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.
tehani's review against another edition
5.0
Look, I ADORED this, but I'm not sure I was convinced by the characters' lifestyles. Didn't stop me loving the book.
kasperin's review against another edition
4.0
Actually I liked this book more than I thought I would.
It's about stereotypes and learning to see through them, and be happy with who you are.
I liked the main characters and their relationship, the story is pretty fun and it has tons of facebook, twitter, blogging and media mentioned.
One thing to consider is that if you aren't an english speaker native (I'm a spanish speaker), you are going to find a lot of slang that might difficult the reading.
It's about stereotypes and learning to see through them, and be happy with who you are.
I liked the main characters and their relationship, the story is pretty fun and it has tons of facebook, twitter, blogging and media mentioned.
One thing to consider is that if you aren't an english speaker native (I'm a spanish speaker), you are going to find a lot of slang that might difficult the reading.
lubleu's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
rebeccabooks's review against another edition
4.0
Sarra Manning is an author I have grown up knowing she is a firm holder of being a British YA writer. I have read one of her other stand-alone novels previously, Pretty Things (review) from the earlier days of blogging (hence the...interesting review).
I enjoyed that book but I wasn't totally hooked to her writing despite hearing great things and seeing many of her books in libraries and shops.
Despite this, I was interested by Adorkable from seeing the front cover. Although I don't really like it particularly and would maybe bypass it if I saw it on a shelf, it looked like something contemporary that I would enjoy. The reviews on the blogosphere are what hooked me totally. I wanted to read this book and even considered buying it at work, until I found it alone in the corner of the library where I quickly picked it up.
Synopsis: Jeane Smith is 17 and has used her dorkiness to turn herself into a self-made teenager with a lifestyle brand, blog, half a million followers on Twitter and consultancy business. She writes for style columns and the Guardian about the new type of teenager and unique trends. All this while studying for her AS levels. yet despite having all this cool stuff happening, lots of Internet friends and a cool boyfriend, Jeane feels alone and that no-one quite understands her. So, when she continuously talks to Michael Lee, a popular, well-rounded guy who lives in Abercrombie & Fitch, it is surprising especially as the only thing they have in common is Jeane's boyfriend secretly seeing Michael's girlfriend. So, why can't they stop seeing each other?
Review: If you wanted a a very British novel, I think you've found it. If you wanted a modern novel, you've also found it in this book.
After finishing this book a couple of nights ago, it struck me how much of this book I can relate to and how cram packed it is of popular culture references and of English references in general, some of which I think only those that have visited London would understand. This is truly what I call a British novel for the 21st Century.
In all honesty, I have no idea how I felt about this book at all. I have no strong emotions or opinions for it. I have been putting off this review because of that very reason so I hope the next few paragraphs are something readable and comprehensible.
Characters: A lot of reviews I read prior and after reading this novel said they didn't like the obnoxious and 'I am so amazing' attitude of the main character, Jeane. It's true, she is a bit...'out there', shall we say, but it's what makes her so likeable. Jeane is not your normal teenage heroine. She does not wallow around her house all day waiting for the guy she likes to come along, the same goes when she finds out her boyfriend is two-timing her. No, Jeane is a feminist and an independent woman at that. And wow, some of the things she has done with her blog, Adorkable, most bloggers could only dream of doing. A clothing line, millions of readers and followers all wanting to hear your every word and then writing for big newspapers and making money out of it. So, it may be a little idealistic for any 'real blogger' because I don't think there is any blogger to date who is like this. But Sarra Manning has created Jeane as a 'what if?'. Yes, Jeane could be percieved as irritating and demanding, even by Michael. But I liked that feminist stance about her - she's a YA protagonist of her own.
Michael. Ah, Michael. Well I can see why he could be quite a catch and also why he is someone who Jean would detest. Overall, I did like Michael. There are moments where he really lightens the tone of the book and others when he is a total idiot and he seemed way too sensitive at times. However, it was nice to have an alternative portrayal of both the events and of Jeane. He has a great sense of humour and it was him that made me laugh or smile at various points throughout the novel. I think if the POV had been completely Jeane, this book wouldn't have been enjoyed by so many - she is a bit much at times even just reading about her. In short, Michael added a more realistic view for the reader because he is just a normal or 'stereotypical' teenage guy. Without his POV, I don't think I would have been on the fence as much.
Writing: It seems finally an adult author understands the cliques of teenagers. Once I was telling a family friend of the 'popular' people more dominant at secondary school but still in the background at college now. Their reaction was a reference to the teenage films such as Clueless or Mean Girls which depict an American high school which is run by these cliques or groups that everyone belongs to, headed by the 'popular' guys and gals. However fictitious that may seem, perhaps more unlikely in an English school, it's far from fiction. Anyway, I've seen some reviews slating the use of these two groups that Michael and Jeane belong to - the popular people and the, um, non-popular people.
It is true that probably Michael's 'clique's' reaction was a little exaggerated (Heidi made me want to punch her with hers) but I can understand it when they joke of the perhaps existence of Michael and Jeane's relationship. In short, it is clear Manning understand teenagers and their independence. She understands two groups - those that always shop at Hollister and those that want to be different and go to vintage shops or other high-street chain stores. She gets teenage problems and how they would react. This book shows a pretty spot-on portrayal of teenagers, and that is from one themselves. I don't think it is totally realistic but I think Michael and Jeane represent an exaggerated version of the two different types of teenagers.
Overall, this book is a totally British book. It is also a totally YA book. Plus a book for bloggers. I think only some bloggers can lust over Jeane's internet life. And teenagers perhaps over Michael's - who knows?
The use of 'English words', blogging lingo, teenage slang really make this book what it is and those are the reasons I think people would enjoy it. The cover is bad - sorry, but I would not approach this book if I hadn't seen the reviews and read Manning before. The cover looks like a bad teenage fiction novel - but this is far from that.
Teenagers are misunderstood a lot. But this book shows teenagers aren't those bad kids the media drones on and on about. Manning understands teenagers, like many other YA authors.
Blogger? English? Teenager? Any of those - then, give this a read.
I'm still on the fence about this - I sound like I love this book but it's easier to be positive than negative. So my rating is in the middle.
I give it a 3.5 out of 5
I enjoyed that book but I wasn't totally hooked to her writing despite hearing great things and seeing many of her books in libraries and shops.
Despite this, I was interested by Adorkable from seeing the front cover. Although I don't really like it particularly and would maybe bypass it if I saw it on a shelf, it looked like something contemporary that I would enjoy. The reviews on the blogosphere are what hooked me totally. I wanted to read this book and even considered buying it at work, until I found it alone in the corner of the library where I quickly picked it up.
Synopsis: Jeane Smith is 17 and has used her dorkiness to turn herself into a self-made teenager with a lifestyle brand, blog, half a million followers on Twitter and consultancy business. She writes for style columns and the Guardian about the new type of teenager and unique trends. All this while studying for her AS levels. yet despite having all this cool stuff happening, lots of Internet friends and a cool boyfriend, Jeane feels alone and that no-one quite understands her. So, when she continuously talks to Michael Lee, a popular, well-rounded guy who lives in Abercrombie & Fitch, it is surprising especially as the only thing they have in common is Jeane's boyfriend secretly seeing Michael's girlfriend. So, why can't they stop seeing each other?
Review: If you wanted a a very British novel, I think you've found it. If you wanted a modern novel, you've also found it in this book.
After finishing this book a couple of nights ago, it struck me how much of this book I can relate to and how cram packed it is of popular culture references and of English references in general, some of which I think only those that have visited London would understand. This is truly what I call a British novel for the 21st Century.
In all honesty, I have no idea how I felt about this book at all. I have no strong emotions or opinions for it. I have been putting off this review because of that very reason so I hope the next few paragraphs are something readable and comprehensible.
Characters: A lot of reviews I read prior and after reading this novel said they didn't like the obnoxious and 'I am so amazing' attitude of the main character, Jeane. It's true, she is a bit...'out there', shall we say, but it's what makes her so likeable. Jeane is not your normal teenage heroine. She does not wallow around her house all day waiting for the guy she likes to come along, the same goes when she finds out her boyfriend is two-timing her. No, Jeane is a feminist and an independent woman at that. And wow, some of the things she has done with her blog, Adorkable, most bloggers could only dream of doing. A clothing line, millions of readers and followers all wanting to hear your every word and then writing for big newspapers and making money out of it. So, it may be a little idealistic for any 'real blogger' because I don't think there is any blogger to date who is like this. But Sarra Manning has created Jeane as a 'what if?'. Yes, Jeane could be percieved as irritating and demanding, even by Michael. But I liked that feminist stance about her - she's a YA protagonist of her own.
Michael. Ah, Michael. Well I can see why he could be quite a catch and also why he is someone who Jean would detest. Overall, I did like Michael. There are moments where he really lightens the tone of the book and others when he is a total idiot and he seemed way too sensitive at times. However, it was nice to have an alternative portrayal of both the events and of Jeane. He has a great sense of humour and it was him that made me laugh or smile at various points throughout the novel. I think if the POV had been completely Jeane, this book wouldn't have been enjoyed by so many - she is a bit much at times even just reading about her. In short, Michael added a more realistic view for the reader because he is just a normal or 'stereotypical' teenage guy. Without his POV, I don't think I would have been on the fence as much.
Writing: It seems finally an adult author understands the cliques of teenagers. Once I was telling a family friend of the 'popular' people more dominant at secondary school but still in the background at college now. Their reaction was a reference to the teenage films such as Clueless or Mean Girls which depict an American high school which is run by these cliques or groups that everyone belongs to, headed by the 'popular' guys and gals. However fictitious that may seem, perhaps more unlikely in an English school, it's far from fiction. Anyway, I've seen some reviews slating the use of these two groups that Michael and Jeane belong to - the popular people and the, um, non-popular people.
It is true that probably Michael's 'clique's' reaction was a little exaggerated (Heidi made me want to punch her with hers) but I can understand it when they joke of the perhaps existence of Michael and Jeane's relationship. In short, it is clear Manning understand teenagers and their independence. She understands two groups - those that always shop at Hollister and those that want to be different and go to vintage shops or other high-street chain stores. She gets teenage problems and how they would react. This book shows a pretty spot-on portrayal of teenagers, and that is from one themselves. I don't think it is totally realistic but I think Michael and Jeane represent an exaggerated version of the two different types of teenagers.
Overall, this book is a totally British book. It is also a totally YA book. Plus a book for bloggers. I think only some bloggers can lust over Jeane's internet life. And teenagers perhaps over Michael's - who knows?
The use of 'English words', blogging lingo, teenage slang really make this book what it is and those are the reasons I think people would enjoy it. The cover is bad - sorry, but I would not approach this book if I hadn't seen the reviews and read Manning before. The cover looks like a bad teenage fiction novel - but this is far from that.
Teenagers are misunderstood a lot. But this book shows teenagers aren't those bad kids the media drones on and on about. Manning understands teenagers, like many other YA authors.
Blogger? English? Teenager? Any of those - then, give this a read.
I'm still on the fence about this - I sound like I love this book but it's easier to be positive than negative. So my rating is in the middle.
I give it a 3.5 out of 5
misssusan's review against another edition
3.0
man this book creeps up on you
like initially i just thought the protaganists were really obnoxious? and wondering over why i was still reading and theorizing over what it is about naff ya that makes you want to keep going even when you're side eyeing everyone you're reading about (twilight comparisons were made. i'm sorry, but it's my go to 'inexplicably absorbing' example okay?)
and at some point i found myself calling them dorks in an entirely affectionate manner and i couldn't figure out when that happened. obnoxious evolved to obnoxious yet endearing????
idk dudes. people tell me that's what teenagers are like so i guess this book gets points for realism. 3.5 stars
like initially i just thought the protaganists were really obnoxious? and wondering over why i was still reading and theorizing over what it is about naff ya that makes you want to keep going even when you're side eyeing everyone you're reading about (twilight comparisons were made. i'm sorry, but it's my go to 'inexplicably absorbing' example okay?)
and at some point i found myself calling them dorks in an entirely affectionate manner and i couldn't figure out when that happened. obnoxious evolved to obnoxious yet endearing????
idk dudes. people tell me that's what teenagers are like so i guess this book gets points for realism. 3.5 stars