Helpful Score: 7
An atypicial telling of typical teenage angst. This is the story of Jessica Darling who writes in her journal about her life in high school, the somewhat popular but self-absorbed group she belongs to, and all her interactions with boys - which are very confusing. While there were some funny insights in the novel, I felt a sadness and loneliness hanging over everything that Jessica goes through. Her best friend Hope is always missing from her daily life, she feels alienated from her "friends", and hanging above her head are the expectations of her parents and the haunting sadness of her and Hope's dead older brothers. A very well-written and absorbing book.
Stephanie S. (skywriter319) -
Helpful Score: 5
16-year-old Jessica Darling is in hell. Her best friend and the only person who understands her, Hope, has moved away, leaving her to rot in the pathetic town of Pineville, NJ, with her pseudo-friends, a group of superficial girls whom Jessica christens the Clueless Crew, who speak in "omigod"s and "like"s. Her older sister Bethany, who was one of those extremely popular social butterfly types Jessica despises in high school, is getting married to the most boring moneymaker in the world. Marcus Flutie, a mysterious druggie and male slut, is sending Jessica mixed signals, signals that Jessica would rather ignore, but can't help responding to. Top it off with an absent period and A-level insomnia, and you've got a whangdoodle of an angsty teenage life.
It's a good thing Jessica has her unfailing sense of humor to help her get along. Often making up words such as "assplosion" (for a diarrhea attack) and accurately writing down the dialect of a summer beachgoer, Jessica's journal entries are nearly unmatched in wit and humor. Readers will kill themselves laughing, and then kill themselves again as they wait for the sequel.
It's a good thing Jessica has her unfailing sense of humor to help her get along. Often making up words such as "assplosion" (for a diarrhea attack) and accurately writing down the dialect of a summer beachgoer, Jessica's journal entries are nearly unmatched in wit and humor. Readers will kill themselves laughing, and then kill themselves again as they wait for the sequel.
Helpful Score: 3
A book about high school from the perspective of Jessica Darling, a cynical girl who has the nickname of Notso as in not-so-darling. The book was entertaining. While one may not be able to relate to the specific situations Jessica finds herself in, the general sense of everything seeming like such a big deal definitely brings back memories of the drama that was high school.
Helpful Score: 3
The narrator has a really great voice. You'll find yourself cringing and laughing along with all the "lessons" she receives.
Helpful Score: 2
At first I didn't enjoy the book, but then it did get better. I'm still not sure if I really enjoyed it. I already own the next two in the series so hopefully it gets better.
