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I wonder what it would be like to do high school things. To go out on the weekends. To kiss a guy. To have a normal life. A real one.
Everyone thinks their parents are embarrassing, but Hannah knows she's got them all beat. Her dad made a fortune showcasing photos of pretty girls and his party lifestyle all over the Internet, and her mom was once one of her dad's girlfriends and is now the star of her own website. After getting the wrong kind of attention for way too long, Hannah has mastered the art of staying under the radar...and that's just how she likes it.
Of course, that doesn't help her get noticed by her crush. Hannah's sure that gorgeous, sensitive Josh is her soul mate. But trying to get him to notice her; wondering why she suddenly can't stop thinking about another guy, Finn; and dealing with her parents make Hannah feel like she's going crazy. Yet she's determined to make things work out the way she wants -- only what she wants may not be what she needs....
Once again, Elizabeth Scott has created a world so painfully funny and a cast of characters so heartbreakingly real that you'll love being a part of it from unexpected start to triumphant finish.
Following the bleak Living Dead Girl, Scott returns to teen romance, populating this one with a pair of unusually noteworthy parents. It's been five years since 17-year-old Hannah has had any contact with her father, a Hugh Hefner manqué in his 70s who has a reality TV show and Web site that chronicles his comings and goings with his "special girls." Hannah's mother, one of those "girls" before Hannah's birth, now runs a Web site that features her in live chat wearing only lingerie. Although Hannah strives for invisibility, she finds herself attracting attention from two male classmates and co-workers at her afterschool job: Josh, who seems to be politically aware and sensitive, and Finn, who seems to be a football-playing clod. Readers will quickly clue into the truth, that Josh is a jerk and Finn is a gem, but Scott's spot-on dialogue and deft feel for teen angst will keep them entertained. The unusual family dynamics allow the author to explore familiar themes from a fresh angle. This is a satisfying, romantic coming-of-age story. Ages 14-up. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.one
Everyone's seen my mother naked.
Well, mostly naked. Remember that ad that ran during the Super Bowl, the one where a guy calls and orders a pizza and opens the door to see a naked lady with an open pizza box ("The pizza that's so hot it can't be contained!") covering the bits you still aren't allowed to see on network television?
That was her. Candy Madison, once one of Jackson James' girlfriends, and star of the short-lived sitcom Cowboy Dad. Now she's reduced to the (very rare) acting job or ad, but she was relatively famous (or infamous) for a few days after the football game with a pre-game show that lasts longer than the actual game.
Whoo.
You might think the ad caused me nothing but grief at school, but aside from a few snide comments from the sparkly girls (you know the type: unnaturally white teeth, shining hair, personalities of rabid dogs) and some of the jock jerks (who, of course, were watching the game, and like both pizza and naked women -- not a stretch to figure they'd be interested), no one else said anything to me.
But then, no one really talks to me. That's good, though. I've worked long and hard to be invisible at Slaterville High, an anonymous student in the almost 2,000 that attend, and I want it to stay that way. (The school website actually boasts that we're larger than some colleges. I guess overcrowding is a good thing now.)
However, the ad has caused me nothing but grief at home. When it aired, traffic to Mom's site, candymadison.net, tripled, and she worked to keep it coming back, giving free "chats" (where she sits around in lingerie and answers questions about her so-called career and Jackson), and pushing her self-published autobiography, Candy Madison: Taking It All Off. We actually sold ten of the twenty-five cases of the thing stacked in our garage.
And the press coverage? Mom loved it. The ad only ran once, because some senator's kid saw it and...you know where I'm going, right?
Of course you do, and naturally, the ad became extremely popular online. Celeb Weekly magazine did five questions with her, and Mom pushed her website and book and then talked about how she was always looking for "interesting, quirky character roles."
The week it ran, Mom bought ten copies of the magazine at the grocery store and wandered around the house grinning and flapping the interview at me. The phone rang almost hourly, her brand-new agent calling with offers (mostly for work involving no clothing, which Mom turned down) and an invitation to appear on a talk show.
Not a classy talk show, mind you, but still, it was a talk show. She said yes until she found out the show was about "Moms Who Get Naked: Live! Nude! Moms!" and backed out. Not because she objected to being called a mom. Or because she knew -- because I'd told her so -- that I'd die if she did it.
It was the "nude" thing.
"I've never done any nude work!" she said to her agent. "I'm an artist, an actress -- all right, yes, the ad. But I was wearing a pizza box! I want to be taken seriously. What about getting me on the talk show with the woman who says 'Wow!' all the time and gives her audience free cars? I could talk to her."
The "Wow!" lady wasn't interested, Mom's new agent stopped calling, and today, when we go to the supermarket, Celeb Weekly doesn't have her picture in it.
"I don't understand," she says. "I got so much e-mail from my fans after that interview, and they all said they'd write to the magazine and ask for more. Do you think I wasn't memorable enough?"
I look at her, dressed in a tight, bright pink T-shirt with CANDYMADISON.NET in sequins across the front, and a white skirt that barely skims the tops of her thighs. Her shoes have heels that could probably be used to pierce things.
"You're very memorable, Mom. Did you get the bread?"
"I don't eat bread." Is she pouting? It's hard to tell. She's had a lot of chemicals injected into her face.
"I know, but I do," I say, and take the Celeb Weekly she thrusts at me.
"Sorry," she says. "I'm just in a bad mood. They could have at least run one picture!"
"I know, but they..." I say, and trail off because there's Mom, in the back of the magazine under "Fashion Disasters!" The picture of her they're running was taken at the premiere of a play she did way (way) off Broadway a week ago. The play ran for exactly one night. She played a nun (now you see why the play lasted one night) and wore a dress with what she called "strategic cutouts" to a party afterward.
The caption under the picture reads, "Note to Candy Madison: Sometimes pizza boxes ARE more flattering!"
"What?" Mom says, trying to look at the magazine again. "Did I miss something? Is there a picture of me? Or, wait -- is Jackson in there?"
"Um...Jackson," I tell her, and she looks at me, then pulls the magazine out of my hands and sees the picture.
And then she starts jumping up and down. Never mind that everyone in the grocery store is watching her even more than they usually do, most with resigned "Oh, why must she live HERE" expressions on their faces, and a few with "Oh, I hope she jumps higher because that skirt is covering less and less" grins.
"I'll go get the bread," I say, and get away. She'll be done jumping when I get back because she'll have seen the caption. At least this means we won't have to buy ten copies of the magazine. I would rather have food than look at pictures of celebrities. (Call me crazy, but I just think it's a better choice.)
I am glad it was a picture of Mom (though I wish it was a better one) because I would so rather look at her than Jackson James, founder of jacksonjamesonline.com, the home of JJ's Girls, and current star of JJ: Dreamworld. He's 72, acts like he's 22, and once upon a time Mom had a child with him. Check out any online encyclopedia (or gossip site) if you don't believe me. The photo you see -- and it's always the same photo -- is of me and Jackson. It was taken when I was a baby, but still. It's out there.
When I get back, Mom has seen what they said about her, but still wants a copy of the magazine.
"I don't think that many people look at the captions, do you?" she says as we're heading out into the parking lot, stroking the glossy cover of Celeb Weekly. "I can't believe I'm in here again." Her smile is so beautiful, so glowing. So happy.
Mom almost never looks happy. Not really.
"I bet plenty of people will see the picture," I say, which isn't a lie. I'm sure plenty of people will. But I bet they'll read what's under it too. She doesn't need to hear that, though. Not now. I put the last of the groceries in her car and say, "I'll see you after work, okay?"
She nods, and when she hugs me, I tug her shirt down. Copyright © 2009 by Elizabeth Spencer
Erin_Petersen
Posted February 6, 2011
Lost in my feelings
Do you ever feel like your parents are embarrassing you? Well, I'm sure it's nothing compared to Hannah's in "Something, Maybe" by Elizabeth Scott. Her dad became famous showcasing photos of pretty girls all over the internet, and her mom was one of his girlfriends and is now a star of her own website. Hannah only wishes to blend in at school and not be known as the daughter of Jackson James and Candy Madison.
This story is a love story about a high school girl searching for her soul mate, but trying not to stand out as well. Hannah just has this feeling that Josh is her soul mate, but for some reason she can't seem to get Finn off her mind. She is caught somewhere between what she thinks is supposed to happen and the truth. And that goes for more situations than just trying to find her guy.
The last time Hannah saw her dad she was twelve years old. And let's just say the visit didn't go very well. Hannah then got a call from him. Jackson said that he wanted to see his daughter. Hannah really wanted to believe that, but deep inside she knew it was only for the ratings. However, Jackson did a good job of convincing her that he really wanted to spend time with her, but soon after she arrived in New York she realized he had fooled her once again.
I think Scott did an excellent job writing this book. She wrote it in a way that is easy for the reader to get into and connect to the story. It is definitely a book you will never want to put down. This is the perfect book for all teen girls. I would give it five out of five stars. I never wanted it to end and it's easy to relate to.From the love, loss, family, and relationships, this is an enjoyable teen romance book and should be on everyone's reading lists.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I wasn't sure what to expect from Elizabeth Scott's Something, Maybe; I usually can't get into YA realistic fiction centering on girls with complicated love lives and screwed up families.
However, I liked Something, Maybe a lot. A lot a lot.
Something, Maybe is a love story: love between family, friends, and boys and girls. And yes, it is a kissing book! The romantic thread of the plot was predictable; within the first few chapters, I knew which boy Hannah would end up with. The real fun was watching it happen.
I also enjoyed getting to know Hannah's mom, minor web star Candy Madison, former girlfriend of Jackson James, reality TV/online Hugh Hefner-esque star. Hannah's relationship with her mother figures prominently in the novel; the first sentence of Something, Maybe is "Everyone's seen my mother naked." Indeed, Candy Madison is scantily clad in most of her scenes, and Hannah frequently has to act the adult: "She [Candy] nods, and when she hugs me [Hannah], I tug her shirt down." In the end, however, Candy Madison is a real person and a wonderful-if midriff-bearing-mother.
Hannah's father is another story, and an excellent vehicle for Scott to satirize reality TV.
Scott's prose is absorbing, and I frequently read longer than I meant to. The plot and tone move, but not at break-neck speed. Rather, reading Something, Maybe is like curling up on the couch with a blankie and a cup of hot chocolate-cozy, calm, and delightful.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 19, 2009
Something, Maybe is a book that was easy to read and touched my heart. Hannah Jackson James is a girl in high school who longs for a normal life, one that doesn't involve her father having a castle in New York and being famous for his website with pictures of beautiful women, or her mother walking around the house in her underwear while talking to people about her so-called "career."
Hannah does her best to remain unnoticed and ordinary, but doing those two things won't ever catch the attention of her crush Josh, who is everything she ever hopes for. But even though she believes Josh is her "soulmate" she can't ever get Finn off her mind and out of her heart. Something, Maybe is a novel that you are sure to remember...
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 18, 2012
Ok for one i have to start by saying that i love how the boys are switched. How in other books the dark hair, poetry writing one is the one the the girl cant stand but then ends up being "the one" and the blonde footbal player is the one the girl starts off liking but fals for the dark hair one. I loved this switch! I can not express how much i enjoyed the boy switch.
Now i felt like the book was, for lack of a better word, messy. I just didnt understand it. I felt like it was all smashed together in so few pages. And i felt like it was half a story, like i missed so much before this book. And like it just was continueing from another story. Over all im am extremely dissapointed and i really did not enjoy this book a smuch as i thought. The book was to crampted and everything overlapping eachother.
- i still love the author,
Sama M
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 14, 2012
To much xxx talk im 9 and it taught me thingd i shoukdnt know about
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.RomanceLover29
Posted August 1, 2010
This book by Elizabeth Scott was so unpredictable! I was so suprised who Hannah would finally end up with.....Book reading, music loving, poem writing Josh, or Fun, Loving, and Loud Finn? It was a great book, and I would recommend this to anyone! If you want teen romance, then this is what you need to read! :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Hannah's parents are embarrassing. Hannah's mom, Candy Madison, is a former "celebrity" who's known for a certain revealing pizza commercial, a short-lived TV show, and being the girlfriend of famous playboy and Hannah's father, Jackson James. She doesn't talk to her dad and her mom spends most of her time in online fan chats.
Hannah wishes she was a normal girl with a normal life who could attract the attention of her co-worker, Josh, who is obviously her soul mate (he just doesn't realize it). But the annoying Finn keeps getting in the way, and for some reason Hannah can't stop thinking about him.
I don't know how Elizabeth Scott does it, but she continues to amaze me with every book. Can I just bottle some of her talent, please?
SOMETHING, MAYBE is the perfect love story, but it's not just a romance. It's a story about loss, family, acceptance, and forgiveness. It goes beyond what a light romance typically does without feeling like a heavy issue book. How Elizabeth Scott pulls all this off is what makes reading this book so much fun.
The most amazing thing to me is that I was totally drawn in to Hannah's world. When Hannah felt frustrated with her father, I felt frustrated. When she was upset, I was upset, and when she was happy I cheered with her. I really emotionally connected with the story and the characters, which made this one such a rewarding read.
And Finn....sigh....I love Finn.
If you haven't picked this one up yet, put it to the top of your reading pile now! SOMETHING, MAYBE is my new must-have book for Summer Reading.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Elizabeth Scott writes another amazing love story about a girl who finds love in unexpected places. She works with two guys: Josh, poetic, handsome, hard for Hannah to talk to, and a jerk, and then there is Finn, funny, hot, sweet as can be, and comfortable and easy for Hannah to talk to. Scott delivers these characters with great writing and makes you feel like you know them yourself. This book is amazing, but when you read it, make sure you have time on your hands because you will not be able to put it down. Elizabeth Scott is a great author, and I hope I can write a love story as good as Something, Maybe, Bloom, or Perfect You.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.i havent even read this yet but i know it's not going to let me down. I know who i will be rooting for and it's not Scott. There was a small excerpt in the back of You,Maybe that gives you a little piece of who the characters are and Scott seems like a stuck up jerk. I personally fell in love with Finn after only a few pages. So i can not wait to see what else is in store for these characters when the books actually comes out.
1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 18, 2012
This book is goodd
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 5, 2012
Elizabeth Scott is an amazing auther and this is another one of her amazing books. I am so glad i bought it and recomend it to any young girl between the 6th and 12th grade. It was a quick read i admit but it was a good kids book.
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Posted December 27, 2011
It is a very fast and enjoyable read
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.8983909
Posted August 31, 2011
Read this in a day (putting it down every now and then to work) but i loved this book!!!!! if your looking for a good tennage romance book, this is it!!!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Life as a teenager already sucks, but when you're the product of a playboy and his bunny (now ex), it sucks even more! When Hannah has to wonder if a boy actually likes her or wants to use her as an "in" to meet the Internet vixen also known as her mother, there is a MAJOR problem! Not to mention the whole ICK factor. Hannah has to sift through normal teenager stuff, a pain-in-the-behind job, a longtime crush, a longtime annoyance, a mother who doesn't do the usual motherly things, and a disappearing father who may have changed his feathers.
something, maybe does not have too much going on - nothing too grand at least - and focuses on the basics of a teenaged life. Even the romance is not too intense - simply sweet as Elizabeth Scott has been known to deliver. Hannah proves to be a funny girl who was tragically born into a life where her parents leave much to be desired, although she cannot help but love them. If you are looking for a quiet and sweet book to add to your summer TBR, add this one to the pile!
Anonymous
Posted April 30, 2011
I Also Recommend:
After finishing Perfect You I could not wait to read another Elizabeth Scott book, so when I found Something, Maybe I eagerly grabbed it up. The plot sounded promising, but all in all, this book was disapointing beyond words. The plot was not well-written, characters were lacking, and the feeling was most defintely not there. If you really want a good love story, pick up any of Sarah Dessen's novels, or Perfect You if you really want Elizabeth Scott at her best.
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Posted April 19, 2011
i luved the book, but i wish the author could make josh a little more, ya know, interesting.
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Posted February 25, 2011
The part in the enfing about Finn and Josh was predictable, but everything else was a wonderful surprise!!! I totally reccomend this book! GREAT READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.6305337
Posted February 21, 2011
I loved this book!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 18, 2011
I love Finn, no matter what, he doesn't give up on Hannah and he understands her even when she doesn't even understand herself. I Recommend this book!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.writeitout
Posted August 19, 2010
I Also Recommend:
This book is okay but it's not my favorite. It's really nothing very special. The story is okay but it starts out kind of slow. It took me forever to read the beginning because it was boring but it's not a bad book. There are better but there are worse too. If you have free time on your hands, read it but don't expect it to be super great. I like her other books a lot better.
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Overview
I wonder what it would be like to do high school things. To go out on the weekends. To kiss a guy. To have a normal life. A real one.
Everyone thinks their parents are embarrassing, but Hannah knows she's got them all beat. Her dad made a fortune showcasing photos of pretty girls and his party lifestyle all over the Internet, and her mom was once one of her dad's girlfriends and is now the star of her own website. After getting the wrong kind of attention for way too long, Hannah has mastered the art of staying under the radar...and that's just how she likes it.
Of course, that ...