Saturday, January 10, 2009

Sloppy Firsts


By: Megan McCafferty

SUMMARY:
“My parents suck ass. Banning me from the phone and restricting my computer privileges are the most tyrannical parental gestures I can think of. Don’t they realize that Hope’s the only one who keeps me sane? . . . I don’t see how things could get any worse.”
When her best friend, Hope Weaver, moves away from Pineville, New Jersey, hyperobservant sixteen-year-old Jessica Darling is devastated. A fish out of water at school and a stranger at home, Jessica feels more lost than ever now that the only person with whom she could really communicate has gone. How is she supposed to deal with the boy- and shopping-crazy girls at school, her dad’s obsession with her track meets, her mother salivating over big sister Bethany’s lavish wedding, and her nonexistent love life?
A fresh, funny, utterly compelling fiction debut by first-time novelist Megan McCafferty, Sloppy Firsts is an insightful, true-to-life look at Jessica’s predicament as she embarks on another year of teenage torment--from the dark days of Hope’s departure through her months as a type-A personality turned insomniac to her completely mixed-up feelings about Marcus Flutie, the intelligent and mysterious “Dreg” who works his way into her heart. Like a John Hughes for the twenty-first century, Megan McCafferty taps into the inherent humor and drama of the teen experience. This poignant, hilarious novel is sure to appeal to readers who are still going through it, as well as those who are grateful that they don’t have to go back and grow up all over again.

REVIEW:

Character Development: 8/10
Plot: 8/10
Originality: 8/10
Overall Enjoyment: 10/10
Ending: 5/10
Total Score: 39/50
Recommendation: B

I loved Sloppy Firsts. This was the first novel I have read by Megan McCafferty. She is an amazing author. I loved how relatable Jessica Darling was. Everyone should be able to find a quality in Jessica that resembles themselves. Whether you relate to her need for her parents to appreciate her for who she is and not who they want her to be or you relate to her want to escape from her so called friends who pride themselves on gossip, boys, and drama while Jessica just wants the one person who ever understood her to come back. I couldn't put this book down. Though there are qualities that almost every teen chick lit book has, this book stood out because of its strong voice and personality. Jess lusting after a boy she knows she can't have, her struggle to please everyone by hiding her true feelings, and her relationship with a boy who is so wrong but completely right are just a few things that kept me loving this book the whole way through. The only problem I had with this book was that the ending left many loose strings. The only thing that kept me from hating the ending completely was that I knew there were 3 more books in the series with the fifth book coming in April. This definitely made my top books list and I have already started the second book. I recommend this book to any girl who wants to see that she isn't alone in her feelings and problems or just a girl who wants to take a peak in another girl's drama filled diary.

1 comment:

LisaMay said...

I've been wanting to read this! Thanks for the review :)

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