After months of being a bad, bad reader, I finally managed to finish a book today. How to Be Popular by Meg Cabot became the twelfth book I closed this year with (reading-wise), and this cute, teen-ish book was exactly what I needed to get out of my reading slump.
How to Be Popular follows the story of Steph Landry, a teenage girl who has long been a social pariah after dropping a cherry Super Big Gulp onto a popular girl's skirt back in fifth grade. Now that a book titled How to Be Popular is in her possession, Steph is determined to change the trajectory of her junior year and become popular. In addition, she plans to steal Mark Finley's (the school quarterback) heart. All she has to do is follow every instruction in the book.
However, it turns out that being popular is not as difficult as staying that way. Steph tries to shortcut her way to the top of the social ladder while keeping her old friends, Jason and Becca, close. Although Jason and Becca can't understand why she is acting so differently all of a sudden, Steph remains determined regardless.
Well, it didn't take me that long to finish this book, meaning that How to Be Popular was as cute as I had expected it to be. If there's one thing I'm certain about regarding Meg Cabot's books, it's that they can easily cure my reading slump when the time is right. I mean, How to Be Popular might not be a book that curled my toes or wrenched my heart out, but it was an entertaining story that, though predictable, hooked me.
Steph, the main character, was not what you would call selfless. She wasn't a particularly good person to begin with—and I didn't really like her as a character—but I could understand her desire to be seen by her peers. I think wanting to be popular is a universal teenage problem, and seeing Steph being so obstinate about her ultimate goal was quite fun.
Becca and Jason, on the other hand, weren't fully developed, but I liked how they were portrayed throughout the story. Also, the little background details—like Steph's mischievous siblings, her grandfather's observatory, Jason's passion for astronomy, etc.—were so interesting to read. I wish these elements had been explored further—I was certain they would have added more depth to the book. But even without that, despite the story being predictable from the start, How to Be Popular still entertained me quite a bit.
In conclusion, I would definitely recommend this book if you're looking for a cute, teen-ish novel to read.
Actual rating: 3.6★
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