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Cringe: Teenage Diaries, Journals, Notes, Letters, Poems, and Abandoned Rock Operas
Did you keep a diary during your teen years? Do you have a box of loopy-cursive, never-sent notes to your crush? Or some overwrought poetry about your bleak existence? An unfinished rockopera? Well, you’re not alone, and in Cringe , you’ll find a reason to unearth your adolescent angst and have a good laugh—at yourself.
A compilation of real teenage diary and journal entries, letters,
songs, stories, and lists—along with biting commentary, background, and self-examination from the now so-called grown-ups who wrote them— Cringe offers a voyeuristic glimpse at the roller coaster of youth in all of its navel-gazing, soul-searching, social-skewering glory.
Cringe -worthy excerpts include
Really bad
I lumber like the sad clown with
the hope that my performance
might make you smile.
Yet I am a flickering star over
a cloudy sky.
Blush-inducing pep
OK. It’s the end of February. No more
kidding around! You have to go out
with someone! You haven’t gone out
with someone since the summer!
At least fool around with someone!
Come on! You’ve got it in ya!
Questionable
My mom is madly in love with
her boyfriend. . . . Cool! He’s so rich
. . . I could get a lot out of this—
vacations, a car—if he buys my mom
one + she gives me hers—psyche!
And rages against the world at
I am living in a dream world.
Wishes are a bunch of crap.
They never come true so what’s
the use of even wasting your
time hoping they’ll come true
when they don’t?
Inspired by the New York–based reading series of the same name, Cringe will help you realize that being a grown-up isn’t all that terrible. At least you don’t have to worry about who’s going to be at the mall anymore.
A compilation of real teenage diary and journal entries, letters,
songs, stories, and lists—along with biting commentary, background, and self-examination from the now so-called grown-ups who wrote them— Cringe offers a voyeuristic glimpse at the roller coaster of youth in all of its navel-gazing, soul-searching, social-skewering glory.
Cringe -worthy excerpts include
Really bad
I lumber like the sad clown with
the hope that my performance
might make you smile.
Yet I am a flickering star over
a cloudy sky.
Blush-inducing pep
OK. It’s the end of February. No more
kidding around! You have to go out
with someone! You haven’t gone out
with someone since the summer!
At least fool around with someone!
Come on! You’ve got it in ya!
Questionable
My mom is madly in love with
her boyfriend. . . . Cool! He’s so rich
. . . I could get a lot out of this—
vacations, a car—if he buys my mom
one + she gives me hers—psyche!
And rages against the world at
I am living in a dream world.
Wishes are a bunch of crap.
They never come true so what’s
the use of even wasting your
time hoping they’ll come true
when they don’t?
Inspired by the New York–based reading series of the same name, Cringe will help you realize that being a grown-up isn’t all that terrible. At least you don’t have to worry about who’s going to be at the mall anymore.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published August 26, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
September 19, 2008
A very thorough review of Cringe, edited by Sarah Brown.
INSIDE COVER (ENDPAPERS): Over the past two weeks, I've read the inside cover about ten times now. It's a daily log of outfits worn by a teenager to school. I've read this ten times because I like the way this list makes me feel, so I have trouble progressing past this point. I, too, am a keeper of pointless records and logs. God knows I'll be referring to those lists when I'm 80 years-old way more than the snarky text I wrote in my youth. Anyway, on to the snarky youth!
TITLE PAGE: I like the switch from the white on red "Cringe" to the red on white "Cringe." It's very dramatic, like I activated the flux capacitor to 1986.
PUBLISHER INFO: Printed in Singapore? Really? The inevitable Spanish Cringe Book is going to make a bundle of profit (lower overheard). Also, Elizabeth Van Itallie did a great job designing the first five pages so far.
FAVORITE SUBMISSIONS (in order of appearance):
1. Sarah Brown - The more info that be can be given to the reader about the circumstances of an author’s entry, the more that I enjoyed the contribution. Sarah Brown’s excerpt is great because it's rich with history and explanation. I really appreciated how she provided a running commentary within the text of her piece. I think that approach is hugely successful and wished other contributors knew to do that, rather than an author generalizing that he or she doesn't remember the circumstances of when he or she wrote the diary entry.
2. Greg Howard - Simply glamorous.
3. Unknown – The suspense/serenity list reminds me of my own teenage journal because it's less concerned about first person. It's like the author knew that it would be read by a third party one day. I also liked that certain selections are highlighted so I know which text I should pay extra attention to.
4. Amy Shapiro – This is the fashion list that appears on the inside cover. The tenacity of writing down what is essentially the same “different” outfit everyday is hilarious.
5. Hollie Pocsai – I thought that the illogical idea of a father taking 45 minutes to retrieve a newspaper meant he was cheating on the mother was very amusing. It also provided a less selfish diary topic, which was a refreshing change of pace.
6. Elizabeth Summer – This contribution is like slapstick in text form. I guess the proper term is sight gag. Anyway, I really enjoyed it because of the ol’ switcheroo: the image of a journal cover (which is something that the public is actually allowed to see) rather than the forbidden personal contents of the journal.
7. Tracie Masek’s first entry stole the book. I laughed out loud in public reading her Journal of Rage and Hatred. The repetitious insult of so-and-so “is a big fat idiot” killed me, as did the fact that each insult took up an entire page.
8. Aubrey Sabala – The message in this excerpt was brutal. “Let's still be friends.” No explanation needed.
9. Kristine Smith - Yet another entry that actually made me giggle. “My life has been going super.” God. It's swimming in teen posturing.
10. Josh Newman – This one stood out because he’s an unabashed boob lover. He probably hasn’t changed one bit.
11. The Death of Brandon Walsh - This letter is featured in the Letters to Celebrities section. His typed letter was one of the longer submissions and I read every word. The reasoning of why Beverly Hills 90210 would benefit from killing Brandon Walsh is both self-serving and really great. "Quarterly reunions would be fun." I can see the train of thought so clearly, like his ideas would teach Hollywood a thing or two, and maybe they'd bring him on board to produce.
12. Tracie Masek (again) – Tracie's second entry is a letter that she wrote to actors on the X-Files. I have full faith that Tracie Masek should never ever throw away anything that she’s ever written.
13 & 14. The Last Will & Testament section is probably my favorite. Liz and Erinn's wills were a great note to end on. The concept of a teen’s most valued possession is interesting because the things they own are based on infatuations and fitting-in with their peers. While reading the list of possessions, I kept thinking that had the author passed away, and had their friend been given the giant Luke Perry poster, would the friend still covet that poster today? They’re wonderful examples of the trivial and fleeting mind of a teenager.
AFTERTHOUGHT: The book’s close is a brilliant piece of commentary. Sarah Brown said something that I had never thought of before, but it’s so true and eloquent:
“When I was a teenager myself, I always thought I'd be one of those cool adults who Understood and Listened, but now I realize that my reaction to any current angst is Please go form your personality somewhere far away from me." That is just awesome writing.
MISCELLANY:
1. I enjoyed the chapter introductions. They were short and sweet. A few of them hit the nail on the head.
2. Why wasn't the submission on the bottom right corner of page 213 given its own page?! The actions of Rick Springfield at a Rick Springfield concert as interpreted by a teenager are gold!
CRITICISMS:
1. The book contributors who have performed at the monthly Cringe readings have superior content to those who have not. Which kind of makes sense, since the performers have had a test audience to help them craft their responses as to why the diary excerpts make them cringe. Also, the Cringe performers have a firm grasp of the concept, whereas the other contributors to the book are shooting in the dark with their book submission and hoping it matches the live show's aesthetic.
2. Another area that needed improvement was identifying the age of the author at the time the diary entry was written. Most entries included the date that it was written, but reading a year means nothing to me. If somebody dated an entry 1991, heck, I was sixteen, but I can't assume that the author is my peer. That person could have been eight or twenty in 1991. I just don't know.
3. I found the first instance of the "editor's notes" confusing. I'm still not entirely sure that I get it. The other appearances made more sense, but the "editor's notes" in general lacked cohesion compared to the rest of the material. It took me out of the story, if you will.
4. I could not get into the poetry section, even with the knowledge that the awkward poems are now considered humorous. That section was skimmed rather quickly. Sorry!
INSIDE COVER (ENDPAPERS): Over the past two weeks, I've read the inside cover about ten times now. It's a daily log of outfits worn by a teenager to school. I've read this ten times because I like the way this list makes me feel, so I have trouble progressing past this point. I, too, am a keeper of pointless records and logs. God knows I'll be referring to those lists when I'm 80 years-old way more than the snarky text I wrote in my youth. Anyway, on to the snarky youth!
TITLE PAGE: I like the switch from the white on red "Cringe" to the red on white "Cringe." It's very dramatic, like I activated the flux capacitor to 1986.
PUBLISHER INFO: Printed in Singapore? Really? The inevitable Spanish Cringe Book is going to make a bundle of profit (lower overheard). Also, Elizabeth Van Itallie did a great job designing the first five pages so far.
FAVORITE SUBMISSIONS (in order of appearance):
1. Sarah Brown - The more info that be can be given to the reader about the circumstances of an author’s entry, the more that I enjoyed the contribution. Sarah Brown’s excerpt is great because it's rich with history and explanation. I really appreciated how she provided a running commentary within the text of her piece. I think that approach is hugely successful and wished other contributors knew to do that, rather than an author generalizing that he or she doesn't remember the circumstances of when he or she wrote the diary entry.
2. Greg Howard - Simply glamorous.
3. Unknown – The suspense/serenity list reminds me of my own teenage journal because it's less concerned about first person. It's like the author knew that it would be read by a third party one day. I also liked that certain selections are highlighted so I know which text I should pay extra attention to.
4. Amy Shapiro – This is the fashion list that appears on the inside cover. The tenacity of writing down what is essentially the same “different” outfit everyday is hilarious.
5. Hollie Pocsai – I thought that the illogical idea of a father taking 45 minutes to retrieve a newspaper meant he was cheating on the mother was very amusing. It also provided a less selfish diary topic, which was a refreshing change of pace.
6. Elizabeth Summer – This contribution is like slapstick in text form. I guess the proper term is sight gag. Anyway, I really enjoyed it because of the ol’ switcheroo: the image of a journal cover (which is something that the public is actually allowed to see) rather than the forbidden personal contents of the journal.
7. Tracie Masek’s first entry stole the book. I laughed out loud in public reading her Journal of Rage and Hatred. The repetitious insult of so-and-so “is a big fat idiot” killed me, as did the fact that each insult took up an entire page.
8. Aubrey Sabala – The message in this excerpt was brutal. “Let's still be friends.” No explanation needed.
9. Kristine Smith - Yet another entry that actually made me giggle. “My life has been going super.” God. It's swimming in teen posturing.
10. Josh Newman – This one stood out because he’s an unabashed boob lover. He probably hasn’t changed one bit.
11. The Death of Brandon Walsh - This letter is featured in the Letters to Celebrities section. His typed letter was one of the longer submissions and I read every word. The reasoning of why Beverly Hills 90210 would benefit from killing Brandon Walsh is both self-serving and really great. "Quarterly reunions would be fun." I can see the train of thought so clearly, like his ideas would teach Hollywood a thing or two, and maybe they'd bring him on board to produce.
12. Tracie Masek (again) – Tracie's second entry is a letter that she wrote to actors on the X-Files. I have full faith that Tracie Masek should never ever throw away anything that she’s ever written.
13 & 14. The Last Will & Testament section is probably my favorite. Liz and Erinn's wills were a great note to end on. The concept of a teen’s most valued possession is interesting because the things they own are based on infatuations and fitting-in with their peers. While reading the list of possessions, I kept thinking that had the author passed away, and had their friend been given the giant Luke Perry poster, would the friend still covet that poster today? They’re wonderful examples of the trivial and fleeting mind of a teenager.
AFTERTHOUGHT: The book’s close is a brilliant piece of commentary. Sarah Brown said something that I had never thought of before, but it’s so true and eloquent:
“When I was a teenager myself, I always thought I'd be one of those cool adults who Understood and Listened, but now I realize that my reaction to any current angst is Please go form your personality somewhere far away from me." That is just awesome writing.
MISCELLANY:
1. I enjoyed the chapter introductions. They were short and sweet. A few of them hit the nail on the head.
2. Why wasn't the submission on the bottom right corner of page 213 given its own page?! The actions of Rick Springfield at a Rick Springfield concert as interpreted by a teenager are gold!
CRITICISMS:
1. The book contributors who have performed at the monthly Cringe readings have superior content to those who have not. Which kind of makes sense, since the performers have had a test audience to help them craft their responses as to why the diary excerpts make them cringe. Also, the Cringe performers have a firm grasp of the concept, whereas the other contributors to the book are shooting in the dark with their book submission and hoping it matches the live show's aesthetic.
2. Another area that needed improvement was identifying the age of the author at the time the diary entry was written. Most entries included the date that it was written, but reading a year means nothing to me. If somebody dated an entry 1991, heck, I was sixteen, but I can't assume that the author is my peer. That person could have been eight or twenty in 1991. I just don't know.
3. I found the first instance of the "editor's notes" confusing. I'm still not entirely sure that I get it. The other appearances made more sense, but the "editor's notes" in general lacked cohesion compared to the rest of the material. It took me out of the story, if you will.
4. I could not get into the poetry section, even with the knowledge that the awkward poems are now considered humorous. That section was skimmed rather quickly. Sorry!
January 29, 2008
It seems ridiculous to do this, but equally ridiculous not to, so, you know.
September 8, 2008
My embarrassing teen writing:
“Dear Corey,
I know we are so totally in love. This feels so amazing, doesn’t it? I was wondering if you would like to kiss me, a lot. I know I love you and I am so happy that you love me too. What’s your favorite gum?
Love, Emily Davis”
Here’s the backstory:
First of all, my name was actually Emily MAXWELL, but Corey’s last name was Davis. But since we were getting married, I figured I’d just start using his last name.
In 7th grade, I was at lunch one day and a guy named Zack (who I kinda sorta was in love with) was making matches between people at the table. I had never ever “gone out” with anyone, despite my trying for many years. So when Zack jokingly said, “Emily and Corey (another kid at the table) should go out!” I was #1 crushed that Zack himself had not asked me, #2 realized that Zack must be so much in love with me that he couldn’t admit it and so this was the best he could do and #3 was like totally freaking out!!!!! But I held in my freaking long enough to casually say, “Yeah, sure, like whatever.” And there it was…MY FIRST BOYFRIEND!!! I had never really thought about Corey too much until then. Wow! True love felt so great!! I think I floated to my locker to get my algebra books. And I’ll bet I didn’t learn a thing in class that day.
So our relationship progressed pretty quickly. Because classes were on alternating days, we passed each other in the hallway either two or three times a week. Those three-times-a-week weeks were so great. It just felt so good to be that close to someone. We actually looked at each other probably most of the time, or not. I don’t remember, I just remember the utter euphoria of knowing that I was definitely, truly in love. But deep down I did realize that our relationship would need to progress if we were going to get married, which we totally obviously were going to do. I had the idea of writing him a note. I thought that would ease us toward marriage better than actually speaking to him. Also, including a piece of my favorite gum, Cinna-burst, was a pre-cursor to him offering me an engagement ring.
I carefully chose the most romantic heart shaped piece of paper that I could find. I did some run-thoughs on regular paper. I thoroughly shredded them and deposited tiny portions in garbage cans around the school, just in case the janitors got curious and tried to piece them back together. The final draft I wrote with my most romantic pink pen.
I never did give that note to Corey. I chickened out every other day! I even had to keep replacing the gum because it kept getting sweaty pocket lint on it. Oh how my life might have been different…
Actually, Corey and I later became friends and we still talk on occasion. We have both married other totally awesome people. But we have discussed that, technically, we are still “going out” because we never did break up.
“Dear Corey,
I know we are so totally in love. This feels so amazing, doesn’t it? I was wondering if you would like to kiss me, a lot. I know I love you and I am so happy that you love me too. What’s your favorite gum?
Love, Emily Davis”
Here’s the backstory:
First of all, my name was actually Emily MAXWELL, but Corey’s last name was Davis. But since we were getting married, I figured I’d just start using his last name.
In 7th grade, I was at lunch one day and a guy named Zack (who I kinda sorta was in love with) was making matches between people at the table. I had never ever “gone out” with anyone, despite my trying for many years. So when Zack jokingly said, “Emily and Corey (another kid at the table) should go out!” I was #1 crushed that Zack himself had not asked me, #2 realized that Zack must be so much in love with me that he couldn’t admit it and so this was the best he could do and #3 was like totally freaking out!!!!! But I held in my freaking long enough to casually say, “Yeah, sure, like whatever.” And there it was…MY FIRST BOYFRIEND!!! I had never really thought about Corey too much until then. Wow! True love felt so great!! I think I floated to my locker to get my algebra books. And I’ll bet I didn’t learn a thing in class that day.
So our relationship progressed pretty quickly. Because classes were on alternating days, we passed each other in the hallway either two or three times a week. Those three-times-a-week weeks were so great. It just felt so good to be that close to someone. We actually looked at each other probably most of the time, or not. I don’t remember, I just remember the utter euphoria of knowing that I was definitely, truly in love. But deep down I did realize that our relationship would need to progress if we were going to get married, which we totally obviously were going to do. I had the idea of writing him a note. I thought that would ease us toward marriage better than actually speaking to him. Also, including a piece of my favorite gum, Cinna-burst, was a pre-cursor to him offering me an engagement ring.
I carefully chose the most romantic heart shaped piece of paper that I could find. I did some run-thoughs on regular paper. I thoroughly shredded them and deposited tiny portions in garbage cans around the school, just in case the janitors got curious and tried to piece them back together. The final draft I wrote with my most romantic pink pen.
I never did give that note to Corey. I chickened out every other day! I even had to keep replacing the gum because it kept getting sweaty pocket lint on it. Oh how my life might have been different…
Actually, Corey and I later became friends and we still talk on occasion. We have both married other totally awesome people. But we have discussed that, technically, we are still “going out” because we never did break up.
August 29, 2008
I haven't even started reading it yet. But I'm giving it 5 stars because it looks and feels good in my hands. Also, check out that author photo. What lovely hair!
Update: I'm probably biased, but pages 76-77 are easily the best pages in the book (so far).
Update 2: Holy shit. I just read Tracie Masek's contribution while getting a pedicure and I laughed so hard that I may have to revise my earlier statement.
Update: I'm probably biased, but pages 76-77 are easily the best pages in the book (so far).
Update 2: Holy shit. I just read Tracie Masek's contribution while getting a pedicure and I laughed so hard that I may have to revise my earlier statement.
May 22, 2013
"Many people ask why there seems to be such a wave of teenage reflection and recollection lately. Our society definitely likes to fetishize teenagers, and geek culture is no longer on the fringes. We who have grown up with MTV are accustomed on some level to having our lives recorded for us and played back for our own amusement. But Cringe is more than self-absorption or nostalgia. It's natural to look back, to wonder who you were then. Surprise: pretty much who you are now, especially when things get emotional, just buried under layers of experience and better clothing choices."
I started my first diary in 1983. It was a bright blue book with a copper lock and key, Pac-Man emblazoned on the front of it. It was a gift for my ninth birthday, and sometimes I wish I could remember who gave it to me, because it was the beginning of my life as a diarist. Some days I'd like to thank them, other days... yeeeeah.... *cringe*
My elementary school diary entries range from funny to sad (because I was kind of an outcast), but the bits I've read of my teenage diaries are so painfully embarrassing that I can barely look at them. So many feelings! Poetry! Love letters unsent!
And that's what you'll find in Cringe, too, along with commentary from the original authors. Whether they were snark, reflections, or epilogues, these were the parts of Cringe I loved most. These are truly my people.
I started my first diary in 1983. It was a bright blue book with a copper lock and key, Pac-Man emblazoned on the front of it. It was a gift for my ninth birthday, and sometimes I wish I could remember who gave it to me, because it was the beginning of my life as a diarist. Some days I'd like to thank them, other days... yeeeeah.... *cringe*
My elementary school diary entries range from funny to sad (because I was kind of an outcast), but the bits I've read of my teenage diaries are so painfully embarrassing that I can barely look at them. So many feelings! Poetry! Love letters unsent!
And that's what you'll find in Cringe, too, along with commentary from the original authors. Whether they were snark, reflections, or epilogues, these were the parts of Cringe I loved most. These are truly my people.
December 22, 2008
Sarah Brown hosts this reading series by the same name (Cringe) in New York. Basically, people who’ve made it out of their adolescence (people in their late 20s, 30s, 40s) come in and read from their teenage diaries (etc.) all of the embarrassing and horrible and wishful and dramatic things that they wrote at that age. This is a collection of the same. If this is the kind of stuff you were dead serious about as a teen, it’s sure to make you cringe now. But some of it is really hysterical. If you’ve been a teenager, you’re sure to have felt most of these things – depression, angst, rage, glee, delight, lust. All of these emotions are laid bare for you here, in really bad prose, with plenty of misspellings. I love this sort of thing. If you’ve read Found Magazine (or any of the Found collections) or have enjoyed Post Secret (the blog or books), then you’ll like Cringe as well. I (almost) can’t wait to go home and dig up some of my oh so personal and oh so embarrassing teenage writings.
September 17, 2008
Oh wow, "cringe" is right. This book is hilarious. It is a collection of diary entires, bad poetry, unsent love letters, etc. that people have submitted and then commented on. Anyone who has ever kept a diary can certainly identify with the embarassment of coming face-to-face with your narcissistic teenage self. Ouch. I read this book in one sitting and laughed out loud a million times. Oh the drama! Oh the heartache! Oh the angst! I particularly enjoyed reading what people had to say as adults looking back on their childhood words. This book made me want to look back at my old diaries, but I am mortified to imagine what I might find there. Favorite entries -- The Post-It Notes, The Notebook of Rage and Hatred, Problems Descending Importance, and so many others... This is really, really funny!
February 5, 2016
Wow. Just let the title speak for itself, and you can instantly reminisce about your own cringeworthy moments as a teenager. Oh the horror I would find if my mom hadn't thrown away (read: burned) the boxes of diaries, journals, chain letters, MASH games, angst-ridden music lyrics (poetry was just too lame), letters to girls I hated, letters to boys I crushed on (and obviously never sent) and the pages of paper with the names of the boys at school (or on TV) I had crushes on. You know what I mean "Mrs. Shelley Perry. Mrs. Shelley L-Perry, Dr. Shelley Perry, Mrs./Dr. Luke Perry". Don't even say you never did that. You know you did.
January 10, 2009
Thanks to the friend who gifted me this book, I was able to laugh not only through all the essays in it but through recollections of my own spiral-bound notebooks scribbled with entries that reeked of emotion and angst. Why was it I always had to be in the midst of a crisis, or traveling, to take pen to paper - or should I be grateful I was only ever in the midst of such to take pen to paper?! No rock operas in my lot, but otherwise, this trove is entertaining.
Read
February 2, 2009For anyone who kept a journal in their teenage years - READ THIS BOOK! It's the most hysterical piece of voyeuristic teenage misery out there. Well...aside from digging up your old journals from adolescence. Which I promptly did as soon as I was done with this book. Trust me, if you think you weren't this self-loathing, I urge you to dig through your parent's garage for old letters about ((enter name here)) who didn't love you as much as you loved them.
December 31, 2008
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was an easy read that brought lots of smiles and laughter...sometimes I burst out laughing and had people staring at me like I'm a looney-bin! My sister has a couple of her journal entries included, it was so cool to see her name in print. Since I know her writing I found numerous other 'nameless' snippets, an enjoyable bonus. I definitely recommend this book!
January 21, 2009
Every person who ever kept a diary, or still keeps one... or anyone who still has a little angsty teen living inside needs to read this book and keep it in their collection.
It made me want to break out the stacks of notebooks I had in high school and laugh at them.
I will buy this book, I will keep it safe and break it out the first time Izze tells me she hates me.
It made me want to break out the stacks of notebooks I had in high school and laugh at them.
I will buy this book, I will keep it safe and break it out the first time Izze tells me she hates me.
February 24, 2008
This book changed my life. It has strengthened my resolve to be kinder to midgets. It's a searing story set in a timeless period, with a cast of dozens. It is far better than my previous all-time favorite, the penetrating autobiography _Vanna Speaks._ Highly recommended.
December 3, 2008
I picked this up because it was much like the Post Secret type book and the voyeur in me was interested. Little did I know how much it would make me laugh because I WAS that teenaged girl journaling...
January 29, 2009
I got this as a birthday present from my best friend throughout junior high and high school. Very hilarious, in that hits-too-close-to-home sort of way. I'm so grateful to the fine people willing to expose the remnants of their teenage angst for my amusement. I am not that brave.
October 30, 2009
What could be better than reading pieces of teenage diaries? This book too me back, made me laugh and yes, definitely had me cringing with every page. It also inspired me to pull out my old diaries -- those from the 'real years': 1987-1995! Oh glory be!
February 3, 2010
I usually glaze over when people post excerpts from their teenage diaries online so I wasn't sure I was going to love this book, but it turns out I did! The commentary by the grown-up diary writers and the author's chapter introductions really made it. A quick read, definitely worth checking out.
May 1, 2009
Like you are reading someone's personal diary. I could not put it down! Check out her blog: Que Sera Sera.
August 31, 2008
It's funny! Also I'm in it! Go buy one or four.
April 9, 2021
Growing up in the 80s & 90s, I kept many journals. Or, to be more specific, "MY PRIVATE DIARY KEEP OUT! THIS MEANS YOU!!!" sort of notebooks. The most incriminating of the batch I later destroyed out of sheer embarrassment. Others were likely discarded (by my mom) along with countless school-related notebooks after I moved out, right about the time Mom converted my old bedroom into a sewing room.
These tomes likely included such things as:
* Whole sections devoted to my hatred for "Becky", my second grade BFF who ditched me a year later, something I was, obvs still bitter about long afterward (Note: To be fair, though, as memory serves, "Becky" actually was super annoying, always dancing around and singing like a deranged Disney princess.)
* Evidence supporting a theory that my then-BFF Lisa's younger sister was evil. We watched a TON of horror movies back then, many of which involved evil children, which could account for this (Note: I'm still in touch with her today and she's actually a very nice person.)
* My pledge of undying love to Jon Bon Jovi (Note: This makes me cringe more than anything else. But to be fair, it was the late 80s. EVERY girl in my 6th grade class had a crush on JBJ, so I was mostly going with the flow. But honestly, I preferred Keanu Reeves.).
* Notes on the Evil French Exchange Student we hosted for a summer when I was 14...and who my parents forced me to visit the following year because they wanted us to be BFFs, something that never would happen in any of the multiverses. This girl actually WAS evil....or, at least, was later to be discovered to be a confirmed sociopath. The stuff she did to her little sister and the family dog were legitimately "Cringe" and I won't say any of it here (Note: to this day it still terrifies me my parents let her into our home)
* How annoying was my mom? Let me count the ways... (Note: Mom and I never saw eye to eye, but now that we're both adults, we get along much better. But when you're going through puberty at the same time your mom is going through menopause, things are bound to get a little toxic. My poor dad)
* Angry rambling on "Church Dude", Lisa's boyfriend, whom she married right after graduation (surprise plot twist! she met him at her church!), who I absolutely did not like or trust (Note: And I was right about my assessment of the dude. Apparently I was an excellent judge of character even as an overly dramatic teen).
* Also, I recall the phrase, "I am in the depths of despair" recurring often. I know...dramatic, much? Although I DO appreciate the use of alliteration.
* More things of which I shall not speak...or even THINK about....because it's too humiliating even now.
Reading this, though, I feel a since of kindship to the contributors. It's good to know I'm not the only one out there who was a huge dork as a tween/teen. I take tremendous comfort in this.
p.s. I did like the Green Sky Series (book 2 was the best). However, The Changeling, which referenced the series in the same way many of King's books reference The Dark Tower, was better.
These tomes likely included such things as:
* Whole sections devoted to my hatred for "Becky", my second grade BFF who ditched me a year later, something I was, obvs still bitter about long afterward (Note: To be fair, though, as memory serves, "Becky" actually was super annoying, always dancing around and singing like a deranged Disney princess.)
* Evidence supporting a theory that my then-BFF Lisa's younger sister was evil. We watched a TON of horror movies back then, many of which involved evil children, which could account for this (Note: I'm still in touch with her today and she's actually a very nice person.)
* My pledge of undying love to Jon Bon Jovi (Note: This makes me cringe more than anything else. But to be fair, it was the late 80s. EVERY girl in my 6th grade class had a crush on JBJ, so I was mostly going with the flow. But honestly, I preferred Keanu Reeves.).
* Notes on the Evil French Exchange Student we hosted for a summer when I was 14...and who my parents forced me to visit the following year because they wanted us to be BFFs, something that never would happen in any of the multiverses. This girl actually WAS evil....or, at least, was later to be discovered to be a confirmed sociopath. The stuff she did to her little sister and the family dog were legitimately "Cringe" and I won't say any of it here (Note: to this day it still terrifies me my parents let her into our home)
* How annoying was my mom? Let me count the ways... (Note: Mom and I never saw eye to eye, but now that we're both adults, we get along much better. But when you're going through puberty at the same time your mom is going through menopause, things are bound to get a little toxic. My poor dad)
* Angry rambling on "Church Dude", Lisa's boyfriend, whom she married right after graduation (surprise plot twist! she met him at her church!), who I absolutely did not like or trust (Note: And I was right about my assessment of the dude. Apparently I was an excellent judge of character even as an overly dramatic teen).
* Also, I recall the phrase, "I am in the depths of despair" recurring often. I know...dramatic, much? Although I DO appreciate the use of alliteration.
* More things of which I shall not speak...or even THINK about....because it's too humiliating even now.
Reading this, though, I feel a since of kindship to the contributors. It's good to know I'm not the only one out there who was a huge dork as a tween/teen. I take tremendous comfort in this.
p.s. I did like the Green Sky Series (book 2 was the best). However, The Changeling, which referenced the series in the same way many of King's books reference The Dark Tower, was better.
August 16, 2020
More of a stab at being a teen than a sympathetic nod to being a teen. The back cover says “You are a teenager. You are the first person to ever have a feeling and a pen” and the “Afterthought” says “If there’s one thing that this experience has taught me, it’s that I have zero patience for teenagers” (2008, p. 228). With compassion (HEAVY sarcasm) like that, can’t you just see a teen leaping at this book?! There is a complete lack of tact and no attempt to shield identities of the teens' stories. Read PostSecret series instead!
April 29, 2024
This was ok/good.
It caught my eye at the library, I leafed through it and checked it out.
It's a quick (couple nights) read. A compilation of excerpts from people's diaries.
It's not laugh out loud funny, but it is fun to look at... actual photocopies from people's journals and collages and such.
Wouldn't necessarily recommend, but I'm not mad I spent the time. I'd say this is a rated PG/teenage coffee table book.
It caught my eye at the library, I leafed through it and checked it out.
It's a quick (couple nights) read. A compilation of excerpts from people's diaries.
It's not laugh out loud funny, but it is fun to look at... actual photocopies from people's journals and collages and such.
Wouldn't necessarily recommend, but I'm not mad I spent the time. I'd say this is a rated PG/teenage coffee table book.
February 22, 2025
I love "tell all" books featuring embarrassing old journals, especially when it includes photos and sarcastic commentary.
Although someone critiqued, and I agree, it wasn't all that "cringe-worthy," really... probably because it's not your life or writing. And I found the collages at the beginning of each section to be more interesting than the entries themselves (e.g. "I can't believe I'm not a virgin anymore," and "I am sexually frustrated.") I would have liked to read more about that!
Although someone critiqued, and I agree, it wasn't all that "cringe-worthy," really... probably because it's not your life or writing. And I found the collages at the beginning of each section to be more interesting than the entries themselves (e.g. "I can't believe I'm not a virgin anymore," and "I am sexually frustrated.") I would have liked to read more about that!
September 8, 2017
Not sure I completely agree with Brown's pessimistic view on teenager journaling. I do know that I would cringe at some of the things I journaled in the past. I found this a creative book and a great concept.
October 16, 2017
I started out liking it, then it got crude. Not my type of reading material
November 16, 2017
Much better read out live at one of their events rather than read from a book.
March 1, 2021
Some parts are funny, but others are just dumb. And I don't want to read a whole chapter about how they gave so and so a blow job last week. Eww! Not something that needs to be written about.
July 22, 2022
It’ll make you snort laughter and be embarrassed for them! A worth read for anyone, really.
March 15, 2024
2.5 not as funny as I expected but plenty of nostalgia to make it an interesting read
March 24, 2017
Some of these entries were cringe-worthy, but I think others would fall into the you-had-to-be-there category.
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