Ready or Not: an All-American Girl Novel by Meg Cabot
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Publication Date: 2005
Recommended Age Group: 16 and Up
Summary: The continued adventures of Samantha Madison one year after saving the life of the President of the United States. Sam is still the UN Teen Ambassador and she is still dating David, the president’s son. She has also started a life drawing class, which she didn’t understand was about drawing naked people. David asks her to spend Thanksgiving with him and his family at Camp David and wants to play Parcheesi with her. Sam mistakenly thinks Parcheesi is David’s code name for sex and she spends the time until the vacation freaked out because she doesn’t think she is ready. She’s is so nervous that she stops talking to David and he can’t understand what’s wrong because he really meant Parcheesi. Sam and the president go on MTV’s Town Hall where she blurts out that she has said “Yes to Sex” and the president and her parents freak out because they think her and David have gone too far. After talking it over together they all realize it was a big misunderstanding and Sam goes with David and his family to Camp David and they play Parcheesi. Sam is still a little confused and still thinks that David meant sex and waits up for him to come to her room. When he doesn’t she goes into his and then finally making the connection that it wasn’t sex at all he wanted. In the end they both decide they are ready.
Personal Notes: While this book does seem to talk about a lot of sensitive and seemingly controversial subjects it is really okay for a teenager to read because Meg Cabot doesn’t go into detail about these things. The life drawing is mostly about how Sam is embarrassed about what is happening and not about the naked man she is drawing. When Sam and David have sex in the end you don’t really know until the next day when Sam says simply, “I jumped his bones.” Cabot is careful to point out that this isn’t the solution for everyone and even Sam’s sister Lucy hasn’t gone that far yet because she isn’t ready and there is nothing wrong with that. Funny and greatly entertaining!
Other reviews available:
Bookworm Burrow 