Book Review: Adorkable by Sarra Manning

Summary: Jeane Smith is seventeen and has turned her self-styled dorkiness into an art form, a lifestyle choice and a profitable website and consultancy business. She writes a style column for a Japanese teen magazine and came number seven in The Guardian's 30 People Under 30 Who Are Changing The World.

And yet, in spite of the accolades, hundreds of Internet friendships and a cool boyfriend, she feels inexplicably lonely, a situation made infinitely worse when Michael Lee, the most mass-market, popular and predictably all-rounded boy at school tells Jeane of his suspicion that Jeane's boyfriend is secretly seeing his girlfriend.

Michael and Jeane have NOTHING in common - she is cool and individual; he is the golden boy in an Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirt. So why can't she stop talking to him?

Review: Before I even finished the first chapter of this book I was in love with Jeane. She is a girl of my own heart: a blogger, twitterer and has a 'unique' sense of style - although I don't go that far!

I just LOVED this book (Thanks to my history teacher @history_ahs/@overflowingklc for letting me borrow her copy!) and the values it spoke for - feminism, individuality, the list could go on and on. And I love how by the end of the book her views on the un-dorks have been changed.

The chapters of Adorkable are written alternatively between Jeane and Michael (the love interest, if you can call him that). What struck me is how the author doesn't patronise you by writing 'Jeane' or 'Michael' at the start of each chapter, leaving you to decide (although it's fairly easy to tell after a page of inner dialogue).

And yes, intrusive parents, Adorkable does have a sex scene. But it is done in an un-Hollywood, completely British way - it is awkward, and does more to teach teens about how life is than any Rom Com rated '15'. It doesn't talk about everything, but it manages to portray the characters even better than if she (Sarra Manning) had glossed over it all.

So, this book was worth the wait - I did read it back in May, but I'm only just posting the reviews on my blog, so bear with me readers ;) It made me laugh, cry and wish I had a friend/dual personality half as cool and kooky as Jeane. 5 stars (Obviously!)

Sincerely,

xxGEORGIExx

And to be honest readers, I couldn't for the life of me think of a single book as similarly awesome as Adorkable. So you'll just have to look through my blog for more great books!