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Ready or Not (All-American Girl Series) by Meg Cabot

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Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pub. Date: July 2005
ISBN-13: 9780641823022
Age Range: Young Adult
238pp
Series: All-American Girl Series
Edition Description: Bargain

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Synopsis

Top ten things Samantha Madison isn't ready for:

10. Spending Thanksgiving at Camp David

9. With her boyfriend, the president's son

8. Who appears to want to take their relationship to the Next Level

7. Which Sam inadvertently and shockingly announces live on MTV

6. While appearing to support the president's dubious policies on families, morals, and yes, sex

5. Juggling her new after-school job at Potomac Video

4. Even though she already has a job as teen ambassador to the UN (that she doesn't get paid for)

3. Riding the Metro and getting accosted because she's "the redheaded girl who saved the president's life," in spite of her new, semipermanent Midnight Ebony tresses

2. Experiencing total role reversal with her popular sister Lucy, who for once can't get the guy she wants

and the number-one thing Sam isn't ready for?

1. Finding out the hard way that in art class, "life drawing" means "naked people."

KLIATT

To quote the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, July 2005: Readers first met Samantha in All-American Girl, in which she foiled an assassination attempt on the president's life and ended up dating his son, David. In Ready or Not, Sam and David have started an art class together that features nude models, to Sam's shocked surprise. David has invited her to Camp David for Thanksgiving, which Sam interprets as meaning that he wants to take their relationship to a new level and have sex. Then Sam learns that the president's innocuous-sounding Return to Family initiative includes a proposed bill that requires parental consent for teen contraception, and she objects to it on national TV—making it sound like she and David are already having sex. In the end, David isn't the one pushing to have sex; Sam takes the initiative, and wins praise for speaking out, too. Cabot, the author of the popular Princess Diaries series and other novels for YAs, has a knack for creating convincing, down-to-earth teen characters and incorporating many pop culture references. Lots of heart and humor here, and despite all the talk of sex, no real details, though this may still prove to be a controversial title in some regions.

More Reviews and Recommendations

Biography

Keeping up with Meg Cabot is tricky: Under four pen names, the Princess Diaries author turns out light entertaining novels for teens and adults at a furious pace. Which is good news for her fans, who snap them up as fast as she can write them!

More About the Author

Customer Reviews

Number of Reviews: 147
Average Rating:
Write a Review

Teenage Girl? This is a 'Must Read'
Ashley, A reviewer, 08/29/2008

This was one of the best books that I have read in a long time. It was very fast-paced, which I try to look for in a book, was well geared toward teenage girls, and had me laughing a lot of the time. I couldn't put it down! It seemed almost seemed as if Meg had been through all this herself. She is a great author and it shows through Ready or Not. I can't wait to get started on another one of her books.

Also recommended: If We Kiss

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!
A reviewer, intense reader, 08/19/2008

I re-read this book like ten times if someone said it was boring they are very very very wrong!!! I read the whole book in one day and two hrs. ' stayed up til 2 a.m. reading it!'

Also recommended: The Georgia nicholson series, scrambled eggs at midnight, and flipped

More Customer Reviews

Fact File

Name:
Meg Cabot

Also Known As:
Meggin Patricia Cabot (full name); Patricia Cabot, Jenny Caroll

Current Home:
New York, New York

Place of Birth:
Bloomington, Indiana

Education:
B.A. in fine arts, Indiana University, 1991

* Meg Cabot's official web site

Biography

Meg Cabot knows that one of the best cures for feeling gawky and conspicuous is reading about someone who sticks out even more than you do. Her books for young adults invariably feature girls who have extraordinary powers that carry extraordinary burdens. Cabot's Princess Diaries series offers up the secret thoughts of Mia Thermopolis, who discovers at age 14 that she is actually the princess of a small European country. This revelation adds significantly to her extant concerns about crushes, friendships, school, and other matters falling under adolescent scrutiny.

Cabot, a native of Indiana weaned on Judy Blume and Barbara Cartland, was already a successful romance novelist (as Patricia Cabot) before she began writing for young adults; her alter-alter ego, Jenny Carroll, began a new series shortly after The Princess Diaries debuted. The Carroll books are divided between the Mediator series, starring a girl who can communicate with restless ghosts; and the 1-800-WHERE-R-YOU books, in which a girl struck by lightning acquires the ability to locate missing people.

Cabot writes her books in a conspiratorial, first-person style that resonates with her readers. She has obviously kept a grip on the vernacular and the key issues of adolescence; but what makes her books so irresistible is the mixing of the mundane with the fantastic. After all, who wouldn't like to wake up and be a princess all of a sudden, or a seer? Cabot takes such offhand notions and roots them firmly in the details of average, middle-class American life. She has also tiptoed into mystery and paranormal suspense with other YA novels and series installments.

Cabot continues to write adult novels under various permutations of her given name (Meggin Patricia Cabot): from 19th-century historical romances to contemporary chick lit. And, as with her books for teens, these romances have earned praise for their lighthearted humor and well drawn characters.

Good to Know

Some interesting outtakes from our interview with Cabot:

"I am left handed."

"I hate tomatoes of any kind."

"I really wanted to be veterinarian, but I got a 410 on my math SATs."

"Writing used to be my hobby, but now that it's my job, I have no hobby -- except watching TV and laying around the pool reading US Weekly. I have tried many hobbies, such as knitting, Pilates, ballet, yoga, and guitar, but none of them have taken. So I guess I'm stuck with no hobby.

Feature Interview

In the fall of 2004, Meg Cabot took some time out to answer some of our questions about her favorite books, authors, and interests.

What was the book that most influenced your life or your career as a writer?
Growing up, I mostly read comic books and sci-fi. Then I discovered the book Jane Eyre by Jane Austen. It introduced me to the world of romance, which I have since never left. Also, the world of the first-person narrative.

What are your ten favorite books, and what makes them special to you?

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons -- I love its not-so-gentle satirical humor.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee -- This book reminds me of a pearl necklace. Every word has been as carefully strung together as if it were a precious jewel. Besides which, it's a kick-ass story.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen -- Again, gentle satirical humor with a dose of romance. What's not to love?

Anything by Mary Stewart -- The Moon Spinners, My Brother Michael, Nine Coaches Waiting, Thornyhold, and more. They're Intelligent mystery/romances for the discriminating reader.

Don't forget Thursday Next -- not the date, the character! I love the brilliant and hilarious Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. If you like to read, you'll like this series.

I love Susan Juby's hilarious, irreverent Alice diaries (Alice, I Think and Miss Smithers) not to be missed, if you're 12 or 112.

Robert B. Parker's Spenser series are the only books my dad and I could both agree were great, and for that reason I continue to read them, in homage to my dad, who passed away but undoubtedly knows exactly what Spenser is up to next.

I adore the bubbly "Shopaholic" series by Sophie Kinsella, as well as her departure novel, Can You Keep a Secret? for good solid escape reading.

I couldn't live without Dorothy Sayers' characters Lord Peter Wimsey and his companion in crime, Harriet Vane. Check out Strong Poison, Have His Carcase, Gaudy Night, and Busman's Honeymoon for mysteries that will thrill the senses (and romance that will tingle them).

And finally, a brand new discovery (well, to me): P.G. Wodehouse's Leave It to Psmith, a madcap comedy of errors that makes me long for a hot milky cup of tea in the summerhouse.

What are some of your favorite films, and what makes them unforgettable to you?

Star Wars -- Because it was the first "adult" film I saw, and up until I saw it, I had never seen a movie like it. As a sci-fi fan, it blew me away, and still does -- because it creates a world the likes of which no one had ever seen before, or ever will see again.

I loved Reality Bites with Winona Ryder, because it summed so exactly my own after-college experience. As a Gen-Xer, this film really hit home with me.

I love Cold Comfort Farm, the movie, because it's also my favorite book, and extremely well done.

What types of music do you like? Is there any particular kind you like to listen to when you're writing?
I tend to like pop far too much -- whatever is out now and in the top 40, I will listen to endlessly, so long as it is upbeat and features a female vocalist. I also like alternative.

What are your favorite kinds of books to give -- and get -- as gifts?
I don't give books as gifts. Books are extremely personal and I would hate to give someone a book that they don't like or want, because it would break my heart if they didn't read it. That said, I love getting gifts of funny essay collections by Sarah Vowell or David Sedaris or Laurie Notaro.

Do you have any special writing rituals? For example, what do you have on your desk when you're writing?
No. I can write at the pool, in bed, on a plane, at work, in a crowd -- wherever, whenever. A good writer can write under any conditions. This was one of the first things I learned in my 8th grade writing class under Mr. Dan Gotch at the Junipero Serra Mission school in Carmel, California. Thanks, Mr. Gotch.

Many writers are hardly "overnight success" stories. How long did it take for you to get where you are today? Any rejection-slip horror stories or inspirational anecdotes?
I have a U.S. postal mailbag in which I keep my rejection letters. It is too heavy to move. The Princess Diaries was rejected 17 times. For a while, I was getting a rejection letter a day for several years (except on Sunday, when there was no mail). This however only fueled my conviction that the entire publishing industry is completely insane. Now that I am a published author, I have been let in on the secret: I was right all along. They are all insane. But then, so are the writers, so it's a nice fit.

What tips or advice do you have for writers still looking to be discovered?
Some tips I would give to aspiring authors:

Write the kinds of stories you like to read. If you don't love what you're writing, no one else will, either.

Don't tell people you want to be a writer. Everyone will try to talk of you out of choosing a job with so little security. Just keep it to yourself, and be sure to get a job to fall back on if your writing career doesn't work out right away.

You are not a hundred dollar bill. Not everyone is going to like you, or your story. Do not take rejection personally.

If you are blocked on a story, there is probably something wrong with it. Take a few days off and put the story on a back burner for a while. Eventually, it will come to you.

Don't push too much pressure on yourself to get published by a certain age. I didn't get published until I was 30, and I turned out all right, I promise.

Write all the time. Never stop sending out your stuff. Don't wait for a response after sending a story out -- start a new story right away, and then send that one out! If you are constantly writing and sending stuff out (don't forget to live your life, too, while you are doing this) eventually somebody will bite!

It is nearly impossible to get published these days without an agent. The guide I used to get mine was called Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents. It was well worth the money I spent on it, since it lists every agent in the business and what he or she is looking for. It also tells you how to write a query letter, what to expect from your publisher, and all sorts of good stuff. A must-buy for any aspiring author!

And above all, become a good listener. In order to write believable dialogue, you need to listen to the conversations of the people around you -- then try to imitate them!

Good luck, and keep writing! If I can do it, so can you!

From the Publisher

Top ten things Samantha Madison isn't ready for:

10. Spending Thanksgiving at Camp David

9. With her boyfriend, the president's son

8. Who appears to want to take their relationship to the Next Level

7. Which Sam inadvertently and shockingly announces live on MTV

6. While appearing to support the president's dubious policies on families, morals, and yes, sex

5. Juggling her new after-school job at Potomac Video

4. Even though she already has a job as teen ambassador to the UN (that she doesn't get paid for)

3. Riding the Metro and getting accosted because she's "the redheaded girl who saved the president's life," in spite of her new, semipermanent Midnight Ebony tresses

2. Experiencing total role reversal with her popular sister Lucy, who for once can't get the guy she wants

and the number-one thing Sam isn't ready for?

1. Finding out the hard way that in art class, "life drawing" means "naked people."

KLIATT

Customer Reviews

Number of Reviews: 147
Average Rating:
Write a Review

Showing 1-5 Next

Teenage Girl? This is a 'Must Read'
Ashley, A reviewer, 08/29/2008

Also recommended:�If We Kiss

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!
A reviewer, intense reader, 08/19/2008

I re-read this book like ten times if someone said it was boring they are very very very wrong!!! I read the whole book in one day and two hrs. ' stayed up til 2 a.m. reading it!'

Also recommended:�The Georgia nicholson series, scrambled eggs at midnight, and flipped

Boring and pointless
j.j., a book lover, 08/03/2008

I love Meg Cabot and i think she is a terrific author, but this book had to be one of the most boring books i have ever read. The whole book revolved around whether or not Sam and David decide to have sex and nothing else really.

Also recommended:�All of Meg Cabot(except for this), twilight, harry potter etc.

Completely Horrid.
Jemma, an avid reader & actress, 08/03/2008

I read this book after finishing All American Girl, and simply adoring it. Naturally, I guessed that I would love this one, too. Every other word was inappropriate, and I found Sam not likable at all. The whole book revolved around her worrying about having sex with David. It had a really horrible message- even if you have sex before you're actually supposed to, you're not a bad person, and you can still be a role model! Ready Or Not also didn't have a great plot, and it was very underdeveloped. Probably the worst sequel.... ever.

Also recommended:�Twilight series, Harry Potter, The Colour Purple, V for Vendetta, books by Lizabeth Zindel, The Mediator series.

A great book
A reviewer, the best reader in south carolina, 06/27/2008

If you love meg cabot and her books you would love this one even more if you thnk this book is boring you probably didn't read it all the way through. Most books start off boring but when you get into it you can't put it down

Also recommended:�I have also enjoyed the Princess books

Showing 1-5 Next

Table of Contents
Interviews & Essays

Interviews & Essays

Talking to All-American Author Meg Cabot

Barnes & Noble.com: The teenage voice you write in sounds so natural -- and your books are so in-tune with teens today. How do you do it?

Meg Cabot: My natural inner voice sounds about 16 (example of Meg's inner voice: "Ew, gross, I can't believe she's wearing that in public"), so it is very easy for me to write from the point of view of someone that age. The memories of adolescence seem to be permanently seared into my brain.

B&N.com: What were your own high school experiences like -- and how (if at all) do they figure into your writing and affect the way you write about your character's lives?

MC: My four years of high school were the most miserable of my life. When I have nightmares now, they are always about being stuck back in high school. Generally in geometry. Sometimes gym.

Fortunately, I kept detailed records of my agony. I frequently refer to the journals I kept when I was a freshman–senior for inspiration while writing my books, particularly The Princess Diaries.

B&N.com: Where did the idea for All-American Girl come from?

MC: My mom's boyfriend has three little granddaughters who live in Washington, D.C. One day I just started wondering what it would be like to grow up in a town like D.C., where so much is going on. A kid could, conceivably, even run into the president...and possibly save him from an assassin's bullet. So that's how I came up with the plot for All-American Girl. Although Sam is not based on any of my mom's boyfriend's grandkids...they are all under the age of eight.

B&N.com: Is Samantha based on anyone you know, or knew? She is an artist -- and she was thrown suddenly into the media spotlight. Is she like you?

MC: Sam's experiences and attitudes are definitely based on my own. I had an art teacher in middle school who was exactly like Sam's. She kept holding up white eggs and telling me to paint the colors in them. For a long time I thought she was nuts. Then one day, it just clicked. It took me much longer than it took Sam, though.

I haven't exactly been thrust into the limelight like Sam was, though. Coke and Pepsi are not sending me lifetime supplies of their products (sadly).

B&N.com: You write so well about Sam's "unrequited love" for Jack...and then her confusing feelings for David. Again, how do you do it? Any personal experiences with all-consuming crushes?

MC: Oh my gosh, who hasn't had a crush on a totally inappropriate person? Like Samantha, I loved (or thought I loved) a boy who was totally wrong for me -- and I think I was the only one who couldn't see it...or the fact that the perfect guy for me was there all along, just waiting for me to notice him! Thankfully I finally woke up one day, and now we've been married for almost ten years.

B&N.com: Were you a big reader when you were growing up? Can you name a few of your favorite children's books?

MC: I read almost exclusively sci-fi fantasy as a kid: Tolkien, Lloyd Alexander, Susan Cooper. I've been expanding my horizons lately, and am loving Tamora Pierce, Maud Hart Lovelace, and Louise Rennison.

B&N.com: Now that one of your books (The Princess Diaries) has been made into a movie -- and you have others optioned -- has your writing changed (i.e., do you write more for the screen)?

MC: The only thing about my writing that's changed is that I am finally making a living doing it, so I no longer have my "day job" (assistant managing a 700-bed freshman dorm at New York University) and can write full time. And the good thing is that I have enough money saved up so that if my next book really bombs, I won't have to go back to listening to kids complain about their roommates any time soon (I hope).

B&N.com: Does your success surprise you? How has it changed your life?

MC: Well, I have a car for the first time in my life (even though I don't drive). And I own real estate in Manhattan, something I never thought would happen. And I got the one thing I've always wanted: a whirlpool tub! I sit in it for hours every night (I am not kidding), reading.

I guess I'm not as surprised about my books' success as some of my family members and ex-boyfriends are. Especially the ex-boyfriends.

B&N.com: What is next for Meg Cabot -- what can we look forward to?

MC: Lately, I have been combining my two loves -- YAs and historicals -- by writing YA historicals. I will have two out soon: Nicola and the Viscount and Victoria and Rogue. These are fun romances that are totally appropriate for the 12-and-up crowd. But I'm not abandoning my adult books! I have two coming out soon, under the name Meggin Cabot: The Boy Next Door (October 2002) and She Went All the Way (December 2002), humorous romantic mysteries that are set in the here-and-now! And in January 2003, Haunted, the latest installment of my YA series The Mediator, will be out, followed in Spring 2003 by The Princess Diaries 4: Princess in Waiting.

Phew! Am I tired! Good thing I've got that whirlpool tub waiting....

B&N.com: Can you give me a list of the top ten reasons why you love your life?

MC: 10. I get to wear pajamas all day long.
9. I can go to bed whenever I want.
8. I can eat popcorn for lunch, ice cream for dinner.
7. No homework, ever.
6. I got to meet Julie Andrews.
5. I have 300 channels, and can watch TV all day (and frequently do).
4. I live in New York City, the greatest city in the world.
3. I got to meet Judy Blume.
2. I have a total hottie for a husband.
1. I get paid to make things up!

Ready or Not (All-American Girl Series) by Meg Cabot

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Synopsis

KLIATT

Biography

Customer Reviews

Fact File

Biography

Good to Know

Feature Interview

From the Publisher

KLIATT

Customer Reviews

Product Details

Table of Contents

Interviews & Essays

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