Mortified: Real Words. Real People. Real Pathetic.
by David Nadelberg
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Read in May, 2008
These excerpts from kids' diaries might make you flash back somewhat uncomfortably to your own teen and pre-teen years when the most pressing matter was whether Gordon just liked you, or whether he liked you liked you. But despite the title, I found all these diary entires sweet, even when they're completely bizarre. Example from the diary of an eighth-grade girl:
"Ever since I recommitted my life to Christ on Saturday, I've been having such a good life. I kind of like this guy na...more
"Ever since I recommitted my life to Christ on Saturday, I've been having such a good life. I kind of like this guy na...more
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recommends it for:
anyone who used to keep a "serious" diary as a teen
I picked this book up after attending a live performance of the Mortified show and quickly working my way through it.
The premise of the book/show is to take old diary entries, love letters or similar from those who have now grown out of adolescence and can only look back on their own shallowness/lack of understanding with abject mortification. Then it publishes these works for all of the rest of the world to gawk and laugh at. If you haven’t kept a journal/diary or whatnot during your ...more
The premise of the book/show is to take old diary entries, love letters or similar from those who have now grown out of adolescence and can only look back on their own shallowness/lack of understanding with abject mortification. Then it publishes these works for all of the rest of the world to gawk and laugh at. If you haven’t kept a journal/diary or whatnot during your ...more
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Read in December, 2007
Contrary to the author-editor's disclaimer in the introduction, the best part of this book is, in fact, the little pokes of nostalgia scattered throughout...and though the tidbits are refreshingly genuine (each diary entry has, purportedly, been left unaltered)...not contrived like nostalgic retrospectives...there are fewer of those pokes than one might hope.
A collection of diary excerpts submitted by folks both humbled in the face of their own immaturity, and those not so much, it's mostly...more
A collection of diary excerpts submitted by folks both humbled in the face of their own immaturity, and those not so much, it's mostly...more
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Read in September, 2007
When I was in middle and high school, I filled gobs of journals with the most dramatic, ridiculous crap. Whenever I start reading them, now, I'm overwhelmed by a desire to burn them, but how can I?!! I poured my heart and soul into those things. I remember that sometimes my own tears would drop onto the pages and smudge the writing. I really loved when that happened, because it was a further record of my misery.
In addition to the piteous journals, I wrote a fictional story about me and...more
In addition to the piteous journals, I wrote a fictional story about me and...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in February, 2008
recommended to Lady Ozma by:
KateThis review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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Read in January, 2006
recommends it for:
everyone who remembers being a teenager & a kid
First of all, I have to say that as I was reading this book, I had to go back and change my rating of Anne Frank’s diary from 4 to 5 stars.
This is a really fun & easy read. A lot of these kids’ diaries/letters are mediocre, at times even boring because of the repetitiveness, but right in the middle of one of those, there’d be an entry where I’d start laughing out loud, and that happened numerous times.
I do think this material probably works even better as a stage show. Was s...more
This is a really fun & easy read. A lot of these kids’ diaries/letters are mediocre, at times even boring because of the repetitiveness, but right in the middle of one of those, there’d be an entry where I’d start laughing out loud, and that happened numerous times.
I do think this material probably works even better as a stage show. Was s...more
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Read in November, 2006
recommends it for:
everyone. anyone who needs to be cheered up.
Oh. My. God.
Imagine if someone took your most personal writing, your diary entries from when you had a crush on Tony or totally hated Dana*, your fan letters to Kirk Cameron, or your list of ways to improve your wretched, self-hating teen incarnation of you.
And then they edited it for form and published it in the BEST BOOK EVER.
Just imagine.
I heart this book so so so much. I don't remember the last time I laughed out loud like this. I was cracking up with abandon on the subway, i...more
Imagine if someone took your most personal writing, your diary entries from when you had a crush on Tony or totally hated Dana*, your fan letters to Kirk Cameron, or your list of ways to improve your wretched, self-hating teen incarnation of you.
And then they edited it for form and published it in the BEST BOOK EVER.
Just imagine.
I heart this book so so so much. I don't remember the last time I laughed out loud like this. I was cracking up with abandon on the subway, i...more
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Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
people that admire self disclosure for the sake of humor
These people are my heroes! I love them for saving their self absorbed, dramatic, naive pre-teen/teen writings and being willing to share them with the world. I haven't laughed so hard at a collection of writing since first reading Sedaris.
The range of stories are great: from the 11 (?) year old girl writing a pornographic novel that reveals how she's defining sexual terms and experiences in her mind (i.e. orgasms result in urination and penises are hooks to be unhinged at the right moment) ...more
The range of stories are great: from the 11 (?) year old girl writing a pornographic novel that reveals how she's defining sexual terms and experiences in her mind (i.e. orgasms result in urination and penises are hooks to be unhinged at the right moment) ...more
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Read in December, 2007
When I first saw this book, I was excited to read it. I remember hovering over my diary as a first grader and writing about random events that had occurred during the week. I had sampled a few stories at the store but decided to get the book from the library instead - and boy am I glad that I did. I thought the book was going to let me reminisce about the diaries that I threw out years ago, but instead it led me on too long rants about the most boring subjects ever. The diary entries weren't...more
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Read in August, 2007
I was pretty excited about this book because, well, I love awkward people. In fact, I am one. But there was something missing from this collection; I’ve heard these entries read in public and they are so much funnier out loud than they are on the page. Part of the appeal of this collection is that the authors find relief or energy from reading their journals in public and that the audience recognizes itself in other people's humiliation. That kind of synergy is missing when the collection ...more
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Read in December, 2006
recommends it for:
those that suffered
It's an idea so simple I have to slap myself for not coming up with it: Take all of those angst ridden scribblings, delusions of young romance inked in journals, postcards home, notes in class and amateur works of fiction and put them into one neat book for all the whole world to see like a cutter pulling up her sleeves in the middle of a school assembly. I recently saw a live performance of some of the contributing "authors", one of which was my favorite entry in the book - a boy's ...more
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A great idea that is mediocre in execution. One thing that surprised me was the sheer lack of diversity. Another thing that kind of surprised me was some of the more meanspirited entries didn't come with some final thoughts from the author. I expected something a lot more structured and in line with the readings I heard so much about. Most of these entties aren't even that "great" in the sense that really open a vein and expose the ridiculousness that is the teenage diaryist! I have th...more
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This book truly will remind you of everything that was horrible, mortifying, and humiliating about high school and junior high. For me, it brought back all of the emotions that were so prevalent then -- the need to want to be just like all of your friends in a way that is totally unique.
The only thing that is sort of strange about this book is it makes you simultaneously feel bad that you aren't special and good that you weren't alone in your angst.
I recommend this book to anyone that wa...more
The only thing that is sort of strange about this book is it makes you simultaneously feel bad that you aren't special and good that you weren't alone in your angst.
I recommend this book to anyone that wa...more
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I had a couple of laughs from this book. Basically, it's a collection of "journal entries" from various people. These stories are from the pre-teen/teen stages of people's lives. Some actually made me laugh out loud and various AIM faces. Though what sucked about this book was some of the repitition and the fact that some of the entries were just boring.
I guess I'd still recommend anyone to read it. The thing is, is if you laugh, you'll really be laughing, if you're bored, you'll w...more
I guess I'd still recommend anyone to read it. The thing is, is if you laugh, you'll really be laughing, if you're bored, you'll w...more
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Read in February, 2008
This is the most hilarious book I've read in ages. Seriously, I was reading it and laughing so hard, my sister was coming to see if I was having an attack.
Mortified is a book containing diary entries, letters, and homework assignments from real people describing their love lives, camp, fights, bff's, etc. as teenagers.
Oddly, I saw myself in a few of these entries, and there was something strangely comforting that I wasn't so out to lunch as a kid.
It's an amazing, quick re...more
Mortified is a book containing diary entries, letters, and homework assignments from real people describing their love lives, camp, fights, bff's, etc. as teenagers.
Oddly, I saw myself in a few of these entries, and there was something strangely comforting that I wasn't so out to lunch as a kid.
It's an amazing, quick re...more
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This collection of diary entries, school essays, and other adolescent “treasures” is completely hilarious. It gets a little repetitive toward the end with so many entries of the “Does he/she like me? I think he/she likes me! …He/she doesn’t like me” variety. However, there are plenty of weird, bizarre, and wonderful gems to make up for it. My favorite? The smutty self-insertion Duran Duran fanfic. *snort* Not for those with a strong embarrassment squick, but no worse (and, I’d argu...more
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Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
kids and teens of the 80s and early 90s
The premise of this book is clever (imagine if someone found your high school diary, journal, or notes written to friends and published them for the whole world to read), and for the most part, is pretty entertaining. "The Cotton Club" and "Fight the Power" were my two favorite entries and completely hysterical. This little collection of cringe-y prose is a nice reminder of what a long, strange trip adolescence is. And I loved the photos - made me want to tie my perm up in...more
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Read in January, 2007
recommends it for:
anyone who was or is a teenager
I am a nosy person by nature. I love looking at other peoples' photo albums, strangers' high school yearbooks, correspondence between people I've never met, etc. It's no wonder a book of awkward teenagers' diary entries would be one of my favorite books ever.
Not only did Mortified satisfy my love of snooping, it also made me laugh so hard at parts I almost peed my pants. It was also a nice reminder that looking back at adolescence is mortifying for everyone, not just me!
Not only did Mortified satisfy my love of snooping, it also made me laugh so hard at parts I almost peed my pants. It was also a nice reminder that looking back at adolescence is mortifying for everyone, not just me!
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Read in April, 2007
I called this my "TV book" because its an easy, light episodic read, which can be nice every now and then. Overall, the stories were funny, although they could get a little repetitive, but what irked me was that at the end it says "where they are now" and all the stories were by people who were in the entertainment business or writers in some way. It would have been nice if the editors branched out of their circle to find people from different walks of life.
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Read in July, 2008
WOW! This book made me want to try to locate my diary of years ago. I wonder if I even kept it!
I was throughly entertained with entries from journals/diaries written by kids/teens with their now adult commentary. Some were hilarious, others were sad, but each of them took me back to days where no one could pay me to go back.
Quick read and highly recommended for summer reading!
I was throughly entertained with entries from journals/diaries written by kids/teens with their now adult commentary. Some were hilarious, others were sad, but each of them took me back to days where no one could pay me to go back.
Quick read and highly recommended for summer reading!
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