Revenge of the Homecoming Queen

Aspen Brooks #1

by Stephanie Hale

When beautiful, popular, and seemingly-perfect high school senior Aspen Brooks loses out to her rival for homecoming queen, it is only the beginning of a series of strange events including thefts, kidnappings, and Aspen falling for the unfashionable but endearing Rand Bachrach.When beautiful and popular high school senior Aspen Brooks loses out to her rival for homecoming queen, it is only the beginning of a series of strange events including thefts, kidnappings, and Aspen falling for the nerdy Rand Bachrach.

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary, Romance, Chick Lit, Humor, Ebooks

304 pages, Paperback

First published July 3, 2007

About the author

I am the author of YA books, HIGH SCHOOL HANGOVER, REVENGE OF THE HOMECOMING QUEEN, TWISTED SISTERS, SPRING BREAKUP, & THE ALPHA BET.

I am also the author of the MG novel, GOLDEN BIRTHDAY.

www.stephaniehale.com
www.twitter.com/stephaniemhale
www.facebook.com/booksbystephaniehale

Reviews

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A high school favorite of mine! I’ve read this book a few times growing up and now as an adult, I see why! It’s fun, cute, very high school but add murder/mystery vibes! Loved! Also? Rand? Yes please!

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

Debut author Stephanie Hale has written a fabulously quirky and fun tale of homecoming courts, devilish popularity plots, and down-and-out fun.

Meet Aspen Brooks. The girl you love to hate; or, possibly, might hate to love. She has it all - popular, hottie boyfriend, fashionable clothing, a car. (Note to readers: How can you not love/hate a beautiful teen girl with a car??)

Only there's one small, teeny-tiny problem. The Homecoming crown (fine, tiara, what's the difference?) is not sitting on her pretty blonde head. No, instead that glorious moment of uber-popularity went to Angel Ives. Angel. Ives. Obnoxious cheerleader, vengeful rival. And, oh horror of even greater horrors, the Homecoming King is none other than Rand Bachrach. Can anyone spell g-e-e-k?

Aspen is horrified, but she's also in shock. Really, how could she not be Homecoming Queen? This has only been her dream - her goal! - since she was in kindergarten! What kind of conspiracy is behind setting up a nasty girl like Angel with a dork like Rand as the rulers of the Homecoming court?

She's not sure, but she does know that something isn't right. First of all, a lot of really weird things are happening around school, and they don't all have something to do with the Homecoming debacle. And, wonder of wonders, Rand might not actually be the weirdo dweeb Aspen originally suspected. As Aspen puts on her Nancy Drew detective costume (which is so last year, by the way) and ropes Rand in as her assistant, the two are determined to find out just what exactly is behind all the nefarious goings-on at Comfort High.

Ms. Hale has penned a laugh-out-loud, catty winner with REVENGE OF THE HOMECOMING QUEEN. Part frou-frou couture mixed with amateur sleuthing, this book is one guilty pleasure that you won't mind indulging in.

[Abi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not an awful read, but the characters annoyed me quite a bit.

[Melisa Hamling · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first impression of Aspen? Like total valley girl! I figured there had to be more to her self admiration, which was pretty comical. The reasons are explainable further into the book. I really don't know what to say about this novel, but I LMAO so many times and found myself liking Aspen. Of course Rand was immediately likeable.

The mystery of the kidnappings was amusing and I love that too. And I loved the relationship between Rand and Aspen and the way he delt with her "A-list" status.

Again, this was another one of those novels which was different and all I can say is keep reading. I'm glad I did because it was a fun read!

[Valerie Waters · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure what to rate this book. Maybe a 2.5-3. I like teen books because they are clean. Not this one. There was a lot of language and so many inappropriate things. I was just disappointed. I know that's how some teens are but I didn't care to read about it. If it weren't for all of that stuff I would have given this book 4 stars. I liked the story. She kinda bugged me. She was so fake and superficial. I don't think she deserved Rand at all. He was such a nice guy even though he was so rich. He didn't care about money at all. If this was an adult novel I would have given it more stars.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book just wasn't for me. I didn't like all the foul language, as well as other content, and the story just wasn't all that enjoyable besides. Not a book I'd recommend.

[Pop Bop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, A Homecoming Queen I Could Love

One of the main reasons I enjoyed this book so much, I think, is that I didn't have to work too hard or wait too long to like and get a kick out of the heroine, Aspen. So often with books like this it takes forever for the heroine to have the epiphany that helps bring her around to tolerable range, but here you knew right off the bat that Aspen was made of good stuff.

That frees you up to follow the mystery and to enjoy Aspen's little mini-dramas. It helps that many of the supporting characters, ( including especially the b/f/f, the crush, and the nemesis). get enough facetime and enough good lines to be interesting themselves. Indeed, all of the supporting characters bring something to the party, so no one player's shtick ever gets old.

Unusual for a book like this, Aspen's parents get a good deal of attention, and Aspen's Mom is even at the center of the main sub-plot. Usually the parents are incidental characters, if mentioned at all, and it was sort of nice to have them involved and for Aspen to have a solid relationship with them.

On top of all that the snarky/funny lines were actually witty and not just knock offs of the same old tired bits. The energy level was high, and any and all of the characters could spring surprises, so the whole effort was more upbeat and frothy than usual. No phony drama or dreary angst, this book came screaming out of the box and never let up. Great. This is the first book of a trilogy, and I'd be keen to read the other two, which I guess is the best recommendation you can give a book.

(Please note that I found this book while browsing Amazon Kindle freebies. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

[Steph LJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

The main character in this book, Aspen, is a self-centered, egotistical, but ever loved popular Prom Princess. Everything is all about her. If someone whispers, they must be whispering about her. If someone is smiling, they must be thinking about her. If someone is mad at her, they must have some kind of problem, and need to think about apologizing to dear sweet Aspen.

She is not just hard to like, it is almost impossible to stomach this narcissistic awful girl, who has the depth of a teaspoon.

I actually wanted her to get kidnapped, maybe even maimed or something. That's what kept me reading.

It is not quirky, as some reviewers have said. Quirky is fun. This book is not fun, it is a mess. It makes no sense.

Then we have to deal with just terrible writing. The author of this book doesn't know then from than, when to use I or me, or basic sentence structure.

But what got me, what REALLY got me was this sentence: "I had just went off on him." What. The. Hell. It makes me weep for the author's obvious lack of education and judgement.

I want my money back. I want to be able to un-read this crappy book. I want to un-know these characters.

[JS · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, I like reading fluffy teenie bopper books sometimes, but this one didn't work for me. It had three highlights, in my opinion, and here they are.

On why homecoming queens are always beautiful: "You want to see the beautiful people. That way if you are one of the beautiful people, and you gain like fifty pounds, you can always look back and know that you used to be beautiful. It works for the dorks, too. Dorks usually go on to be more successful than the beautiful people, so they can look back and laugh that the beautiful people are now big, fat losers. It's really a win-win situation."

An online company called Bag Borrow or Steal, which is "like Netflix for purses." What a great idea! :)

And finally, my favorite: "It's a fact. You just can't have a bad day if you're wearing your good butt jeans."

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll be honest at first I thought this book would be about Aspen and her taking revenge out on who won the homecoming crown. I was intrigued by the mention of girls disappearing in the summary. I thought ok I'll give it a shot. I actually enjoyed this book. I was happy to realize that when something happened in the middle of the book I thought it was the end and found myself disappointed. I was glad that I still had 100+ pages left of the book. I like the fact that Hale had a little romance tied in with mystery.

[Carrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was absolutely appalled by the content of this book. The language, sexuality and teenage behavior of the characters is definitely not something I would want a teenager to read. Even more inappropriate is the relationship between Aspen, the main character, and every adult in the book--they are "buddies" or people to be laughed at. No one treats Aspen as what she really is, as evidenced by her behavior, a child.

At least it was a free kindle download and not something I wasted money on. A big thumbs down!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't a mind-blowing work of art, but pretty entertaining quick read. The main character, Aspen Brooks, is a pretty shallow character, but I can't really hate her because.... that's just who she is. I liked the mystery aspect of the YA novel that seemed so much like a twist on Mean Girls/Pretty Little Liars, but it was still pretty predictable. Overall, just an entertaining read.

[Stacy Sabala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review- Revenge of the Homecoming Queen by Stephanie Hale

Aspen is a popular girl and is high on fashion. She is completely hung up on looks and status. So, she is a complete snob in the beginning. Everything changes when she loses at homecoming queen to her enemy. However, it saves her from having to be paired with the king who is geek Rand. Right? Plus, someone is out to get her, and she know it is her enemy. This book is a fun read. Aspen is so over the top at first. I kept shaking my head at her reactions and ridiculous beliefs.
Rand turns out to be a sweet guy that comes to her rescue. She is so confused. There were definitely some eye rolling moments. I did like the mystery of who is kidnapping people and who is trying to sabotage Aspen. She has a lot going wrong in her life. There is a cheating boyfriend, the enemy trying to humiliate her, her shopaholic mother, and her confusing feelings for a geek. Then her mother disappears, and she has to figure out what was going on. It was a ridiculously fun read. I give it a 4 out of 5.

[Trina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some books get under your skin. On one hand, this may be the intention of the author, to make you think more about the world of the book and in that case it can actually enhance the story. But on the other hand you have books that just have some stand out things that bug, or irk you for no good reason, that do not serve a purpose to the story. No matter how much I liked the book I can't get over these things that bugged me. Revenge of the Homecoming Queen was definitely in the latter category for me. I really enjoyed it, but because of the "bugs" I can't give it 5 stars.

I had never heard of this book or author until a friend suggested it for our book club. I didn't know what to expect at first because in my mind books about teen dances have a high potential for being cheesy. But, I'm really glad she suggested it because it definitely surprised me as a good book.

Aspen is not really a character I can relate to. She's very caught up in her looks and designer labels, whereas as I know nothing about designers. She felt a lot like Alicia Silverstone from Clueless to me. But anyway, although I didn't relate to Aspen, she was a breezy narrator and made the book easy to read. Her character seemed a little stereotypical and shallow, but at the same time that served the plot well because the book was pretty much non stop action from the very beginning and I was able to get into what was happening instead of being hung up on learning all the aspects of Aspen's personality.

Like I said, A LOT happens in this book. In my first sitting I was convinced that I was almost near then end after all that was going on, but then I looked up and discovered I had only read 60 pages. This is not a thinking book, there is no angsty emotional drama. It's a quick and fast mystery that will show you what you need to know when you need to know it.

The 'bad guy' was not a surprise to me, as I tend to go through mystery books suspecting every character. However, it wasn't a let down because I didn't know all of their motives and how all of the little clues added up until the moment Aspen figured those out, so I was still able to enjoy the fact of who it was.

So then, let's talk about the things that I said bugged me.
1 - Whoever read the book before me went through with a pen and took it upon themselves to edit the grammar. They actually missed a few things, and corrected things that didn't need to be, but this served to point out to me how poorly edited the book was. It wasn't just one or two typos, there were at least a dozen. I found I couldn't really take the author seriously.

2 - The fashion and slang are straight out of the 90s. Since Aspen is so fashion obsessed, her outfits are almost always described and none of them are current styles. Maybe I'm just really out of touch with what teens wear these days and fashion has circled around and come back into style, but seriously her outfits are things I haven't seen anyone wear for a solid 15 years. the slang was straight out of the movie Clueless, with countless "whatever!" and "as if!" Again, maybe slang has cycled back around and I am just unaware. The one current phrase the author got right was "Omigod!" although now days I really think people literally just say the letters O.M.G. And then she butchered BFF by making it b/f/f and I have ONLY ever seen people over 40 write it that way!

3 - In one scene Aspen "pulls two 20s off her roll of allowance money", and then in the NEXT sentence Aspen says she's just a poor teen who "has to scrape every penny." Is this sarcasm? It was an internal monologue, so maybe Aspen is just really that stuck up that she thinks having a ROLL OF CASH is miniscule.

4 - My biggest bug was the way the high school principal is described. She is a 400 pound woman who wears muumuus and Aspen constantly describes her in a negative way concerning her weight (fat, piggish), but then Aspen turns around and will describe what great fashion sense this woman has in purses and shoes. I'm sure that the 400 pound description was an over exaggeration by our looks obsessed narrator, but the inconsistency in her shoe fashion vs the muumuus really bugged me. If she's really 400 lbs, then I can understand the muumuus, but she wouldn't be wearing stilettos all the time. And if she's not really that big then why the muumuus? There are great designer clothes for plus size women. I just don't get the character inconsistency. She should either be full slob or full fashionista regardless of her size, because the mental image I had of a literal 400 lb woman teetering around on stilettos was just plain ridiculous.

5 - The last bug I had was with Aspen's brilliant plan to take down the bad guy. She laced a box of chocolates with eye drops, so that when the kidnapper ate them s/he would get diarrhea. I would just like to know.... HOW IS A CASE OF THE TROTS GOING TO HELP ANYONE!? Maybe this was just a diversion tactic to give Aspen time to find her friends and escape? I don't know but that seemed pretty weak. It just made me laugh.

Maybe these things wouldn't bother anyone else. But to me they distracted from the story as I had to pause and take a moment to go OMG WHYYYYYY every time I encountered a bug. Other than those things though, there is really nothing bad about the book. I appreciated that it moved quickly, because the last book I read was longer than this and moved at a snails pace. I appreciated that there weren't a lot of emotional tie ups, I was able to just focus on what was going on. This actually reminded me of the Pretty Little Liars series, so if you like it I think you will like this book too, or vise versa. In the long run, I enjoyed PLL more because it's more modern, more mysterious, and I don't know what else to say other than those books were like crack to me, I couldn't put them down. Although Homecoming Queen didn't have that same gripping quality, I think it's a respectful teen mystery.

[Kira Moericke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! I will admit, Aspen’s shallowness is somewhat annoying, but she she does get a little better- a little. But I loved Hale’s writing style! The story was totally funny and mysterious and romantic(my three favorite genres). Some scenes in the book had me going “whaaaaaat?!” Such as the BJ scene and Mr. Lowe’s secret. But nonetheless, I loved the story.

[Salma Khaled · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story's plotline is interesting and grabs any reader's attention but the style of writing is the style of a 14 year old teenager. The way stephanie writes is full of details and description that it makes the reader lose sight of the main point. At some point in the story I was beyond bored the only thing that made me continue was that I really needed to know who was the kidnapper.

[Shalonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Entertaining

I have to say this was an enjoyable read. I loved the drama and the mystery behind that drama. The sad part is this is a true fact. Some people only have high school as the highlight of their lives.

[Lady Entropy · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

High school drama

Great book for young readers. Being a mom, I found it very reminiscent of my high school years, with the cliques and popularity.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[RoloPoloBookBlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revenge of the Homecoming Queen by Stephanie Hale
(Book #1: Aspen Brooks Trilogy)
Source: Purchase
Rating: 4/5 stars

Is there anything worse than losing the run for Homecoming Queen? YES!! Losing the race to the biggest skank in school and then having to endure said skank spreading a rumor that you wear knockoffs. Holy Hell!! Can it get any worse? Absolutely 

For Aspen Brooks, the title and the crown for Homecoming Queen were supposed to be a lock: Aspen is beautiful, quite stylish (Dooney and Jimmy Choo, duh!), totally smart and, she knows how to run a campaign. And so, in front of the entire student body and looking her very, very best something goes horribly wrong and Aspen watches as her nemesis Angel Ives and her minions take the crown and court!! The only real consolation is the fact that the biggest nerd in the school, Rand Bachrach took the King crown. Now how did that happen?

As if this first epic fail weren’t enough, over the next few weeks, Aspen’s life becomes a series of dramas, one after the next and all designed to turn her world upside down. First, the nemesis disappears (OK, not so bad!), her ridiculously stupid but totally popular boyfriend dumps her (kind of sucky!), she finds herself strangely attracted to the biggest nerd in school (turns out he cleans up reeeally well), her best friend begins acting quite strangely (more so than normal) and, she lands in the hospital. Huh? It sort of seems like someone just might be out to get Aspen Brooks. In order to figure out why the universe is out to get her and convince the now super-hot Rand that she is more than just a flighty and self-absorbed airhead, Aspen must sharpen her sluething skills and change her behavior.

To be fair, Aspen’s sleuthing skills are quite good and in no time flat, she begins to unravel the mystery of her misfortune. With the help of Rand and some flat-out dogged determination, Aspen pulls all the evidence together and in one final and seriously dramatic showdown, she saves and/or improves the day, her nemesis (BLECH!), her mom, two morons and, her relationship with her bestie and Rand. The final reveal of the big bad and the motivation behind all the drama isn’t all that surprising but it also really doesn’t matter because the ride from start to finish is just flat out entertaining. Some of the things Aspen chooses to say are just mind boggling and laugh-out-loud funny!! I don’t think she has ever heard of either an inner monologue or edit button 

The Bottom Line: Yeah, Aspen is a bit self-absorbed and the tiniest bit clueless from time to time but at heart she is a good and well-meaning person. She is also a phenomenally well-dressed person  Though there were times when I just hung my head in shame for Aspen I also found myself, on more than a few occasions really rooting for her. Aspen has some truly fine qualities (the moments with her mom are great!) and once you get beyond the shallow, Aspen is a character worth knowing. In all, Revenge of the Homecoming Queen has a lot to offer including: light suspense, witty banter and generally good conversation, fairly well-developed characters, naughty bits that are kept to a respectable minimum and, a read that is smooth and entertaining. I can’t honestly say this book is going to make my top reads of the year list but I can honestly say that I have already purchased the other two books in the trilogy! Yes, I need more Aspen Brooks in my life!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review also posted here on TotalTeenFiction

I got this book as free download from the Kindle store, and there were a few things that drew me to it. Firstly the title sounded like exactly what I was looking for (contemporary - woo!) and I really liked the cover. Revenge of the Homecoming Queen tells the story of Aspen Brooks who gets beaten to the post of queen by her nemesis Angel. Only the contest didn't go as planned with geeky Rand getting the role of king. Soon the school is in chaos and Aspen seems to be the victim of a series of pranks aimed at embarrassing her.

So within a few pages I was hooked. Aspen narrates the story and she has this really witty voice throughout that kept me engaged and made me giggle. Now, I have to point out that Aspen isn't a nice character. I know not everyone can put up with horrible characters when they story is not only about them but narrated by them too, but I adored it.I knew Aspen was horrible - she's materialistic and snobby and vain, but I could see quite early on that she had potential for so much more. Her best friend Tobi isn't the typical popular girl and even though Aspen points this out a lot, I thought the fact they were friends said a lot about Aspen's true character. She also seems to be aware of her flaws which made me think there was a chance she would develop throughout the story.

A lot of the plot revolves around Rand being elected homecoming king, and I adored Rand as a character. He's totally infatuated with Aspen and she clearly does not deserve him. He's kind and considerate but all Aspen can see is this geeky boy who beat her football player boyfriend to the title of king. Throughout the story the two characters find themselves having to spend more time with each other and I love how Aspen starts to look at Rand differently. It was quite predictable what would happen but I really enjoyed watching events unfold.

The book takes on a bit of a mystery element as the story moves on, as people start disappearing from the small town of Comfort. I really liked how that played out, although I'll admit I knew who was responsible from pretty early on. But seeing Aspen take charge and try and get to the bottom of things made for some really exciting action and as the story reached its climax I couldn't stop reading.

I had a few issues with the pacing where things seemed to happen a little to fast, but otherwise I really enjoyed the writing style. I'm really looking forward to reading more from this author.

I really do love a bit of high school drama so this book was right up my street. It feels like something that should be a bit of a guilty pleasure because Aspen is so anti- what I usually look for in female character, but I think every so often you need a bit of fun and drama! And this book had drama by the bucketful. It won't be to everyone's taste but if from the title and plot summary you're intrigued then definitely check it out. I loved the writing and the humour - definitely worth a read!

Find more books like this at TotalTeenFiction!

[Julie Read Our Lips! Book Review Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up Revenge of the Homecoming Queen (ROHQ) due to a case of serious Cover Lust! I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did, though, but I couldn’t help falling for its campy, YA humor.

Amber Brooks is the most popular girl in high school and dating the hottest, most popular boy as expected. She’s all but got the Homecoming Queen title in the bag, but her nemesis, the head cheerleader, Angel Ives, isn’t going to let her get it so easily.

But Angel isn’t Amber’s only problem. Amber’s boyfriend is a major prankster and just rallied the school to vote ultra-dork, Rand Bachrach as the Homecoming King along with Ashley as Queen, upsetting Amber’s plans. Amber is shocked, but somewhat happy she doesn’t have to be queen along with Rand.

But then strange things start happening at school and Amber starts spending time with Rand, who turns out to be not such a dork after all. Then everything changes when Angel comes up missing and all fingers point to Amber. Will Amber find out who is responsible for all the creepy events and disappearances plaguing her high school?
*************

ROHQ is an enjoyable read that features a lot of humor and really drives home the message that looks aren’t everything in life. The only place it really missed the boat was showcasing unnecessary sexual scenes/acts.

First of all, if you have to allude to a sexual act and not showcase it, For example: “I heard Shelly gave a BJ to Luke” or “Last night we had the most amazing sex.” That right there – at least to me as a reader – is a recipe for disaster. Why even bring it up at all? Just say there was talk of them getting hot and bothered or we took our relationship to the next level. That’s it. No need to go “there” if you’re not going to go “there,” you know what I mean?

Also, these are kids in high school and I’m not sure if they were 18 or not, but these kind of allusions to gratuitous sex scenes didn’t cut it for me at all. They did nothing to further the plot and they shouldn’t have been there in the first place. If the author had taken these two scenes out, ROHQ would have easily gotten 5 Kisses from me. But since they were there, my rating goes down to 3 Kisses. Yeah, you know it’s bad when the sex fiend I tell you to take out the sex in your book. LOL

Still, ROHQ was an okay read that had me laughing and you’ll never guess the twist at the end at who was actually getting revenge on the Homecoming Queen.



ROHQ features:

oral sex*
sexual content*
f/f kissing
humor
mystery
suspense
kidnapping
revenge



*content is alluded to
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[Meredith Schorr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aspen Brooks is positive she will win homecoming queen. She's the prettiest, most popular girl at school and clearly the most fashionably dressed. So imagine her surprise when the crown goes to her nemesis Angel Ives. Although the blow to her enormous ego is weakened when super geek Rand Bachrach is crowned homecoming prince instead of Aspen's hottie boyfriend, Lucas, she is still humiliated. Add insult to injury, Rand keeps hanging around her, threatening to ruin her image while Lucas is caught cheating on her with Angel. As if things couldn't get any worse, Angel disappears and the entire school, including her supposed best friend Tobi, seems more interested in Angel's well-being than Aspen! As Aspen's life beings to spiral out of control, it takes some help from others to help her learn that appearance isn't everything and her biggest teacher is the person she least expected.

I don't read much YA unless it is of The Hunger Games ilk, but since it was a free download and looked cute, I decided to give it a try. I'm really glad I did as it was adorable. At the beginning of the story, Aspen was unbelievably conceited but she was hilarious and I couldn't help but love her. I solved the mystery about half-way through but it was fun reading as it unfolded. I loved Aspen's relationship with her mom and the love story was very cute. I enjoyed watching Aspen develop into a less shallow person. I would say my only issue with this book was Aspen's obvious sexual experience level. I'm not a prude but the thought of high school kids being so sexually active to the point that they've had numerous sexual partners and talk about it like it's a sport rather than an intimate act by the time they are 17 just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It is unrealistic to expect all or even most high school girls to be virgins in this day and age, but I wish the mentions of the "yummy thong" and Aspen's rating scale of her past conquests would have been left out. It felt out of a place in an otherwise really cute story.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across this book as a freebie on Amazon one day. I was looking for something more lighthearted to read, so I thought a little cattiness between girls would be the perfect remedy.

Aspen Brooks, girlfriend to the star quarterback, was destined to be homecoming queen. Imagine her shock when the crown ends up on the head of cheerleader, Angel Ives. Even more shocking, the crown for the homecoming king ends up on the head of mega geek, Rand Bachrach. Then things begin to get even more weird. Aspen gets threatening messages, her boyfriend dumps her, she finds herself falling for Rand, and girls start disappearing. Aspen takes it upon herself to play detective when one of the ones to disappear is her own mother. Will she uncover what is happening, or will she become the next victim?

I felt like there was too much pushed into the story. There was mystery, revenge, love and much more. We have the downfall of the reputation of Aspen, the disappearance of the girls, the transformation of geek into hunk, the discovery of sexuality of friends, a mother who is a shopaholic, and more. The story was so jumbled with everything, I had to keep pushing myself to finish. I didn't really feel a connection to the characters. In fact, I found Aspen and her mother annoying. They were both shallow and some of Aspen's actions made me cringe. Who has sex with their boyfriend after finding out their mother has disappeared? I just wanted to reach into the pages and smack her.

I teetered between giving this book 2.5 or 3 stars. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a teen story, but with adult themes, younger adults, but not younger teen readers.

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[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aspen Brooks is stunning. She is beautiful, stylish, and destined to be homecoming queen. Aspen is dating Lucas, the quarterback of the high school football team. Her life is like a fairy tale. Until....the night of the homecoming dance when her arch rival, Angel Ives, is announced the queen. At first, Aspen can't believe what she is hearing and is upset, but then she hears the name of the homecoming king. Rand Bachrach, the biggest dork in the school, wins the crown. Aspen thinks it is hilarious that Angel has to appear with Rand at the many functions during homecoming week as king and queen.

Angel is furious about Rand being the king and thinks Aspen is behind it, but it turns out that Lucas set it up for all the guys at the school to vote for Rand. Angel doesn't know this though and vows revenge on Aspen. Soon after, Aspen finds her tires slashed, pornography in her locker, and her athesma inhaler stolen (which leads to an emergency hospital visit). Of course, Aspen thinks Angel is behind all of these incidents and is enraged. Then...Angel disappears. Aspen thinks it is a stunt, but everyone else thinks she's been kidnapped.

Things start to change for Aspen as she spends more time with Rand, has to help her mother with a very difficult situation, and learns that being stylish isn't always the most important thing in life.

REVENGE OF THE HOMECOMING QUEEN has it all. Romance, humor, family issues, and mystery. If you enjoy drama then this book is for you. It is fast-paced and sucks you in on the first page. Aspen, even though she is a privileged and somewhat spoiled girl, turns out to be a lovable protagonist.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world of Aspen Brooks wasn’t an easy one to live in; she’s a senior going for the homecoming queen. Aspen is a self centered on the A-list with her bf Lucas another A-list that’s a weird one. Aspen was sent into shock when the homecoming tiara was given to Angel another A-list that’s self centered. Angel is so very happy until it was announce that her prince would be Rand a total cutie on the D-list that qualifies him as a nerd. Finding out the bf Lucas had something to do with this puts Aspen on the Angel revenge list.

Angel finds herself doing things to Aspen that no one in their right mind would have done, with all the terrible things to hurt Aspen. After Aspen went to the principal to inform Ms. Hottie of the turn of events. Angel comes up missing at the bonfire after she was busted giving some enjoyment to bf Lucas. There’s a kidnapper out there some where and now Aspen is having doubts about who’s out there to get her because the terrible things are still happening although Angel is missing. Her ex bf Lucas is no help but she do know for a fact although he seen Angel last he’s not the kidnapper.

The night of the bonfire Aspen has a near death experience of an asthma attack and Rand comes to her rescue. Now Rand is forever in her thoughts but still not good enough although his kiss gave her a warmness that she has never felt before. Aspen finds out Rand is so in love with her and knows things about her that sent her running the other way. With all that’s going on with people still coming up missing and all Aspen knows that she could be next on the list, it’s no time for romance.

[Shonele Piersey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being in high school, all you care about is fashion, social hierarchy, friends, new Jimmy Choos, homecoming and…kidnapping? That’s not right. Aspen Brooks has been dying to be homecoming queen for the longest time, but when a bad prank goes wrong, and a *gag* geek is voted for homecoming king. Next to follow is a week of strange events including vandalism. Not to mention, loving a geek. *Double gag*! Aspen’s world tries to piece this all together before something else totally goes wrong, or before she decides to wear one outfit twice in one week. That’d be social suicide! I have to say, as much as I dread to say it too, girls who enjoy the social high school hierarchy and believe they are absolute A-listers would enjoy this. It’d be a real wake up call to them, which I would personally find interesting. Also, all of those who like suspense with a twist of romance would enjoy this novel too. It’s just a good combination of the two and it’s a real page-turner. I found this book to be addicting. I couldn’t stop reading after the first chapter. Having a girl realize how dense she was to the world while everything was happening was a big eye opener. Then having her think that it all falls around her, which was a slap to the face. I could understand what Aspen was thinking through this, but she just wouldn’t shut up about herself, that’s the only reason it’s not five stars.

[Lucie Paris · Rating 2 out of 5]

A reading perfect for a relaxing and fun time during the holidays.
 
A romantic comedy for fans of heroines who need to have their heads slap because of they have a special way of perceiving life... They are superficial and seems to have a sense of priorities and reality completely inappropriate with the situations they are into. But they always have a big heart and a good background. A mixture between the girls discussions in "Clueless," and the dreams of popularity of Drew Barrymore in "Never Been Kissed", spiced up with a hint of Veronica Mars in the investigations.

For those that have recognized themselves in "Confessions of a Shopaholic" by Sophie Kinsella and for those who can not leave their houses in sports pants unless they are signed by a great designer, you will have a good time reading this one.

Of course, the beautiful queen bee will fall in love with the toad and learn to look beyond appearances under cover of a small police investigation to spice up a little this story.
Nothing transcendent but a nice book who will not give you headaches and will make chuckle because of Aspen's exantricities.
An easy read!

Lucie
http://newbooksonmyselves.blogspot.fr...

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aspen is vapid, self absorbed, self important, and frankly, a bitch. A Senior at Comfort High, she has it all....the QB boyfriend, the diligent and loyal BFF, a killer wardrobe, brains, and enough Dooney's to choke an entire field of horses. She even has the homecoming title locked up....or so she thinks. Through a series of very unfortunate events, Aspen discovers that beauty really is only skin deep and that a persons true worth is not in the fact they can spot a fake fake Prada at 100 feet. The girl you love to hate is suddenly endearing and regardless of her fashion sense or snarky comebacks, she is very sweet and lovable. Thankfully for Aspen, there is someone else who thinks so too. The fight to get him and keep him while saving her mother is a page turning ride.

A cute quick read that looks into the social caste system of high school and easily translatable to adulthood....minus the tiara.