The only way I could have disliked this book more was if masked robbers had appeared out of nowhere, taking out everyone with a shower of bullets. . . . Actually, that might have made it better.

Full review up at write meg! ( )

Reviewed by JodiG. for TeensReadToo.com

Emma Freeman is about to break free from her quiet suburban life and usual summer job as a lifeguard. She is also making the break from Brian, her boyfriend of nine months who, as it turns out, is a rotten, no-good cheat.

So, where is a girl to go when she wants to get away from it all? How about New York City?

Emma lands a summer internship in the city and even talks her BFF, Rachel, into coming along. The girls head to New York with a moderate budget and big plans for a glamorous summer in the city. The reality of living in the city soon hits them. What seemed like a sizeable budget in the suburbs doesn't measure up to the cost of living in NYC. And the kind of housing you can rent for the price Emma and Rachel have to pay usually has some very creepy terms in the deal.

Just when they are about to give up, Emma and Rachel answer an ad and find themselves rooming with a real life socialite. Jayla is beautiful, rich, and lives an exciting life full of nightclubs and late-night make-out sessions with the hottest guys in town.

Although the housing situation is looking brighter, the internship turns out to be almost unbearable. Emma's boss is a nightmarish mix of 90's rap revival, bad jokes, and an overblown self-image. Then there is that one cute guy that works for the company, and the one lie that Emma told him. Will she be able to keep the lie going all summer long?

HOT MESS: SUMMER IN THE CITY is a really fun read that is full of current references to popular culture and believable dialogue. This is a must-have for your summer reading list! ( )

Emma Freeman decides last minute to ditch her plans of lifeguarding with her boyfriend when that boyfriend rather abruptly becomes an ex-boyfriend. What better way to forget about your ex than to ditch the suburbs for Manhattan? Best friend in tow, she sets off for an internship, adventure, and maybe love in the big city. By the time the girls head back to school, they've found all of that and more: in total, a hot mess.

Initially, I did not care for this book at all. I've worked as a high school teacher and camp counselor for the last seven years and the girls reminded me of some of my less-beloved charges. They're incredibly naive and immature, and the first few chapters of the book seemed implausible and stilted. Once it got going, however, I found myself getting drawn into the story and seeing more positives in the girls. Yeah, they are immature but hey- they're 17 and 18. Weren't we all? Their adventures with crappy jobs, crazy bosses, and utter confusion in the face of Manhattan's chaos reminded me a bit of my own early days in the city (I moved from rural Northern CA to NYC for college at 17)- getting lost on the trains, trying desperately not to look like a tourist, attempting to control your hair in the wretched humidity that is New York in the summer. Oh, the memories. . . but I digress.

By the end of the book, I had actually grown rather fond of little Emma; the author did a nice job of developing her from an ignorant and oblivious high schooler to an ignorant and aware young woman, which I liked far better than an attempt to transform the character into a full-fledged grown-up. Ms. Kraut and Ms. Lester certainly did a nice job a capturing the 17 and 18 year old mentality, along with its hopes, dreams, fears, and surprising resiliency. True, the story is a bit (well, fairly) implausible in some ways but I could see a lot of my high school girls really loving it. I'd also like to add, for any teachers or parents out there, that this book did a nice job dealing with the drinking and fooling around that inevitably surround most high schoolers these days. These girls aren't too squeaky clean to be true but neither are they wanton sexpot addicts, the latter of which I see all too often. They reminded me of my normal good-girl students- they have a drink here and there and enjoy making out with the boys but are pretty innocent at heart. I would easily feel comfortable recommending this to my girls, and I'm pretty strict about that for obvious liability reasons. So if you know any mainstream high school girls that like light romantic adventure stories, this would be a good pick. ( )

Emma, our main character, needs a huge change. She is tired of her usual summer activities and even more tired of her cheating boyfriend. She and her BFF decide to head out to New York. Visions of Sex and the City, glamorous nights out and more importantly, an endless supply of beautiful clothes spring up to mind.

Emma heads out to New York and immediately hooks up with a socialite (what luck). So, the three girls decide to bunk together and live the "real" life of New York.

Except that not of it is quite as fun or glamorous as Emma expected it to be. On top of all that, she has met a cute guy....

This story is charming and funny. I instantly liked Emma and could identify with her dreams of wanting to do more with her life. Of course, this novel being mainly set in New York, we also get to meet some less than likeable characters, but this added to the book for me.

Some of the situations the girls got themselves into or "happened" to fall into were a little bit over the top at times, but it somehow worked with the overall tone of the book.

The message of the book comes out loud and clear - the grass is not always greener on the other side!

This is a good read for any YA and I would recommend it. ( )

Hot Mess: Summer in the City is another addition to that genre of books aimed at high school age girls who are fantasizing about escaping from their families and becoming an adult. It is an unlikely story in terms of real life, but it is fun and is a great fantasy for any girl who is just waiting for her big chance. When I was in high school, I used to daydream about going to New York City with my best friend and just living there, away from everything, in the middle of the coolest city in the world. Now I'm old enough to know that New York City is the last thing that I want, but back then, it was everything.

That's where Hot Mess: Summer in the City's appeal is. It really is a fantasy, a fun romp for a high school girl, and for those teenagers stuck at home who want to live vicariously through Emma. She gets herself into all kinds of PG-13 rated trouble and even has a fling with a hot New York City man. Her job is another story, though. It is incredibly dull and boring, and her boss seems to be from another planet entirely. Emma's daily encounters with "The Dorf" are enjoyably written and funny.

I have to say that this book is probably much better for teens, rather than adults who occasionally read the YA genre. There are simply too many pop culture references for the average adult to understand. While current pop culture references are a great thing for teens - it keeps the book trendy and hip - older readers might find themselves confused, or simply frustrated, with the abundant pop culture references that they likely don't understand. It's definitely a fun book that made me me smile and chuckle multiple times, but in the end, it is probably better suited to teens who dream of going off to the big city and living fabulous lives.

From S. Krishna's Books ( )