I Think I Love You
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I Think I Love You

3.1 of 5 stars 3.10  ·  rating details  ·  2,110 ratings  ·  623 reviews
" He had thirty million fans. but he was mine , How could I be sure ? The understanding in his eyes told me so . Oh , those eyes. They were deep green pools yuou could pour all you longing into ... "

Who was your first crush ?
Kindle Edition
Published (first published January 1st 2010)
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michelle
I expected more from this book because I enjoyed I Don't Know How She Does It. Unfortunately, "I think I love You" was so bad that I only got to about page 100. At that point, I made the decision that there were too many good books out there to waste my time on this one.

The basic premise, in the first 100 pages, is that young Petra and her friends are obsessed with David Cassidy. They are also confronted by the mean girl, clique-ish behavior of young girls. Petra is trying desperately to fit in...more
Hot Cup O'Monkey
I listened to this on audio CD, which provided the wonderful Welsh and British accents that really enriched the story.
The first half of the book describes the extreme crushes on then-teen-idol-David-Cassidy held by a 1970s Welsh teenage girl, Petra, and her friends. By turns humorous and bittersweet, it perfectly chronicles the social angst of trying to "be part of the crowd" as a teenager. The characterization of the manipulative and somewhat nasty leader, the "perfect" Jillian, is spot-on for...more
Gina
A few years ago the New Kids on the Block reformed to tour again and so my sister and I met up with a friend from that particular period in our lives and headed down to San Antonio. The concert was amazing and a slightly hilarious. Thousands of women from their mid-twenties to early-forties and about 10 men, all a little giddy and maybe a little embarrassed to be there. I was worried that it was going to be sad--aging teen idols, aging fans, but it wasn't. Jordan can still hit the high notes and...more
elizabeth
Hello World, there's a book that I'm reading/ Come on it's Crappy!

Ugh- it started out well enough- very evocative of adolescence with an interesting Welsh setting. Though sometimes the dialog felt forced, as though some characters were just setting for a "spike." But everything went majorly pear-shaped in the second half. The author took a character I had cared about and made her deeply unappealing. She also fell into the "talking heads" trap where there's no real action- just people yammering a...more
Andrea J
I really like how this novel was constructed: both the teen view and an adult view of the teen idol craze around David Cassidy in 1974. The story takes place from two perspectives: Bill and Petra. Bill is an adult, a recent graduate, and finds himself thrust into the teen girl idol craze when he has to write articles for the 'Ultimate David Cassidy Magazine'. On the recipient end is Petra - a teen girl in 1who reads the magazine and holds close her love of David Cassidy while dealing with all th...more
Shonna Froebel
This is totally a feel-good novel and I could hardly put it down. In 1973-74 two young girls in Wales, Petra and Sharon, are part of a group of girls completely obsessed with David Cassidy. They collect posters, pictures, facts, and share them obsessively. Petra does most of this at Sharon's house as Petra's mother definitely thinks this music and behaviour are common and not to be exhibited by Petra. She has Petra practicing the cello, aiming for a classical career. So Petra lives two lives, th...more
Noise801
This is one of the many books I bought after reading Giovanna Fletchers review. But, to be honest, I would have picked it up and bought it anyway.

The story seemed very similar to me. Shortly said, it’s about two best friends who are totally in love with a popstar. And after many years, Petra finds a letter her mother kept from her, telling her she won a meet and greet with her former, now retired, idol.

It’s kind of the fase I’ve been in since I was little, and I refuse to grow out of it. The thi...more
Paula  Phillips
Were you a fan of The Partridge Family, Did you glue yourself to the Television whenever the hunky David Cassidy made an appearance ? Did you have your bedroom walls adorned with David Cassidy posters (For Me it was in the years of Leonardo Dicaprio and Heath Ledger). This book flashes back to the year 1974 , David Cassidy is the new teen heartthrob and for Welsh teenager Petra , it's like Donny Who ? ,I only care about David Cassidy.Her Bible growing up had nothing to do with religion but was i...more
Sara
What I liked most about this book was Pearson's strong writing style that easily evoked a lot of emotions and memories within my own self. My own obsessions with musical stars when I was 13-15, the "safety" of loving them because they can never love you back, and so on. Pearson easily slipped into that voice of an uncertain teenager who wants so desperately to belong, whether its in the arms of David Cassidy or in a group of four other girls. Running like a thread alongside this story is one abo...more
Cindy Crawford
In 1974 Petra is a 13 year old in Wales, trying desperately to fit in with the group of girls she wants to call friends. She's also obsessively learning everything she can about teen idol David Cassidy so that when they meet she will be able to win his heart. She and her friend Sharon track down every bit of information they can find to win the Ultimate David Cassidy Quiz and claim the prize--a trip to meet David.

We also meet Bill in 1974, a recent graduate who writes the material for The Essent...more
Krissy
David Cassidy wasn't my big crush, but I agree with some other reviewers that this book is universal to anyone who had a desperate and intense crush on a celebrity in those formative early years. And what girl didn't?

I've always been very interested in David Cassidy and his family, though, so I was probably more likely to pick this book up for that reason. There is a nice interview in the back of the book between Pearson and Cassidy that scratches that itch if you want info on Cassidy. It's good...more
Ciara
this book started off with some promise. it follows two primary characters, petra & bill. petra is a 13-year-old girl growing up in wales. it's 1974 & she is OBSESSED with david cassidy. she is striving to be integrated into the popular clique at school, which is headed by a queen bee named gillian. petra is not yet confident & popular enough to be gillian's BFF so she has become close to another girl in the group, sharon. all of the girls like david cassidy, but petra & sharon a...more
Alice
Nov 29, 2011 Alice rated it 3 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: borrow it from the library, if you must. David Cassidy fans.
Shelves: chicklit
I picked this book up at random from the local indie bookstore next to the grocery store, mostly because I'm becoming increasingly paranoid that all the bookstores are going to close, and bookstores are my favorite places ever besides libraries. So now I'm going to TRY to buy more books from the many great bookstores in Boston rather than ordering them from Amazon Prime all the time. The problem is that so little fiction is worth buying, and that certainly goes for this book. I'm going to pass i...more
Amantine
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Breann
It took me a little while to get in to this story. I abandoned it earlier this summer when I couldn't connect with the mindset of the pre-teen Petra who narrates the first 1/3 of the book. After listening to a repeat of interview with Allison Pearson on Fresh Air a few weeks ago I picked it up again and stuck with it. I'm so glad I did, there is some really beautiful prose in this story. While the plot seeks to examine the phase of teenage obsession that so many girls go through, I found Pearson...more
Christie
Before I talk about Allison Pearson’s delightful novel, I Think I Love You, I have to talk about David Cassidy. I think it’s important for you to understand my total predisposition to love this book based on my adolescent feelings about David. I LOVED HIM! Oh, I know I wasn’t alone – millions of girls my age loved him. It’s just that I loved him more. And to illustrate the deep personal connection we had, let me tell you about what happened to me in 1995 at the backstage door of the London produ...more
V H
The first half of the book is set in 1974. Reading about 13-year-old Petra reminds me of my own teen crush. I can also relate to Petra, even though there are many years between us. I think Pearson has captured the emotions and thoughts of a 13-year-old girl very well. Reading about the 1974 thoughts and days of Bill is very funny. It was funny to read what he thought of Cassidy, ghostwriting as David Cassidy, and the letters that fans wrote him, thinking he was Cassidy.

In the second half of the...more
Amy
This novel is set in two different era's and written from the points of view of two different characters.

The first half takes place in the '70's, and the second half takes place in the late '90's. It's about their personal lives, as well as how their lives were touched by David Cassidy.

The phenomenon of teen girl obsession with a celebrity is almost as much of a mystery to me as it is to any man. So, I had no idea that I’d actually find myself relating to the 13 year old Petra.

I did find the beg...more
Christine
The “inside flap” description of this book seems very light-hearted and frivolous, focusing on a group of teenaged girls and their desperate love for teen heart-throb David Cassidy in the mid 70’s. And yes there are very light moments in the book (and embarrassingly honest, if I remember the 70’s correctly). The book also includes some dark realities with regards to peer pressure, needing to fit in, real boys vs. teen idols, etc. The crescendo comes when the girls sneak away from their homes to...more
Joanne
In 1974 a young Welsh girl Petra (14) and her friends are obsessed with
teen idol David Cassidy of The Partridge Family fame. They devour the
latest fan magazines, listen to records, memorize verses and endure the
typical teen/parent problems along with some girlfriend trouble with
cliques. They are coming of age. Finally the girls get to attend David’s
White City concert. Unfortunately, the concert ends in disaster (as did an
actual UK performance). The girls grow up and fast forward to 1998.

After th...more
Mary (BookHounds)
Like the majority of teenage girls, Petra and Sharon have major crushes on the pop idol, David Cassidy at age 13. The first part of the book captures that essence of 13 year old girls everywhere as they long to fit in, yet stand out from the crowd. Petra and Sharon attend David's concert in White City where they have a chance encounter with Bill who isn't far from being in his teens himself. Bill takes on a job writing for a teen magazine all about David Cassidy and the story is told from these...more
Joni Daniels
If you rember being MADLY in love with David Cassidy (or Donnie Osmond, Leif Garrett, DAvy Jones, Paul McCartney) this book will ring true for you. I was trasnported to the time when teeny bopper heart throbs stood in for real romance and every aspect of their lives was personal and relevant. The author remembes well how mena girls can be - but better (and decidedly different than other books that remeber the pre-teen.tween years) focuses on the devotion and compelte absorbtion that Tiger Beat c...more
Sarah
OK, I'm a sucker (so far base upon a grand total of two) for Allison Pearson books. I simply enjoyed this read the whole way through.

Having succumbed heavily to fangirldom myself, I appreciated Pearson's ability to evoke that specific and short-lived period in a girl's life. She also throws in a good deal of teenaged girl dynamics <<>>

Her style of writing is both entertaining and moving. Worth the time to read it:

"The hard thing was, I loved talking about David (Cassidy), and everyth...more
Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews
Would you take the chance to go back and have the one thing you wanted and never knew you got?

Thus is the premise of I Think I Love You. I wasn’t totally sure what I’d selected to read, even when I got a hold of the blurb. I mean, David Cassidy was popular long before I was born. I’d heard of him, but he isn’t my idea of an idol. But that’s what’s great about this book. So what if I didn’t grow up loving David Cassidy. I had the New Kids on the Block for my generation. Ms. Pearson’s story is so...more
Diane
When you hear the title of Allison Pearson's new novel, I Think I Love You, you know right away that David Cassidy plays a role in the story.

Petra and her best friend Sharon are thirteen years old in 1974, and David Cassidy mania is in full bloom. They live in Wales, and when they find out that he will be playing a concert near them, they buy tickets for the show. Of course, Petra will have to lie to her very strict mother about where she is going.

Pearson does a terrific job taking the reader ri...more
Cathe Olson
Having had a major crush on David Cassidy when I was in fifth grade, I ordered this book as soon as heard about it. The story is about about a group of Welsh girls who are David Cassidy obsessed. Two in particular Petra and Sharon feel like they know everything there is to know about him so when they have a chance to meet him by filling out the "Ultimate David Cassidy Quiz" they pore over it for weeks until they finally have every answer. Years later, when Petra's mom dies and Petra is going thr...more
Book-shelf Shelf
Not what i thought this book would be at all. The cover and title gives the lovey dovey impression. But there is not one sloppy bit in the whole book. It is actually a love story about teenagers and their fascination of pop stars and how deep the love went back in the day.
My personal preference was Donny Osmond and the Bay City Rollers, Petra and her friends was David Cassidy! Yes remember him from the Partridge Family??? Yes the one and only. The story looks from Petra and her friends points o...more
marg
They say, "write what you know." Personally, while I see why that's a good first step, I have cautioned my students against writing what they know too well - as you are likely to make your reader feel like a third wheel while you're on a date with yourself.
This is one of my main beefs with Pearson's much anticipated and very disappointing (read: LAME-OLA) new novel, I Think I Love You. Allow me to preface my review with the caveat that I have/had no idea who David Cassidy is/was and in fact spen...more
Virginia
I give this 3.5 stars, though I don't really understand my own rating system and freely confess to being inconsistent.

In brief, readers follow 13-year-old Petra (obsessed with David Cassidy and suffering through the angst of challenging friendships) and 38-year-old Petra, whose husband has left her for a younger woman. We also follow 24-year-old Bill (a frustrated former literature student, now ghost writing David Cassidy letters for a magazine devoted to the teen idol) and Bill in his late 40s...more
Katharine
If you are over 40 and looking for a fun read, consider this one. Younger readers will also likely enjoy it, but those over a certain age, who can recall David Cassidy, platform shoes, scrapbooks, and life before cell phones and Twitter, will be especially taken. This is an exceptionally well written story about love, friendship, and motherhood, about teenage angst and adult disillusionment. The book is presented in two parts: a first-person narrative told by 13-year old Petra about her friends...more
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Allison Pearson was born in South Wales. An award-winning journalist, she was named Newcomer of the Year at the British Book Awards for her first novel, I Don't Know How She Does It. Allison has written for many magazines and newspapers including the Daily Telegraph, the Independent, the Observer, the Sunday Times and the London Evening Standard. For four years she was the popular Wednesday column...more
More about Allison Pearson...
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