teen angst, served fresh daily

The plot is pretty standard: High school senior Jan Martin knows that she's destined to lead an unspectacular life, unlike her best friend Rebecca, one of New York's "It Girls." Jan's French homework is tormenting her, and college applications are even worse... though nothing can compare to her new crush's disinterest.

It seems like a typical comedic YA book about a girl navigating love, life, and high school. After all, there are tons of such books out there, which can make it difficult to pick out those that are worth reading from those that are just blah.

Trust me on this one. Melissa Kantor's Confessions of a Not-It Girl is so worth it.

This review is almost superfluous. If you click on the title of the book, you'll find another link to read the first chapter of the novel. And once you read the first chapter, you'll have to read the rest of it.

Jan's angst, minute analysis of her life, and imagination make her first-person narrative a light, fun, and utterly hilarious read. For example, when asked to babysit for her crush's little sister, Jan realizes that she's hardly prepared:

"With only forty-nine hours to put together an outfit that said both 'I am a responsible baby-sitter who will not abandon your child to pursue pleasures of the flesh' and 'I am a sexual dynamo,' I headed upstairs to evaluate my options" (Kantor, 7).

Jan blows up inconsequential moments to huge disasters in her mind (from the real pronunciation of her name-- Yahn-- to running into her crush in a ratty t-shirt), and lives an active fantasy life revolving around the way her life should be going-- sometimes to the point of missing what's actually going on around her. Jan's hyperbolic worries make her a funny and likable protagonist, rather than a shallow, annoying one, however, because Jan has a good sense of humor and cares deeply about her family and friends.

Confessions of a Not-It Girl is full of hope, humor, and talented writing. Additionally, Jan's strong, witty voice and a wonderful cast of characters, from the secretly not-so-secure Rebecca to Jan's quirky parents to Josh, Jan's crush-worthy crush, make Confessions of a Not-It Girl stand out among other books of its genre, even if the basic plot is fairly standard.

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