Ehh. ( )

A surprisingly great book. It really stayed with me this one. ( )

I thought The Exile of Gigi Lane would be a cute, fun read. It was, but it was also so much more.

We experience Gigi's popularity downfall in a rigid social hierarchy that is more clearly defined than the structure of most large companies. It's hard to like Gigi, as she is completely delusional in the way she believes others view her. Her delusions make it all the more meaningful when reality begins to set in. Self-esteem is necessary to a healthy life, but in realistic proportions. Gigi's manta - "I'm Gigi Lane and you wish you were me." - speaks volumes of her opinion of herself and others.

Teen girls live in a volatile bubble where flippant an offhanded remark by one can alter another's life monumentally. The Exile of Gigi Lane is an exaggerated inside look at this bubble. We see how mean girl bullying can take on a life of its own, while also leading a person to learn what's truly important in life. Gigi is hugely hurtful to others under the guise of helping. She seems to truly believe that making mean comments is the appropriate way to teach someone how to change their life for the better. The most shocking part of the novel is that I really did sympathize for her once she got her priorities straight.

The Exile of Gigi Lane contained a bit of mystery and a twist ending I never saw coming. This book is extremely fun with some real life lessons to be discovered. The school itself was unrealistic in my mind, but the story itself was truly engaging. The Exile of Gigi Lane is deliciously evil, very funny and surprisingly touching. ( )

I can sum this book up in one word: ridiculous. But strangely, I enjoyed it all the same.

Gigi Lane, our narrator, is an over-the-top caricature of herself. She is the mean girl. The top-dog. The future prom queen. I'm sure you know the type, if not from real life experience, then from pretty much every teen movie ever made.

Anyway, the book starts off at the end of her junior year at Swan's Lake- an all-girl private school run by the beautiful, powerful Hot Spot. The Hot Spot is a trio of flawless, uber-popular seniors which make sure the schools stays in order. They assign the first years tasks (such as cleaning window, vacuuming, etc.), they keep the cliques in line (the Cheerleaders, the Glossies, the Vox Foxes, etc.), have a mysterious Den of Secrecy, and are part of The Network- powerful connections that will have you set for life. Sounds awesome, right? Gigi, who is next in line for the Head Hottie throne, is super excited for her senior year. But as you can imagine, and correctly assume from the title and premise, things go wrong.

I loved this book, though I didn't start out that way. By Chapter Three, I was convinced this was the most unrealistic bag of BS I've ever read. Had the writer ever been to high school in the least? I wanted to stab the very unlikable Gigi with a fork. Then Gigi came back from Alaska (read the book and find out), and a light shined down from the heavens as I finally understood what this book was. It was supposed to be over-the-top bullshit. It was sattire! Ohhhh

After that, the book was a whole lot more enjoyable as I laughed at Gigi's bizarre antics and the absurd plot. Even though it was sort of predictable in the beginning, some of the twists at the end genuinely surpised me. And Gigi changed for the better.....sort of.

So overall, I don't know. This will either be a hit-or-miss for some people. You'll either appreciate the humore, or give up on Gigi from the start. Most of the negative reviews on here complain about Gigi being "unrelatable", to that I say well, duh. ( )

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. ( )