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lish90's review
4.0
I read this book in a day because I couldn't put it down. I'm already hoping there will be a third book in the series (fingers crossed!).
Faking it is fast paced and the action doesn't stop. Josie Browning is a smart, lovable and relatable character. Gabrielle Tozer has really written a winning YA series.
thegingerpoet's review
5.0
Another brilliant book. I loved faking it as much as I loved the intern. Made me cry at the very end!
fictionalkate's review
5.0
After reading Gabrielle Tozer’s award winning The Intern, I wanted more. And lucky for me I got my wish in the form of Faking It – a sequel to Josie Browning’s adventures as part time student, part time glamorous magazine writer.
When you love a book as much as I did The Intern there is always the lingering question of: can the author carry off such brilliance again? Am I going to be bitterly disappointed? Well let me tell you -- Gabrielle Tozer is no one hit wonder. If you liked The Intern, you are going to adore Faking It. This follow up to Tozer’s debut novel has all the embarrassing moments, glitz and glamour of The Intern and plus some. Josie may have found a place for her in the city but happily ever after doesn’t last forever.
What makes Josie’s story so special isn’t the high flying lifestyle she gets thrown into as a writer for an up and coming webzine. Nor is it the Devil Wears Prada energy which is captured beautifully.
It’s how charmingly Tozer captures Josie’s honesty and personality.
Ok – so that sounds a little like overkill.
But it’s true. I loved how relatable Josie is – despite having next to nothing in common with her. I’m at a different life stage and her struggles have never been my struggles. Yet there’s something truly authentic about Josie’s voice. She’s not forced. And despite the somewhat unbelievability of Josie’s adventures there is something about them which rings true and makes you want her to succeed no matter how impossible it may seem. Josie is one of those strong independent female characters who often doesn’t feel either of those things. She doesn’t always do or say the right thing at the right time. And yes – she does make mistakes. But when it comes down to the wire she does manage to make things write. Her heart is in the right place. She’s a bit like Bridget Jones for the New Adult set.
This book has the perfect mix of romance, females taking charge and friendship which I love to read in chick lit. Josie is busy trying to navigate her new job and the expectations put upon her by her boss and colleagues as well as finding her feel in her new relationship with James. The romance is fun to read with the chemistry between Josie and James adorable to read yet there are enough hurdles for their relationship to keep things interesting. Josie’s job provides challenges as well as the occasional embarrassing moment. Familiar faces from The Intern pop up again and there are some new characters which add just the right level of drama to Josie’s life.
Faking It is the perfect follow up to The Intern. This is one of those books which had me smiling throughout. It’s funny and Josie’s adventures can sometimes come across as absurd yet not in a way which feels wrong. I have loved the time I spent reading these characters and following them on their adventures.
If you like well written and funny stories about relatable characters who aren’t as perfect as their lives may seem – check this duology out. You will not be disappointed.
Faking It in ten words or less: New Adult Chick Lit with the most charming characters
When you love a book as much as I did The Intern there is always the lingering question of: can the author carry off such brilliance again? Am I going to be bitterly disappointed? Well let me tell you -- Gabrielle Tozer is no one hit wonder. If you liked The Intern, you are going to adore Faking It. This follow up to Tozer’s debut novel has all the embarrassing moments, glitz and glamour of The Intern and plus some. Josie may have found a place for her in the city but happily ever after doesn’t last forever.
What makes Josie’s story so special isn’t the high flying lifestyle she gets thrown into as a writer for an up and coming webzine. Nor is it the Devil Wears Prada energy which is captured beautifully.
It’s how charmingly Tozer captures Josie’s honesty and personality.
Ok – so that sounds a little like overkill.
But it’s true. I loved how relatable Josie is – despite having next to nothing in common with her. I’m at a different life stage and her struggles have never been my struggles. Yet there’s something truly authentic about Josie’s voice. She’s not forced. And despite the somewhat unbelievability of Josie’s adventures there is something about them which rings true and makes you want her to succeed no matter how impossible it may seem. Josie is one of those strong independent female characters who often doesn’t feel either of those things. She doesn’t always do or say the right thing at the right time. And yes – she does make mistakes. But when it comes down to the wire she does manage to make things write. Her heart is in the right place. She’s a bit like Bridget Jones for the New Adult set.
This book has the perfect mix of romance, females taking charge and friendship which I love to read in chick lit. Josie is busy trying to navigate her new job and the expectations put upon her by her boss and colleagues as well as finding her feel in her new relationship with James. The romance is fun to read with the chemistry between Josie and James adorable to read yet there are enough hurdles for their relationship to keep things interesting. Josie’s job provides challenges as well as the occasional embarrassing moment. Familiar faces from The Intern pop up again and there are some new characters which add just the right level of drama to Josie’s life.
Faking It is the perfect follow up to The Intern. This is one of those books which had me smiling throughout. It’s funny and Josie’s adventures can sometimes come across as absurd yet not in a way which feels wrong. I have loved the time I spent reading these characters and following them on their adventures.
If you like well written and funny stories about relatable characters who aren’t as perfect as their lives may seem – check this duology out. You will not be disappointed.
Faking It in ten words or less: New Adult Chick Lit with the most charming characters
zohal99's review
5.0
If I had to, I'd give it a 4.5/ 4.75 stars. Why yes, it was that good. :D
Faking it is the sequel to The Intern which I enjoyed tremendously. However, Faking It I loved 1000%.
Reasons why I loved it:
-I connected a lot more to the characters.
-The drama really immersed me in the story. I was always getting frustrated or laughing or cringing from the cheesiness.
-One of my aspirations is to become a Journalist one day. Obviously with the world we live in my aspirations could change 1000 times between now and ten years later, but the fact that Josie was basically a journalist made the story all that more interesting. I was able to get an insight to the Journalism industry and it was such a fun ride.
-This story went in directions that I was no expecting and did not see coming. In my opinion, the blurb is a lot different to what the book actually entails so the story was refreshing, unique, surprising and exciting. This book had a perfect blend of everything. :D
-I loved the message of this story period.
So overall, I highly recommend! Another great read :D
Faking it is the sequel to The Intern which I enjoyed tremendously. However, Faking It I loved 1000%.
Reasons why I loved it:
-I connected a lot more to the characters.
-The drama really immersed me in the story. I was always getting frustrated or laughing or cringing from the cheesiness.
-One of my aspirations is to become a Journalist one day. Obviously with the world we live in my aspirations could change 1000 times between now and ten years later, but the fact that Josie was basically a journalist made the story all that more interesting. I was able to get an insight to the Journalism industry and it was such a fun ride.
-This story went in directions that I was no expecting and did not see coming. In my opinion, the blurb is a lot different to what the book actually entails so the story was refreshing, unique, surprising and exciting. This book had a perfect blend of everything. :D
-I loved the message of this story period.
So overall, I highly recommend! Another great read :D
zoey1999's review
5.0
If I had to, I'd give it a 4.5/ 4.75 stars. Why yes, it was that good. :D
Faking it is the sequel to The Intern which I enjoyed tremendously. However, Faking It I loved 1000%.
Reasons why I loved it:
-I connected a lot more to the characters.
-The drama really immersed me in the story. I was always getting frustrated or laughing or cringing from the cheesiness.
-One of my aspirations is to become a Journalist one day. Obviously with the world we live in my aspirations could change 1000 times between now and ten years later, but the fact that Josie was basically a journalist made the story all that more interesting. I was able to get an insight to the Journalism industry and it was such a fun ride.
-This story went in directions that I was no expecting and did not see coming. In my opinion, the blurb is a lot different to what the book actually entails so the story was refreshing, unique, surprising and exciting. This book had a perfect blend of everything. :D
-I loved the message of this story period.
So overall, I highly recommend! Another great read :D
Faking it is the sequel to The Intern which I enjoyed tremendously. However, Faking It I loved 1000%.
Reasons why I loved it:
-I connected a lot more to the characters.
-The drama really immersed me in the story. I was always getting frustrated or laughing or cringing from the cheesiness.
-One of my aspirations is to become a Journalist one day. Obviously with the world we live in my aspirations could change 1000 times between now and ten years later, but the fact that Josie was basically a journalist made the story all that more interesting. I was able to get an insight to the Journalism industry and it was such a fun ride.
-This story went in directions that I was no expecting and did not see coming. In my opinion, the blurb is a lot different to what the book actually entails so the story was refreshing, unique, surprising and exciting. This book had a perfect blend of everything. :D
-I loved the message of this story period.
So overall, I highly recommend! Another great read :D
emilyjmead's review
5.0
PERFECTION. ABSOLUTE PERFECTION. G Toze has done it again.
Also, I need a Josie in my life.
(although there's a distinct possibility I AM the Josie...)
ANYWAY, this was absolutely fabulous. I laughed and I cried and I cringed. Full review soon, but you're all going to love it.
______________________________________________________________________
I just…I can’t even with this book.
I can be rational. I CAN BE. Seriously. I can discuss this book analytically, with great intelligence and wit, and I can…I can do it.
Okay, I can’t.
READ THIS BOOK. SERIOUSLY.
Do you really need a reason? We all know I have superb taste in books. You should be running to the bookstore already. I mean, I read it THE DAY IT ARRIVED ON MY DOORSTEP (which was very convenient, by the way).
But just in case you don’t trust every word I say (in which case, you should reflect very deeply on your values), here are some reasons you should read it.
Josie Browning.
The secondhand embarrassment is strong with this girl. Within the first couple of chapters, I was cringing so much I debated about whether I should continue (it was a very short debate…I needed to see what happened). Let’s just say that I’m SO glad I’ve never been in her situation.
It was hard to read, but even harder to stop.
But Josie is seriously such a great character. She’s real, she’s awkward, she’s passionate, smart, unsure of herself, navigating a world completely new to her – and rocking at it, by the way. She always tries to fix her mistakes and I really admire her for that.
The author and I have even come up with a hashtag – when you do something clumsy or goober-ish, you’re #pullingajb
I think it’s pretty excellent.
And the plot is awesome, too.
In contemporaries it’s usually about the characters. And this is no exception. But Faking It also has a really great (slash cringe-worthy) plot, and the way it all ties together is brilliant. So what if some parts are unrealistic? If I wanted realistic I’d read non-fiction, and who wants to do that? Nobody.
We’ve also got some sisterly stuff going on.
Her sister Kat is kind of a brat. Hey, that rhymes. But I love how their relationship develops in this novel. That was nice.
You will probably pee your pants.
Yes, it’s that funny. Here’s a snippet of conversation between my sister and me:
Emily: *laughs her arse off*
Sophie: oh my gosh, shut up, I’m trying to watch some stupid show.
(it may have been Pretty Little Vampires or the Liar Diaries or something. Not entirely sure)
Emily: no, Sophie, it’s so funny.
Sophie: am I going to cringe? Is it going to be painful to read?
Emily: Yes. You’re going to love it.
Sophie: …give it to me when you’re finished.
(she’s reading it right now…I’ll let you know what she thinks of it)
BUT ANYWAY, yeah, this book is hilarious. Which should be reason enough to get it.
Amid the hilarity, there are also some really heartfelt, genuine messages to be taken away from this book.
I admit to tearing up a little. BUT JUST A LITTLE, okay? Don’t go thinking I have a heart or something. But yeah, the end of this book was just lovely, and I love Josie so much and I love these books so much and I just. Asdfghlkhdltkhdt. Seriously. That’s all I can say.
I have no more words left.
Was that intelligent enough for you?
So, in a nutshell:
All the best parts of The Devil Wears Prada, all the best parts of The Princess Diaries plus its own incredible cast of characters and a kick-ass plot.
Read it.
Also, I need a Josie in my life.
(although there's a distinct possibility I AM the Josie...)
ANYWAY, this was absolutely fabulous. I laughed and I cried and I cringed. Full review soon, but you're all going to love it.
______________________________________________________________________
I just…I can’t even with this book.
I can be rational. I CAN BE. Seriously. I can discuss this book analytically, with great intelligence and wit, and I can…I can do it.
Okay, I can’t.
READ THIS BOOK. SERIOUSLY.
Do you really need a reason? We all know I have superb taste in books. You should be running to the bookstore already. I mean, I read it THE DAY IT ARRIVED ON MY DOORSTEP (which was very convenient, by the way).
But just in case you don’t trust every word I say (in which case, you should reflect very deeply on your values), here are some reasons you should read it.
Josie Browning.
The secondhand embarrassment is strong with this girl. Within the first couple of chapters, I was cringing so much I debated about whether I should continue (it was a very short debate…I needed to see what happened). Let’s just say that I’m SO glad I’ve never been in her situation.
It was hard to read, but even harder to stop.
But Josie is seriously such a great character. She’s real, she’s awkward, she’s passionate, smart, unsure of herself, navigating a world completely new to her – and rocking at it, by the way. She always tries to fix her mistakes and I really admire her for that.
The author and I have even come up with a hashtag – when you do something clumsy or goober-ish, you’re #pullingajb
I think it’s pretty excellent.
And the plot is awesome, too.
In contemporaries it’s usually about the characters. And this is no exception. But Faking It also has a really great (slash cringe-worthy) plot, and the way it all ties together is brilliant. So what if some parts are unrealistic? If I wanted realistic I’d read non-fiction, and who wants to do that? Nobody.
We’ve also got some sisterly stuff going on.
Her sister Kat is kind of a brat. Hey, that rhymes. But I love how their relationship develops in this novel. That was nice.
You will probably pee your pants.
Yes, it’s that funny. Here’s a snippet of conversation between my sister and me:
Emily: *laughs her arse off*
Sophie: oh my gosh, shut up, I’m trying to watch some stupid show.
(it may have been Pretty Little Vampires or the Liar Diaries or something. Not entirely sure)
Emily: no, Sophie, it’s so funny.
Sophie: am I going to cringe? Is it going to be painful to read?
Emily: Yes. You’re going to love it.
Sophie: …give it to me when you’re finished.
(she’s reading it right now…I’ll let you know what she thinks of it)
BUT ANYWAY, yeah, this book is hilarious. Which should be reason enough to get it.
Amid the hilarity, there are also some really heartfelt, genuine messages to be taken away from this book.
I admit to tearing up a little. BUT JUST A LITTLE, okay? Don’t go thinking I have a heart or something. But yeah, the end of this book was just lovely, and I love Josie so much and I love these books so much and I just. Asdfghlkhdltkhdt. Seriously. That’s all I can say.
I have no more words left.
Was that intelligent enough for you?
So, in a nutshell:
All the best parts of The Devil Wears Prada, all the best parts of The Princess Diaries plus its own incredible cast of characters and a kick-ass plot.
Read it.
mostlyshanti's review
4.0
2018 edit: This book is still good but it's also unrealistic situationally if not emotionally and is irritating and not that well written...so I'm not going to reread it again. But I'm still fond of it, so it's not all bad.
2016This book is SO SO good. It’s totally underrated but EVERYONE should read it. I love the character of Josie. I love how honest it feels—despite the title, lol. I love how it shows the good and bad sides of the journalism world.
Josie is just such a good character. She’s seriously one of the most REAL YA characters I’ve ever read. She messes up, but the story doesn’t end there. She asks for forgiveness. She tries to fix things. Most YA books show the perfect relationship. One fight, and the romance, or friendship is over. But the real world isn’t like that, and as Josie tries to forgive and be angry, she just feels so real. There’s another guy interested in her. She’s fighting with her boyfriend. But she doesn’t leap into his arms—she still stays true to herself. That’s so admirable to me. Josie isn’t perfect, and she knows it. She also knows that she has strong points. But she doesn’t hide everything away. She tries to—but it doesn’t work. She always ends up telling the truth.
It’s this that really made me love this book. Josie gets trapped in a way, in the web of her own lies, in the person she’s trying to be. Her glamourous—well, it isn’t all that glamourous—life, is something she deals with. She just feels like a normal girl, for all she lives in the city. The situations—fighting with flatmates and sisters, feeling uncomfortable in your own skin, not quite knowing where you belong—it all felt so relatable, and Josie was honest about it which was the best thing. Some of the themes that this story deals with, like sex and love and trust—well, they’re big deals. And Josie, and by extension Tozer, treats them with the respect they deserve—but puts plenty of light parts in too.
I’m a high school newspaper editor. I know quite a few (ex) reporters. I feel like Faking it shows the realities of the magazine world quite well (not that I would know). It’s not like The Devil Wears Prada, all fear and glossiness, and it’s not all slogging either. There’s a bit of both, as well as lots of surprisingly wonderful and awful things. The magazine lends a solidity to the story, a constant that weighs heavily on the narrative and unites it really well. I really liked all of the people working at indi and how they were shown to be human too.
Faking It is an amazing contemporary book. It has very real characters. It feels like real life. You empathise with Josie through her triumphs and embarrassment and bad decisions and courage. She has to work hard at relationships and that feels so true. Overall, it’s one of my favourite contemporary novels EVER. Yes, go read it.
2016This book is SO SO good. It’s totally underrated but EVERYONE should read it. I love the character of Josie. I love how honest it feels—despite the title, lol. I love how it shows the good and bad sides of the journalism world.
Josie is just such a good character. She’s seriously one of the most REAL YA characters I’ve ever read. She messes up, but the story doesn’t end there. She asks for forgiveness. She tries to fix things. Most YA books show the perfect relationship. One fight, and the romance, or friendship is over. But the real world isn’t like that, and as Josie tries to forgive and be angry, she just feels so real. There’s another guy interested in her. She’s fighting with her boyfriend. But she doesn’t leap into his arms—she still stays true to herself. That’s so admirable to me. Josie isn’t perfect, and she knows it. She also knows that she has strong points. But she doesn’t hide everything away. She tries to—but it doesn’t work. She always ends up telling the truth.
It’s this that really made me love this book. Josie gets trapped in a way, in the web of her own lies, in the person she’s trying to be. Her glamourous—well, it isn’t all that glamourous—life, is something she deals with. She just feels like a normal girl, for all she lives in the city. The situations—fighting with flatmates and sisters, feeling uncomfortable in your own skin, not quite knowing where you belong—it all felt so relatable, and Josie was honest about it which was the best thing. Some of the themes that this story deals with, like sex and love and trust—well, they’re big deals. And Josie, and by extension Tozer, treats them with the respect they deserve—but puts plenty of light parts in too.
I’m a high school newspaper editor. I know quite a few (ex) reporters. I feel like Faking it shows the realities of the magazine world quite well (not that I would know). It’s not like The Devil Wears Prada, all fear and glossiness, and it’s not all slogging either. There’s a bit of both, as well as lots of surprisingly wonderful and awful things. The magazine lends a solidity to the story, a constant that weighs heavily on the narrative and unites it really well. I really liked all of the people working at indi and how they were shown to be human too.
Faking It is an amazing contemporary book. It has very real characters. It feels like real life. You empathise with Josie through her triumphs and embarrassment and bad decisions and courage. She has to work hard at relationships and that feels so true. Overall, it’s one of my favourite contemporary novels EVER. Yes, go read it.
divinefolly's review
5.0
I can't even with these books guuurl! They are just so funny and heartfelt. They make me laugh and feel all squishy inside. Thanks for creating such a relatable and adorkable character - Josie is my new spirit animal.