[Review] Jessica Darling's It List by Megan McCafferty

Title: Jessica Darling's It List #1: The (Totally Not) Guaranteed Guide to Popularity, Prettiness & Perfection
Published: Sept. 3, 2013
Author: Megan McCafferty
Pages: 240
Rating:


From Goodreads:
Move over, Dork Diaries! Jessica Darling, star of Megan McCafferty's bestselling Jessica Darling series for adults, is back in a hilarious new series perfect for tween (10 to 14) girls.

I hadn't even gotten to homeroom yet and I'd already discovered five hard truths about junior high:

1. My best friend had turned pretty.
2. She didn't know it yet.
3. It wouldn't be long before she did.
4. That knowledge would change everything between us.
5. And there wasn't a thing I could do about it.

It's the first day of seventh grade. Is Jessica Darling doomed for dorkdom?


MY THOUGHTS:

Thank you Megan McCafferty for reminding me who I am as a reader. I have spent the last year wrapped up in this romance with books full of all kinds of drama and debauchery. I think I kind of forgot the girl who fell in love with reading.

Don't take this as an insult to all the amazing books I've read lately. This book just reminded me of my roots in reading, and really had me thinking about the way I've been choosing books. I forgot how much I loved books that got into my heart and not my panties.

Junior High Jessica was just as funny and witty as High School/College Jessica. It was exactly like the Jessica I know and love, just a little younger.

I haven't read a middle grade book in almost ten years so I was uneasy about the middle grade label, but I had no need to be. The fact that the book was about Jessica Darling probably gave it the edge. I don't expect to be running off to the middle grade section, but I will definitely be throwing in a few MG books now and then.

It was great getting to know pre-Clueless Crew Jessica. We get more insight into how distance grew between Jessica and Bridget. We also get to meet a young Hope, though she didn't play a huge part in the book. But, most importantly, we get to meet young Marcus. Here's one thing you should know about me, Marcus Flutie is my #1 BBF forever. He was my first, and will never be able to be replaced.

The one thing that bugged me, and it didn't even really bug me, was the small exchanges between Marcus and Jessica. How could Jessica not remember these exchanges she had with Marcus? It kind of doesn't fit, but MM did a really great job with the way she had them interact. I actually went back[er... forward?] and read Sloppy Firsts, Second Helpings, and Charmed Thirds and it made me a little more open minded about the situation.

Those of us who are already well acquainted with Jessica will probably read this book waiting for certain people to show up, and by certain people I mean Marcus, but there is so much more to this book. I'm envious of all the young girls who will get a chance to grow up with Jessica from the beginning, but I hope they fall in love with the series the way I did.