Sloppy Firsts

I wasn't sure about this at first-seemed like the standard too-clever-by-half teen making snarky judgements on everyone around her. I was glad I stayed with it to see that this character has more to her than that, and that this wasn't just the fluffy read I expected it to be. The realizations Jessica reaches don't come easily and there's no triteness to her growth and the promise of more growth in future volumes. The transformations come across very naturally and realistically, from her relationship with her mother to her relationships with people she had written off with an easy sarcastic label. Jessica is still "notso" Darling, but by the end of this book, she'd worked her way into my affections.

Jessica really annoyed me at first but then I accepted that yes, this self-centric, emo outlook on life is typical teen behavior and Megan McCafferty nails it with sarcastic wit and genuine insight. But what elevates this above typical YA coming of aging, figuring all the stuff out fair is how McCafferty evolves Jessica through the story. It's a remarkable change that is authentic and moving without being contrite and pat.
And let me say this, even though it broke my heart, I'm glad Jessica told Marcus Flutie to "fuck off." Much like another esteemed heroine (Jane Erye) I'm glad to see Marcus grow and change too and hey, she's not perfect either. But he needs to work a bit harder to deserve her. Go on girl.

Who needs more teen angst? Certainly not me given that I am living with a teenager and a pre-teen at the moment and at any given day the sky can be falling in on one or both of them. So despite having had this on my shelf for a very long time, I kept putting it off and putting it off. But I have looked at it consistently for more than a year, intending to finally read it. I am so glad I did. Jessica Darling is good fun and this book is delightfully entertaining.

The book opens with Jessica's best friend Hope having moved away and the book is presented in journal and letter form as Jess struggles with feeling newly alone. The journal is for those things she can't even tell Hope and the letters to Hope reinforce and illuminate some of the show more social and personal situations at school. Hope was really her only real friend and she is now marooned with a clique of girls with whom she's grown up but whom she can't really stand. She is frustrated by her friend Scottie's ongoing crush on her and she is mildly tormented by the school's slacker druggie suddenly latching onto her and calling her out for her superficial behaviour. Jess is a straight A student and a very gifted runner but she is moody and angry, lashing out at her parents and erecting a prickly wall that few people are willing to try and break through. When a new girl moves to school, she and Jess start to hit it off but everything is not as it seems.

The first in a series, McCafferty has managed to capture the misperceptions, uncertainties, and insecurities of high school in this book. She has created a smart, likable, bull-headed, and sometimes completely self-absorbed and casually mean narrator in Jess Darling. The wonder of it is that we do still really, really like her despite all her angst, her bouts of hypocritical behaviour, and her occasional obstreperousness. Even though I wouldn't go back to high school myself on a bet, I am looking forward to joining Jess on her further adventures in later books. More than just light good fun, this is a charming coming of age novel that manages to be both true to life and serve as a reminder that high school is rough for everybody, a reinforcement I'll need a mere year from now in dealing with my crew. show less

This seems like standard teen angst fiction, but it's interesting in that it's one of the most thorough depictions of teen depression I've seen in a YA novel, and yet it isn't in and of itself depressing: it's funny, snarky, playful, and everything you'd expect out of a humourous book about high school. Clever and fun, but not entirely a "check your brain at the door" kind of read. I couldn't wait to get the next one!

Talk about the last person to hear about something awesome!! I read YA books like it's my job (mostly bc I wish it was my job), and I've been missing out on this one for over 10 years!?!? I don't know where I've been that I only ever even knew it existed about a year ago... but anyhow I LOVE!!!
Jessica Darling is a high school junior whose best friend has moved away. Now she has to make nice with the Clueless Crew?! This is not going to go well. Jessica is too smart and cynical to enjoy being with people who say "Omigod" and "quote unquote". But suffer she must because WHAT ELSE IS SHE GONNA DO? She continues on her junior year running track, avoiding Krispy Kreme (the school druggy who takes an interest in her), avoiding Scotty (the show more jock who has/had a crush on her), and avoiding the Clueless Crew (including the new girl Hy), preparing for her sister's wedding, and dealing with her parents and the pressure she feels from them to be someone she's not.... all while giving hilariously honest commentary on her situations.

Like I said before I don't know how it's been so long with me not reading this book, but I'm so happy I finally did! Although i wasnt like Jessica all that much in HS, I feel like I totally relate to her in so many ways. I feel like I think similarly to her.... kinda negative, kinda mean, but not near as funny or witty. I love how the beginning of each chapter was a letter to Hope, this broke everything up nicely. And I love how the author didn't censor stuff like sex, drugs, swearing. Sorry but it drives me nuts in books when teens go to parties and they drink pop and eat chips... what planet are these people living on?? I get it's about the message, but it's not reality!
If you want to read a book that pretty accurately portrays teenage life, this is so it!
(I may also be slightly biased because I went to hs around the same time this was written, so with all the pop-culture references it feels like high school to me :)


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Jessica is a funny, fresh voice to which many can relate.

When Jessica’s best friend, Hope, moves away, she isn’t sure what to do with herself. It’s always been her and Hope against the world, or at least against the boy-crazy girls at school. Now she’s forced to find new friends, and she finds them in the most unlikely places. McCaffery’s hilarious tone comes through loud and clear. There were parts that had me laughing out loud. Jessica is the type of character I wish would jump out of the page and be my best friend. McCafferty does well balancing the good things about Jessica and her flaws. There’s much to be had in the way of character development, and not just with Jessica. It was easy to see people I knew in her sister show more and her parents. Marcus is another species altogether. I’m quite certain there’s no one like Marcus in the world. He is simply a wonderful creation of McCafferty’s mind, but I can forgive that.

A word of warning: you’ll want the next book immediately. show less

When I was a teen a did very little reading of books from the teen section, which I now inhabit on a regular basis, because I like to do the unexpected. Anyway, one of the exceptions I made was Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty, which I remember totally loving. Also, I remember being disappointed by the sequel (or sequels, as I really do not remember how far I read). Having reread this, I commend my younger self for liking this one, but I am unsurprised that my love was short-lived, because I liked happy, escapist reads and this is not that.

Oddly, I do not remember this book having a profound impact on my teen self, which is ridiculous, because Jessica Darling is a heroine I relate to even now, in my dotage. She's intelligent, way more show more studious than I ever was. She uses her intelligence to be a smart-ass and to over-think everything (hey, soul sister!). I love the way she thinks about everything, because the way she delves into minor details and thinks herself into an endless cycle of worry is completely identifiable. Her constant mental whirlwind reminds me a lot of the Ruby Oliver books by E. Lockhart, though those are a bit on the lighter side tone-wise.

The writing is pitch perfect, capturing the personality of Jessica Darling. Her mental landscape is a very familiar place, and it's frankly terrifying how much I still identify with so far as her insecurities go. Those easily offended by swearing or the use of terms like 'ho' or 'hoochie' will probably be offended by a lot of what Jessica writes in her journal, but McCafferty's not making a statement with those things. This is how a lot of teens talk and think, and she uses these words not to be shocking but to be real. I love watching Jessica evolve throughout, working through things and changing opinions she previously held based on new information.

As with many contemporary teen novels, Sloppy Firsts focuses on popularity and friendship in high school. Jessica's best friend, Hope, has moved away, leaving her to navigate the social minefield of high school alone. Now, Jessica's actually in a pretty popular crowd, but she does not feel any less alone, because, really, she hates their guts. If she left she would have no one, and she's not brave enough for that (and, honey, let me tell you, not having friends is worse). Where most stories would be about embracing your true self and finding perfect happiness as a result, a group of kindred spirits appearing to embrace you, Sloppy Firsts isn't. The themes of being true to yourself are, but sometimes your kindred spirit moved away or just doesn't exist, and it's sad but true. However, she does find that maybe things aren't so bad as she thought they were, too, in that she can be more connected, even if the people here aren't Hope.

Romantic relationships and sex are also a huge part of the novel. Most of Jessica's 'friends' are very sexually active, whether they've done the deed or not. Jessica has had just one (really gross) kiss. Teen sex lives are very openly discussed, and I love McCafferty's frank attitude towards this topic. I'm especially impressed since the book came out in 2000, not in the more permissive current YA landscape. Way to go, McCafferty.

The Darling parents receive quite a bit of focus as well. They are present parents, but highly flawed ones. Due to the death of her brother from SIDS before her birth, they're both emotionally damaged. Her mother spends all of her energy planning Bethany's (Jess' much older sister) wedding. Jess' father only cares about her as an athlete, raising her like the son he didn't get to keep. Jessica struggles with her parents' treatment of her, feeling inferior both to the living and departed sibling. Their familial relationships ache with honesty and miscommunication, as well as naturally disparate personalities.

Marcus Flutie. If you mention this book to anyone who's read it, their first response will invariably be something like this, "MARCUS FLUTIE!!!! WAZZAHHHHH!" Now, I remembered Marcus Flutie vaguely. Basically, I recalled that he eventually becomes the love interest, but that's about it. Imagine my surprise when he's a drug-doing guy with dreads. That threw some serious cold water on my memory. If the book has any weakness at all (a point I'm undecided on, so I'm going for the full rating because this book is really good), it's how quickly Jessica becomes obsessed with Marcus when he's Krispy Kreme, when there's no way I could crush on a guy like that. However, I am not Jessica, and she lives her life in fantasies, so, on a lot of levels, that really makes sense. He pays attention to her, even an irritating non-flattering sort of attention, when she feels incredibly alone. Thankfully, Marcus does evolve as a character, because he's super icky at first. I'm not fully sold on him yet, but I am desperate to find out what happens next because that ending was mean.

You've probably heard of the Jessica Darling books by now, but, if you haven't, I highly recommend giving them a try. Sloppy Firsts is daring, funny, sad, thought-provoking, and unflinchingly honest. If you enjoy E. Lockhart's Ruby Oliver books, you most definitely need to read Megan McCafferty. show less