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.

Thank You!!!!!

Ok this is a post to thank everyone that has supported my blog and that includes my followers, people who commented on a post, anyone who has added this blog to their blogroll, and especially Kristi (The Story Siren), Jessica(Chick Lit Teens), and Hope (Hope's Bookshelf), who emailed me with encouraging words that just really made me smile. So thanks for welcoming me so openly to the blogworld. I never expected anyone to be so kind.

Ya'll make me

Personal Post: Cures for heartbreak

this is a new post where I find a book and relate it to my life so you can learn more about me.

Cures for Heartbreak by Margo Rabb is a sad novel. I never made it all the way through and I tried reading it twice. It wasn't because it was badly written or had a bad plot line. This book just reminded me of times I'd rather push to the back of my mind. The first time I read this I was in 6th grade and I was clearly not ready for all of the cussing and mature scenes that I now can look past easily. The second time I read it was this summer before going into 9th grade. This was an even worse time for me to read this book because this past January of '08 I lost my Grandpa to pneumonia. So instead of reading this book where a girl loses her mother to cancer as an audience member I read it knowing her feelings, and her pain, and her loss. I couldn't stop crying. There is nothing that can replace that feeling losing someone close to you brings. It's in your gut and your head and your hands and everywhere. You can't escape it. Even thinking his name feels like someone twisted my stomach into knots. I hate it. I've never lost anyone before this. Reading this book was hard to stand without crying but overall the parts I read were really worth it. Its a healing process. It will be a year on the 29th but I feel like this happenned yesterday. I love him and miss him but know he is safe. Thanks for letting me share. Please leave your comments.

Jill

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.

Hi
I'm new to blogging and reviewing but am not new to books.
I have been reading since kindergarten.
My absolute favorite genre of books are any new teen chick-lit.
As soon as I get this blog well organized I should be posting reviews to new books frequently.
Thanks for checking out my blog.
Tell me what you think and let me know if you have any suggestions.
I am open to compliments, criticism, and suggestions. Once again, thanks for the support.

Sincerely,
Jill