Review: L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad (Spoiler Free)
 

I wanted to hate it.

I really, really did.

I picked it up the day it came out, read the first page, scoffed, and then put it back on the shelf.

It wasn’t because I have a problem with Lauren Conrad writing a book, or with someone publishing that book and giving her tons of money for it.  I try not to get too caught up in things like that, because a) it is one of those (many) things about publishing that I cannot control, even if I wanted to   and b) I’m all for anything that gets kids in the bookstore, since maybe while they’re buying that “OMG, LC book!!”  they might take a look around and buy an “OMG, LB book!” 

The reason I put the book back is because the book starts by letting you know it’s “A few months earlier…. “  and the first sentence is this :

“Jane Roberts leaned against her dresser, studying the way her white silk nightie looked against her sun-kissed skin.” 

Seriously. 

But then this weekend The Boy and I were out, and he decided on a whim to get this ridiculous expensive PILLOW of all things (which makes no sense because I can NEVER get him to go look at bedding or furniture or ANYTHING with me when I want, but somehow when we were passing by Brookstone he just HAD TO have this pillow), and so when we went to the bookstore after, I decided I was allowed to get whatever books I wanted.

So I piled up a huge stack, got a coffee, wrote a thousand words on my laptop, and then started going through the stack as a writing reward.

I picked up L.A. Candy again, mostly because I wanted to laugh at it.

By page six, I said to The Boy, “Hmm, I’m kind of into this.”

“Let me read it,” he said.  I reluctantly handed it over and watched him out of the corner of my eye.

After a few minutes, he gave it back.  “I can’t understand what she’s even talking about,” he said, then shrugged and went back to his magazine.

I went back to reading.  By page 13, I was really getting into it.  Two girls, one with a broken heart, out in L.A., trying to make it in the city.  One going to USC, the other working for an event planner.  You can tell from the way they’re talking that something BIG and maybe even HORRIBLE is about to happen to them.  What’s not to love? 

I read the whole book in two days.  It ended on such a cliffhanger that I might have screamed, “NOOOOO!” at the end and threw the book down in anger.  (That has been happening a lot to me lately.  cough Jessica Burkhart cough.)

Warning!  Warning!  (Here’s the part where I tell you something you might have already guessed):  The writing isn’t that great.  And when I say not that great, I mean, you know, pretty horrible in places.  But the stuff about L.A., and the whole “girls in the scary city” world that’s drawn?  Awesome. 

The details given about reality shows are pretty specific (but in an interesting way – like at one point Jane gets asked out, and she really for the life of her can’t figure out if the show told the guy to do it.)  All of the experiences the girls have, and the characters involved, leave you trying to guess which parts actually happened to Lauren Conrad.  (At once point she makes a reference to a friend named Jenn hooking up with an ex-boyfriend named Doug behind her back – Ooh, snap!)

Once it gets going, the plot moves along fairly quickly.  There’s a scandalous love triangle.  A mean, calculating co-star.  Tension between the two best friends.  A producer who wants to control everything for the ratings.  Details of L.A. and “the scene.” Lots of talk of fame, and the perks and weirdness that come from being a new celebrity.

The characters are pretty one-dimensional (Jane’s the innocent one, Madison’s the bitch, etc.) Jane’s two romantic relationships aren’t fully developed, and the climax is a little over the top in one of those “hmm that would probably never happen” kind of ways.  But I was having too much fun to care.

I loved it.  I couldn’t stop reading.  I will definitely be buying the next book, but this time, I won’t hate myself for it.  Because I really, really need to know what happens in Mexico…

More later,

xx