The Law of Tall Girls

Although a bit slow at the beginning, The Law of Tall Girls definitely pays off at the end. Perfect for fans of Kasie West or Sarah Dessen, this books follows Peyton, a very tall girl (over 6') who has spent most of her life hiding. She keeps secrets from her dad, her classmates, etc. She's self-conscious, embarrassed, and worried. She's dated guys of all heights, but is really sick of looking down at her dates, she wants to be swept off her feet (literally) and adored in a way she assumes is only for shorter girls.

Peyton has allowed herself to get boxed into her assumptions about a lot of things: how people see her, what they think of her height, what they would think if they find out her carefully hidden secrets.

From my perspective, the first part read slow. I found the actual "law" part to be a little goofy--although believable, unlike say, getting locked into a library for a weekend (I'm looking at YOU, West!) There was a lot of explaining and setting up, while writing around secrets that were kept from the reader. Since I figured out both of those secrets before they were revealed, that part fell flat for me. I think it might have worked better if those things WEREN'T secrets to the reader, but just to the characters.

However, when things start moving, they REALLY get moving. As Peyton comes alive to her own potential, as she becomes aware of how people truly see her, as she realizes that nearly everyone has oddities, she becomes a character I truly rooted for.

This is a well-written contemporary romance and as much as I enjoy those, I think they are really hard to find! (It reminded me of my favorite adult contemporary author, Kristan Higgans.) Often, even if the plot is good, the wording feels cringe-y. Or the wording is good, but the plot seems ridiculous. Macgregor has written a lovely story about what it's like to fall in love and wake up to one's place in the world.

This book is for all the girls who felt like a giant in high school, like me, and I'm not even quite 5'8". Shoes are a big problem though. So I could relate to the main character well and theatre being a big back drop also spoke to me since that's what I studied. I really loved the littlest steamy action too. Too cute

As soon as I read the title of this book - I knew this was a book for me. I've always been considered "tall" - though by the female protagonist, Peyton's, standards I'm sure I'm just average height (I'm 5'10 whereas Peyton is over 6 ft.) However, I think those few inches separating us can be ignored based on our similarities.  Throughout the book Peyton's challenges echoed my own experiences.  Struggling to shop for jeans that fit properly? Been there. Developing a height radar to judge how tall people are? Done that. And the ensuing frustrations that occur when you see a small girl with a tall guy? Hell hath no fury like a tall lady scorned. 

So if you are looking for a cute, contemporary, young adult read then I do recommend this novel. While it is filled with a few standard high school cliches - the plot brings light to struggles that aren't usually talked about - tall girl problems. It was relatable to me and I really enjoyed making those connections.   However, the height issues aren't the main points driving the plot. There are some other intriguing and engaging side plots that make you feel a whirlwind of emotions. I won't go into them for the sake of spoiling the book - you'll just have to read it to find out for yourself! 

The one daunting thing about this book was that it is a little bit on the longer side of a contemporary read. For me, I'm used to reading contemporary reads in just a couple hours but this one definitely took me longer. Despite the length though, the story line didn't lag. 

Over all, I really enjoyed this book. It was light and refreshing and included a lot of important messages.

Oh My!! Funny and spot on!! I am almost 6 foot..so, the clothes, shoes, etc every was so true! Boys as well! Great storyline, compelling characters, pulls you in and has real life smack in the middle.

This book started slowly but finished with a complete hiss and a roar. I wasn't sure if I liked Peyton at the beginning. I found her character rather negative (she complained a lot) but as the story developed I felt I could relate more to her state of mind. More will be revealed once you read this book and I highly recommend that you do!

I really enjoyed this story. The humor was throughout and always on time.
The main character was well written. I could actually identify with her about not being able to find beautiful shoes that fit a bigger foot. I'm 6' and size 13. I'm so happy the character grew and was able to love herself in the end. Hea

I really enjoyed reading this book. I thought it had a wonderful message about embracing and accepting yourself for who you are. It made me laugh and sparked such great emotions inside me. The nice characters were so likable, and the not-so-nice ones were appropriately irritating. It was extremely well written and I positively zoomed through it. It wouldn't let me put it down with all the drama. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a funny romance novel with positive messages and characters that you can really respect.
Read and reviewed by Charlotte Snyckers.

This book ius not just for tall girls! Its for anyone who felt they didn't quite fit in for whatever reason, we've all had those moments! I love the character of Peyton, she's funny, gritty, emotional and such an endearing girl. I definitely recommend this book.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily reviewing it.

I really liked this book! It was fun, sweet and very cute! I really liked Peyton as a character and how much she's grown through the story, how confident she became with her height and how people's opinion on it doesn't really matter. Jay was a perfect fit for her ? if you know what I mean ?
I liked the problems in the story and how they got solved. The book had just the write pace and was well written. Overall perfect, easy read that you don't want to miss.

This book started slow and dragged in some areas. The main character, Peyton, is a 6' girl gabbing a hard time fitting in. She makes a bet with a mean girl that she can find a guy taller than her to date. She tries several but the one she really wants is taken, until he isn't, but then she doesn't tell him about the bet. She was a dry character in the beginning, very boring, depressing to read. My interest in her picks up as Jay draws her out of her bb protective shell. I can relate to her secret, having a mother with a similar illness, but not that she would leave her father in the dark about the living conditions. I didn't understand why she'd make a bet with such a mean spirited person, or cancel the bet when Tori cheated. The end was a little too perfect, but all the best stories have a HEA and this was no different. Received the book from Netgalley in exchange for a review.

I enjoyed this book because it reminded me of my favorite song. I don't want to be anything other than what I am trying to be lately. I don't want to be anything other than me. That is what the heroine finally realized. This book is fun for the whole family.

A delightful read that will take you on a roller coaster of emotions as you follow Peyton Lane through her last year of high school as she tries to fit in and feel comfortable in her (tall) skin. She faces tall girl problems and dating challenges, harbors a family secret, discovers a hidden talent, and falls head over heels in love. It is a sweet, romantic, funny, and at times touching story featuring a parade of colorful, imperfect and endearing characters A must read!

This book was very relatable for me- a weird, awkward and sometimes self conscious teenager. I personally feel many teens struggle with accepting their imperfections and essentially themselves. Big P teaches us all a big lesson about self love. We are all unique, and if everyone were the same, the world would be dull. There are numerous bullies who try and poke fun of others for being different, and honestly, it bugs me. Why do bullies feel the need to embarrass or shame others? How nice it would be if we lived in a world where we uplift and love one another.

I really liked this book. The plot was different and the main character was strong, at least in the beginning. Then she starts crushing on a cute guy, and reverts to type. I liked this story up until the author introduces the big conflict and quickly just glosses over it, like a lot of authors do. How unsatisfying! Basically, the main guy in this story was just an a**. He tells the girl he loves her, gets his feelings hurt, hurts her in a worse way, then leaves her to deal with the fallout because it got hard. They get back together, of course. I just liked the main character enough, to think she deserved a better love interest. So good overall, but not great, for me, at least.

What a great story, it was written very well and the characters were enjoyable and real. Books like this make you reflect back to your high school or college days, to when maybe you had similar struggles that Payton has. This is a must read!

I know understand how my mom must have felt in high school!
I will miss Peyton and her self discovery. And the insight into living with mental illness in the family was a nice addition to the story. I felt that Peyton had reasons for her defense and ability to push people away. She was not just an entitled teen feeling sorry for herself. She actually had depth as a character! Great story!

WOW :) What an amazing story that describes teen angst to a tee. I really enjoyed the portrayal of each character. The story had me smiling and crying and as most of Joanne Macgregor's books. I really struggled to put it down :)

I will always abide by the law of tall girls <3
This is phenomenal!
It tells a story about how a young girl goes through so many struggles, but she ends up making things right. Even if people think she is to tall for it!

You can never really understand how difficult tall women have it. This book opened my eyes (being a short person) to the plight of the tall. So many challenges....I'm glad s he found happiness in the end.

Being somewhat of a tall girl, I was curious about this book. I fell right into it and out the other side. Joanne almost had me crying on one page and laughing on the other! I finished this book with a smile on my face and a wish for a follow up on Peyton and Jaye.

It's a book my boyfriend got because I'm tall (6') like the protagonist. It wasn't disappointing. I enjoyed the scene when her boyfriend defended her when a guy working at an ice skating rink started questioning her gender.

This is a light-hearted, fast-paced, sweet YA romance story. It’s a honest and fun story. For me it took a little long to warm up, and perhaps was a bit predictable - but that’s romance! It has a really lovely message. I think it’s a great story especially for younger YA readers.

This book spoke to the struggles with my height growing up. Taller than all the boys in my neighborhood and in school, the store was a common nickname of mine. Dating was definitely hard for me as tall and female didn't quite equate to being cute and attractive. Thanks for thinking of, inspiring and encouraging the tall girls!

So, so good! Well written and beautifully imagined... So glad I stumbled across this one ? (and I wish the store would stop giving me for 20 words. I can express myself just as well in 2, thank you very much)

I've enjoyed all Joanne's previous books and so thought what better author to take a chance on to read out of my normal genre. Loved this change of pace from her. I Highly recommend this! It's a wonderful read!

I really enjoyed reading this book. I thought it had a wonderful message about embracing and accepting yourself for who you are. It made me laugh and sparked such great emotions inside me. The nice characters were so likable, and the not-so-nice ones were appropriately irritating. It was extremely well written and I positively zoomed through it. It wouldn't let me put it down with all the drama. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a funny romance novel with positive messages and characters that you can really respect.
Read and reviewed by Charlotte Snyckers.

This book ius not just for tall girls! Its for anyone who felt they didn't quite fit in for whatever reason, we've all had those moments! I love the character of Peyton, she's funny, gritty, emotional and such an endearing girl. I definitely recommend this book.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily reviewing it.

A delightful read that will take you on a roller coaster of emotions as you follow Peyton Lane through her last year of high school as she tries to fit in and feel comfortable in her (tall) skin. She faces tall girl problems and dating challenges, harbors a family secret, discovers a hidden talent, and falls head over heels in love. It is a sweet, romantic, funny, and at times touching story featuring a parade of colorful, imperfect and endearing characters A must read!

What a great story, it was written very well and the characters were enjoyable and real. Books like this make you reflect back to your high school or college days, to when maybe you had similar struggles that Payton has. This is a must read!

WOW :) What an amazing story that describes teen angst to a tee. I really enjoyed the portrayal of each character. The story had me smiling and crying and as most of Joanne Macgregor's books. I really struggled to put it down :)

Being somewhat of a tall girl, I was curious about this book. I fell right into it and out the other side. Joanne almost had me crying on one page and laughing on the other! I finished this book with a smile on my face and a wish for a follow up on Peyton and Jaye.

It's a book my boyfriend got because I'm tall (6') like the protagonist. It wasn't disappointing. I enjoyed the scene when her boyfriend defended her when a guy working at an ice skating rink started questioning her gender.

A rarity, but this book was a DNF for me. Payton basically whined about her height for the first 15% that I made it through. What's weird to me, is I think the author is neither tall nor knows anyone who is. Listen 6 foot for a girl is tall, but it's not freakish. Saying she isn't pretty because of her height and having everyone make fun of her isn't realistic. Most runways models are over 5'11 and into 6ft and most people find them beautiful. And also harping on the fact that the guy is 6'4? Again, not that tall. I'm 5'7 surrounded by family members who are anywhere from 6-6'6 feet and I never find myself going, "Whoa there giant."

And don't get my started on the shopping. Good lord. Just because you are tall doesn't mean you have weird proportions and an unusually large head that you can't fir through shirt openings. They way that was described made her sound like some a hunch-back instead of a tall girl.

I might have made it past all that harping, but the way she treated her mom sealed the deal for me. Maybe there was something there, but at that point she became a character I had no sympathy for.

I was drawn to this book because I was the awkward tall girl growing up. I was the one who felt like a giraffe walking into a room and past my peers. I related to so many of the obstacles. I found it hard to put this book down. I rarely stay up all night to read a book, but for this one, I did just that. A great read. I recommend it for anyone who feels like they stand out and anyone who wants to walk in their shoes.

Really around a 3.5. Kind of lightweight but sometimes I need a bit of lightness, as I tend to read a lot of deep and harrowing books! This one fit the bill and was pretty well written. The more I read, the more engaged I got with the storyline. Good storyline to teach about ANY type of ‘outsider’. In this horrible day and time, it’s well to remember that there’s ALWAYS a hidden part to everyone’s story. A YA story that any age should be able to relate to.

When I started reading this book, it felt like a typical teenage love story that I had definitely out grown, but kept going and wasn’t disappointed. The unexpected twists and realities makes this a more realistic story instead of all the gushiness one expects!

Main character and narrator Peyton Lane is tall—almost 6’1”—and fed up with the fact that everyone asks her lame questions such as “What’s the weather like up there?” or “Do you play basketball?” and the like. Even more upsetting is that some much shorter girls date tall boys, essentially taking them away from tall girls like her. That causes her to proclaim the titular set of laws.

I picked up this book because, as a father of teenage daughters, I’m always on the lookout for YA books with themes of self-acceptance. With this basic premise, I figured that The Law of Tall Girls would provide a realistic look at someone learning to like and live in their own skin. Let’s face it, high school is already an awkward time period for most, so I was intrigued to read about it from the point of view of this character and follow her journey of self-discovery.

The story starts right before her senior year when Peyton, enduring constant height-fueled mockery from two of her coworkers at a local diner, bet her that she can’t go on four documented dates including the prom with a guy taller than she is. I was bothered at first by how terrible these two characters came across (more on that later), but I’ve read enough YA books and seen enough teen movies—immediately the 80s film Can’t Buy Me Love and the 90s film She’s All That came to mind—that as a jumping off point, this YA trope works fine.

So Peyton barters with a stoner guy who can get dirt on anyone to compile a list of guys in the school that are taller than she is, and she starts going on dates with some of them. Even though some of them came across as one-dimensional (more on that later), the interactions were humorous and they advanced the plot.

And then there’s Jay Young, cast in the role of Romero in the school’s student-directed modern-day adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Though not originally cast as Juliet, through the kind of coincidences (but still incorporating the book’s theme) that only happen in YA stories, Peyton ends up in the role. As a high school drama director, I laughed both at the inner workings of a drama club’s that were shown with pinpoint accuracy and the few that were a bit too outlandish.

But this is where the book picks up its stride, as the relationship that develops between Peyton and Jay is believable. It’s not insta-love, it brews, and it’s a really sweet (and at times sizzling) depiction of high school dating. Jay is more than the standard knight-in-shining-armor type character, as he has depth to him. Yes, he’s sweet and attractive and noble and a great actor, but he also displays some vulnerability, which makes him feel real and one of my favorite characters in the book, second only to his older sister Jack, who I wish there was more of.

So this is a YA book, and based on the films I mentioned above, it’s obvious that Peyton’s secrets (the bet, the list, etc.) will be revealed. I won’t go into spoilers about how Peyton is ultimately exposed, but it was fully predictable with some twists that subverted that for me. It happens at the appropriate point in the story and at the right climactic point in the length of the book, but it causes a slight imbalance in the progression of her senior year. A majority of the book focuses on her first semester so events in the second semester, particularly the fallout of that reveal, felt a little rushed.

I can’t review this book without mentioning Peyton’s relationship with her parents. They’re divorced, and she’s living with her mother who is dealing with a particular affliction (won’t spoil it). Yes, divorced and flawed parents are more YA tropes, and I thought at first that Peyton was uncharacteristically and unnecessarily harsh to hear mother. But as that was revealed, I found it to be believable as well, and as I thought more about it, I began to appreciate the structure of this book even more.

I mentioned earlier that some of the characters came across as very one-dimensional, particularly early in the book. This would normally cause me to give a book a lower rating. However, remember that this book is narrated in first-person point of view. Thus, the reader only sees the world filtered through Peyton’s lens, and at the beginning, her worldview was narrow—everyone only saw her as tall. By the end of the book, she has experienced a drastic shift in her perception of things, most notably herself, which is ultimately the important takeaway of the book. Likewise, we don’t see how certain details, particularly with her mother, are addressed because Peyton doesn’t see them. Those may be important details if this were real life, but this is Peyton’s story, and her growth is clearly shown. There’s a beautiful passage in the penultimate chapter that says and shows it all.

In closing, there are several YA tropes and clichés at play, but some are disarmingly upturned. The book may end with too predictable a bow tying things up, but again, this is YA romance. Where it really counts—in the important relationships, especially Peyton’s relationship with herself—is where the book really stands tall, and The Law of Tall Girls sews up its FOUR AND A HALF STARS.