How Opal Mehta Got Kissed
Aug. 28th, 2006 10:49 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fancytalkI've been doing a lot of reading lately. My mother sent me home with a duffel bag full of books so my need to read is being appeased. Anyway, not too long ago I heard an interview on NPR with the author of How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life. With a title like that how could you not want to read the book? So I put the book on my Paperbackswap wish list and finally got it in the mail a couple of weeks ago.
Quick synopsis of the book -
Opal is a young woman whose entire life has been focused on getting into Harvard. Grades, test scores and extracurricular activities make her a shoo-in on paper. However, all this becomes obsolete when asked in her admissions interview "what do you like to do for fun?" Opal has no answer and spends the next few months getting a life, getting wild and finally getting her first kiss. In the end her life experience only leads her to question what's really important in life.
Sounds like it should be a fun read. Sounds like it should have some Judy Blume-goodness to it. Boy, was I disappointed. It was defintitely nothing close to Judy Blume-goodness. The book wasn't entirely bad. I just expected it to deliver more after hearing the interview. My first clue should have been that I wasn't into the book at chapter 5. My second clue should have been when I was hitting the end of week one and wasn't even close to being halfway through the book. *sigh* The title held so much promise.
Now my pop culture obsesssion enjoyed Opal's immersion into all things trendy from TV shows, clothes, actors and music. However, I realized around chapter 8 that the book was in essence another version of Mean Girls with the "Haute Bitchez" instead of the "Plastics". There was so much potential in a real story. It was annoying to read a paragraph and think "oh, that was in ___________ movie".
Overall, the book was a light and fluffy read. Funny in parts, enjoyable in others, but mostly lacking in oomph. If I'm going to recommend Judy Blume-esque books then I'd go with Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants or any of Megan McCafferty's books. I kind of wish I skipped finding out how Opal Mehta got kissed.
Quick synopsis of the book -
Opal is a young woman whose entire life has been focused on getting into Harvard. Grades, test scores and extracurricular activities make her a shoo-in on paper. However, all this becomes obsolete when asked in her admissions interview "what do you like to do for fun?" Opal has no answer and spends the next few months getting a life, getting wild and finally getting her first kiss. In the end her life experience only leads her to question what's really important in life.
Sounds like it should be a fun read. Sounds like it should have some Judy Blume-goodness to it. Boy, was I disappointed. It was defintitely nothing close to Judy Blume-goodness. The book wasn't entirely bad. I just expected it to deliver more after hearing the interview. My first clue should have been that I wasn't into the book at chapter 5. My second clue should have been when I was hitting the end of week one and wasn't even close to being halfway through the book. *sigh* The title held so much promise.
Now my pop culture obsesssion enjoyed Opal's immersion into all things trendy from TV shows, clothes, actors and music. However, I realized around chapter 8 that the book was in essence another version of Mean Girls with the "Haute Bitchez" instead of the "Plastics". There was so much potential in a real story. It was annoying to read a paragraph and think "oh, that was in ___________ movie".
Overall, the book was a light and fluffy read. Funny in parts, enjoyable in others, but mostly lacking in oomph. If I'm going to recommend Judy Blume-esque books then I'd go with Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants or any of Megan McCafferty's books. I kind of wish I skipped finding out how Opal Mehta got kissed.
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Date: 2006-08-28 07:08 pm (UTC)http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2006-04-27-opal-book-pulled_x.htm
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Date: 2006-08-28 08:49 pm (UTC)I didn't think the book was written that well. And knowing that she ripped of Megan McCafferty, the book should have been a lot better. What can I say though, I read it for the catchy title.
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Date: 2006-08-28 08:54 pm (UTC)hahaha. That's amusing!!
Glad I could be of informative service. Or something. =)