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Animal Attraction
The Season of (No?) Love.
Jane's life is one giant Conspiracy, with the whole world plotting to keep any chance of romance far, far away. Her social history (17 years, 0 boyfriends) is proof positive of that. But this summer, she's determined to crank it up.
Jane's snagged a gig at the local theme park as part of the star attraction—the Mermaid Show. But then the Conspiracy strikes, and she ends up starstruck in a furry beaver costume all day long. Hard to breathe, let alone flirt.... Can Jane figure a way out of the beaver suit and into the arms of her summer love?
Jane's life is one giant Conspiracy, with the whole world plotting to keep any chance of romance far, far away. Her social history (17 years, 0 boyfriends) is proof positive of that. But this summer, she's determined to crank it up.
Jane's snagged a gig at the local theme park as part of the star attraction—the Mermaid Show. But then the Conspiracy strikes, and she ends up starstruck in a furry beaver costume all day long. Hard to breathe, let alone flirt.... Can Jane figure a way out of the beaver suit and into the arms of her summer love?
248 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 26, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 8, 2014
My roommate has this boyfriend who is incredibly annoying mainly because he cracks stupid jokes. He thinks they are funny but they aren't. He calls himself the next Jerry Seinfeld. I'm not joking when I say that.
So I come home from a long 7 hour shift from my job and if none of you have been in retail, let me tell you something. It's brutal. All I want to do is eat a Big Mac and sleep. Unfortunately McDonald's is out of my budget this week. So I settle for the next best thing, reading.
I walk into my apartment and see that stupid grin on his stupid face. He's the last person I want to see. He offers me some of his sandwich that he stuffed with disgusting items in the house. Like anchovies. Blech.
I tell him to leave me alone and begin to read only to have him come in thirty minutes later for who knows what. He takes one look at the title and giggles like a little girl. "I didn't know you were into that kind of stuff." He laughed loudly while I gave him my best shut up and get out look.
Then I had to deal with the stupid joke that this book is. I'm not talking about the actual jokes Jane's dad cracked because those were pretty awful. I'm talking about the simplicity of this book.
Maybe it's time I leave the Young Adult section because lately it has only made me an angry person. However, I find the adult section to not entertain me. So I guess I'm in limbo right now.
We start off meeting Jane who can be described in one word, plain. In fact, she even describes herself this way. By the end of the book she goes oh now I am just Jane! I'm over here like um no. Your are still plain Jane. You haven't changed a bit.
There's a time in every persons life, usually happens many times, that a person is suddenly desirable. Everyone wants to hire them, be friends, date them, etc. I've been through it a few times and even I dot understand. All I know is that it is true.
Our good friend Jane gets the chance to experience this. Only she is unaware of the other guy until um, the last chapter. For some reason this super attractive, rich guy wants our plain Jane. Why? I don't know. She is kind of boring. And strange.
The one thing I did like about Alex was that he had problems. He didn't like his stepmom and he was afraid of the water. His faults made me like him for a little bit. The rest of the time I was waiting for him to reveal his alternative motive. I mean Grayson calls him Mr. Gorgeous! Gorgeous people have alternative motives.
Trust me.
The mermaid lie upset me. She began it from nerves. She was asked if she was a mermaid and she said yes. She could have explained well I was one but I keep forgetting. Or say no way, I am the one and only Eager Beaver. Instead she lets this lie grow.
At one point she invited Alex to a party with her amusement park coworkers. The coworkers who know she is a beaver not a mermaid. How in the world could this go wrong? I'll let you think about that for a moment...
Now if you're on the same page as me, you're probably going of course something bad is going to happen. I'm glad we thought that through because Jane sure didn't. I don't know what she thought was going to happen. People who work with you tend to mention things that happen at WORK. (Am I getting too worked up over a book that's 250 pages?)
My final complaint is the ending. Alex leaves with a solid explanation that confused me. This guy is rich and he chooses this girl who clearly has a weird side? Whatever. Anyway he's gone and Jane is sad. She mopes around and eats ice cream.
Then all of a sudden...someone confesses their feelings for her! Jane is happy! Jane then decides she likes this guy too! Then she strips in front of him and kisses him under the waterfall. Alex is old news. Who needs guys who literally left you two days ago.
Then Jane mans up and takes a stand against her enemy who had no motive at all to be evil. Jane makes this girl cry and calls her heartless which makes us all wonder who is the real villain here. Because here in this world, you don't need a real reason to hate someone. These two sure didn't have one.
The enemy and one of Jane's friends make up and then everything is happy.
You tell me how this book makes sense because it really doesn't. If my boyfriend left for London, I am going to be sad for weeks. If during that time a guy from my work confesses his love to me, I am not going to instantly forget the ex boyfriend and hook up with the new guy. I feel like the author just began rushing and started cramming crap down our throats.
I don't know.
So I come home from a long 7 hour shift from my job and if none of you have been in retail, let me tell you something. It's brutal. All I want to do is eat a Big Mac and sleep. Unfortunately McDonald's is out of my budget this week. So I settle for the next best thing, reading.
I walk into my apartment and see that stupid grin on his stupid face. He's the last person I want to see. He offers me some of his sandwich that he stuffed with disgusting items in the house. Like anchovies. Blech.
I tell him to leave me alone and begin to read only to have him come in thirty minutes later for who knows what. He takes one look at the title and giggles like a little girl. "I didn't know you were into that kind of stuff." He laughed loudly while I gave him my best shut up and get out look.
Then I had to deal with the stupid joke that this book is. I'm not talking about the actual jokes Jane's dad cracked because those were pretty awful. I'm talking about the simplicity of this book.
Maybe it's time I leave the Young Adult section because lately it has only made me an angry person. However, I find the adult section to not entertain me. So I guess I'm in limbo right now.
We start off meeting Jane who can be described in one word, plain. In fact, she even describes herself this way. By the end of the book she goes oh now I am just Jane! I'm over here like um no. Your are still plain Jane. You haven't changed a bit.
There's a time in every persons life, usually happens many times, that a person is suddenly desirable. Everyone wants to hire them, be friends, date them, etc. I've been through it a few times and even I dot understand. All I know is that it is true.
Our good friend Jane gets the chance to experience this. Only she is unaware of the other guy until um, the last chapter. For some reason this super attractive, rich guy wants our plain Jane. Why? I don't know. She is kind of boring. And strange.
The one thing I did like about Alex was that he had problems. He didn't like his stepmom and he was afraid of the water. His faults made me like him for a little bit. The rest of the time I was waiting for him to reveal his alternative motive. I mean Grayson calls him Mr. Gorgeous! Gorgeous people have alternative motives.
Trust me.
The mermaid lie upset me. She began it from nerves. She was asked if she was a mermaid and she said yes. She could have explained well I was one but I keep forgetting. Or say no way, I am the one and only Eager Beaver. Instead she lets this lie grow.
At one point she invited Alex to a party with her amusement park coworkers. The coworkers who know she is a beaver not a mermaid. How in the world could this go wrong? I'll let you think about that for a moment...
Now if you're on the same page as me, you're probably going of course something bad is going to happen. I'm glad we thought that through because Jane sure didn't. I don't know what she thought was going to happen. People who work with you tend to mention things that happen at WORK. (Am I getting too worked up over a book that's 250 pages?)
My final complaint is the ending. Alex leaves with a solid explanation that confused me. This guy is rich and he chooses this girl who clearly has a weird side? Whatever. Anyway he's gone and Jane is sad. She mopes around and eats ice cream.
Then all of a sudden...someone confesses their feelings for her! Jane is happy! Jane then decides she likes this guy too! Then she strips in front of him and kisses him under the waterfall. Alex is old news. Who needs guys who literally left you two days ago.
Then Jane mans up and takes a stand against her enemy who had no motive at all to be evil. Jane makes this girl cry and calls her heartless which makes us all wonder who is the real villain here. Because here in this world, you don't need a real reason to hate someone. These two sure didn't have one.
The enemy and one of Jane's friends make up and then everything is happy.
You tell me how this book makes sense because it really doesn't. If my boyfriend left for London, I am going to be sad for weeks. If during that time a guy from my work confesses his love to me, I am not going to instantly forget the ex boyfriend and hook up with the new guy. I feel like the author just began rushing and started cramming crap down our throats.
I don't know.
August 19, 2020
2.5 stars
This was written in 2005, and IT SHOWS. (NB, pop culture references in a contemporary do NOT stand up to the test of time.) Seriously, this book was chock full of really dated references. When is the last time someone has talked about Fear Factor (I had totally forgotten that was a show at one point), how hot Tom Welling is, or Teen People magazine (which has been out of print for years)? It made the book seem seriously dated.
Plot-wise, it was fine. I didn’t get why the main character wasn’t just honest, and I didn’t like that she was basically dating two guys at a time (she was totally clueless about Grayson liking her), but I liked her friend group and how they were always there for each other. The dad was the best character. Gotta love those dad jokes!
This was written in 2005, and IT SHOWS. (NB, pop culture references in a contemporary do NOT stand up to the test of time.) Seriously, this book was chock full of really dated references. When is the last time someone has talked about Fear Factor (I had totally forgotten that was a show at one point), how hot Tom Welling is, or Teen People magazine (which has been out of print for years)? It made the book seem seriously dated.
Plot-wise, it was fine. I didn’t get why the main character wasn’t just honest, and I didn’t like that she was basically dating two guys at a time (she was totally clueless about Grayson liking her), but I liked her friend group and how they were always there for each other. The dad was the best character. Gotta love those dad jokes!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2017
Animal Attraction is a cute romantic comedy taking place in the mid 2000’s — one that I liked a lot more than I was expecting to. Jane has a lot of big plans for the summer — one is to work a couple jobs to pay her share for the car her parents just bought her. However, when it looks as though she’s about to be scouted by a great university to be on their swim team, she has to drop out of the Mermaid Show at her local theme park, because swimming in it would make her a professional swimmer, which would disqualify her. So, she ends up becoming an animal character instead. On top of that, she wants to find a boyfriend for the summer. She has to learn how to balance her social and work life, and it turns out to be a bit of a challenge!
One of the strongest points of this book for me is that while it has the stereotypical love-triangle bit, it’s not done in a melodramatic, terrible way. Jane is never forced to choose between which guy she likes most; she starts dating a guy, and that’s that for the other love interest. Also, both of them are very nice and would be good boyfriends for her. I hate when one love interest is clearly terrible (I hate it more when he gets chosen, way to show teenagers how they should approach relationships — but, I digress), and the other is perfect and it’s somehow a conflict. Thankfully, it’s done tastefully and shows a very real situation where people have choices as to who they want to date and it’s all about timing and courage and all sorts of other factors.
I also love all the characters in this book. Jane is such a relatable character — she just wants to have fun and pursue her dreams. I like that her parents seemed like actual people and were given more of a role than I usually see in these types of books. Jane’s best friends are also a riot. They are all super supportive of one another and while they have their disagreements, they also have each other’s backs, and it’s a great portrayal of a high school friend group.
Aside from that, it’s funny and it shows how fun relationships (and different) relationships can be. It also shows how tangled lies can get when you try to be someone you’re not. I’m not sure how well the pop culture references would be received in today’s time, since they all very much draw from the mid-to-late 2000’s. Aside from that, though, this is a cute fun romance. It’s a fast, fluffy read, so if that’s what you’re looking for, I definitely recommend it.
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
One of the strongest points of this book for me is that while it has the stereotypical love-triangle bit, it’s not done in a melodramatic, terrible way. Jane is never forced to choose between which guy she likes most; she starts dating a guy, and that’s that for the other love interest. Also, both of them are very nice and would be good boyfriends for her. I hate when one love interest is clearly terrible (I hate it more when he gets chosen, way to show teenagers how they should approach relationships — but, I digress), and the other is perfect and it’s somehow a conflict. Thankfully, it’s done tastefully and shows a very real situation where people have choices as to who they want to date and it’s all about timing and courage and all sorts of other factors.
I also love all the characters in this book. Jane is such a relatable character — she just wants to have fun and pursue her dreams. I like that her parents seemed like actual people and were given more of a role than I usually see in these types of books. Jane’s best friends are also a riot. They are all super supportive of one another and while they have their disagreements, they also have each other’s backs, and it’s a great portrayal of a high school friend group.
Aside from that, it’s funny and it shows how fun relationships (and different) relationships can be. It also shows how tangled lies can get when you try to be someone you’re not. I’m not sure how well the pop culture references would be received in today’s time, since they all very much draw from the mid-to-late 2000’s. Aside from that, though, this is a cute fun romance. It’s a fast, fluffy read, so if that’s what you’re looking for, I definitely recommend it.
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
August 7, 2017
This book was so cute. I really liked the story.
February 10, 2022
Cute, a little cringy and adolescent. But an easy and fun read nonetheless.
March 17, 2017
This is a really good book if you're looking for a super fast, fun read. It's cute, cheesy, goofy and amusing at the same time. It's definitely geared towards younger readers, but it works.
November 19, 2008
Cute so far.Animal Attraction by Jamie Ponti is a young adult romance set in the fictional town of Ruby Beach Florida. Jane is trying to have one last summer of fun before her senior year of high school. The only problem: she has to work two jobs to repay her parents for her "new to her" car.
Jane is a swimmer so her summer job choices are simple: swim coach to beginning swimmers at the local club and Mermaid at the water park. Unfortunately if she's to get a sports scholarship to USC, she can't be a Mermaid. Instead, she ends up being one of the park critters: a beaver.
I'm not really spoiling anything. Those two paragraphs sum up the first chapter of the book. The rest of the book follows Jane through her two jobs and the uneasy task of managing the two men in her life, Alex, a seventeen year old rich boy hunk who is scared of water and Grayson, a fellow park mascot.
To survive all the demands on her life, Jane compartmentalizes herself. During the swim lessons with Alex she's Bikini Jane. When she's at the park she's Plain Jane. At home she's just Jane. Of course even with careful planning things go awry; that's life.
Throughout the book and the elaborate schemes, Jane remains a likeable and believable heroine. Either of her two potential boyfriends are charming and convincing good matches for her. The romance could have gone either way and Animal Attraction would have been just as delightful.
Since this book was published in 2005, Jamie Ponti has had two more young adult books published: Prama (2008) and Sea of Love (Dec. 2008). Both are books I would love to read and review based on my enjoyment of Animal Attraction. If you haven't read Animal Attraction and are looking for something light and entertaining to read, pick up a copy!
Jane is a swimmer so her summer job choices are simple: swim coach to beginning swimmers at the local club and Mermaid at the water park. Unfortunately if she's to get a sports scholarship to USC, she can't be a Mermaid. Instead, she ends up being one of the park critters: a beaver.
I'm not really spoiling anything. Those two paragraphs sum up the first chapter of the book. The rest of the book follows Jane through her two jobs and the uneasy task of managing the two men in her life, Alex, a seventeen year old rich boy hunk who is scared of water and Grayson, a fellow park mascot.
To survive all the demands on her life, Jane compartmentalizes herself. During the swim lessons with Alex she's Bikini Jane. When she's at the park she's Plain Jane. At home she's just Jane. Of course even with careful planning things go awry; that's life.
Throughout the book and the elaborate schemes, Jane remains a likeable and believable heroine. Either of her two potential boyfriends are charming and convincing good matches for her. The romance could have gone either way and Animal Attraction would have been just as delightful.
Since this book was published in 2005, Jamie Ponti has had two more young adult books published: Prama (2008) and Sea of Love (Dec. 2008). Both are books I would love to read and review based on my enjoyment of Animal Attraction. If you haven't read Animal Attraction and are looking for something light and entertaining to read, pick up a copy!
March 27, 2009
I choose to read Animal Attraction becase it was a comedy. This book is about a girl named Jane who gets a job as a mermaid in the most boring amusement park ever but then that had to be canceled becuase she has to teach private swimming lessons. But she also gets a different job at the park as a beaver. So when she goes to the house of a rich boy who cant swim she falls in love. So if you want to hear more you better read the book.
I have a text-to-text connection. This relates to another book i know. Love, Hollywood Style. Jane in Animal Attraction and Tracy in Love, Hollywood Style both do crazy things to get boys or boys attention. Jane changes into sexy Jane and Tracy tries to get a guy by using movies. They both change but in the end they realize they don't need to.
I give this book **** stars. I gave this book 4 stars becuas eit had great details but it could've been more interesting. By making it a romantic comedy made it hilarious. In the beginning it was boring but when sh egot into her plan it got juicy. I suggest this book to people who like a good laugh.
I have a text-to-text connection. This relates to another book i know. Love, Hollywood Style. Jane in Animal Attraction and Tracy in Love, Hollywood Style both do crazy things to get boys or boys attention. Jane changes into sexy Jane and Tracy tries to get a guy by using movies. They both change but in the end they realize they don't need to.
I give this book **** stars. I gave this book 4 stars becuas eit had great details but it could've been more interesting. By making it a romantic comedy made it hilarious. In the beginning it was boring but when sh egot into her plan it got juicy. I suggest this book to people who like a good laugh.
March 26, 2009
This book is about a girl looking for some money and got a job, and meets 2 guys... 1 of them is rich and thinks differently about her, because that's not the real Jane but Bikini Jane. Then she is the real Jane at her job she is totally herself and is Plain Jane. She has to hide secrets, duck low and stay quite, and her friends help her to transform.
I can make a text to self connection because, whenever it comes to a point where I have to keep something a secrets, we have to dig down low.
Its like you have to hide everything and make sure its fully covered up without anyone knowing.
I would rate this book a 5 because I liked how they used modern day songs, and languages that kids now a days would understand. I also like how they use problems that we could go through now. Its like a mentor to use! Its a funny book too! It all comes together to be a awesome book that I couldn't put done!
I can make a text to self connection because, whenever it comes to a point where I have to keep something a secrets, we have to dig down low.
Its like you have to hide everything and make sure its fully covered up without anyone knowing.
I would rate this book a 5 because I liked how they used modern day songs, and languages that kids now a days would understand. I also like how they use problems that we could go through now. Its like a mentor to use! Its a funny book too! It all comes together to be a awesome book that I couldn't put done!
January 28, 2016
This book starts off really slow, but it picks up later on when she meets Alex, the boy that she is supposed to give swimming lessons to. I found this book to be quite lacking because it just showed the problem of her lack of love life and trying to solve that problem. The only reason I read to the end was because of the person against the main character. This character provided the drama needed for a person to at least be slightly interested in this book. I also thought that the possibility of Jane getting with another guy instead of the guy she set out for was interesting. It had the possibility of adding tension between the main two guy characters and bringing more excitement to this book.
September 13, 2016
Jane needs to pay off the car her parents gave her. So she gets two jobs, one is teaching swimming and the other as a mermaid at the theme park Magic Waters. That is till, she can't be a mermaid and instead dons the beaver costume.
She even helps 17 year old Alex how to swim and the two become a couple. But then why does Jane get jealous when she sees her best friend and Grayson, a co-worker at Magic Waters dancing? Hmm...This is a funny read. Also, that's nice of her parents to cheer Jane up, especially her dad. Anyone notice how in most books, there's a character name Jane? Must be a popular name. Anyway, liked this book.
She even helps 17 year old Alex how to swim and the two become a couple. But then why does Jane get jealous when she sees her best friend and Grayson, a co-worker at Magic Waters dancing? Hmm...This is a funny read. Also, that's nice of her parents to cheer Jane up, especially her dad. Anyone notice how in most books, there's a character name Jane? Must be a popular name. Anyway, liked this book.
October 13, 2010
This was a cute, fun read. Jane is an excellent swimmer who has won state. When she is assigned to give private swimming lessons she isn't very excited. But when she meets Alex she has to become "bikini Jane" in the mean time "regular Jane" has become good friends with Grayson.
December 5, 2013
A very cute, fast, and short young adult read. Throughout this short book I found myself laughing and smiling. Which is always a good thing when I read a book. Jane is our main character and to me she was just adorable. I loved her parents in this book.
June 4, 2009
Some people would do anything to get a guy. And sometimes it just works out. This book was a screwball comedy and really just a lot of fun. Totally re-readable.
August 23, 2012
3.5 stars.
Cute! Super-duper cheesy, definitely a simple, YA beach read, but cute! :)
Cute! Super-duper cheesy, definitely a simple, YA beach read, but cute! :)
December 6, 2009
Romance. It was pretty good.
Read
June 6, 2011Really liked this one :) summer 2010
October 21, 2011
This book was good but theres better.
May 25, 2013
Short and cute. A light summer read. It's very surface level but it's exactly what I wanted.
August 27, 2016
Very cute romantic comedy that's perfect for high school students who like romance with a little laugh now and then.
September 20, 2014
The beginning of this book was really cute, but the conclusion was really disappointing. Maybe it's because I'm somehow too old for this, but I just end up not really liking this story.
January 12, 2013
Read this when I was younger. Enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews