I finished Suite Scarlett early this morning (at about 2 or 3 am). Knowing that there is a sequel made it a lot easier to finish; I would be very, very sad if there was no sequel.

Initially, I thought Marlene was a brat and that Mrs. Amberson was a crazy bitch. I like how Marlene has come around. I still think Mrs. Amberson is nuts, and I think Scarlett is crazy for agreeing to work with her again, but I’m sure it will provide for an interesting premise of the next book.

I love that this book is divided up like a play, while the characters are actually putting on a play. In Act I, we get a description of the hotel before diving in. It’s Scarlett’s fifteenth birthday, which is the age when all of the Martin children get a room to maintain in the hotel they live in and run. In Act II, we learn about the Empire Suite, which is the room that the conniving and dramatic Mrs. Amberson stays in. The description before Act III tells us about hotel ghosts and the possibility of one in the Hopewell Hotel (the hotel Scarlett’s family runs). I’m not exactly sure how this is relevant, since there were never any ghosts mentioned in Act III, but it was still cool to read more about the hotel’s history.

Before the final act — Act IV — we learn about the hotel’s Depression booze brewing days. This is appropriate because the characters are throwing a play in the hotel behind the owner’s backs, and also because Mrs. Amberson orders a whole lot of champagne for the play.

I like that Maureen Johnson left the book open ended; we don’t know if Eric and Scarlett work things out (although I think he’s a douchebag and she should move on), we don’t know what happens with the casting call Spencer got invited to, and we don’t know if Lola and Chip get back together.

There were a lot of one-liners and situations that made me laugh out loud in this book, which I like in a book. I’m definitely excited for the sequel, and definitely looking forward to reading more of Maureen Johnson’s work.

I can’t decide if I like Mrs. Amberson. One minute she’s interesting, the next she’s a selfish bitch. I can’t figure her out. Last night, while reading her cook up and force Scarlett, Spencer, and Eric to execute that prank on that poor actress, I hated her. “She took advantage of you,” I told the empty room.

Spencer is mad about Scarlett and Eric, which I think is the brotherly version of when fathers get mad about their daughter’s first boyfriends. I think he’ll get over it.

I’m loving Maureen Johnson’s words; there is nothing cliche in this book, at all. Every sentence feels fresh and new. It makes me want to do some writing.

I will probably start Act III this afternoon, and should be done with the book itself in a couple of days (curse you, busy schedule)!

Have you read Suite Scarlett? Do you like Mrs. Amberson? (Don’t spoil me!)

Say that five times fast.

Hell, every time I type the word “Scarlett,” I want to add an “e” to the end because of the word “Suite.”

Anyway.

As I’ve said before, I’m a closet reader of Young Adult fiction. In the past, I scoffed at it. “Lame,” I’d say. And then I read the Twilight saga. And the Gemma Doyle series. After I finished Accidents of Nature, I became a full on junkie.

Combine that with following Maureen Johnson, YA author extraordinaire, on Twitter and you have dangerous stuff. Maureen’s tweets are awesome. She’s witty, cute, and she actually TALKS to her fans — unlike some other “big wigs” on Twitter. So I came to love her, and consequentially had to check out her books.

Since I’m waiting to read The Bermudez Triangle for the GLBT Challenge 2010 — which doesn’t start until January — I had to ignore all urges to check that book out while browsing the shelves at the library. I ended up stuck between “Scarlett” and Girl at Sea. 13 Little Blue Envelopes also looked slightly interesting. Honestly, I was a little afraid to read any of them. The synopses seemed geared toward the teenage girl that I never was, so I couldn’t really see myself relating to any of the characters.

(I was the token goth chick in my high school class. You know, the one who sat alone at lunch, wore black lipstick, and listened to heavy metal.)

But the synopses did sound really cute, so I chose the cover with the cute blond and checked out.

Suite Scarlett is about a fifteen-year-old teen whose family runs a hotel (think Tipton, only more run down and less occupied). Each member of the family gets a room to take care of (not live in, as I’d originally thought) when they turn fifteen. The day after Scarlett gets her room, the hotel gets their first guest in a long time — and this guest takes Scarlett’s room, expecting her to wait on her hand and foot. Which, of course, she has to. What a birthday present.

Right now I’m on Act I and just finished the chapter where Scarlett takes her little sister Marlene to the TV station to watch some cooking show. Marlene is insisting she go to lunch with Scarlett and Scarlett’s guest, which should be fun since Marlene is a total brat and the guest is a cool, slightly-hippy lady.

So maybe I’m not fifteen anymore, and maybe I’m not blond and beautiful like Scarlett, but this book is fun. As in, a LOT of fun. It’s written just as cleverly as Maureen Johnson’s blog posts and tweets. I am so glad that I took the chance.

Have you read any of Maureen Johnson’s books? What did you think?