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clovetra's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
well i will say this defo was out my comfort zone (only i will get this joke because storygraph recommended me this as “out of my comfort zone)
i didn’t realise that jagged little pill had been made into a book, and tbh i love me some morrissette so i was like “🤷 why not”
i haven’t seen the musical, and honestly ive never fully listened to the album (sue me) so this opinion is solely about the book
i will say this book HEAVVIVILLYYY leans into the YA genre. at sometimes it was a bit of a yawn but tbh because i went in with literally zero expectations i didn’t find it as egregious as i have with many other books
the characters felt a bit one dimensional at times, and incredibly daft at other times. yes you can shit on me and say “oh they’re teens” ok i was a teen and i wasn’t as stupid as frankie was for 95% of this book
sorry frankie was quite grating she pissed me tf off!!!!!!!!!!
i know this is to be expected when the book is literally based on morissette’s album but i loved all the little references to her & the album! all the little lyrics were cute
i mean i feel like i don’t have much to say? this was not a very “deep” book. very surface level, and sometimes that’s ok!
themes & tropes are a bit overdone but tbh the book didn’t go in claiming it was the most inventive literature to grace the planet so yet again i’m not mad. that’s probably because i had fun reading this because it was so….. easy? light?
my ass has a kidney infection rn so i didn’t want to have to read something super high brow. and this did the job!
i feel like if i read this at any other point in my life i would rate this lower but honestly it did its job! i’m pleased!
i will say though i would never read this again. maybe see the musical, sure. defo listen to the original album. but reread this? i’ll pass xxx
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Racism, Alcohol, Religious bigotry, Infidelity, and Medical content
Minor: Vomit and Homophobia
marifly98's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
It’s complicated in the way all of our lives are. The multi-perspective wasn’t hard to follow at all (which initially worried me when there were five people to follow). It made me feel all kinds of things and I finished it so quickly. Knowing the musical a bit helped set the tone for the book a little. Even just knowing Alanis Morisettes main hits is enough to give you the vibes for this book. I truly enjoyed it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Alcoholism
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Cursing, Chronic illness, Outing, Rape, Medical content, and Car accident
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Racism
keepcalmblogon's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I have been a huge fan of Alanis Morissette since I was young, as well as a follower of Diablo Cody’s films, so even though I haven’t been able to catch the Jagged Little Pill musical, I couldn’t wait to read this book & I am so appreciative that ABRAMS Kids approved my NetGalley request.
Starting off, I did feel like it was the first YA novel I’ve read in a while in which the characters did feel juvenile to me at 31, but, despite that, there are characters & events with which I did relate. Namely, Phoenix’s character was the most like myself. He is responsible beyond his age & wiser than his years. He takes care of his mother & sister in a way that I once had to at a young age. Nick & Bella are also two of the more mature (& older) characters to whose experiences I can relate. Nick is the most complex of the MCs, his internal & external conflicts & his responsibilities, both put on him & voluntary, make me sympathize with the complexities of being a teenager about to head to college & figuring out a moral compass of one’s own. Frankie’s relationship with her own morality is gray at a time when young people are still developing their ideals of right & wrong. Personally, that was one of the most poignant aspects of this book; I wouldn’t want to relive those decisions!
I hadn’t previously had the privilege to read an Eric Smith novel, but in Jagged Little Pill, he, Morissette, Cody, & Ballard put themselves in the shoes of teenagers very well, both male & female, straight, gay, & bi, white, latinx, & black. I think the ability to show these representations, motivations, & struggles indicates an insight into the modern life of a young adult beyond the average author. Despite having gone through much of the same strife at the ages of these characters, I was still deeply moved, especially when these characters take more action than I was used to seeing during my time growing up, & it made me proud of fictional characters in a way I don’t remember having felt before.
Jagged Little Pill was definitely a 5 star read for me.
TW: underage drinking, off-page underage sex, off-page date rape, pediatric chronic illness, drug overdose, drug addiction.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Alcohol, Addiction, Drug use, and Sexual content
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
TW: underage drinking, off-page underage sex, off-page date rape, pediatric chronic illness, drug overdose, drug addiction.
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