FRANCO AMERICAN DREAMS

Rating:
Summary: This book is Gen-X-cellent!!!!!!!
Review: I am a little past 19 (14 years past) and I still loved this book. I thought it was hip, funny, and real. The depiction of Abbie's feelings for Franco was right on target and universal to a LOT of women, whether 20-year-old college co-eds, middle-aged professionals, or senior citizens. You're never too old or too young to fall for the wrong guy and get a broken heart. I loved the character of Abbie, although I thought she was making a BIG mistake. I mean, the guy chose substances over her and neglected her, and she treated him like an IDOL?!?!? (Good thing she wised up at the end)Also, who fantasizes about marriage, babies, and a life together with a guy they first meet? Abbie obviously never heard teh word ACQUAINTANCE! Still in all, this a refreshing, humorous, poignant read, and although it has a teenage main character, this book can hold the interest of those considerably past the Clearasil-and-SAT's age group. I should have bought two copies -- I'm afraid I'm gonna wear out the first with rereading!

Rating:
Summary: So-So
Review: This book is nowhere near Generation X (early 90s) but more of Generation Why (late 90s). The plot was good but the characters all seemed to be attempting to act older than they really were (and I think most of us can agree at 29 that we really didn't know as much at 19 as we thought we did). The ending seemed a bit unrealistic, with Abby getting a job in NYC before she even had a shred of fashion design experience under her belt. I doubt that a final project in college means much in lieu of real experience. And when she finally flew to the Big Apple, what happened to all her stuff? She left behind her car, her pink and orange striped couch, and her closet crammed with clothes. The book doesn't say if she sold them, shipped them, etc. A good attempt, but immature.

Rating:
Summary: Recommended For Teens Only - Far Too Juvenile For Your 20's!
Review: While the story of this young girl's adoration of bad boys is endearing and even entertaining, the writing style is like that of a high school freshman (could she possibly have used the term "ballistic" any more often than she did?). Her constant (and I mean CONSTANT) references to brand names makes the reader believe she must have been hired by every corporation in the United States to include their name. It's annoying, and for me was impossible to ignore. The characters are such exaggerations that they come across as simply unbelievable. The main female characters, Abbie & Georgette, are pathetic. They seem to pin all of their hopes and dreams on superficial attributes and toxic men. Abbie acts like an obsessed stalker over Franco, and then she wonders why she gets treated poorly.

Remember those Sweet Valley High books you used to read as a pre-teen? Well, this reads just like an older version of those sappy novels. The ending was predictable and way too fairytale. If you're a teenager looking for a very light story and don't have many expectations, I say go ahead and read the darn book, if only for a few chuckles. A classic for Generation X it is NOT. Perhaps Generation Y can make better use of it.