Hottie

by Jonathan Bernstein and Kalyn Josephson

Alison Coleas got it all: Sheas gorgeous, dating a steamy surfer boy, and has just been crowned Beverly Hills High Freshman Class President. Then during a special asymmetrya surgery, a lightning bolt zaps her, and Alison instantly transforms into Hottieathat is, a totally sizzling superhero with the power to shoot fire from her fingers Shunned as a Pyro-Freak, Alison must adopt dorky David Eels as her crime-fi ghting sidekick. Worse, sheas falling...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1595142126
• ISBN13: 9781595142122
• Release Date: April 2009
• Publisher: Razorbill
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.4" x 8.1"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

I had to seriously ponder what category to place HOTTIE into when starting my review. I opted for the easy out with "contemporary," but HOTTIE is one of those books that could easily fall under "thriller" or "action-adventure." And if necessary, "comics" could even be applied, after knowing the premise of the story. Alison Cole seemingly has it all. She's just won the election for freshman class president. Fortunately, it helps to have a film crew following your every move in the hopes of your own TV show. Unfortunately, her two best friends, who should be celebrating with her, are secretly plotting her downfall. When her two (supposed) best friends, Kellyn and Dorinda, convince her that she needs plastic surgery to make her face symmetrical, the procedure is interrupted during a freak storm. It isn't until Alison gets into a cat-fight at Barneys with teen brat Treasure Spinney that the result of the procedure shows itself. Alison gets so upset that flames shoot from her fingers. At first, Alison doesn't realize it was her fault, but after another freak event in her boyfriend's car, and finally a blow up at a nightclub, Alison starts to put two and two together. To prevent backlash, her dad and her evil step-mom, Carmen, force her into therapy. And the school decides she needs a few days off to let the bad press die down. When she returns to school, Alison discovers she's become the school's pariah. The only person she can turn to is David Eels, a loser geek that jumped out in a superhero costumer during her presidential thank you speech. David can't believe someone like Alison would come to him, but it's the perfect combination. David is a superhero fanatic and immediately helps Alison create an alter-ego persona once he learns of her ability. As the two form a bond and start to battle the evil in L.A., Alison and her step-mom form a tentative truce. Alison helps with plans for Carmen's Christmas Ball event. All the elite rich will be in attendance. Little does either Alison or David know that the most evil of all, that which they've dubbed "Wettie," will also be in attendance. HOTTIE is definitely one of those books that can appeal to many audiences. With its superheroes, hot chicks, catty girls, and all the drama high school has to offer, what's not to enjoy? The book was a riot to read and a fun time all the way until the final page. This is the type of story that leaves you whining for a sequel. Reviewed by: Jaglvr

Slow start, terrible cover, but worth it!

The first couple of chapters aren't that great. The first sweeps through the head of several characters of varying importance, as Alison receives news of her election. None of the characters come off as particularly sympathetic. Alison then gives in to her friends manipulation to get plastic surgery - at fourteen. But when her bad decision goes wrong, HOTTIE gets moving. There's a wonderful sequence of destruction as Alison discovers her new flamability, at which point she realizes she needs the help of her high school's comic book geek, David. Their adventures together help Alison become less shallow and David more self-actualized. (Plus, their driver - an older teen who can be paid to chauffer people to parties - gets off some of the best lines.) Then she discovers her arch nemesis: Wettie. (So they don't know her powers . . . it makes sense.) I really enjoyed how the love triangle was done. Both boys were nice, cared about Alison for Alison, although one had the advantage of knowing her secret identity. Love triangles work much better when there's reasonable belief either of the choices could win fair maiden. (I'm looking at you TWILIGHT.) After the disastrous beginning chapters, HOTTIE becomes a funny and entertaining story. There's crime-fighting, friendship drama, family drama, and romantic drama. Pretty much any kind of drama you can think of, which is a nice counterpoint to the comedic elements. Jonathan Bernstein likes to make pop culture references, most of which blend in fine, except for an unfortunate one to Chris Brown. Of course, I read my copy shortly after the news broke so the reference will likely become less jarring as time goes on. I'm partial to superhero stories, but even taking that bias into account I enjoyed HOTTIE and stayed up late to finish it. The ending is a little far-fetched, but I like how it calls back to an earlier important conversation in the novel enough to accept it.

A superhero for teens!

Hottie is easy to read, funny and light. I read somewhere that it's a cross between Clueless and X-Men, and, for the most part, I agree. I enjoyed the superhero aspect of the book, as I'm a fan of this genre. Plus, how cool would it be to be able to shoot fire from your fingers?! Hottie starts off in a chick-lit style: lots of fashion references and high school drama. I laughed out loud several times, as some of the characters (especially best friends Kellyn and Dorinda) are just so false and bitchy. Their sarcasm, nastiness and utter stupidity was really fun to read, and reminded me very much of the spoilt rich clique from Mean Girls. Alison was a character that took me a few chapters to warm to, as I didn't quite connect with her at first. However, once she had gained her superpowers and been alienated by her friends, I quickly became a fan. Betrayal in a friendship is something that I'm sure everyone encounters during their lifetime, and this is what made me initially start to sympathise with her. David was my favourite character overall. He was your typical geek: into comics, not very acquainted with the female gender, and full of what would become useful superhero references. He comes out of his shell once he meets Alison, and together they save Beverly Hills from petty crooks and robberies. The pacing of the book is very fast, and Jonathan Bernstein manages to fit a lot into three hundred and twenty pages. There were a couple of plot twists I didn't see coming, and one which I probably should have figured out. I would have liked to have read more about the development of David's feelings for Alison, as they progressed very quickly and effortlessly. Perhaps this is something we'll see more of in the sequel, which is due for release next year. There's only one aspect of this book that I have a problem with, and that's the cover. I don't like it at all. I think it makes it look too comedic, and the bright pink is just horrible. I know the original cover had a cartoon image instead of a real girl, and I can't help but think that it would have suited the book better. Don't let the cover put you off though, as Hottie has a lot more to it than that. It's essentially about friendships, trust and finding your place in the world, with a little sci-fi thrown in for good measure. I'll definitely be reading the sequel, and I look forward to seeing what the gang gets up to next.