Smart Girls Get What They Want - Sarah Strohmeyer

Goodreads summary:

Gigi, Bea, and Neerja are best friends and total overachievers. Even if they aren't the most popular girls in school, they aren't too worried. They know their real lives will begin once they get to their Ivy League colleges. There will be ivy, and there will be cute guys in the libraries (hopefully with English accents)! But when an unexpected event shows them they're missing out on the full high school experience, it's time to come out of the honors lounge and into the spotlight. They make a pact: They will each take on their greatest challenge—and they will totally rock it.

Gigi decides to run for student rep, but she'll have to get over her fear of public speaking—and go head-to-head with gorgeous California Will. Bea used to be one of the best skiers around, until she was derailed. It could be time for her to take the plunge again. And Neerja loves the drama club but has always stayed behind the scenes—until now.

These friends are determined to show the world that smart girls really can get what they want—but that could mean getting way more attention than they ever bargained for. . . .


My review:

4/5

This book is fluffy and sweet and smart. Just perfect.

For once, the main character isn't a popular girl who doesn't like to read and who never studies for her exam. Instead, she and her two best friends accumulate near-perfect grades in hopes of getting into the college of their choice, all of it by studying until late at night and even early in the morning. If that isn't different from most YA novels, than I don't know what else it could be. I could see myself a lot in these characters, because I'm a workaholic, too, and having good grades has had the same effect on me than it had on these girls. I don't know what it is about good grades, but it seems to push people away, to make them see you as a cold person or, simply, to make them hate you. I loved relating to the characters in that way, because it's so incredibly different from my usual cheesy novels.

I really liked the fact that while this novel's main character is Gigi, the story is about her and her two best friends. I cared a lot about their lives and their friendship, since they're almost as important and known to the readers as the main characters. Their friendship is adorable and I love their strength and fierceness.

There are some characters I didn't understand - I'm obviously talking about Will. I really didn't like him, but his sudden change of attitude at the end perplexed me. It felt way too happily-ever-after to me, because let's be real, some people just never change.

Although it's predictable, the romantic aspects of this novel are adorable. I loved the relationships and the characters who are in them, because it was just too cute to be true. I chose this novel as a cheesy and easy read and it was definitely what I expected - and needed.

If you're tired of never reading about smart characters in YA, pick this book up. It's original and refreshing, making it the perfect novel to read between study books.