Used to Be: The Education of Hailey Kendrick; Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood

by Eileen Cook

Enjoy two wise and witty stories from Eileen Cook in one great book!

In The Education of Hailey Kendrick, Hailey is tired of always doing exactly what’s expected of her. She’s going to prove she’s not perfect by breaking a very big rule in a very public way…with a very unexpected partner in crime. When Hailey gets caught, she loses everything—her best friend, her boyfriend, her popularity, her reputation. Now Hailey is up for anything…maybe even the boy she never noticed before. But even with her new bad girl image, she still has to ask herself: How far is too far?

In Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood, Lauren and Helen used to be best friends…until Lauren betrayed Helen in a manner so publicly humiliating that Helen had to move to a new town just to save face. Now Helen is back, and she’s planning to bring down her former BFF by taking away everything that’s ever been important to Lauren—starting with her boyfriend. Watch out, Lauren Wood. Things are about to get bitchy.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary

610 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 24, 2012

About the author

Eileen Cook spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer.

You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at www.eileencook.com. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her two dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.

Reviews

[PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two books for the price of one!

GRADE: B-

THE EDUCATION OF HAILEY KENDRICK is a charming, albeit predictable story of a seemingly perfect girl falling off her pedestal and into the arms of a guy from the wrong side of the tracks, a janitor at her elite boarding school.

Being the perfect daughter, girlfriend and student just wasn't paying off for Hailey and after a few epically bad decisions, she hardly knows herself. Eileen Cook, a gifted writer gave Hailey an intelligent, sarcastic, witty voice. She was a multidimensional, likable, very imperfect character. Her voice and narration made this otherwise clichéd story a fun read.

THEMES: boarding school, friends, family, parents, light romance.

THE EDUCATION OF HAILEY KENDRICK is an enjoyable spin on the familiar rich girl/poor boy story and the poor little rich girl.
***********

GETTING REVENGE ON LAUREN WOOD

Grade: C

At the end of 8th grade, Lauren told a lie about Helen, her former best friend, that resulted in Helen's being ostracized. Thankfully, her father was transferred and she was able to start over in a new school. Now, Helen is back for senior year, thirty pounds lighter, with a nose job and a new name, ready to vengeance against head cheerleader Lauren.

I love Eileen Cook's writing style. She creates unique characters and gives them witty, intelligent voices. Her narrators are perfectly imperfect major characters.

GETTING REVENGE ON LAUREN WOOD was too over-the-top for my enjoyment. Helen broke into lockers and houses, she vandalized clothing and cosmetics, planted drugs all to cause her former friend friend as much pain as Helen suffered. I didn't find Helen's approach particularly creative or unique. I really wanted to like Helen, but i hated how she used people, particularly her "friend" Brenda.

As much as I like Cook, I think she could have done a better job making Helen more sympathetic and the revenge acts less pathological.

THEMES: friends, revenge, frenemies, romance, bullying

GETTING REVENGE ON LAUREN WOOD is neither believable nor sympathetic in this predictable story.

[JeanBookNerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eileen Cook’s Used to Be is a compilation of two stories about growing up and moving on: Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood and The Education of Hailey Kendrick.

First, there are the two best friends, Lauren and Helen. After Lauren deceived Helen and publicly humiliated her, Helen moved out of town to escape the fiasco. Now that she has returned, only one thing is on her agenda...bring down her former BFF. She starts her revenge dinner so-to-speak with Lauren’s boyfriend as her appetizer.

Second, we have Hailey, a girl who has always followed the rules and done what is expected of her with no question. She’s tired of being labeled as perfect and sets to prove everyone wrong. Along with an accomplice, she publicly breaks a rule. After being caught, she literally loses everything but keeps it up to protect someone she ends up taking the blame for and deals with the consequences. But how long will she keep it up before it has gone too far?

Eileen has crafted two wonderful pieces of literary works that are fun and entertaining. Both stories had engaging dynamic characters. The writing style is absolutely amazing and provides readers with a clear understanding of the characters’ personal viewpoints of their predicaments. The theme of friendship and revenge is carefully outlined as it focuses on the last stretch of a long-standing friendship and the very things humans will do when they feel they have been betrayed. Used to Be are stories that are familiar but are rarely done well. Eileen’s careful mixture of drama and humor gracefully provides readers with a clear picture of the process of growing up and moving on. Just like her other books, it will not disappoint.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both stories had engaging dynamic characters. The writing provides readers with a clear understanding of the characters’ personal The theme of friendship and revenge is carefully outlined as it focuses on the last stretch of a long-standing friendship and the very things humans will do when they feel they have been betrayed. Used to Be are stories that are familiar but are rarely done well. Eileen’s careful mixture of drama and humor gracefully provides readers with a clear picture of the process of growing up and moving on. Just like her other books.I LOVE THAT IS WAS TWO BOOK IN ONE.

[Reylynn Purdue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved them both!!!!!

[ashlee]

the freaking first sentence dude.

[Kayla Barnard · Rating 5 out of 5]

really really good

[Magic Shop · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was two books until I brought it home from the library. I then was very excited to start reading it and I had a good reason to be. These are my first two Eileen Cook's books and I happen to really like her style of writing. I thought the two books were written in a very good and interesting way. At moments there were parts that I just wanted to read and read until I finished the last word on the last page. But it was really good. I loved the main characters and the two girls were the best. Hailey and Helen were really good and I wished that I would have been able to meet them in real life if it was possible. I was able to relate well with both of them. With Hailey, I was always known to do good in school and work hard and basically be the perfect child. But also like Hailey, I wanted more in life. I wanted adventure, fun, love, great friends, and more. Then with Helen, like most girls in life, they are burned. Either by someone they know for a while or even worse, by your best friend. You will feel like getting revenge is the right thing to do. But its not, you need to be able to move on and prove that you are better than that and by moving on, you can live your life fuller and better. That's what Hailey and Helen taught me and I am glad that I learned these lessons. So thank you Eileen Cook for teaching me and others by writing this book. The endings were fantastic and I couldn't have thought of a better ending to both these stories. I honestly don't know which one I like better. They were both fantastic. I look forward to reading more books by her and can't wait to go to the library tomorrow and search for more. Hope you enjoy these two books and these lessons. Enjoy it!!!!

[Christina Powell]

Its a high quality book

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Eileen Cook's Unraveling Isobel. It was the perfect ghost-chick-lit story. I definitely expected Used to Be to be just as good, and it almost made it that far. I liked the storyline better in UR, but Used to Be also had two great stories about rebelling and first love and revenge.
I preferred Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood better. It reminded me of some experiences that I had to go through in life not too long ago and kind of made me depressed at one point, lol. Helen was a very strong main character and I liked her thinking and attitude toward things. Lauren was such a beotch. Ugh she made me SICK and I hated her so much.
The Education of Hailey Kendrick was also pretty good. Hailey reminded me of myself in a way, I really care about my education and like Hailey, I want to get a medical degree one day.
The romance wasn't too crazy and big in these two books for me but I did like them anyways. Amazing!

[Kristina Patch · Rating 3 out of 5]

'The Education of Hailey Kendrick' was tasty whitebread teen fiction. It was similiar to watching 'Gossip Girl'. Funny and predictable, it was a comfortable coming of age novel. 'Revenge on Lauren Wood' was to me, less original but still enjoyable. The second book was definitely a regurgitation of 'Mean Girls' with decent character evolution. Much enjoyed.

[Mybookishreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed these two YA novels.
They were just what i needed to get out of my reading slump.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is was what i suspected which was kinda disappointing. I always want more. But i love the characters and the writing(:

[Kaylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I personally liked the book. You should think about reading it

[Sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The thing is, I didn't necessarily read it all, I just read The Education of Hailey Kendrick, but it was very good.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I lovbed both of these books very much I had a hard time putting the book down
they wre amazing!!