'Oh Yeah, Audrey!' by Tucker Shaw (****)

Happy Tuesday, readers of my blog! The last book review in this onslaught of reviews you have experienced this week is a novel by the awesome Tucker Shaw- Oh Yeah, Audrey! This is a fabulously fun book inspired by Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's. I was sent Oh Yeah, Audrey! by Abrams Books, in exchange for an honest review. Intrigued? Here's the blurb for those of you who are interested:

It’s 5:00 a.m. on Fifth Avenue, and 16-year-old Gemma Beasley is standing in front of Tiffany & Co. wearing the perfect black dress with her coffee in hand—just like Holly Golightly. As the cofounder of a successful Tumblr blog—Oh Yeah Audrey!—devoted to all things Audrey Hepburn, Gemma has traveled to New York in order to meet up with her fellow bloggers for the first time. She has meticulously planned out a 24-hour adventure in homage to Breakfast at Tiffany’s; however, her plans are derailed when a glamorous boy sweeps in and offers her the New York experience she’s always dreamed of. Gemma soon learns who her true friends are and that, sometimes, no matter where you go, you just end up finding yourself. Filled with hip and sparkling prose, Oh Yeah, Audrey! is as much a story of friendship as it is a love letter to New York, Audrey Hepburn, and the character she made famous: Holly Golightly.

I read Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's just before reading this book, and was struck by the amount of inspiration that came from it. New York is described in the same sparkling way, complete with romance and mysticism, and the characters are as equally engaging, interesting and hilarious as they are in Capote's 1958 novella. Oh Yeah, Audrey! is set in the period of 24 hours, and the short time period it is set in as well as the length of the novel itself makes for a sparky and energetic read. 

The protagonist, Gemma Beasley is a highly likeable character who loves all things Audrey Hepburn and hates all things dull and mundane. Along with struggling with her mother's death and her father's depression, Gemma is the instigator of a Tumblr blog: Oh Yeah Audrey! and this, along with the online friends she has made along the way, makes her life bearable. The other characters: Bryan, Trina and Telly are also perfectly crafted characters who together, complete a meticulous group of energetic teenagers bonded by their love of Breakfast at Tiffany's and Audrey Hepburn. 

The dialogue is fun and fast-paced, as well as the story, and the characters drive this forward into a light but thought-provoking read. More than anything, Oh Yeah Audrey! is a story of friendship, and how it doesn't take anything more than a good-looking boy with money and charm to destroy it. Amidst the lightheartedness of the novel, there is an important message ingrained within the text that some things in life are uncompromisable. A perfect read for teenagers aged 13/14 upwards, this is a perfect feel-good read about love, friendship and the glamour and magic of New York.

Buy Oh Yeah Audrey! here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Oh-Yeah-Audrey-Tucker-Shaw/dp/1419712233

Check out Tucker Shaw here: https://twitter.com/tucker_shaw

Until next time :)