with MESSY. I'm not saying it's better than SPOILED, which I also loved, but having Max as an aspiring writer dealing all the creative fits and starts and frustrations and excitement really hit home for me in how completely accurate it is.

As much as I liked that SPOILED stayed within and fully explored the confines of the elite Los Angeles high school where celebrity spawn seek to spawn celebrity, I was fascinated that MESSY too us onto sets and into auditions. MESSY is utterly delightful as summer, fall, winter, or spring read.

Dare we hope for a third installment, Fug Girls?