Smart Girls Get What They Want

Sarah Strohmeyer’s Smart Girls Get What They Want is on the Texas Lone Star Reading List 2013-14. This novel is about three friends (Bea, Gigi, and Neerja) who are at the top of their sophomore class. They have always looked up to Neerja’s older sister who attends Princeton. They have an eye-opening experience when they realize that Neerja’s sister’s academic success came with huge repercussions – no one in her high school knew anything about her, except that she was the smartest girl at school. The trio decides they must turn things around before it is too late – start eating in the cafeteria, join extracurricular groups that interest them, and ultimately become more social. When Gigi is accused of cheating along with a jock named Mike, she faces being rejected by the college of her dreams. She is given a chance to turn things around, but must face her deeply rooted fear of public speaking first. This novel has just the right amount of humor, romance, and drama – finally a book that recognizes the angst felt by many overachievers.