Summary: Welcome to the dorkside. It's going to be a bumpy ride...
Jeane Smith's a blogger, a dreamer, a dare-to-dreamer, a jumble sale queen, CEO of her own lifestyle brand and has half a million followers on twitter.
Michael Lee's a star of school, stage and playing field. A golden boy in a Jack Wills hoodie.
They have nothing in common but a pair of cheating exes. So why can't they stop snogging?
Publisher: Atom
Release Date: Out now
I will admit, the title made me buy this book when I first saw it, even the somewhat predictable blurb didn't discourage me and you know, I actually quite enjoyed it. Jeane is that insufferable girl at school who is so into herself, that you can't help but hate and admire her. She lives by herself as her sister studies pediatrics in USA, her mother follows her dreams in Peru and her Dad lives it up in Spain. This would leave you to believe that Jeane is sad with her life. That isn't the case, she runs her own blog, "Adorkable" which is a state of mind and a brand all in itself, she also has a slight (Actually really unhealthy) addiction to Haribo. She lives by this and even writes various articles for magazines and newspapers.
Michael's life is that in a stereo-typical Eurasian child. His family push him to do his absolute best. This leads him to be one of the smartest and sportiest students in the school. He is well respected by all and is Head of the Student Council. He lives a stable family but doesn't have that much excitement in his life.
So when they split from their cheating ex's they are pushed into each others lives. This is where the plot gets a bit sticky, literally. It just sticks onto one idea then jumps onto the next bit. This however doesn't make the reading so bad that you just have too stop. Unfortunately I think it is a by-product of issues we find out about later on. Yet, apart from Jeane's blog empire, it is very much a story of how teenagers struggle for a sense of personal identity and how some experiment with love etc.
This book also restored my faith in YA in general, with a TOTAL lack of the ugly girl is actually beautiful all the time. Manning has made sure the reader is aware that Jeane is an average looking, extremely irritable girl. Quite like us all really. She as a character is developed throughout the story, she goes from this super annoying, into herself girl; to a still annoying but way more appreciative character. Her and Michaels relationship also matures and has the fragility of real life relationships. Not just, "OMG we are totally perfect together lets have an unrealistic relationship".
As secrets and unknowns are revealed we also get a glimpse of who they really are under their thick guises. Manning also makes them feel more real by adding in a breaking point into Jeane's personality, which reveals itself in a manner which could actually happen to you, or me. It is this moment she realises just how lonely she is and how unfulfilled her life is. I guess that is like when epiphany just comes too you of how really should have made that sandwich.
Overall this book is, albeit confusing, a fantastic read and brings in elements of how teenagers actually live their lives. It has enough twists that it makes the read enjoyable and you know, Jeane's life actually sounds really fun and you know, I'm glad I read about it.
Talia
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