The A-List (novel)
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| The A-List | |
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| Author(s) | Zoey Dean |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The A-List |
| Genre(s) | Young adult literature Ages 15 and up |
| Publisher | Megan Tingley Publishers |
| Publication date | 2003 |
| Pages | 228 |
| ISBN | 9780316734356 |
| OCLC Number | 52853701 |
| LC Classification | PZ7.D3473 Aae 2003 |
| Followed by | Girls on Film |
The A-List is the first novel in The A-List series by Zoey Dean. It was released in 2003 through Megan Tingley Books by Poppy.
[edit] Plot summary
The A-List follows the character of Anna Percy, who has been raised on New York City's Upper East Side. Anna has grown up living a life of privilege and many rules, which she somewhat jokingly refers to as "This is How We Do Things Big Book, East Coast WASP Edition". Anna moves out to Los Angeles with her father in the hopes of getting an internship in the entertainment industry as well as to reinvent herself in a new environment. While traveling to LA, Anna meets the handsome Ben Birnbaum, with whom she has an immediate connection. Ben invites Anna to the wedding of A-lister Jackson Sharpe, which she accepts. Once Anna arrives in LA she discovers that her father has stood her up at both the airport and lunch in order to indulge in marijuana, leading Anna to believe that her father doesn't want her with him.
Later that same day at the wedding Anna meets Samantha "Sam Sharpe, Camilla "Cammie" Sheppard, and Delia "Dee" Young. Because the trio all have large crushes on Ben, they are upset at Anna's appearance as his date and spend much of the evening trying to get his attention. This results in Anna's designer dress getting ruined and Sam getting rejected, which causes the two to bond.
Sam invites Anna to attend a Warner Brothers New Year's Eve bash. A jealous Cammie attempts to break up Anna and Ben by convincing a big producer that Anna is a hooker, but fails. After the party Cammie goes to her mother's grave, Sam and a group of partiers goes to her father's house to get drunk, and Ben and Anna go to his father's boat to have sex. Anna tells Ben that she's not ready for sex. Ben appears to accept, only to desert Anna while she is asleep under the pretext of getting his car.
During a charity project, Anna discovers that she has gotten food poisoning from an expired yogurt she'd eaten earlier in the day. While caring for Anna, Dee confesses that people look down on her because of her short stature and spirituality. Dee also confesses that she believes that she's pregnant with Ben's baby, which unbeknownst to Dee is not true.
At the end of the book Anna is enrolled at the same high school as the other girls, has broken up with Ben, and had her internship fail to work out. Sam and Dee show an interest in becoming friends with Anna, which causes Cammie to feel threatened.
[edit] Reception
Critical reception for The A-List has been mixed. Kirkus Reviews called the book "fast-paced but uninspired", saying that "teens will get the thrill of seeing how the super-rich live, coupled with the heartening insight that money doesn’t guarantee happiness".[1] The School Library Journal wrote that "Fans of the series will flock to this book, but they may be a tad disappointed with the replay."[2]
[edit] References
- ^ The A-List Kirkus Reviews
- ^ The A-List School Library Journal
