Second Helpings

By: Megan McCafferty

Summary:

Jessica Darling is up in arms again in this much-anticipated, hilarious sequel to sloppy firsts. This time, the hyperobservant, angst-ridden teenager is going through the social and emotional ordeal of her senior year at Pineville High. Not only does the mysterious and oh-so-compelling Marcus Flutie continue to distract Jessica, but her best friend, Hope, still lives in another state, and she can’t seem to escape the clutches of the Clueless Crew. To top it off, Jessica’s parents won’t get off her butt about choosing a college and her sister Bethany’s pregnancy is causing a big stir in the Darling household.

Will she crack under pressure of senioritis? Will her unresolved feelings for Marcus wreck havoc on her love life? Will Hope ever come back to Pineville? Fall in love with saucy, irreverent Jessica all over again in this wonderful sequel to a book that critics and readers alike hailed as the best high school novel in years. Get second helpings, from Three Rivers Press.

Review:

Character Development: 9/10

Plot: 9/10

Originality: 9/10

Overall Enjoyment: 10/10

Ending: 9/10

Total Score: 46/50

Recommendation: A

Oh My Gosh! Second Helpings is even better than Sloppy Firsts. In my experience the second novel in a series doesn't always turn out as good as the first. Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty clearly proved me wrong. Jessica Darling is back along with all the glory and tragedy life at Pineville High brings. This book took me a lot longer to read but that could be because of the extra 100 pages this book has compared to the last or, the more likely choice, School has started up again since Christmas break which caused more stress, more homework, and less peaceful reading time. Jessica now has to deal with the "sad" loss of her former "friends", Hy's book deal, a new boyfriend (sadly not Marcus), her parent's who continue to scrutinize Jess's every move, and of course coping with the loss of Hope who unfortunatly still lives 1000s of miles away. I loved how Megan McCafferty could so easily write about the chemistry between Marcus and Jessica. I could feel the tension and the passion and the frustration with every encounter they had. I said this last time and I'll say it again; Jessica Darling is so relatable! Megan McCafferty knows the struggles that most all highschoolers face and portrays them in such an honest way. I love that! It makes a book so much more enjoyable to read when it is written with such great voice. Everything in this book is just perfect. I can't wait to read the third novel Charmed Thirds.

O by the way I am so sorry for the long wait. Like I said in the review, I have been busier than I could ever imagine. I should have more time now as my days are becoming so much less stressful now that we are back in the swing of things at school. Again sorry for the wait. Please leave your comments. Thanks.