Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen #1

by Dyan Sheldon

More famous than ever after hitting the silver screen, the ever-dramatic Lola Cep is still in the spotlight — vying with Born-to-Win, Born-to-Run-Everything Carla Santini to snag the lead in the high school play. Can Lola survive Carla's attempts at retaliation? Once the curtain goes up, which drama queen will take center stage?

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Humor, Teen

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Dyan Sheldon is the author of many novels for young adult readers, including the #1 New York Times bestseller CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN, which was made into a major motion picture. American by birth, she lives in North London.

Reviews

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

3.30 average rating?? Oh come on, people! This book was outrageously funny! So what if this book will never be required reading in high schools or that it will never be remembered as a vital work of literature? That was never the author's intent. This is just a fun story about a shallow girl who can't stop lying and/or looking for drama. Besides, did I mention it's funny?? Sheesh, this book gets an easy 5 stars purely for A- NOT putting on its "literary airs" and B- Simply being a fun read.

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was nice, as annoyed as I was getting with how dramatic Lola is, even in her narration. Although I feel like I should have anticipated this, the book IS called "confessions of a teenage drama queen." Maybe it's because I'm an adult, but I definitely identified more with Ella than Lola. I kept getting frustrated by Lola's compounding lies and self-pity. I could see how teenagers might identify with being soooo misunderstood, but now I just found myself getting annoyed. Not sure that I would recommend this one.

[Utami · Rating 3 out of 5]

My friends say that I'm such a drama queen. And that's why I was interested to read this book.

Oh WOW, Lola is a REAL drama queen. Me is nothing compares to her.

So the girl in this book is actually named Mary Elizabeth, but she preferred to be called (and asked everyone to call her) as Lola. She loves drama. And thinking that ordinary life is not for her, she creates drama of her own life. For example, instead of telling the truth to Ella (her best, and seems to be her only) friend about her parents being separated, Lola told Ella that her father died in a romantic cause. While Lola being dramatic, Carla Santini (the antagonist in the story) is the popular kind of girl. She got the so-called-perfect-life. There was a competition between Lola and Carla to have play the main part in a school play. Out of people's prediction, it was Lola who got the part. That made Lola officially the enemy of Carla, which mean Lola was the public enemy in the school. But the real drama was when a famous band decided to have a final concert and a farewell party after the concert. Carla with no effort got the ticket to the concert, and the invitation to the party. Being a drama queen, Lola can't stop herself to tell people (in front of Carla, of course) that she was also got the ticket, and would attend the party as well. Things which are of course, not true. But it's Lola! So she and Ella made the journey to NYC, to find a way to go the concert, and meet Stu, ad having fun at the party they're not invited to.

So Hollywood kind of story. Somehow, I can't stand Lola telling lies just to make her life more dramatic. I like Ella better. Oh, and of course, my favourite character is Carla Santini. I kind of think that she's playing her part as a queen bee perfectly. Nothing really new, just a light reading that comes a guilty pleasure for me. There's nothing I can actually learn from the book, there's nothing that I really really like about the story, but still, I read it and finish it.

[Em]

I had to rush straight to my computer to write this!! I just purchased a copy of Dyan Sheldon's: Confessions of a Teenage Drama queen for 20p from a local charity shop!!! whooooop!! I'll be completely honest with you, I fell in love with the movie, purchased the dvd and can quote every line (YES... IT'S THAT ADDICTIVE!) but I never knew that it was based on a book! I never knew the novel was out there *smacks hand* I stood in awe looking at it before I grabbed it. The film was amazing, and Lindsay Lohan was a fantastic actress but I have always been a fan of reading rather than watching the movie versions. I understand that writing a book allows more freedom and less restrictions than say that of a full length movie production and I will be curled up in front of the fire tonight reading this wonderful wonderful story.

I do believe I will fall more in love with the novel than the film (if at all possible!)

And would like to thank Dyan personally! For such an amazing amazing amazing story!!

*REVIEW TO FOLLOW*

Regards,
Emma xxx

[Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I picked this up for .10 at a yard sale, otherwise I probably never would have read it. I remember the movie from when I was younger, so I thought it could be a quick mindless read. It was pretty annoying though. For one thing, I disliked how the protagonist lied over the stupidest things just for the heck of it. Also, the author had a very juvenile writing style and the editing was horrendous. Definitely not reading the sequels.

[Darcy (Daydreamingofbookdragons) · Rating 1 out of 5]

(1.5)

Similarly to The Boy of My Dreams, Dyan Sheldon has managed to achieve exactly what she set out to do, just in a way that wasn't enjoyable. I get that the whole point of the book is about a teenage drama queen, but Lola was so much of a drama queen that I couldn't stand it. I don't think she's meant to be unlikeable, but she really is.

I actually felt dread whenever I had to pick this up, and the only way I managed to push myself through this was by skimming it. It did pick up in the last 100 pages - which is what saved it from being only one star - but two thirds of this book was absolutely unbearable.

[Lurva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmmmm.
Really funny and eventful in the first part of the book. The ending was not very exciting.

[Victoria Springer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Annoying protagonist I find it hard to root for. Frustrating plot line. Unsatisfying ending. Yuck.

[PurplyCookie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mary Elizabeth, a.k.a. Lola, is accustomed to playing the starring role in the fascinating production that is her life. Her pottery-making single mom and bratty twin sisters are merely bit players in Lola's dramatic existence. But all this changes when she is forced to move from her beloved Manhattan to the boring suburbs of New Jersey. According to Lola, "living in the suburbs is like being dead, only with cable TV and pizza delivery." The worst part is that someone has already snagged the coveted Drama Queen of Suburbia title--and that someone is Carla Santini. Carla, who is "sophisticated, beautiful, and radiates confidence the way a towering inferno radiates heat," isn't about to let anyone take away her hard-earned crown. Undaunted, Lola tries out for and wins the lead in the school play, a role much desired by Carla. In retaliation, Carla makes the entire student body give Lola the silent treatment (and in addition scores tickets to a sold-out concert of Lola's favorite rock band). Can Lola crash the concert, crush Carla, and still have enough energy to wow everyone in the school production of Pygmalion? It's all in a day's work for Lola, Teenage Drama Queen.

The beginning started out interesting enough and had potential but then the entire plot of the story was engulfed in the pointless, stupid obsession with Sidhartha. Aparently all the band members were complete jerks and in the end the girls still idolized them. I wish this story had had a little more depth than going after the members of Sidhartha.

The two girls will do anything to go to this concert/party--including sneak out against their parents wishes, steal, lie, and walk around New York in the middle of the night with a drunk rock star.The entire quest to meet them dragged on throughout the whole book. There were other, smaller parts of the story such as Mary/Lola's battle against Carla Santini, that was interesting and also the whole Pygmalion play was amusing enough but mainly it was just a bunch of 16-year old girls falling all over some weird goth rock band. Needless to say, this is a book worthy of the trash bin.


More of Purplycookie’s Reviews @: http://www.goodreads.com/purplycookie


Book Details:

Title Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
Author Dyan Sheldon
Reviewed By Purplycookie

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book a couple of years ago as Disney made a movie out of it, and if a book has been made into a movie, I like to try and read the book first. I have mixed feelings about this book. The movie is cute, and there are some basic ideas in place which are fun, but I thought the execution was poor.

Lola was a huge challenge for me as a character in both the book and the movie. In each she came across as melodramatic and self-centered. I don't remember the ending of the book, but by the end of the film she became more selfless. However, in reading the book it just drove me utterly crazy. Although it may be a flaw as a reader, I sometimes struggle with books where the characters make the same mistake many times, yet the characters don't seem to change at all. I also remember reading this and not really enjoying Sheldon's prose, which likely added to this. I liked that Ella's character and back story are a lot more developed in this book. I felt that the author gave her some very realistic struggles, yet I don't remember feeling overly sympathetic for her. Relating to the characters in this novel was a challenge for me.

Given what I've said here, I realize it probably seems unfair of me to give this book one star. The fair thing to do would probably be to re-read and reconsider this novel. I honestly have no memories of enjoying reading this book. However, you don't necessarily have to listen to me. For me this book is a reminder that sometimes, as hard as one may try to be objective in formulating an opinion about a novel, sometimes a book and a reader just don't fit. See if this fits you better than it did me.

[Louise Goddard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must admit, this was a lovely quick read. A real pick me up too.

I wanted to read this as an easy, light hearted read after I finished a serious book previously. It did not disappoint.

I finished this in 3 sittings. Outrageous and unbelievable, Lola keeps the humorous story line flowing with her tales of woe and triumph.

I was also interested in how it differed from the film staring Lindsay Lohan (I am a big fan of the film, a little bit of a guilty pleasure). The film has kept very true to the book minus the ending.

It has made me want to read the sequel one day when I need another quick and happy read.

I am not going to say it is the best book I have every read, but it is well worth it if you want something fast paced and funny.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had high expectations for this book because I love the movie and IT DELIVERED. I love Lola's character and the way this book was narrated. I noticed there were some quotes that were word-word represented in the movie which made me so happy. this was such a girly feel-good read :)

[Ludovica · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen” is one of my co-blogger’s favorite books, and even though I’ve already seen the movie with Lindsay Lohan, I decided to take a look at the source material, especially because Ella said the ending would be different from the film. I definitely wasn’t disappointed: “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen” promises a light romp through the social jungle of high school life through the eyes of one eccentric teenager, and it definitely does deliver.

THE DRAMA QUEEN AND HER KNIGHT

Lola Cep is not exactly a heroine everybody is going to empathize with. She is, as the title already alludes, a drama queen who loves theater and thinks she will be the next big star, she is pretentious and quite honestly a pathological liar, she believes she feels deeper than everybody else and that she has a soulmate-connection to the singer of her favorite band. She also believes that everybody in Dellwood/Deadwood is dull and not able to understand art in the same way she does, and in general, her life is totally ruined because she had to move to New Jersey instead of staying in New York, where real people with real feelings live.

Normally, these kinds of characteristics would be pretty putting off in YA. How many heroines have we read who think that all other people around them, girls especially, are dull and interchangeable? How many ‘Nobody understands me’ teenage tear-machines have we lived through in the YA genre? Generally, this kind of behavior is something that you’d turn your tail on and flee as far as possible, at least if you’ve got similar tastes to me.

The thing is, Lola is so extra and so over-the-top that these characteristics never really seem to be taken seriously. Even though we are in Lola’s head, it is very clear that she is not always right – most of the time, she really doesn’t know what she’s talking about, or she rambles herself into a corner as far removed from any rational notion of reality as Deadwood is from New York. The writing style of Lola’s inner dialogues mimics her histrionics, and at no point is her perspective presented as objective or rational. And that’s not what Lola is about. Objectivity and rationality have no space in the frame of this flawed, lying teenager who neither realizes her own flaws nor really feels bad for lying (only for getting caught). Lola might think everybody else is shallow and unimaginative, but we as readers realize that when a person who honestly wears a cape to school says something like this, we might not have to take it quite so seriously.

Lola might not be a character you like, but you definitely root for her. Even though she portrays her own wishes as life-or-death-issues, the passion with which she works on achieving her dreams is inspiring, and it does make you want her to succeed. You might not like her, but you care about her, and that makes the whole book so enjoyable, and also so frustrating when things don’t go her way.

Then of course, there is Ella, Lola’s side-kick and best friend. She is a ‘good girl’, she does her homework when she is supposed to, she doesn’t disobey her parents, she doesn’t lie. But even though Lola describes her as quite a pushover at the beginning, Ella might have the most character development of anybody in this book. Beneath the veneer of a mousy goody-two-shoes, a strong young woman emerges who stands up for her friends even in the most dire situations, who can handle crises so well that even Lola is impressed, and who, finally, forces Lola to see the errors of her lying ways by calling her out on her bullshit. Or well, at least she forces her to admit that she was lying and to stop doing it. I don’t think Lola will ever understand why lying is bad, but her love for her friend is strong enough to at least try. And Ella is really worth this love. Ella is the total opposite of Lola, and through her, the reader is made even more aware of just how wrong a lot of Lola’s behavior is.

THE QUEEN OF HIGH SCHOOL

An over-the-top protagonist like Lola needs an over-the-top villain if there is to be any acceptable conflict, and Carla Santini definitely qualifies. I would even go so far as to say that Carla Santini might be one of the best villains I’ve read in YA. She is an awful person, an aggressive queen bee, the type of person who makes fun of people because they’re different and because they don’t defer to her like a knight to his liege. She knows how to find other people’s greatest weaknesses, and she knows how to exploit them. She always gets what she wants, and if she doesn’t get it, then of course she didn’t want it in the first place.

And she lies. The biggest low point at the end of the book results from Carla telling a blatant lie and tearing down Lola’s defenses in one fell swoop in the process. Because you see, Lola might lie about herself, and about her family, but while people might die in her lies, most of them lift the people she is lying about up. She lies to make herself look better. Carla lies to make other people look worse. And while lying in general is not something that will ever make a sympathetic character, as a reader it is painful to see the consequences of Carla’s lies basically ruin the lives of the people she is lying about.

All in all, Carla is the type of villain who you just hate. You want her to have her comeuppance throughout the book, which is one reason why the ending of the book (as opposed to the film version) will leave any reader confused and frustrated, though not in a bad way. There is an open feeling to the ending, a feeling as if those characters you just read about for 200+ pages are still in motion, as if there is more to come. There is a sequel to the book, of course, but even without the sequel, this ending feels good in its complexity.

AND THE MORAL OF THIS STORY…

Even though I really dislike focusing too much on moral messages in YA literature, it has to be said that there are a lot of good messages in this book. One message, for example, which is also a wisdom I live by, is: Lying makes everything more complicated. So many of Lola’s problems would just not have existed if she didn’t choose to lie. But of course, if she hadn’t lied, her big adventures would also not have happened. That was part of another message which I found very interesting, which was that if you want something badly, you can definitely try and get it, but it might not be as great as you thought it would be. It’s not too much of a spoiler to tell you that Lola gets what she wants at the end – but that she also doesn’t. This was an interesting twist on a genre that mostly deals in happy endings, and I did enjoy that very much.

“Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen” is a character-driven, extremely enjoyable book with characters that you either love (Ella), hate (Carla), or just don’t quite know how to feel about (Lola). Lola is definitely one of the most compelling protagonists in YA, and the writing style reflects her strangeness and drama so well that you will be laughing out loud more than once for sure. I really liked this book, and I once again have to say that my dear co-blogger Ella has really, really good taste in books.


Want to read more of my reviews? Visit me on The Bookabelles Blog or follow me here on Goodreads :)

[kory. · Rating 4 out of 5]

(this was my 1000th book ever read! yay me!)

another read in my journey of books that i’ve watched the movie/series adaptation first. i owned this book as a kid but never read it, and i remember enjoying the movie (“that girl” is still a jam), so i’m jazzed that i like the book! it’s really fun. it’s a quick, silly read that made me snort a few times and because the drama and pretension of lola is so exaggerated, it’s actually quite entertaining instead of just being annoying. lola’s friendship with ella being the core relationship is great. there are also aspects of lola that i saw my teenage self in, which was amusing.

i will say that the ending is a bit disappointing because the movie has that moment where stu returns lola’s necklace, proving that carla had been the one lying, and a moment like that doesn’t exist in the book. and the moment of compliments and laughter between lola and carla at the very end, however tiny, felt unearned. the ending in general felt a little rushed, tbh.

content/trigger warnings; bullying, fatphobia, ableism, anti-roma slur, alcohol consumption, vomiting, child neglect,

[Connor Stompanato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this because it was adapted into a classic teen Disney film and I wanted to see what the source material was like. It turns out the film was incredibly faithful to the book, it was almost an exact replica of the story written here. The finale was the only thing that was really different which was a good thing because the ending here wasn't very cinematic.

Sheldon's writing is simple yet full of charm, our protagonist Lola Cep really is a trendsetter and ahead of the curve. I really enjoyed hearing her thoughts and how she would exaggerate little things (or sometimes big things) in her life in order to make it more interesting. What is life anyway if not a performance? Lola is here to make life exciting and I was glad about it.

Due to the book and film being so similar I found it hard to divorce the characters and scenes from the away from what I was reading. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing because the film is so much fun but it was definitely clouding over my entire reading experience. I've had the same issue when I reread books like 'Harry Potter' or 'Twilight' though as the films just lodge themselves in your memory.

[theperksofbeingmarissa ;) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but it moved a bit too slowly for my liking. I prefer the movie.

[Sarahi Salazar · Rating 4 out of 5]

lola cep and i are one and the same

[*✧･ﾟn *✧･ﾟ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5


i don’t think i’ve ever hated a character as much as i hate carla santini

[Carol Tran · Rating 2 out of 5]

SuMmArY

Mary Elizabeth Cep, or Lola Cep, as she prefers to be called, is a major drama queen who loves to act and be her creative artistic self. However, when she and her family move to Dellwood, New Jersey, it's an entirely different story. In New York, which is her hometown and where she belongs, Lola has had the spotlight nearly all her life. She longs to be a famous actress one day. Dellwood, or Deadwood, as Lola had dubbed it, is boring and not filled with excitement like Lola is used to. But soon, Lola befriends perfectionist Ella Gerard, and together, they take the world by storm. At Deadwood High, there's already a drama queen who rules the world. Born-to-win, born-to-do-everything Carla Santini. Carla and Lola become enemies nearly right away, and soon, it becomes a quest of who will come out on top at Deadwood High. When Lola's and Ella's favorite band Sidhartha, breaks up, they are thrown into extreme depression. Suddenly, Carla announces that they are hodling a farewell concert and an after party, and that hse is invited because her dad is a lawyer to the band and has connections. Lola, interpreting this as revenge for snagging the lead role in the school's local play, hatches a plan to go to the concert and party as well. Lola works out all of the nitty gritty details and when the day of the farewell to Sidhartha coems, she's totally prepared. She and Ella journey to Manhattan to buy tickets to the show. The problem? They left all of their money on the train on the way to Manhattan. Left with no choice but to crash the show, it's exactly what they try. However, Lola and Ella get themselves dragged away. So Lola decides to head to the place where the after party is being held. When they try to crash the party with no invites, they see Stu Wolff, the band's lead singer, leaving the party completely wasted. So they both decide to follow him. After sobering Stu up with some coffee in a diner, Ella, Lola, and Stu himself get escorted by the police to the station. However, everything turns out jsut fine and they all end up having a good tiem att he party. Carla Santini however, makes up a lie that she never saw Ella and Lola at the party, which makes them outcasts at the school, and nobody talks to them. Lola, fed up with Carla's attitude, decides to give up on their war. She pretends to be sick on the day before the play, but Ella brigns her back into the game. So lola goes to the play, acts her heart out, and everything ends well. Sort of. Maybe. I don't really know.


EVALUATION

Ok, I just thought the book was ok, it was nothing special, and nothing that I would remember or even like that much. Maybe it's because I rush read-it, but I don't think so. Hopefulyl the next book that I pick will be more exciting.

[Deidre Durban · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant read. Sheldon is one of the great satirists of our time. Her characters are spot-on and her book fast-paced funny and very entertaining. This story of a drama loving teenage girl transplanted from New York city to the suburbs is filled with lively characters. Lola's more reserved friends that she drags along on her madcap schemes are easy to identify with and her family, who she finds very pedestrian are also very real. Sheldon manages to provide a satisfying ending for the story without having her heroines have the typical perfect lives of many novels. The movie of the same name is also entertaining but a lot of the subtlety of the book is lost in the adaption. Although this is Dyan Sheldon's most famous novel, has quite a few books and her writing has gone from strength to strength over time so it's worth checking out more of her work.

[Alina K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dyan Sheldon 's "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" was enjoyable to read although it was cliche in my opinion. I could almost predict what would happen in the next pages and it didn't make me excited to continue to read. It was interesting to read through and slowly get to know the characters' personalities. The main character named Lola has an 'enemy' that is definitely a drama queen and I can relate to how the other students would feel around her. She's quite the character. Also it was a joyride reading the story play out with Lola's heavy lies. I recommend this book to middle school students.

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book " Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen " is one of the best books I've ever read. It is about a girl named Lola who moves from New York to New Jersey. At her new school, Carla Santini (the meanest and coolest girl in school) hates her. But Lola doesn't care. She stands up for what she believes in and has problems, makes friends and has a big adventure with Ella her best friend in New York. Lola is weird, nice and exiting. If you like to read books about teenage girls, I advise you to read this one.

[Courtney Mower · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the movie when I was younger so when I saw this in a second hand bookshop on holiday over Easter I couldn't resist. However this is actually one of the rare occasions I prefer the adapted movie of the book to the book itself. The writing style was slightly grating, however I suppose it is aimed at a slightly younger age range so that might explain it. I could have forgiven that though had I empathised with Lola, however for not one second of the novel did I care about Lola in the slightest. What a winey hideous person.

[Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sometimes I am very guilty of this: I buy books based on the cover, hahaha! I am impulsive like that. So I bought this book because of the pretty cover, and the title was really cool-sounding, too. Alas, I was too rash in my decision to purchase this.  I found Lola Cep such a grating, apathetic heroine, and she's as self-absorbed as her rival, Carla Santini. The book is very predictable, and the ending was flat. This novel has been made into a movie, but no surprise, I won't see it. If you want to read something light to take you off a reading slump, skip this book.

[Jo ♡ˎ´✨ ☕︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know there's a movie version of this book with Lindsay Lohan that I haven't watched so I'm gonna put it on my "must-watch" list.

The book was pleasantly readable. Well done, Dyan Sheldon!
The ending wasn't my cup of tea because I was rooting for Stu Wolf to come to school and sweep Lola of her feet but sadly, that didn't happen. However, I think I'm gonna read the second and third part (and forth if there is one?) just to see what happens to Carla Santini (because let's face it- we all had/have a bitch like Carla Santini in our life that we want to piss off).

[Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my absolute favourite movie as a child and I cannot believe that I didn't know it was a book until this morning.
It's a relatively short book and an easy read so I finished fairly fast in between school and what not.
Although the book was amazing, I regret to inform that I enjoyed the movie much, much more.
I don't have any concrete comparisons as I haven't seen the movie in quite a while, but I know I liked the movie better which is something I have never said or well typed in my entire life.
In complete honesty, I'd probably just recommend the movie to a friend.

[Isa (Pages Full of Stars) · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews also on my blog Pages Full of Stars.

My rating: 4/6

This was such a fun book! It was actually a re-read for me but I enjoyed it just as much :)

Lola is a huge drama queen and prone to lying big time but I couldn't help but admire her imagination and passion for life. I really enjoyed her adventures with Ella and overall it was a nice and fun 'feel good' kind of read, which still included a lesson for the readers.

[Celeste Greys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lola Cep is the new girl at Dellwood High school, or as she likes to call it (Deadwood). Originally from New York, Lola thinks, dresses, and is very different from most of the other studentes in New Jersey. When her favorite band, Sidhartha breaks up, Lola and new friend Ella do everything in their power to make it to their last concert while also proving Dellwoods' resident drama queen; Carla Santini. Witty, sarcastic, and told from the viewpoint of an adolescent. I'm giving it two stars because I wasn't satisfied with the ending.

[Donna Jo Atwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lola gives us her interpretation of her life in the dreaded suburbs of New Jersey, fighting the influence of the school's popularity queen, Carla Santini.
This was a funny (to an adult, anyway) tale of growing up at odds with the culture around you. Lola (in reality Mary Elizabeth) knows she is destined to be a great actress, living larger than life, but constrained by suburban mores to fight for her happiness.

Read for Spring reading challenge 25.8

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the sense of humor and the whole dramatic teenage heroine thing. Sheldon did a really good job of creating all the contrasting personalities, and making them all work together. It was very entertaining, and there were even some good lessons in it. Although, in the end, I was a little disapointed that the rock star didn't show up in Lola's life to show off to the whole school so they would finally believer her. But I guess it ended okay as it is.