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Top 8 #2
What's Your Status?
This fabulous social-networking mystery, a sequel to TOP 8, is the perfect novel for the Facebook generation.
Madison MacDonald thinks things are finally working out!
300
Status
mad_mac Nate and I have been together for two months, and it’s wonderful! Life is good!
mad_mac Well, except for the fact that I still might be failing history.
mad_mac And I no longer have a BFF.
mad_mac But aside from those things!
mad_mac Okay. So, um, apparently I’ve just been put in charge of the school’s priceless heirloom.
mad_mac And the assistant headmaster has a vendetta against me.
Madison MacDonald thinks things are finally working out!
300
Status
mad_mac Nate and I have been together for two months, and it’s wonderful! Life is good!
mad_mac Well, except for the fact that I still might be failing history.
mad_mac And I no longer have a BFF.
mad_mac But aside from those things!
mad_mac Okay. So, um, apparently I’ve just been put in charge of the school’s priceless heirloom.
mad_mac And the assistant headmaster has a vendetta against me.
368 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2010
19 people are currently reading
660 people want to read
About the author
Katie Finn
12 books511 followersKatie Finn grew up in Connecticut, in a town that looks an awful lot like Putnam. During high school, she was a total theater devotee (like Madison) and never dreamed she’d be a writer. But lots of Katie’s high school misadventures have made it into her books…which just goes to show that you never know!
She currently lives in Los Angeles, California, in a house she wishes was a lot closer to the beach.
She currently lives in Los Angeles, California, in a house she wishes was a lot closer to the beach.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
December 4, 2010
What’s Your St@tus picks up 2 months after the end of Top 8 and life is going fairly well for Madison MacDonald. She’s been seeing her boyfriend Nate Ellis for those 2 months and everything is going great. She’s no longer a social outcast – the hackers were caught and punished and Mad is trying to move on. And her favourite social networking site, Friendsverse has a new part to it called StatusQ, which shows only status updates and none of the stuff like quizzes, fave bands and farms. It’s basically like Twitter and it’s Mad’s latest obsession.
Madison is helping plan the prom with Kittson Pearson, who is the head of the prom committee and with whom she is forging a tentative friendship. The two girls have their differences and their relationship is a bit snarky but they’re getting there. Madison and Kittson have very different ideas about what the prom should be like and it’s a constant battle between them. Madison is entrusted with the Hayes Crown that the homecoming queen of Putnam High is always crowned with by their assistant principal, Dr Trent, and ordered to take it directly to the Putnam Plaza where their prom is to be taking place. But Madison, being Madison, is delayed getting the tiara down to the hotel and it is stolen from the trunk of her car. It’s never a secret who steals the tiara, and why, and it’s someone Madison cares for and wants to help so she calls in the ‘old crew’ – Francophile Lisa, her boyfriend Dave, Schuyler, Kittson and her new boyfriend Glen Turtell, the perenially grounded Brian and her theatre buddies Sarah and Ginger to try and come up with an amazing plan to get the crown back before the prom and also, before Dr Trent realises that it’s not actually in the vault at the Plaza. Since the events of Top 8, which caused Dr Trent to reluctantly have to expel his favourite student, he’s had his eye on Madison and it’s not exactly a friendly one. He’s following their StatusQ updates and watching everything like a hawk and Madison realises they’re going to have to be extra sneaky if they can pull this off successfully. Because of Dr Trent finds out that something has gone wrong, Madison is likely to be shown the door as well.
While all this is going on, Madison and Nate are also having their first troubles. Nate is older than Madison and not far off graduating and he’s been somewhat involved in a prank at his high school. His assistant principal can’t prove it, but keeps hauling him in for questioning which makes Nate, who has been accepted to Yale, a bit stressed. He also refuses to tell anything to Madison so that she can’t let anything slip, which Madison resents. Madison also put her foot in it regarding how fast their relationship is moving and now both she and Nate are circling around each other, confused about the signals each other are sending and Madison finds out that Nate’s relationship with his ex (which he has never discussed with her) was quite a bit more serious than she previously thought. So not only is she stressing about the crown and having the prom night go off without a hitch, but she’s also stressing about the personal aspect of the prom too and just how things are going to be with Nate at the end of it.
After reading and really liking Top 8, I downloaded this sequel to my Kindle. I wasn’t sure how the formatting would go, as I know they utilise pictures and layouts like Facebook and Twitter, but to my pleasure and surprise, the formatting was flawless and smooth. We jump straight into some cute action with Nate and Madison, establishing their ‘coupleness’ as you don’t really get to see that too much at the end of Top 8 before Madison’s life takes an abrupt turn for the worse. I really like Madison, I think she’s a genuine character with flaws for all the world to see. In Top 8 she is a bit of a gossip, in What’s Your St@tus she is hurt and jealous about Nate’s previous girlfriends, but also giddy in her new relationship with Nate, letting her schoolwork slide, getting mixed up in others relationships again (this time Dave and Lisa’s) and she’s missing Rue, who was her best friend. Even though what Rue did to her was nasty and she was very hurt by it, she still misses the one that she automatically turned to with exciting news, her confidante. I think that Katie Finn nails teenagers, especially the way she writes Madison.
Madison is extremely busy with prom organisation and the detentions she keeps getting for being tardy due to rendezvous with Nate aren’t helping her time management. When the crown is stolen and the race is on to get it back, Madison is even busier as she tries to come up with the perfect plan, and then pull it off without anyone getting caught. The risk everyone has to take is fairly high and it’s a sign of strength in their friendships with Madison that they back her mostly unhesitatingly, even Kittson. And in this novel I thought Kittson was awesome – a real interesting blend of icy prom queen and a girl who knows how to get her own back! That’s another thing I really love about these books – the cast of supporting characters. They are even more fun in this novel and the way they throw themselves into helping Madison is really sweet. They all have their roles to play, all of equal importance!
Madison learns another lesson in this novel, about communication and how all the status updates in the world aren’t a substitute for, or an equal to, actually sitting down with someone and talking things out properly. It’s a lesson quite a few of the characters could learn and even though they make the most of StatusQ during their big plan, using it to implement different stages of it, when it comes to saving some friendships and some relationships, social networks are a poor substitute for face-to-face communication and heart-to-heart’s! I hope this isn’t the last we hear of these characters because I think there were definitely a few unresolved issues at the end of this book and with summer on the way, I can see another chance for a story.
Madison is helping plan the prom with Kittson Pearson, who is the head of the prom committee and with whom she is forging a tentative friendship. The two girls have their differences and their relationship is a bit snarky but they’re getting there. Madison and Kittson have very different ideas about what the prom should be like and it’s a constant battle between them. Madison is entrusted with the Hayes Crown that the homecoming queen of Putnam High is always crowned with by their assistant principal, Dr Trent, and ordered to take it directly to the Putnam Plaza where their prom is to be taking place. But Madison, being Madison, is delayed getting the tiara down to the hotel and it is stolen from the trunk of her car. It’s never a secret who steals the tiara, and why, and it’s someone Madison cares for and wants to help so she calls in the ‘old crew’ – Francophile Lisa, her boyfriend Dave, Schuyler, Kittson and her new boyfriend Glen Turtell, the perenially grounded Brian and her theatre buddies Sarah and Ginger to try and come up with an amazing plan to get the crown back before the prom and also, before Dr Trent realises that it’s not actually in the vault at the Plaza. Since the events of Top 8, which caused Dr Trent to reluctantly have to expel his favourite student, he’s had his eye on Madison and it’s not exactly a friendly one. He’s following their StatusQ updates and watching everything like a hawk and Madison realises they’re going to have to be extra sneaky if they can pull this off successfully. Because of Dr Trent finds out that something has gone wrong, Madison is likely to be shown the door as well.
While all this is going on, Madison and Nate are also having their first troubles. Nate is older than Madison and not far off graduating and he’s been somewhat involved in a prank at his high school. His assistant principal can’t prove it, but keeps hauling him in for questioning which makes Nate, who has been accepted to Yale, a bit stressed. He also refuses to tell anything to Madison so that she can’t let anything slip, which Madison resents. Madison also put her foot in it regarding how fast their relationship is moving and now both she and Nate are circling around each other, confused about the signals each other are sending and Madison finds out that Nate’s relationship with his ex (which he has never discussed with her) was quite a bit more serious than she previously thought. So not only is she stressing about the crown and having the prom night go off without a hitch, but she’s also stressing about the personal aspect of the prom too and just how things are going to be with Nate at the end of it.
After reading and really liking Top 8, I downloaded this sequel to my Kindle. I wasn’t sure how the formatting would go, as I know they utilise pictures and layouts like Facebook and Twitter, but to my pleasure and surprise, the formatting was flawless and smooth. We jump straight into some cute action with Nate and Madison, establishing their ‘coupleness’ as you don’t really get to see that too much at the end of Top 8 before Madison’s life takes an abrupt turn for the worse. I really like Madison, I think she’s a genuine character with flaws for all the world to see. In Top 8 she is a bit of a gossip, in What’s Your St@tus she is hurt and jealous about Nate’s previous girlfriends, but also giddy in her new relationship with Nate, letting her schoolwork slide, getting mixed up in others relationships again (this time Dave and Lisa’s) and she’s missing Rue, who was her best friend. Even though what Rue did to her was nasty and she was very hurt by it, she still misses the one that she automatically turned to with exciting news, her confidante. I think that Katie Finn nails teenagers, especially the way she writes Madison.
Madison is extremely busy with prom organisation and the detentions she keeps getting for being tardy due to rendezvous with Nate aren’t helping her time management. When the crown is stolen and the race is on to get it back, Madison is even busier as she tries to come up with the perfect plan, and then pull it off without anyone getting caught. The risk everyone has to take is fairly high and it’s a sign of strength in their friendships with Madison that they back her mostly unhesitatingly, even Kittson. And in this novel I thought Kittson was awesome – a real interesting blend of icy prom queen and a girl who knows how to get her own back! That’s another thing I really love about these books – the cast of supporting characters. They are even more fun in this novel and the way they throw themselves into helping Madison is really sweet. They all have their roles to play, all of equal importance!
Madison learns another lesson in this novel, about communication and how all the status updates in the world aren’t a substitute for, or an equal to, actually sitting down with someone and talking things out properly. It’s a lesson quite a few of the characters could learn and even though they make the most of StatusQ during their big plan, using it to implement different stages of it, when it comes to saving some friendships and some relationships, social networks are a poor substitute for face-to-face communication and heart-to-heart’s! I hope this isn’t the last we hear of these characters because I think there were definitely a few unresolved issues at the end of this book and with summer on the way, I can see another chance for a story.
June 29, 2018
When I first came across "What's Your Status", I vaguely remembered reading the first book "Top 8". All I remembered was that I liked how the book was formatted in certain chapters by having the conversations with the characters through a social network site called Friendverse (like Facebook but more Myspace style).
When I picked up the second novel, I thought it was just going to be a light read, like before but then I remembered how in the first novel that Madison had been hacked and she had to clear her name and how difficult it was. Diving into the second book and seeing that she was in, yet again, another predicament to clear her name. As the novel went on, I realized how this book was more appealing and captivated me more in how she was going to clear her name, what the plan was going to entail, and would it really work? By the time I ended the book, my heart was racing and I was thrilled to find out that there was going to be a third book to series! I felt so much had not been done, yet everything worked out in the end.
This is, so far, my favorite series!! <3
When I picked up the second novel, I thought it was just going to be a light read, like before but then I remembered how in the first novel that Madison had been hacked and she had to clear her name and how difficult it was. Diving into the second book and seeing that she was in, yet again, another predicament to clear her name. As the novel went on, I realized how this book was more appealing and captivated me more in how she was going to clear her name, what the plan was going to entail, and would it really work? By the time I ended the book, my heart was racing and I was thrilled to find out that there was going to be a third book to series! I felt so much had not been done, yet everything worked out in the end.
This is, so far, my favorite series!! <3
November 10, 2012
Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com
Madison MacDonald is back. Things at school have finally returned to normal for Madison now that the FriendVerse fiasco has been solved. Madison is out a best friend, but she now has an awesome boyfriend, Nate.
It's prom season, and Madison has found herself as Kittson's scapegoat in getting things done in time. It's the week before the prom and Madison is being pulled in every direction possible. She hardly has any time for Nate, and when they do get a moment together, a crisis always arises.
The most horrible crisis Madison could imagine happens. She is entrusted with delivering the school's infamous Hayes crown to the hotel for safekeeping for the prom. But her friend, Schuyler, for some unknown reason sneaks the crown from Madison and hands it over to Isabel, the rival school's prom planner.
Isabel lords it over Madison and her friends. She is giddy with joy, thinking she has finally gotten one up on them. But Madison and her friends come up with an elaborate plan to get the crown back. It helps that both schools have planned to hold their proms at the same hotel, on the same night. If everything goes as planned, Madison and friends may just be able to save the day.
WHAT'S YOUR STATUS? is another book in the TOP 8 series. Readers don't have to have read the first book to know what is happening in WHAT'S YOUR STATUS? This is strong enough to be a standalone story.
TOP 8 seemed to have more status updates and IMing going on, and I did miss that in WHAT'S YOUR STATUS? It's there, but not as frequently, I don't think. And to me, that was one of the most unique features of the original story. But beyond that one complaint, I enjoyed the intrigue and planning that Madison and her friends developed in this book. If you can suspend your belief that high school kids could pull off what they did to get the crown back, then WHAT'S YOUR STATUS? will be quite the treat for you.
Madison MacDonald is back. Things at school have finally returned to normal for Madison now that the FriendVerse fiasco has been solved. Madison is out a best friend, but she now has an awesome boyfriend, Nate.
It's prom season, and Madison has found herself as Kittson's scapegoat in getting things done in time. It's the week before the prom and Madison is being pulled in every direction possible. She hardly has any time for Nate, and when they do get a moment together, a crisis always arises.
The most horrible crisis Madison could imagine happens. She is entrusted with delivering the school's infamous Hayes crown to the hotel for safekeeping for the prom. But her friend, Schuyler, for some unknown reason sneaks the crown from Madison and hands it over to Isabel, the rival school's prom planner.
Isabel lords it over Madison and her friends. She is giddy with joy, thinking she has finally gotten one up on them. But Madison and her friends come up with an elaborate plan to get the crown back. It helps that both schools have planned to hold their proms at the same hotel, on the same night. If everything goes as planned, Madison and friends may just be able to save the day.
WHAT'S YOUR STATUS? is another book in the TOP 8 series. Readers don't have to have read the first book to know what is happening in WHAT'S YOUR STATUS? This is strong enough to be a standalone story.
TOP 8 seemed to have more status updates and IMing going on, and I did miss that in WHAT'S YOUR STATUS? It's there, but not as frequently, I don't think. And to me, that was one of the most unique features of the original story. But beyond that one complaint, I enjoyed the intrigue and planning that Madison and her friends developed in this book. If you can suspend your belief that high school kids could pull off what they did to get the crown back, then WHAT'S YOUR STATUS? will be quite the treat for you.
July 16, 2010
About the Book: Sixteen-year-old Madison still loves logging on to Friendverse to see what her BFFs and her cute new boyfriend Nate are up to. But the latest social networking craze is Status Q, which is all about rapid-fire status updates. When one of Mad’s friends has to pull off a high-pressure heist, the gang relies on Status Q to send code messages to each other…all in the middle of a school dance! Will up-to-the-minute social networking save the day…or lead to good old-fashioned disaster?
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I was happily surprised by this novel! Sure, it's fluffy and somewhat chick-litty, but I like that sort of thing, so I enjoyed What's Your St@tus. It was a quick read and loads of fun. The beginning of each chapter is told in Status Q updates, so I think it could have appeal for readers who like books written in chat, text, e-mail style. I wasn't expecting a lot going in and I was surprised at how much fun I had reading this book!
There's romance, mystery, and a great James Bond/Ocean's Eleven style heist the group has to pull of a prom night heist to take back was it rightfully theirs and stolen from a rival school. (I don't want to say too much because I don't want to spoil it!) The whole feel of the book was fun and it's something I could see easily being turned into a movie. There's lots of laugh out loud moments and even though the whole prom heist is somewhat unrealistic, it's still fun to read about. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, but after a few chapters I got used to it and I had a blast reading this one.
What's Your St@tus is a sequel to Top 8, but it's not necessary to read the other book first, as the author does a job of catching the reader up so they don't feel lost and What's Your St@tus can stand on it's own. I'll be recommending this one to my teens! It's perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars, mysteries, chick lit, or readers looking for books about prom.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I was happily surprised by this novel! Sure, it's fluffy and somewhat chick-litty, but I like that sort of thing, so I enjoyed What's Your St@tus. It was a quick read and loads of fun. The beginning of each chapter is told in Status Q updates, so I think it could have appeal for readers who like books written in chat, text, e-mail style. I wasn't expecting a lot going in and I was surprised at how much fun I had reading this book!
There's romance, mystery, and a great James Bond/Ocean's Eleven style heist the group has to pull of a prom night heist to take back was it rightfully theirs and stolen from a rival school. (I don't want to say too much because I don't want to spoil it!) The whole feel of the book was fun and it's something I could see easily being turned into a movie. There's lots of laugh out loud moments and even though the whole prom heist is somewhat unrealistic, it's still fun to read about. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, but after a few chapters I got used to it and I had a blast reading this one.
What's Your St@tus is a sequel to Top 8, but it's not necessary to read the other book first, as the author does a job of catching the reader up so they don't feel lost and What's Your St@tus can stand on it's own. I'll be recommending this one to my teens! It's perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars, mysteries, chick lit, or readers looking for books about prom.
June 13, 2010
VOYA Codes: 1.5Q, 3P with non-readers, MJ.
The use of a Twitter-like application as a plot device is clever, but that is some of the best writing in the book by far.
I can't finish this one. I'm just past the 100 page marker, and it just keeps annoying me more. Just because one writes a book about high school students using technology does NOT mean that the technology needs to have more personality than any of the characters. The book is incredibly repetitive, and while I know high school students "poll" their friends about what to do in a particular situation, that does not mean that I need to read the same conversation with zero growth four or five times with only the names changed. I don't care if the protagonist talks things out with her boyfriend or has a successful prom, and those are the only inklings of a plot there has been. I'm not impressed.
The use of a Twitter-like application as a plot device is clever, but that is some of the best writing in the book by far.
I can't finish this one. I'm just past the 100 page marker, and it just keeps annoying me more. Just because one writes a book about high school students using technology does NOT mean that the technology needs to have more personality than any of the characters. The book is incredibly repetitive, and while I know high school students "poll" their friends about what to do in a particular situation, that does not mean that I need to read the same conversation with zero growth four or five times with only the names changed. I don't care if the protagonist talks things out with her boyfriend or has a successful prom, and those are the only inklings of a plot there has been. I'm not impressed.
July 17, 2010
What's Your Status by Katie Finn is a novel which incorporates social media within it's pages. However, the social media has new names, Facebook is now Friendverse and Twitter is called StatusQ. There are some minor changes, but you get the gist. The center event of this event is prom. IDK I may be alone in this, but I thought prom was a whole lot of build up for a whole lot of average.
Read the rest of my review here
Read the rest of my review here
October 3, 2010
I loved this one just as much as I loved the first one, if not more. I feel like this one was a lot better than the first because it's not as "dramatic" as the first one was. They're both dramatic, obviously, since they deal with high school girls and prom, but this one seems a lot more realistic than the first.
I love these books!
I love these books!
July 8, 2010
Another very good Katie Finn book with a surprising ending.
December 29, 2024
~3.5 stars rounded up to 4~
It's been 2 months since Madison's Friendverse profile was hacked, but everything seems to be going well. Her and Nate are getting along well. Madison is also splitting her time between classes and prom planning. However, things start to go wrong when she's put in charge of the school's priceless crown to crown the prom queen... 👑
I forget how CRAZY the heist plan goes at the end 😅 I get it, something like what happens in the story is insane for a group of high schoolers to pull off, but once you get past that thought, it's a very enjoyable book!
What I liked:
• The quotes and songs at the beginning of each chapter.
• The status updates! Throwback to the days when Twitter was growing in popularity.
• Seeing Madison grow and learn to forgive.
• Even though there were multiple characters, I was able to keep up with who was who.
• The whole plan the group had; I was cheering for them to pull through in the end.
• Nate!
What I didn't like:
• The timespan. Everything happens within a week (it felt longer to me).
• What was the assistant headmaster's deal?
• Isabel...
• I wish Madison and Nate communicated more within the book...He seemed to be such an important character in the first book that he almost felt like an afterthought in this story.
• I felt many scenes weren't needed, it was LONG.
I did enjoy this! I would definitely recommend 👌🏼 I'm looking forward to re-reading the last book!
It's been 2 months since Madison's Friendverse profile was hacked, but everything seems to be going well. Her and Nate are getting along well. Madison is also splitting her time between classes and prom planning. However, things start to go wrong when she's put in charge of the school's priceless crown to crown the prom queen... 👑
I forget how CRAZY the heist plan goes at the end 😅 I get it, something like what happens in the story is insane for a group of high schoolers to pull off, but once you get past that thought, it's a very enjoyable book!
What I liked:
• The quotes and songs at the beginning of each chapter.
• The status updates! Throwback to the days when Twitter was growing in popularity.
• Seeing Madison grow and learn to forgive.
• Even though there were multiple characters, I was able to keep up with who was who.
• The whole plan the group had; I was cheering for them to pull through in the end.
• Nate!
What I didn't like:
• The timespan. Everything happens within a week (it felt longer to me).
• What was the assistant headmaster's deal?
• Isabel...
• I wish Madison and Nate communicated more within the book...He seemed to be such an important character in the first book that he almost felt like an afterthought in this story.
• I felt many scenes weren't needed, it was LONG.
I did enjoy this! I would definitely recommend 👌🏼 I'm looking forward to re-reading the last book!
July 27, 2017
There was one twist that I didn't even see coming.
April 29, 2018
a fun, light read to give your brain a break.
December 4, 2018
Pretty predictable but still enjoyable, and a quick read.
April 5, 2020
I remember enjoying this book. Not my favorite but fun!
December 29, 2022
My favorite in the entire series
March 10, 2011
Madision things that what happened last spring is over; Shes going to have a great prom (with Nate of course!), party with all her friends, and the afterparty is going to be awesome.
But then, Mad gets the schools priceless heirloom: The Hayes Crown and sooner then she knows it, its gone. And it just so happens that her friend Schulyer stole it! Or did she? Then theres the drama with Nate- did he, or didn't he sleep with his ex Melissa at the prom last year? Schulyer being "blackmailed", oh, and you can't forget The Hayes Crown has just disappaered.
As Mad starts to put together a plan, she can't get something out of the back of her head that Dave said to her: "If you could forgive Schulyer so quickly, why not Ruth?" She has no answer.
On the night of the prom everything seems perfect- the plan is going great... untill Madision and her crew realize that Isabel is out to make getting the crown impossible!
***
Thats basically the whole book plot right up there, yeah, very complex right? I think if Katie Finn might have just gone the extra mile and put mor detail into it, it would have been an awesome read! I found the plan very confusing and not well written, and then why was Dell there at the end again? Oh yah- 'revenge' ha! I really hated how Madision, Schulyer (hell, I don't know how to spell her name!) and Lisa eneded up being friends with Ruth again.... I know I wouldn't. I would just keep on the: "Hi, how are you?" basis.
This sequel to Top 8 is along the same lines as the first one. At the beginging of Top 8 Madision uses her Friendverese profile (a rip off of Facebook, if I should say so myslef!) and gets hacked while on vacatuon then at the end of the book she stops using it alot. Then at the beging of Whats Your St@tus she uses this new StatusQ (Makeshift twitter) thing too much, loses the crown and at the ends stops updating her staus every second and choses who and who can not follow her. See the patteren there? Why wouldn't she have just learned her lesson in the first one.... I wonder whats going to happen in Unfriended- (maybe a cheap Myspace and she post too many pictures?) Haha! Who knows.....
Don't get me wrong I liked this book- not loved it- liked it, and I can't wait for the final book to come out this July! (Unfriended)
But then, Mad gets the schools priceless heirloom: The Hayes Crown and sooner then she knows it, its gone. And it just so happens that her friend Schulyer stole it! Or did she? Then theres the drama with Nate- did he, or didn't he sleep with his ex Melissa at the prom last year? Schulyer being "blackmailed", oh, and you can't forget The Hayes Crown has just disappaered.
As Mad starts to put together a plan, she can't get something out of the back of her head that Dave said to her: "If you could forgive Schulyer so quickly, why not Ruth?" She has no answer.
On the night of the prom everything seems perfect- the plan is going great... untill Madision and her crew realize that Isabel is out to make getting the crown impossible!
***
Thats basically the whole book plot right up there, yeah, very complex right? I think if Katie Finn might have just gone the extra mile and put mor detail into it, it would have been an awesome read! I found the plan very confusing and not well written, and then why was Dell there at the end again? Oh yah- 'revenge' ha! I really hated how Madision, Schulyer (hell, I don't know how to spell her name!) and Lisa eneded up being friends with Ruth again.... I know I wouldn't. I would just keep on the: "Hi, how are you?" basis.
This sequel to Top 8 is along the same lines as the first one. At the beginging of Top 8 Madision uses her Friendverese profile (a rip off of Facebook, if I should say so myslef!) and gets hacked while on vacatuon then at the end of the book she stops using it alot. Then at the beging of Whats Your St@tus she uses this new StatusQ (Makeshift twitter) thing too much, loses the crown and at the ends stops updating her staus every second and choses who and who can not follow her. See the patteren there? Why wouldn't she have just learned her lesson in the first one.... I wonder whats going to happen in Unfriended- (maybe a cheap Myspace and she post too many pictures?) Haha! Who knows.....
Don't get me wrong I liked this book- not loved it- liked it, and I can't wait for the final book to come out this July! (Unfriended)
July 9, 2010
Top 8 is back, and it's better then ever before, I have to say, because in this addition there's more romance, mysteries, heists, and extremely funny scenes that will have almost any reader laughing out loud!
If you thought Madison's life was hectic in Top 8, well you haven't seen anything yet, because in What's Your Status everything seems to be going wrong. For one, because of some unintended innuendo and an unfortunate hand gesture, Maddie's boyfriend thinks that she wants to go all the way, which is far from reality. Add in the facts that she just lost her school's most coveted treasure, her best friend is dealing with something major problems, and her other one is mad at her, well, let's just say that Maddie's prom season will be anything but forgettable.
The one thing I love about Maddie is the fact that she's flawed just like anyone else is out there. She makes mistakes and yet she doesn't let her occasional bad choices get her down- quite the opposite actually because she learns from them and does better the next time. The other thing I love about her character is how much she loves and cares about her best friends and how she would do literally anything for them. It's easy to tell she would be a kick-butt friend to have if she real. Also, I love her romance with Nate, and the fact that unlike some relationships out there in YA, it seems real, because they actually talk and communicate, not just make out.
Moving on, the plot of this is filled with action, action, and more action, which left me to be hooked on this book because I was dying to find out what would happen next. Like, would Maddie ever get back the crown? Would she work out her problems with Ruth? How evil is Isabel? And plenty more, leaving this book to be one I promise you is un-put-a-down-able. Also, I love how technology is incorporated in the plot!
Lastly, Katie's writing is even better in this addition because she fully fleshed out the characters and plot events to the point where they jumped of the page, and from that she shows she's one author who knows how to write quite the kick-butt chick-lit/romance/mystery read.
In all, the Top 8 series is one you shouldn't miss for anything! I can't wait to read more by Ms. Finn!
Grade: B+
If you thought Madison's life was hectic in Top 8, well you haven't seen anything yet, because in What's Your Status everything seems to be going wrong. For one, because of some unintended innuendo and an unfortunate hand gesture, Maddie's boyfriend thinks that she wants to go all the way, which is far from reality. Add in the facts that she just lost her school's most coveted treasure, her best friend is dealing with something major problems, and her other one is mad at her, well, let's just say that Maddie's prom season will be anything but forgettable.
The one thing I love about Maddie is the fact that she's flawed just like anyone else is out there. She makes mistakes and yet she doesn't let her occasional bad choices get her down- quite the opposite actually because she learns from them and does better the next time. The other thing I love about her character is how much she loves and cares about her best friends and how she would do literally anything for them. It's easy to tell she would be a kick-butt friend to have if she real. Also, I love her romance with Nate, and the fact that unlike some relationships out there in YA, it seems real, because they actually talk and communicate, not just make out.
Moving on, the plot of this is filled with action, action, and more action, which left me to be hooked on this book because I was dying to find out what would happen next. Like, would Maddie ever get back the crown? Would she work out her problems with Ruth? How evil is Isabel? And plenty more, leaving this book to be one I promise you is un-put-a-down-able. Also, I love how technology is incorporated in the plot!
Lastly, Katie's writing is even better in this addition because she fully fleshed out the characters and plot events to the point where they jumped of the page, and from that she shows she's one author who knows how to write quite the kick-butt chick-lit/romance/mystery read.
In all, the Top 8 series is one you shouldn't miss for anything! I can't wait to read more by Ms. Finn!
Grade: B+
April 18, 2016
What's Your Status by Katie Finn is an honest portrayal of teenage life and drama.
Summery from Goodreads:
This fabulous social-networking mystery, a sequel to TOP 8, is the perfect novel for the Facebook generation. Madison MacDonald thinks things are finally working out! Followers: 300 Status Updates: mad_mac Nate and I have been together for two months, and it's wonderful! Life is good! mad_mac Well, except for the fact that I still might be failing history. mad_mac And I no longer have a BFF. mad_mac But aside from those things! mad_mac Okay. So, um, apparently I've just been put in charge of the school's priceless heirloom. mad_mac And the assistant headmaster has a vendetta against me.
There was one thing I really liked about this book. It showed real teenage drama. The teenage years are ones full of drama. Madison and her friend went through typical problems in a normal way.
On that topic, dances are another thing that causes major trouble in schools. It is probably a proven fact that you cannot plan a dance without conflict. Katie Finn showed that here, and it was fun to read.
Why exactly was Madison put in charge of the crown. After she lost it, she could have just blamed it on Kittson, who wasn't supposed to pass off the duty anyways. That would have solved a lot of drama.
I thought Madison was a relatable teen, but not one that I really liked. She was not respectable. She was addicted to social media and had too many boy problems. I don't really think that if she was real she would be my friend.
The plot in this book moved fast, and never was boring. Katie Finn really knows how to keep a book moving, and make it easy to read.
Another problem I have with this book: Do you really think no one would have noticed that weird things were happening at prom. Every one seemed oblivious to it.
Overall, this was a fun and easy read.
Summery from Goodreads:
This fabulous social-networking mystery, a sequel to TOP 8, is the perfect novel for the Facebook generation. Madison MacDonald thinks things are finally working out! Followers: 300 Status Updates: mad_mac Nate and I have been together for two months, and it's wonderful! Life is good! mad_mac Well, except for the fact that I still might be failing history. mad_mac And I no longer have a BFF. mad_mac But aside from those things! mad_mac Okay. So, um, apparently I've just been put in charge of the school's priceless heirloom. mad_mac And the assistant headmaster has a vendetta against me.
There was one thing I really liked about this book. It showed real teenage drama. The teenage years are ones full of drama. Madison and her friend went through typical problems in a normal way.
On that topic, dances are another thing that causes major trouble in schools. It is probably a proven fact that you cannot plan a dance without conflict. Katie Finn showed that here, and it was fun to read.
Why exactly was Madison put in charge of the crown. After she lost it, she could have just blamed it on Kittson, who wasn't supposed to pass off the duty anyways. That would have solved a lot of drama.
I thought Madison was a relatable teen, but not one that I really liked. She was not respectable. She was addicted to social media and had too many boy problems. I don't really think that if she was real she would be my friend.
The plot in this book moved fast, and never was boring. Katie Finn really knows how to keep a book moving, and make it easy to read.
Another problem I have with this book: Do you really think no one would have noticed that weird things were happening at prom. Every one seemed oblivious to it.
Overall, this was a fun and easy read.
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December 7, 2011 After reading the first of the three Top 8 books, I was excited to see what the next one had in store. After reading it, I realize it keeps you on your toes as much as the last one. As well as the similarities in the action, the purpose in the two books is very similar. The main purpose is to shine light on the fact that cyber harassment happens all the time. The author, Katie Finn, does a good job of making a serious subject easy to read about.
The theme of this book is that friends need to stay together, through good times and bad times. Struggles can make your friendship stronger. The friend in What’s Your Status?, are each going through a different struggle. The friends can all confide in each other to get help.
This book was a narration. It went from the middle of 2nd semester of the characters junior year until prom. The book is well written for a narrative. I enjoyed how the author was not having constant flash backs like in other books of this style. She always kept the book moving forward.
I really enjoyed this book. It is one of those series that even if it is a long time from when you read the first one to when you read the second one, it still makes sense. The author is very good at giving the characters true high school relationships while still keeping moral standards. I would suggest this series to anyone who like a love story, but also loves mysteries.
The theme of this book is that friends need to stay together, through good times and bad times. Struggles can make your friendship stronger. The friend in What’s Your Status?, are each going through a different struggle. The friends can all confide in each other to get help.
This book was a narration. It went from the middle of 2nd semester of the characters junior year until prom. The book is well written for a narrative. I enjoyed how the author was not having constant flash backs like in other books of this style. She always kept the book moving forward.
I really enjoyed this book. It is one of those series that even if it is a long time from when you read the first one to when you read the second one, it still makes sense. The author is very good at giving the characters true high school relationships while still keeping moral standards. I would suggest this series to anyone who like a love story, but also loves mysteries.
October 29, 2010
Everything seems to go wrong for Madison Macdonald. Because of some hand gesture, Madison’s perfect boyfriend, Nate, got the wrong idea of what she meant to say. She lost her best friend last year, and she has to keep everything in order for prom since she’s the head of the prom committee. She needs to sort everything out with little help from her friends. How will she be able to get everything done in time?
I read the first book that goes with this, called Top 8 and I was happy with both books. Honestly, I found the first book much more interesting. This one didn’t really get me hooked. Although I thought it was a cute book, because it tells the life of a typical high school girl. I didn’t like the idea. I didn’t get to finish, so sadly I don’t know how everything turns out.
I would rate this book a 3 out of 5. It wasn’t the best book, but at the same time is wasn’t the worst. I give this a three because it could of been more interesting. The setting was always similar, and there was never really an exciting twist. I would recommend this to anyone that wants to read about a high school girl’s life.
I read the first book that goes with this, called Top 8 and I was happy with both books. Honestly, I found the first book much more interesting. This one didn’t really get me hooked. Although I thought it was a cute book, because it tells the life of a typical high school girl. I didn’t like the idea. I didn’t get to finish, so sadly I don’t know how everything turns out.
I would rate this book a 3 out of 5. It wasn’t the best book, but at the same time is wasn’t the worst. I give this a three because it could of been more interesting. The setting was always similar, and there was never really an exciting twist. I would recommend this to anyone that wants to read about a high school girl’s life.
August 18, 2011
This book was so cute. It's very light and fluffy and keeps you entertained. It is a bit predictable, but not SO predictable that by the end of chapter one you know how everything will turn out. I love the set up of the book - all throughout the book there is status updates embedded in the writing!
What's Your St@tus is just a totally fun book. It's is filled with so many funny moments and there's a whole plan complete with a James Bond-esque group to save prom! For poor Madison, nothing can seem to go right.
I loved all the characters. They're a ton of fun and all have something really snazzy about them. Like Lisa uses French all the time. I love the couples in the book. Madison and Nate are my favorite - they are so cute together!
I would definately suggest this book, and the first book in the series which is just as good. What's Your St@tus is filled with fun and with characters you just can't help but to love. This is definately a book for those who love chick-lit, proms, and romance.
What's Your St@tus is just a totally fun book. It's is filled with so many funny moments and there's a whole plan complete with a James Bond-esque group to save prom! For poor Madison, nothing can seem to go right.
I loved all the characters. They're a ton of fun and all have something really snazzy about them. Like Lisa uses French all the time. I love the couples in the book. Madison and Nate are my favorite - they are so cute together!
I would definately suggest this book, and the first book in the series which is just as good. What's Your St@tus is filled with fun and with characters you just can't help but to love. This is definately a book for those who love chick-lit, proms, and romance.
September 21, 2015
The title of this book is What's Your Status. This book is by Katie Finn and it's a realistic fiction book. It's about a 10th grade girl named Madison MacDonald who has a really messed up social life on the internet and there is always something going on with her social network.
Mad is part of the prom crew and she is getting blackmailed by a girl named Isabel Ryan who goes to a different high school called Hartfield High school and she is trying to ruin Putnam High School's prom. So madison has to try and solve all the problems with the help of her friends with out getting expelled. Mad also thinks that she accidentally wrecked her relationship with Nate because of a misunderstanding and she trying to figure out weather their still okay or if she did something wrong.
I recommend this book to GIRLS who like reading books about friendship problems drama and stuff like that goes on high school. It's pretty interesting because in this book you will read about many girls lives in high school and how much social network affects them.
Mad is part of the prom crew and she is getting blackmailed by a girl named Isabel Ryan who goes to a different high school called Hartfield High school and she is trying to ruin Putnam High School's prom. So madison has to try and solve all the problems with the help of her friends with out getting expelled. Mad also thinks that she accidentally wrecked her relationship with Nate because of a misunderstanding and she trying to figure out weather their still okay or if she did something wrong.
I recommend this book to GIRLS who like reading books about friendship problems drama and stuff like that goes on high school. It's pretty interesting because in this book you will read about many girls lives in high school and how much social network affects them.
July 6, 2011
If I had to describe What’s Your St@tus I’d say it’s a contemporary YA with a great message about privacy and social networking. Madison is somewhere between Nancy Drew, a Gallagher Girl, and a member of the Babysitter’s Club/Sweet Valley High. She’s a sleuth meets spy meets teen girl. There story focuses on a good group of friends, and I loved the diversity among them. Their varied interests I found to be more realistic than other cliquish novels. The songs, quotes and status updates were a cute addition to the format of the novel, however the plot was rather predictable. That being said it was a quick and easy read. I think if I had read the first book Top 8, perhaps I would have been more invested in Madison and her group of friends.
Overall: B+
Overall: B+
December 1, 2013
what's your status? is a book written by Katie Finn. Its about a teenage girl & her I guess you can call it her "facebook" page. Everything seemed to be going good for Madiso, which is the main actor. she had her boyfriend that she really liked, the only thing that bothers her was the fact that she had lost her bestfriend. other than that, everything was good until... she got put in charge of the schools priceless heirloom. the assistant headmaster seemed to have vendetta against her. With all of this, she is also being blackmailed. She gathers up a group of her friends to see who is causing this blackmailing problem. without getting caught or suspended, Madison will find out what's going on. also, she may just have accidently wrecked her relationship.
May 27, 2015
I loved the first book in this series and blazed through it in a day! Which is why I was so disappointed by this one. I felt like the story dragged for too long and had a very plain ending. I didn't like the way Nate's story line was handled with him already sleeping with his ex-girlfriend, not telling Mad, and then they don't really talk about it at all. I seem to remember things like that were a big deal in high school. I felt like the Dell plot was way too obvious, and I really didn't like the way the vice principal (or assistant headmaster) decided to start hating Madison seemingly out of the blue. I was looking for a quick and easy read like the first book and I felt like falling asleep the entire time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 16, 2016
Nah, I didn't really enjoy this one all that much. I got tired of reading how much Madison enjoyed kissing Nate, thought about kissing Nate, wished she was kissing Nate instead of doing what she was currently doing... That got really old really quickly. I did enjoy watching the prom plan unfold and the reveal in the end, but was turned off by how there never seemed to be any adult interaction, even with the prom planning. The only adult who seemed to pay any attention to what these kids were doing was Dr. Trent and he was a huge irrational jerk.
I'll read the last in the series, but I have to say I'm not impressed with this trilogy. It's definitely not on the same level as Amy and Roger's.
I'll read the last in the series, but I have to say I'm not impressed with this trilogy. It's definitely not on the same level as Amy and Roger's.
June 12, 2011
Predictable for the most part until the end when it started to throw some curve balls but that was mostly because you the reader had been denied full details of the operation. Overall it was a cute novel. When the topic of sleeping with your prom date came up I had a few issues with it but they were resolved in the end. Actually I had a couple issues with multiple relationships but what can you do?
These books really make you see how mindless and ignorant some people are about social networking. A lot can be learned from Madison on how NOT to use social networking tools. It really makes you want to reevaluate how you behave and what information you share on the Internet.
These books really make you see how mindless and ignorant some people are about social networking. A lot can be learned from Madison on how NOT to use social networking tools. It really makes you want to reevaluate how you behave and what information you share on the Internet.
April 17, 2014
Yes! Score! I'm super happy that I loved the second Top 8 book just as much as I adored the first! The prom setting was a bit cliché, but it worked well. What makes these books interesting, is that there's always something more to the story..literally. The mystery isn't fully revealed all at once, and something else is always going on. I'm very happy that Ruth and Maddie are friends once again. The newest social network site is called Status Q. (Twitter, as we call it). When one of Maddie's friends have to pull off a high-pressure heist, the crew has to send coded messages to each other all in the middle of prom. This is a fun and light-hearted book, sure to please :)
July 26, 2011
i read top 8 last year and i liked it so i decided to read this one :)
it kind of started out slow but once i got into it, i couldn't put the book down! it reminded me of why i liked top 8 in the first place. it was very easy to read yet smart and funny. there were so many characters to remember but it wasn't that bad because the character development was great! somehow i could keep track of all of them and i knew all the details. i LOVED the ending :)
it kind of started out slow but once i got into it, i couldn't put the book down! it reminded me of why i liked top 8 in the first place. it was very easy to read yet smart and funny. there were so many characters to remember but it wasn't that bad because the character development was great! somehow i could keep track of all of them and i knew all the details. i LOVED the ending :)
April 25, 2013
This book was very interesting. It talks about a typical teenage girl, her best friend who betrayed her, by hacking her Status Q account. Isabel, Mad's enemy is ready to ruin Putman High School's prom by stealing the Hayes crow, stealing Mad's dress. What else is on? How will they resolve this big problem? You want to know then read, Whats your st@tus? This book is very very interesting. All typical teenager girl/ chick-lit book, but you with a lot of mysteries.
November 8, 2010
This book was definately much, much better than the first. It was so cute, and there was so much action. I really loved their plot and how everything just worked out. It was also really cool to see so many different type of "cliques" come together. I really enjoyed reading this book. It made me laugh out loud, gasp and smile. It was really fun. I can't wait for the third book.
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