Review: Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

Sunday, July 18, 2010

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Hi!

Two words to describe this book: New. Favorite. :D

Title: Suite Scarlett
Author: Maureen Johnson

Summary (B&N.com): Scarlett Martin has grown up in a most unusual way. Her family owns the Hopewell, a small hotel in the heart of New York City. Her nineteen-year-old brother, Spencer, is an out of work actor facing a family deadline to get his career in order. Eighteen-year-old Lola has the delicate looks of a model, the practical nature of a nurse, and a wealthy society boyfriend. Eleven-year-old Marlene is the family terror with a tragic past.
When the Martins turn fifteen, they are each expected to take over the care of a suite in the once elegant, now shabby Art Deco hotel. For Scarlett’s fifteenth birthday, she gets both a room called the Empire Suite, and a permanent guest named Mrs. Amberson. Scarlett doesn’t quite know what to make of this C-list starlet, world traveler, and aspiring autobiographer who wants to take over her life. And when she meets Eric, an astonishingly gorgeous actor who has just moved to the city, her summer takes a second unexpected turn.
With Mrs. Amberson calling the shots, Spencer’s career to save, Lola’s love life to navigate around, and Marlene’s prying eyes everywhere, things won’t be easy. Before the summer is over, Scarlett will have to survive a whirlwind of thievery, Broadway glamour, romantic missteps, and theatrical deception.
The show, as they say, must always go on . . . .


My Review: I’m going to start this review by posting some of the tweets I wrote when I started reading this.
Tweet 1: I'm like 4 pages into @maureenjohnson's Suite Scarlett..."Got shoe and socko, get me a taco..."*sigh* that’s gonna be in my head all night :)
Tweet 2: Omg! I'm on Page 5 now of @maureenjohnson's Suite Scarlett. I am already in love with Spencer. I want him. MJ, mail him to me please? :)
Tweet 3: Okay! Just had a serious giggle-snort fest over more Spencer that I'm surprised didn't wake the dead. @maureenjohnson you are too funny for 2am.

That was just a sampling of what my mother had to go through…when I love a book I tend to go to her and tell her everything I like about it…every four seconds. I generally annoy her (in an endearing way of course) but when I like a book I’m surprised she doesn’t ship me off to anywhere that’s not near her :D

Anyway! My only complaint about this book is that it ended and my local library system only has one copy of the sequel and someone already has it checked out, so now I have to wait! Easily, my favorite character is Spencer Martin, the main character Scarlett’s big brother. He has so many good Quotable lines (see tweet 1), he’s an actor and very dramatic and just funny! *LOVE*
My other favorite character was Mrs. Amerson, the guest who moves into the suite Scarlett’s in charge of. I haven’t seen a character this eccentric in a while…well, no…I have never seen anyone like this! And I love it! She’s completely original and fresh (that goes for the whole book too by the way!). I would absolutely love to have her in my life (Spencer too ;] ) If only there were more people like that in the world!
Here’s a sample of Mrs. Amberson’s crazy spirit from the back cover of the book:
“Scarlett,
Are you still asleep? I can hear you in there, snoring away. I need the following:
White plum tea (whole leaf, loose, organic)
Yerba maté lotion
Dance tights
Laptop computer (I’ll leave it to you to pick one out)
A book on how to write a book
A spicy tuna roll (brown rice)
A list of all plays currently on Broadway
Matches
$4000 should be enough. I’ve shoved the money under your door (see it?). I need these things by noon. I’m meditating now. I want my change, but feel free to take cabs if the purchases are too heavy.
Get the sushi last, obviously. And wake up! We have work to do!
- Mrs. A”

See how amazing she is? Between her and Spencer I just know I will read this book a million times! The next time I go to the book store I am buying a copy and I suggest every single one of you do the same! Maureen Johnson has once again stolen my heart with one of her books! She’s a genius, plain and simple!

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