Smart Girls Get What They Want


Smart Girls Get What They Want is a 2012 young adult fiction novel by Sarah Strohmeyer. It was published on June 26, 2012 by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins.

Plot summary

Gigi, Bea, and Neerja are best friends and total overachievers. Even if they aren't the most popular girls in school, they aren't too worried. They know their "real" lives will begin once they get to their Ivy League colleges. But on the day Neerja's sister goes off to Princeton, the girls realise that their pursuit for academic excellence are causing them to miss out on the full high school experience. They make a pact to stop being nobodies, and get more involved with the school.
After Gigi aces a difficult chemistry test, she is accused of cheating as the typical jock sitting next to her, Mike, also aces the test. The principal decides to waive a suspension, however she forces Gigi to work on a chemistry project with Mike, where both parties have to contribute equally. Gigi blames Mike, thinking that he copied off her test, and Mike does nothing to deny this. The principal is also required to place a note in their permanent record stating that they were referred to her for cheating, which is a new rule set by the board.
This prompts Gigi to run for student rep and change the rules so as not to affect her chances of getting into an Ivy. However Gigi faces fierce competition from newcomer Will, who seems to have it all: looks, brains, and more money than he could spend in a lifetime. On top of everything, Will seems to have an interest in Gigi, causing her to lose track of what's really important.
But Gigi, Bea and Neerja all rally for her campaign, and Gigi gains more and more popularity. Along this journey, Gigi realises that she misjudged a lot of her classmates, particularly Mike, who turns out to be on par with Gigi's own academic excellence. Gigi eventually sees that Will is only using her as a substitute while on a long distance relationship with his girlfriend, Talia, and she stops falling for his games. From this, Gigi realises that her heart belongs to Mike, and the book ends with them getting together during the Crystal Ball. Also she and Dr. Schlutz, her principal made a deal that her and Mike's record for cheating are erased from their transcript.

Characters

Critical reception for Smart Girls Get What They Want was predominantly positive, with the book gaining praise from multiple review sites and journals such as Publishers Weekly and TeenReads. Booklist overall praised the novel and stated that while the trends and fashion mentioned in the book "will become dated, the issues won’t".