Review of Who What Wear (Allegra Biscotti #2) by Olivia Bennett

This book probably looks familiar to those of you who attended BBC, because that's where I picked it up!

Who What Wear

Allegra Biscotti Series #2

Olivia Bennett

231 pages

June 2011

Ages 9 and up

Allegra Biscotti, groundbreaking new fashion designer, has a secret.  She is actually a 14 year old girl named Emma Rose living in Manhattan.  In book 1, The Allegra Biscotti Collection, she is accidentally discovered and asked to keep silent about her real identity.  After all, who would take a 14 year old fashion designer seriously?  In this installment, Emma is asked to design a collection for an exciting display AND a dress for a swanky Sweet Sixteen Party for a student at her school.  With a bumbling new Italian assistant, a best friend who doesn't understand why Emma is so busy all of a sudden, and the mother running the Sweet Sixteen Party all trying to make Emma's life more difficult, how is she ever supposed to get the new collection designed in time?

Obviously this book is written for younger than YA.  The back of the book labels it as Juvenile Fiction/Independent Reader, and the content is certainly appropriate for young children.  I picked up the book mostly because of the ADORABLE cover and cute sketches throughout, as well as the catchy name.  I have not read book 1, but I plan to at some point!

I enjoyed this book because it was so fun, and Emma's best guy friend, Charlie, is hilarious.  I would love to be friends with him even now.  The descriptions of the clothes are also really fun- I wish there really was an Allegra Biscotti!

One thing that I would change about the book is that I was totally convinced that there was a sinister sub-plot brewing, but the climax was actually a bit of a let down.  The "action" ended too soon, in my opinion, but the ending was also really sweet.  Sometimes it is nice when everything works out smoothly in the end, and perhaps it has been too long since I've read juvenile fiction of this type.

I would recommend this as juvenile chick lit, and girls around the 3rd-6th grades would probably enjoy it.  It was very easy to read, and it might be a good "book club" type book for girl scouts or something- there is definitely a positive girl power message.  It could also be a great book to read to kids before bed. Super cute and very fun.