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Second Helpings (Jessica Darling #2)

by Megan McCafferty (Goodreads Author)

4.1 of 5 stars 4.10 · rating details · 14,004 ratings · 598 reviews

“Knowing that I’ve just done something that will take decades off my parents’ lives with worry, you’ll excuse me for not getting into the fa-la-la-la-la Yuletide spirit this year. . . . The only difference between Christmas 2001 and Christmas 2000 is that I don’t have a visit from Hope to look forward to. And Bethany has already packed on some major fetal flab. Oh, and now...more “Knowing that I’ve just done something that will take decades off my parents’ lives with worry, you’ll excuse me for not getting into the fa-la-la-la-la Yuletide spirit this year. . . . The only difference between Christmas 2001 and Christmas 2000 is that I don’t have a visit from Hope to look forward to. And Bethany has already packed on some major fetal flab. Oh, and now Gladdie doesn’t need to ask a bizillion questions about my boyfriend, because she’s already gotten the dirt from you know who.”

Jessica Darling is up in arms again in this much-anticipated, hilarious sequel to Sloppy Firsts. This time, the hyperobservant, angst-ridden teenager is going through the social and emotional ordeal of her senior year at Pineville High. Not only does the mysterious and oh-so-compelling Marcus Flutie continue to distract Jessica, but her best friend, Hope, still lives in another state, and she can’t seem to escape the clutches of the Clueless Crew, her annoying so-called friends. To top it off, Jessica’s parents won’t get off her butt about choosing a college, and her sister Bethany’s pregnancy is causing a big stir in the Darling household.

With keen intelligence, sardonic wit, and ingenious comedic timing, Megan McCafferty again re-creates the tumultuous world of today’s fast-moving and sophisticated teens. Fans of Sloppy Firsts will be reunited with their favorite characters and also introduced to the fresh new faces that have entered Jess’s life, including the hot creative writing teacher at her summer college prep program and her feisty, tell-it-like-it-is grandmother Gladdie. But most of all, readers will finally have the answers to all of their burgeoning questions, and then some: Will Jessica crack under the pressure of senioritis? Will her unresolved feelings for Marcus wreak havoc on her love life? Will Hope ever come back to Pineville? Fall in love with saucy, irreverent Jessica all over again in this wonderful sequel to a book that critics and readers alike hailed as the best high school novel in years.(less)

Paperback, 357 pages

Published April 22nd 2003 by Broadway

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May 13, 2013 Basuhi Ravi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: absolute-undiluted-fun

3.5 "Aforethought Nostalgia Surfaces" Stars.

But the Jessica Darling standing in front of you today is the result of everything I’ve been through up to this point. Change one event, make a left instead of a right, and who knows where, or more specifically, who I might be at this moment. And here’s the thing: I like who I am. I like the person I’ve turned out to be, and I know I’m not done evolving yet.

I believe that what we get out of life is what we’ve set ourselves up to get, so there’s no

...more

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Jan 28, 2011 Janina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, contemporary, on-my-shelf, favourite-characters, made-me-cry, read-in-2011, beware-love-triangle, best-of-2011, just-hilarious, series-in-progress

Reasons I enjoyed Second Helpings more than Sloppy Firsts:

Reading it in English. Really, the humour – and especially the play on words – just doesn’t translate too well. I had much more fun reading the original. Jessica’s voice felt more authentic.

It had more Marcus Flutie. Enough said.

I loved that Jessica started to make friends with someone she only felt mild annoyance for in book one. Her relationship with Bridget grew and she acknowledged that while it wasn’t the same as with Hope, it was s...more

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Jan 03, 2011 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

This was fun fun fun! I had trouble deciding on a rating, though.
I kept changing it from 4 stars to 5 stars to 4 stars to 5 stars and now, finally, I settled on a 4 stars rating which is actually more like a 4.5 stars rating ;-)

To my surprise, I liked Second Helpings better than Sloppy Firsts. It was funnier somehow and there were more swoon worthy moments. Boy, am I crushing hard on Marcus Flutie! ♥

When I checked the reviews for this book (and the Jessica Darling series in gene...more SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

This was fun fun fun! I had trouble deciding on a rating, though.
I kept changing it from 4 stars to 5 stars to 4 stars to 5 stars and now, finally, I settled on a 4 stars rating which is actually more like a 4.5 stars rating ;-)

To my surprise, I liked Second Helpings better than Sloppy Firsts. It was funnier somehow and there were more swoon worthy moments. Boy, am I crushing hard on Marcus Flutie! ♥

When I checked the reviews for this book (and the Jessica Darling series in general) I was quite worried, because obviously people are rather torn when it comes to this series. There are a lot of negative reviews on here and I have to say that now, after having read the second installment in this series, I understand why some people don’t like these books. Basically, it all boils down to whether you can relate to Jessica or not. She is sarcastic, snarky and quite the pessimist. Sometimes she’s too rash in judging things or people and the way she talks about the observations she makes might come across as harsh and arrogant but she has friends who call her out on it and she realizes that she has to work on herself. I can see why there are people who don’t like her. I, however, can relate to her pretty well, seeing as I used to be like this, too. I am still snarky and sarcastic but I dropped the negative attitude. Believe me, 16-year-old me wasn’t always fun to be around. ;-) What makes me relate to Jessica to an almost creepy extent, makes others dislike her.

The second thing that makes this book sometimes difficult to like is the writing. It’s rather complicated and a little too wordy at times. Some of the descriptions just drag on and on.

So, what else is there to say? Second Helpings was pretty much focused on Jessica’s love life, which I didn’t mind, because it was just so much fun. Marcus is a great character, I adore him and I really hope that everything works out between him and Jess. I also loved all the parts about Bridget and Pepe, Skank and Skankier, Scotty, the Pinevile Low editions and Len. (even though I wanted to rip his balls off). All in all, a really great read!(less)

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Aug 30, 2012 Keertana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: rainy-day-re-reads

I have to admit it: Sloppy Firsts was better. Yet, that doesn’t mean that Second Helpings wasn’t a brilliant follow-up novel, because it was! Jessica Darling is back and this time, she’s about to start her senior year of high school. Hope, her best friend, is still miles away from her, her mother still wants her to find a boyfriend, her sister is now expecting a baby, her relationship with her father continues to get worse, and to make matters worse, it’s time to apply for college. If that w...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Natalie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, laugh-out-loud, swoon-worthy-boys, reviewed

Review originally posted on my blog, Natalie Reads Books.

I have to admit that I loved Sloppy Firsts more. It was just so perfect that there really is no comparison, although this is a close second. In my dream world, I would condense them into one book, with the swoon-worthy Marcus Flutie scenes from both books remaining intact. I would also keep my favorite moments from each of them, including but not limited to all scenes with Bridget and Pepe, Jessica's musings on life and the Clueless Crew (...more Review originally posted on my blog, Natalie Reads Books.

I have to admit that I loved Sloppy Firsts more. It was just so perfect that there really is no comparison, although this is a close second. In my dream world, I would condense them into one book, with the swoon-worthy Marcus Flutie scenes from both books remaining intact. I would also keep my favorite moments from each of them, including but not limited to all scenes with Bridget and Pepe, Jessica's musings on life and the Clueless Crew (now Two), Havisham, cock-a-doodle-doooooooo, 'ten inches of New Jersey Whitesnake,' and any and all Barry Manilow references. I would cut out Len Levy, because really, Len, what were you thinking? You can't possibly compete with Marcus Flutie. Jess, I'm a little upset that you even let him try.

But this is not my dream world, and in a way I'm glad it's not. Because these books are about life, and in real life things don't happen like they do in the movies. Relationships get drawn out, we date the wrong people, we disappoint our parents, we have to deal with being far away from the people we love the most. And Jessica is a wonderful narrator for all of that and more, and I wouldn't trade getting to read her observations for the world.

This is going to be a short review, because as we have established it is difficult for me to express my love for these books. But I will say that the perfection of the ending has made me hesitate to read the last three in the series. I am bad about spoilers, so I know that things end happily and the way I want them to, but I just don't know if I can handle the angst it will take to get me there at this point. It's kind of like how I love Dawson's Creek, but I only ever watch seasons 3, 4, and 6, because it was never really Dawson's Creek for me--it was all about Joey and Pacey. (Seriously, how did anyone ever ship Joey and Dawson? Dawson is a whiny little bitch. Pacey bought her a wall.) Anyway, for me, Jess is better with Marcus and vice versa, so I am satisfied for now. In fact, I may or may not have read a certain prom passage over and over and over again, to the point where my heart is overflowing with joy whenever I think the words "Crocodile Lies."

Seriously, Marcus Flutie, you have stolen my heart. You. Yes. You. And I wouldn't have it any other way. (less)

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Mar 08, 2010 Tatiana rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, chick-lit, ya, tres-annoying, series-dropped-lost-steam

As much as I loved "Sloppy Firsts," as much as I admired Jessica Darling and identified with her in that book, I just couldn't bring myself to give this sequel more than 2 stars, simply because I didn't like how this story unfolded.

For one, I thought Jessica digressed in this installment. I no longer found her funny and spazzy, I found her immature, whiny, and, for all her school smarts, dumb. I didn't like her relationship with Len, I thoroughly hated her sudden obsession with losing her virgin...more

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Aug 19, 2010 Crystal rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

The first book left me wanting more, but this one left me going "huh". I think what I liked about Jessica was lost in this one. She turned into a boy crazy, sex starved, mouthy girl. The whole Len situation ticked me off too. I applauded her for not giving in to Scotty, but then she turned around and dated Len for all the wrong reasons. I just didn't get why she went in that direction. Throughout most of the book I was bored until Marcus walked in. Don't get me wrong he annoyed the poo out of me...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Kandice Dover rated it 4 of 5 stars

First of all I'm going to thank my dear sister for letting me borrow this book. Like Sloppy Firsts, I've had this for a long while.

I was really excited to read this because I knew the outcome of Jessica's and Marcus's relationship, I just didn't know how it would happen.

I loved this whole story, even though I could've thrown this book and pull my hair out a few times while reading this. I loved how this story played out.

In the end, I loved Marcus all the more. This had the PERFECT ending, and...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Zemira Warner rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: humor, sarcastic, romance, teen, feel-good-read

Second Helpings start of with the complicated relationship of Jessica and Marcus.They are now in their senior year of high school and are worrying about college.They are not together because Jessica feels she can't trust Marcus since he 's known as a heartbreaker so she pretty much tries to ignore him the whole time. And it's not really working.

Marcus has changed so much in the second book. Even though it was obvious he fell in love with Jess, she had her doubts. Just like everyone else, we all...more

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Jan 31, 2012 Isamlq rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5/5

I’ll be the first to admit that Jessica Darling’s whining was getting to me.
And I’ll also be the first to admit that I didn’t think I was going to like Second Helpings. I mean, really, there’s very little new here. Mostly, she’s still in dire need of perspective and she’s also not the only one to point said fact out. Worse? She’s become even less darling (pun, definitely intended) from how she was in the first! How so? Well, what was with the sudden sex obsession? What happened to all the...more

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Apr 14, 2009 Brittany rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Teens to Young Adults

Recommended to Brittany by: Anna M

Shelves: girly-books, high-school, fiction, favorites, young-adult

How I Came To Read This Book: My friend Anna insisted I read it.

The Plot: After a rather explosive time in Jessica's life - including the burning of her precious journals - everyone's favourite darling is back and ready to tackle senior year with more biting, raw commentary on the happenings at Pineville. The problems are just as realistic and dramatic - for a teenager - as ever in Jessica's life, ranging from boyfriends to sex to friends to family to expectations for college.

The Good or Bad: Th...more How I Came To Read This Book: My friend Anna insisted I read it.

The Plot: After a rather explosive time in Jessica's life - including the burning of her precious journals - everyone's favourite darling is back and ready to tackle senior year with more biting, raw commentary on the happenings at Pineville. The problems are just as realistic and dramatic - for a teenager - as ever in Jessica's life, ranging from boyfriends to sex to friends to family to expectations for college.

The Good or Bad: This was my fave Jessica Darling book. I reread them both before the third one came out and still stuck to this one as my fave. I felt like it was the most complete - the first one is a bit too immature, the third is too sporadic, and the fourth is too short within the timeframe of the book. Again, the books are very timely, perhaps reading them again in a few years will make the lingo/pop culture almost archaic, however that could be said of most chick lit/YA fiction. If you're going to read it, at least read a good series.

Anything Memorable?: After reading Sloppy Firsts & Second Helpings, I wrote Megan McCafferty an email and she wrote me back!

Bottom Line: Part of one of my fave book series of all time - a definite read.

50 Book Challenge?: Nope

Retro Review: In Megan McCafferty's Second Offering in the Jessica Darling sagas, we get introduced to her life as a Senior. With even more pessimistic yet realistic views of life as a suburban teenager, get ready for the rollercoaster ride of Jessica's life as she goes through new steps in boyfriends, sex-type-stuff, friends, dealing with the past, her family, and altogether your typical teenager life.
The thing I love about this book is that its SO real. The average teen book out there puts the main character in some weird crazy situation that only a small majority can relate to: ex, death of a parent, living in a trailer park, etc. etc. McCafferty isn't afraid to address the fact that hwile in the GRAND scheme of things JD's probs are probably trivial, in her life, they are her world. Which is why i think I (and many others) can relate.

If you're looking for a book where you feel at one with the characters and the plot, definately pick up Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings for a sometimes sad, sometimes touching, sometimes downright painfully hilariously embarassing and ALWAYS real plot!!!
(less)

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Apr 09, 2008 Leslie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think I was right to have decided to reread Sloppy Firsts before I read this one because I read the latter last summer and I, for one, stand among the many other people who easily forget the details in a book and just end up remembering the basic outline of the whole plot. I think it can be better appreciated with Sloppy Firsts just fresh in mind.

I seemed to have liked this one a bit better than Sloppy Firsts because although it continued to depict the shallowness and drama of high school life...more

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Aug 07, 2007 Jennie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jessica Darling’s grandmother, Gladie, knows more about her love-life than Jessica does herself. In fact, all the seniors at Silver Meadows nursing home know more about Jessica’s life than she does. Jessica fully blames Marcus, who she refuses to talk to, because he’s been talking to Gladie.

But the mysterious editor of the gossip email, Pineville Low knows more about everyone’s life and their dark secrets and everyone assumes it’s Jessica. It’s caustic, it’s cutting, and Jessica hasn’t had a pub...more

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Nov 28, 2011 Lisa O. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, ya-lit

Jessica Darling irreverent approach to reality around her goes on. She is in her final school year and is still dealing with many of the problems that plagued her previous year. She is so observant, so cynical, so witty and sometimes just downright so brutal that some parts of this book are too good to be true. It makes me want to get a marker and highlight them so i can remember them later and laugh my ass off any time i feel the urge to. Grandma Gladdie was the cherry on the pie in this instal...more

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Feb 25, 2009 Lexi rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read Second Helpings because I wanted an easy read. Although I was really surprised to find that the main character and I shared a sense of humor with a lot of similar feelings thus making this book not only easy but enjoyable.

I liked the book most for its style. Jessica, the narrator who tells the story in first person, is smart, witty, and has a talent for writing. We see her true thoughts and feelings as the story is told through the pages of her journal. Even from the very beginning it is...more

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Apr 20, 2013 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, fiction, young-adult

(AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH THIS IS THE THIRD TIME I'VE HAD TO TYPE THIS BECAUSE SOMEHOW I KEEP HITTING SOME KEY THAT MAKES IT GO TO A DIFFERENT PAGE WITHOUT SAVING!!!)

I liked this second book in the Jessica Darling series well enough, but over time Jessica is changing into someone I really do not enjoy. We all grow and mature and change our opinions on things over time, and sometimes this makes us act like hypocrites, but the changes Jessica is making are turning her into someone who, quite frankly,...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Ana rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Wow I'm actually impressed at the amount of crap the main character had to go through this book...most of it her own fault, I must say!

Like Jess, I once liked a boy who I thought didn't like me back. Somehow I ended dating his best friend. Like Jess. The difference being that I broke up with him. Precisely why Jess wanted to broke up with Len but never managed to. Anyway I remember my story didn't end that well for me. Because despite the humiliation, ultimately Jess and Marcus ended together. S...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Navdha rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 actually.
So *rubs hands together* ready for the spoilers ?
I'll start with what I was most thrilled about, in fact, what I had been desperately waiting for. Marcus Flutie and Jessica Darling are finally a couple. Har-de-har-har. Oh and that means, if you've not already guessed it, that Jessica Darling finally did it. SHE.FINALLY.DID.IT! And here she had us all convinced that she was gonna die a virgin. Not that I was convinced.
Next, the other need-to-knows of this book:
- Jessica has gradua...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Megan McCafferty answered my blathering question about sex in her first two Jessica Darling books, and Jessica's virginity. OMG. I am geeking out. See that and other Q and As from the folks at Forever Young Adult.

I jumped right into Second Helpings after reading and loving the first Jessica Darling book. It's hysterical. And still so true. Jessica has a part-time job over the summer where everything's pretty horrible; she becomes closer to one of her friends (thank goodness, I...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Btari Nadine rated it 4 of 5 stars

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

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Sep 12, 2011 Jac (For Love and Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I can sum up this book in one word. SQUEE!!

I loved Second Helpings more than Sloppy Firsts, which I hadn't thought was possible. Maybe it was because Jess was more mature (for the most part) or maybe that I finally understood why everyone loves Marcus Flutie.

We join Jessica Darling and her friends (and not-friends) for their senior year at Pineville High. Jess still misses her best friend, Hope. She's still madly in love with "He-who-must-not-be-named" (Marcus Flutie) and she's facing the same...more

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Apr 16, 2011 cecilia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: purple-covers, sitting-covers, torso-covers, knees-covers

Jessica Darling wants nothing to do with Marcus Flutie after his betrayal, but he seems determined to make her life as awkward as possible by helping his best friend Len Levy win her over. Not to mention, Marcus seems to be in cahoots with her colorful grandmother at the nursing home when it comes to Jessica's love life and college plans. As she tries to survive her senior year at Pineville High, Jessica combats a mediocre relationship with a boy not of her dreams, a dream college that far excee...more

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Feb 22, 2011 A. S. rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is the second book in Megan McCafferty's Jessica Darling series. I really loved Sloppy Firsts, and while this book isn't the worst in the series, it is definitely a step down from the first book.

Jessica Darling begins this novel while she's at a sleepaway camp for students gifted in the arts. She's in the writing program and there she has her second crush (her hot, gay writing professor) and meets her former high school crush, prompting her to think about applying to Columbia. Getting...more

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Dec 21, 2010 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, ya, contemp

After learning of Marcus' betrayal and vowing to never speak his name again, Jessica prepares for her senior year by getting the heck out of dodge...er...Pineville by enrolling in a teenage writers camp called SPECIAL. SPECIAL doesn't really turn out to be the escape Jessica hopes. As if lusting after her writing mentor weren't enough, Jessica is now stuck for the next six weeks dealing with a bunch of hormone-crazed or suicidal teens she has nothing in common with. That is until she accidentall...more After learning of Marcus' betrayal and vowing to never speak his name again, Jessica prepares for her senior year by getting the heck out of dodge...er...Pineville by enrolling in a teenage writers camp called SPECIAL. SPECIAL doesn't really turn out to be the escape Jessica hopes. As if lusting after her writing mentor weren't enough, Jessica is now stuck for the next six weeks dealing with a bunch of hormone-crazed or suicidal teens she has nothing in common with. That is until she accidentally turns in her actual journal instead of her class-required journal for credit and her mentor is suitably impressed. Embarrassed by his praise but full of new ambitions for college and life after Pineville High, Jessica returns to face her senior year and the one boy she wishes she'd never laid eyes on. That is until he turns her world upside down. Again.

Since I fell hard and fast for practically every single thing about Sloppy Firsts I couldn't help but be a little disappointed with Second Helpings. There were tons of great things about this book - Jessica is dead-on with her descriptions of the sheer terror every teen faces in trying to decided what college to attend (I mean really, it's only your ENTIRE FUTURE we're talking about here people) and the odd, bittersweet goodbyes of any senior year. Every bit of that was totally relate-able and hilarious as always. It was Jessica's somewhat subtle change in tone and her sex-crazed mission that put me off this time. Instead of finding her voice snarky and irreverent, she became whiny and pessimistic and downright annoying. But that's not what really got me - it was her whole 'I'm not with Marcus, so I'm gonna be with somebody' motto that lead to her ill-advised quest to lose her virginity with Len. To be honest, I was actually a bit bored until Marcus entered the picture once again - so of course, I was delighted with the ending, it was just a lot of the details leading up to the big finale that left me with mixed feelings on this one.(less)

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Oct 09, 2010 Jessica Lawlor rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2009

Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty is the second in the series about Jessica Darling, now a high school senior. The story is still told through Jessica’s journal and letters to her best friend Hope who moved away during her sophomore year.

I really wasn’t a fan of the first book, but because I’ve heard such good things about the series, I decided to give it another chance. I’m so glad I did, because now I’m absolutely in love with Jessica Darling.

The second book chronicles Jessica’s journey thro...more

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Apr 18, 2010 Lauren Fidler rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: barry-manilow, bildungsroman, books-i-can-read-in-under-3-hours, dirty-hippy, journal-fiction, salinger-rip-offs, sappy-tacky-sentimental-pap

i am mentally prepping myself for summer books by starting off with this series.

i enjoyed "second helpings" - even if the cutesy, mildly double-entendred titles aren't really doin' it for me.

the perks:

1. same ole jessica d., same ole marcus flutie (my soft spot for brilliant redheaded male poets in literature is legendary), same ole clueless crew, same ole letters to hope marking the end of each month, all good as far as i'm concerned
2. more emotional-based storylines, less stupidly overhyped d...more

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Jan 10, 2010 Sheela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit

This is the second novel in the Jess Darling series and Megan McCafferty is becoming one of my favorite authors. I really enjoy the biting commentary and her style of writing (except for some of the cliche phrases that happen to also conveniently rhyme, ie "queen of mean" or something to that extent). I also like how there isn't necessarily a plot or story, but just a glimpse into this teen's life. While Jess is a little self-absorbed (and at times, a tad bit whiny), it is a more realistic portr...more

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Sep 30, 2009 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars

I asume that if you have read this then you read the 1st in the Jessica Darling series (Sloppy Firsts) and you too have fallen completely in love with Marcus as much as I have. The funny thing about it is that I didn't even like Marcus until almost the end of the 1st book, but in this book... Shheessh, I can't even put it into words, for me, he is hotter than Edward/Jacob(Twilight, whichever team you are on).

This book explains a lot of what the 1st book leaves you hanging on, but I do have to s...more

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Aug 04, 2009 Audelia rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I read an Indonesian edition of this novel.

Suatu hari saya ke tempat penyewaan buku favorit, dan mencari lamaaa sekali apa yang ingin saya baca. Saya waktu itu pengen banget baca sesuatu yang ringan-ringan aja, mengisi waktu ketika bersemedi di kamar mandi...

Entah kenapa saya memilih buku ini, walau covernya(sayang sekali) tidak menarik. Mungkin dari cuplikan di belakang buku yang membuat saya berminat mengambilnya. Dan ternyata saya ga bisa lepas dari buku ini. Alurnya sangat detail, dan agak b...more I read an Indonesian edition of this novel.

Suatu hari saya ke tempat penyewaan buku favorit, dan mencari lamaaa sekali apa yang ingin saya baca. Saya waktu itu pengen banget baca sesuatu yang ringan-ringan aja, mengisi waktu ketika bersemedi di kamar mandi...

Entah kenapa saya memilih buku ini, walau covernya(sayang sekali) tidak menarik. Mungkin dari cuplikan di belakang buku yang membuat saya berminat mengambilnya. Dan ternyata saya ga bisa lepas dari buku ini. Alurnya sangat detail, dan agak berbelit-belit.Benar-benar seperti membaca pikiran seorang anak remaja perempuan, bukan membaca suatu novel yang dirancang untuk membuat pembaca tertarik.

Hal yang paling saya sukai adalah endingnya...sepanjang buku ini, Jessica Darling yang luar biasa OK mengeluhkan hidupnya. Tetapi di akhir cerita, pada saat kelulusannya,Ia berkata bahwa ia tidak ingin mengubah apapun yang telah terjadi. Bahwa ia tahu apa yang terjadi kemarin adalah hal2 yang diperlukan baginya untuk bisa meraih hari ini, menjadi pribadi yang sekarang ini. Ooww... I wish all Indonesian teens read this book.

Oh ya, satu hal lagi yang menarik dari buku ini, Jessica Darling adalah juara sekolah(dalam hal akademik), kapten tim lari, dan penulis andalan di koran sekolahnya. Tapi ia merasa merana di sepanjang kehidupan SMA nya. Dan, ia tidak menyadari bahwa ia adalah orang yang luar biasa dan banyak orang menghargainya, kecuali dirinya sendiri. Sepanjang tahun terakhirnya, ia melepaskan satu persatu predikat 'super'nya itu. Ia berhenti dari tim lari dan koran sekolah. Di akhir tahun ia bahkan menjadi nomor 2, bukan nomor satu untuk hal akademik! Itu semua ia lakukan 'dalam rangka' mencari apa yang ia inginkan. The best banget deh, buku ini. I guess we don't have to be afraid doing something impulsive. Cos almost everything can be fixed up =D

This book is very, very honest. Can't wait to read next edition!(tapi terlalu malas untuk membaca edisi bahasa Inggrinya-udah terbit sampai seri ke-5).

Katanya buku ini akan difilmkan! calon kuatnya Dakota Fanning. I guess she will be a perfect Jessica Darling.(less)

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May 27, 2009 laaaaames rated it 3 of 5 stars

You know, I enjoy these books. Truly. It's kind of like Princess Diaries but not as adorable or pop-culturey or, OK, good, but I enjoy them. I fly through them. They're giant and dense for YA lit which is nice because it actually takes me awhile to fly.

Also I imagine Marcus Flutie as a cute boy I know. That is nice.

Here's what I don't like about these books. They are so full of girl-on-girl hate. I know that's part of high school. I know in high school I was often a terrible person who was despe...more

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About Megan McCafferty

Megan McCafferty is the New York Times bestselling author of the Jessica Darling series, Bumped and Thumped. Her work has received honors from the ALA and the NYPL and has been translated into eleven languages, including Chinese, German and Indonesian. Megan is a Princeton University Community Fellow for Mathey College.

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