kawthar114's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
One of my teenage favorites 🤍🤍
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
geo_ix's review against another edition
4.0
So, I think in terms of this being a totally relatable book with serious events, this is perfect. I originally had this as 3 stars, and upon thinking about it, I realised I liked it more than that, and upped it to 4. However, I can't because I can't justify the $12 kindle price, so if it's available at your library I'd recommend, if not, then I'd probably skip it. (I just checked and this is MUCH cheaper as a paperback, check book depository/amazon!)
My first problem, is the cover. While super cute, I don’t personally feel it fits the book. It does slightly, and yes most book covers don’t stick exactly to the book, but after looking around I found I wasn’t the only one with this issue. So it’s justified.
This book was super fun, and not so much about the cute little romance, but more to do with figuring out who you are. It’s definitely a coming of age story, not just for Jeane, but Michael too. He realises he doesn’t have to be perfect with the help of Jeane, and Jeane realises sometimes you actually do need other people. It’s quite sad seeing Jeane unravel the way she does, and I may have shed a tear while reading. Not a sob fest, but seeing someone so sure of themselves crumble under the pressure that is life is heartbreaking, and I understand a needing to be wanted, and feeling like nobody actually wants you. It’s touching, and such a lovely story.
My first problem, is the cover. While super cute, I don’t personally feel it fits the book. It does slightly, and yes most book covers don’t stick exactly to the book, but after looking around I found I wasn’t the only one with this issue. So it’s justified.
This book was super fun, and not so much about the cute little romance, but more to do with figuring out who you are. It’s definitely a coming of age story, not just for Jeane, but Michael too. He realises he doesn’t have to be perfect with the help of Jeane, and Jeane realises sometimes you actually do need other people. It’s quite sad seeing Jeane unravel the way she does, and I may have shed a tear while reading. Not a sob fest, but seeing someone so sure of themselves crumble under the pressure that is life is heartbreaking, and I understand a needing to be wanted, and feeling like nobody actually wants you. It’s touching, and such a lovely story.
kaytemi's review against another edition
4.0
For the first 85 pages I was convinced that I was going to give this book 2 stars, I've almost never been so glad to be so wrong.
Jeane was just such a bitch and at first I thought she was just that. But then I came to understand why she was the way she was and it was like a rainbow after a storm. I began to see the beauty in her and what she did. Seriously glad I got to see some awesome character development and this turned into one of those books that made me seriously think about me and what I want in life.
Yes, there were parts that annoyed me. So many abbreviations that seemed unnecessary. So many fricking run-on sentences. But it all worked. It is a part of the story and the people and who they are.
Just, love. Will definitely be picking up another Sarra Manning book in the future.
Jeane was just such a bitch and at first I thought she was just that. But then I came to understand why she was the way she was and it was like a rainbow after a storm. I began to see the beauty in her and what she did. Seriously glad I got to see some awesome character development and this turned into one of those books that made me seriously think about me and what I want in life.
Yes, there were parts that annoyed me. So many abbreviations that seemed unnecessary. So many fricking run-on sentences. But it all worked. It is a part of the story and the people and who they are.
Just, love. Will definitely be picking up another Sarra Manning book in the future.
somarostam's review against another edition
4.0
This was utterly different but perfectly satisfying. This book had me hooked from the blurb, the positive reviews, the unique name, and the gorgeous cover! I am so glad I read this one. "Please ignore my CAPITALIZED letters, I started using them a few days ago; I find myself really enjoying them and using them to put stress on some words . So sorry if it bothers you."
Jeane Smith, is different,. She wears exotic clothes, bought from jumble sales. She colors her hair bizarre colors, like grey or white! She is loud and sarcastic. She tweets every five seconds and she is the founder of the popular blog "Adorkable", that's exactly was Jeane is: Adorkable
Jeane accepts her dorkiness, and wears it like a shield. She even has an almost-understanding boyfriend; well,maybe. When Jeane finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with Michael Lee's girlfriend; an unlikely bond forms between her and Michael. What starts as a friends-with-benefits relationship, turns into something more. Plus, her blog is getting much more attention. But, life is still a lonely roller coaster ride for Jeane, or is it?
What will happen between Jeane and Michael? Will Jeane truly embrace her dorkiness or turn into normalcy? Find out what will happen in Jeane's ADORKABLE world, when you read this realistic, emotional, think-out-of-the-box book, Adorkable...
I liked this book SO much. I consider myself a fan of Contemporary novels but I find them forgettable. I just feel like books in the Contemporary genre don't stick around long enough in my mind to be remembered, although that's not the case
with every contemporary novel I read. For example, I am pretty sure that this novel will stick around with me for long and I will be recommending this over and over!
This is the first Sara Manning book I read and let me tell you, she is an exceptional novelist. The way she twists and turns the story is wonderful. She never fully describes the places and the scenery, she just lets you into the mind of one of the characters; lets you float around whenever you like.
I LOVED the fact that Sara Manning used two POVs, one of Jeane, and one of Michael. Because of what happens between them through the book, I found it refreshing to be able to read from both of them and I also found that it was requiring from the author to write from two POVs or the story wouldn't have the same taste or the affect it has over me, now.
Enough babbling, I will shorten this review up. The description, characters, character development, romance, and plot are wisely-constructed and unique. This book is one of the most enjoyable contemporary read I have read in a LONG time, although it didn't "wow" me. I am recommending this to everyone who is on for some fun, sarcasm, love, and a self-discovering journey.
I will finish this review with one sentence: ADORKABLE is ADORABLE.
Jeane Smith, is different,. She wears exotic clothes, bought from jumble sales. She colors her hair bizarre colors, like grey or white! She is loud and sarcastic. She tweets every five seconds and she is the founder of the popular blog "Adorkable", that's exactly was Jeane is: Adorkable
Jeane accepts her dorkiness, and wears it like a shield. She even has an almost-understanding boyfriend; well,maybe. When Jeane finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with Michael Lee's girlfriend; an unlikely bond forms between her and Michael. What starts as a friends-with-benefits relationship, turns into something more. Plus, her blog is getting much more attention. But, life is still a lonely roller coaster ride for Jeane, or is it?
What will happen between Jeane and Michael? Will Jeane truly embrace her dorkiness or turn into normalcy? Find out what will happen in Jeane's ADORKABLE world, when you read this realistic, emotional, think-out-of-the-box book, Adorkable...
I liked this book SO much. I consider myself a fan of Contemporary novels but I find them forgettable. I just feel like books in the Contemporary genre don't stick around long enough in my mind to be remembered, although that's not the case
with every contemporary novel I read. For example, I am pretty sure that this novel will stick around with me for long and I will be recommending this over and over!
This is the first Sara Manning book I read and let me tell you, she is an exceptional novelist. The way she twists and turns the story is wonderful. She never fully describes the places and the scenery, she just lets you into the mind of one of the characters; lets you float around whenever you like.
I LOVED the fact that Sara Manning used two POVs, one of Jeane, and one of Michael. Because of what happens between them through the book, I found it refreshing to be able to read from both of them and I also found that it was requiring from the author to write from two POVs or the story wouldn't have the same taste or the affect it has over me, now.
Enough babbling, I will shorten this review up. The description, characters, character development, romance, and plot are wisely-constructed and unique. This book is one of the most enjoyable contemporary read I have read in a LONG time, although it didn't "wow" me. I am recommending this to everyone who is on for some fun, sarcasm, love, and a self-discovering journey.
I will finish this review with one sentence: ADORKABLE is ADORABLE.
fictionalkate's review against another edition
3.0
I secretly love portmanteaux. From spork to staycation, liger to Brangelina – I love them all. So I was eagerly awaiting the day to get my hands on Adorkable. But it wasn’t exactly the dorky yet adorable read I was expecting from the title.
Jeane Smith is a seventeen year old entrepreneur. She has her own company, half a million twitter followers, writes articles for national newspapers and has people flying her half way around the world to hear her speak. As an emancipated minor with no one but the couple next door to make sure she’s eating well and cleaning up after herself, her flat looks like a bomb has hit it and her diet consists of sweets and take out.
Then there’s Michael Lee – ladies man, man’s man, man about town, sports star, and on the student council. Top it off, parents LOVE him.
Each is the centre of their own universe but their worlds seem to have nothing in common. Until Michael Lee brings to Jeane’s attention that her boyfriend and his girlfriend are making eyes at each other…
There were a few things that I really enjoyed about this novel. It’s quirky and at times rather fun. I did find myself laughing out loud at times (which my cat did not appreciate). But it’s been a long time since I read a book where I disliked the two main characters with a passion.
Jeane is pretentious, elitist, conceited, judgemental and just plain rude. Michael Lee isn’t much better. They’re both snarky – which I liked – and they both seem to think that they’re better than everyone else – which I didn’t like quite so much. They weren’t all bad… just mostly. I did like Jeane’s refreshingly blasé views towards sex. But for the most part her attitude towards every other person in the novel (with the exception of her sister, Bethan) started to get a little irritating. I do wonder if the reader was even supposed to like Michael Lee… especially after he described Jeane as having a pot-belly… super attractive, am I right?
By the end of the novel I could see that Jeane was evolving and changing – although it seemed to happen at a pace that was non-existent for most of the time and then a little rushed at the end – but Michael Lee remained the same as he appeared at the beginning. I was a little disappointed. I’d have liked to have seen some character growth from him. I have to admit that I don’t quite understand the Adorkable brand as Jeane intended it. I read the manifesto (and I liked it) but I felt like what she was presenting at the conference…whilst it didn’t contradict her message, it seemed like every single person who was there and (anyone who wasn’t) would have been rather insulted.
I loved how the author used social media throughout the novel – especially twitter. Jeane’s tweets were kind of perfect even when she and Michael started quoting Sartre at each other… although that shows just how pretentious the two of them are.
At time times they played the roles of teenagers perfectly but for the most part it felt like I was reading an adult chick lit story as they didn’t feel like they were only 17 and 18 years old but rather almost a decade older than that. I wonder how well this book will go down with YA readers because as a young adult novel, I’m not sure I entirely got it. But as a novel with a non-specified audience, I quite enjoyed how everything played out.
By the time I finished this book I did enjoy the story but I felt like it took a little too long to get to the end. Whilst I didn’t like the characters I did enjoy reading their interactions and adventures. And I think I’d definitely be a reader of Jeane’s blog if she was more than a fictional character – I just wouldn’t be a friend of hers.
Jeane Smith is a seventeen year old entrepreneur. She has her own company, half a million twitter followers, writes articles for national newspapers and has people flying her half way around the world to hear her speak. As an emancipated minor with no one but the couple next door to make sure she’s eating well and cleaning up after herself, her flat looks like a bomb has hit it and her diet consists of sweets and take out.
Then there’s Michael Lee – ladies man, man’s man, man about town, sports star, and on the student council. Top it off, parents LOVE him.
Each is the centre of their own universe but their worlds seem to have nothing in common. Until Michael Lee brings to Jeane’s attention that her boyfriend and his girlfriend are making eyes at each other…
There were a few things that I really enjoyed about this novel. It’s quirky and at times rather fun. I did find myself laughing out loud at times (which my cat did not appreciate). But it’s been a long time since I read a book where I disliked the two main characters with a passion.
Jeane is pretentious, elitist, conceited, judgemental and just plain rude. Michael Lee isn’t much better. They’re both snarky – which I liked – and they both seem to think that they’re better than everyone else – which I didn’t like quite so much. They weren’t all bad… just mostly. I did like Jeane’s refreshingly blasé views towards sex. But for the most part her attitude towards every other person in the novel (with the exception of her sister, Bethan) started to get a little irritating. I do wonder if the reader was even supposed to like Michael Lee… especially after he described Jeane as having a pot-belly… super attractive, am I right?
By the end of the novel I could see that Jeane was evolving and changing – although it seemed to happen at a pace that was non-existent for most of the time and then a little rushed at the end – but Michael Lee remained the same as he appeared at the beginning. I was a little disappointed. I’d have liked to have seen some character growth from him. I have to admit that I don’t quite understand the Adorkable brand as Jeane intended it. I read the manifesto (and I liked it) but I felt like what she was presenting at the conference…whilst it didn’t contradict her message, it seemed like every single person who was there and (anyone who wasn’t) would have been rather insulted.
I loved how the author used social media throughout the novel – especially twitter. Jeane’s tweets were kind of perfect even when she and Michael started quoting Sartre at each other… although that shows just how pretentious the two of them are.
At time times they played the roles of teenagers perfectly but for the most part it felt like I was reading an adult chick lit story as they didn’t feel like they were only 17 and 18 years old but rather almost a decade older than that. I wonder how well this book will go down with YA readers because as a young adult novel, I’m not sure I entirely got it. But as a novel with a non-specified audience, I quite enjoyed how everything played out.
By the time I finished this book I did enjoy the story but I felt like it took a little too long to get to the end. Whilst I didn’t like the characters I did enjoy reading their interactions and adventures. And I think I’d definitely be a reader of Jeane’s blog if she was more than a fictional character – I just wouldn’t be a friend of hers.
amiejcp's review against another edition
4.0
First few pages, I found Jeane annoying as a narrator, but in the end I really related to her and loved this book like crazy. I'd read more, if more exists. She's the kind of girl I want to be, and hopefully am :)
powersthatbe's review against another edition
4.0
I really loved this book! I think what this book really excelled at was creating really real teenage characters. The way they acted, the way they thought, the things they felt were just so very real to me. And maybe it's because I felt like I was Jeane Smith in high school. In that, when you are an outcast, sometimes the best thing to do is embrace it. Unfortunately, sometimes that can lead to a lot of pretentious entitlement and in trying so hard to be different, you lose who you really are, which I think is the case with Jeane Smith. She is a very flawed yet likable character... because she is flawed. The romance between her and Michael didn't at all seem forced and the two had really good chemistry. Sometimes they can't stand each other and they argue constantly but it's clear that their relationship is helping both of them grow and I think it's really endearing. The book wasn't perfect and it had it's flaws but overall I think the author told a very charming story about two very opposite people and how they can bring out the best in each other.
krish_'s review against another edition
4.0
Okay, there isn't anything really original about this book -- not the characters, not the plot, not the themes or big ideas: dorky girl with hot jock, hipster hating, card-carrying feminist outcast using hardcore persona to mask vulnerable heart, the impassioned heated, honest-to-goodness desire to save the world (one dork fashion statement at a time).
So we've seen it before but it is refreshing. Adorkable is exactly what you'd expect from a book with such a cover, but Manning adds a bit of extra -- and that bit of extra is what ultimately glues your feelings to these characters, perhaps without even knowing it. I say that because Jeane is, for so much of the time, insufferable. She is loud, hate-y and obnoxious and she is so good at it, we want to give up on her just as much as the rest of the student body seems to have done. But we stay because of the sweet, good breeding of Michael Lee, who sometimes seems to be a little too good to be true -- I mean, I wish the jocks at my high school were just as understanding and all-embracing.
The top notes of Adorkable display quirkiness, cuteness, fun, and actual hilarity. Excerpt!
The base notes are made up entirely of loneliness.
Jeane talks so much you miss these slivers of raw emotion wedged tightly between drawn out speeches on whatever the blog topic of the week may be. She is hurt and isolated from the world just as much as she is tuned-in and connected through the media. Her cries for help are layered in snark but they are there and the tragedy is not that few people hear them, but that Jeane cannot help herself deflecting the very soul-to-soul connections she craves so much.
Sara Manning's writing is hilarious. Like, actual LOL material. I like that not everything laid out is what they seem. We see through Jeane's eyes and we see through Micheal's eyes and I'm glad to find a difference. It only makes the characters more believable because aren't we all delusional in the way we view things sometimes? Because surprise, the pretty bitch Scarlett of Jeane is really the shy, insecure Scarlett of Micheal. Emotions get in the way and sometimes we are harsh in our judgements. I love that Jeane had petty, jealous thoughts. But for all her faults, Jeane is most definitely not a Mary Sue. That, at the moment, is an achievement.
Adorkable has flaws, quite a few of them. But for this particular book, I'm going to go with a good book is anything that moves you. So screw all the negative ways Adorkable can be dissected and criticized. I liked it, alright?
This review also appears on The Midnight Garden. An advance copy was provided by the publisher.
---
It is all that and a bag of Cheetos.
Review to come.
So we've seen it before but it is refreshing. Adorkable is exactly what you'd expect from a book with such a cover, but Manning adds a bit of extra -- and that bit of extra is what ultimately glues your feelings to these characters, perhaps without even knowing it. I say that because Jeane is, for so much of the time, insufferable. She is loud, hate-y and obnoxious and she is so good at it, we want to give up on her just as much as the rest of the student body seems to have done. But we stay because of the sweet, good breeding of Michael Lee, who sometimes seems to be a little too good to be true -- I mean, I wish the jocks at my high school were just as understanding and all-embracing.
The top notes of Adorkable display quirkiness, cuteness, fun, and actual hilarity. Excerpt!
"...Barney and Scarlett? It made no sense. They defied all laws of God and man. I'd raised Barney in my own image: he was on my side, the side of the dorks, on the side of all that was good and pure. Scarlett was strictly darkside all the way."
The base notes are made up entirely of loneliness.
"I don't have a mum fussing about me, or a dad for that matter, so I always leave some homework on reserve so I don't have a chance to start wallowing."
Jeane talks so much you miss these slivers of raw emotion wedged tightly between drawn out speeches on whatever the blog topic of the week may be. She is hurt and isolated from the world just as much as she is tuned-in and connected through the media. Her cries for help are layered in snark but they are there and the tragedy is not that few people hear them, but that Jeane cannot help herself deflecting the very soul-to-soul connections she craves so much.
Sara Manning's writing is hilarious. Like, actual LOL material. I like that not everything laid out is what they seem. We see through Jeane's eyes and we see through Micheal's eyes and I'm glad to find a difference. It only makes the characters more believable because aren't we all delusional in the way we view things sometimes? Because surprise, the pretty bitch Scarlett of Jeane is really the shy, insecure Scarlett of Micheal. Emotions get in the way and sometimes we are harsh in our judgements. I love that Jeane had petty, jealous thoughts. But for all her faults, Jeane is most definitely not a Mary Sue. That, at the moment, is an achievement.
Adorkable has flaws, quite a few of them. But for this particular book, I'm going to go with a good book is anything that moves you. So screw all the negative ways Adorkable can be dissected and criticized. I liked it, alright?
This review also appears on The Midnight Garden. An advance copy was provided by the publisher.
---
It is all that and a bag of Cheetos.
Review to come.
lumos_libros's review against another edition
2.0
So the 2 stars I decided to rate this book are because of two reasons:
1.) I felt compelled to finish the book and I am not a reader who forces themselves to finish the book for the sake of finishing. The writing was gripping enough to see me through to the end.
2.) I enjoyed the last fourth of the book and thought the premise of the story was interesting.
Unfortunately for me this is where most of the good things about this book ends.
Ok premise first. Jeane is a 17 year old internet sensation. She mans a blog called Adorkable and she is sought after by famous magazines, newspapers, and trendy people. She can also boast having about half a million twitter followers. To boot she dresses in crazy fashion and packs a serious attitude that drives her peers away. On the other end we have Michael Lee who above all is popular. Is the star of the football team, stellar student, and is liked by everybody. So Jeane and Michael have nothing in common, but somehow they end up being in each others lives in the form of sucking on each others faces every chance they get. How does this make any sense? Well Jeane and Michael don't know either, but they sure are going to find out by the end of this story.
I picked up this book because I do consider myself to be a dorky person, and I wanted to see how a teenager, in England no less, manages to balance her popular blog and side gigs with her schooling as well. Interesting no? And though the topic of whether the people who you only have contact via internet can count as real human contact is discussed, there was so much lacking here. Mainly characters to like.
I absolutely did not like these characters. They both are so horrible to each other. I imagine if I met these people in real life I would run the other way quick because these two have to be the most self-absorbed characters I have read about in a long time. The relationship starts out to be purely physical and hidden from everyone (which is already a problem if you ask me) but when they do start getting to know each other they don't even start thinking highly of each other. It's common for them to fling insults to each other and it's not witty stuff. No just plain mean in my opinion. Jeane does come from a shaky background, but it's hard to feel that sorry for her when she is constantly spouting how people should be honored to be enlightened by whatever "wisdom" she has to offer. People do criticize her for how she dresses but instead of being tolerant she is a hypocrite and complains about her peers insistently. Then there is Michael who is constantly wondering why he is even with Jeane because she is ugly and dresses horribly. And I am seriously not kidding, he actually thinks about this. At one point there is this pretty intense physical scene between two of them that was treated with so much casualness I almost chucked the book right there and then. These two were extremely frustrating to me to say the least.
But I do have to say I liked some of the latter half of the book. Jeane realizes she needs people who she can count on, but can also have deep connections with people on the internet as well. And for a while Jeane and Michael weren't being disrespectful to each other. Just for that reprieve I had originally given this book 3 stars but I had to admit I spent most of the time reading this not enjoying myself, so 2 stars.
I do want to point out this book is liked and even loved by others, including some of my goodreads friends, so this book just may have not been for me. If the synopsis peaks your interest there is no harm in giving it a shot.
1.) I felt compelled to finish the book and I am not a reader who forces themselves to finish the book for the sake of finishing. The writing was gripping enough to see me through to the end.
2.) I enjoyed the last fourth of the book and thought the premise of the story was interesting.
Unfortunately for me this is where most of the good things about this book ends.
Ok premise first. Jeane is a 17 year old internet sensation. She mans a blog called Adorkable and she is sought after by famous magazines, newspapers, and trendy people. She can also boast having about half a million twitter followers. To boot she dresses in crazy fashion and packs a serious attitude that drives her peers away. On the other end we have Michael Lee who above all is popular. Is the star of the football team, stellar student, and is liked by everybody. So Jeane and Michael have nothing in common, but somehow they end up being in each others lives in the form of sucking on each others faces every chance they get. How does this make any sense? Well Jeane and Michael don't know either, but they sure are going to find out by the end of this story.
I picked up this book because I do consider myself to be a dorky person, and I wanted to see how a teenager, in England no less, manages to balance her popular blog and side gigs with her schooling as well. Interesting no? And though the topic of whether the people who you only have contact via internet can count as real human contact is discussed, there was so much lacking here. Mainly characters to like.
I absolutely did not like these characters. They both are so horrible to each other. I imagine if I met these people in real life I would run the other way quick because these two have to be the most self-absorbed characters I have read about in a long time. The relationship starts out to be purely physical and hidden from everyone (which is already a problem if you ask me) but when they do start getting to know each other they don't even start thinking highly of each other. It's common for them to fling insults to each other and it's not witty stuff. No just plain mean in my opinion. Jeane does come from a shaky background, but it's hard to feel that sorry for her when she is constantly spouting how people should be honored to be enlightened by whatever "wisdom" she has to offer. People do criticize her for how she dresses but instead of being tolerant she is a hypocrite and complains about her peers insistently. Then there is Michael who is constantly wondering why he is even with Jeane because she is ugly and dresses horribly. And I am seriously not kidding, he actually thinks about this. At one point there is this pretty intense physical scene between two of them that was treated with so much casualness I almost chucked the book right there and then. These two were extremely frustrating to me to say the least.
But I do have to say I liked some of the latter half of the book. Jeane realizes she needs people who she can count on, but can also have deep connections with people on the internet as well. And for a while Jeane and Michael weren't being disrespectful to each other. Just for that reprieve I had originally given this book 3 stars but I had to admit I spent most of the time reading this not enjoying myself, so 2 stars.
I do want to point out this book is liked and even loved by others, including some of my goodreads friends, so this book just may have not been for me. If the synopsis peaks your interest there is no harm in giving it a shot.
nanirdz's review against another edition
5.0
I like how Jeane grew through the book. I must admit, I didn't like her a lot at the beginning. She was all me, me, me... but then you understand and she grows. I dunno. I liked it.