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The Pretty App
Poor Blake Dawkins! She's rich, she's gorgeous, and she's the queen bee of Harrison High. The girls want to be her; the boys want to—okay, enough said. But it turns out Blake’s life is not so perfect—just talk to her dad, who constantly reminds her that she's not up to par, or to her ex-bff, Audrey, who doesn't even look her in the eye.
Then Harrison—and every other high school in America—becomes obsessed with posting selfies on the ubiquitous Pretty App. Next: Leo, an adorable transfer student, arrives at Harrison and begins to show Blake that maybe being a queen bee doesn't mean being a queen bitch. And though Audrey suspects somebody’s playing foul, Blake finds herself catapulted to internet fame after being voted one of the prettiest girls in the country. She's whisked away to star in a reality show—in Hollywood, on live TV. But she doesn’t know who to trust. Because everybody on the show wants to win.
And nobody is there to make friends.
The Boyfriend App author Katie Sise spins another irresistible tale of technology, secrets, and big-time romance in this story of what it takes to be #trulybeautiful.
Then Harrison—and every other high school in America—becomes obsessed with posting selfies on the ubiquitous Pretty App. Next: Leo, an adorable transfer student, arrives at Harrison and begins to show Blake that maybe being a queen bee doesn't mean being a queen bitch. And though Audrey suspects somebody’s playing foul, Blake finds herself catapulted to internet fame after being voted one of the prettiest girls in the country. She's whisked away to star in a reality show—in Hollywood, on live TV. But she doesn’t know who to trust. Because everybody on the show wants to win.
And nobody is there to make friends.
The Boyfriend App author Katie Sise spins another irresistible tale of technology, secrets, and big-time romance in this story of what it takes to be #trulybeautiful.
352 pages, Hardcover
Published April 14, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
October 6, 2016
This book is really addictive. I couldn't put it down. Although something's were obvious it was still good.
March 19, 2015
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
The Pretty App by Katie Sise
Book Two of the App series
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: April 14, 2015
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
Summary (from Goodreads):
Poor Blake Dawkins! She's rich, she's gorgeous, and she's the queen bee of Harrison High. The girls want to be her; the boys want to—okay, enough said. But it turns out Blake’s life is not so perfect—just talk to her dad, who constantly reminds her that she's not up to par, or to her ex-bff, Audrey, who doesn't even look her in the eye.
Then Harrison—and every other high school in America—becomes obsessed with posting selfies on the ubiquitous Pretty App. Next: Leo, an adorable transfer student, arrives at Harrison and begins to show Blake that maybe being a queen bee doesn't mean being a queen bitch. And though Audrey suspects somebody’s playing foul, Blake finds herself catapulted to internet fame after being voted one of the prettiest girls in the country. She's whisked away to star in a reality show—in Hollywood, on live TV. But she doesn’t know who to trust. Because everybody on the show wants to win.
And nobody is there to make friends.
The Boyfriend App author Katie Sise spins another irresistible tale of technology, secrets, and big-time romance in this story of what it takes to be #trulybeautiful.
What I Liked:
I'm actually a bit surprised that I liked this book! At first, I thought I would hate it, because it's all about looks and beauty (hence, the title), and I'm not really a fan of those types of books that feature a protagonist that is quite interested in her physical appearance. It's great to want to be as beautiful as possible, but then there's shallow (which Blake definitely is, in the beginning).
Blake was introduced in The Boyfriend App as Audrey's not-so-good-friend-anymore. We learn a lot more about Blake in this book. Blake is gorgeous, arguably the most gorgeous of all of Harrison High. Her father is a gubernatorial candidate, and wants his family spotless. Her mother is a puppet mother (classic), and Blake's sister is at Notre Dame with her own problems. Blake has always felt like her looks are the only thing going for her, and her father certainly doesn't help the case.
So, when Public introduces The Pretty App, Blake is all over that. She isn't a fan of Public, but with her father so involved with Public and publicity, she has play along. Plus, who wouldn't want the chance to be on reality TV with a number of other beautiful high school girls of the nation? Blake wants to be a TV host or anchor (or something), so she really wants the opportunity.
Enter Leo, a hot transfer to the high school. Something is definitely up with him - he's really good-looking, and he randomly transferred to Harrison? South Bend, Indiana? Totally weird. But Blake falls for him, and he falls for Blake... until something happens. But Blake and Audrey have been working on their relationship, because Leo is part of the Trogs (basically, the nerds, like Audrey). So Blake takes Audrey with her, when Blake wins a spot in the final number of girls to go to Hollywood and be on live TV. But something isn't right, and Blake and Audrey are going to figure out how to put a stop to some serious shenanigans!
I didn't like Blake at first - no surprise there, because I didn't like her in The Boyfriend App. She seemed shallow, Regina-George-esque, and downright awful. But as the story went on, we get to know more about her, and about her personality. She's definitely very negatively affected by her father's lack of praise and affection. She doesn't even like crowds or people staring at her, though she says she should be used to it. I mean, she's supposed to be a knockout, so that makes sense. Blake is definitely very self-absorbed though, don't get wrong. She does some mean things and really hurts people, but I find her a redeeming protagonist. By the end of the story, I liked her.
I definitely like how Sise worked on Blake and Audrey's friendship. It became a positive, healthy friendship, with the two girls communicating well. Audrey helped out Blake a lot throughout this book, without even really questioning things. Blake didn't always have Audrey's back, but as the story went on, it was obvious how much the girls cared about each other, and valued their friendship.
The romance was... interesting. I like Blake and Leo together. They were fireworks from the start, which is great! But there was always something off about Leo, and Audrey (and eventually, Blake) definitely thought so. The reveal of his "secret" is pretty shocking - I didn't expect that at all. I'm glad that the romance was a significant part of Blake's life, but not an overwhelming part. The Pretty App is definitely the big part of Blake's life. There is a huge gap in the book where Blake and Leo don't see or text or talk to each other. Overall, I liked the romance. It was there, but it wasn't (in the physical sense), that was fine.
I like that Sise incorporates such important themes, especially in today's society, and especially to Young Adults. Beauty is skin-deep, but feeling good about yourself is pretty important. Blake goes from being self-absorbed to more open and less selfish, and she really sees herself, by the end of the good. This is great for positive body and mind image. The universal themes in this book are pretty strong indeed!
The ending is a bit cliche and predictable, in terms of the reality show. I liked it, don't get me wrong. It was a great feel-good ending, and made everyone happy. It was just really predictable. In my opinion. But in general, I liked the ending, and I liked this book.
What I Did Not Like:
The Mean Girls routine definitely bothered me, and I know it will bother other people. However, Sise WANTS it to bother readers, to prove a point about Blake's (and other girls') personalities - it makes for a great comparison of Blake's character from beginning to end. But it doesn't mean I have to like it. I hate those Queen Bee mean girls who think they can do whatever they want and walk over whoever they want. Um, no.
The ending is a bit cliche. And predictable. Be aware of this.
Would I Recommend It:
I liked this book. It's a great contemporary read, and there are significant themes in this book that are really important to teenagers and young adults of today's society. I would recommend this book to teenagers and young adult readers especially, but to anyone in general. It's a good contemporary - not fluffy, not dark, not overburdened with romance. A nice combination of a lot of those things, definitely mixed well!
Rating:
4 stars. I'm glad I decided to read this book! I almost didn't (my reading schedule is pretty ridiculous). Super relevant to today's society, and an enjoyable read all around!
The Pretty App by Katie Sise
Book Two of the App series
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: April 14, 2015
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
Summary (from Goodreads):
Poor Blake Dawkins! She's rich, she's gorgeous, and she's the queen bee of Harrison High. The girls want to be her; the boys want to—okay, enough said. But it turns out Blake’s life is not so perfect—just talk to her dad, who constantly reminds her that she's not up to par, or to her ex-bff, Audrey, who doesn't even look her in the eye.
Then Harrison—and every other high school in America—becomes obsessed with posting selfies on the ubiquitous Pretty App. Next: Leo, an adorable transfer student, arrives at Harrison and begins to show Blake that maybe being a queen bee doesn't mean being a queen bitch. And though Audrey suspects somebody’s playing foul, Blake finds herself catapulted to internet fame after being voted one of the prettiest girls in the country. She's whisked away to star in a reality show—in Hollywood, on live TV. But she doesn’t know who to trust. Because everybody on the show wants to win.
And nobody is there to make friends.
The Boyfriend App author Katie Sise spins another irresistible tale of technology, secrets, and big-time romance in this story of what it takes to be #trulybeautiful.
What I Liked:
I'm actually a bit surprised that I liked this book! At first, I thought I would hate it, because it's all about looks and beauty (hence, the title), and I'm not really a fan of those types of books that feature a protagonist that is quite interested in her physical appearance. It's great to want to be as beautiful as possible, but then there's shallow (which Blake definitely is, in the beginning).
Blake was introduced in The Boyfriend App as Audrey's not-so-good-friend-anymore. We learn a lot more about Blake in this book. Blake is gorgeous, arguably the most gorgeous of all of Harrison High. Her father is a gubernatorial candidate, and wants his family spotless. Her mother is a puppet mother (classic), and Blake's sister is at Notre Dame with her own problems. Blake has always felt like her looks are the only thing going for her, and her father certainly doesn't help the case.
So, when Public introduces The Pretty App, Blake is all over that. She isn't a fan of Public, but with her father so involved with Public and publicity, she has play along. Plus, who wouldn't want the chance to be on reality TV with a number of other beautiful high school girls of the nation? Blake wants to be a TV host or anchor (or something), so she really wants the opportunity.
Enter Leo, a hot transfer to the high school. Something is definitely up with him - he's really good-looking, and he randomly transferred to Harrison? South Bend, Indiana? Totally weird. But Blake falls for him, and he falls for Blake... until something happens. But Blake and Audrey have been working on their relationship, because Leo is part of the Trogs (basically, the nerds, like Audrey). So Blake takes Audrey with her, when Blake wins a spot in the final number of girls to go to Hollywood and be on live TV. But something isn't right, and Blake and Audrey are going to figure out how to put a stop to some serious shenanigans!
I didn't like Blake at first - no surprise there, because I didn't like her in The Boyfriend App. She seemed shallow, Regina-George-esque, and downright awful. But as the story went on, we get to know more about her, and about her personality. She's definitely very negatively affected by her father's lack of praise and affection. She doesn't even like crowds or people staring at her, though she says she should be used to it. I mean, she's supposed to be a knockout, so that makes sense. Blake is definitely very self-absorbed though, don't get wrong. She does some mean things and really hurts people, but I find her a redeeming protagonist. By the end of the story, I liked her.
I definitely like how Sise worked on Blake and Audrey's friendship. It became a positive, healthy friendship, with the two girls communicating well. Audrey helped out Blake a lot throughout this book, without even really questioning things. Blake didn't always have Audrey's back, but as the story went on, it was obvious how much the girls cared about each other, and valued their friendship.
The romance was... interesting. I like Blake and Leo together. They were fireworks from the start, which is great! But there was always something off about Leo, and Audrey (and eventually, Blake) definitely thought so. The reveal of his "secret" is pretty shocking - I didn't expect that at all. I'm glad that the romance was a significant part of Blake's life, but not an overwhelming part. The Pretty App is definitely the big part of Blake's life. There is a huge gap in the book where Blake and Leo don't see or text or talk to each other. Overall, I liked the romance. It was there, but it wasn't (in the physical sense), that was fine.
I like that Sise incorporates such important themes, especially in today's society, and especially to Young Adults. Beauty is skin-deep, but feeling good about yourself is pretty important. Blake goes from being self-absorbed to more open and less selfish, and she really sees herself, by the end of the good. This is great for positive body and mind image. The universal themes in this book are pretty strong indeed!
The ending is a bit cliche and predictable, in terms of the reality show. I liked it, don't get me wrong. It was a great feel-good ending, and made everyone happy. It was just really predictable. In my opinion. But in general, I liked the ending, and I liked this book.
What I Did Not Like:
The Mean Girls routine definitely bothered me, and I know it will bother other people. However, Sise WANTS it to bother readers, to prove a point about Blake's (and other girls') personalities - it makes for a great comparison of Blake's character from beginning to end. But it doesn't mean I have to like it. I hate those Queen Bee mean girls who think they can do whatever they want and walk over whoever they want. Um, no.
The ending is a bit cliche. And predictable. Be aware of this.
Would I Recommend It:
I liked this book. It's a great contemporary read, and there are significant themes in this book that are really important to teenagers and young adults of today's society. I would recommend this book to teenagers and young adult readers especially, but to anyone in general. It's a good contemporary - not fluffy, not dark, not overburdened with romance. A nice combination of a lot of those things, definitely mixed well!
Rating:
4 stars. I'm glad I decided to read this book! I almost didn't (my reading schedule is pretty ridiculous). Super relevant to today's society, and an enjoyable read all around!
April 14, 2015
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
This was an interesting sequel, but I didn’t like it as much as book 1.
I found it a bit weird that Blake was the main character in this book, after she was so awful in ‘The Boyfriend App’. Even though she talked about changing, and made out like she was a better person, I just couldn’t help but think that it was all a ploy, and that she was going to turn out to be totally evil again! The author must have done a really good job with the characterisation in book 1, because I just could not believe that Blake was going to suddenly turn out to be nice!
The storyline in this book was okay, but it wasn’t great. I felt a bit bored of the whole reality-show-beauty-queen thing, and pretty app or not, that’s what the story basically boiled down to; a beauty pageant.
There was some romance in this story, but I didn’t love it. I have to admit that I didn’t see the twists in the romance storyline coming though.
The ending was okay, but after everything that had happened, I still didn’t trust Blake!
6.25 out of 10
This was an interesting sequel, but I didn’t like it as much as book 1.
I found it a bit weird that Blake was the main character in this book, after she was so awful in ‘The Boyfriend App’. Even though she talked about changing, and made out like she was a better person, I just couldn’t help but think that it was all a ploy, and that she was going to turn out to be totally evil again! The author must have done a really good job with the characterisation in book 1, because I just could not believe that Blake was going to suddenly turn out to be nice!
The storyline in this book was okay, but it wasn’t great. I felt a bit bored of the whole reality-show-beauty-queen thing, and pretty app or not, that’s what the story basically boiled down to; a beauty pageant.
There was some romance in this story, but I didn’t love it. I have to admit that I didn’t see the twists in the romance storyline coming though.
The ending was okay, but after everything that had happened, I still didn’t trust Blake!
6.25 out of 10
April 11, 2015
2.5 stars
I struggled in the beginning because I'm not a fan of the mean girl mentality. And Blake was the queen of the mean girls.
The first half of the story was a bit blah for me. When we finally get to see the real Blake, the story became a bit more interesting. I loved her interactions with Leo and there were some pretty big reveals on his backstory that I didn't see coming.
I did like how it ended and Blake's growth, but overall it was a bit disappointing. I was expecting more.
**Huge thanks to Balzer + Bray and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
I struggled in the beginning because I'm not a fan of the mean girl mentality. And Blake was the queen of the mean girls.
The first half of the story was a bit blah for me. When we finally get to see the real Blake, the story became a bit more interesting. I loved her interactions with Leo and there were some pretty big reveals on his backstory that I didn't see coming.
I did like how it ended and Blake's growth, but overall it was a bit disappointing. I was expecting more.
**Huge thanks to Balzer + Bray and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
June 17, 2015
A unique read, but I enjoyed The Boyfriend App more. The ending really disappointed me; it felt unfinished. Overall 3/5 stars; would not recommend it, but definitely read The Boyfriend App!
April 6, 2015
For more reviews, gifs, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.
2.5 stars
Katie Sise’s The Boyfriend App turned out to be a surprise favorite, one of the few books to make me laugh so hard I cried. As such, The Pretty App was one of the rare cases when I was completely excited to hear the announcement of a surprise series. Bring on the ridiculousness, diversity, and LGBT+ positivity! My mistake was in assuming that The Pretty App would be very much in the same vein as The Boyfriend App. Though I liked The Pretty App, it didn’t have the humor I was hoping for and my interest very much waxed and waned throughout.
In The Boyfriend App, the main character was Audrey, a hacker and nerd. She was really easy to like. With The Pretty App, the heroine is the queen bee mean girl of Harrison High. She also happens to be Audrey’s ex-best friend. I do think it’s cool that Katie Sise took a risk and wrote a very different kind of heroine, one destined to be deemed unlikeable by a lot of readers.
Blake Dawkins has a lot of bad moments. In order to stay on top, she puts others down. All her life, her father, not with gubernatorial aspirations, has told her that all she had going for her was her attractiveness. Unsurprisingly, this has given her a complex, and the need to prove herself dominant for as long as being pretty is the only thing needed to be the best. However, though Blake is popular, she’s also not liked, because she treats people like shit.
Don’t worry, though. Blake has a character arc, albeit a somewhat clunky one. By getting involved in Public’s Pretty App and going on the reality television show, she learns more about her merits and being nicer to people. The main catalysts for her change, though, are Audrey and Leo, trogs (tech nerds) from Harrison High. The message is a good one, but rather heavy-handed.
My biggest problem wasn’t that Blake was often a jerk; it was that I mostly didn’t find Blake all that interesting. She lacked the vibrancy that brings characters to life in my brain. My interest in the novel at any given point was inconsistent, changing with each scene. There are the great moments, like when someone comes out to Blake, and she’s one hundred percent cool and supportive, when I was completely loving everything. The reality television show aspect was a lot of fun too, though that only began 173 pages into the book. I wish the app part had been briefer and the reality show part beefed up, even though the app was the foundation for the novel.
The romance also proved a stumbling block in my enjoyment. Blake and Leo go on one date (an all-day date to Chicago, because okay), he says all sorts of things hinting that he’s not who he pretends to be, she misses them, and then he disappears after telling her to believe that what they have is real. Blake’s tragic sad and shocked to learn his secret later on. I just could not get it up for their drama. They barely know each other, but they take their romance so seriously. Of course they don’t trust one another; they just met. The secret turned out not to be as creepy as I’d feared, but I still couldn’t get on board.
There was also a lot of random religion in this book, a feature I don’t remember from The Boyfriend App. Some people are religious, sure, but I didn’t feel like it really informed Blake’s character or the plot. There’s this scene where Blake and Audrey have just begun to reconcile and helped Blake’s sister with a problem; it was one of the best scenes in the book. Then, all of a sudden, Audrey goes “Now let’s get our prayer on,” and they proceed to pray for a full page (140). I just don’t get why this was in the book, except maybe as an effort to make Blake seem more “likeable.”
In the end, The Pretty App fell rather flat. It has some shining moments with the spirit I loved from The Boyfriend App, but mostly I didn’t care. I’ll still be watching for Katie Sise’s next book, but I hope it’s a bit heavier on the humor and lighter on people getting their prayer on.
2.5 stars
Katie Sise’s The Boyfriend App turned out to be a surprise favorite, one of the few books to make me laugh so hard I cried. As such, The Pretty App was one of the rare cases when I was completely excited to hear the announcement of a surprise series. Bring on the ridiculousness, diversity, and LGBT+ positivity! My mistake was in assuming that The Pretty App would be very much in the same vein as The Boyfriend App. Though I liked The Pretty App, it didn’t have the humor I was hoping for and my interest very much waxed and waned throughout.
In The Boyfriend App, the main character was Audrey, a hacker and nerd. She was really easy to like. With The Pretty App, the heroine is the queen bee mean girl of Harrison High. She also happens to be Audrey’s ex-best friend. I do think it’s cool that Katie Sise took a risk and wrote a very different kind of heroine, one destined to be deemed unlikeable by a lot of readers.
Blake Dawkins has a lot of bad moments. In order to stay on top, she puts others down. All her life, her father, not with gubernatorial aspirations, has told her that all she had going for her was her attractiveness. Unsurprisingly, this has given her a complex, and the need to prove herself dominant for as long as being pretty is the only thing needed to be the best. However, though Blake is popular, she’s also not liked, because she treats people like shit.
Don’t worry, though. Blake has a character arc, albeit a somewhat clunky one. By getting involved in Public’s Pretty App and going on the reality television show, she learns more about her merits and being nicer to people. The main catalysts for her change, though, are Audrey and Leo, trogs (tech nerds) from Harrison High. The message is a good one, but rather heavy-handed.
My biggest problem wasn’t that Blake was often a jerk; it was that I mostly didn’t find Blake all that interesting. She lacked the vibrancy that brings characters to life in my brain. My interest in the novel at any given point was inconsistent, changing with each scene. There are the great moments, like when someone comes out to Blake, and she’s one hundred percent cool and supportive, when I was completely loving everything. The reality television show aspect was a lot of fun too, though that only began 173 pages into the book. I wish the app part had been briefer and the reality show part beefed up, even though the app was the foundation for the novel.
The romance also proved a stumbling block in my enjoyment. Blake and Leo go on one date (an all-day date to Chicago, because okay), he says all sorts of things hinting that he’s not who he pretends to be, she misses them, and then he disappears after telling her to believe that what they have is real. Blake’s tragic sad and shocked to learn his secret later on. I just could not get it up for their drama. They barely know each other, but they take their romance so seriously. Of course they don’t trust one another; they just met. The secret turned out not to be as creepy as I’d feared, but I still couldn’t get on board.
There was also a lot of random religion in this book, a feature I don’t remember from The Boyfriend App. Some people are religious, sure, but I didn’t feel like it really informed Blake’s character or the plot. There’s this scene where Blake and Audrey have just begun to reconcile and helped Blake’s sister with a problem; it was one of the best scenes in the book. Then, all of a sudden, Audrey goes “Now let’s get our prayer on,” and they proceed to pray for a full page (140). I just don’t get why this was in the book, except maybe as an effort to make Blake seem more “likeable.”
In the end, The Pretty App fell rather flat. It has some shining moments with the spirit I loved from The Boyfriend App, but mostly I didn’t care. I’ll still be watching for Katie Sise’s next book, but I hope it’s a bit heavier on the humor and lighter on people getting their prayer on.
July 10, 2016
Check out my review of The Pretty App by Katie Sise at Books Equal Awesomeness!
I haven't read the first book yet, but I heard that this book could be read without reading the first one, so I read it anyway. I was honestly expecting so much more from this book.
The main character, Blake, was extremely annoying and selfish at first. All she cared about was her looks because she thought she had nothing else going for her other than that. She was mean because she thought that she was popular, so she had to be. Her actions were annoying. She keeps whining about how her life isn't perfect, and how miserable she is. Just because her life isn't perfect, doesn't make it right for her to make other people's lives miserable. And yeah she does change a lot in the end, but I never truly liked her throughout the entire story...
The plot and the whole romance was alright, but I found myself not really caring for the main character, the plot, the romance, the love interest, or anything to be honest. I felt like the whole story was more focused on relationships and feelings than anything else. And even that felt poorly executed. The plot was extremely boring and I actually didn't care about the reality-show part because it was just so obvious who would end up being the winner! And I was right about it too.
There was a twist in the romance, but I found it so obvious! Like there were so many hints that Leo was giving Blake, and I knew exactly what would happen from the first hint, but she didn't realize it until it happened and she saw for herself. The twist in the romance aside, the romance wasn't really enjoyable to me. The relationship went way too fast! This is basically a summary of how their relationship and the plot went went:
• Blake and Leo meet.
• They like each other so they decide to go on a date.
• Blake: "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?" Substitute the mirror with the Pretty App, and you get a pretty good idea of how Blake was acting.
• Blake wins the contest in the school and has to go to Hollywood to be in the reality show. She tries to make Leo come with her, but he says no because he has to do something else and he disappears after telling her that what they have is real.
• She is confused and upset, but she goes to Hollywood.
• Blake attempted to be a better person.
• Blake realizes something really big. (The big "AHA!" moment of the story.)
• *Plot twist in the romance is revealed*
• Blake is mad.
• Blake is confused.
• Blake feels betrayed. (Basically, by this point, I really stopped caring about how Blake feels...)
• Blake figures out what is really happening in the contest.
• Blake tries to stop it.
• Leo helps Blake and professes his love for her. (Woah! That just happened WAY too soon. They went out on one date. And apparently they are in love. Ew.)
• They make up.
• The fucking end.
UMM NO I WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH THAT AT ALL. NO. JUST NO. UGH.
Oops, this is kind of sounding like a rant right now, so let just stop right now, and end this review before it ends up getting any longer.
I was really disappointed in this book and it's definitely not for me.
I haven't read the first book yet, but I heard that this book could be read without reading the first one, so I read it anyway. I was honestly expecting so much more from this book.
The main character, Blake, was extremely annoying and selfish at first. All she cared about was her looks because she thought she had nothing else going for her other than that. She was mean because she thought that she was popular, so she had to be. Her actions were annoying. She keeps whining about how her life isn't perfect, and how miserable she is. Just because her life isn't perfect, doesn't make it right for her to make other people's lives miserable. And yeah she does change a lot in the end, but I never truly liked her throughout the entire story...
The plot and the whole romance was alright, but I found myself not really caring for the main character, the plot, the romance, the love interest, or anything to be honest. I felt like the whole story was more focused on relationships and feelings than anything else. And even that felt poorly executed. The plot was extremely boring and I actually didn't care about the reality-show part because it was just so obvious who would end up being the winner! And I was right about it too.
There was a twist in the romance, but I found it so obvious! Like there were so many hints that Leo was giving Blake, and I knew exactly what would happen from the first hint, but she didn't realize it until it happened and she saw for herself. The twist in the romance aside, the romance wasn't really enjoyable to me. The relationship went way too fast! This is basically a summary of how their relationship and the plot went went:
• Blake and Leo meet.
• They like each other so they decide to go on a date.
• Blake: "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?" Substitute the mirror with the Pretty App, and you get a pretty good idea of how Blake was acting.
• Blake wins the contest in the school and has to go to Hollywood to be in the reality show. She tries to make Leo come with her, but he says no because he has to do something else and he disappears after telling her that what they have is real.
• She is confused and upset, but she goes to Hollywood.
• Blake attempted to be a better person.
• Blake realizes something really big. (The big "AHA!" moment of the story.)
• *Plot twist in the romance is revealed*
• Blake is mad.
• Blake is confused.
• Blake feels betrayed. (Basically, by this point, I really stopped caring about how Blake feels...)
• Blake figures out what is really happening in the contest.
• Blake tries to stop it.
• Leo helps Blake and professes his love for her. (Woah! That just happened WAY too soon. They went out on one date. And apparently they are in love. Ew.)
• They make up.
• The fucking end.
UMM NO I WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH THAT AT ALL. NO. JUST NO. UGH.
Oops, this is kind of sounding like a rant right now, so let just stop right now, and end this review before it ends up getting any longer.
I was really disappointed in this book and it's definitely not for me.
February 28, 2015
SPOILER FREE
Blake, from the start, is number one. She dresses nice, has no acne and her eyebrows are perfectly plucked. But she is definitely not nice to everyone. She wants to follow in her sisters footsteps being the queen of high school. When the new app comes out, The Pretty App, by Public Corporations, Blake is determined to win and go on the The Pretty App Live reality tv show. When she is taken away to LA and sees all the beautiful girls that she is up against, she has no clue how she won. When she finds out that her pristine dad was the one that got her to win by rigging the system, she might not be as pretty as she thought she was.
The Pretty App is the second book in a series, the first is The Boyfriend App. I actually have not read The Boyfriend App yet and probably won't. Since this is the second book you would expect it to be confusing due to not read book 1 but it wasn't at all. I think this is one of those series that you can read in any order and it doesn't matter. Like the Graceling trilogy. I really enjoyed reading about the characters in this book and hope there are more books to come.
The Pretty App is a super exciting and fun read that will make you wonder what this world would be like if being pretty was everyone's number 1 priority.
Thank you so much Harper Collins for providing me with this Advanced Readers Copy❤️
Blake, from the start, is number one. She dresses nice, has no acne and her eyebrows are perfectly plucked. But she is definitely not nice to everyone. She wants to follow in her sisters footsteps being the queen of high school. When the new app comes out, The Pretty App, by Public Corporations, Blake is determined to win and go on the The Pretty App Live reality tv show. When she is taken away to LA and sees all the beautiful girls that she is up against, she has no clue how she won. When she finds out that her pristine dad was the one that got her to win by rigging the system, she might not be as pretty as she thought she was.
The Pretty App is the second book in a series, the first is The Boyfriend App. I actually have not read The Boyfriend App yet and probably won't. Since this is the second book you would expect it to be confusing due to not read book 1 but it wasn't at all. I think this is one of those series that you can read in any order and it doesn't matter. Like the Graceling trilogy. I really enjoyed reading about the characters in this book and hope there are more books to come.
The Pretty App is a super exciting and fun read that will make you wonder what this world would be like if being pretty was everyone's number 1 priority.
Thank you so much Harper Collins for providing me with this Advanced Readers Copy❤️
January 2, 2015
I loved The Boyfriend App because it was light and cute and sweet. I expected this book to be the same way...but I was wrong. The Pretty App isn't about an ugly girl using a phone app to transform into a beautiful lady, and I made a huge mistake in thinking that this was the gist of the story. Sorry :)
This book does tackle the issue of physical beauty and being shallow but not in a bad way. It's about being beautiful on the inside as well as the outside, making up for your past mistakes and apologizing for the pain you've caused others.
This book is also about acceptance of other people and acceptance of your personal shortcomings. It didn't strike me the same way as the previous book did but it was still a good read. I admit that I didnt rekate to Blake's character but I sympathized with her. The romance was okay but a bit predictable for me. I liked the fact that Audrey was mentioned in this book because I quite liked her.
Overall, it was a good book and I would recommend it to anyone willing to give it a try.
This book does tackle the issue of physical beauty and being shallow but not in a bad way. It's about being beautiful on the inside as well as the outside, making up for your past mistakes and apologizing for the pain you've caused others.
This book is also about acceptance of other people and acceptance of your personal shortcomings. It didn't strike me the same way as the previous book did but it was still a good read. I admit that I didnt rekate to Blake's character but I sympathized with her. The romance was okay but a bit predictable for me. I liked the fact that Audrey was mentioned in this book because I quite liked her.
Overall, it was a good book and I would recommend it to anyone willing to give it a try.
April 6, 2015
Review also found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...
**I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. The expected publication date is April 14th 2015**
Imagine thinking that you were prettier than everyone you knew and therefore thought everyone else was inferior. Imagine that you felt this gave you the right to treat everyone else like they were dirt. Imagine feeling that your only assets were your appearance on the outside and your only self confidence is based on this. Imagine being this shallow.
Needless to say I started the story pretty frustrated. With a character this shallow how am I going to get behind her in her journey and cheer for her? I had to keep reminding myself that there had to be some redemption as I got deeper in to the story and that this was the second book in a series of which I had not read the first one. Perhaps there was more of a back story explained in the first book that would allow me to identify more with Blake.
If you wait for it there is some type of redemption offered however the story was very focused on beauty and "mean girls". While completely predictable it finished much stronger than it started.
I have to stop myself as I am typing this as I have to question if I am being too harsh. This is a YA story geared towards a YA audience. If I were to put myself in the shoes of a teenage girl and think about the story from that perspective it all becomes a little more clear to me. Teenage girls are concerned with how they look, they are vulnerable to the opinion of others (in many cases) and they have been known to be on either the giving or receiving end of some less than nice words/rumours. For this I think the story is very well done and actually teaches a lesson. It shows how actions have consequences and that if you treat people poorly it can come back to haunt you. It also shows that it is possible to change and that you do not have to be trapped in the same "stereotype". For this I give Sise kudos.
To summarize I would say this is a good story for the audience it was intended for. Us slightly older than YA demographic may get a little annoyed at times but it should resonate with the YA readers, females in particular. It does tell the story of change in an interesting concept. The fact that it includes a reality TV show and some references to some current ones it also stays interesting.
**I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. The expected publication date is April 14th 2015**
Imagine thinking that you were prettier than everyone you knew and therefore thought everyone else was inferior. Imagine that you felt this gave you the right to treat everyone else like they were dirt. Imagine feeling that your only assets were your appearance on the outside and your only self confidence is based on this. Imagine being this shallow.
Needless to say I started the story pretty frustrated. With a character this shallow how am I going to get behind her in her journey and cheer for her? I had to keep reminding myself that there had to be some redemption as I got deeper in to the story and that this was the second book in a series of which I had not read the first one. Perhaps there was more of a back story explained in the first book that would allow me to identify more with Blake.
If you wait for it there is some type of redemption offered however the story was very focused on beauty and "mean girls". While completely predictable it finished much stronger than it started.
I have to stop myself as I am typing this as I have to question if I am being too harsh. This is a YA story geared towards a YA audience. If I were to put myself in the shoes of a teenage girl and think about the story from that perspective it all becomes a little more clear to me. Teenage girls are concerned with how they look, they are vulnerable to the opinion of others (in many cases) and they have been known to be on either the giving or receiving end of some less than nice words/rumours. For this I think the story is very well done and actually teaches a lesson. It shows how actions have consequences and that if you treat people poorly it can come back to haunt you. It also shows that it is possible to change and that you do not have to be trapped in the same "stereotype". For this I give Sise kudos.
To summarize I would say this is a good story for the audience it was intended for. Us slightly older than YA demographic may get a little annoyed at times but it should resonate with the YA readers, females in particular. It does tell the story of change in an interesting concept. The fact that it includes a reality TV show and some references to some current ones it also stays interesting.
December 3, 2016
That ended up being better than I expected.
This book started off bad. Really bad.
I was seriously considering giving it one star and I had to convince myself not to DNF (because I refuse to DNF books). That was when Blake was acting like the Queen Bee Bitch everyone, myself included, despises.
The whole idea of this book seemed really stupid and shallow. A beauty pageant app? Please!
But that was the idea. It was meant to be a reason for Blake to discover that it's not what's on the outside that matters, but rather who you are as a person.
I began to like The Pretty App when Blake began changing and morphing into a girl that is kind and sees beyond the outer layer. As she transformed, I found myself getting attached to her.
Her relationship with Leo was more or less insta-lovey, but thankfully it was on the back burner in this book. The romance was not the highlight. Friendship between females was.
And we seriously need more of that today.
Girls and women are very quick to judge each other, and this is definitely not aided by the media and the idea of social image and reputation pushed upon females.
During Blake's one week journey (this length of time is a bit unrealistic, but whatever), she rekindled her relationship with Audrey and her sister, Nic, and formed a bond with another one of the pageant girls. Her old self used to tear everyone down to make herself feel better.
Then she realized that honesty and acknowledging the things that make others beautiful are so much more powerful in building up her own self.
In tearing others down, Blake was tearing herself down as well.
This book wasn't fabulously written or anything, but the message it was trying to deliver is one of great importance!!
This book started off bad. Really bad.
I was seriously considering giving it one star and I had to convince myself not to DNF (because I refuse to DNF books). That was when Blake was acting like the Queen Bee Bitch everyone, myself included, despises.
The whole idea of this book seemed really stupid and shallow. A beauty pageant app? Please!
But that was the idea. It was meant to be a reason for Blake to discover that it's not what's on the outside that matters, but rather who you are as a person.
I began to like The Pretty App when Blake began changing and morphing into a girl that is kind and sees beyond the outer layer. As she transformed, I found myself getting attached to her.
Her relationship with Leo was more or less insta-lovey, but thankfully it was on the back burner in this book. The romance was not the highlight. Friendship between females was.
And we seriously need more of that today.
Girls and women are very quick to judge each other, and this is definitely not aided by the media and the idea of social image and reputation pushed upon females.
During Blake's one week journey (this length of time is a bit unrealistic, but whatever), she rekindled her relationship with Audrey and her sister, Nic, and formed a bond with another one of the pageant girls. Her old self used to tear everyone down to make herself feel better.
Then she realized that honesty and acknowledging the things that make others beautiful are so much more powerful in building up her own self.
In tearing others down, Blake was tearing herself down as well.
This book wasn't fabulously written or anything, but the message it was trying to deliver is one of great importance!!
March 8, 2015
I don't think that I have ever read a book from a "mean girl's" point of view until THE PRETTY APP. Blake Dawkins really has her "mean girl" attitude nailed down. But inside she is one insecure and hurting kid. Abandoned by the older sister she adored and by the best friend who always had her back, she is putting up a brave front. It doesn't help that her father has always valued her for only her appearance and has disparaged everything else about her.
When a new app—the Pretty App— is created by the Public company, Blake decides to enter. She is the prettiest girl at her high school and she has a career goal of being on television. Winning should be easy.
Cracks start showing in her "mean girl" facade as she begins to feel guilty about some of the things she has done. When a new guy comes to school, Leo makes her think that maybe she can turn over a new leaf and become a better person. But Leo is keeping some pretty big secrets of his own which makes Blake unable to trust him.
I liked this story about a young woman who seizes the opportunity to become a better self.
When a new app—the Pretty App— is created by the Public company, Blake decides to enter. She is the prettiest girl at her high school and she has a career goal of being on television. Winning should be easy.
Cracks start showing in her "mean girl" facade as she begins to feel guilty about some of the things she has done. When a new guy comes to school, Leo makes her think that maybe she can turn over a new leaf and become a better person. But Leo is keeping some pretty big secrets of his own which makes Blake unable to trust him.
I liked this story about a young woman who seizes the opportunity to become a better self.
April 18, 2021
3 stars
I really enjoyed The Boyfriend App when I read it just last year, so even though The Pretty App was somewhat of a surprise, random sequel, I was excited to check it out. This companion sequel was fun and entertaining, though ultimately not that memorable.
I think that before you start reading The Pretty App, you really need to get your expectations in line. I liked The Boyfriend App because of its geeky app development, geeky characters, and bantery romance - and, well, none of those things really feature in The Pretty App. The Pretty App follows Blake, the mean ex-best friend to Audrey, the main character in The Boyfriend App. Blake is... an interesting character. She's arguably popular, though more of a mean girl HBIC in her school. However, she has more insecurities than most people realize.
The biggest of these insecurities is the fact that Blake feels like the only thing she has going for her is her beauty. It doesn't help that this fact has been pushed upon her by her horrible father since birth, pretty much. Her father is a gubernatorial candidate and is all about having the perfect looking family and life, but he's not exactly getting a parent of the year award. So Blake prides her beauty as her sole strength, and her insecurities cause her to lash out at other people. However, throughout The Pretty App she starts breaking these habits and being kinder, so there definitely is growth there. While this does make Blake a different main character than most, and to an extent she is realistic and complex, it does just feel a bit cliché and maybe too easy. [Though she wins ten bajillion points for how cool she is when a character comes out to her. Best scene of the book for sure.]
Blake's pride in her looks causes her to enter Public's Pretty App competition, which culminates in her appearance on a reality TV show electing the prettiest high school girl in America. The reality tv show bit doesn't start until the second half of the book though - something to keep in mind - because the first half is focusing on Blake's insecurities, repairing her friendship with Audrey, a budding romance with Leo, and expanding on her messed up family dynamics. The reality TV bit is entertaining, for sure, as it should be, but since it only lasts 3 days, it is extremely brief. Blake also works to uncover a certain mystery together with Audrey's help behind the scenes, which helped to keep me completely engrossed in this story. Seriously, the writing is so fluid and easygoing, which really helped my enjoyment.
As to the romance in the novel - it's rather small, and I liked it but don't have any real big feelings about it. At the beginning, Leo is super charming, and I liked how he saw through Blake from the start - though maybe that was a bit easy. Then, however, he gets all mysterious and runs away, hiding things from Blake. This after like one date together. So then when Blake obsesses over it, doubting his feelings and whatever, it just felt a bit stretched. Over-dramatic. It wasn't exactly instalove, because they don't name their feelings as such, but they had an unrealistically strong connection for the fact that they went on one date together. But at the end, they were really cute together again, so... yeah. I dunno. I liked it, though parts felt underdeveloped.
And I think that's my biggest point for the whole book: it all feels a bit underdeveloped and rushed. Blake's character development, Blake and Leo's romance, the Pretty App competition... none of it was bad or annoying, but it was all a bit simplistic. I enjoyed myself, reading the book, but it won't stay with me for long. I will say, however, that I like how Katie Sise simply spotlights society's norms like the culture of internet bitchiness and bullying, which really made me think.
Summing Up:
The Pretty App was enjoyable. It wasn't particularly well-developed, fluffy, or funny, but it was entertaining. It was a fun, quick read, though I do feel like the premise held a lot more potential.
GIF it to me straight!
Recommended To:
Fans of reality TV and flawed main characters.
*An electronic review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the contents of the review.
I really enjoyed The Boyfriend App when I read it just last year, so even though The Pretty App was somewhat of a surprise, random sequel, I was excited to check it out. This companion sequel was fun and entertaining, though ultimately not that memorable.
I think that before you start reading The Pretty App, you really need to get your expectations in line. I liked The Boyfriend App because of its geeky app development, geeky characters, and bantery romance - and, well, none of those things really feature in The Pretty App. The Pretty App follows Blake, the mean ex-best friend to Audrey, the main character in The Boyfriend App. Blake is... an interesting character. She's arguably popular, though more of a mean girl HBIC in her school. However, she has more insecurities than most people realize.
The biggest of these insecurities is the fact that Blake feels like the only thing she has going for her is her beauty. It doesn't help that this fact has been pushed upon her by her horrible father since birth, pretty much. Her father is a gubernatorial candidate and is all about having the perfect looking family and life, but he's not exactly getting a parent of the year award. So Blake prides her beauty as her sole strength, and her insecurities cause her to lash out at other people. However, throughout The Pretty App she starts breaking these habits and being kinder, so there definitely is growth there. While this does make Blake a different main character than most, and to an extent she is realistic and complex, it does just feel a bit cliché and maybe too easy. [Though she wins ten bajillion points for how cool she is when a character comes out to her. Best scene of the book for sure.]
Blake's pride in her looks causes her to enter Public's Pretty App competition, which culminates in her appearance on a reality TV show electing the prettiest high school girl in America. The reality tv show bit doesn't start until the second half of the book though - something to keep in mind - because the first half is focusing on Blake's insecurities, repairing her friendship with Audrey, a budding romance with Leo, and expanding on her messed up family dynamics. The reality TV bit is entertaining, for sure, as it should be, but since it only lasts 3 days, it is extremely brief. Blake also works to uncover a certain mystery together with Audrey's help behind the scenes, which helped to keep me completely engrossed in this story. Seriously, the writing is so fluid and easygoing, which really helped my enjoyment.
As to the romance in the novel - it's rather small, and I liked it but don't have any real big feelings about it. At the beginning, Leo is super charming, and I liked how he saw through Blake from the start - though maybe that was a bit easy. Then, however, he gets all mysterious and runs away, hiding things from Blake. This after like one date together. So then when Blake obsesses over it, doubting his feelings and whatever, it just felt a bit stretched. Over-dramatic. It wasn't exactly instalove, because they don't name their feelings as such, but they had an unrealistically strong connection for the fact that they went on one date together. But at the end, they were really cute together again, so... yeah. I dunno. I liked it, though parts felt underdeveloped.
And I think that's my biggest point for the whole book: it all feels a bit underdeveloped and rushed. Blake's character development, Blake and Leo's romance, the Pretty App competition... none of it was bad or annoying, but it was all a bit simplistic. I enjoyed myself, reading the book, but it won't stay with me for long. I will say, however, that I like how Katie Sise simply spotlights society's norms like the culture of internet bitchiness and bullying, which really made me think.
Summing Up:
The Pretty App was enjoyable. It wasn't particularly well-developed, fluffy, or funny, but it was entertaining. It was a fun, quick read, though I do feel like the premise held a lot more potential.
GIF it to me straight!
Recommended To:
Fans of reality TV and flawed main characters.
*An electronic review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the contents of the review.
May 7, 2015
This review can also be found at BookShelfery.
~~~~~
I really, really liked The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise. I had no idea it was going to be book one in a series of companion novels, so when I saw The Pretty App, I knew I definitely wanted to read it.
Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed in the story. There were parts that I thought were just hysterical, and others that had me questioning why I was reading it in the first place.
Here are some things that bothered me
Blake was painted as a pretty heinous character in The Boyfriend App, and I liked hating her. She was such a bitch! So I just didn't buy into her 180-degree about-face to be a better person. People don't change that much that quickly!
I was never invested in the Blake/Leo romance. Here's this seemingly nice guy who is also brilliant and even though Blake was kind of a snarky bitch, he still liked her anyway. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN.
The reality show portion just didn't feel believable. It read like Sise wanted to get from point A to point C, without giving B any real meat in the story. Quick! Let's get through this reality show so we can get to a HEA! So much time was spent on the build-up to it, and not enough time on the actual event.
I never connected with the friendship Blake and Audrey sort of maybe rekindled.
All of a sudden, all the trogs are rooting for her, after she treated them like complete shit? THIS ALSO DOES NOT HAPPEN.
The ending was too clean for all the shitty things Blake had done. What happened to karma?!
It was sadly predictable. I knew what was going to happen almost from the beginning.
Things I liked
While Blake was pretty superficial, Sise showed that she had more depth to her than we originally thought. Being in her head with her insecurities was enlightening and made me sympathize with her a little.
The hot guy was also smart. That's always a nice bonus.
She was incredibly vain, and not at all ashamed of that. You would think that would be a trait I didn't like, but damn if she wasn't honest about herself!
The caricature of Justin Bieber in Danny Beaton was in one word....HYSTERICAL. The personality was everything I beliebe Bieber would be like in person.
It pokes fun at the ridiculousness of social media with the reality show, the PublicParty app, etc.
The story arc with her sister Samantha was very sweet, and I enjoyed seeing the come back together as siblings.
Blake had some snarky inner-dailogue that made me laugh:
Verdict
Overall, The Pretty App is like a tech-crazed Mean Girls, with a reality show spin, while poking fun at some of our sexist traditions. It wasn't terrible but I had a hard time really getting into it. I think younger audiences will like it (but probably miss some of the satire).
~~~~~
I really, really liked The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise. I had no idea it was going to be book one in a series of companion novels, so when I saw The Pretty App, I knew I definitely wanted to read it.
Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed in the story. There were parts that I thought were just hysterical, and others that had me questioning why I was reading it in the first place.
Here are some things that bothered me
Blake was painted as a pretty heinous character in The Boyfriend App, and I liked hating her. She was such a bitch! So I just didn't buy into her 180-degree about-face to be a better person. People don't change that much that quickly!
I was never invested in the Blake/Leo romance. Here's this seemingly nice guy who is also brilliant and even though Blake was kind of a snarky bitch, he still liked her anyway. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN.
The reality show portion just didn't feel believable. It read like Sise wanted to get from point A to point C, without giving B any real meat in the story. Quick! Let's get through this reality show so we can get to a HEA! So much time was spent on the build-up to it, and not enough time on the actual event.
I never connected with the friendship Blake and Audrey sort of maybe rekindled.
All of a sudden, all the trogs are rooting for her, after she treated them like complete shit? THIS ALSO DOES NOT HAPPEN.
The ending was too clean for all the shitty things Blake had done. What happened to karma?!
It was sadly predictable. I knew what was going to happen almost from the beginning.
Things I liked
While Blake was pretty superficial, Sise showed that she had more depth to her than we originally thought. Being in her head with her insecurities was enlightening and made me sympathize with her a little.
The hot guy was also smart. That's always a nice bonus.
She was incredibly vain, and not at all ashamed of that. You would think that would be a trait I didn't like, but damn if she wasn't honest about herself!
The caricature of Justin Bieber in Danny Beaton was in one word....HYSTERICAL. The personality was everything I beliebe Bieber would be like in person.
It pokes fun at the ridiculousness of social media with the reality show, the PublicParty app, etc.
The story arc with her sister Samantha was very sweet, and I enjoyed seeing the come back together as siblings.
Blake had some snarky inner-dailogue that made me laugh:
"I could've listed a lot of things I wanted: for my dad to love me unconditionally, for Leo to show up at the baggage claim and say he couldn't live a Blake-free life, for my ass to always stay this high."
"She was the kind of girl who could make farts sexy. Or the name Delores."
"The next afternoon we were all sitting in an upperclassman seminar called College Prep, which was supposedly meant to motivate the juniors and prepare the seniors. But it was mostly about study habits and not about stuff we really needed to know, like how to date two guys at once without looking like a ho."
"As much as I loved the cameras, they made certain things really hard, like adjusting your underwear, yawning, getting something out of your teeth, or - God forbid - farting."
Verdict
Overall, The Pretty App is like a tech-crazed Mean Girls, with a reality show spin, while poking fun at some of our sexist traditions. It wasn't terrible but I had a hard time really getting into it. I think younger audiences will like it (but probably miss some of the satire).
February 19, 2016
Thanks for approving me on Edelweiss!
I loved the way that Katie Sise (the author) narrated this series. In the first book, The Boyfriend App, Audrey was the main character whereas in the second book, The Pretty App, Blake was the main character. I must admit- while I liked Audrey better, reading from Blake’s POV was much more entertaining. Blake was the mean girl from book one, and she still was a mean girl in this book, but that wasn’t who she truly was. The Pretty App allowed me to see beneath Blake’s facade and realize her true personality . It was refreshing to finally read a book from the mean girl’s POV.
The Pretty App focused on a new competition from Public (a company)- but this time, instead of having to create an app, Public used an app to hold a contest. All girls residing in the US were allowed to upload their pictures to the app which would then be voted on to determine who was the prettiest girl in each high school. Once that was determined, ten girls would be selected to appear on a reality show where they could be voted the prettiest girl in the US and win a prize. Blake was determined to win the competition- after all, the only thing that she had going for her was her beauty. If she couldn’t win a beauty competition…what could she win?
As the book continued, it focused on Blake, her insecurities, and her shaky friendship with Audrey. I loved that Blake realized that her only true friend was Audrey, and wanted to become friends with her again. It was a concept that isn’t normally shown in YA books. There tends to be more breakups than makeups when friends and relationships are concerned, but that wasn’t the case in this book. I found it really interesting because there appeared to be a ton of cliches, but as the book continued, one by one, each cliche turned into something unique. I don’t want to give any specific examples for sake of spoiling the book, but I will just say that you are in for a treat.
Overall, I enjoyed this book even more than The Boyfriend App and give it 4/5stars.
I loved the way that Katie Sise (the author) narrated this series. In the first book, The Boyfriend App, Audrey was the main character whereas in the second book, The Pretty App, Blake was the main character. I must admit- while I liked Audrey better, reading from Blake’s POV was much more entertaining. Blake was the mean girl from book one, and she still was a mean girl in this book, but that wasn’t who she truly was. The Pretty App allowed me to see beneath Blake’s facade and realize her true personality . It was refreshing to finally read a book from the mean girl’s POV.
The Pretty App focused on a new competition from Public (a company)- but this time, instead of having to create an app, Public used an app to hold a contest. All girls residing in the US were allowed to upload their pictures to the app which would then be voted on to determine who was the prettiest girl in each high school. Once that was determined, ten girls would be selected to appear on a reality show where they could be voted the prettiest girl in the US and win a prize. Blake was determined to win the competition- after all, the only thing that she had going for her was her beauty. If she couldn’t win a beauty competition…what could she win?
As the book continued, it focused on Blake, her insecurities, and her shaky friendship with Audrey. I loved that Blake realized that her only true friend was Audrey, and wanted to become friends with her again. It was a concept that isn’t normally shown in YA books. There tends to be more breakups than makeups when friends and relationships are concerned, but that wasn’t the case in this book. I found it really interesting because there appeared to be a ton of cliches, but as the book continued, one by one, each cliche turned into something unique. I don’t want to give any specific examples for sake of spoiling the book, but I will just say that you are in for a treat.
Overall, I enjoyed this book even more than The Boyfriend App and give it 4/5stars.
July 29, 2014
I loved The Pretty App! Against all odds it had me rooting for Blake Dawkins, the ultimate antagonist from The Boyfriend App. It was refreshing to see a typical mean girl be treated less like a one-dimensional character, which happens too often, and more like an actual flawed, imperfect human being who, at the young age of 18, is still learning about the kind of person she wants to be and working to become a better version of her current incarnation. The Pretty App is a kind of romance-drama-mystery hybrid with some really sharply funny bits thrown in, which kept me engaged throughout the story, and the layered plot lines - Blake's relationships with her parents, former best friend Audrey, current best friends, sister and new boyfriend, woven in with her internal moral struggles, personal and professional ambitions and everyday high school existence - fleshed out the life of a teenager far more impressively than a lot of other YA books. It is easy for the reader to relate to the characters, while remaining hugely entertained by them. It is also worth mentioning that the idea of the app, which at first can come across as offensive and not terribly enlightened, was created by Public, the evil tech company from The Boyfriend App; it makes sense that a company governed by immoral standards would invent such an app, and also that Audrey, the sympathetic main character from the series first book and its moral center, would invent a counter app, distributed by the "good" tech company Infinitum, that focuses more on inner beauty and character. As a woman I found that very satisfying, and encouraging for the books younger readers. In short: loved it!
February 5, 2017
This is the follow-up book to "The Boyfriend App", and I still feel like it was a really good read. Though the story is very cliche (pretty girl, queen bee of high school realizes she's more than just a pretty face) the way Katie writes her characters makes you feel for them, and that's the best kind of author you can find. Such a simple (and eerily realistic situation) concept to base a book on and so well done. I love the mix of technology and societal issues that Katie talks about in this book, maing it an easily relateable story.
March 31, 2017
I did take some time until I finished this book because the beginning threw me off so bad that I was worried how will I continue with it, specially that I didn't like ( The Boyfriend App ) but I found that as I continued reading the story got more interesting and Blake grew on me as a character.. granted the story has so many unexplained flaws but it was ok I guess, for me this one has a more interesting atmosphere than ( The Boyfriend App )
Leo's character is nice but for me Blake was the real star
Leo's character is nice but for me Blake was the real star
September 22, 2014
I loved The Pretty App! After reading The Boyfriend App, I thought there was no way possible that I could like and/or relate to Blake Dawkins. But I could and I did! From the moment I opened the book, I was hooked and by the middle of the book, I couldn’t put it down. The book kept me wanting more and more - and did I mention more! Highly recommended and a must-read! I can't wait to see what's in store next!
May 24, 2015
I can't.... I hoped it would transcend the cliches, and stereotypes that the summary indicated. Looks like I shouldn't have been too optimistic. Blake is so... shallow, judgmental, self-centered, and vapid. It's not even the attentiveness to detail and fashion. It's Blake's whole voice. I can't finish this.... Not even going to try.
February 27, 2016
I think reading The Boyfriend App and The Pretty App back to back really lead to a higher level of enjoyment for me than if I had read these books on their release dates a year or so apart. Read my review here
July 1, 2018
Después de leer The boyfriend app, ver la historia desde el punto de vista de la villana me hizo darme cuenta de que no era tan villana...o sea hizo cosas reprensibles pero en el fondo era buena (?)
Genial que Audrey y Blake hayan arreglado sus diferencias y una vez más hayan podido derrotar a Public. Con un poco de ayuda de un nerd dispuesto a enamorarse de una ex abeja reina.
Genial que Audrey y Blake hayan arreglado sus diferencias y una vez más hayan podido derrotar a Public. Con un poco de ayuda de un nerd dispuesto a enamorarse de una ex abeja reina.
April 15, 2015
Love love love it! I was a big fan after the Boyfriend App, and I am only partway through Pretty App, but I can't put it down. This is the best thing I've read this summer- can't wait to get to the end.
April 2, 2016
3.5 stars. I liked this one for a lot of the same reasons I liked The Boyfriend App, but it did fall short comparatively. The one thing that bugged me the most was the TOTALLY underdeveloped love interest/plot line. Good lord was that some insta-love.
September 10, 2018
Blake I'm sorry but you cry too much.
May 11, 2015
Full Review on RowReads
4 pretty stars!!!
Mirror mirror on the wall who's the prettiest of them all?
I read The Boyfriend App last year (Review Here) and loved it! So when I saw The Pretty App coming out I was intrigue as we get the point of view of Blake, the mean girl in the last book who I felt like there there was some missing plot holes about her friendship with Audrey.
While this book can be read as a stand alone, though I think its better to read The Boyfriend App as you get a better the story and character building that was established in the first book. Also there are minor spoilers for The Boyfriend App.
This book takes place the following semester from the event in The Boyfriend App where the company Public (their version of Apple) has a new app contest called the Pretty App. Think of it as Americas Next Top Modal meets Instagram.
In The Boyfriend App, it is established that Blake is a pretty, rich and popular mean girl with a lot of power in her hands as her dad is a politician and her uncle is the principal of the school. I hated her trough most part the boyfriend app as she was a flipping bully (physical, verbal, you name it she did it) and a MEGA B!TC#! Noticed I say the word MOST as there was this one part where she see a bit different side of her that I assumed was foreshadow her story aka this book.
I surprisingly like this sequel and Blake's character more as we see this self-centered mess up mean girl turn her life around.
No I didn't like her from page one as I already know her character in 'The Boyfriend App' but she grew on me as the book progresses. The more I read about her the more I feel pity for her. We learn that underneath that mean girl she's actually very insecure and feels abandon by the one she loves (her sister and best friend). With that she bullies other kids as because she's 'the popular girl' and feels guilty with her actions and even makes up for some of her bad choices.
She's a more than meets the eyes character as thought she does not think of herself as smart as her sort-of-ex-bestfriend Audrey, she's still intelligent and have some of the snarkiest lines in the book (and you know me, I love a good snarky narration).
I like the part where she talks about make up and how it gives her confident as I'm a make up girl and I agree make up can make you feel confident. But I love the part when she looks in the mirror at her naked face and talk about how she feels. That's beauty! You feel pretty when you feel confident in your own skin. This is a powerful message that I hope that everyone will take from reading this book is to be comfortable in your own skin.
We learn more about Blake's family, her dad who is a 'clean' politician who only has no faith in Blake and values her for her good looks, her mum who lives as her husband 'trophy wife 'and in his shadow and her sister older sister Samantha who cut her off from her life when she went to college has problems and secrets of her own. Reading more about her family makes me feel bad for her as she longs for her parents to love her unconditionally and attention. I like reading about her relationship from her sister who she adores and looks up to.
Also we got to know more about her friendship with Audrey. It's establish that they used to be best friends in the last book but I felt like something was missing. We didn't know much about their history and what caused them drift apart so it was great that this book covers that loose plot hole I was looking for in 'The Boyfriend App'.
I adored Audrey in the last book and was so glad to see more of her and her computer science genies friends in this book especially Nigit as he's awesome ( and I kinda wish there was a book about him *hint *nudge *wink to the author). What I found very off was how Audrey's friends were very supportive of Blake entering the pretty app as Blake was horrible to them in the last book.
Speaking of computer science genies friends, New Guy alert and he's swoon!
Leo is the new kid who befriends Audrey and her gang. Swoon worthy, good looking and has the brains of Audrey and her friends computer coding skills combine. Yup I like this guy the moment I first read about him. He also has a secret that I didn't see coming and made my eyes poke out and my hands drop the book.
I like Blake and Leo's romance. Its very fluffy and feel good but also a rocky thanks to Leo's secrets. still I shipped them!
I like Katie Sise's style of storytelling where she intertwines our generations of obsession of technology. In 'The boyfriend app' she shows the dark side of technology. In this book she pokes fun on our love for the fifty million filters on Instagram to the iconic '#'.
Also like 'The Boyfriend App' the book was split into two parts, before and during the Pretty App competition. I like the way this book is paced out though I wish that the competition part was longer. Even so it was entertaining in a 'oh the ridiculous eye rolling things they make you do on a reality show to boost the ratings' sorta way.
Also reading the result of the competition was nerve wrecking as I seriously didn't know who's gonna win. The ending was a Taylor Swift 'How You Get The Girl' song playing in my head. Happy, heart warming and feel good sweetness. I like how it ended but I still feel like something is missing from the book (again) though I'm hoping this is not the last App book! Yes the ending left me wanting more from the author!
Overall I like how tables have turn for this installment in the 'App' series and that we get the POV of an unlikely main character. Apart from this I've only read one YA that is told from the POV of a mess up mean girl (the other one is Anatomy Of a Misfit). I like Blake's character development as who she is at the end of the book is so different from start.
Its a book about real beauty, second chances and out generation's obsession for social media.
Check out The Pretty App for a fast pace, feel good fluff and laugh out loud snarks!
4 pretty stars!!!
Mirror mirror on the wall who's the prettiest of them all?
I read The Boyfriend App last year (Review Here) and loved it! So when I saw The Pretty App coming out I was intrigue as we get the point of view of Blake, the mean girl in the last book who I felt like there there was some missing plot holes about her friendship with Audrey.
While this book can be read as a stand alone, though I think its better to read The Boyfriend App as you get a better the story and character building that was established in the first book. Also there are minor spoilers for The Boyfriend App.
This book takes place the following semester from the event in The Boyfriend App where the company Public (their version of Apple) has a new app contest called the Pretty App. Think of it as Americas Next Top Modal meets Instagram.
In The Boyfriend App, it is established that Blake is a pretty, rich and popular mean girl with a lot of power in her hands as her dad is a politician and her uncle is the principal of the school. I hated her trough most part the boyfriend app as she was a flipping bully (physical, verbal, you name it she did it) and a MEGA B!TC#! Noticed I say the word MOST as there was this one part where she see a bit different side of her that I assumed was foreshadow her story aka this book.
I surprisingly like this sequel and Blake's character more as we see this self-centered mess up mean girl turn her life around.
No I didn't like her from page one as I already know her character in 'The Boyfriend App' but she grew on me as the book progresses. The more I read about her the more I feel pity for her. We learn that underneath that mean girl she's actually very insecure and feels abandon by the one she loves (her sister and best friend). With that she bullies other kids as because she's 'the popular girl' and feels guilty with her actions and even makes up for some of her bad choices.
She's a more than meets the eyes character as thought she does not think of herself as smart as her sort-of-ex-bestfriend Audrey, she's still intelligent and have some of the snarkiest lines in the book (and you know me, I love a good snarky narration).
I like the part where she talks about make up and how it gives her confident as I'm a make up girl and I agree make up can make you feel confident. But I love the part when she looks in the mirror at her naked face and talk about how she feels. That's beauty! You feel pretty when you feel confident in your own skin. This is a powerful message that I hope that everyone will take from reading this book is to be comfortable in your own skin.
We learn more about Blake's family, her dad who is a 'clean' politician who only has no faith in Blake and values her for her good looks, her mum who lives as her husband 'trophy wife 'and in his shadow and her sister older sister Samantha who cut her off from her life when she went to college has problems and secrets of her own. Reading more about her family makes me feel bad for her as she longs for her parents to love her unconditionally and attention. I like reading about her relationship from her sister who she adores and looks up to.
Also we got to know more about her friendship with Audrey. It's establish that they used to be best friends in the last book but I felt like something was missing. We didn't know much about their history and what caused them drift apart so it was great that this book covers that loose plot hole I was looking for in 'The Boyfriend App'.
I adored Audrey in the last book and was so glad to see more of her and her computer science genies friends in this book especially Nigit as he's awesome ( and I kinda wish there was a book about him *hint *nudge *wink to the author). What I found very off was how Audrey's friends were very supportive of Blake entering the pretty app as Blake was horrible to them in the last book.
Speaking of computer science genies friends, New Guy alert and he's swoon!
Leo is the new kid who befriends Audrey and her gang. Swoon worthy, good looking and has the brains of Audrey and her friends computer coding skills combine. Yup I like this guy the moment I first read about him. He also has a secret that I didn't see coming and made my eyes poke out and my hands drop the book.
I like Blake and Leo's romance. Its very fluffy and feel good but also a rocky thanks to Leo's secrets. still I shipped them!
I like Katie Sise's style of storytelling where she intertwines our generations of obsession of technology. In 'The boyfriend app' she shows the dark side of technology. In this book she pokes fun on our love for the fifty million filters on Instagram to the iconic '#'.
Also like 'The Boyfriend App' the book was split into two parts, before and during the Pretty App competition. I like the way this book is paced out though I wish that the competition part was longer. Even so it was entertaining in a 'oh the ridiculous eye rolling things they make you do on a reality show to boost the ratings' sorta way.
Also reading the result of the competition was nerve wrecking as I seriously didn't know who's gonna win. The ending was a Taylor Swift 'How You Get The Girl' song playing in my head. Happy, heart warming and feel good sweetness. I like how it ended but I still feel like something is missing from the book (again) though I'm hoping this is not the last App book! Yes the ending left me wanting more from the author!
Overall I like how tables have turn for this installment in the 'App' series and that we get the POV of an unlikely main character. Apart from this I've only read one YA that is told from the POV of a mess up mean girl (the other one is Anatomy Of a Misfit). I like Blake's character development as who she is at the end of the book is so different from start.
Its a book about real beauty, second chances and out generation's obsession for social media.
Check out The Pretty App for a fast pace, feel good fluff and laugh out loud snarks!
October 6, 2015
I read this book without reading The Boyfriend App, so that might have changed my experience with the book. There were a few times where there was obviously backstory that I didn’t know. Still, it didn’t necessarily read like a sequel and the story made sense even without reading the previous one.
I enjoyed this book while I was reading it, but when I finished it I felt unsatisfied. My impression was that it was good, but it missed the mark in some things.
I started out the book feeling thoroughly annoyed with Blake. She’s pretty! She’s popular! She has everything she wants! Except that she’s lost a bunch of friends because she’s a total jerk to a lot of people! And her family is the worst sometimes! But, y’know, she’s pretty, so that’s all that matters, right? And we’re supposed to feel sorry for her. I didn’t. I wanted to go hang out with the kids she wasn’t friends with.
But I liked the concept, so I pushed past how annoying she was (and how proud she was of being the mean Queen Bee of Harrison High) and eventually she got to the point where she was tolerable. Because she wanted to change. And as she progresses in the beauty contest, she expresses more of a desire to change. I did grow to like her by the end of the book, even if the ending was somewhat predictable.
I have a few questions that I’m sure was answered by the first book. For one thing, there wasn’t enough evidence for me to feel like she truly was a mean girl. I also didn’t understand why she had been so mean in the first place. The biggest problem for me was that I didn’t see any true motivation for why she wanted to change. I just assumed it was regret for doing terrible things to people, but I didn’t find any textual evidence to support it. Maybe it’s because I didn’t read the first book? She starts out sounding almost proud of how she rules the school, even though she acknowledges that she’s mean. I didn’t feel like she showed much remorse needed to convince me that she wanted to change who she was.
Even though the book is a sequel and these questions might be answered in the first book, it would have been nice to have more of this insight into the main character about what is going on in her head about why she is the way she is.
The romance didn’t quite sell me either. She’s mean and appears shallow at school, but the new, hot boy at school finds her attractive and wants to take her on a date? Then on the date he says that he likes her and is sure that, deep down, she’s a nicer person than she acts and he believes that she can change? It just didn’t seem believable to me.
The book wants to make a point about how being mean is bad and how there is more to the importance of a person than what a person looks like. There are encouraging passages like this:
And it’s a good message. But because I don’t quite understand the character’s motivations for changing, it fell flat for me. I love books and other things about people finding their real beauty (and I would love to hear more about the real beauty app her friend came up with), but I wanted more from the character in order to feel like she really believed it.
It’s just not quite convincing enough, but still a fun read.
I also reviewed this for The Children's Book and Media Review. The review for that is as follows:
Blake might be pretty, rich, and the Queen Bee of Harrison High, but she has her problems too, especially when a new app is announced that might change her life. The Pretty App is designed to find the prettiest teenage girl in the country. When Blake is chosen as a finalist, she is taken to a reality show where she will compete to be the prettiest of all. When it appears that her presence in the contest might only be to help her dad’s political campaign after he bought her way into it, Blake has to decide how badly she wants to win and that someone’s importance is not based on their physical appearance. With the help of her friends, she works to become a better person than she was in the past.
Although the concept of a beauty contest app leading to a reality show is interesting, the characters of the book were not as strong as they could have been. Blake wants to be a better person, but the book doesn’t provide a lot of evidence about why she has had such a change of heart from her previous behavior. There are some good messages about how people are more than what they look like and how it is important to not be mean, but they fall flat because it is not clear how the character herself came to those conclusions. The book is a fun read but the message did not have the strength it could have had with more character development.
I enjoyed this book while I was reading it, but when I finished it I felt unsatisfied. My impression was that it was good, but it missed the mark in some things.
I started out the book feeling thoroughly annoyed with Blake. She’s pretty! She’s popular! She has everything she wants! Except that she’s lost a bunch of friends because she’s a total jerk to a lot of people! And her family is the worst sometimes! But, y’know, she’s pretty, so that’s all that matters, right? And we’re supposed to feel sorry for her. I didn’t. I wanted to go hang out with the kids she wasn’t friends with.
But I liked the concept, so I pushed past how annoying she was (and how proud she was of being the mean Queen Bee of Harrison High) and eventually she got to the point where she was tolerable. Because she wanted to change. And as she progresses in the beauty contest, she expresses more of a desire to change. I did grow to like her by the end of the book, even if the ending was somewhat predictable.
I have a few questions that I’m sure was answered by the first book. For one thing, there wasn’t enough evidence for me to feel like she truly was a mean girl. I also didn’t understand why she had been so mean in the first place. The biggest problem for me was that I didn’t see any true motivation for why she wanted to change. I just assumed it was regret for doing terrible things to people, but I didn’t find any textual evidence to support it. Maybe it’s because I didn’t read the first book? She starts out sounding almost proud of how she rules the school, even though she acknowledges that she’s mean. I didn’t feel like she showed much remorse needed to convince me that she wanted to change who she was.
Even though the book is a sequel and these questions might be answered in the first book, it would have been nice to have more of this insight into the main character about what is going on in her head about why she is the way she is.
The romance didn’t quite sell me either. She’s mean and appears shallow at school, but the new, hot boy at school finds her attractive and wants to take her on a date? Then on the date he says that he likes her and is sure that, deep down, she’s a nicer person than she acts and he believes that she can change? It just didn’t seem believable to me.
The book wants to make a point about how being mean is bad and how there is more to the importance of a person than what a person looks like. There are encouraging passages like this:
“It struck me right then that the term mean girl didn’t only apply to high school girls. Mean was a way of being and thinking and existing in the world. It was taking instead of giving. It was bringing others down instead of up. Could I really be a part of that?” (331).
And it’s a good message. But because I don’t quite understand the character’s motivations for changing, it fell flat for me. I love books and other things about people finding their real beauty (and I would love to hear more about the real beauty app her friend came up with), but I wanted more from the character in order to feel like she really believed it.
It’s just not quite convincing enough, but still a fun read.
I also reviewed this for The Children's Book and Media Review. The review for that is as follows:
Blake might be pretty, rich, and the Queen Bee of Harrison High, but she has her problems too, especially when a new app is announced that might change her life. The Pretty App is designed to find the prettiest teenage girl in the country. When Blake is chosen as a finalist, she is taken to a reality show where she will compete to be the prettiest of all. When it appears that her presence in the contest might only be to help her dad’s political campaign after he bought her way into it, Blake has to decide how badly she wants to win and that someone’s importance is not based on their physical appearance. With the help of her friends, she works to become a better person than she was in the past.
Although the concept of a beauty contest app leading to a reality show is interesting, the characters of the book were not as strong as they could have been. Blake wants to be a better person, but the book doesn’t provide a lot of evidence about why she has had such a change of heart from her previous behavior. There are some good messages about how people are more than what they look like and how it is important to not be mean, but they fall flat because it is not clear how the character herself came to those conclusions. The book is a fun read but the message did not have the strength it could have had with more character development.
February 2, 2025
I didn’t expect much of this book since I randomly found it one day but I actually really enjoyed it. Of course I was stupid enough to read the second one first but I will be on the lookout for the boyfriend app
July 15, 2024
i don't really feel like blake redeemed herself
June 29, 2015
So, it's only fair that I start this review by admitting my biases...
1. I had no idea that this was the 2nd book in a series, which obviously means that I never read the first book before starting The Pretty App.
2. I read The Pretty App in the middle of a Lifetime movie binge, which included the one about the five bitchy cheerleaders who ran the school and made everyone's lives hell, along with loads of commercials about a show the featured a reality TV show that was heavily rigged for ratings. So, if I have a tendency to think that The Pretty App read as a mix between the bitchy cheerleader movie and the weird reality TV, it may be because I'm hooked on Lifetime --- but, then again, it may just be true.
When I started The Pretty App, I actually threw the book aside several times before getting past the first few chapters. Blake Dawkins was such an exaggeration of the whole "mean girls" stereotype that I couldn't see myself getting very far with this one. I mean, page after page of Blake describing how perfect and beautiful she is -- and how everyone dreamed of having her hair and her waist and her breasts -- yeah, OVER IT!
But, I trudged through the mess and soon came to see that the character intentionally depicted herself as the queen bee of the mean girl bitches in order to hide her insecurities and to maintain her position at the top of the social ladder, because of course she has daddy issues that have left her convinced that her dazzling good looks are her only available asset. Okay, so we might get some character development from this one... maybe...
Basically, the plot is that a hugely popular app has been recently released from a sketchy corporation with the intention of locating the most beautiful high school girls in the country, who will compete on a reality TV show for the title of "the nation's prettiest" (and will then fulfill some ambassador type of good-will role as part of the prize). Blake is convinced that she will win -- and once she's actually chosen for the show, she begins to suspect that her placement is part of a scheme that actually has little to do with her beauty at all.
Unfortunately, most of the book is really just incredibly predictable. It's not hard to guess why Blake was chosen, who would benefit from the selection, and what role the handsome new guy at school plays in the whole mess. While I can't deny that parts of the story were pretty entertaining -- and I expect that the book might be more enjoyable with the backstory of Blake's former best friend and of the general sketchiness of the business in question (both of which seem to have been the focus of the first book), I overall wasn't incredibly impressed by this story.
Don't get me wrong -- it wasn't a bad book. I can imagine that fans of the first one in the series might enjoy it more than someone like me, who wandered into book 2 without any knowledge of the preceding storyline. And, I'm sure there's an audience for this book -- one, I suspect, that is probably quite a bit younger than I am.
At some point, I may go back and read The Boyfriend App, just to see what I'm missing.
But, with so many enticing options in my giant TBR pile, I can't imagine that it will really be anytime that soon.
1. I had no idea that this was the 2nd book in a series, which obviously means that I never read the first book before starting The Pretty App.
2. I read The Pretty App in the middle of a Lifetime movie binge, which included the one about the five bitchy cheerleaders who ran the school and made everyone's lives hell, along with loads of commercials about a show the featured a reality TV show that was heavily rigged for ratings. So, if I have a tendency to think that The Pretty App read as a mix between the bitchy cheerleader movie and the weird reality TV, it may be because I'm hooked on Lifetime --- but, then again, it may just be true.
When I started The Pretty App, I actually threw the book aside several times before getting past the first few chapters. Blake Dawkins was such an exaggeration of the whole "mean girls" stereotype that I couldn't see myself getting very far with this one. I mean, page after page of Blake describing how perfect and beautiful she is -- and how everyone dreamed of having her hair and her waist and her breasts -- yeah, OVER IT!
But, I trudged through the mess and soon came to see that the character intentionally depicted herself as the queen bee of the mean girl bitches in order to hide her insecurities and to maintain her position at the top of the social ladder, because of course she has daddy issues that have left her convinced that her dazzling good looks are her only available asset. Okay, so we might get some character development from this one... maybe...
Basically, the plot is that a hugely popular app has been recently released from a sketchy corporation with the intention of locating the most beautiful high school girls in the country, who will compete on a reality TV show for the title of "the nation's prettiest" (and will then fulfill some ambassador type of good-will role as part of the prize). Blake is convinced that she will win -- and once she's actually chosen for the show, she begins to suspect that her placement is part of a scheme that actually has little to do with her beauty at all.
Unfortunately, most of the book is really just incredibly predictable. It's not hard to guess why Blake was chosen, who would benefit from the selection, and what role the handsome new guy at school plays in the whole mess. While I can't deny that parts of the story were pretty entertaining -- and I expect that the book might be more enjoyable with the backstory of Blake's former best friend and of the general sketchiness of the business in question (both of which seem to have been the focus of the first book), I overall wasn't incredibly impressed by this story.
Don't get me wrong -- it wasn't a bad book. I can imagine that fans of the first one in the series might enjoy it more than someone like me, who wandered into book 2 without any knowledge of the preceding storyline. And, I'm sure there's an audience for this book -- one, I suspect, that is probably quite a bit younger than I am.
At some point, I may go back and read The Boyfriend App, just to see what I'm missing.
But, with so many enticing options in my giant TBR pile, I can't imagine that it will really be anytime that soon.
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