The Debutante

by Kathryn Williams

Annie McRae has her whole senior year planned out. Early acceptance to Brown University, a field hockey scholarship to pay the bills, and days spent with her best friend Jamie and her boyfriend Jake. It is going to be perfect. Then her parents ruin it all by moving--to Alabama. Now, Annie finds herself in an unfamiliar world where she isn't even sure she speaks the same language. To top it off, she discovers that if she ever wants to escape back to her comfortable Yankee life, she will have to become a debutante. As in white-dress-wearing, perfect-manners-practicing, curtsying girly-girl. Fighting every step of the way, Annie spends the year learning to be a lady. Along the way, she discovers that friends can come from the most unlikely of places and that change is not always a bad thing...

Genres: Young Adult, Chick Lit, Teen, Romance, Contemporary, Coming Of Age

256 pages, Hardcover

First published May 20, 2008

About the author

Kathryn Williams is the author of four young adult novels, a handful of bestselling Disney junior novelizations, and a humorous guide to living with roommates.

Originally from the South, she now lives with her family in Portland, Maine, where she finds inspiration in the woods, by the water, in antique stores full of old stuff, and at The Telling Room, a nonprofit creative writing center where she helps kids and teens write and publish their own stories.

Reviews

[Liviania · Rating 3 out of 5]

Annie McRae's family moves to Alabama at the start of her senior year. Not only does she have to make friends all over again, but she probably won't get a field hockey scholarship and be able to attend Brown University. Her grandmother will help out - if she becomes a debutante.

I understood how much the move upset Annie. It's tough at any time, much less in a year when you were just expecting to coast. I was exasperated with her at points. Yes, being a deb is a little silly and way expensive, but there are a ton of girls (including one of her friends) who would really enjoy doing it. She makes it out to be the end of the world when all her grandmother wants her to do is learn manners and attend parties in a pretty dress.

Though my sympathy for Annie varies, it's still a cute, fun book. There's a romance (of course) and any romance is improved by a Southern gentleman.

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this book four stars for my enjoyment of the pure Southerness of it! Where but in the Deep South could one get by with insulting people as long as “bless their heart” is tacked to the front?
However, the frequent drinking exploits of the underage teenagers made me drop the rating to two stars. Few curse words and no graphic sex scenes were present, but the drinking was constant throughout. And the adults seemed oblivious to this.
So, I’ll round up to three stars. I think teen girls would enjoy this, but I would not recommend it without some adult guidance to go with it.

[Cory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is it just me or are there a million "It's my last year of high school and my parents just moved me away from everything I love" books out right now? At any rate, this one was interesting enough and I did get a bit misty-eyed at parts (although I'm a sap, so you might not want to pay attention to that).

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annie McRae is upset, and not without good reason. It’s her senior year of high school, and her parents are forcing her to move with them from Connecticut, the state where she grew up, to not-so-sweet-home-Alabama. To make matters worse, her boyfriend dumped her, her supposed best friend is hooking up with her now ex-boyfriend, and her grandmother is forcing her to “deb” in order to pay for college. At first, Annie refuses, thinking that she can just get a scholarship, but when she doesn’t get it, it seems that she will have to deb after all.

Annie struggles to accept the move throughout the whole book. She also has difficulty forgetting her best friend’s betrayal. But despite the fact that Annie is unwilling to make an effort to accept her new life, she does make new friends among the other debs. And there’s nothing like a new crush to make you forget about that cheating ex-boyfriend.

The Debutante was a short and sweet read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading from Annie’s perspective, because she is very witty. I especially enjoyed reading about Annie’s stereotypes and watching her learn to accept that her life wasn’t so bad after all. My only complaint was that the time span seemed a little awkward. There would be one event, a little jump in time, and then another event. It did eliminate awkward slow spots in the novel, but it also made Annie’s senior year in high school pass rather quickly.

The Debutante is a slight twist on the classic tale of girl is forced to move and boyfriend dumps her, but I loved it nonetheless. I recommend this novel for fans of How Not to Be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

[Felisa Rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Annie, who has spent the first 17 years of her life in Connecticut and thus enjoys listening to The String Cheese Incident, is dismayed to learn that she will be spending her senior year in Beuford, Alabama. She is even more dismayed to learn that her conservative grandmother will not pay for college (Brown, of course) unless she comes out as a debutante. Based on this description, those of you who know me may be surprised to hear that I actually liked this book (except for the part where Annie reveals that she thinks of herself as a 'prippie' or 'preppy hippy'). I was pleasantly surprised by the casual/realistic portrayal of teenage drinking and smoking. I guess I was expecting something a little more Sweet Valley 'Ohmygod she tried Coors Light for the first time and now she's in a coma!' High. Instead the teenagers in this book drive around drinking and smoking and hang out 'raising hell' in church parking lots, which seemed fairly realistic to me. Silly and light but pleasant. Recommended for those of you who like chick lit and/or young adult books.

[Parker Ryu · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book while clearing out my childhood bedroom at my parents' house and I didn't have any memory of reading it so I was like eh, why not, before I get rid of it.

It felt like a teenage girl had written this so like... is that good? Since that's probably what the author had intended? But the writing was so juvenile and Annie was so... annoying. Thoughtless and selfish, and literally incapable of seeing anything beyond 2 inches from her own wants.

Also it's so hard to feel any sort of sympathy for a rich ass southern belle who went to private school her whole life and doesn't seem to realize the fortunate circumstances of her life. Also like.. her and Robert had literally no build up and were immediately all into each other and stuff. AND her constant belittling of other girls (like her cousins) and women that were slightly more into makeup and other 'girly' things than her. The definition of a 'pick me' girl.

A part of me feels sympathy for her (trying to be sympathetic for teenage girls or whatever) but I'm pretty sure I've read way better YA books than this so...

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book as a light read. However, as a person who was born in (and has lived her entire life in) Alabama--it read a bit like alternate universe fiction. I have never attended a debutante ball. I've never known anyone who has come out in society that way. I haven't even seen any coverage in the newspapers where the rich girls in town have done so. Is this still a thing? Do people still do this? Strange...

[Jenna Whalen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read this book a few times because it's a nice, light, easy read. Since it's about high schoolers there are definitely moments where the characters can seem like brats and blow things out of proportion, but it's a cute story about friendship, family, and even has some romance.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book towards the end, however it took me longer than expected to read because I found that her behavior was repetitive at times. The MC complained almost the whole book with little character development.

[Kelli · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book...was very boring. VERY boring. Perhaps it is because it is usually for younger kids, though there is cussing...anyways, I just really didn't enjoy this book. I mean, the first thing I said when I finished was "well...that was dumb." It just seemed a bit useless. It reminded me of a book that a teacher would read to a class (without the swear words) in 5th grade.
I just saw that there was no point to it, if that makes any sense. It was, in my opinion, a "cute" book, but not enjoyable. Like I said earlier, perhaps for 5th graders.
It took me so long to read this book because I just could not get into it. I spent about 3 of the 5 days doing other things instead of reading.
I also read this book after an amazing series, Eragon, so that just made it look all the worse. I'm sorry, this is just my opinion, but I just could NOT get into it at all. Some books leave me smiling at the end of it, even if it is a childish book, thinking "aw, that was a cute book!" not "well...that was dumb."
Anyways, I really can't say anything else other than I rate this book 1 star out of 5. I mean, it wasn't so terrible that I regret reading it, I just did not like it, and nothing sparked me into that "story" world I get into while reading a good book...nothing interested me. With that being said, I would recommend this to mature 5th-6th graders, perhaps.

[Kathy * Bookworm Nation · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this was a fun read that totally sucks you into the Southern charm of Alabama. Annie goes through quite the change as the book progresses. At first she is very upset with her parents for dragging her away from her friends and life in Connecticut to the slower paced lifestyle and demanding Grandmother in Alabama. I imagine it would be rather hard to move your senior year in high school and I felt bad for Annie when I put myself in her shoes. I’m glad she made friends and started to make the best of the situation. There were a couple lose ends I wish would have been tied up. First, at the beginning of the story Annie receives a box from her best-friend Jamie, to open in a time of crisis. The box is soon forgotten and I’m curious what was inside! Second, I wanted there to be some resolution between Annie and her Connecticut friends, maybe open the box and bring back old memories and reconciliation ensues? Anyway, it was a cute read and I enjoyed learning a little etiquette along the way (something I’m probably in need of). It reminded me of a Tina Ferraro or Janette Rallison novel, with a little less romantic comedy.

It does contain underage smoking/drinking, but otherwise very clean.


Bookworm Rating: 3.5

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Full review: http://bookgirl.co.vu/post/8406157147...

Revised review; originally posted in 2008. The Debutante has the perfect formula down when it comes to its target audience. Kathryn Williams is charming as always in her writing as she presents to us a lovely coming of age story that appears in a young girls life when her family decides to up and move to a new location and home during her senior year of high school.

Although The Debutante isn’t a groundbreaking novel by any means, it is surely enough to keep you entertained when you’re in the need of something light and fluffy to read in your free time. It manages to take a familiar formula of writing and turns it into something that still remains refreshing and often hilarious. This is something that Williams manages to do with ease and for that, I love her.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually liked this book quite a bit. I went to it expecting to be disappointed... I'm a fan of YA literature, but I, as bad as it is, judge books by their covers.. and it's a rare case when I can find a book I like in a PINK cover. Typically, pink covers signal extremely adolescent, completely cheesy, and thoroughly annoying characters. But I found myself relating to the main character. I did not move my senior year, but I moved into high school my freshman year and I went through the same transition. At times her whininess annoyed me, but I could understand it. I liked that it wasn't just a romance book.. but a friendship and family book. It teaches the principle to NOT judge a book by its cover (maybe that's why it has a pink sleeve).

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this was a pretty perfect book for me, considering my move to Alabama was like a living hell. I have a feeling that if I had been Annie's age when we moved, I would have reacted just as she did in this wonderful book. It's super sweet and totally hilarious. I dare you not to laugh when you read this, even if you are a 'southern belle.'

I identified so well with Annie that I think that may be why I enjoyed reading it so much. I laughed and giggled so much, because I knew what she was feeling at certain times, and how crazy Alabama can be. I was really satisfied with the ending, which granted it five stars, rather than four.

If you want something short and silly to read, here's your book!

[BookChic Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

Williams' debut novel is a sassy, sarcastic romp through the traditions of Southern life and an absolute joy to read. Annie's journey through this new world she had very little knowledge of before is very realistic and, as a Northerner (well, not TECHNICALLY since I am from Virginia, but it is the northern part!), I don't know much about the whole debutante world, and Williams teaches the reader without hitting them over the head with it. Her writing is fresh and funny, and Annie's voice rings so true; also, I absolutely loved the romance in the book- it was just so adorable! Keep an eye out for this book!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anne Gordon MacRae is upset and with a very justifiable cause. It is mid-summer before her Senior year at high school and her parents decide to pack up and move from Connecticut to Alabama. She is forced to adapt to an entirely different lifestyle and deal with an overbearing "Gram". Overall I found this an enjoyable, quick read that was cutesy but still serious. However, I still have a few complaints. After a while, I found Anne to be a whiney, tomboy who is extremely judgmental and is not at all open minded. The references to underage drinking and smoking were brief, but still I did not appreciate them being there at all.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a pretty silly book. It reminded me of Gilmore Girls in some ways, with the rich, overbearing grandmother and the whole debutante thing (I enjoyed that episode, ah the good old days). Except this heroine just moved from Connecticut to Alabama and apparently thinks that the deb only happens in the South. (As Gilmore Girls is set in Connecticut, I'm quite sure this is not true). I would have liked this book more without the underage drinking. It also seemed to skip around quiet randomly. Overall, it was just ok.

[Sami Sheronas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Debutante
The Debutante, by Kathryn Williams is a story about a girl named Anne Gordon McRae who moves from Connecticut to Beaufort, Alabama just in time for her senior year of high school. She is forced to choose between her personal interests and her academic career. To make matters worse, she finds out that her ex-boyfriend has been dating her best friend! Annie makes new friends (and even a new boyfriend) at Beaufort Country Day School. Annie learns that it doesn’t matter where you are, as much as who you’re with.

[Selena (Life of a Random) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good light read. There was some language and a lot of what I guess you would call misconceptions or exaggerated ones anyway about the South and Southern people, but I totally agreed with Annie's opinion of big fluffy white dresses and etiquette.

I understand her extreme dislike for her grandmother. And there was a cute Southern like/love interest. But the book was mostly about change and how it can be a positive influence on your life if you let it. That being said, Annie (the MC) complained a lot. Seriously, lots of complaining. I think that's the part I like the least.

[Colette · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Debutante is a funny Contemporary Young Adult novel that shows one that change isn't always as bad as it seems. The main character, Annie, is relatable and well-writtten. I didn't enjoy Annie's Alabama friends as much, the group as a whole didn't seem to portray the unique and layered personalities that Annie and her family had. Overall the plot was interesting and exciting, I will definitely be reading more books by Williams.

[Abegail · Rating 4 out of 5]

what i learned from this book is how to act like a lady. I also learned that adjusting is hard because you have to adopt with their traditions even though you don't like it butin the end you will learn how to cope with it even that surroundings is your most hatest surrounding of all, you have a part of your mind saying "ahh, i'm beginning to like it at all".

[Idreamofec17 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it is a must-read for any Southern girl! It pokes fun at Southern-accents and slang, for example calling cold drinks or sodas "Coke", no matter what brand it is. I am a Southern girl and I got a few good laughs from this book. It is a great story about a girl adapting to major change as a teenager.

[Kerith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A refreshing change from all the YA books set in Manhattan! This one takes place in Alabama. The book does have some weird idea that debutantes only exist in the South still, and I don't believe that's true. The main character starts off a little unsufferably with her major chip-on-the-shoulder attitude about southerners, though, but it turns this is something she manages to rise above.

[Ms. Tongate, TLC Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute and fun Southern read. Maybe more popular with adults in the South, rather than teens. The etiquette lessons and chapter titles from the Guide To Being A Lady were great. "A lady doesn't sweat, she glistens. A lady always sends a thank-you note. A lady knows which fork to use." Loved Robert and how the author embedded the southern accents and slang (Fixin', Coke, moon pies).

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was pretty much fine and light and I like it although while reading the book, I had an evil thought that my unfinished chic lit novel is better than this. ha-ha. It just seemed like there was an unfinished business between Annie and her best friend. I think Kathryn should have fixed that nicely.

[Catalina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute book. A fun read for a hot summer day. There weren't really too many problems for the main character, the story just kinda flowed straight through to the end. But I liked it, a fresh idea. I learned a lot about Debutantes ball. And I now have an urge to say "Ya'll" when speaking.

[Maximina Rios]

i like how it shows that the aunt actually cares quite a lot. it shows that not all family relationships are as bad as they seem. it was a great book. people are forced into things they don't want to do but it can end up helping them or making them happy.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

not really made for under 14 or 15 but is a really good read

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read, I liked "learning to be a lady" would definitely read more books by this author.

[Hannah G · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. Not a great book. I thought Annie was kind of a brat. Who wouldn't want to dress up and act like a princess?