Review - All American Girl by Meg Cabot

Published by Macmillan Books
Published 4 April 2003

Summary from Goodreads - Top Ten Reasons Samantha Madison is in Deep Trouble 

10. Her big sister is the most popular girl in school
9. Her little sister is a certified genius
8. She's in love with her big sister's boyfriend
7. She got caught selling celebrity portraits in school
6. And now she's being forced to take art classes
5. She's just saved the president of the United States from an assassination attempt
4. So the whole world thinks she is a hero
3. Even though Sam knows she is far, far from being a hero
2. And now she's been appointed teen ambassador to the UN
And the number-one reason Sam's life is over?
1. The president's son just might be in love with her.


After reading many a long fan girlish posts over on Forever Young Adult, about the greatness that is known as Meg Cabot, I knew I had to jump onboard this fan wagon and ride into fan girl town by loosing my Meg Cabot virginity.  I asked their advice on which book to start with and was bombarded with seriously squealish posts on the amazingness of this book.  If you haven't already guessed, fangirlness spreads like wildfire and I couldn't help but get burned up in all the excitement and ran straight to the book store to buy this lovely book.  So, in honor of the brilliance that is Samanatha, I am going to do what she does best, i'm going to write a list.

Top Ten Reasons Why All American Girl Rocked My Knee High Socks Off

10.  Samantha is so so cool.  With her red crazy hair and all black wardrobe she is a girl after my own heart.  She's sassy, outspoken and not afraid to speak up for what she beleives in.

9. Plus, she has good taste in music.  First up, she has a crush on Gwen Stefani, who is the queen of cool.  Also, she doesn't like the commercial bands and would hate to think of herself as a musical sell out.

8.  She's an artist and boy can this girl draw.  I'm always immensely jealous of people who have artistic tendancies, because the best drawing I have ever done included stick people who could pass for male or female, not exactly a masterpiece.  So, when someone can draw and paint and create things from nothing, I am always entracned by them, both with awe and jealousy.

7.  She saves the President.  Now, i'm not an American and the whole hoopla with how amazing the President is isn't something that actually ever affects me here in le UK.  But, how cool would it be to save the person who is the leader of the free world? this girl does it!! and all she can think about is not that she may have gotten killed, but the fact that she is so busted for skipping an art lesson.  See? she has priorities too.

6.  David.  Now, David is the President's son and he is so delicious, I wanted to pull him from the pages and install him as a permanant feature in my house.  I imagine he would do nice things, like tidy up for me and make sure my bookshelves are kept organised.  He is hot.  He has black hair and deep green eyes and did I mention he is the Presidents son? because he sure is!

5.  The White House.  I have always wondered what it would be like to live right near someone of importance and I guess the president is real important.  Imagine how crazy sauce awesome it would be to live down the road from the White House?  You'd practically be a celebrity yourself.

4.  The secondary characters were just as good as the protagonist.  From her popular gorgeous sister Lucy, who is the girlfriend of Jack who is this hot radical artist, who is destined to love Samantha.  To Rebecca who was super clever with zero people skills.  To her best friend Catherine, who has a never ending crush on Heath Ledger.

3.  The writing just sucks you in, the conversations zing from character to character never letting you loose interest.  They were well fleshed out and life like and most importantly, I liked each and everyone of them and cared how their story ended.

2.  Non conformity is something that I just love and Samantha just fits this bill perfectly.  I hate it when people conform to what they think is right or what is expected and not do what they really want to do.  Plus, on a side note, she wears an army hat and combat boots, with white out daises on them.  It kind of made me want to draw on my own shoes, but see reason number 8 for why this wouldn't be possible.

And the number one reason Why All American Girl Rocked My Knee High Socks Off -

1.  Because it was fan freakin tastic.  Loved loved loved it.  I want some more Cabot and I want it right now.