Accidentally Fabulous

Greenwich, Connecticut sweetheart Imogene is finally beginning to feel as if her place in the world is shaping up to be everything she'd hoped for and more. She is the girlfriend of a spicy European hottie named Paolo; she has shown Hautelaw just how much of an asset she is to their company, and has snagged an expense account through them - for those oh-so essential accessory purchases; and she's finally earning the respect of her parents by proving that no, she doesn't need them to buy her expensive gifts - at least not all the time. But this East Coast girl is looking for a little fun in the sun for spring break; thus, L.A. is most definitely in her future! When Imogene's BFF Evie snags two tickets to Fashion Fantasy Camp across the country in La La Land, Imogene can't help but jump at the chance to attend. For one, instead of watching bikini-clad bombshells have fun in the sun on The Hills, she'll have the chance to immerse herself in the sublime, laid-back, West Coast style, while spending time with her bestie and having fun with one of her favorite things - clothes! Imogene can picture it now...afternoons sipping lattes at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, nonstop shopping sprees on Rodeo Drive, hobnobbing with celebrities. It's a dream vacation, to be sure. But as soon as Imogene and Evie reach their week-long home away from home, things get a little crazy. No longer are the two friends trying to reach out to celebs; instead, Imogene has become one herself. Within what seems like mere moments all of Hollywood has taken a shine to the flaxen-haired fashion forecaster in training. Suddenly her life story is up for sale, A-list heartthrobs are climbing over one another to have the chance to hang out with her, and her picture is showing up everywhere imaginable. But when Imogene becomes L.A.'s newest IT Girl, Evie becomes a thing of the past, and Imogene begins to realize how hard it is to find a true friend in a place where you're surrounded by plastic. One thing you can count on from Lisa Barham and her tales about Imogene is a frothy fun confection that leaves you giddy, and that's exactly what she delivers within the pages of Imogene's newest adventure ACCIDENTALLY FABULOUS. Once more, Imogene is taken out of her comfort zone and literally flung headfirst into a world unlike any she has seen before. Even so, her dramatics are at an all-time high; however, she seems to have regressed slightly in terms of maturity as compared to the two previous installments - A GIRL LIKE MOI and PROJECT PARIS. Despite the fact that Imogene is in a new place without any parental supervision, and the world literally at her fingertips, she seems to be more bubble-headed than her seventeen-years, making it harder for older readers to relate to her. Don't get me wrong, she's still the fun-loving, girl next door with a fabulous wardrobe who we all know and love, but she seems younger, more self-obsessed, and less interested in fashion than in the previous books. Re

Imogene has to make a once in a lifetime opportunity decision. Absolutely Fabulous by Lisa Barham, has Imogene weighing the value of her dreams over the value of true friendship. While in Los Angeles for Spring Break Imogene sees an opportunity to expose her life to the masses, but it will cost her something priceless. What will she choose her best friend or her dream of making a movie? Absolutely Fabulous was so good, if I tell too much more I would ruin it for others. There was an abundance of details, which kept me drawn to the pages with assumptions of what would happen. However, just like in A Girl Like Moi the name flip flopping of a character was distracting. I recommend this to teenagers with big dreams and major choices; in other words, everyone.

...for my 12 year old daughter (it's definitely for pre-teens and most certainly for pre-teen girls). Imogene and her BFF Evie take a trip to L.A., to take part in a Fashion Fantasy camp, but Imogene gets pulled into the Hollywood movie scene, leaving Evie behind. In the end Imogene realizes that friendship is far more important than fame could ever be. Accidentally fabulous talked a lot about becoming famous (which is many girls' secret fantasy), fashion, fashion shows and beauty contests, with a lot of current celebrity name dropping on top of all of that; and that's enough to keep a young girl engaged.

My 10-1/2-year-old liked this so much that she has passed it along to her friends to read as well. From her, that is HIGH praise.

Imogene and her BFF, Evie, vow to make headlines at Fantasy Fashion Camp in L.A. Imogene's nervous because she rarely finishes a project, but together they are unstoppable. However, things go awry when Imogene's spotted as the Hautlaw girl at a fashion show. Immediately, she's whisked to the front row, leaving Evie behind. This creates a snowball effect and now Imogene's invited to parties. She worries about leaving her BFF behind, but Hollywood is calling her name and she'd be stupid to not take advantage of her opportunity. Imogene has to decide if her friendship or Hollywood is more important. The third book in THE FASHION-FORWARD ADVENTURES OF IMOGENE series follows A GIRL LIKE MOI and PROJECT PARIS. Each book follows Imogene in a new city with disasters arriving in her wake. The cute illustrations accent the fun story line. Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel