Author: Stephanie Kate Strohm
Version: Paperback
ISBN: 9780547564593
Voice: First Person
Published: May 8th, 2012Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Number of pages: 204
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
SYNOPSIS: Meet Libby Kelting, history buff, fashionista, best friend extrordinaire and slightly romanitcally challenged. She is 17 and this summer she is planning on spending the whole summer in the year of our lord 1791, dressing in adorable Colonial outfits, wearing the perfect shoes and lipgloss to match. The only tie to the modern world will be her cell phone which she will carry with her everywhere so that she can call and text her best friend Dev. Dev, gay, fabulous, and her fashion guru will be spending the summer a million miles, and a couple of centuries away, interning for Teen Mode the ultra hip fashion guide for teens. Both think the other completely crazy for what they consider to be summer fun.
When Libby arrives in Camden Harbour, where it is always 1791, she is filled with excitment and lofty dreams of just what this summer will bring. When she meets one of her new roommates, Ashling, she gets a nasty feeling that just because Ashling loves cats she's not all that cute and cuddly. Especially when Ashling begins to mutter nasty things about Libby under her breath, just loud enough for others to hear. Libby gets another jolt into reality when at the first intern meeting of the summer, the intern director tells them that make-up, street clothes and cell phones are off limits. When not in costume the interns must wear the official Camden Harbour uniform at all times, this includes a blue polo with the Camden Harbour logo and khaki bottoms. Libby begins to see the fantastic summer she had planned slipping away.
As Libby and her two new roommates make their way to the costume shack to be fitted they spot a group of gorgeously tanned, perfectly muscled men and Libby thinks to herself 'maybe it won't be all that bad.' Libby gets fitted for three adorable and historically accurate dresses and then goes to her very first day of training. She will be spending her summer with young girls at Bromleigh Homestead where she will be teaching them to bake, clean and do crafts the way they did in the good ol' days. Although Ashling, who has turned her nasty remarks to death wishes, thinks that all Libby is doing is babysitting Libby is actually excited about her job...minus the lard. Things just get better when the hottest of the hotties from the green, Cam, comes up to her and immediately begins to flirt. She feels that her first encounter with him goes much better then her first encounter with nerdy, annoying Garrett, who not only is going to be around all summer doing a piece for the Camden Crier, but also (due to unforseen circumstances) ends up being Libby's roommate for the rest of their time there.
While Libby begins to enjoy herself and the attention she is getting from Cam, Garrett begins to search for the mysterious ghost that haunts one of the ships. And Dev, in New York, between getting coffee and answering phones, seems to have pissed the wrong people off and is now going into hidding. Libby tries to juggle being a supportive, loving best friend, a great Colonial camp counselor, a member of the very small 'Scooby Gang' and an interesting love interest to Cam. Thinking that this is the summer that all her romance dreams are coming true Libby lets herself believe that Cam is the one for her. As the summer slowly begins to wind down Libby starts finding that perfect endings, and perfect guys are best left to the pages of Jane Austen novels and that things aren't always as they seem.
REVIEW: I don't usually read YA fiction, I have nothing against it I just never the think about it. It's not something that is on my must read list or anything but every now and again someone will suggest something to me and I'll pick it up. With "Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink," I happen to work with the author's boyfriend and one day he said 'hey my girlfriend's book was just published, you should read it.' My reaction? 'HOLY MOLEY A PERSON I KNOW KNOWS A PERSON THAT IS A PUBLISHED AUTHOR! HOW COOL!' And so I went and bought a copy, an autographed copy as it happens, and read through it in a couple of days. And honestly I thought it was great.
It was a fun, upbeat story with lots of good history thrown in. Libby Kelting is a witty, loveable character that kind of jumps off the page. Though it was a typical girl meets hot guy, and nerdy guy and falls for the hot guy but gets her heart broken story it was told with a literally fresh voice. Ms. Strohm is a new author with a storytelling way that is sure to take her far. Setting a YA fiction in a living history museum is something that isn't seen much and I really appreciated that. It helped keep the story fresh and vastly interesting.
The writing was fun, well put together without being overly perfect. It was a book that actually had me laughing out loud at a couple of parts. And I don't laugh out loud with books all that much. It was an easy read, being YA I figured it wouldn't be too dense, and it was one that I really enjoyed. Libby's quirks were a big part of why I enjoyed the book so much, a lot of the time characters are too perfect, but Libby had little imperfections that made her just delightful to read about. Stephanie Kate Strohm is a writer that is sure to go far as long as she remembers to keep her characters as fresh, lively, and enjoyable as Libby Kelting.
I recommend "Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink" if you are looking for a fun, lighthearted, young read that is sure to bring a smile to your face. It's a tale that sucks you in, makes you thourghly enjoy the ride and leaves you feeling refreshed and a little feisty afterwards. It's a tale full of smiles, good lessons and for great measure a bit of Jane Austen thrown in. I mean what's not to love about a fun filled adventure with a witty, enjoyable heroine and a touch of Jane Austen?
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