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A review by jugglingpup
I'm Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl by Gretchen McNeil
2.0
To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.
This is a review that is part of our Buddy Reads program where Maddy and I review the same book in a short time period.
I am going to be completely frank, I decided this was a book I had to read based on two criteria: the title and Maddy marked it to-read on GoodReads. I didn’t know what the plot was, I didn’t know the author. I clearly don’t pay attention enough before I pick up a book.
This book follows a lot of 80’s movie in the “lets get popular quick” scheming. The reason behind the get popular scheme was new, but the way it was done was pretty much the same. The main difference between those movies and this book is the constant references to math. So combine An Abundance of Katehrines with any 80’s high school movie and you got this book. There was nothing new, nothing exciting.
The main love interest throughout the book is supposedly Jesse, who isn’t a good fit for Bea anyway. He was quick to ditch her and was willing to cheat on who he left her for. So why would she want him back? It was an obvious red hearing. She is dealing with jealousy of the new girl and her un-examined feelings for her best friend. I hope I was never as dense as these characters. There were predictable, shallow, and so easily manipulated.
There wasn’t a single character I liked. The gay sub plot was obnoxious. Bea, who supposedly is a brilliant person, refers to gay people are homosexual at one point. That is not even close to the language that teenagers use. It was extra off-putting because it was during a conversation where she was being called out for being homophobic. I don’t think she is homophobic. I think Kurt has issues with the idea of anyone being femme, but that is a whole separate issue. So in the end, ick, lots of problems with the gay plot.
Just overall, this book fell short. It wasn’t funny enough to pull itself along. It wasn’t witty enough to be a new look at the same plot. Have you seen GBF? Have you seen Mean Girls? Have you seen First Period? All better versions of this book with a better gay plot. I can keep going and actually name movies from the 80’s, but I know the newer movies a bit better. Sadly this book didn’t do it for me. It wasn’t necessarily badly written, it just had a bad plot. I enjoyed the writing. I enjoyed the way the author was able to keep me focused even when I didn’t care. I would give McNeil another read because she clearly has some skill. I am hoping her other books offer more than this one did.
This is a review that is part of our Buddy Reads program where Maddy and I review the same book in a short time period.
I am going to be completely frank, I decided this was a book I had to read based on two criteria: the title and Maddy marked it to-read on GoodReads. I didn’t know what the plot was, I didn’t know the author. I clearly don’t pay attention enough before I pick up a book.
This book follows a lot of 80’s movie in the “lets get popular quick” scheming. The reason behind the get popular scheme was new, but the way it was done was pretty much the same. The main difference between those movies and this book is the constant references to math. So combine An Abundance of Katehrines with any 80’s high school movie and you got this book. There was nothing new, nothing exciting.
The main love interest throughout the book is supposedly Jesse, who isn’t a good fit for Bea anyway. He was quick to ditch her and was willing to cheat on who he left her for. So why would she want him back? It was an obvious red hearing. She is dealing with jealousy of the new girl and her un-examined feelings for her best friend. I hope I was never as dense as these characters. There were predictable, shallow, and so easily manipulated.
There wasn’t a single character I liked. The gay sub plot was obnoxious. Bea, who supposedly is a brilliant person, refers to gay people are homosexual at one point. That is not even close to the language that teenagers use. It was extra off-putting because it was during a conversation where she was being called out for being homophobic. I don’t think she is homophobic. I think Kurt has issues with the idea of anyone being femme, but that is a whole separate issue. So in the end, ick, lots of problems with the gay plot.
Just overall, this book fell short. It wasn’t funny enough to pull itself along. It wasn’t witty enough to be a new look at the same plot. Have you seen GBF? Have you seen Mean Girls? Have you seen First Period? All better versions of this book with a better gay plot. I can keep going and actually name movies from the 80’s, but I know the newer movies a bit better. Sadly this book didn’t do it for me. It wasn’t necessarily badly written, it just had a bad plot. I enjoyed the writing. I enjoyed the way the author was able to keep me focused even when I didn’t care. I would give McNeil another read because she clearly has some skill. I am hoping her other books offer more than this one did.