Main Character: Jessica Darling
Love Interest: Marcus Flutie (highlight to see)
Series: Jessica Darling Series, Book 2
Author: Website|Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads
“Knowing that I’ve just done something that will take decades off my parents’ lives with worry, you’ll excuse me for not getting into the fa-la-la-la-la Yuletide spirit this year. . . . The only difference between Christmas 2001 and Christmas 2000 is that I don’t have a visit from Hope to look forward to. And Bethany has already packed on some major fetal flab. Oh, and now Gladdie doesn’t need to ask a bizillion questions about my boyfriend, because she’s already gotten the dirt from you know who.”
Jessica Darling is up in arms again in this much-anticipated, hilarious sequel to Sloppy Firsts. This time, the hyperobservant, angst-ridden teenager is going through the social and emotional ordeal of her senior year at Pineville High. Not only does the mysterious and oh-so-compelling Marcus Flutie continue to distract Jessica, but her best friend, Hope, still lives in another state, and she can’t seem to escape the clutches of the Clueless Crew, her annoying so-called friends. To top it off, Jessica’s parents won’t get off her butt about choosing a college, and her sister Bethany’s pregnancy is causing a big stir in the Darling household.
With keen intelligence, sardonic wit, and ingenious comedic timing, Megan McCafferty again re-creates the tumultuous world of today’s fast-moving and sophisticated teens. Fans of Sloppy Firsts will be reunited with their favorite characters and also introduced to the fresh new faces that have entered Jess’s life, including the hot creative writing teacher at her summer college prep program and her feisty, tell-it-like-it-is grandmother Gladdie. But most of all, readers will finally have the answers to all of their burgeoning questions, and then some: Will Jessica crack under the pressure of senioritis? Will her unresolved feelings for Marcus wreak havoc on her love life? Will Hope ever come back to Pineville? Fall in love with saucy, irreverent Jessica all over again in this wonderful sequel to a book that critics and readers alike hailed as the best high school novel in years.
Book 2 in the Jessica Darling series and I think I inhaled this book faster than I did the first book. In fact, I know I did because I read this book in one sitting. This book starts with Jessica getting ready to go away to summer camp where she is going to drown herself in activities in an effort to forget about He Who Shall Not Be Named aka Marcus Flutie.
Jessica is starting her senior year of high school and she’s still packing that same hilarious punch from the first book. Her voice is so engaging that you’ll be sitting up laughing at her thought processes. She’ll drive you crazy but you won’t be able to put this book down because so much pops off in this book. Jessica runs into Paul Parlipiano, the guy she was in love with in her early high school years until she found out he was gay and they spark up a little friendship that surprised the heck out of me. It was surprising because Paul convinces Jessica to change course as far as her college plans were and when Jessica changes her mind, she does so in a big way. With secrets and everything, haha.
If you’re worried that we don’t get any Marcus in here since the ending of Sloppy Firsts, don’t worry. Marcus makes appearances and he’s actually apart of the story and I love him. Seriously adore the heck out of him. Watching him try to move on and then help Jessica move on made my heart sigh and everything else under the sun.
My favorite character in this book was Gladdie. What a hoot she turned out to be, even more in this book than in the first book.
This book is another delightfully entertaining book and it was good to see that though Hope still isn’t around, she’s still very much a part of Jess’ life. She’s a great addition to the cast of characters in this book and I’m so happy to see that she’s still around, making things happen for Jess.
This is another great addition to a series that is shaping up (for me, at least) to be a definite treat. Fans of the first book will enjoy this book and fans of the YA contemporary genre will enjoy this book as well. Kudos to McCafferty for writing another winner of a story. I enjoyed it a great deal!
..and that’s your scoop!
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com
