The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder
Publisher: Graphia
Publication Date: April 4, 2011
Pages: 240
Source: ARC
Per-order It: Amazon

At Penford High School, Britney 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, Britney is also the answer to her prayers. April is so unpopular, kids don't even know she exists. But one lunch spent at Britney's table, and April is basking in the glow of popularity.   But Britney's friendship comes with a high price tag. How much is April willing to pay? --Goodreads

April, a secret bra-stuffer, is lucky when she is paired up with Brit Taylor during gym class.  Or so she thinks.  April goes from social out-cast to Ms. Popularity is just a few weeks.  It is not until Britney brings out some bright lipstick that April realizes she is in too deep.

This book was fantastic!  It was a mix between Mean Girls and gossip magic.  I was hanging on to every last word.  The Lipstick Laws was like a rumor slowly spreading through my brain and it would not rest until I passed it on.  However, the age group for this book may be 10+, only because the concept of it seems a bit "middle school."

The cover is a bit bright and overwhelming, just like April Bowers' decision to join the Lipstick Lawlords was.  April, the main character, happened to be my favorite character in the novel.  She was head-strong, yet still unsure and, at times, a bit superficial.  I felt that I could relate to her in more ways than one (and no, I do not stuff my bra-).  She was so flawed that, to me, it seemed she was almost perfect with her bra-stuffing ways, her fear of not fitting in, and her desire for Mr. Hot Body Brentwood.  That nicknames should win an award.  Mr. Hot Body Brentwood.  I can picture him being as delicious as he sounded (Holder described him in terms of food).  That nickname is only one of the humorous puns in the book; the other jokes will have you cracking up so much, you might just start crying.

The ending was redeeming and made me see April as a whole different character, because April grew throughout the novel, not only in character, but in her dialogue too.  That was one of the parts that made me love this novel so much.

Fans of Mean Girls will love this new take on the world of cliques, peer pressure, and growing up.

Rating:

Cover: 3
Characters: 4
Writing Style: 4
Plot: 4
Ending: 5
Overall: 4