Teen Idol (novel): Difference between revisions
Entranced98 (talk | contribs) +sd |
m redundancies, punctuation, capitalization, etc |
||
| Line 34: | Line 34: | ||
==Plot== |
==Plot== |
||
Jenny Greenley is a 16-year-old high school junior who lives in the small town of [[Clayton, Indiana]]. She is secretly the [[student publication|school newspaper]]'s [[advice column|advice columnist]] Ask Annie, a job she got due to her ability to keep others' secrets and help people with their problems |
Jenny Greenley is a 16-year-old high school junior who lives in the small town of [[Clayton, Indiana]]. She is secretly the [[student publication|school newspaper]]'s [[advice column|advice columnist]] ''Ask Annie'', a job she got due to her ability to keep others' secrets and help people with their problems — something she has been doing her entire life. Teen film star and heartthrob Luke Striker is making a movie about high school, but having grown up on television, he knows nothing about real teens and their lifestyles. When he decides to go undercover at Clayton High School to research his role, the principal assigns Luke as Jen's responsibility; she is expected to show him around the school, help him integrate, and most importantly, keep his true identity secret from her fellow students. |
||
During his time at Clayton, Luke is appalled by the vicious hierarchy of high school and tells Jen that she should start taking a stand for the people who can't speak for themselves, rather than just consoling them and letting it happen again and again. After Luke's true identity is revealed at a school [[car wash]], Jen realizes that she has the power to do so, and starts making serious changes in the lives of others and herself as well, morphing from "nice little Jenny Greenley, everybody's best friend" to Jen, effector of social change. She quits [[show choir]], foils a cruel senior prank, and befriends unpopular outcast Cara. When she confronts her best friend Trina about her poor treatment of her boyfriend, Trina begins to get angry. Compounded by the discovery that Jen is going to the school's annual Spring Fling with Luke (who asked her as an apology for the trouble he caused), she is furious, and refuses to talk to her for several days. However, despite the newfound media exposure surrounding Clayton, Jen's feelings for Luke remain [[platonic love|platonic]]. Meanwhile, she grows closer to Scott, a fellow junior and editor of the school newspaper. Trina eventually realizes that she has overreacted, and makes up with Jen. |
During his time at Clayton, Luke is appalled by the vicious hierarchy of high school and tells Jen that she should start taking a stand for the people who can't speak up for themselves, rather than just consoling them and letting it happen again and again. After Luke's true identity is revealed at a school [[car wash]], Jen realizes that she has the power to do so, and starts making serious changes in the lives of others and herself as well, morphing from "nice little Jenny Greenley, everybody's best friend" to Jen, effector of social change. She quits [[show choir]], foils a cruel senior prank, and befriends unpopular outcast Cara. When she confronts her best friend Trina about her poor treatment of her boyfriend, Trina begins to get angry. Compounded by the discovery that Jen is going to the school's annual Spring Fling with Luke (who asked her as an apology for the trouble he caused), she is furious, and refuses to talk to her for several days. However, despite the newfound media exposure surrounding Clayton, Jen's feelings for Luke remain [[platonic love|platonic]]. Meanwhile, she grows closer to Scott, a fellow junior and editor of the school newspaper. Trina eventually realizes that she has overreacted, and makes up with Jen. |
||
At the Spring Fling, after Luke and Jen are crowned king and queen, Luke reveals that he is going out with Geri Lynn |
At the Spring Fling, after Luke and Jen are crowned king and queen, Luke reveals that he is going out with Geri Lynn — a senior and friend of Jen's — and also tells Jen that he knows she is Annie, much to her surprise. He encourages Jen to follow her own advice and confess her true feelings for Scott, who is Geri's ex-boyfriend. Jen, Trina, and several classmates leave the dance and head over to a friend's anti-Spring Fling party where Scott is. Nervously, Jen agrees to take a walk with him, during which, after a heated discussion, he reveals that the only reason he has not told Jen about his true feelings sooner is because he thought she was in love with Luke. Scott and Jen finally admit their feelings for one another and share a kiss. |
||
The novel ends with Luke and Geri together in LA, and Scott and Jen in a relationship as well. Jen, aided by Trina and Cara, is running for [[student government president|student body president]] next year, but half-jokingly notes that she "might be aiming a little too low. I'm thinking, a girl with my people skills? Well... why not the [[White House]]?" |
The novel ends with Luke and Geri together in LA, and Scott and Jen in a relationship as well. Jen, aided by Trina and Cara, is running for [[student government president|student body president]] next year, but half-jokingly notes that she "might be aiming a little too low. I'm thinking, a girl with my people skills? Well... why not the [[White House]]?" |
||
| Line 44: | Line 44: | ||
==Characters== |
==Characters== |
||
'''Jenny "Jen" Greenley''' is a high school junior who is well liked by everyone, and tries to smooth things over all the time. She may be good at solving others' problems, but still needs help with solving her own. She also writes "Ask Annie", the school newspaper's advice column. In the story, |
'''Jenny "Jen" Greenley''' is a high school junior who is well liked by everyone, and tries to smooth things over all the time. She may be good at solving others' problems, but still needs help with solving her own. She also writes "Ask Annie", the school newspaper's advice column. In the story, the reader is told that both Jen and Scott like "geeky" books. She eventually becomes Scott's girlfriend at an anti-Spring Fling party. |
||
'''Scott Bennett''' is the editor of the school newspaper and a longtime friend of Jenny's who moved away in fifth grade, but returned last summer. Jenny mentions that he is a great cook, and |
'''Scott Bennett''' is the editor of the school newspaper and a longtime friend of Jenny's who moved away in fifth grade, but returned last summer. Jenny mentions that he is a great cook, and shares her passion for science fiction. He starts the novel in a relationship with Geri Lynn, but eventually becomes Jenny's boyfriend. |
||
'''Luke Striker (alias Lucas Smith)''' is a hugely famous teen star who comes to Jenny's Indiana high school to research a role for his next film, while hiding his identity. He soon learns how vicious high school can be, and is the one who encourages Jenny to shake things up. He goes to the Spring Fling with her, but is later revealed to be in a relationship with Geri Lynn. |
'''Luke Striker (alias Lucas Smith)''' is a hugely famous teen star who comes to Jenny's Indiana high school to research a role for his next film, while hiding his identity. He soon learns how vicious high school can be, and is the one who encourages Jenny to shake things up. He goes to the Spring Fling with her, but is later revealed to be in a relationship with Geri Lynn. |
||
'''Catrina Larssen''' is Jen's best friend. A drama queen in all respects of the word, Catrina does not answer to her birth name and prefers to be called 'Trina' by her peers. She is a |
'''Catrina Larssen''' is Jen's best friend. A drama queen in all respects of the word, Catrina does not answer to her birth name and prefers to be called 'Trina' by her peers. She is a super-fan of Luke, which makes it harder for Jenny to keep his secret. She hints throughout the book that Jen and Scott are made for each other, a theory which turns out to be correct. She is also Steve's girlfriend. |
||
'''Geri Lynn Packard''' is the only other senior girl on the paper, Scott's ex-girlfriend, and later Luke's new girlfriend. She is passionate about journalism and the rights of the media, and goes on to attend UCLA. Strangely, she only likes to drink flat soda. |
'''Geri Lynn Packard''' is the only other senior girl on the paper, Scott's ex-girlfriend, and later Luke's new girlfriend. She is passionate about journalism and the rights of the media, and goes on to attend UCLA. Strangely, she only likes to drink flat soda. |
||
| Line 56: | Line 56: | ||
'''Steve McKnight''' is Trina's boyfriend. He is madly in love with Trina and will do pretty much anything for her, including auditioning for school plays. He breaks up with her because of her obsession with Luke and her constantly taking advantage of him, but they later make up. |
'''Steve McKnight''' is Trina's boyfriend. He is madly in love with Trina and will do pretty much anything for her, including auditioning for school plays. He breaks up with her because of her obsession with Luke and her constantly taking advantage of him, but they later make up. |
||
'''Cara Schlosberg''' is a tragically envious girl who wants nothing more than to be a member of the popular group at Clayton High. Often called 'Cara Cow' |
'''Cara Schlosberg''' is a tragically envious girl who wants nothing more than to be a member of the popular group at Clayton High. Often called 'Cara Cow' for being slightly overweight and for the many "moo's" she gets when she walks by in the cafeteria, she is later reformed by Jen and eventually loses all desire to be popular. She also becomes Kwang's girlfriend. |
||
'''Betty-Ann Mulvaney''' is a doll owned by Jen's Latin teacher, Mrs. Mulvaney. She is stolen by popular jock Kurt Schraeder, who swipes her from Mrs. Mulvaney's desk as the senior prank. Throughout the book, Jen makes several attempts to retrieve the doll, but doesn't succeed until she and Scott coerce Kurt's little sister Vicky into giving them the doll |
'''Betty-Ann Mulvaney''' is a doll owned by Jen's Latin teacher, Mrs. Mulvaney. She is stolen by popular jock Kurt Schraeder, who swipes her from Mrs. Mulvaney's desk as the senior prank. Throughout the book, Jen makes several attempts to retrieve the doll, but doesn't succeed until she and Scott use blackmail to coerce Kurt's little sister Vicky into giving them the doll. |
||
==Similarities to ''How to Be Popular'' (another novel by Meg Cabot)== |
==Similarities to ''How to Be Popular'' (another novel by Meg Cabot)== |
||
| Line 66: | Line 66: | ||
* Both take place in the state of [[Indiana]] (although the state of Indiana appears in assorted other Cabot books). |
* Both take place in the state of [[Indiana]] (although the state of Indiana appears in assorted other Cabot books). |
||
* The main characters in both get together with longtime guy friends at the end. |
* The main characters in both get together with longtime guy friends at the end. |
||
* Both contain pages from a fictional publication between the chapters |
* Both contain pages from a fictional publication between the chapters — Ask Annie advice columns in ''Teen Idol'' and pages from "How to Be Popular" in ''How to Be Popular''. |
||
* Both mention [[Culver Military Academy]]. |
* Both mention [[Culver Military Academy]]. |
||
Revision as of 09:53, 19 July 2023
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
 First edition | |
| Author | Meg Cabot |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young adult novel |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
Publication date | 2004 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 304 pp (first edition, hardback) |
| ISBN | 0-06-009616-0 (first edition, hardback) |
| OCLC | 54205862 |
| LC Class | PZ7.C11165 Tee 2004 |
Teen Idol was written by Meg Cabot and published in July 2004 in hardcover edition and in August 2005 in paperback edition.[citation needed]
Plot
Jenny Greenley is a 16-year-old high school junior who lives in the small town of Clayton, Indiana. She is secretly the school newspaper's advice columnist Ask Annie, a job she got due to her ability to keep others' secrets and help people with their problems — something she has been doing her entire life. Teen film star and heartthrob Luke Striker is making a movie about high school, but having grown up on television, he knows nothing about real teens and their lifestyles. When he decides to go undercover at Clayton High School to research his role, the principal assigns Luke as Jen's responsibility; she is expected to show him around the school, help him integrate, and most importantly, keep his true identity secret from her fellow students.
During his time at Clayton, Luke is appalled by the vicious hierarchy of high school and tells Jen that she should start taking a stand for the people who can't speak up for themselves, rather than just consoling them and letting it happen again and again. After Luke's true identity is revealed at a school car wash, Jen realizes that she has the power to do so, and starts making serious changes in the lives of others and herself as well, morphing from "nice little Jenny Greenley, everybody's best friend" to Jen, effector of social change. She quits show choir, foils a cruel senior prank, and befriends unpopular outcast Cara. When she confronts her best friend Trina about her poor treatment of her boyfriend, Trina begins to get angry. Compounded by the discovery that Jen is going to the school's annual Spring Fling with Luke (who asked her as an apology for the trouble he caused), she is furious, and refuses to talk to her for several days. However, despite the newfound media exposure surrounding Clayton, Jen's feelings for Luke remain platonic. Meanwhile, she grows closer to Scott, a fellow junior and editor of the school newspaper. Trina eventually realizes that she has overreacted, and makes up with Jen.
At the Spring Fling, after Luke and Jen are crowned king and queen, Luke reveals that he is going out with Geri Lynn — a senior and friend of Jen's — and also tells Jen that he knows she is Annie, much to her surprise. He encourages Jen to follow her own advice and confess her true feelings for Scott, who is Geri's ex-boyfriend. Jen, Trina, and several classmates leave the dance and head over to a friend's anti-Spring Fling party where Scott is. Nervously, Jen agrees to take a walk with him, during which, after a heated discussion, he reveals that the only reason he has not told Jen about his true feelings sooner is because he thought she was in love with Luke. Scott and Jen finally admit their feelings for one another and share a kiss.
The novel ends with Luke and Geri together in LA, and Scott and Jen in a relationship as well. Jen, aided by Trina and Cara, is running for student body president next year, but half-jokingly notes that she "might be aiming a little too low. I'm thinking, a girl with my people skills? Well... why not the White House?"
Characters
Jenny "Jen" Greenley is a high school junior who is well liked by everyone, and tries to smooth things over all the time. She may be good at solving others' problems, but still needs help with solving her own. She also writes "Ask Annie", the school newspaper's advice column. In the story, the reader is told that both Jen and Scott like "geeky" books. She eventually becomes Scott's girlfriend at an anti-Spring Fling party.
Scott Bennett is the editor of the school newspaper and a longtime friend of Jenny's who moved away in fifth grade, but returned last summer. Jenny mentions that he is a great cook, and shares her passion for science fiction. He starts the novel in a relationship with Geri Lynn, but eventually becomes Jenny's boyfriend.
Luke Striker (alias Lucas Smith) is a hugely famous teen star who comes to Jenny's Indiana high school to research a role for his next film, while hiding his identity. He soon learns how vicious high school can be, and is the one who encourages Jenny to shake things up. He goes to the Spring Fling with her, but is later revealed to be in a relationship with Geri Lynn.
Catrina Larssen is Jen's best friend. A drama queen in all respects of the word, Catrina does not answer to her birth name and prefers to be called 'Trina' by her peers. She is a super-fan of Luke, which makes it harder for Jenny to keep his secret. She hints throughout the book that Jen and Scott are made for each other, a theory which turns out to be correct. She is also Steve's girlfriend.
Geri Lynn Packard is the only other senior girl on the paper, Scott's ex-girlfriend, and later Luke's new girlfriend. She is passionate about journalism and the rights of the media, and goes on to attend UCLA. Strangely, she only likes to drink flat soda.
Steve McKnight is Trina's boyfriend. He is madly in love with Trina and will do pretty much anything for her, including auditioning for school plays. He breaks up with her because of her obsession with Luke and her constantly taking advantage of him, but they later make up.
Cara Schlosberg is a tragically envious girl who wants nothing more than to be a member of the popular group at Clayton High. Often called 'Cara Cow' for being slightly overweight and for the many "moo's" she gets when she walks by in the cafeteria, she is later reformed by Jen and eventually loses all desire to be popular. She also becomes Kwang's girlfriend.
Betty-Ann Mulvaney is a doll owned by Jen's Latin teacher, Mrs. Mulvaney. She is stolen by popular jock Kurt Schraeder, who swipes her from Mrs. Mulvaney's desk as the senior prank. Throughout the book, Jen makes several attempts to retrieve the doll, but doesn't succeed until she and Scott use blackmail to coerce Kurt's little sister Vicky into giving them the doll.
Similarities to How to Be Popular (another novel by Meg Cabot)
This book has many similarities to another Meg Cabot book, How to Be Popular.
- Both take place in the state of Indiana (although the state of Indiana appears in assorted other Cabot books).
- The main characters in both get together with longtime guy friends at the end.
- Both contain pages from a fictional publication between the chapters — Ask Annie advice columns in Teen Idol and pages from "How to Be Popular" in How to Be Popular.
- Both mention Culver Military Academy.
