The Pretty App by Katie Sise | Book Review

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The delightfully smart and funny companion to The Boyfriend App, about a mean girl who changes her ways. Author Katie Sise spins another fully loaded tale of technology, secrets, and big-time romance in this story of what it takes to be #trulybeautiful.
Poor Blake Dawkins! She's rich, she's gorgeous, and she's the queen bee of Harrison High. But it turns out Blake's life is not so perfect—just talk to her dad, who constantly reminds her that she's not up to par, or to her ex-bff, Audrey, who doesn't even look her in the eye.
Then every high school in America becomes obsessed with posting selfies on the ubiquitous Pretty App. Next: Leo, an adorable transfer student, arrives at Harrison and begins to show Blake that maybe being a queen bee doesn't mean being a queen b*tch. And though Audrey suspects somebody's playing foul, Blake finds herself catapulted to internet fame after being voted one of the prettiest girls in the country. She's whisked away to star in a reality show—in Hollywood, on live TV. But she doesn't know who to trust. Because everybody on the show wants to win. And nobody is there to make friends.

The Pretty App by Katie Sise is a companion to The Boyfriend App. It stars mean girl Blake Dawkins, and you know what, I actually really had fun reading this bit of brain candy. I have really been getting myself into the habit of devouring series. I love this habit because it means that I am immersed and invested in characters already and get to follow their progression. I think reading The Boyfriend App and The Pretty App back to back really lead to a higher level of enjoyment for me than if I had read these books on their release dates a year or so apart.

As I said above, Katie Sise’s The Pretty App follows Blake Dawkins who was sort of an antagonist in The Boyfriend App. However, Blake and Audrey have formed a truce and well, Blake wants to change her ways. When Public (the technology conglomerate from the previous book) holds a new contest, Blake sees her shot at actually winning. You see, Public has launched the Pretty App which seeks to find the prettiest teenager in the United States. There are filters, photos, and voting. Eventually, there’s a reality show contest, sort of like an extended Miss America, with the top teens competing for the title of Prettiest. Of course, Blake makes it to the show. Not without wondering if perhaps her gubernatorial candidate and Public investor father had anything to do with her rise to the top. Anyways, if you’re one who loves a great redemption story, you’ll enjoy The Pretty App as much as I did.

Blake Dawkins is actually more interesting as a character than Audrey was. I mean, I liked that she was clearly more flawed. I liked that she was initially hard to like. She tries to get better. I think that’s important. Sure, she stumbles along the way and other people maybe won’t forget how she wasn’t the kindest in her past. Still, Blake tries and that matters. I loved reading about her relationship with her sister Nic and why it got strained and distant. There’s a twist that I saw coming, but was actually glad for. I liked how for all her wealth and beautiful looks, Blake was still insecure about her personality and her intelligence because all her life she’s been told her self worth revolves around her body and her looks. I think that’s a story that is all too familiar for so many women.

The Pretty App by Katie Sise also contains a bit of romance, like its companion, The Boyfriend App. In this one, Blake finds herself really attracted to this new guy at her school named Leo. Leo is confident and calls Blake out on her issues, but isn’t mean about it. Leo is also a trog. He’s got some secrets though. However, there’s definitely some chemistry between the two and I quite loved the back and forth. If you’re into that, I think you’ll like the romance in this book.

Similar to The Boyfriend App, The Pretty App is a breezy read that is perfect when you’re stressed out and just want some light brain candy with a bit of kissing and drama and FRIENDSHIPS. Again, I loved that there was class diversity as well as other sorts of diversity. I think again, a lot of contemporary YA that I read seems to have all the teens living happy upper middle class lives with some manufactured drama. There was some manufactured drama in this one, but also acknowledgement that not everyone leads as privileged a life as Blake. I loved this, so yeah, these books do have a special place in my heart for 2016. That was a bit of a long tangent, but for real you guys, the App series is worth reading if you’re in the market for FUN reading.

Other reviews of The Pretty App by Katie Sise:

Eater Of Books – “It’s a great contemporary read”

A Reader Of Fictions – “fell rather flat”

Coffee, Books, & Me – “an enjoyable and fast read for me”

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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