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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
~3/5
[Also available on my blog.]
This book was not quite what I expected. I thought it would be much more cutesy and light, when it actually had some darker elements to it. And now I’m just not sure if I actually enjoyed it or not.
This book is about Gemma, who, despite always being terrified of speaking in front of people, tries out for the play and turns out to actually be pretty good at acting. She likes this boy Nick, only to start actually growing feelings for a boy who has always gotten on her nerves, Raven. Plus, her sister is getting married, and is forcing her to be the flower girl and wear this hideous swan-like outfit.
Gemma was alright. Her sister, Debbie, was very dramatic. I didn’t mind her parents.
I even kind of enjoyed the interactions between them all and Debbie’s fiance’s family. They’re all military crazy, and it was entertaining.
I did like Raven and his family. Especially his younger brothers. I was a bit surprised by this one violent scene between them, and thought that something more serious should have happened in conclusion because of it, and am a little confused as to why nothing did. And then there was something very sad that happened to one of them at the end, and I didn’t like that very much.
So, even though I did like Raven and Gemma together, there was a romantic element between her sister and her sister’s fiancé, that was related to Gemma and Raven, and even her parents, that made it seem like they were all just settling, and I didn’t like that. I don’t like the thought of settling, though. But, I mean, maybe I’m wrong.
But, in particular, during the wedding scene, Debbie pauses before saying ‘I do’, and it just seemed like she was considering whether she was making the right choice, and when she finally chose to say yes, it seemed like she’d decided that she did want to settle with him, and I just didn’t like that. It probably doesn't help that I didn't think they were going to last, that some things hinted at them breaking up, and yet they stayed together anyway, without actually showing us why. Another thing about it that bothered me, I think, is the fact that it seemed like only the women were settling; we didn't get to see much on the men's side of it. Maybe it’s just me, though.
Then, while I think the title is actually kind of cute, it’s trying to hint and cause anticipation to when Gemma finally explodes and makes a big deal of something, and that moment was just horrible. I thought it would be great, maybe fist-pump worthy, but it was actually wince-worthy and made me embarrassed for her. I didn’t like it, and that disappointed me.
Other than that, though, I kind of enjoyed the book. I liked the way in which she got over Nick, and I liked the darker elements of the story, and all the scenes with Raven and his family. The writing wasn’t too bad, and it was especially Australian, and at points the humor was really good.
Overall, I think this was just a bit over average, and there were some things that I especially liked.
[Also available on my blog.]
This book was not quite what I expected. I thought it would be much more cutesy and light, when it actually had some darker elements to it. And now I’m just not sure if I actually enjoyed it or not.
This book is about Gemma, who, despite always being terrified of speaking in front of people, tries out for the play and turns out to actually be pretty good at acting. She likes this boy Nick, only to start actually growing feelings for a boy who has always gotten on her nerves, Raven. Plus, her sister is getting married, and is forcing her to be the flower girl and wear this hideous swan-like outfit.
Gemma was alright. Her sister, Debbie, was very dramatic. I didn’t mind her parents.
I even kind of enjoyed the interactions between them all and Debbie’s fiance’s family. They’re all military crazy, and it was entertaining.
I did like Raven and his family. Especially his younger brothers. I was a bit surprised by this one violent scene between them, and thought that something more serious should have happened in conclusion because of it, and am a little confused as to why nothing did. And then there was something very sad that happened to one of them at the end, and I didn’t like that very much.
So, even though I did like Raven and Gemma together, there was a romantic element between her sister and her sister’s fiancé, that was related to Gemma and Raven, and even her parents, that made it seem like they were all just settling, and I didn’t like that. I don’t like the thought of settling, though. But, I mean, maybe I’m wrong.
But, in particular, during the wedding scene, Debbie pauses before saying ‘I do’, and it just seemed like she was considering whether she was making the right choice, and when she finally chose to say yes, it seemed like she’d decided that she did want to settle with him, and I just didn’t like that. It probably doesn't help that I didn't think they were going to last, that some things hinted at them breaking up, and yet they stayed together anyway, without actually showing us why. Another thing about it that bothered me, I think, is the fact that it seemed like only the women were settling; we didn't get to see much on the men's side of it. Maybe it’s just me, though.
Then, while I think the title is actually kind of cute, it’s trying to hint and cause anticipation to when Gemma finally explodes and makes a big deal of something, and that moment was just horrible. I thought it would be great, maybe fist-pump worthy, but it was actually wince-worthy and made me embarrassed for her. I didn’t like it, and that disappointed me.
Other than that, though, I kind of enjoyed the book. I liked the way in which she got over Nick, and I liked the darker elements of the story, and all the scenes with Raven and his family. The writing wasn’t too bad, and it was especially Australian, and at points the humor was really good.
Overall, I think this was just a bit over average, and there were some things that I especially liked.
I got teary eyed and I wasn't expecting it. It's a really great book and it's a very easy read.
Nostalgia guides my rating. It wasn’t the masterpiece I remembered from childhood but I still enjoyed it thoroughly. So Australian. Many lines shot straight through my heart.
This book was heartbreaking and beautiful , funny and earnestly sweet.
It was a story that needed to be told .
If you read it , you'll see what I mean.
It was a story that needed to be told .
If you read it , you'll see what I mean.
I’ve read this book multiple times. I love the Aussie slang, the absurd but lovable characters, the school play and casting of it, the subtle hints at true love - there’s something about it that’s just soooo good!
At first this was a 5 star. I guess I forgot what all went on in the book and foolishly gave it 5 stars. I have just finished rereading it and it dropped three stars. The language, underage drinking, and violence was overwhelming. I can;t believe that I liked this book so much! Probably the Shakespearian, but then even that was disgusting and just plain wrong to me. I used to totally fall for the ending and then Ui realized that it was really vague and to me useless to the book. I'm not saying that the author is a terrible writer, just that I don't like what she wrote. The only reason that I probably gave 5 stars before was because of the birkett thing. I love the concept! Its beautiful! I was just blinded by the possibility of a family thats capable of chucking a birkett. Really not my kind of book. And that's all I've got to say about this book.....
This book was amazing. I am in my schools drama program and I loved how that played a role in Gemma's 'transformation' because I've experienced that type of situation personally. Gemma's character was, in my opinion very accurate, and likable. Raven's character made me swoon. He had that mysterious hook that made me want to keep reading. I tend to be a bit emotionally attached to books, so I was ready to shed a tear or two but this story made more of an impact than I could ever expect, which definitely added to the amazingness of the book. I laughed, I cried and even chucked a birkett by the end.
I’m smiling really hard right now. I’d been holding out on reading this novel for quite some time for no particular reason. I’m glad I finally took the plunge. Simply describing the book will not do it justice. I liked how every character came off the page, almost like you were intermingling in their lives. Gemma, the main character of the story was so compelling. Her fears, emotions and thoughts were real and almost tangible making it easy to empathise with her. The person I liked most in the novel was her mother who was chalk full of wisdom. Her sister on the other hand, I disliked severely for reasons, if you decide to read this novel, you shall understand. Lisa Shanahan does a good job of describing the scenery, Gemma’s feelings and everything else so finely it was easy to conjure it all up in my mind. It also helps that about a week or so ago, I stumbled over some Australian lingo. You might want to brush up on that. I loved this book through and through, no wonder I read it in less than a day.
I wasn't expecting anything from this book, as I decided to read it without reading the blurb (Yes I do this quite often) solely because I liked the title when Goodreads recommended it.
I have to admit that I wasn't disappointed.
It was funny, witty, sad and kind of an eye opener - all at the same time, which is kind of surreal if you ask me. Though I couldn't fathom the lead protagonist Gemma's behavior in places (Like), she turned out to be quite nice overall.
And every time I read about the flower girls' dresses, I imagined this -
But that ending? I always get frustrated at endings like this. I mean,
I have to admit that I wasn't disappointed.
It was funny, witty, sad and kind of an eye opener - all at the same time, which is kind of surreal if you ask me. Though I couldn't fathom the lead protagonist Gemma's behavior in places (Like
Spoiler
when she starts crying after the bawl at Raven's house. I was like, "Get a grip girlie! This ain't your fight!"And every time I read about the flower girls' dresses, I imagined this -
But that ending? I always get frustrated at endings like this. I mean,
Spoiler
there wasn't even a kiss! Not one!
I think I read this in 2008 so maybe I feel so strongly about this novel because of the circumstances ya know - on the cusp of my teenage years, fighting inevitable change combined with my own tendency to bottle up feelings and then chuck a birkett - it made me relate in a way that might not have happened had I read this book out of my tender formative years.
That aside, Shanahan is a spectacular writer - she made me feel (really feel, like I could feel myself recoiling, ready to cry or hold my breath) every moment of second-hand embarrassment, hope, anger and tension between Gemma and everyone else - her community, her family, Raven and especially herself. There's something deeply honest about the way interactions between characters are written, in the way she guides Gemma's growth and Gemma's transformation: from conforming to superficial expectations she herself couldn't really understand to the heartache of recognizing her own hypocrisy and her desire to protect herself to letting it go in a torrent of understanding and acceptance - it is all magically, beautifully, depressingly, wonderingly written.
This book has been influential in helping me fall in love with this catastrophe - "the large sprawling, aching, messy catastrophe of loving people up close" though I have not found anything since that has been close to replicating the heady rush of 'My Big Birkett'
That aside, Shanahan is a spectacular writer - she made me feel (really feel, like I could feel myself recoiling, ready to cry or hold my breath) every moment of second-hand embarrassment, hope, anger and tension between Gemma and everyone else - her community, her family, Raven and especially herself. There's something deeply honest about the way interactions between characters are written, in the way she guides Gemma's growth and Gemma's transformation: from conforming to superficial expectations she herself couldn't really understand to the heartache of recognizing her own hypocrisy and her desire to protect herself to letting it go in a torrent of understanding and acceptance - it is all magically, beautifully, depressingly, wonderingly written.
This book has been influential in helping me fall in love with this catastrophe - "the large sprawling, aching, messy catastrophe of loving people up close" though I have not found anything since that has been close to replicating the heady rush of 'My Big Birkett'