Friday, May 4, 2012

Audio Review: Airhead by Meg Cabot

Airhead by Meg Cabot

Release Date: May 13, 2008
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Pages: 337 / 8.25 HOURS
Genre: YA Body Switching
Source: Library
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository
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Meg Cabot expands her huge fan base with this slightly darker, more mysterious novel - without losing any of her signature heart and humor.

EM WATTS IS GONE.

Emerson Watts didn’t even want to go to the new SoHo Stark Megastore grand opening. But someone needed to look out for her sister, Frida, whose crush, British heartthrob Gabriel Luna, would be singing and signing autographs there—along with the newly appointed Face of Stark, teen supermodel sensation Nikki Howard.

How was Em to know that disaster would strike, changing her—and life as she’d known it—forever? One bizarre accident later, and Em Watts, always the tomboy, never the party princess, is no longer herself. Literally.   ADD TO GOODREADS

I just realized I've actually never done an audio review. A big reason for that is I usually use audio books as a way to re-read something because sometimes they can be hard to follow along. Not every audio book I have tried have I been able to get into the story but I loved this one so much I wanted to review it. I am a bit of a newbie to Meg Cabot. I've only read her Mediator series because since it was paranormal I thought that would be a great place to start. It was really funny and I loved it so I'm branching out to her other books. This book has a body switching storyline which isn't exactly paranormal but just different enough for me to be intrigued. 

Emerson Watts was at a Stark store grand opening event when a TV fell and she pushed her little sister out of the way but the TV landed on her. She wakes comes out of a coma a month later and realizes she is not herself. As in she is now in the body of supermodel Nikki Howard who was also at the Stark grand opening. Emerson's parents agreed to a brain transplant but it was very expensive and is still an "underground" project. What that means for Em? She now has to take over Nikki's life. No one is allowed to know she is still alive except her mom, dad, and sister. She has to keep up all Nikki's modeling contracts and no one can ever know she is really Emerson Watts. Otherwise her parents may be sued and will owe at least two million dollars.

The big lesson of this book is the old saying you never know what someone goes through until you walk a mile in their shoes. Em gets to walk a mile in Nikki's body. She has a new beauty regiment and a million hours of modeling work. Before the accident Em and her best friend Christopher were a bit on the nerdy side and hated supermodels. They made fun of them. But now Em sees that being a model is hard work. She started high school as Nikki to keep an eye on Christopher who she has been secretly in love with for a long time. So she is at high school all day and has to model until bed time. She can barely fit in homework. Em also hopes for Christopher to see the real her underneath but it will be difficult since he is mourning her and hates supermodels. Not to mention Em is dealing with fans, Nikki's boyfriend, Nikki's roommate and her roommate's boyfriend that is after her, and Gabriel Luna, a singer who was at the Stark opening.

Now about the characters. I loved Christopher. I'm a best friend, boy next door, type of girl. He was sweet and as Em said herself wasn't a guy to drool over the mean popular girls. I hated Em's sister Frida. First off that is a hideous name! LOL It bothered me. She was so mean and snobby to Em. Then when Em was inside Nikki's body I felt like Frida wasn't even sad for Em. She just wanted to use her for popularity. Nikki's roommate Lulu was hilarious. She has such strange logic but it wasn't super snobby. I have no clue what is up with Gabriel Luna. He is in love with Nikki I think but knows nothing about her. I want him to go away because I'm Team Christopher all the way.   

I liked the narrator of this audio book. She was able to give each character personality without overdoing it. It was easy to keep up and I never wanted to turn it off. I got the book to listen to while exercising but I loved it so much I started listening to it in the car, around the house, and in bed. This was a very fun read and I was laughing out loud while in the car and going on walks. Sometimes it's nice to just be able to relax and have someone else read to you. I just requested the second book from the library. The book ends very abruptly. I can't wait to find out how Em handles more of Nikki's career and if she will finally get Christopher to notice the real her.

"Whoa. If high school was suppose to be the best years of my life - at least so far - I was truly destined to have a sucky adulthood."

"However, because they have no actual interests of their own (or if they do, they squelch them in order to fit in) and merely pursue those that they think will look best on their college apps, they're zombies."

Rating: 4/5 Stars!

22 comments:

  1. Glad you like Airhead! =D
    I also liked this book because it's different from other Meg Cabot's books, it's unique and somehow a bit... er.... irrational. Well, it's fiction though, everything could happen.
    I kept imagining if I stood there as Em, suddenly woke up in the wrong body. It would be scary, seriously. lol
    Great review Jen, that refreshed my mind because I've read this book like... 2 years ago? Haha ;)

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    1. Yeah if I woke up in another body I would freak! I would think I went insane. But then when I noticed it was a supermodel body I would probably be very thankful!!!!! LOL This is a bit different but does have Meg Cabot's usual great humor. I love body switching stories in general. I love seeing people try to live another person's life. It makes for a great read! :-D

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  2. I want to read this because Meg Cabot writes perfectly and I love her books!:)

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    1. Oh great! Give it a try! It was definitely hilarious! If you like Meg Cabot I think you will enjoy it!

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  3. Great review I haven"t listened to many audiobooks but they can be great! This story sounds really neat I love body switches stories for some reason lol. I've heard lots of good things about Meg Cabot. The only book I read fom her was Abandon and it didn't wow me. I should check out her Mediator books.

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    1. I haven't listed to too many so far but I'm trying to get back into them. It allows me to read even more and with my ginormous TBR list I really need every second I can get available to reading! LOL I haven't read Abandon although I was curious about it cause I heard it involves a kidnapping storyline. You know how I love my kidnapping, in every way. So far Meg Cabot had been a really fun and fast read. I'm hoping to work through most of her books eventually.

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  4. I love Meg Cabot. I love body switching stories too. And I love audiobooks, though I never count them toward challenges, etc.

    PS Is that what you think Adrian looks like? Is that ... Chace Crawford?

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    1. I'm really beginning to love Meg Cabot. She has soooo many books! Holy smokes she can write! I'm slowly working through them. They are really nice pick me up fun books. Audiobooks are great! I can't always get into them but with the right book and voice they are great.

      P.S. Yes that is Chase Crawford! LOL And yeah in that picture I think he makes a great Adrian!

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  5. I've never listened to an audio book myself as I feel my mind would wander and I wouldn't have a clue what was happening. I wish I could though because it would be awesome to do housework and still be "reading" as such :) I also loved Meg Cabot's Mediator series but I don't think this would be one for me. Great review :)

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    1. I plan to try lots more Meg Cabot so maybe another one will be for you :-D I'd say to give a few audio books a try! If you have a library a lot of them let you download them to your iPOD right at home. There are a few I haven't been able to get into but some I can. I loved listening to the Sookie Stackhouse books. I also listened to Beastly.

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  6. I've never done an audio book, but I really think I should start! LOL I'm glad you enjoyed this one. I've never read anything by Meg Cabot. I'll have to check her out. Nice review!

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    1. Oh you must try audio books Autumn! It means you never have to stop reading. I know your a busy mom so they are definitely something to look into. Check out your local library. Most libraries have where you can go online and download the audio book right to your MP3 player, iPOD or burn it to a CD. Some don't have the capability but many do. Or you can check out their little iPOD type reading device. Meg Cabot's book are very fun and light reads. Great ones to read when your in a reading slump or depressed :-D

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  7. I haven't done a Meg Cabot book yet and I have heard so many good things about her. I do audioooks and enjoy them especially while doing chores..makes scrubbing toilets more enjoyable, right. Body switching stories are usually fun so I will have to check this out, glad you liked it, Jennifer.

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    1. I'm really getting into Cabot! She has a wonderful sense of humor! I laugh a lot during her books. I also like the way she tackles a few issues but keeps it light and fun. This was a great audio book! I highly recommend it and it will definitely make cleaning toilets fun. I LOVE body switching. I would love to wake up in the body of a supermodel lol but they do work hard!

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  8. My daughter read the Mediator series a few years back and loved it. I have read some of Cabot's adult books but I may have to give these a try especially if there is a humor involved in them. Great review!

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    1. So much humor! I could relate and I felt all the jokes were funny but not cheesy if you know what I mean. It was a really fun read! I haven't tried her adult books yet but I've had my eye on lots of her other series that I do want to try someday!

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  9. I have never tried audio books, maybe, some day i will and that's a big maybe. This sounds like a really good book i'm going to check it out.

    Great review! :)

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    1. Thanks! You should really give audio books a try sometime. The library is a great place to try. They have many to download to your ipod right from home or you can check out their reading device. I admit I'm not able to get into everyone I try but some are really fun to listen to. This book was a very good time. Hope you enjoy it!

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  10. You know, I have never read a Meg Cabot book before, or an Audiobook actually, guess I need to start on both, and I've seen her books around, I seriously think I have to give them a shot, sounds pretty good. Great Review! Glad you enjoyed it :D!

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    1. I'm surprised you haven't read Meg Cabot! I felt like I was the last one to discover her! LOL Her books are great when your in those intense reading depression phases. The books are hilarious and very easy to read and have perfect HEAs! Well so far they have. I'm picking up the second book of this series at the library right now! Oh and audio books rock. I can't always get into all of them but my library allows me to download them right to my MP3 player so that is very convenient. I listen to them on walks and in the car.

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  11. I just ADORE Meg Cabot books, I've read everyone of them except for the Princess Diaries series (only read the 1st one), but my favorite of hers (and overall favorite YA series ever) is The Mediator. I just think that series is hilarious and romantic and kickass and exciting and everything I like in books ;)

    I also love The Airhead series, I actually have read them and listened to the audiobooks too (I loved the job the narrator did) they are so fun. Btw, I love how Cristopher cut his hair and all 'cause of Em's dead and then tried to revenge her dead, he's awesome! and Emmerson rocks too!

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    1. I love The Mediator series! I'm working my way through her stuff. I don't know if I'll ever read all the Princess Diary books. There is like 10 now or something?! But so far I love her stuff. It's very funny. I just picked up the second audio book. Christopher is adorable. I love how he cut his hair for her and now he will try to revenge on the Starks. I can't wait!

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