You're Invited

RSVP #1

by Jen Malone, Gail Nall

Four best friends start a party-planning business in this fresh, funny tween novel from the authors of At Your Service and Breaking the Ice.
Twelve-year-old Sadie loves helping her mom with her wedding planning business, and with Sadie’s mad organizational skills, she’s a natural! That’s why it’s so devastating when her mother “fires” her after a Little Mermaid–themed wedding goes awry.

Enter Sadie’s best friends: sporty Vi, ace student Lauren, and boy-crazy Becca. The girls decide that in order to get Sadie’s mom to reconsider, they have to make her see how amazing Sadie is at party planning. Except no one’s gonna hire a twelve-year-old to plan a wedding. A birthday party, though? Definite possibility.

Before long, RSVP—your one-stop shop for the most creative parties in town—is born. Of course, Sadie can’t wait to prove herself to her mom, but the other girls also have their reasons for enlisting: Vi has her eye on the perfect gift for her hardworking dad, and Becca’s all aflush at the thought of connecting with Ryan, the new Irish cutie in town. And though Lauren thinks she’s too busy with summer studies to “officially” join, she’s willing to help out in any way she can.

But in this particular party-planning business, nothing goes according to plan! Sadie’s mom is a perpetual no-show, Vi’s archrival is dead set on ruining her summer, Becca can’t seem to get Ryan to glance in her direction, and Lauren keeps choosing studying over her friends. Is the girls’ friendship strong enough to survive a business? Or does RSVP spell the end of these BFFs?

Genres: Middle Grade, Friendship, Contemporary, Fiction, Family, Summer, Childrens

336 pages, Paperback

First published May 19, 2015

About the author

I once spent a year traveling the world solo from Nepal to Romania to Fiji, where I learned 99.9% of humanity is pretty freaking awesome yet somehow doesn't share my love of ice cubes in a drink. I met my husband on the highway, literally. In fact our meet-cute was SO cute we had a whole story written about it in Ladies Home Journal. My twin boys placed second in the Most Identical contest at the International Festival of Twins. Their little sister placed first in the most adorable contest at the All The People In Our Living Room Festival. I once accompanied a pajama-clad Oprah Winfrey (and her puppies) through the laundry room of the Four Seasons. I have also been in a hotel room alone with a shirtless Mark Wahlberg. In both those instances, it was not what you think. Oh, and I went into early labor while on Stevie Nicks' tour bus. That is pretty much what you think.

Here's the more official bio:
Jen Malone writes fun and flirty YA travel romances with HarperCollins and humorous "girl power" MG adventures with Simon & Schuster. She once spent a year traveling the world solo, met her husband on the highway (literally), and went into labor with her identical twins while on a rock star's tour bus. These days she saves the drama for her books. You can learn more about Jen and her books at www.jenmalonewrites.com. Find her on Twitter and Instagram @jenmalonewrites.

Reviews

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received this ARC from the author in exchange of an honest review.

4.5 stars.

Wow, this book was fantastic fun, it was adorable, cute and I loved that we had some realistic stuff going on as well.

We have 4 POVs, 4 characters, 4 friends. Violet (or Vi, as she prefers being called), Lauren (or Lo/Lolo), Sadie (Sades) and Becca (Bec/Beccs) are great friends and after a disastrous wedding party where Sadie gets fired by her mom, they decide to make their own party planning business. To show Sadie's mom that Sadie can really handle herself and that she is awesome with planning. I loved this, instead of whining or complaining, these girls decided to do a party and then after that get in the business! Well, not all of them are enthusiastic at first. At least one of them needs motivation (and constant spam of texts) to get to join. And my oh my, they were great at it. I was expected some failure (after all these are 12-year olds), but they did everything perfectly, though of course, it didn't always go right (dogs are just a bad idea), but they made sure it turned all great and that no one had too much bother with it.

Each of our 4 girls has a skill or is good at something. Vi loves cooking and is absolutely wonderful in it (I see a good future for her) and she loves sports (swimming/volleyball/etc.), Becca is the artistic one (singing/playing guitar/songwriting/make-up/clothes), Lauren is the brains of the group (even though they apparently SATs are still far away she is studying like crazy) and then we Sadie who is awesome at planning and organizing and making sure everything is perfect. I really loved that all the girls had this, it made them come more alive to me and it made me cheer for them when they needed cheering.

Normally I am not a big fan of multiple POVs, a lot of times a lot of POVs means confusion (especially when characters are written pretty much the same), but I must say, I never had that problem with this book. Actually I loved seeing everything happen from the different girls. How each of them saw their town, how they looked at their friends, how they tried their best.

I was kind of angry with Sadie's mom. I can imagine she is busy, but couldn't she at least make some time to be there for her girl? To care for her kids? Of course, I didn't expect that to happen near the end. That was a nice twist! It made me rethink what I thought of the mom, though I am still angry at her. She could have at least shown her face once (and not just hide or have someone check the parties, since we never really find out if she was really checking them or if she just listened to the word go around about her daughter's planning business). I just wanted to say "It's ok." to Sadie multiple times throughout the book.

Next to the mom, I didn't like that Linney girl. Dear Lord, that girl is mean and rude. I disliked her from the start when we just met her, I just had a bad feeling about her and I was right. Bleh, at mean girls!

I loved the party invites and also the recipes at the beginning of Vi's chapters. I will be sure to try them out, because I am kind of curious about them now.

We also have a bit of romance, but only a little bit. Most of the book is about the party planning, the summer that flies by and about their various families. As I said in the beginning, we don't only have adorable stuff going on. We also have realistic stuff going on. For instance Vi and her dad who aren't rich, and who gets bullied by a girl about it (and also the fact that she doesn't care about fashion), then we have Sadie who lost her Dad and who has a mom who is totally overkill on working. Lauren who wants to prove herself, since her brothers are horrendous at school. All this added with all the fun made me love the book so much.

Oh, and my ARC had annotations, which gave more insight in the story or made me laugh (for instance when the whole wedding went wrong in the beginning and a Bridesmaid went over the railing? The annotations there was: Always a sign of a successful wedding. It made me laugh so hard, all that happened + the annotation!). I hope the author might consider adding them in the real book as well. I am sure people would love it. :)

All in all, I would recommend this book to everyone! It is a terrifically fun book with a lot of things happening that everyone will love.

Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Robin Constantine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of this super-fun novel about the summer four tween friends launch their own party planning business. Sadie, Lauren, Vi and Becca were a blast to hang out with, so supportive of each other's differences, and really there for one another throughout the various challenges they face in the book. While it's totes adorable - there are also some very subtle life lessons that are never preachy. Looking forward to the next one!!

[Jen Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't wait to have this book out in the world so we can share Becca, Lauren, Vi, and Sadie with everyone:)

[Jaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another adorable tween read. What I loved most about this was the group of girls and their fantastic friendship. Each one is painted as both an individual and as a member of the group and each has her own story arc. A fun story about friendship and the magic of summer and here's the big one, this is a great story about INDIVIDUAL CREATIVITY! Probably my favorite thing, when I think about it. A chef, an entrepreneur, a musician, and a big picture facts girl. I loved all of them and I know middle school girls will, too.

[J. Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning…you will need to seek out your three best friends immediately upon reaching the end of chapter one! Sadie, Vi, Lauren, and Becca are four great friends. They are supportive and kind and generous and funny. Each one of these sweet girls deals with their own issues, but never loses sight of the problems their friends are facing. Every new chapter visits (and revisits) one of the girls. It was an absolute joy to be in each of their heads. I had such a fun summer with them, and can’t wait to get back next year!

[Sarvenaz Tash · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't imagine an MG reader not falling for this wonderful, funny, and insightful story of friendship and self-discovery. I especially loved all the details of the fun parties the girls get to throw. Between their really fun jobs and the girls' unique personalities, the book reminded me so much of everything that was great about The Baby-Sitters Club (a series of books I absolutely adored as a preteen).

[cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

You're Invited is focused on the friendship of four girls, Sadie, Lauren, (Reb)Becca, and Vi(olet) and their party planning business, RSVP. Sadie originally worked for her mom (who is a wedding planner) but then she gets fired--seriously, her mom fires her--after an on the sea wedding goes wrong. Sadie goes on a mission to prove to her mom that she (her mom) needs her (Sadie). So with the help of her friends, RSVP turns from being just an idea to an actual business.

There are SO many good characters in this book and they all have their own personalities and strengths. They're all meant for a specific job in the party planning business, which is what makes them compatible. You know, teamwork and all that.

The main message of this book is that as long as you know what you're doing, how you want to do it, and a group people to help you with it, YOU CAN DO IT. I love the idea of a party planning business run by kids my age (I definitely would've never pulled THAT off...) because that shows that age is just a number. (Even adults were hiring them!)

One of my favorite things about this book are the 4 points of view. I love multiple points of view (when they're not confusing, of course) because you get to see different sides to a story. In this book, not only do you get to see the different sides, but you also get to learn more about each girl: their lives, their interests, and things like that. You can tell that the authors put a lot of thought into that because it's not easy imagining several points of views for completely different girls. The story shows their struggles and the challenges they face, which makes it more realistic.

Read the entire review on my blog!

http://cindyreadsalot.blogspot.com/20...

[Stephanie Faris · Rating 5 out of 5]

You're Invited by Jen Malone and Gail Nall is the first in a two-part series about tween girls who run their very own party-planning business. The concept of a group of girls running a party-planning business is so fun, but these mega-talented authors make it about so much more than that. The themes of friendship and parental acceptance are something every reader can relate to. I can't wait to read part two!

[Valerie McEnroe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kid rating: 5 stars
Adult rating: 3 stars

Sadie loves helping her mom with her event planning business, but when a wedding goes disastrously wrong because of her mistake, Sadie gets the boot. There's only one thing to do. Grab a few friends and start her own business. From a kid's southern plantation mystery party to her enemy's fashion party, Sadie, Vi, Lauren and Becca are knocking it out of the park. Sadie is the entrepreneur. Becca is the boy-crazy fashionista. Vi is the athlete. Lauren is the academic. Lots going on in this cute story of friendship set in a southern seaside town, including a hunky boy from Ireland. Told from the girls' alternating perspectives.

[milana waller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty good but also got really boring in some spots. The book really didn't have a plot so I had a hard time getting through. Not the best book but it was worth reading🔸I really want to read more of Jen Malones books

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Continuing my Jen Malone author binge, I’m making my way through her middle grade novels. Since At Your Service went well, I embarked on You’re Invited with hope. You’re Unvited is super cute, and it’s reminiscent of a modern Now & Then, so I’m pretty sure I would have loved the crap out of it if I’d read it when I was wee.

There’s a strong commonality with At Your Service: these middle graders are very career-minded. It’s a bit strange how much they think ahead, considering they’re 12, but it’s cool and aspirational for younger readers. The frame of the story comes from Sadie, but all four girls trade off chapters. The voices aren’t super unique but each has their own little quirks, so it’s a pretty good example of multiple first person narrators.

In the first chapter, Sadie, who has worked as her wedding planner mom’s assistant for a while, gets fired after inadvertently setting a major wedding SNAFU in motion. Sadie’s crushed, because she wants to be an event planner, and she loved working with her mom. She convinces her friends to start RSVP, their own event planning business, so that she can prove to her mom that she’s got what it takes. Outside of adult contemporary romance, I haven’t read any fiction about event planners, and I do like when fiction for young readers focuses on atypical careers, since it might inspire them to think outside the box.

Lauren’s the most motivated kid ever. She studies for the SATs constantly and worries about whether she’ll be able to get into Stanford like she dreams. She’s the good kid of the family. RSVP helps her loosen up a bit, and, after all, it will look good on applications. Boy crazy Becca learns that boys may be cute but friendship is better. Sporty Vi discovers that it can be fun (sometimes) to wear makeup and girly clothing. Becca’s a songwriter and plays guitar, and Vi cooks (there are recipes included with the books, some of which are very tempting). No surprise that Vi’s little potential romance with Lance is my favorite part.

In no way am I the intended audience for this, but You’re Invited is deeply cute. I’m hoping for more shippiness in book two!

[Eleni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looooooooooooooved it

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

You're Invited is about four girls who make a business called RSVP for the summer and thought that it would end when school started back but the there plan changed....

[Eliza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. I love how different the characters are from one another even though they're best friends.

[Shivanshi Agrawal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was amazing. I loved it so much. I was laughing through some parts and I loved RSVP. Now I can't wait to read the second book.

[tellacnders · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ADORE THEM SO MUCH bye

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

You're Invited, a collaborative novel by Jen Malone (author of At Your Service) and Gail Nall (author of Breaking the Ice) focuses on four best friends who launch an event planning business. Sadie, whose mother has recently fired her as her assistant to allow her to have more time to be a kid, is desperate to prove to her mom that she can succeed at party planning. As business takes off, Sadie's friend Becca enjoys the opportunity to meet boys, while Vi constantly butts heads with her archrival. In the meantime, studious Lauren struggles to balance her desire to prepare for the SAT with her interest in helping her friends. All the while, Sadie worries whether their friendship can withstand the stresses of being in business together.

The group of girls portrayed in this book is very much like a 21st century Baby-sitters Club. The girls are diverse in terms of race, personality, interests, and abilities, and yet they come together to pull off a series of successful parties. The absence of parents from most of the major events of the plot, and the girls' undying support for each other, even in the face of challenges, is very reminiscent of the way the four original babysitters worked together in the early books of the famous series. Fortunately, the girls of RSVP, as their business is named, are somewhat more realistic than their BSC counterparts, which keeps the story from becoming too cheesy and sentimental.

The writing in this book is chatty and engaging, and it makes the 336 pages go by very quickly. The central conflict between Sadie and her mother is not that interesting, but the interactions between the girls, their employers, and other minor characters more than make up for this weakness. The book does end on sort of a lame, dissatisfying note, which felt strange after reading such a long novel, but You're Invited Too comes out in February, so it looks like it won't be too long before all is revealed.

Nall and Malone's previous middle grade novels have been the perfect mix of real-life difficulties and fun tween friendships, and this book is very similar in style, tone, and subject matter. Other possible read-alikes include Rules for Secret Keeping by Lauren Barnholdt and the Pink and Green series by Lisa Greenwald.

[Louise Galveston · Rating 5 out of 5]

YOU'RE INVITED to one rollicking read in this hilarious and heartwarming tale by Jen Malone and Gail Nail. Told in 4 different points of view by four diverse and amazingly realistic girls, the entire novel is woven together with threads of the strongest kind-those of friendship.

My 12 yo daughter grabbed this book from me (I received an ARC to read) as soon as she saw the cover. She returned it to me the next day, saying, "You're gonna LOVE it!" And she was right.

When Sadie, Becca (my fav voice of the fab 4), Vi, and Lauren (the character I most closely identified with-yes, grown-ups will "totes" identify with these little women) form a party-planning business for the summer, all sorts of hilarious and painfully awkward events ensue. But amid budding crushes and identity crises, there is an underlying theme of being true to your truest self and finding consolation for all of life's disappointments in the sisterhood (and brotherhood!) of genuine friends.

Each character voice is unique and spot-on tween, each girl has goals and hopes and dreams worth rooting for, and every heartache will resonate not only with middle-grade girls, but with their moms and even grandmas (the world's coolest grandma resides in these pages!).Plus there are amazing recipes included!

In a word: PERFECTION!

[Rachele Alpine]

This was such a fun read and the perfect way to start the summer! YOU"RE INVITED is about four best friends who start a party planning business and the adventures/obstacles that they face. It's a mix of The Babysitter's Club (yay!) and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (love!) and full of a ton of heart!

I loved the personalities of each of the girls. Usually when I read a book with multiple narrations, I find one that I really love and may speed through the others to get back to that character. That wasn't the case here. Each of the girls' chapters were unique and I wanted to know what was happening with each of them. I felt like I was really in the head of a "tween," but as an adult, I could still sympathize and remember feeling the same way.

The setting for the book was great! It was a place that I would love to go on vacation! And I loved reading about each of the theme parties the girls planned...they are so creative!

This is a great read for a tween this summer and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. Yay!!!!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun!! I was hooked from page one, when I found myself “invited” to a Little Mermaid themed wedding. The scene that follows had me laughing out loud. Authors Jen Malone and Gail Nall expertly handle the changing points of view, and the introduction of each character, in this tightly constructed, faced-paced book about four best friends who start their own party planning business. This book has everything I look for in a middle grade series—interesting, relatable characters with real-life problems; a unique setting (I want to live in their quaint seaside resort town!), and a clever hook. Every tween girl who reads YOU’RE INVITED will want to start her own business, and if she’s lucky, she’ll have best friends like Sadie, Vi, Becca and Lauren, who shoulder the challenges of being young entrepreneurs together and share sweet memories of a summer well spent.

[Ronni Arno · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like to read books that my kids are reading, because it gives us an opportunity to talk about the plot, characters, and their thoughts about the story. Both my 12-year-old daughter and I loved this book! The multiple POV's worked beautifully because all the voices were distinct. Each character had their own unique personalities. The story was fast-paced and authentic. As we discussed the book, my daughter told me that having a party planning business is exactly something she and her friends would love to do. The book (and the characters) were filled with humor and heart, and both my daughter and I are anxiously awaiting the sequel!

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I expected this to be a fluff of a book that I would finish in the blink of an eye, but instead I was happily surprised by it. I loved all the characters, the story, the idea of a party planning business... When I was 7, I tried to start by own party planning business, inspired by Piper Reed Gets a Job but since I could only do my brother's birthdays, and they didn't want me to, it never actually happened. So I'm living my 7 year old dream through this book.

[Suzanne Dix · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun tween read! Girls will be so inspired by the friendship and ingenuity of Sadie, Lauren, Violet and Becca, best friends since forever who start their own party planning business over the summer. While nothing goes perfect, they pull each party off with a sense of humor and a ton of creativity.

Grade 6 and up. I'm looking forward to talking this one up with my middle school students!

[Laurie]

This book is so much fun! The premise is fabulous; the setting is delightful; and Sadie, Lauren, Becca, and Vi are endearing, fully realized characters with such great friendships. I enjoyed all of the details about the girls' amazing parties, and I loved watching each girl expand her understanding of who she is and what she has to offer. I think kids will have a great time reading about RSVP's party planning adventures!

[Katie A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Jen Malone's first book-At Your Service-when I read it. So when I learned (from her!) that she had another book coming out cowritten with Gail Nall I absolutely had to get it. And when I read it, to my surprise (not), it was absolutely superb! Thanks to Jen and Gail for writing this book, and I can't wait for Your Invited Too to come out!


Wow. I just realized how many times I said absolutely.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone looking for a fun summer read should go straight for this delightful book. Full of humor, hijinks, and a good dose of sweetness, it's hard to put down and easy to love. Can't wait for the sequel.

[Melanie]

Four tween best friends form a party planning business, but when mishaps occur, they'll learn that having good friends to bump through life with is the best cause of all for celebration.

[Jen Petro-Roy]

Utterly adorable. Jen and Gail's writing meshes flawlessly.

[Christina Gagliano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jen, you and Gail outdid yourselves! Thank you for this feel-good read that even an old lady like me can enjoy. The characters are very well-crafted and believable. Looking forward to the sequel.

[Kahlo]

Awesome book