Golden Girl

by Micol Ostow

Paige, Spencer, and Madison have it all: the looks, the connections, the money, the boys. As the daughters of three of the most prestigious families on Philadelphia's Main Line (read: old money, and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416961186
• ISBN13: 9781416961185
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Simon Pulse
• Length: 193 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 8.1"
• Age Range: 14 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 9 to 12

Customer Reviews

Scandalous!

When I first heard about this book, I thought it sounded kind of Pretty Little Liars, which I'm fine with, since I lovelovelove Pretty Little Liars. But although this book isn't quite Pretty Little Liars good, it's pretty darn good. I'm a big fan of drama in books. The more drama the better, I say. And there definitely was not a shortage of drama in this book. There was always some plot being, well, plotted, and juicy scandal unfolding. As the book went on, there was more and more of the drama, which makes me a very happy girl. I liked how there wasn't too much drama, because although I previously stated the more drama the better, I don't want to get confused keeping track of all the stuff going on. But no confusion here, so it's good. The book is told in blog entries- almost all of them done by Spencer, aka GoldenGirl. Because of this, she was the only one who seemed very real. The other characters definitely had their flaws and own personalities, but because Spencer is a tad biased when talking about them since she has her own problems with them, I didn't think they seemed as real as they could have. Since the next few books in the series will be told from different POVs, I'm sure the character development will be improved. I'm sure all the web content will help too, since there is A LOT of web content. The characters have Twitter accounts, the school in the book has a website, the series has a website, and there's tons of other stuff. GoldenGirl comes highly recommended, especially if you want a light read. I can't wait for the next book, Fashionista, to be released so I can find out what happens after that little cliffhanger at the end of this book.

This Book is so "Very" (You'll Understand Once You've Read It)

I had very high expectations for GoldenGirl, though I thought it was going to be similar to Gossip Girl (which is one of my guilty pleasures). I was pleasantly surprised! Micol definitely exceeded my expectations with this one! It was FAR better than any of the Gossip Girl novels, and really the only similarities are the wealth and the GG initials. GoldenGirl kept me interested through it's blog posts (private and public) and outrageous scandals! While reading, I couldn't decide who was to be trusted and was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out the truth. The Bradford Novels are sure to be instant hits! GoldenGirl, the first in the series, is full of humor, fashion, and jaw-dropping drama! While I would say this is a fairly light read, the characters face some deep issues, though they are not the entire focus of the book. I definitely recommend you read this if you are looking for some "oh-no-she-didn't" drama and the fast paced life of the wealthy.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

As series' centered on the over-privileged and private school become even more popular, Micol Ostow creates her take on this popular genre for teens with her new series featuring Bradford Prep. The story features three main characters: Paige Andrews, the queen bee of the group; Madison Takahashi, the unique and most famous of the three; and Spencer Kelly, the narrator of this installment. Although she is the quiet one, Spencer still has a mind of her own. It's the beginning of a new year at Bradford and already it starts off extremely complicated. Strolling with her new boyfriend, Tyler, Spencer bumps into her ex, Jeremy. She may have thought that she was over him, but with this encounter all of her old feelings come rushing back. Of course Paige doesn't approve of Jeremy, and is quick to remind Spencer that she wouldn't even be dating Tyler if it wasn't for her. Despite this, however, Spencer understands that her feelings toward Jeremy are too strong to ignore, and it's impossible to even try when he is everywhere she turns. A new year comes with a new student. Regan Stanford has just transferred in to Bradford and already she's creating a ton of buzz. In no time, she befriends Spencer and Madison, who both find her a breath of fresh air. The only one to object to this is Paige. Everyone already knows a little of Regan's past, but no one knew that it included queen bee Paige... at least not just yet. Join these alpha girls in their new year at Bradford, as relationships are torn, sabotaging the enemy is the game, and where scandals and discovering who your real friends are is crucial. Spence has one long year ahead of her, and in the end it just has to be survival of the fittest. Let's just hope she can endure what fate has in store for her... it isn't pretty. The first series to be accompanied with its own website, GOLDENGIRL is written in a blog format. All That Glitters is the blog that belongs to Spencer, and most of the time the privacy setting is set at vault, which basically is just for Spence and the readers to get the full scoop. It is accompanied by The Bradford Blog, updated by one of the three girls, which is to let all of the students, even the lower class, to know what's hot and what's so not. Readers will find the BRADFORD series to be refreshing, as already the queen bee is taken down a notch, and the narrator does not entirely conform to all of her demands. GOLDENGIRL is a very promising start to a very unique and original series. Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

Gossip, Secrets, and Lies

In western Philadelphia, there's a wealthy area of suburbs called the Main Line in which the posh and the pretty play by day and party by night. Now, readers can journey there, thanks to The Bradford Novels by Micol Ostow. Set an a private school, these books are filled with blog entries brimming with gossip, secrets, and lies. Characters post entries in their private journals as well as their school blog. The first book introduces readers to Spencer Kelly, aka GoldenGirl. Rich, respected, and athletic, Spencer is fierce and poised on the field and off. Her best friends are Paige Andrews (aka FrontPaige) and Madison Takahashi (Madison_Ave). Popular Paige is hiding something that happened to her the previous summer, while Madison is busy designing clothes and playing the violin. Then a new girl named Regan and Spencer's old boyfriend Jeremy enroll, and things get really messy. Spencer finds herself drawn to Jeremy and considers breaking up with her current boyfriend Tyler. Meanwhile, Spencer befriends Regan, even though the California girl's rehab rep precedes her. When Spencer writes in her personal online blog, All That Glitters, she tells all - but not for all to see. Each chapter is an entry marked with a privacy setting, so you know if it's public (for anyone to read), restricted (only her BFFs have access to posts marked "VIPs" - and they leave plenty of comments!) or private (posts marked "the vault" are for Spencer's eyes only). With all of the frienemies and romantic entanglements, this series will definitely appeal to fans of Gossip Girl. It will also attract those who read the Pretty Little Liars books by Sara Shepard, which also take place on Philadelphia's Main Line.