Be Strong and Curvaceous (All about Us Series #3) [NOOK Book]

I love this series

I love this book

Cool

I know ALL of those girls on the cover. We all live in the same town! AND I also wore that yellow dress for a different photoshoot with the same company!! :)

Way to go, Shelley Adina. What an awesome series this is

Review by Jill Williamson

Carly Aragon gets the chance to help with the big school fashion show. Since her dream is to be a fashion designer, she does everything in her power to make this work. But that means getting a part time job to pay for the fabric she'll need to make the dress. But she doesn't want her friends-or enemies-to discover that she's a scholarship kid. When a stalker starts harassing her roommate, will Carly be able to do what's right and keep her new friend?

This was my favorite All About Us novel so far. I related to Carly because I was a poor scholarship kid and I wanted to be a fashion designer. But that wasn't all. Even though Carly struggled with it, she remained true to herself despite what anyone said or did. I liked her character a great deal and was so glad I got to see more of her in the fourth book! Way to go, Shelley Adina. What an awesome series this is! Highly Recommended.

Best Book in the series so far

Everytime I read a book in this series, I really wish I could have gone to boarding school for my high school years. At the very least, I wish I could have lived the live the girls at Spencer Academy get to enjoy. It sounds majorly fun with designer clothes, never ending spending accounts, glamorous lifestyles. At the same time however one gets worried that the characters could end up superficial for being used to that lifestyle. That being sad it was really nice to see that there was one girl among them that lived a rather normal lifestyle. Carly is at the school on scholarship plus she has to get a job in order to support the lavish lifestyle she wants to keep. She's ashamed that she can't afford the same things her friends do so she keeps it a secret from them. I wish though she had been a bit more open to her friends. I don't think they would have condemned her for what she had to do although it's very understandable that teens are worried about what their friends think of them.

This was probably my favorite book of the series so far. The mystery and suspense sequences in the book were written wonderfully and really held my attention throughout the story. Mac's stalker was really scary. It's very frightening to think that situations like that happen all the time. I really liked seeing Mac's character grow throughout the book. I also loved how she's the only one that was able to put Vanessa in her place.

In addition to the great clothes and the fun lifestyle, there's also once again a great sense of diversity in this book which I love. I wish more books in the Christian fiction genre were like this without resorting to typical stereotypes. Also while there's a Christian message within the story it is neither preachy or pushy. The girls share their faith but respect that not everyone will be open or accept it all the time. These girls are a total blast to be around. It's really one of the best YA series that's out there today, Christian or secular. VERY HIGHLY recommended.

http://kindredthought.blogspot.com

Although this is the third book in the All About Us series, each book is a novel in itself. Be Strong and Curvaceous was my intro to both the series and the author and what an intro it was! By the time I had read to the end of chapter two, I loved Gillian, Lissa, and Carly and knew I would have been thrilled to have been friends with them as a teen (or just had this series to read). In this particular book, Carly Aragon is the focus and we're given a peek into her mind and heart.

I have to say that the author did an excellent job with the characters - when it came to Carly, I felt for her and with her as she struggled with being the odd one out in a school full of rich kids.

There's nothing boring about Be Strong and Curvaceous. Besides dealing with the social and roommate drama, Carly finds herself in the situation of being the confidant of a girl who is being stalked and is receiving some pretty creepy and disturbing emails. Her newfound faith in God may be tested much sooner than she expected.

I think any teen girl would love this series - it's one of the best clean YA chick lit books I've read, ever! Definitely comparable and much better than some of the secular young adult chick lit that is so popular right now. I highly recommend it! And don't feel guilty about reading and enjoying it yourself. :-)

Great addition to any YA bookshelf!

I have really enjoyed the first 2 books in this series and was anticipating the 3rd book. It was worth the wait! This series about 4 friends that meet at a high class high school and go through semester after semester together. What I love is that each book takes a semester from a different girl's perspective, so we are getting inside the head of someone new each time. Each girl is dealing with different issues and circumstances so some things change but overall we find that friendship is really important.
First we had - "It's All About Us"
Then there was - "The Fruit of my Lipstick"
And now - "Be Strong and Curvaceous"

This 3rd book is about Carly and it is amazing! I would recommend reading the books in order, but please hurry so you can get to this one. In addition to the usual adolescent angst, Carly throws in some mystery, suspense, stalker danger and, oh yea, the English royalty that becomes Carly's roommate (did I mention she acts like royalty too!).

This book is the best so far and would be a great addition to any YA bookshelf!

Be Strong & Curvaceous by Shelley Adina

Be Strong & Curvaceous is a fun book for any teenager to read. I only wish there had been books like this when I was young. The Author, Shelley Adina has a B.A. in Literature, an M.A. in Writing Popular Fiction, and countless manuscript pages. Shelley is a world traveler and pop culture junkie with an incurable addiction to designer handbags. She knows the value of a relationship with a gracious God and having Christian friends.

Be Strong & Curvaceous is a story about a girl who is no afraid to stand up for what is right and wrong. This is the type of book that any teenager would enjoy reading. It will keep them entertained from page one to the ending. This book is about love, friendship, importance of good grades, respect for parents, love, and most of all about a relationship with God.

The book takes place in a boarding school where each day is new and exciting. A great book to help you escape into another world¿but learn very important things every teenager needs to know.

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

Carly Aragon has had a rough start at Spencer Academy. She's a scholarship student who feels that she needs to hide her status from the rest of the school, just to fit in. She's been secretly crushing on Brett Loyola, who is way out of her league. After all, he was dating the It Girl, Vanessa Talbot. And to top it off, she was accused of selling exam scores to other members of the junior class. So she has high hopes upon her return after spring break.

But she comes back to find out that she's got a new roommate...Lady Lindsay `Mac' MacPhail. How can Carly compete with a Lady? And Mac is everything that Carly is not. It will only be a matter of days before Mac is a new member of Vanessa's crowd.

Carly can't believe her luck when she is approached by one of Vanessa's minions to join the Design Your Dreams committee. The DYD event is the opportunity Carly has been waiting for. It will give her a chance to showcase one of her own designs, for Carly is an amazing fashion designer. She just needs the chance to prove it. The only condition of being on the committee is that she has to convince her new roommate to come along. Carly will figure out something. They haven't exactly gotten off on the right foot, but she will do whatever it takes.

Slowly, Carly and Mac come to accept each other. Though they may not be friends, Mac tries to instill some confidence in Carly. Mac convinces Carly she is beautiful in her own right, and has much to be proud of. And she makes Carly start to think that she has just as much chance of dating Brett as someone like Vanessa does.

It's only after Mac shares her mysterious emails from the Drifter that the two finally come together. Through a bizarre twist of events that only the guiding hand of God could direct, the two, plus their other band of friends, come together to save themselves, and Spencer Academy. And surprisingly, Carly gets more than she bargained for in the end.

I have to admit that I enjoyed BE STRONG AND CURVACEOUS (the third novel in the ALL ABOUT US series) the best to date. There's a fourth due out in the spring (WHO MADE YOU A PRINCESS?) that I'm eagerly looking forward to, as well. The series of events in BE STRONG AND CURVACEOUS seemed much more real to me than those in THE FRUIT OF MY LIPSTICK. I found Carly far more likeable and vulnerable than the previous two characters that have been written about.

Don't get me wrong, both of the previous novels were good, but I enjoyed the drama and intrigue in this novel the most. Ms. Adina does a wonderful job infusing the love and guidance of God into the lives of insecure teenage girls. The story shares the wonders of newfound faith as well as unquestionable friendships.

Read BE STRONG AND CURVACEOUS - you won't be disappointed.

relatable story

This story sounds like it was taken out of a chapter of my life. It was a great read and the characters are so realistic.

Best In The Series So Far (Reviewed by TheBookworm)

Be Strong & Curvaceous by Shelley Adina*
Publication Date: January 2009
5 out of 5 stars
PG-Violence

Carly Aragon is ready for the new semester at Spencer Academy, a boarding school in California. Her joy is tainted when she discovers a pretentious girl already in her room. Lady Lindsay ¿Mac¿ MacPhail, Carly¿s new roommate, is use to the spotlight and its invaluable perks. Kind, level-headed Carly isn¿t going to give up on their possible friendship, until her major crush Brett Loyola is swept up into gorgeous Mac¿s adoring followers. But will Carly and Mac be able to get over their differences in time to uncover Mac¿s threatening stalker?

Be Strong & Curvaceous was the best in the series so far with a likeable narrator and smooth transition through events.

The narrator, Carly Aragon, was a very likeable person. She was smart, level-headed, trustworthy, loyal, insightful, and just a great person. It¿s Carly that made the book so amazing. I didn¿t understand the fashion designer talk, but her enthusiasm, intelligence, and pure joy in this matter made me want to know.

This book ran smoothly through an interesting plot and grew steadily faster with every event. I didn¿t have to wade through the slow moving shallows, I was instantly enjoying the ride in the fast moving current. The end wrapped up very nicely and accurately picked the perfect path for the characters. From beginning to end I was glued to the pages.

Be Strong and Curvaceous was such a great book that told such a good story that you don¿t even have to read the prior books in the series to enjoy or understand it. The only thing I had difficulty with while reading was the occasional Spanish word, but these few words added context to the story that helped me understand where Carly was coming from.

¿Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.¿ Deuteronomy 3:16

I highly suggest you add Be Strong and Curvaceous to your to-read-list!

Date Reviewed: December 8th, 2008

For more book reviews and book information check out my website at www.inthecurrent.blogspot.com

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