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3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
This was hilarious, but as I was laughing, I was also reflecting on some the thoughts Chloe shared with us about being a young woman, being a friend, being yourself, and finding your passion.
Emma thought she had a boyfriend, but then learned her was "in a relationship" via social media. After wallowing in self-pity for some time, she decided to "move on" by finding someone to replace Leon. These dating disasters were quite hilarious for me and quite enlightening for Emma.
• Pro: Emma was a hilarious protagonist. I did get a little bit of a Georgia Nicholson vibe from her, because she was funny, honest, witty, and a little angsty just like Georgia, but she was also her own character in many other ways, and I loved her.
• Pro: The story was quite humorous, but nestled in the jokes were some really frank thoughts about feminism, sex, sexuality, friendship, and romantic relationships.
• Pro: Female friendship for the win! There are multiple examples of Emma and her friends supporting and being there for each other. They often had many sincere discussions with each other, which I think many could relate to.
• Pro: Emma and her mom was quite the pair. They weren't perfect, but there was a lot of affection between the two. There were even moments where Emma admitted how wonderful her mother was, and showed her how much she appreciated her.
• Con: I understand why the author went in the direction she did for the ending, but I was hoping for that AND something else. I wanted a little more closure for one of the "dating disasters".
• Pro: The blogging format worked better than I anticipated. Seager did a great job with each post, blending in dialog, text messages, and tweets with the narrative. And, well, I loved Emma, and really enjoyed reading her thoughts.
• Pro: This was a journey for Emma to get over Leon, but it ended up being a journey of self discovery. She learned a lot from her broken heart and breaking hearts, and was a better version of herself in the end.
Overall: A hilarious book, which had substance and even warmed my heart.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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Emma thought she had a boyfriend, but then learned her was "in a relationship" via social media. After wallowing in self-pity for some time, she decided to "move on" by finding someone to replace Leon. These dating disasters were quite hilarious for me and quite enlightening for Emma.
• Pro: Emma was a hilarious protagonist. I did get a little bit of a Georgia Nicholson vibe from her, because she was funny, honest, witty, and a little angsty just like Georgia, but she was also her own character in many other ways, and I loved her.
• Pro: The story was quite humorous, but nestled in the jokes were some really frank thoughts about feminism, sex, sexuality, friendship, and romantic relationships.
• Pro: Female friendship for the win! There are multiple examples of Emma and her friends supporting and being there for each other. They often had many sincere discussions with each other, which I think many could relate to.
• Pro: Emma and her mom was quite the pair. They weren't perfect, but there was a lot of affection between the two. There were even moments where Emma admitted how wonderful her mother was, and showed her how much she appreciated her.
• Con: I understand why the author went in the direction she did for the ending, but I was hoping for that AND something else. I wanted a little more closure for one of the "dating disasters".
• Pro: The blogging format worked better than I anticipated. Seager did a great job with each post, blending in dialog, text messages, and tweets with the narrative. And, well, I loved Emma, and really enjoyed reading her thoughts.
• Pro: This was a journey for Emma to get over Leon, but it ended up being a journey of self discovery. She learned a lot from her broken heart and breaking hearts, and was a better version of herself in the end.
Overall: A hilarious book, which had substance and even warmed my heart.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
This British Invasion YA is one that will be enjoyed more by teens than adults who typically read YA.
It's the story of Emma, a British teenager, who is trying to figure out dating and an online presence, specifically social media. Along the way, she makes some very teenage-ry mistakes, does a lot of venting online, and has the typical teen mood swings.
HOWEVER, while Emma's actions are immature, they are very realistic for teens, and the lessons she learns and reflects upon in her online blog (and therefore with the reader) are important lessons that parents/teachers/adults are constantly trying to impress upon youth.
While Dating Disasters of Emma Nash wasn't my favorite read of the year, I will still be adding it to my library's YA collection as I'm sure it will resonate with many teen readers.
PS I never read Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging, but from what I know of that book, I imagine Dating Disaster of Emma Nash is the upperclassman version for the 21st century!
It's the story of Emma, a British teenager, who is trying to figure out dating and an online presence, specifically social media. Along the way, she makes some very teenage-ry mistakes, does a lot of venting online, and has the typical teen mood swings.
HOWEVER, while Emma's actions are immature, they are very realistic for teens, and the lessons she learns and reflects upon in her online blog (and therefore with the reader) are important lessons that parents/teachers/adults are constantly trying to impress upon youth.
While Dating Disasters of Emma Nash wasn't my favorite read of the year, I will still be adding it to my library's YA collection as I'm sure it will resonate with many teen readers.
PS I never read Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging, but from what I know of that book, I imagine Dating Disaster of Emma Nash is the upperclassman version for the 21st century!
This book is basically Bridget Jones for teenagers and in the era of social media. That probably tells you whether or not you want to read it, right?
I'm also not sure you can read it without laughing out loud (literally) multiple times. Yes, Emma is an emotional idiot, but she's also really relatable. She makes horrible decisions, but so do most of us. And I think we've all been careless with other people before, right? So while Emma is maybe not the best reflection of us, she IS us.
Also, I love that this is a super sex-positive book. (Or at least masturbation-positive.) Emma is unapologetic about masturbating and about being horny. I think we need more books like this.
This book is a total delight and I'm looking forward to the sequel. (I hope Emma makes better choices, but I'm not holding my breath.)
I'm also not sure you can read it without laughing out loud (literally) multiple times. Yes, Emma is an emotional idiot, but she's also really relatable. She makes horrible decisions, but so do most of us. And I think we've all been careless with other people before, right? So while Emma is maybe not the best reflection of us, she IS us.
Also, I love that this is a super sex-positive book. (Or at least masturbation-positive.) Emma is unapologetic about masturbating and about being horny. I think we need more books like this.
This book is a total delight and I'm looking forward to the sequel. (I hope Emma makes better choices, but I'm not holding my breath.)
This was definitely one of the most realistic books I have ever read in my entire life. Everything was just so straight out of life, the relationships, the situations characters were in. Just all of it. I laughed so hard during the entirety of the book. Emma, the main character manages to stumble from funny situation to awkward situation to sad situation but she also describes it in such a fun and sarcastic way on her private blog she uses as a diary to deal with life.
Let’s start with the characters: Emma Nash is sixteen, likes watching TV and masturbating. She is not extremely popular nor is she pretty above average. She is just a normal girl with some friends, some of them closer than others. With them she has lots of fun but she also has stress sometimes. Her friendships are so damn real. Through her the fun and pain of first love and broken hearts is described pretty good, she heals, she has fallbacks. She undergoes a great character development but she also learns some important life lessons on her way there. I identify with Emma on a higher level, she is just such a great character.
Emma’s single mother who is single, wants a man but in reality she only wants the fun with men. She’s a great mother to Emma, leaving her space but also being strict if need be. She knows her daughter pretty well but herself not so much. But she is a delighting character nevertheless.
Steph, Emma’s best friend is a cooler version of Emma. At least, that’s what Emma seems to think sometimes. But Steph is fun and loyal and does pretty much everything for her best friend.
The third in their friendship group is Faith, a lesbian still in the closet. She is very artistic and the calm one in the group. She always gives good advice and is basically the mother.
The last one is Gracie, who is the reason for many awkward moments in the story. She is a friend of Emma’s but she seems to be the least favourite in the group. She feels alone a lot but she can be very sweet as well.
Leon is a fuckboy. He is mean, doesn’t stick up for his faults and blames everything on somebody else.
Greg, actually the sweetest. Not sure what I could say about him but I felt with him so, so much. He is such a nice and caring person.
To sum this up, all of the characters were written so well! They are so different but all so realistic and just… I love them! I love them so much.
I also really liked the plot. It follows Emma who grows so much during the months that pass in the story. And she is such a typical teenager. I could understand her so well, but I also could understand the others. What was also great, was that the whole thing was told through blog posts and tweets. That was really fun.
To end this, I have to say that this is now one of my favourite contemporaries. Chloe Seager really did an absolutely wonderful job with that novel. I have laughed so much and enjoyed every single page of the book.
Let’s start with the characters: Emma Nash is sixteen, likes watching TV and masturbating. She is not extremely popular nor is she pretty above average. She is just a normal girl with some friends, some of them closer than others. With them she has lots of fun but she also has stress sometimes. Her friendships are so damn real. Through her the fun and pain of first love and broken hearts is described pretty good, she heals, she has fallbacks. She undergoes a great character development but she also learns some important life lessons on her way there. I identify with Emma on a higher level, she is just such a great character.
Emma’s single mother who is single, wants a man but in reality she only wants the fun with men. She’s a great mother to Emma, leaving her space but also being strict if need be. She knows her daughter pretty well but herself not so much. But she is a delighting character nevertheless.
Steph, Emma’s best friend is a cooler version of Emma. At least, that’s what Emma seems to think sometimes. But Steph is fun and loyal and does pretty much everything for her best friend.
The third in their friendship group is Faith, a lesbian still in the closet. She is very artistic and the calm one in the group. She always gives good advice and is basically the mother.
The last one is Gracie, who is the reason for many awkward moments in the story. She is a friend of Emma’s but she seems to be the least favourite in the group. She feels alone a lot but she can be very sweet as well.
Leon is a fuckboy. He is mean, doesn’t stick up for his faults and blames everything on somebody else.
Greg, actually the sweetest. Not sure what I could say about him but I felt with him so, so much. He is such a nice and caring person.
To sum this up, all of the characters were written so well! They are so different but all so realistic and just… I love them! I love them so much.
I also really liked the plot. It follows Emma who grows so much during the months that pass in the story. And she is such a typical teenager. I could understand her so well, but I also could understand the others. What was also great, was that the whole thing was told through blog posts and tweets. That was really fun.
To end this, I have to say that this is now one of my favourite contemporaries. Chloe Seager really did an absolutely wonderful job with that novel. I have laughed so much and enjoyed every single page of the book.
Warnings: questionable consent, mild homophobia, emetophobics beware
This novel was a continuous laugh-out-loud kind of adventure, as we see Emma try to reinvent herself, online, after a break-up. Her attempts to find a new boyfriend to get over her old one fail spectacularly, as she tries to widen her social and dating field. She resorts to lying about her age, dabbles in awkward texting, gets catfished by a 13 year old, and ghosts the one guy who likes her because she is still not over her ex, whom she encounters daily in school. Her narration is chiefly via private blog posts (much like a diary, and is sex-positive), and occasional tweets. Emma is alternatively naive and enlightened, and Seager nails her teen voice perfectly, bringing out all the insecurities of being at that age, feeling rejected but also being a little dramatic about it. You simultaneously want to hug her, but also watch the train-wreck with secondhand embarrassment while whispering 'Emma NO!'. Her relationship with her mom, and her friends (who also have their own romantic woes) are rendered well, and the witty dialogue keeps you entertained even if the plot overall can be a bit predictable. Definitely was the highlight on a sick day; I almost forgot I was suffering in bed.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Harlequin Teen, via Edelweiss.
This novel was a continuous laugh-out-loud kind of adventure, as we see Emma try to reinvent herself, online, after a break-up. Her attempts to find a new boyfriend to get over her old one fail spectacularly, as she tries to widen her social and dating field. She resorts to lying about her age, dabbles in awkward texting, gets catfished by a 13 year old, and ghosts the one guy who likes her because she is still not over her ex, whom she encounters daily in school. Her narration is chiefly via private blog posts (much like a diary, and is sex-positive), and occasional tweets. Emma is alternatively naive and enlightened, and Seager nails her teen voice perfectly, bringing out all the insecurities of being at that age, feeling rejected but also being a little dramatic about it. You simultaneously want to hug her, but also watch the train-wreck with secondhand embarrassment while whispering 'Emma NO!'. Her relationship with her mom, and her friends (who also have their own romantic woes) are rendered well, and the witty dialogue keeps you entertained even if the plot overall can be a bit predictable. Definitely was the highlight on a sick day; I almost forgot I was suffering in bed.
"How do YOU want to greet him?!”
“By licking his neck?”
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Harlequin Teen, via Edelweiss.
I love that this focuses on feminist issues and really looks at how people interact with the internet and other people in real life.
Okay, this one was a complete surprise for me. I went into this thinking I wasn’t gonna like it. But, it was so compelling and interesting. Most of the time while reading this, I didn’t know what to make of it. My thoughts oscillated between “YES! This is amazing!!!” and “this is VERY cringe-worthy and reminds me way to much of high school”. It’s basically our main character Emma’s online diary. I loved how Emma’s voice was so clear. She’s opinionated, dramatic, and mostly aware of how she acts towards others.
One of the things that I liked about this book was how technology focused it was. You could kind of see just how dependent the characters are on Likes and Comments or the amount of Friends they have. When that tech was taken away for a weekend as punishment the main character turned into spiraling mess (totally relatable) until she found an old notebook filled with clothing sketches. It was cool to see her rediscovering a passion that had fallen by the wayside.
Another thing I loved about this was the family interactions. Emma and her mom are hilarious. And they butt heads more often then not. Emma and her friends felt so real. They roasted each other, they called each other out on their BS and they also supported each other when they needed it. I also loved that they were able to talk so frankly about female sexuality, periods and other bodily functions. It’s something that happens so rarely in female centered YA books. And frankly, it was refreshing! This is the kind of feminist/girl power book that I never knew I needed in my life. I’m giving this a solid four out of five stars.
One of the things that I liked about this book was how technology focused it was. You could kind of see just how dependent the characters are on Likes and Comments or the amount of Friends they have. When that tech was taken away for a weekend as punishment the main character turned into spiraling mess (totally relatable) until she found an old notebook filled with clothing sketches. It was cool to see her rediscovering a passion that had fallen by the wayside.
Another thing I loved about this was the family interactions. Emma and her mom are hilarious. And they butt heads more often then not. Emma and her friends felt so real. They roasted each other, they called each other out on their BS and they also supported each other when they needed it. I also loved that they were able to talk so frankly about female sexuality, periods and other bodily functions. It’s something that happens so rarely in female centered YA books. And frankly, it was refreshing! This is the kind of feminist/girl power book that I never knew I needed in my life. I’m giving this a solid four out of five stars.
Not a fan of this one. I thought it sounded interesting and it's perfect for Louise Rennison fans... but I just didn't get the hype. It's supposed to be a blog, but I've never seen a blog where someone posts so much, unless it's a Tumblr and even then, it was fairly dull. Yes, it's open about sexuality and stuff but Emma just baffles me. She's clearly suffering after her break up with Leon (which we know nothing about really, so it's kinda hard to care) yet she's obsessed with finding a new lad to go out with? Yeah because that's healthy?? I just idk I didn't like it. Considering Emma was supposed to be 16 - which is an adult in England - she came across really young/childish.
It needs a strong voice when it's just a blog for the entire novel and for me, Emma couldn't carry that narrative off. I read it all and I just reached the end and I was like that was it??? That's what I spent my time reading?? It was disappointing.
It needs a strong voice when it's just a blog for the entire novel and for me, Emma couldn't carry that narrative off. I read it all and I just reached the end and I was like that was it??? That's what I spent my time reading?? It was disappointing.
This story felt a lot like reading The Princess Diaries book - it was set up like journal entries and the voice in the writing sounds like a quirky, funny, emotional teenager. It was a nice quick read and she made me laugh.