Review: Sloane Sisters

Title:  Sloane Sisters

Author:  Anna Carey

Review Copy Provided by:  Harper Teen

About the Book:  Style. Sabotage. Sisterhood.

When Cate and Andie Sloane's Upper East Side dad met Stella and Lola Childs's British-model mom, nobody thought a transatlantic relationship would last. But then their parents drop the M-bomb—marriage—and it looks like Cate, Andie, Stella, and Lola are going to be one big happy family. Well, big anyway. Meet:

Cate Sloane: She dominates the ninth grade at exclusive Ashton Prep. Tantrum-prone and competitive, Cate would rather wear Laura Ashley every day than be second best at anything. Luckily there's not a rival in sight. Yet.

Andie Sloane: Twelve-year-old Andie desperately wants to walk the runway. Her face is flawless, and boys flock to her like love-struck sheep. There's just one leetle problem: She's only 4' 11". But with a new supermodel stepmom, she'll be voguing in no time. Right?

Stella Childs: With her take-charge attitude and a closet full of supermodel swag, Stella was the It Girl at her London middle school. She's determined to rule Ashton Prep—even if that means dethroning the current queen bee. Can you say British Invasion?

Lola Childs: London boys called gawky Lola "Sticks," but she's got a new mission in Manhattan: boyfriend or bust! With the help of her boy-magnet stepsister, Lola sets her sights on supercute Kyle Lewis. Too bad Kyle's only got eyes for . . . Andie.

My Review:  This book was, in a word, FUN!  I was in a sort of reading slump, not being able to finish but 1 book in the last 2 weeks.  I've picked up a lot of books, but nothing has really held my attention.  So, last night I went to my TBR pile, and pulled out the first book that caught my eye.  Thank God for the Sloane Sisters!

It is a typical, blending of families book, where the children, forced to be siblings, try hard to hate each other.  It's life today.  Mom and dad get divorced, mom/dad meets someone new, who has kids, and they get married: instant family.  Well, these 4 girls are bound and determined not to get along, so they set out to out-do each other with new friends and old.  In the end, it's the back-stabbing, cut-throat, sabotage that brings them all together with a purpose.  Who knew?

Set in NY, this book combines all things teen: friendship, cliques, style, fashion, fitting-in, feeling left out, designer clothes, texting, you name it.  Ms. Carey does a great job of blending all of this together in a fun, realistic story.  The characters are so believable; they're girls you'd expect to see in any high school in America.  At times, they made me laugh, yet at others, they made me want to go "mom" on them, telling them why they shouldn't treat their friends that way, how much it would hurt later, etc.  I fell in love with these girls and couldn't wait to see what they'd do next.

My heart, however, is with Lola.  I have a tendency to root for the underdog, and in this book, she definitely is.  Lola's not the pretty one, she doesn't have the fashion sense, and she's clumsy.  Boy, could I connect with her!  I went through high-school that way.  Yes, I had friends, but I didn't run with the "in" crowd and neither does Lola.  She's learning though, because Andie is helping her, especially in the boy department.  Lola is my favorite sister.  I'm anxiously awaiting the next book to see what happens to her!

This was a great, quick read!  I'm sure tweens/teens will love this series and buzz about each book until the next in the series is released! 4 out of 5 stars for Sloane Sisters.


The sisters have their own official book site.
Survival of the Fittest: A Sloane Sisters Novel comes out in October.