Rich And Mad

Apr 07, 2011 Katie (Call Me Crazy) rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews

When I came across Rich and Mad on goodreads the first thing I noticed was the steamy cover. I loved how the couple was inside a phone booth, it made me think of England, somewhere I always wanted to go. After reading the attention-grabbing summary I marked the release date on my calendar. Unfortunately Rich and Mad didn't live up to my high expectations.

I read the book in about a day because I was really interested in finding out what happened with the two main characters' love lives. Both Rich...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Rhys rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review was originally posted on ThirstforFiction.com

17 and never been in love? Then you’re not alone. Maddy Fisher is just the same. But that is all about to change; she has set a course for a great love. But some unexpected happenings arise, and she is swept away with a boy she hardly dreamed of falling in love with. But it is to late now; love has already caught her and is reeling her in, and before her lay many uncharted waters…

I’ve been a convert of William Nicholson’s works for a while...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Ollie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I first came across this book when the author, William Nicholson came into my school to give a talk. A very good one I might add. He really knew how to communicate with the teenage audience. Not treating us like children but not like adults either. But I digress...
The characters in this love tale are incredibly strong. I thought they had real potential at the beginning of the book and Nicholson definitely utilized that potential.
I also found that the way Nicholson wrote was good. A brilliant lo...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Ari rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

IQ "The ideas came as the words formed in her mouth. What was so liberating about talking with Cath was that she could say things she maybe didn't really mean just to see how it felt saying them." Maddy, pg. 220

Isn't that ^ the sign of a real best friend? When you can throw out whatever comes to your mind, just to see if your friends think it sounds crazy too, or if by-george it just might make sense. One of the most realistic depictions of teenage relationships I've ever read. The quick, snapp...more IQ "The ideas came as the words formed in her mouth. What was so liberating about talking with Cath was that she could say things she maybe didn't really mean just to see how it felt saying them." Maddy, pg. 220

Isn't that ^ the sign of a real best friend? When you can throw out whatever comes to your mind, just to see if your friends think it sounds crazy too, or if by-george it just might make sense. One of the most realistic depictions of teenage relationships I've ever read. The quick, snappy dialogue between friends, being tongue-tied around crushes and enemies and not wanting to really have a cause for fear of being mocked. It really did seem like the author had been eavesdropping on the conversations of teens across the UK and around the world, after all the dizzying, exciting, confusing thing called love is a universal theme.

At times I did feel like the thoughts and dialogues of the characters war a little forced-especially when Rich was particularly deep. I know there are some sensitive, lost-soul guys out there but Rich was really deep into his head, at times he seemed inauthentic. Domestic abuse has never puzzled me, I've read enough in books and news articles to understand the family history that leads guy to be abusive and the paralyzing fear that keeps a girl there or worse-thinking she deserves it but I'd never heard one girl say it "aroused" them both. That perspective was new to me and its one I find equally troubling but also enlightening. Also if a guy asks you to keep your budding romance a "secret" shouldn't that send up red flags? If anything, unless its due to cultural (i.e. parents are strict about dating outside the race/culture) reasons, you should just end the relationship!

Another quote I liked "Of course she needed a boyfriend. But it wasn't that simple. [...] The difficulty was the boys she had grown up with, the boys in her year at school were simply not up to he job. Undersized, badly dressed, noisy, and stupid, there wasn't a single one about whom she could summon up the smallest tremor of excitement. And falling in love, if nothing else, had to be exciting." pg.11

PS I will never understand white parents. In books (such as this one), on TV and in the movies teenagers can always just abruptly leave the house. In my house and most other minority homes I know (at least for gigs) you get the third degree. Where are you going? Who with? When will you be back? I wish a book would depict that....(less)

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Mar 08, 2012 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alphabet-challenge, my-first-challenge

Holy explosion Batman! Because that's what my insides did. They exploded. It was fabulous. This book does not pull any punches. It's the shiz. And I love it. And Rich, I love him too. Half-way through his first chapter, I was so in love with him. Okay, what I love about this book is that it tells both sides of the story. We get Maddy's point of view and Rich's. Usually with this type of book, young adult romance-y, you just get the girl's side, what she thinks and says and does, and all we know...more

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Jun 16, 2011 Leah Walker rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was confused about how i felt about this book until about two thirds through.

That's when i knew i bloody loved it.

Being 17 it's nice to have a character the same age because it is very uncommon ive found. I can compare lifestyles and perceptions of how you should act at this in between age of sweet sixteen and adult 18. I can also say i really relate to the characters, Nicholson has nailed pretty much every question i have about love and 'all that shizzle', i would say im pretty much in Maddie...more

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Feb 10, 2011 Amy Jacobs rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have had this book on my radar for a while now even though many readers have found this book less than great. Maybe the cover kept appealing to me, maybe the summary had me hooked, but I just knew I wanted to read this book.

First of all, let me say that a lot of people have had a hard time reading this book due to certain sexual scenes that can come across offensive. That is fine and I agree that some of it didn't really need to be in the book to make the point. What I will add to that though...more I have had this book on my radar for a while now even though many readers have found this book less than great. Maybe the cover kept appealing to me, maybe the summary had me hooked, but I just knew I wanted to read this book.

First of all, let me say that a lot of people have had a hard time reading this book due to certain sexual scenes that can come across offensive. That is fine and I agree that some of it didn't really need to be in the book to make the point. What I will add to that though is I am well past my teen years, but I have children who are just entering this stage. I don't censor their reading at all because that is my parenting style. I would have no problem with my daughter reading this book even with the talk of porn, sex, virginity, physical abuse and sexual orientation. I feel what is the book going to hurt when they hear about this stuff from friends anyway. Besides, I have been that age and I remember that books were not the source of info on this stuff--my friends were. Not trying to sound preachy here in my review, but if you don't feel the same way, be cautious of your teen reading it.

With all of that being said, the book was still just an okay book for me. I loved the character of Rich, even though at times his though process made no sense. Who thinks writing a letter from the pope is going to help get a girl to like them? I found that funny and less than attractive. Rich just didn't think that one through. Maddy was a great character that you would like for a friend. She is naive in many things, but she still gives a person the benefit of the doubt. These two were so naive in ways of thinking love should be.

Some of the side characters were great. I loved Cathy and Max. They were funny and what you would expect in normal teenagers for friends. Grace was a piece of work who needed serious help, but I can also understand part of the problem she has. Without going into spoilers, I hope teenagers have learned that this way of thinking by Grace is not love. Joe was up and down for me. At first he was sweet, then I despised him, and then the author does a complete turn around that redeemed him and made him the good guy again or all along.

I loved parts of the books, but there were little things that added up to negatives for the book as well. While I enjoyed it, I didn't fall in love with it like I thought I would. I love the cover the most! It seems romantic and gives you hint at the tenderness that can be found with certain characters of the book. (less)

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Aug 24, 2010 Jeanne added it · review of another edition

Maddy wants to fall in love more than anything -- even despite her parents' marriage falling apart and the fact that her friend is in an abusive relationship. Perhaps it is these things that make her think deeply about the kind of relationship she wants and what finally draws her to Rich, who has become her friend and confidante. Both are anxious to have their first sexual experience, too. And while Rich is worrying about, what, exactly, to do with a condom (when to put it on, etc) Maddy has res...more

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Aug 23, 2010 Literary Cravings rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Love is something that mostly everybody wants, whether they realize it or not. To be wanted by someone, knowing that somebody other then family members, cares for you and wants to be around you. In this story we meet teenagers on a search for finding love. Maddie Fisher and Rich Ross have come to a point in their young lives where they want a steady relationship, wanting the real thing but searching in the wrong places. Maddie is your average semi popular girl who is used to being looked over an...more Love is something that mostly everybody wants, whether they realize it or not. To be wanted by someone, knowing that somebody other then family members, cares for you and wants to be around you. In this story we meet teenagers on a search for finding love. Maddie Fisher and Rich Ross have come to a point in their young lives where they want a steady relationship, wanting the real thing but searching in the wrong places. Maddie is your average semi popular girl who is used to being looked over and tagged as the "friend", she then sets her sights on one of the poplar guys in school who she feels could be the one. While Rich is more of a loner, keeping to himself and not caring about what anyone say or thinks, finds himself liking one of Maddie's friends who is also one of the popular girls. Through their interaction with each other in their journey in finding love Rich and Maddie realize through trials and tribulations that the person they least expected, the one calledu friend, could be the persons they were meant to be with. I enjoyed reading this story, following Rich and Mad's journey to finding love. They both were easy to relate to with all of their strengths and insecurities. I liked the added depth with Maddie's strained family dynamic as well as Rich. The romance was slow to bloom bit it raised the anticipation with each encounter between Rich and Mad. Though i could understand Maddie, I felt that she was a little bit naive letting people do what they want regardless of her feelings. Though as the story progressed she became a bit more confident in herself and what she wanted to do with her life which saved the story for me. The story was well written with some plot twist to an otherwise predictable plot line. I felt sorry for Maddie's friend but at the end of the day and all the things she did karma came back to bite her, hard. But she defiantly brought the drama to the story. What I enjoyed the most was the romance between Rich and Mad and how deeply and intense their feeling were toward each other after weeding through their crazy crushes. This turned out to be a nice romantic read that had me feeling the love.(less)

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Jul 28, 2010 Rachael rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Maddie wants to fall in love, so deeply and madly in love that she can’t think. She’s even found the perfect candidate in Joe, who is incredibly cute and popular. Too bad he has a girlfriend, but if he’s dating Gemma, then why is he sending signals that he likes Maddie back? Rich had had a crush on Maddie’s friend Grace for the longest time. He knows there’s no chance Grace would like him back, but that doesn’t stop him from trying to win her over anyway. In the midst of all the lies and confusi...more

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May 28, 2010 Joanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-contemporary

This is a compelling and beautifully written novel about first love, first sex, and everything in between. Maddy Fisher has decided to fall in love. And not just any sort of love: can't-eat can't-sleep crazy in love. Rich Ross is after the same thing. He's set his sights high, and he's going to make it happen. The problem is, in life's messy whirlwind of friends and lies and sex and porn, the real thing can be hard to fine. But there's always a first time for everything... From Amazon UK

I am 23....more This is a compelling and beautifully written novel about first love, first sex, and everything in between. Maddy Fisher has decided to fall in love. And not just any sort of love: can't-eat can't-sleep crazy in love. Rich Ross is after the same thing. He's set his sights high, and he's going to make it happen. The problem is, in life's messy whirlwind of friends and lies and sex and porn, the real thing can be hard to fine. But there's always a first time for everything... From Amazon UK

I am 23. I am quite obviously not a teenager. However, I still have the mentality of a teenager, and continue to find the opposite sex baffling. After reading Rich and Mad, about two teenagers who are falling in love for the first time, I swear it was written for me! I cannot tell you just how amazing this book is!

As I read on William Nicholson’s website (some tiny spoilers on that page, so beware), this is a book written for girls and guys to show them what girls and guys think about love and sex. I have read several YA novels that deal with teen love and teen sex, but none of them really come at it from this angle, and it’s absolute genius! I can’t tell you how often I was surprised at how much I empathised with Rich! I empathised with Maddy a fair amount too, but it was Rich that surprised me.

I loved the characters! I thought it was brilliant that, although we mainly follow Rich and Maddy, everyone had some sort of view on love and sex that was shown. Maddy and Rich were very much teenagers; they were curious, they questioned, they worried, they made mistakes, but what I also loved was that they also had strong feelings about what they wanted from love – this is not about having sex as soon as possible, it’s about meeting the right person and all it entails for them personally. It was refreshing to read about characters, especially teen characters, who knew their own mind so well.

I was blown away by Maddy. She is not completely without flaws, and there were moments when I wanted to just grab her arm and stop her from doing things, because you just know it’s a mistake, but she was just so driven! She would make a decision about something, and then she would go ahead with it, seemingly very easily. She had this nervous confidence that I am just so envious of. Rich is just lovely! He has opinions and views that I have, and it was just so odd yet eye opening! He’s cute and funny, and doesn’t take himself too seriously, but also doesn’t have the best self-esteem. He is just adorable, and I would quite like to adopt him.

Rich and Mad is graphic in places, but most of the time it’s just so sweet! That might sound odd, but I don’t think there really is any other word to describe it. There is one scene where Mad and her friend watch porn, which is a little bit shocking – for me anyway – but also pretty hilarious in how the girls react to it. None of it is gratuitous, and it’s all dealt with maturely yet realistically.

Although Rich and Mad is mainly focussed on their relationships and the way they think, there are other issues covered in the story that teens may come across. I loved all these little sub-plots, it made the book seem more realistic – there were other things going on outside Rich and Maddy’s individual bubbles, but effect them indirectly.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book! I stayed up quite late last night to finish it, and closed book "aww"-ing at what a lovely, sweet read it was. I swear every girl and every guy should read this book; not only is it an amazing story, it’s opens your eyes and makes you think. I very much doubt there will be a sequel, but I so wish there would be! Another book joining my favourites!

From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book review blog.(less)

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Oct 19, 2012 Iolanda rated it 1 of 5 stars

Didn't like this book at all. Hadn't even got to chapter five before I basically slammed it against the wall.
It's meant to be about teenagers, friendship and love. Okay, I was captivated by the front cover and I thought it looked cute and I'm never the type of person to just judge a book by it's cover but it was positively this time, so it didn't count. Anyway, I gave it a quick scan and decided to purchase it.
It took me four days to get round to it and I started reading it last night before I w...more

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Oct 09, 2010 Coco rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, ya, contemporary

I wasn't sure how I would feel about this contemporary/realistic book. I picked it up because I needed a break from the paranormal. I had read that this book was considered controversial by some due to sexual content. However, this turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

This is a story about firsts. The book follows seventeen year olds Mad and Rich as they attempt to navigate a whole list of firsts: first love, first betrayals, first sex, etc. You name it, it's in this book.

I fell in love with R...more

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Jan 09, 2011 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4.5/5
I’ll admit it. I picked this book up at a book blogger party because I was told there was a hot sex scene in it and I was game for that. Well, I’ll go ahead and tell you, I was not at all disappointed in that arena! Quite blushing, really.

I was also very excited in this being my first British YA book. If you’re a Britophile like myself you’ll love all the quirky words and phrases and ponder over what a yum yum is (even a British friend of mine didn’t know!). The style is a bit unique and so...more 4.5/5
I’ll admit it. I picked this book up at a book blogger party because I was told there was a hot sex scene in it and I was game for that. Well, I’ll go ahead and tell you, I was not at all disappointed in that arena! Quite blushing, really.

I was also very excited in this being my first British YA book. If you’re a Britophile like myself you’ll love all the quirky words and phrases and ponder over what a yum yum is (even a British friend of mine didn’t know!). The style is a bit unique and sometimes very stark in means of description and that takes a bit to get used to, but once I did, I hardly noticed it. In case you didn’t know, Nicholson is actually and Academy Award nominee screenwriter!

But what most impacted me and LOVED about this book was the insightful teenage thoughts and speculations on relationships in Rich’s POV. Maddy’s could get a bit negative, but his were so sweet and true, funny and just a touch heart-wrenching. Here’s a little quote for you on relationships and sex: “He had no confidence in himself as a seducer, but he knew he could be a comforter; hoping through kindness to arrive at closeness. It’s closeness we all want. Sex too, in time, but only because it’s the closest kind of closeness. He was far more afraid alone than being a virgin.”

Some people on Goodreads have given this book a low rating because of it’s graphic sex scene that happens at the end, calling it “vulgar”. First of all you rate it low because of that and you negate the first 300 pages that weren’t like that. Second, you clearly weren’t paying attention to the relationship that defined the ‘graphic, but not sexy’ sex. And thirdly, they are British. The British throw around “vulgar” words like cock a lot more than we do. I commend this book for being realistic! Teens have sex, might as well not stick your head in the sand about it.

Overall, I loved this book for its Grade A drama, humor and truths as well as bringing up a number of other issues teens have to face like abusive relationships, parent’s relationship problems and horribly deceitful friends. (less)

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Jul 04, 2011 Lisa (Badass Bookie) rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Short Story? – A novel about first love, first sex and everything in between. Rich and Mad is a coming-to-age that deals with issues that teens face everyday. Lies, betrayal and the importance of love. A novel about first times for everything and taking risks, learning to trust and getting back up when knocked down.

The Long Story? – The first thing that caught my notice about this book was the US cover, the couple in the steamy telephone box. Then I noticed the title, Rich and Mad, sounds l...more The Short Story? – A novel about first love, first sex and everything in between. Rich and Mad is a coming-to-age that deals with issues that teens face everyday. Lies, betrayal and the importance of love. A novel about first times for everything and taking risks, learning to trust and getting back up when knocked down.

The Long Story? – The first thing that caught my notice about this book was the US cover, the couple in the steamy telephone box. Then I noticed the title, Rich and Mad, sounds like a scandalicious love story. Probably filled with good-looking boys, rich girls and boarding school. False. The cover and the title are very deceptive :P Rich (aka Richard) and Mad (aka Maddy) are two teens, this novel is a coming-to-age novel and I’m not a fan of coming-to-age novels. Not the greatest way to start reading is it?

As far as coming-to-age novels come, this is one of the better ones I have read. The plot was pretty good, a good flow and the pace suited the storyline. It was clever for Nicholson to alternate between telling the story between Rich and Mad, makes it a little more interesting. There was a start, middle and an ending and to expand from that there was drama and personal growth. One of my favorite things about the novel was the plot. It was boring at times and the romance was a little dry but Nicholson has written a fairly complex plot, it’s layered. It’s neat and carefully planned, it’s easy to read and understandable. We have the big idea of love but then we also have friendship and family, Rich and Mad deal with a lot of problems that teenagers face. First love, friendship, acceptance and dysfunctional families to an extent.

The characterization was brilliant. The thing I loved is that Rich and Mad wasn’t in love with each other from the start, they weren’t even in love at the end. They were together in the end because they needed each other. The novel was really telling two stories, Rich’s and Mad’s and how they choices and life pushed them together. Both of protagonists were complex characters that we can all connect to because we’re all teenagers at some point and the experiences they go through are ones that we went through as well. The novel also breaks the cliché that the boys have to be good-looking, let’s face guys, not all the guys are good-looking ( I know, the truth hurts, date a book not a boy :P) Minor characters were very well developed, we had characters to play every role. The loyal friend, the backstabbing friend, the schoolgirl crush, the clingy girlfriend, the beautiful sibling, the jerk sibling, the supportive parent and the not-so-supportive one. A great cast of characters that Nicholson obviously put a lot of thought into.

Rich and Mad is novel that I wished I had read a year or two ago. It’s a novel that deals with problems teenagers face hence the coming-to-age theme. Strong narrative voice, fantastic characterization and a plot that’s been carefully planned. Rich and Mad is a novel to be enjoyed by boys and girls of all ages, its powerful book that can be easily related to. For fans of Sarah Dessen and Judy Blume. (less)

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Mar 14, 2011 Liv Carter rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oh man, I HATE to give this book a bad review because it was really up and down for me.

The reasons I liked it:
1) it's very British- the humor, the language, the characters, the setting
2) I enjoyed the characters - they were funny & interesting (the lead male wasn't your typical romantic hero)
3) The frank talk about love and sex as a teenager
4) There were a few twists that I didn't expect. I'm pretty good at seeing things coming & I didn't know what was going on with a couple of the sid...more

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Jan 27, 2011 Bethany Miller rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: royal-january

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

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Jun 12, 2011 Kalliste rated it 4 of 5 stars

To be honest, when I picked up this book I didn't realise the author was male. So here is my big generalisation... I don't think male authors write teenager girls very well. To the point that when I realised a man wrote this book I nearly didn't read it.

The fact that it had 2 main characters kept me wanting to read more. I love books that are written in this style. I would have liked if it were first person more but still, this book was still a wonderful read.

This is the best I've ever seen a ma...more

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Sep 03, 2010 Val rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Okay lets jump right into this review. I was excited to read this book! Originally, I thought it would be a great take on high school life, love and relationships. Now let me tell it is not that I am against sex in novels, I just feel if it should be tastefully written or if it’s going to be so honest don’t use profanity. Especially in reference to a young adult novel you have to really consider who your book is reaching out to and how you are writing it. Now with that said, Rich and Mad’s story...more

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Jul 24, 2010 The Readings of a Busy Mom Riaz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review

www.thereadingsofabusymom.blogspot.com

As it says on William Nicholson's website, 'this is a book written for girls and guys to show them what girls and guys think about love and sex.' Having read my fair share of YA novels that touch on the subject none of them came close to Rich and Mad, Its honest, genuine and out right ruthless not caring whats written William just gets down and dirty!

I was taken on a journey that not only I related to but that was undeniable truth...nothing comes easy when y...more

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Dec 29, 2010 Danna rated it 3 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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May 02, 2011 Melissa rated it 3 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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Sep 20, 2011 Natasha Martinez rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While I won't pretend that the characters of Mad and Rich are the kind that you'll remember for the rest of your life, this novel truly is beautifully - even poetically - written. The topics explored - teen sex and love - have a tendency to be touchy subjects and when written about appear cheesy or down right raunchy. However, Nicholson's manages to turn these topics into something lovely, and well, beautiful. Though Nicholson's writing style is something to aspire to, what is also remarkable is...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Clarabel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Etonnant, ce roman sur la sexualité des adolescents (avec, en sus, une scène 'graphique' qui en a choqué plus d'un !) ! Mais il parle aussi et surtout d'amour et de sentiments, des questions sur l'attirance et le désir, sur la démonstration en actes et en paroles, avec au centre Maddy, une jeune fille qui a décidé de tomber amoureuse, pour de vrai, et Rich, un garçon perdu dans son monde, rêveur et poétique, très intelligent et original... Lui est amoureux de la copine de Maddy, celle-ci en pinc...more

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Mar 23, 2011 Bianca rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It was really hard for me to decide if I wanted to give this book three stars or four stars. I guess I'm in between liking it and really liking it.

When I first started reading Rich and Mad I wasn't quite sure if I was going to end up liking it or not. Some parts were kind of slow and other things just really made me want to roll my eyes. The way Maddy acted and the things that happen in the beginning just made me embarrassed for the characters involved. It's like when you see someone making a fo...more

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Jun 12, 2010 YA Reader rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone over 13

'Rich and Mad' is the story of two teenagers, both seventeen and both searching for love. Yes the book is explicit in parts but do not let this put you off; it is tackled sensibly and with great care and thought, ensuring the book is accessible even to younger teenage readers.

Nicholson deals with a whole range of issues that most young adult authors tend to steer clear of. These include porn, violence, bereavement and of course sex. It is hard to write a YA book about sex that is not patronising...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Dreamer rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: not-so-good

***Please don't read this review if you really love this book. I don't want to offend any of you.***

I've seen this book several times in the library. I always thought it looked cliche and predictable.
I decided to check it out one day because I wanted to at least give it a try.
Let me tell you something. From page one, I could feel my IQ drop consistently.
Basically, this girl named Maddy wants to fall in love. She has a best friend named...wait for it...Grace, who is prettier and better at...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Kassiah rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: do-not-waste-your-time, high-school, ya, pub-2010

I'm giving this 2 stars, though I really feel like I mean 1-1/2 stars. It was okay. And in the end, I really didn't like it. But...I don't want to be too harsh. So, here's my review.

First of all, I need to say that this is a British author and though I feel that I am totally down with Britishisms, this book makes me feel like perhaps I'm not as cool as I thought. Either way, if I were a girl in the UK, I might have had a different view of this. I doubt it, but I thought I'd disclaim.

I picked th...more I'm giving this 2 stars, though I really feel like I mean 1-1/2 stars. It was okay. And in the end, I really didn't like it. But...I don't want to be too harsh. So, here's my review.

First of all, I need to say that this is a British author and though I feel that I am totally down with Britishisms, this book makes me feel like perhaps I'm not as cool as I thought. Either way, if I were a girl in the UK, I might have had a different view of this. I doubt it, but I thought I'd disclaim.

I picked this book up at the library because hello? Did you see the cover? It's steamy hot, right? And the title: Rich and Mad made me think I would be reading something like my favorite fic, with beautiful rich kids running around and making out in phone booths.

Not so much.

Rich and Mad are actually the main characters names. They are in high school and don't really run in the same social circles. Rich has a tremendous crush on Grace, who is Maddy's best friend. Maddy has a crush on one of the most popular boys at school. They kind of commiserate together. This story is a sort of coming-of-age in that Maddy and Rich both have to grow up and realize that although you don't always get what you want, sometimes you get what you never thought you needed. I can't really tell you very much more about the plot, because I would spoil it, but there is a bit of a mystery and there is some humor, as well as some angst. And lots of talk about sex.

There were a couple of things that I did like about this, which upped the rating slightly for me. I liked the characters, even if I didn't agree with much that they did. I especially liked Maddy's friend, Cath, and Joe's brother. I also liked Rich's little sister. lthough I didn't feel like it really fit in with the story of Rich and Mad and/or their crushes, I liked that the situations with each of their families was realistic.

What I didn't like: Basically everything else. There were a couple of swoony moments, but not really anything to write home about. And the progression of the relationships was kind of...off. (view spoiler) ::shrugs::

Overall, I would definitely not recommend this to younger teenagers, because although it does have some really good messages about standing up for yourself and not being a doormat, the flippant attitude about sex seems wrong to me. I wouldn't recommend it to older teenagers either, because I feel like the characters are just so immature. So, I don't know who I'd recommend it to. None of my friends, for sure.(less)

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Jan 09, 2012 Arushi rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: wtf-is-this, young-adult, le-eyes-are-burning, translate-espanol-no-way-jose

Note to self- Don’t pick up books just because the cover is hot. Spare yourself the headache.

'Rich and Mad' has issues. Big issues that need to be talked about, taken out of the book and thrown away somewhere. This book only has -
a) Dialogue(not the good kind which makes you forget that detailed writing ever existed)
b) The characters (crazy seventeen year olds who are driven by lust and all they seem to talk about is sex)
c) More dialogue
d) More sex

It's as predictable as books get. Girl likes...more

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May 01, 2011 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2011, sold-or-given-away

Rich and Mad is not for everyone. There's talk about sex in this book, and there is sex in this book. I'm going to get that out of the way first, because it seems like a lot of people have a hard time reading it because of the sex and are complaining about it, and therefore giving it a very low rating. I personally didn't mind that part of the novel at all because without it, Rich and Mad wouldn't have been as wonderful as it was.

I found both main characters, Maddy and Rich, were easy to relate...more

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Rich And Mad

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