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.

And remember-- have a mid-list book that you love? Email original reviews to doingitwrite@gmail.com to be featured in a "guest reviewer" post.

men are from mars, women are from venus

For me, freshness is almost as important as humor in a novel, and Sarah Miller's Inside the Mind of Gideon Rayburn has both. An unknown girl narrates the tale, a girl who inexplicably finds herself privy to the every thought of Gideon Rayburn, new kid at an exclusive New England prep school.

Guys always wonder what girls are thinking, but it goes the other way, too-- and now this unknown girl has the opportunity to finally find out as out-of-place Gideon navigates his way in his new environment. His journey isn't made any easier by his roommates Nicholas and Cullen, who are both rich, suave, and sometimes morally questionable. The pair make a bet out of Gideon's semi-virginity, and want him to loose it all the way with fiesty Molly McGarry. Gid likes Molly, and he wants to prove himself to his roommates, but there's the added complication of Pilar, the sexiest, most popular girl in school.

While both the ending and the revelation of the narrator is unsurprising, Gideon Rayburn is still a fun, worthwhile read. It's interesting to get into Gideon's head as he worries about girls, popularity, and impressing the guys. Still, he's a funny, caring guy who readers can't help but like. The rest of the characters are multidimensional, too -- Molly, Pilar, and even Cullen and Nicholas. Despite the faults of Gid's roommates, you can also see hints of why they are the way they are, such as when Gid stays with Nicholas over a school holiday. The book serves as more than just a look into the male mind, however. Gideon Rayburn is a comedic romance with a strong, wry voice that takes place in the over-the-top boarding school environment. And let's face it-- that's always fun.

And remember-- do you have an original review of a mid-list book that you'd like posted? Shoot me an email at doingitwrite@gmail.com.

footnotes are always funny. trust me.

I wouldn't recommend this book for guys (because, you know, there's no way you could have gathered that from the picture), but Bad Kitty by Michelle Jaffe is the perfect summer beach read.

And I don't just say that because I got the worst sunburn of my life reading this book on a cruise ship several years ago.

The book isn't exactly what you'd think. While there's romance, friendship, and the hilarious over-analyzation that's a staple of comedic teen chick lit, Bad Kitty is actually a mystery/crime novel... and hilarious, to boot. I could summarize it for you, but to better give you a taste of the book, I'm going to copy and paste the summary on the jacket flap:

"Meet Jasmine,¹ forensic supersleuth,² aspiring Model Daughter,³ and friend to animals.⁴ One second she's trying to enjoy her Vegas Vacation,⁵ the next she's tangled up in an outrageous adventure and has to outwit a crazed killer before he ends ten lives, one of them her own.⁶

¹ Hi! That's me!
² I. Wish.
³ Emphasis on aspiring. Current status: failing.
⁴ If friend means 'unsuspecting victim' and animals means 'one very bad kitty.'
⁵ And meet the cute guy at the Snack Hut. I have priorities.
⁶ Meep! But I guess it winds up okay since Kirkus Reviews says: 'Inventive, witty, and laugh-out-loud funny, with an enjoyably twisty ending.' They wouldn't say that if everyone died, right? Right?"

This synopsis is the reason for the title of my post, which is a bit of knowledge I've picked up from reading so much. Footnotes are always funny (you need more proof, you say? What, don't you trust me? Fine, here: The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud, Freshman by Michael Gerber.)

And Bad Kitty is fraught with them, letting not only Jasmine but her friends comment on the action, and break the fourth wall. In fact, Jasmine's voice throughout is great, light and funny (but appropriately serious during the most dangerous action), caring, and quippy. Additionally, the mystery/murder plot is a fresh take on the YA chick lit novel, and exciting to read. It's the entertaining, likable characters that really make the book great, however. There's Jasmine's obnoxious cousin, who uses catchphrases such as "That's so Visa" (ie, everywhere you want to be), there's Polly, Jas's straight-laced best friend, and shy Tom, who have obvious chemistry, and finally gorgeous, bizarre Roxy, who could have any guy she wanted but only falls for weirdos.

Additionally, there are hints about there being more to the death of Jasmine's mother (several years prior to the start of the book) than it seemed, and this continues when Jas falls into even more trouble in the sequel, Kitty Kitty.

I read Kitty Kitty awhile ago, however, and so far haven't heard anything about another, even though the plotline about her mother is never resolved...

Anyway, grab the book, pull up some beach, and remember: use a lot of sunscreen.