Review: Airhead by Meg Cabot

Title: Airhead
Author: Meg Cabot
Publisher: Point
Date published: 2008
Type of book: Young Adult
Main Themes: Family, Love, Fame, Brain Surgery
Pages: 337

Ideas expressed/message/plot: From inside cover: “EM WATTS IS GONE. Emerson Watts didn’t want to go to the new SoHo Stark Megastore grand opening. But someone needed to look out for her sister, Frida, whose crush, British heartthrob Garbriel Luna, would be singing and signing autographs there – along with the newly appointed Face of Stark, teen supermodel sensation Nikki Howard.

How was Em to know that disaster would strike, changing her – and her life as she’d known it – forever? One bizarre accident later, and Em Watts, always the tomboy, never the party princess, is no longer herself. Literally.
Now getting her best friend, Christopher, to notice that she’s actually a girl is the least of Em’s problems.

But what Em’s pretty sure she’ll never be able to accept might just turn out to be the one things that’s going to make her dream come true…

NIKKI HOWARD IS HERE TO STAY.”

I started this book, then forgot it in my car and forgot to read it for quite some time. Doesn't bode well for my review, huh? Actually - it was by far NOT my favorite Meg Cabot book. However, by the end, I was kind of getting into it. I will be reading the next story about Em (Being Nikki), but it isn't on the top of my To Read Pile.

Basically, Airhead is about a girl, tomboy Em Watts, who is involved in an accident that kills her - or at least her body. At the same time as Em's accident, the current teen sensation, model Nikki Howard dies - internally. Em's brain is put into Nikki's body. The story pretty much goes from there, doesn't have any twists, and isn't as funny as Cabot's novels usually are.

Another issue I had with Airhead was that Em seemed to be bit one note. I felt like the story never developed, Em was a broken record with her complaints and observations.

I did enjoy some of the minor character though, like Em's sister, Frida, and Nikki's best friend, Lulu. They showed a lot more dimension than Em/Nikki. I especially liked Frida's strong will and Lulu's wise advice about boys.

Finally, near the end, Em (in Nikki's body) goes back to her old high school as a new student and tries to be friends with her old best friend/secret crush, Christoper. I was interested in this part of the plot, but otherwise, I was disappointed.

I still love Meg Cabot though - this book just wasn't for me.

Ratings (Out of 10):
Plot: 6
Characters: 6
Writing Style: 9
Romance: 8
Memorable: 5
Total: 34/50 (C-)

I would recommend getting it from the library, but I wouldn't rush out and get it or anything. Instead read Cabot's Mediator series or her Heather Wells mysteries! Or enter my contest to win Jinx and Pants on Fire!!