Saturday, June 24, 2006

What I'm Reading -- Charmed Thirds by Megan McCafferty

Just to warn you, this is going to be an extremely mixed up review. At some point I started reading the Jessica Darling books by Megan McCafferty. I must have read Sloppy Firsts in my Teen Lit class or maybe it was recommended to me by someone. I don’t really remember. I did apparently enjoy Sloppy Firsts enough to want to read Second Helpings, though I’m starting to doubt my memory. I remember thinking that McCafferty was a good writer with a nice clean style and enough insight to create a wonderful lead character in Jessica. So, when book three came out I gave it a read and was sorely disappointed. The reality I thought I remembered the author giving her subjects is not present here. Jessica, her boyfriend Marcus and her many friends are just bad caricatures of people who turn silly, pretentious and incredibly shallow. Maybe the author was just looking to add a darker edge to her characters as they grow up or maybe these books only exist is another parallel universe and I am a crazy person.

Having said all of this, it’s really just a taste thing. I don’t mean to be too harsh because I’m not even remotely the target audience here. A reader looking for this type of book, especially one who read the first two, will probably be easily satisfied with Charmed Thirds.

2 comments:

Jackie Parker said...

I can find it funny that you read these, right? I haven't even read these. lol

Kip said...

Yeah, I know its goofy. I can't deny it. :)