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DANCING IN MY NUDDY-PANTS

From the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series , Vol. 4

The short review: more. The longer review: those who are familiar with Georgia Nicolson will likely not be filled with surprisosity to read this account of her “even further confessions.” Georgia, still full of smugosity with her position as the girlfriend of Robbie the Sex God, nevertheless finds herself somewhat nonplussed at her continuing attraction to Dave the Laugh, he of the nip libbling incident from Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas (2002). In and around Georgia’s agonizing over the big questions—“But what do you do with Sex Gods? Besides snog and worship them, I mean.”—she assists (under duress) with the school production of Peter Pan, proudly watches as Naomi the sex kitten bears Angus’s kittykats (conceived just before his neutering), goes to Frogland on a school trip, is named hockey captain, suffers through parental unrest, and busts the villainous Bummer sisters after they extort Nauseating P. Green into shoplifting. These events are narrated in Georgia’s customarily breathless, insufferably self-interested, and undeniably chuckle-provoking style. Her overpowering voice results in the rather odd effect that for all that the plot is nominally jam-packed, the reader feels that very little is actually happening outside of her love life. Is Georgia filled with sadnosity when Robbie declares that he is moving to Kiwi-a-gogoland to work on an ecological farm (“I should have known when he turned up on his bike that something had gone horribly wrong”)? Only temporarily; her customary high spirits take over: “Perhaps I could have Dave the Laugh as an unserious boyfriend . . . So I could have the Cosmic Horn for now. And I could save the Sex God for later!!” The line just before the glossary shouts that this is “The Official and Proper End. Probably.” Let us hope so; original as Georgia’s voice has been, formulosity threatens, and there’s little new here. (Fiction. YA)

Pub Date: March 1, 2003

ISBN: 0-06-009746-9

Page Count: 224

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2003

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IF ONLY I HAD TOLD HER

A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.

In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.

Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.

A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)

Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024

ISBN: 9781728276229

Page Count: 416

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024

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IF HE HAD BEEN WITH ME

There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.

The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.

Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.

There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.   (Fiction. 14 & up)

Pub Date: April 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013

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