Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com
"I'm Gigi Lane, and you wish you were me." This is the affirmation that Gigi Lane recites to herself every morning and in times of deep stress. The daughter of the Girlie Bird self-help guru, Gigi has been taught to develop a confirmation that she can believe in and boost her confidence and self-awareness.
All is going beautifully for Gigi towards the end of her junior year. She attends Swan's Lake, and is slated to be the next Head Hottie. The Head Hottie and her two cohorts unofficially run the school from the Hot Spot. Handpicked by the current Head Hottie, Fiona, and cohorts, Gigi, along with her best friend, Deanna, and transfer student, Aloha, spend their junior year pretty much as indentured servants - as well as continually trying to find the infamous DOS (Den of Secrecy) before the Founder's Ball at the end of the term.
But all comes crashing down for Gigi when she mistakenly puts down a nothing girl, Daphne, one too many times, and at the most inopportune moment - as Fiona is to be crowned Founder's Ball queen.
From that point on, Gigi's life is far from one that anyone would wish for. To save face, Fiona and the "Network" behind the Hot Spot ship Gigi off to an Alaskan fish plant for the summer. With no fashion but for overalls, and little to occupy her time, Gigi bides her time in exile. But when she arrives ill-prepared for the first day of senior year determined to take her rightful place, Gigi enters an alternate universe...one where Aloha is now the Head Hottie, and that nothing girl, Daphne, rules by her side.
It's not until Gigi fights for a "severance" package from the Network to make her time of servitude worthwhile does the story really pick up and get entertaining. In order for Gigi to receive payment for her troubles, she has to get one of the other cliques in the school to fully accept her as a member. Trouble is, Gigi has stepped on more than one person to get to the top. But Gigi thinks she will easily become the head cheerleader, the star Mr. T, a Vox Fox, even a Gizmo. All to no avail. Through all her trials, she slowly comes to learn that her current affirmation may not be what it's all about.
THE EXILE OF GIGI LANE is a great story of self-discovery of one girl who truly doesn't realize the world around her until she's pushed outside of everything she knows. It isn't until her love for her school comes through that Gigi learns who she is and what truly does make her happy.
"I'm Gigi Lane, and you wish you were me." This is the affirmation that Gigi Lane recites to herself every morning and in times of deep stress. The daughter of the Girlie Bird self-help guru, Gigi has been taught to develop a confirmation that she can believe in and boost her confidence and self-awareness.
All is going beautifully for Gigi towards the end of her junior year. She attends Swan's Lake, and is slated to be the next Head Hottie. The Head Hottie and her two cohorts unofficially run the school from the Hot Spot. Handpicked by the current Head Hottie, Fiona, and cohorts, Gigi, along with her best friend, Deanna, and transfer student, Aloha, spend their junior year pretty much as indentured servants - as well as continually trying to find the infamous DOS (Den of Secrecy) before the Founder's Ball at the end of the term.
But all comes crashing down for Gigi when she mistakenly puts down a nothing girl, Daphne, one too many times, and at the most inopportune moment - as Fiona is to be crowned Founder's Ball queen.
From that point on, Gigi's life is far from one that anyone would wish for. To save face, Fiona and the "Network" behind the Hot Spot ship Gigi off to an Alaskan fish plant for the summer. With no fashion but for overalls, and little to occupy her time, Gigi bides her time in exile. But when she arrives ill-prepared for the first day of senior year determined to take her rightful place, Gigi enters an alternate universe...one where Aloha is now the Head Hottie, and that nothing girl, Daphne, rules by her side.
It's not until Gigi fights for a "severance" package from the Network to make her time of servitude worthwhile does the story really pick up and get entertaining. In order for Gigi to receive payment for her troubles, she has to get one of the other cliques in the school to fully accept her as a member. Trouble is, Gigi has stepped on more than one person to get to the top. But Gigi thinks she will easily become the head cheerleader, the star Mr. T, a Vox Fox, even a Gizmo. All to no avail. Through all her trials, she slowly comes to learn that her current affirmation may not be what it's all about.
THE EXILE OF GIGI LANE is a great story of self-discovery of one girl who truly doesn't realize the world around her until she's pushed outside of everything she knows. It isn't until her love for her school comes through that Gigi learns who she is and what truly does make her happy.
