Friday, June 25, 2010

Book Review: Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

Point, 2008; 336 pages; ISBN 043899273
My Goodreads Rating: 4.5 stars


After watching Sex and the City 2 recently, and realizing just how much I love red lipstick (two posts on that already), I remembered another teen book I recently read that features a girl sporting some lovely red lipstick while coming of age on the quirky and stylish streets of New
York, Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson, which I really enjoyed. I had read 13 Little Blue Envelopes a couple years ago, so I was happy to return to Johnson's writing and I definitely want to read more by her. The story centered on Scarlett who lives in an old 1920's New York City hotel that her family owns and manages. For her 15th birthday she gets to manage one of the suites, joining her older siblings who already have rooms of their own to manage. It's summer and although the hotel doesn't get too many visitors, a new guest arrives to stay in Scarlett's suite. Mrs. Amberson is a wealthy former actress with a flair for the dramatic. She takes a liking to Scarlett and her family right away (I love how she calls Scarlett "O'Hara"). Scarlett's older brother is an actor who is trying to avoid culinary school, her older sister is dating a very wealthy guy, and her younger sister is a bratty cancer survivor who seemingly cannot stand Scarlett. There is a little romance thrown in and lots of charm and a New York City vibe. The language is very well written and witty, and I could picture all the scenes as they were going on in the story. I look forward to reading the follow-up, Scarlett Fever.

Photo: From Goodreads.com website

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