READY OR NOT by Meg Cabot
    Category:  Contemporary
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 9+
    Release Date:  8/1/05
    Publisher:  HarperCollins
    Reviewed by:  Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"
    Rating: 5 Stars


    Is this book controversial? You bet! Is it funny? No doubt about it. Is it appropriate reading material for all ages?
    Depends on what you deem appropriate.

    I've read with interest other reviews for READY OR NOT, Meg Cabot's sequel to ALL-AMERICAN GIRL. I even
    agree with a lot of them. But before I start my review, let me remind you of one salient point--this book is a work of
    FICTION. It was written by a HUMAN who has her OWN views of life.

    Just as everyone isn't going to agree on whether or not abortion is right, or the war in Iraq is necessary, or whether
    religion should be allowed in public schools, no two people are going to agree on whether or not Sam should have sex
    with her boyfriend at the age of almost seventeen.

    That said, I loved the book. I'm a thirty-year-old happily married mother of two, and I still enjoyed Ms. Cabot's
    individual brand of humor, the trials of being a teenager, and the ability of one person to make a difference in the
    world.

    The Samantha Madison of ALL-AMERICAN GIRL has grown up. She's older, she's dyed her hair because she
    "needed a change," and she's wondering what to do now that her boyfriend, David, who just happens to be the son
    of the US President, has invited her to Camp David over Thanksgiving weekend to play "parcheesi."

    Sam is all ready reeling--from the realization that she either looks like a cute Ashlee Simpson (her older sister Lucy's
    comment on the dye job, which is not good) or a dead Joan of Arc (her younger sister Rebecca's comment on the
    hair, which could be good depending on how you look at it); the fact that "life studies" in art class obviously means
    "naked people" (really not good that the first naked man you see is a complete stranger); and the knowledge that the
    President seems to think providing the teens of America birth-control should not be done without their parents
    approval.

    I truly enjoyed READY OR NOT. The message is a powerful one--the sexuality of a person should be based on their
    maturity, not their age, and that birth-control is a personal decision of the person engaging in sexual activities. That
    said, however, never once does the book become preachy about teen sexuality. I can understand where some parents
    might not like having their teenage daughters reading about a sixteen-year old who decides to have sex with her
    boyfriend, but I personally would rather have my daughter read a book about a girl who knows what a big decision it
    is, comes to peace with it in her mind, and seeks out ways to avoid the dangers that are associated with sex no matter
    what your age--pregnancy and disease--then have her feel ashamed to research her decision.

    I think the subject matter was wonderfully handled, and by no means is the entire book about Sam trying to decide
    whether or not to have sex with David. A lot of reviewers will attempt to make it be so, just because the subject
    matter is a touchy one. But it's also about Sam wanting to be her own person, not just "the girl who saved the
    President." It's about learning to love yourself as you are, and understanding the intricacies of your family, and taking
    important steps in your life to make the world a better place.

    Samantha Madison grew up in this book, and that's how it should be. Any parent who thinks their teenager isn't
    thinking about sex is sadly mistaken--it's just a fact of life. And Meg Cabot presents a wonderful story about the highs
    and lows of falling in love, of making life-altering decisions, and being the best person you can be.
All-American Girl Bk. 2:
Ready or Not
by Meg Cabot