Pulling Princes

Calypso Kelly is the American freak at the prestigious St. Augustine's Boarding School for Ladies in England. Everything from her accent to her her lack of pedigree is mocked, but she's determined that this year will be different, and she'll finally fit in with the popular girls. She starts by pretending that her mother's hot (but gay) PA is her boyfriend, and, to her surprise, it actually works. It gains her respect, and, in the long run, she gains friends. But one girl, Honey O' Hare, is still determined to bring Calypso down, so when she's caught in the tabloids kissing Prince Freddie, England's most eligible bachelor, a lot more than her dress is hanging by a safety pin. Calypso must do all she can to save her reputation. Anyone who has ever felt like a misfit or had someone out to undermine them will surely relate to Calypso. This book is funny, fast-paced, and bound to have you reaching eagerly for the next installment.

I really loved this book. I thought it gave good insight as to how boarding school really is. It was funny and cute, adding quirky bits like with the nuns, and the character's main friend being a girl named star who is the daughter of a rock star. And yet, it also had empowering parts too, like when the main character, Calypso, becomes friends with the more popular girls, and gains a place for herself, as well as some new friends she never would have expected.

this book was great! though many reviews have said, "its a bit confusing". i say "who says it shouldn't be?" when is the life of a teenager not "a little bit confusing"? it isn't very realistic, but that's what's fun about it. as nice as it is 2 read about realistic events, it's always fun 2 read something funny and "out there" once and a while. after I read AND loved it, i recommended it 2 several of my friends. they all loved too. but in the end, it had us saying, "WE WANT MORE!! THAT CAN'T BE THE END!!" and it isn't. it's just the beginning of a series that will b great. the other books are called, 'STEALING PRINCES' and 'DUELING PRINCES'. so b sure to check those out as well.

This was such a great book. Calypso Kelly is one of the few Americans at the posh british boarding school she attends. She has few friends: everyone loves to make fun of her accent. On top of all that, she is one of the few fencers, and she has no experience "pulling", or kissing, boys. Calypso takes things into her own hands, pretending that "gay Jay", her mom's PA, is her boyfriend in the States. This gives her an in with the most popular girls, and she is getting along quite nicely. She even attracts the attention of Prince Freddie, a royal! When the others discover this, one of the girls goes on the warpath, seeking to destroy Calypso's budding relationship. When she ends up in the tabloids, kissing Prince Freddie, her life gets even more crazy. Will Calypso be able to maintain her new friendships, defeat the evil girl, and win her prince?

Calypso Kelly has always wanted to fit in with the popular, posh girls at her British Boarding School, but her non-Brit ways, and the fact that she's an American student from LA with not-so-much money, keeps her from doing just that. But this term, Calypso plans on changing that by pretending that her Mother's gay personal assistant, Jay, is her boyfriend. What she didn't expect is that the small white lie would work, and that she would be turned into Miss Popularity overnight. But then everything goes awry, for her photo is snapped, and she appears on the cover of every British tabloid kissing Prince Freddie, England's most eligible royal. Now Calypso is forced to try to change this total calamity into a winning situation, in order to save her reputation, and possible relationship with Freddie. Teen fiction has been one of my favorite genres for years, and I must admit that Tyne O'Connell's addition to the genre with PULLING PRINCES, is definitely a worthy contribution. PULLING PRINCES is on the level of Meg Cabot's THE PRINCESS DIARIES, and Kate Brian's THE PRINCESS AND THE PAUPER. Her effort is filled with hilarious situations between the main protagonist - Calypso - and the many snotty, rich, and at times, downright vicious girls she attends school with. Female readers will greatly enjoy this new addition to the teen fiction genre, and will find themselves craving for more Calypso when the book is done. Erika Sorocco Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper