Being Nikki - Meg Cabot

Greetings everyone !

Since I just reviewed Airhead (here), I might as well review the second book in the Airhead trilogy by Meg Cabot today ! After reading the first book, I was so in love with the story that I immediately bought the second one. Which tells you how much I liked the story. Unlike the Immortals series for example.

The book sees geeky tomboy Em Watts get progressively used to her new life as teen-supermodel Nikki Howard. She discovers that being a supermodel isn't that easy, especially since she decided to go back to high school to keep an eye on her love interest Christopher to pursue her studies and spend time with her little sister Frida. She is still best friends with Lulu and has so many boys turning around her that she hardly manages to do her supermodel photoshoots and fashion shows right. Many unexpected characters appear in Em/Nikki's life and she will learn many scary things, especially on Stark entreprises, that will make her take decisions which will have a strong effect on her future.

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Quite unsurprisingly, I loved this book just as much, if not better than Airhead !

I still love the characters. And I find Meg Cabot's style incredibly insightful and funny. I would praise her even more for putting at the centre of the book the theme of education vs. fame etc. It is such an important theme, and it is such a crucial matter when it comes to young ladies, who are constantly appealed in the medias to be beautiful (as if it were important compared to an education) and famous and rich. If I had a teenage daughter, and if she were to tell me that the only thing she wants to be when she grows up is Miley Cyrus, I would make her read this book. After grounding her for life.

There is also some rommaaaance. No swooning behing the screen, ladies. Will Em get to see her beloved Christopher at school? Will she risk making contact? Is he still the same after her death? Will he like her in Nikki's body, the same body they were making fun of before?  

Awww plenty things happening! But since I'm incredibly cruel, you'll have to read the book to know the answers. 

Aside from everything I said yesterday about Airhead. I would like to add that Being Nikki is turning, from a YA Chick Lit story, to a wicked thriller with the whole Em vs. Stark. Call me a conspiracy theory nutcase, but I love how the plot is turning out. This is so much more than a geek body-swapping with a model.

I believe that people owning entertainment/communications company are half ruling the world. And they're probably watching you read this blog at the moment, you better put some disguise or something. No, seriously, they rule the world in the sense that they create needs we never had and then make us buy things we never wanted in the first place (and this is said by Em in the book, that's not just me saying) and then become super rich and do it all over again. And again.
Actually, if you ever wanted to conquer the world, that's exactly how you should do it. Yeah, I've given world domination a thought or two back in the day, that's definitely the best plan.
I really like actually how this company and it's boss Robert Stark look so much like a graphic novel villain. It's just awesome !

So I really like the way Meg Cabot is putting these ideas in the book, and how, in the end, she shows that friendship and family are more important than anything else, especially the newly released Stark computer or a several million dollar bra.

I sooooo can't wait for the last book of the trilogy, Runaway, to be published (in September in the UK but is already out in the US with a much less prettier cover). Because that's where (hopefully) Em is going to bring those people down and restore a little humanity in this world. Finally. Go geeks !

Anyways, I'm sure people who liked the first book will love the second book, because the story is taken one step further by the marvelously talented Meg Cabot who develops some very interesting themes.

A must read !

What did you think people, do you like the whole story Em vs. Stark entreprises ?

Good night !!