Sloppy Firsts (Jessica Darling, Book 1)
by Megan McCafferty
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Book Summary Information
Author: Megan McCaffertyEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-08-28
ISBN: 0609807900
Number of pages: 297
Publisher: Broadway
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Book Reviews of Sloppy Firsts (Jessica Darling, Book 1)
Book Review: Loved this book, but something to keep in mind regarding the series as a whole
Summary: 5 Stars
Below is a review I wrote for Fourth Comings. I am posting it here as well because with the publication of the later books there are a few things I think parents and younger readers might want to be aware of before starting the series. Not that I think anyone should NOT start the series, but as once you do you'll want to plow right through them, in some cases you may want to wait to start them until you're a bit older.
I have loved the series, this first one is defiantely one of the best YA books I have read. As the sister of a children's librarian I still read YA books on her recommendations and thoroughly enjoyed Sloppy Firsts. Jessica is a great heroine and I have enjoyed watching her grow up. I haven't read the fifth book yet, but am looking forward to picking it up and reading the series' conclusion.
Review of Fourth Comings:
I was really mixed on this one. I enjoyed the first three in the series, finding Jessica very real, flawed yet likable and overall someone I would have wanted to be friends with.
This entry into the series was somewhat of a departure from the rest. It takes place over one week as opposed to the much longer spans (years in the case of book 3) of the others. It is also much more adult.
I bring this up because I think it's important when starting this series. I started the series when I was in my 30's on the recommendation of my librarian sister. Since then, I have grabbed the successive books as soon as they came available. Jessica Darling is beloved by teenage girls and some of us "older" women alike. That said, I don't feel that this book is necessarily appropriate for some of the younger readers. I don't think that younger readers are not aware of sex in all it's glory and unglory and drinking, but I do think there are certain aspects that they can wait to appreciate literarily (is that a word?).
I was going to start my 16-year-old stepdaughter on the series, but knowing that she's sure to devour them after reading "Sloppy Firsts", I think I'm going to wait another year or two before introducing them to her.
I am perfectly aware that many readers and reviewers may disagree with me and say that the majority of teens are mature enough to handle all the books in the series. I assure you that I am not opposed to teens reading honest and open stories and books about sexuality, but I just don't know that 15 and 16 year olds are at a point to truly appreciate the intimacy that also comes along with it as written to an extent in "Fourth Comings". The result is a bit of a conundrum. Do you introduce the series to "younger" readers knowing they will most likely pick up this more mature entry into the series (note that Jessica's sexuality is definately a large part of Charmed Thirds, which covers her college years, as well) or wait until they are a little older and may miss out on the time they are the same age as Jessica when we first meet her.
Just be aware when introducing the series- and this book in particular- to your teen. Decide whether she (or he) is mature enough for them. While I know my stepdaughter is certainly mature and intelligent enough to handle this one, I think I just want her to enjoy simply being a teen a little longer.
All that said, as the aforementioned "older" reader, I did enjoy the book, but wasn't so sure of the one-week format. I enjoyed the longer timeframes in the other books as they allowed me to be more of a part her life and relate to her. And while I'm glad Jessica has come into her own more through the series, I think maybe I miss her youger incarnation a bit :-)
Summary of Sloppy Firsts (Jessica Darling, Book 1)
?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.
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