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Shug

by Jenny Han (Goodreads Author)

4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 · rating details · 4,201 ratings · 638 reviews

Annemarie Wilcox, or Shug as her family calls her, is beginning to think there's nothing worse than being twelve. She's too tall, too freckled, and way too flat-chested. Shug is sure that there's not one good or amazing thing about her. And now she has to start junior high, where the friends she counts most dear aren't acting so dear anymore -- especially Mark...

Paperback, 256 pages

Published October 23rd 2007 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (first published April 25th 2006)

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Nov 11, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

Annemarie Wilcox, known to her family as Shug, is twelve-years old, tall, flat-chested, and nowhere near the type of girl she wants to be. Shug also believes that, ow that she's twelve, she's at the perfect age to receive her first kiss, and she knows just who she wants to give it to her--her best friend, Mark Findley, the true and actual boy-next-door. Well, actually, the boy down the street, but it's close enough. The only problem is that Mark doesn't show an...more Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

Annemarie Wilcox, known to her family as Shug, is twelve-years old, tall, flat-chested, and nowhere near the type of girl she wants to be. Shug also believes that, ow that she's twelve, she's at the perfect age to receive her first kiss, and she knows just who she wants to give it to her--her best friend, Mark Findley, the true and actual boy-next-door. Well, actually, the boy down the street, but it's close enough. The only problem is that Mark doesn't show any interest in seeing Shug in the same way she sees him. For Mark, the perfect girl is Celia, Shug's beautiful, popular older sister.

Thus begins the summer of Shug's twelfth year, and it's not going anything like what she had planned. She's suddenly seeing everyone in her life in a totally different way, and she's not so sure that she likes what she sees. Her mother, who she once thought of as deep and sophisticated, now seems the opposite. The North Carolina native who went "up North" to college isn't suave and chic--she's snobby, standoffish, and an alcoholic. Her dad, a businessman who frequently travels away from home, comes home less and less and stays for even shorter amounts of time. Even beautiful Celia, who seems to have the perfect life, seems to be changing right before Shug's eyes.

And then there's Mark, who she's almost given up hope on. Now that she has to help Jack Connelly, the bad boy of her school who has gotten in more trouble than she can name, with his homework, she even finds herself seeing him in a new light. Is he really as bad as everyone thinks? Can people change so significantly in even short amounts of time? And as for Shug, is she really the girl she thought she was?

Reading SHUG is like eating an entire carton of Rocky Road ice cream. It's a sweet indulgence that you know you should eat slowly, yet you still find yourself devouring it as if it's your last meal on Earth. SHUG is like that. You'll get caught up in the life of Annemarie and her family, in her friendships and heartbreaks, in her internal struggle to be liked and loved for who she is. At first glance SHUG is a normal coming-of-age story, but once you start reading you'll realize it's anything but normal. Kudos to Jenny Han for this glimpse into Shug's life, and that of her family and friends. It's a story you won't soon forget. (less)

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Jun 27, 2008 Lynne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: accelerated-reader, caudill-2008-09, children-4-6

Annemarie Wilcox, known to her family as Shug, is 12 years old, tall, flat-chested, and nowhere near the type of girl she wants to be. Shug also believes that, now that she's twelve, she's at the perfect age to receive her first kiss, and she knows just who she wants to give it to her--her best friend, Mark Findley. The only problem is that Mark doesn't have a romantic interest in Shug. For Mark, the perfect girl is Celia, Shug's beautiful, popular older sister.

Thus begins the summer of Shug's t...more

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Mar 05, 2009 Steph Su rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, favorites-2

Twelve-year-old Annemarie Wilcox--nicknamed "Shug," which is short for sugar--is feeling anything but sweet right now. She's entering middle school, her parents are constantly fighting (when they're not drunk or away for work), and things are changing between her and her friends. Mairi, Hadley, and even her best friend Elaine, a Korean American from up north, are eagerly venturing into the world of becoming a woman and meeting boys. But Annemarie wants nothing to do with that world...not unless...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Kimberly Russell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children, audio

I wasn't expecting to feel this way about a novel geared towards middle schoolers. I read this because it was the only Jenny Han novel I haven't read and, boy, was I missing out. This was told from a 12 year olds perspective but I was still moved.

Shug is about a girl moving from elementary to middle school and all of the emotions and tribulations that come with that. I can distinctly remember being that age. Everything felt so important and everything is the end of the world. Shug is a lot like...more

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Jan 09, 2009 Karin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009-caudill-nominees, alcoholism, chick-lit, coming-of-age, drinking, families, juvenile-fiction, puberty, realistic, relationships, young-adult-fiction, borrowed-from-the-library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Annemarie, or “Shug” (nicknamed after singer and force of nature in The Color Purple) is twelve, entering seventh grade, and everything she thought she knew is about to change. First she finds herself attracted to her best guy friend, Mark, and now her feelings and his new friends are driving them apart. She wants him to like her – to feel about her the way she feels about him – but it’s like she’s invisible. And everything is difficult with her girlfriends – there are all of these different soc...more Annemarie, or “Shug” (nicknamed after singer and force of nature in The Color Purple) is twelve, entering seventh grade, and everything she thought she knew is about to change. First she finds herself attracted to her best guy friend, Mark, and now her feelings and his new friends are driving them apart. She wants him to like her – to feel about her the way she feels about him – but it’s like she’s invisible. And everything is difficult with her girlfriends – there are all of these different social strata that have to be navigated in order to be cool or popular or whatever. All of the girls (who matter) seem to be pairing off with guys and even Shug’s best friend, Elaine, has a boyfriend (who Shug feels she spends way too much time talking about). On top of that, Shug’s tall and skinny and freckled and doesn’t have a graceful bone in her body. She’s not pretty like her sister, Celia, and she’s sure no one is ever going to love her for who she is.

And if you thought it was all about Shug’s problems, you’d be wrong. Shug’s family is a mess, too. Her parents don’t get along – her dad spends all of his time working away from home (and possibly having an affair), and her mom soothes her hurt feelings with alcohol. Celia can’t wait to get away from it all when she goes to college, and Shug doesn’t know what she’s going to do to hold it all together. She doesn’t even talk about these things with most people, but she finds an unexpected friend in an obnoxious, angry boy – Jack Connelly- who knows exactly where she’s coming from.

Shug is all about growing pains. It me strongly of Judy Blume’s, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, because there were so many parallels – going into middle school, worrying about development and puberty, trying to figure out where you fit in, agonizing over how other people see you, being uncomfortable in your own skin, parties and dances, and also this thread of seriousness. For Margaret, it was religion, and for Shug it’s the strength of her feelings for Mark (and his casual betrayal) and her family situation (alcoholism, possible divorce).

I really liked Shug by the end of this book. She’s funny and smart. She believes in sticking up for what and who you believe in – despite what other people may be saying. She survives a terrible slumber party where the popular Mairi pressures her into having a beer (when she’s already dealing with own mother’s drunkenness) – it makes her sick. She reads whatever she gets her hands on. And she mostly likes who she is – except that other people keep not appreciating it. It’s so hard to wait for that recognition and so hard not to want it or need it. When Mark remonstrates his friends, “Annemarie? Come on, she’s barely even a girl…I only danced with her because I felt sorry for her. She doesn’t even know how to dance like a girl” (p. 220), I curled up and watched my love die along with Shug’s. People can be so stupidly mean sometimes – not just adolescents.

Though the book ends with a kiss, Jenny Han leaves a lot – realistically – up in the air. Shug’s parents haven’t had a miraculous reconciliation, nor have they completely blown up. Shug’s still boyfriendless, and her friends are still boyfriended, so her social isolation may or may not get better. She’s over her thing for Mark, but she’s still in limbo as far as what’s going to come next. She was finally seen, and appreciated, and she finally saw and appreciated that person she’d come to be. It may not stick forever (we’re always reevaluating ourselves), but I’m happy with it as it is. Life continues.

If that's not enough encouragement to make you read it, it's also a quick read (good for reluctant girl readers!). Judy Blume fans should enjoy it.(less)

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Jul 12, 2008 Linnea McGowan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who realize that we are all 12 year old a little bit...

Shelves: darngoodbooks, yasureyabetcha, myworldsquared

You know I'm feeling more like myself when I can devour books in a timely fashion again! HUZZAH!

I remember I wanted to read this, but our library had lost their copy, and boy was I excited when I saw it on Miss Leslie's virtual bookshelf! I was utterly engrossed in Shug's world from the first chapter, mainly because it so reminded me of my childhood. I had SEVERAL "best friends" when I was younger, and three of them were from my 13 house cul-de-sac...and were boys. I spent more hours in Brian, B...more

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Dec 12, 2007 Kathryn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Middle-school girls

This is a book about a girl named Annemarie, who is hanging on the edge of the popular crowd. Her best friend Elaine is in it, and so is Mark, the boy she likes.
And if that's not enough, her home life isn't that great, what with a near-alcoholic mother, a father who is never home, and a beautiful high-school sister who doesn't seem to do anything wrong.
Plus, is it just Annemarie's imagination, or is Elaine slipping away, and is Mark starting to ignore her.
It's not. Elaine soon become good friend...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Gabrielle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: april-reads, realistic-fiction

Annemarie Wilcox, nicknamed Shug is just about to start junior high school when she begins to develop feelings for her best friend, Mark, who sadly, only has eyes for Shug's beautiful, popular older sister, Celia. Coping with her family's bizarre lifestyle and juggling her feelings for those around her isn't an easy task and Shug soon discovers who is really there for her.

I picked up this book because I found the title to be interesting and after reading the description, very relatable. Shug is...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Kate Quiroga rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is about this girl named Annemarie and she has a crush on her best friend,mark but mark does feel the same way for her.they call Annemarie shug because of this book called "the color purple" & there was this character called shug that's where they named her. Annemarie sister is Celia, Celia is really popular she's in high school. She's the opposite of Annemarie she's really popular every guy like her and she's really pretty. Annemarie's best friend is Elaine. Elaine is Chinese Amer...more This book is about this girl named Annemarie and she has a crush on her best friend,mark but mark does feel the same way for her.they call Annemarie shug because of this book called "the color purple" & there was this character called shug that's where they named her. Annemarie sister is Celia, Celia is really popular she's in high school. She's the opposite of Annemarie she's really popular every guy like her and she's really pretty. Annemarie's best friend is Elaine. Elaine is Chinese American. She came to her school from New York City. Her mom is addicted to drinking & her dad is mostly in work in Atlanta. Where he stays in most of the book. One day there going to a pool party and Annemarie is going to wear her swimming suit that she has wore for already two years. When she gets it, it has a hole in her swimming suit, so her mom sews her swimming suit but NOT VERY WELL. She goes to the pool party and this guy called Jack Connelly challenges her for who's a better diver but he doesn't know that Annemarie went to this summer classes last year for driven lesson. So they made this bet if she wins then Jack has to take her things to all her classes.She impressed everyone there then he didn't want to dive anymore.Then Annemarie and Mark walk home together and he sees a hole in his swimming suit and she's really embarrassed. The first day of school Mark went with some other guys and didn't take Annemarie to the bus and she got kinda of mad.

SKIPPING LOTS OF PART...END

There this seventh grade dance and Annemarie doesn't want to go to the dance and Elaine is going with Hugh her boyfriend. So Annemarie is going to be alone since everyone else has a date. Mark with Hadley. Elaine with Hugh. So in the dance she's all alone with jack which he said he didn't want to go but did go since his mother forced him to go. They talk for awhile then one moment when Marks dates goes to the bathroom she asks Mark to dance with her. They dance but then his date comes back and tells her to leave cause she going to dance with her date. Then mark and Hadley kiss and Annemarie fells like crying the dance is over and the guys hugh, jack, mark and another are talking about how bad Annemarie was dancing with mark and she overheard that and gets really mad because Mark says that. Jack pushs Mark for saying bad things about Annemarie & he get suspended in school. In the end Annemarie and Jack kiss and jack has to go live with his dad and his mom is coming to. So his going to mail her. She forgives mark but there that close to being friends again.
THE END(less)

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Feb 27, 2013 Erin Schuett rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read Shug by Jenny Han. It has 248 pages and even though in the past I have really liked this author’s work but I did not enjoy this book. If it wasn’t assigned to our class I would have stopped reading.

I really did not like this book. I believe that the reason I didn’t like it was because I absolutely hated the main character, Annemarie. Another name Annemarie was known by was Shug. She was so insecure and always felt her life was the worst thing you could ever imagine. I just wanted to jump...more

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Feb 26, 2013 Hillary Mantone added it · review of another edition

I just finished the book Shug by Jenny Han. It was a good book, but not a book that I would pick for myself to read. I like action and mystery. This book had more girly stuff.

The main character in this book is Annemarie, also known as Shug. I think Annemarie didn’t have the best qualities so that’s why I didn’t like her that much. I also feel that because I didn’t like the main character is why I didn’t enjoy the book. Shug was to self conscious and cared too much about what people think about...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Carolina Riojas rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

Short, sweet, funny and touching. Just what i needed.

Corto,lindo, divertido y conmovedor.
No sé que tiene este libro pero realmente me gusto. Annemarie- alias, Shug- piensa mucho, dice poco y cuando dice algo... bueno, no siempre es lo mas correcto.
El libro comienza de inmediato. En al primera página te dice sobre que esta Shug esta enamorad de Mark, su mejor amigo. La verdad, es que Shug decía que era su mejor amigo y todo eso, pero yo nunca vi la razón por la que era su mejor amigo. Nunca l...more Short, sweet, funny and touching. Just what i needed.

Corto,lindo, divertido y conmovedor.
No sé que tiene este libro pero realmente me gusto. Annemarie- alias, Shug- piensa mucho, dice poco y cuando dice algo... bueno, no siempre es lo mas correcto.
El libro comienza de inmediato. En al primera página te dice sobre que esta Shug esta enamorad de Mark, su mejor amigo. La verdad, es que Shug decía que era su mejor amigo y todo eso, pero yo nunca vi la razón por la que era su mejor amigo. Nunca la defendía, nunca le hacia caso, la ignoraba y no vi nada de... bueno, química entre los dos. Al principio pensé "Ah, que lindo, dos niños de doce años enamorados y siendo mejores amigos! tal y como la película de Flipper" pero luego conocí a Mark... odio a Mark. No es personal, no, no lo es, es solo que el era muy malo con Shug... Jack también, pero a Jack, en el fondo, se notaba que quería a Shug.
Bueno, el libro no tiene ningún trama principal, te cuenta sobre cosas básicas que suceden cuando tienen doce años. Primer amor. Primer beso. Primeros cambios de cuerpo. Y todo ese tipo de cosas.
Se sabe de inmediato que la vida de Shug no es fácil. Ella se siente como la renegada de la familia, su hermana es la más bonita de toda la ciudad, su papá nunca esta en casa y su mamá es alcohólica. Me gustó como mediante todo el libro la relación familiar estuvo muy enfocada y como las cosas subían, bajan, subían y bajaban y como se destrozaban pero se acomodaban al mismo tiempo.
Personalmente, no me gustan mucho este tipo de personajes principales, Shug algunas veces era un poco estresante porque NUNCA decía lo que tenia que decir y si... era un poco egoísta porque solo pensaba en ella y no mucho en lo que ella decía... como lo que le dijo a Maire- o como se llamara- si, estuvo mal lo que ella le dijo, pero aun así... no era TAN necesario.
Esta es una lectura rápida, linda, conmovedora, un poco divertida. No es de mis favoritos personales principales, tramas o primeros amores, pero si una buena lectura de pocas horas.
(less)

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Sep 20, 2012 Rae rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A lot of this book read true to me. The southern dialect, the middle school concerns and emotions, and most importantly the treatment of the mother's alcoholism were all believable.

Shug worries about all of the things I worried about in middle school - is she getting asked to the dance, invited to the sleepover, will she ever get kissed by the boy she likes, and will the girls she is friends with stay friends with her as popularity enters the picture.

I really appreciated the treatment of the var...more

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Nov 23, 2011 Laci rated it 4 of 5 stars

Just when you think that the world should start getting pretty awesome, you have to grow up. At the age of 12, you should be starting to have the time of your life. At least that is what Annemarie thought was going to happen. Boy, was she wrong. In my experiences of being a 12 year old, things change. Sometimes they change for the good and sometimes they change for the bad. You don't really know what the outcome will be until you going through with it. In Annemarie's life, she is entering junior...more

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Nov 10, 2011 Delaney Bella rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 12, 2011 fennie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, young-adult, things-that-make-you-go-hmm

jenny han strikes again! i'm thoroughly impressed with this book; i thought it might simply be a cute story (and it is cute), but there is also depth to it. jenny han doesn't just skim the surface of tweens exploring love for the first time; she plunges deeper into their family situations, friendships and interpersonal relationships while staying true to the world of middle school, social status and first crushes.

from the get-go, i felt a fierce protectiveness for shug; i didn't want to see her...more

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Jan 14, 2011 Morgane G rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: finished-irp-books

Annemarie Wilcox is the average 12-year-old girl. She’s at the stage where cliques fall into place, true friends are realized, and the exhausting struggle with boys begins. It all starts on a sweet summer night. Annemarie, or Shug, as her mother calls her, eating cherry popsicles with her oldest friend, Mark. They’re talking just like they normally would, and all of a sudden Shug realizes that she loves this boy. She looks at him and wishes he’d look at her in a way that wasn’t just a friendly...more Annemarie Wilcox is the average 12-year-old girl. She’s at the stage where cliques fall into place, true friends are realized, and the exhausting struggle with boys begins. It all starts on a sweet summer night. Annemarie, or Shug, as her mother calls her, eating cherry popsicles with her oldest friend, Mark. They’re talking just like they normally would, and all of a sudden Shug realizes that she loves this boy. She looks at him and wishes he’d look at her in a way that wasn’t just a friendly glance. She wants him to want her. Unfortunately, as 12-year-old girls often find, things like this have a knack for going downhill. As Annemarie stumbles through seventh grade, she experiences the classic traumas of adolescence. Finding understanding friends, surviving the annual dance, and becoming comfortable with her appearance are just a few of the many struggles Shug endures. From boys to drama to finding yourself, Shug’s story is short and sweet and leaves you with quite an unexpected ending.
Shug’s a really sweet book. I think the reason it’s so easy to read is because Jenny Han has done such a good job reflecting the struggles of adolescence that everybody seems to go through. Shug is a really relatable girl, and as the story is written from her point of view, a little southern accent and a big voice are nice additions to the story. Shug’s insecurities, problems, and trials are eased along with her comical take on things. Han really found a way to make you root for Shug in every way, to make you hate the people she does and love Mark like she does. Shug is definitely a good read for anyone looking to squeeze in a quick book, although it might be a bit more of a “chick flick” type of book. It’s light reading, and it’s short and sweet.
Honestly, I think I’d have to rate this book a 4.5 out of 5. It’s such a good little book. Anyone who reads it will feel at least a little bit of middle school nostalgia, they’ll see at least one memory resurface that they’d forgotten about. I give the 4.5 for how perfectly Han frames adolescence, for how well she captures the emotions and thoughts that constantly run through a middle schooler’s mind. (less)

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Jan 06, 2011 Lauren rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shug is about this girl who lives in a small town called Clementon. Shug is a girl who never cared about what she was wearing and wasn’t afraid to talk to boys, but now she thinks that she isn’t as pretty as her sister, self-conscious and her dad is always gone on business trips and her mother goes out and comes home drunk all the time. She has this best friend named Mark, and when they get older she ends up starting to like him…no LOVE him. They would do everything together and when they got in...more

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Nov 07, 2010 Lexi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 07, 2010 LJ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: juvenile-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is a coming of age novel about 12 year old Annemarie Wilcox; "Shug" to her family members. They include: a drop-dead gorgeous older sister, a distant, alcoholic mother, and a virtually absentee father, always away on business. Shug falls in-love with her best friend Mark whom she's known since she was five years old. She spends considerable time trying to figure out how to transfer Mark's adoration of Shug's older sister Celia to herself.

It's unclear when the story takes place. At times it...more

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Jan 25, 2010 Kendra rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 10-grade

Shrug
by Jenny han
ppg 248 usa
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
isbn:9781416909422

So this is actually my second time rading it i rember some parts but the most intresing part was actually the parts i for got which was weird but the ending which was my favorite stayed in my heart and my mind and i had ot read it again to really understand why i liked this book so much.

so you have those summer days with your best friend, and hes a guy so the more time you spend wiht him the more you seem to...more

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Jul 06, 2009 Marie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sometimes you'll read a book that will choke you up. Rarely will I read a book that makes me flat out bawl...in a good way. Shug by Jenny Han (Alladin Mix, 2007), is one such book, and it has instantly become one of my favorite tween YA novels. Han grabs you immediately with Shug's authentic voice and sharp point of view.

The novel is all about the way things change once you enter middle school, whether you are ready or not. It starts in summer just before school starts, and already things are di...more

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May 06, 2009 Zomgzily rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 13, 2009 Liz Panella rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shug is a cute love story about a young 12 year old girl named Annemarie Wilcox who has a big crush on her neighbor Mark Findley. Mark and Annemarie have always been best friends, and really close, but Annemarie develops feelings for Mark that are indescribable. Unfortunately, Mark doesn’t see Annemarie as more than a friend. To make matters worse, he thinks the perfect girl for him would be Celia…Annemarie’s gorgeous older sister. Things are changing and it’s too much for her to handle! At the...more

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Apr 13, 2009 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shug by Jenny Han is about a girl going into seventh grade and facing a bunch of problems with school, friends, family and boys. First, Mark, her best friend, starts getting closer to his guy-friends and farther away from her. And when Shug feels love for the first time, she knows Mark has got to be the one. Also, Shug has to fight between doing what is right and staying in the “in crowd,” she makes a large decision. And finally, Shug’s parents are fighting more and more lately because her mom i...more

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Apr 06, 2009 Qian rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is about a girl whose real name is Annemarie Wilcox, but have a nickname Shug . The book takes place in a town called Clementon and Shug growing up being a pleasant girl who doesn’t care about anything that goes on around the world, doesn’t care about her own appearance and everything. But what she cares about is her only true love Mark, but it turns out that she falls in love with someone else that even herself didn’t expect to. Maybe now that growing up isn’t so bad because she have...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Leeza A rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This novel was about a typical twelve year old girl who experiences love for the first time. Annemarie always thought of Mark as her best friend, but sitting at their favorite place, she sees him differently. She knows that Mark doesn’t like her, that he has feelings for her older, prettier, sister. Annemarie talks to her mom about her feelings, and her mom says that she thinks she has a chance. Annemarie knows that she doesn’t. As soon as junior high starts, Mark starts to hang out with his oth...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Caitlyn D'Amico rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is the perfect growing of age book for teenagers. I read it at a time when I thought I was the only teenager with the only love, friend, family, and identity issues and this book helped me realized I wasn't alone. That every kid goes through the same thing and eventually figures out who the are and what is important. Shug was about a girl who is 12 years old, who has always had her best friend Mark by her side. But Mark starts to hang out with the "cool" boys and stops hanging out with...more

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Apr 26, 2011 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children, fiction, young-adult

I loved this book! I thought it was interesting that the main character's mother named her after the really vivacious character in "The Color Purple," but gave the less colorful name to her sister, which seemed kind of backward. Shug (aka Annemarie) is a twelve-year old going into the 7th grade. She likes her best friend Mark but has never been able to tell him so and since school started again, everything has started to change in her personal and school life, which she hates. She wants things t...more I loved this book! I thought it was interesting that the main character's mother named her after the really vivacious character in "The Color Purple," but gave the less colorful name to her sister, which seemed kind of backward. Shug (aka Annemarie) is a twelve-year old going into the 7th grade. She likes her best friend Mark but has never been able to tell him so and since school started again, everything has started to change in her personal and school life, which she hates. She wants things to go back to the way they were, but she is growing up and moving on. An example of this is on page 144, when Shug says "Come to think of it, things were easier when it was just me and Mark, too. But the old me and Mark, without any of the love stuff. Life was simpler. Life was riding bikes and kickball and cherry Popsicles." I know exactly what she means there as I had a similar situation with a boy in middle school. I met him in 6th or 7th grade and we were best friends, only somewhere along the way I got a huge crush, but he never noticed me as a girl, just as his friend. Then when we got to high school, he was too cool for me and yeah, broke my heart a bit. So I can totally relate to her after her 7th grade dance, when she overhears Mark saying on page 220, "Annemarie? Come on, she's barely even a girl," and is totally crushed.

One of the first things that jumped out at me about this book was Shug's description of pretty and plain girls as compared to butterflies and moths. She says on page 11 "It's like moths. They're the same as butterflies, aren't they? They're just gray. They can't help being gray, they just are. But butterflies, they're a million different colors, yellow and emerald and cerulean blue. They're pretty." I've always loved that word "cerulean," its's a great descriptor.Later on at the end of Chapter 11, Shug is talking about letting friends you knew in elementary school go and says on page 74 "It's like trying to shimmy up a rope with a moose tied to your ankles. You've just gotta cut that moose loose." I just thought that was hilarious. The author is really good at putting in references that most twelve-year olds probably wouldn't use, but with the quirky Shug, it seems possible. Like when Celia knows of the play "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" because her sister was supposed to read it and she compares being paired with her worst enemy as "a Faustian bargain (minus the blood part)." (less)

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Jun 18, 2009 Cindy Mora rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Creative Response
Dear Jenny Han,
I really like your book "Shug." I don't think there was anything I didn't like. I really liked the main character Annemarie. You made her seem really real and believable. You made her seem believable because you added her inner thoughts. And I like that because I get to know what Annemarie-who is the main character-is feeling. Since i get to know what she is feeling I get to see from her perspective and I see the issues she is going through. Because of that I can...more Creative Response
Dear Jenny Han,
I really like your book "Shug." I don't think there was anything I didn't like. I really liked the main character Annemarie. You made her seem really real and believable. You made her seem believable because you added her inner thoughts. And I like that because I get to know what Annemarie-who is the main character-is feeling. Since i get to know what she is feeling I get to see from her perspective and I see the issues she is going through. Because of that I can also do a mental image of what is happening at that time with Shug. I also like how you just didn't just write about what was going on in her school life. You also talked about her problems at home with her family. i liked Annemarie interaction with other characters in the book. Something I really liked was the humor you used in your book. I actually laughed out loud to some jokes. Although i like a lot of things there were some things I didn't like. One thing I didn't like was how you ended the book at like the best part ever. I wanted there to be more! Please tell me you are going to write a sequel. I wanted to know what was going to happen with Annemarie an jack and mark. But then again if you do write a sequel maybe you wont have the ending be happy. you might end it the other way. But then again I think I'll be OK with that. Overall i really like your book and i would never want to change the ending because its really good.
Sincerely,
Cindy Mora

Book Shout-Out
In the book "Shug" by Jenny Han tells the story of a girl named Annemarie better known as shug as she enters junior high. She has to deal with things that she wasn't prepared for. Mark her longtime best friend and newly found crush has been acting really different lately. in junior high everyone's different and more mature. She befriends her longtime enemy, jack. Everyone had a boyfriend or girlfriend and has had their first kiss; except for Annemarie. And at home things don't seem to be any better. Shug's dad is never home, which causes her mom to drink her problems away. And Annemarie longs too be like her older pretty sister Celia. But what Annemarie doesn't know is that shes pretty too. But at least she has someone that realized that and that person that she helps, helps her in return too.

One thing i liked about the book was the ending. another thing i like about the book was the format it was written in. and lately i liked how Annemarie was strong through all her struggles.

One image that has stuck with me since finishing the book was imagining how jack stood up for Annemarie when mark who is her supposed best friend was making fun of her.

The way i see the world in is everyone trying to fight their way through all the hard times and struggles.(less)

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Quotes from Shug

“Some girls are pretty, and it’s like they were destined for it. They were meant to be pretty, and as for the rest of us, well, we get to exist on the outer edges of life. It’s like moths. They’re the same as butterflies, aren’t they? They’re just gray. They can’t help being gray, they just are. But butterflies, they’re a million different colors, yellow and emerald and cerulean blue. They’re pretty. Who’d dare kill a butterfly? I don’t know of a single soul who’d lift a finger against a butterfly. But most anybody would swat at a moth like it was nothing, and all because it isn’t pretty. Doesn’t seem fair, not at all.” — 5 people liked it

“Some girls are pretty and they were born for it but no matter what always be yourself because people might see the wrong side of you” — 4 people liked it

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