Book Review: Sloppy Firsts

Title: Sloppy Firsts

Author: Megan McCafferty

Genre: Young Adult

Synopsis: This is the story of one year in the life of16 year old Jessica Darling, told through diary entries and letters to her best friend Hope. Jess struggles with parents who don't understand her, friends that are clueless and shallow, a perfect older sister, and a strange attraction to a boy best described as a "bad seed." Jess tries to find herself in the mystifying and complex world of high school when the one friend she identified with is suddenly taken away from her.

Stars: 4/5

Lauren's Review: Don't be turned off by all the cliches in the synopsis. This is a character that at least I found easy to relate to. She's brainy, not pretty ("why do girls always have to be one or the other?") She's not taken in by all the popularity peer pressure. And she *gasps* tries to get good grades! Honestly, never since Cat from 10 Things I hate About You have I found a teenager more agreeable. She isn't a goth/geek/nerd but she isn't a prep/cheerleader/popular girl. Instead she falls into the under-represented in between where most of us real people spent our high school years.

And despite being a YA book, the writing is not too shabby. This isn't one of those 'like omg and then he kissed me!' type of diaries, Jess delves into the deep stuff of who she is and the difficulties in her relationships with other people. I think what I liked about this book is the realness of it. Its what high school was actually like, but without the classes so not boring.

I liked Jess because she was a real character and had brains. Unlike some retards who go falling in love with every vampire/werewolf they find. But that's another rant for another time.