Being Audrey Hepburn

Gr 8 Up—Lisbeth is a 19-year-old Jersey girl who feels trapped. With a troubled home life, the teen spends her days working at a rundown diner (The Hole) with her best friend, Jess, and her crush, Jake. While Jess and Jake have ambitions that will get them out of The Hole, the only thing Lisbeth knows is that she isn't interested in becoming a nurse practitioner, like her mom plans for her. The protagonist's only real interests are Audrey Hepburn, gossip magazines, and Page Six party photos. While helping Jess at her second job, as an intern at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lisbeth gets a chance to try on the original Breakfast at Tiffany's dress made for Hepburn. The dress leads her on a journey that she could have never imagined. While the teen is relatable and likable, despite being incredibly superficial, the other characters are drawn with broad strokes that border on stereotypes. Kriegman treats underage drinking and driving while intoxicated lightly, and ignores the existence of IP addresses and hungry paparazzi. Teens that loved Cecily von Ziegesar's "Gossip Girl" series (Little, Brown) will be able to overlook these flaws, and will love to live vicariously through Lisbeth.—Amanda Augsburger, Moline Public Library, IL