Review: The Lipstick Laws

Author: Amy Holder
Pages: 238
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Source: Library
Synopsis: At Penford High School, Brittany Taylor is the queen bee. She dates whomever she likes, rules over her inner circle of friends like Genghis Khan, and can ruin anyone’s life with a snap of perfectly manicured fingers. Just ask the unfortunate few who have crossed her. For April Bowers, Brittany is the answer to her prayers. April is so unpopular, kids don’t know she exists. One lunch spent at Brittany’s table, and April is basking in the glow of popularity. But Brittany’s friendship comes with a high price tag, and April decides it’s not worth the cost. Inspiring and empowering, this is the story of one girl who decides to push back.

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The Lipstick Laws is a Mean Girls-type contemporary that was surprisingly fun to read. Usually with this kind of story it's very predictable, and the story was in a way, but there were some scenes and parts I adored that made up for it.

I hate comparing stuff. Saying a paranormal book is just like Twilight isn't really something I like to do. Every thing is individual, right? The problem is that some books start out with the same concept as some other movies/books with bigger success and it's hard to get that original idea out of your head. The Lipstick Laws always reminded me of Mean Girls based on the premise alone, along with other aspects like a pink book which is vital to the story and a certain boy two girls play around with. It's not Mean Girls but there are certain parallels and that's totally fine as long as the story is still entertaining, and The Lipstick Laws was.

April is too funny. She's one of those girls that has so much going for her but she doesn't seem to notice it. She's sarcastic and snarky but in a cute way, not an angst-y way. Her 'voice' had me giggling a lot and I loved how it was slightly self-deprecating which hinted at her insecurity but it also showcased her strength. Though she isn't the most mature girl ever, I could relate with April and understand her enough to like her and support her as the story went on.

April joins a posse of the popular girls who all follow The Lipstick Laws created by the Lipstick Queen, Britney (or Brat-ney) Taylor. Britney is hilarious. You will want to slap this girl so hard because she's such an idiot but she's one of those people the world makes exceptions for. Britney can make you feel special and appreciative as she hurls insult after insult masked as a compliment. I hated her guts which is why this story worked for me.

After getting kicked out of the group, April plots revenge in the form of the Lipstick Lawbreakers. There we meet new characters and April makes some new friends. The characters in the novel aren't very well developed. They're not very real and some are clichés. This isn't for those seeking a smart literary adventure filled with scintillating prose. If you're looking for light laughs though, The Lipstick Laws will more than suffice.

The shenanigans April, Britney, and the others went through weren't really OMG worthy but they were funny and cute. There were so many times where I was on my morning commute to school and had to stop giggling because I looked like an idiot. There's some typical drama involving boys and an insane tennis game but it was again fun. Overall, The Lipstick Laws is a feel good, fun, light read. 3,

***