As Charles Dickens once very aptly obsevered: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Of course Dickens wasn't referring to high school, but the French Revolution. But today, in our current American society his words can be no closer to the truth when discussing the legally mandated ritual called high school.
Everyone has his or her story. From the glory days full of football games, after-hour parties, and social ruling to the lesser exuberant memories our being an outsider, not understanding anything going on around you, and the unfortunately bullyness. Yet despite the pangs of High School and the sometimes harsh memories that come along with it, it is a time in our lives that years removed somehow becomes glorified as "the best time of your life," wither that statement is true or not.
McCafferty has constructed an unlikely heroine who reminds us exactly why we hated high school so much... and exactly why we will probably always look back on it with fond memories of times pass. Jessica Darling is you. Jessica Darling is me. Jessica Darling is everyone. Whither you can relate to everything she says, or just a few of the experiences she goes through during these novels, there is a little bit of everything within our heroine.
Unlike the heroines of classic literature that defeat the sociality structures (Dicken's "A Tale of Two Cities"), learn the true meaning of love (a la Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice"), Jessica Darling's one true clam to fame is not only surviving high school, but figuring it out before she leaves the hallowed halls. Most people figure it out sooner or later, but usually when they are removed from the experience.
What McCafferty is trying to say to the audience at large is that life matters. Everything that has happened to you, is happing to you, and will happen you have an effect that you can never dream off. The point of life isn't just sitting back and waiting for the next step. But it is embracing the here and now.
McCafferty is able to do these through a narrative that reads more like a self-aware John Hughes script, rather than 95% of book one would find in their local "young adult fiction" section. And the true genius and charm of the book doesn't from Jessica's stories of high school. But through your own memories, that while reading this book you are able to relive again vicariously through the eyes of Jessica. This book was not written for the tween set as a way to drool over what those "magical four years" will be like (a la "Dawson's Creek"), but as a way for people past that experience to look back and realize just how much their high school years truly means.
I cannot recommend this book enough, especially to fans of the budding new genre of self-aware coming-of-age stories such as "Prep," "Boy meets Boy," and the "Rules of Attraction." In all honestly I must request that everyone in their post high-school years, but still young enough to remember the impact John Hughes has on society to order a copy of this book. You will not be disappointed in the least!
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From the Publisher
Sloppy Firsts: A Jessica Darling Novel
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| Sloppy Firsts | Second Helpings | Charmed Thirds | Fourth Comings | Perfect Fifths | |
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| Price | $6.99 | $11.15 | $10.79 | $8.99 | $12.99 |
| Discover the beloved New York Times bestselling series with a new foreword from Rebecca Serle! | First Love Can Be Messy | Jessica Darling is *so* over high school | New city. New life. New Jessica. | Jessica Darling *thought* she was ready to be an adult. | A last chance at first love |
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Reviews with images
Relatable and Timeless
Sloppy Firsts was previously released twenty years ago and yet I just heard about it this year. After reading the author's notes, I'm impressed that it feels both like a time warp and relevant to today. I'm hoping that Wednesday continues to re-release the rest of the series.This reads a little like Bridget Jones' Diary in that it's Jessica's personal journal where she rambles and is brutally honest with herself. My heart hurt for her but I also found quite a bit to laugh about too.I can see why this was originally marketed to adults rather than strictly YA. I think it straddles that fine line of what age group(s) would find Sloppy Firsts to be relatable whether currently experiencing high school or looking at it through a past lense.Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Top reviews from other countries
Miss Page-Turner
Clever, romantic, sarcastic & so much more. YA at its best!
Reviewed in Germany on November 28, 2013
