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My Big Birkett
Gemma Stone is convinced that it's always unseemly to chuck a birkett and that it's actually insane to chuck one in front of a complete stranger. But that was before she fell in love with a boy who barely knows she exists, before she auditioned for the school play, before she met the family of freaks her sister Debbie is marrying into, before the unpredictable Raven De Head took an interest in her, and before she realised that at the right time and for the right reason, a birkett could be a beautiful thing.
A sharply observed, funny and bittersweet novel about testing your wings and finding your feet.
A sharply observed, funny and bittersweet novel about testing your wings and finding your feet.
333 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2006
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2521 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Shanahan
27 books29 followersLisa Shanahan is a writer of picture books and fiction for young people who lives in Sydney, Australia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 206 reviews
November 26, 2010
After having finished this book, I can’t help but wonder: What is it that makes Australian YA so special – hilariously funny and sad at the same time – but just so wonderful and capturing? It's not that I've read heaps of Australian books, but the tendency can't be denied. Both Melina Marchetta and Jaclyn Moriarty are among my favourite authors and their books can't be compared to most of the other YA books I've read in the last years (which doesn't mean I didn't love those, of course). Yet every time my Australian GR friends add a new Aussie title that sounds promising, I’m let down by every single one of the online bookstores I usually frequent and can't help to feel sad that another great reading experience will probably never make its way across the ocean to Europe. So, this review also includes a call to publishers and booksellers: Please make more of those books available in Europe and the US!
[Sorry, I felt like this had to be said, even if nobody of these people will ever read this ;).]
Luckily My Big Birkett was available here and I'm very happy about that. It also has this – sometimes weird – typical Australian (maybe?) humour, but there are also scenes that make you swallow hard and feel incredibly sad for the characters.
Gemma Stone believes she can't speak in front of people without having to vomit, but when she auditions for the school play (Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'), it turns out she is quite the talent. For practice, she gets paired up with Raven De Head, a member of the town's widely known 'delinquent family', instead of the guy she hoped for, her crush Nick.
At home, Gemma has to deal with her sister Debbie's engagement, the soon-to-be in-law family, the war-obsessed Websters and all the other insanities an upcoming wedding brings with it.
Especially the scenes concerning the Websters and the wedding were hilarious, I sometimes laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes.
On the other side, the scenes concerning the De Head family were sometimes very sad and their situation had an almost hopeless feel to it, especially near the end.
Gemma and Raven are amazing characters, fully fleshed out and lovable. I liked how Gemma grew and learned that only because someone comes from a certain family, it doesn’t mean that he is less worthy or not a good friend.
Raven does come across as the typical bad boy at the beginning, but there is definitely a lot more to his character when you see how he behaves around his brothers and his family in general.
Something I loved about the design of the novel: All the chapter beginnings are headed by instructions on how to make an origami goose, dove or swan [animals mating for life are the theme of Debbie's wedding ;)]. And … I mastered the dove! I'm very proud of myself. As a prove:
It isn't able to flap its wings as described in the instructions, though. But well, flapping is overrated anyway …
[Sorry, I felt like this had to be said, even if nobody of these people will ever read this ;).]
Luckily My Big Birkett was available here and I'm very happy about that. It also has this – sometimes weird – typical Australian (maybe?) humour, but there are also scenes that make you swallow hard and feel incredibly sad for the characters.
Gemma Stone believes she can't speak in front of people without having to vomit, but when she auditions for the school play (Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'), it turns out she is quite the talent. For practice, she gets paired up with Raven De Head, a member of the town's widely known 'delinquent family', instead of the guy she hoped for, her crush Nick.
At home, Gemma has to deal with her sister Debbie's engagement, the soon-to-be in-law family, the war-obsessed Websters and all the other insanities an upcoming wedding brings with it.
Especially the scenes concerning the Websters and the wedding were hilarious, I sometimes laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes.
On the other side, the scenes concerning the De Head family were sometimes very sad and their situation had an almost hopeless feel to it, especially near the end.
Gemma and Raven are amazing characters, fully fleshed out and lovable. I liked how Gemma grew and learned that only because someone comes from a certain family, it doesn’t mean that he is less worthy or not a good friend.
Raven does come across as the typical bad boy at the beginning, but there is definitely a lot more to his character when you see how he behaves around his brothers and his family in general.
Something I loved about the design of the novel: All the chapter beginnings are headed by instructions on how to make an origami goose, dove or swan [animals mating for life are the theme of Debbie's wedding ;)]. And … I mastered the dove! I'm very proud of myself. As a prove:
It isn't able to flap its wings as described in the instructions, though. But well, flapping is overrated anyway …
August 3, 2017
I adored this book. It's funny (silly-grin-on-your-face-half-the-time-you're-reading-it-funny) and it produced the occasional snort of laughter (and I'm not a snorter, even at the best of times). It's utterly charming, really. I just love Gemma, whole-heartedly. She's dramatic and honest and comes from a crazy but genuine Aussie family and I would so be best friends with her (you would be, too). When she stuffs up, I really felt that little sinking feeling in my stomach along with her.
Plus, Raven De Head.
Stroke of genius, that name. Haha.
He is one of the coolest fleshed out love interests ever. Seriously. He is so unpretentious. Somehow, his bad boyness is not at all cliché, but rather heart-wrenchingly honest. I loved the scenes with Raven and the De Head family. The whole De Head family really struck a chord with me. One of those families that have a bad reputation, multiple wrecked cars on the front lawn, a brother in jail and the whole town against them. I actually ached for the boys, so sweet, but all tough exterior. And I could see why Gemma struggled with becoming friends with them. There's one fight scene at the De Head house that is so well done, I swear, I was in that room, wide-eyed and scared alongside Gemma.
This book was short-listed for the Children's Book Council of Australia awards (Australia's biggest annual award) and lost out to Margo Lanagan's red Spikes. It is very Australian - Aussie humour and a heap of our slang. Who doesn't love Aussie humour ;)?
Here's a quote from the School Library Journal that sums it up nicely: "Shanahan's quirky characters are a riot, but the depth of Gemma's growth and heartbreak is genuinely profound."
—Terri Clark
Plus, Raven De Head.
Stroke of genius, that name. Haha.
He is one of the coolest fleshed out love interests ever. Seriously. He is so unpretentious. Somehow, his bad boyness is not at all cliché, but rather heart-wrenchingly honest. I loved the scenes with Raven and the De Head family. The whole De Head family really struck a chord with me. One of those families that have a bad reputation, multiple wrecked cars on the front lawn, a brother in jail and the whole town against them. I actually ached for the boys, so sweet, but all tough exterior. And I could see why Gemma struggled with becoming friends with them. There's one fight scene at the De Head house that is so well done, I swear, I was in that room, wide-eyed and scared alongside Gemma.
This book was short-listed for the Children's Book Council of Australia awards (Australia's biggest annual award) and lost out to Margo Lanagan's red Spikes. It is very Australian - Aussie humour and a heap of our slang. Who doesn't love Aussie humour ;)?
Here's a quote from the School Library Journal that sums it up nicely: "Shanahan's quirky characters are a riot, but the depth of Gemma's growth and heartbreak is genuinely profound."
—Terri Clark
March 29, 2008
I'm a cranky review and I don't give 5 stars freely. A book has to really, REALLY be special for me to do that.
And this one is just that. It's wondeful.
It starts as a funny story about an Aussie girl, her mildly eccentric family and her Bridezilla sister. And that part IS funny--the chapter where Gemma and her family meet the bridegroom's martial family is hilarious.
But along the way there is a second part of the story with much to say about how we judge others, about what makes a family, about love in all its forms. And that theme turns a wedding scene that could have been written strictly for laughs (I mean, flower girls in SWAN costumes?)into a moment where all that Gemma has experienced coalesces for her into a revelation about the true nature of love.
You'll laugh if you read this book. But I also think that you'll be moved by what it has to say about, as Gemma puts it "the large, sprawling, aching, messy catastrophe of loving people up close".
And this one is just that. It's wondeful.
It starts as a funny story about an Aussie girl, her mildly eccentric family and her Bridezilla sister. And that part IS funny--the chapter where Gemma and her family meet the bridegroom's martial family is hilarious.
But along the way there is a second part of the story with much to say about how we judge others, about what makes a family, about love in all its forms. And that theme turns a wedding scene that could have been written strictly for laughs (I mean, flower girls in SWAN costumes?)into a moment where all that Gemma has experienced coalesces for her into a revelation about the true nature of love.
You'll laugh if you read this book. But I also think that you'll be moved by what it has to say about, as Gemma puts it "the large, sprawling, aching, messy catastrophe of loving people up close".
March 9, 2018
1001 rec., aka My Big Birkett
Mostly fun, with some deep poignancy, for young teens. The biggest issue treated too lightly, imo, and I really don't believe in Brian + Debbie, but never mind. The Australian vibe is cool. The Shakespeare is awesome... if I were an English teacher of 14 yos I would have the kids read this with (or before) The Tempest and I bet they'd get a lot more out of the play.
3.5 rounded down just because I have a feeling I won't remember it for long.
I will consider more by the author.
Mostly fun, with some deep poignancy, for young teens. The biggest issue treated too lightly, imo, and I really don't believe in Brian + Debbie, but never mind. The Australian vibe is cool. The Shakespeare is awesome... if I were an English teacher of 14 yos I would have the kids read this with (or before) The Tempest and I bet they'd get a lot more out of the play.
3.5 rounded down just because I have a feeling I won't remember it for long.
I will consider more by the author.
November 14, 2010
I would rate "My Big Birkett" 3,5 stars if I could. I loved the funny style, the metaphors and the wackiness. (I mustn't forget to save some quotes from the first chapters and maybe from the later ones, too.) But I didn't expect it to be that sad and - in parts - hopeless, even. I cannot say that the sadness doesn't fit the story. Barging through the De Head family home purely on humor would gloss over too many cracks that have to be visible and ugly. My heart hurts for Raven De Head, really. All in all I am quite stunned by the mixture of wit, humor and reality.
April 9, 2021
This book was okay. It wasn't bad, but wasn't amazing. I expected more from a book with this title.
This story is basically about a girl getting pushed to the limit with stuff that happens in her family and school life, to the point of (as the title says it) "Completely Losing it".
I liked how this book was real feeling.
I disliked how this book was boring in so many points.
I liked how this book took up some of my free time, gave me something to do while I waited for my next read to appear.
I disliked how this book wasn't "fluffy" and "cute" as you would expect from the title.
I liked the characters in the book, I could totally imagine being the main character in this book!
I disliked how much this book skipped through stuff. I wanted more detail.
CONTENT: Nothing bad really in this book, it does have some things said that might not be appropriate for someone younger. The theme of her older sister's wedding was "animals that mate for life".
This story is basically about a girl getting pushed to the limit with stuff that happens in her family and school life, to the point of (as the title says it) "Completely Losing it".
I liked how this book was real feeling.
I disliked how this book was boring in so many points.
I liked how this book took up some of my free time, gave me something to do while I waited for my next read to appear.
I disliked how this book wasn't "fluffy" and "cute" as you would expect from the title.
I liked the characters in the book, I could totally imagine being the main character in this book!
I disliked how much this book skipped through stuff. I wanted more detail.
CONTENT: Nothing bad really in this book, it does have some things said that might not be appropriate for someone younger. The theme of her older sister's wedding was "animals that mate for life".
July 8, 2012
3.75/5
apart from the shocking twist and abrupt ending, which i was not so fond of, i love how the author effortlessly blended the humour with the drama. and that you couldn't quite pigeonhole most of the characters. taking e.g. raven's dad who seemed to be the villain in his family, but had his jolly moments . gemma .. she was relatable and witty for all her bluntness, but also unsufferable when looking down from her moral high horse, fortunately she came to her senses (more or less).
aussie ya-lit at its best, folks. i enjoyed every glorious minute of it!
book pairings:
okay for now, looking for alibrandi
quotes:
i hesitated. "i thought wearing blue eye shadow was out now?"
"what would you know?" said debbie.
dad walked into the kitchen, his hair slicked down with baby oil. "bloody hell!" he said."did you fall on your face?"
mum's bottom lip flickered. "debbie gave me a makeover."
"with a plank?"
"no," said debbie.
"she can't go to brian's like that," said dad. he wiped the oil off his hands onto a tea towel.
"they'll think i bash her."
(p30)
*** ** *** ** *** ** ***
"how do you know when you're in love?" i asked.
mum stood up and popped her cup in the sink. "oh that's easy. i know a good test. you'll know when you're in love when you meet someone and --despite his faults and flaws-- you'll happily clean his shoe for him after his trodden in dog poo."
"that's the test" i asked. "dog poo? that's the test you used on dad?"
"your father had a lot of flaws," said mum. "he hocked up his phlegm in a way that made my skin crawl. he wasn't a good listener. he was tight with his money. his hair was oily and he always seemed to have a speck of red capsicum caught in his front teeth - but one day we went for a walk and he trod in a mountain of poo, and i couldn't clean it quickly enough. it was delight. a pleasure. after that, i knew he was 'the one', even though his flaws are the same if not worse." she dipped her hands into her pockets and beamed at me.
"the moment that something like the dog poo happens to you and you don't care, you'll know you've found 'the one'!"
"but what about the fireworks, the heart thudding and the legs trembling like jelly?" i asked.
"the're important," said mum. "but they're not always the most reliable hallmarks of enduring, true love."
she patted my head. "no, gem. you can't go past the dog poo test."
(p112-113)
apart from the shocking twist and abrupt ending, which i was not so fond of, i love how the author effortlessly blended the humour with the drama. and that you couldn't quite pigeonhole most of the characters. taking e.g. raven's dad who seemed to be the villain in his family, but had his jolly moments . gemma .. she was relatable and witty for all her bluntness, but also unsufferable when looking down from her moral high horse, fortunately she came to her senses (more or less).
aussie ya-lit at its best, folks. i enjoyed every glorious minute of it!
book pairings:
okay for now, looking for alibrandi
quotes:
i hesitated. "i thought wearing blue eye shadow was out now?"
"what would you know?" said debbie.
dad walked into the kitchen, his hair slicked down with baby oil. "bloody hell!" he said."did you fall on your face?"
mum's bottom lip flickered. "debbie gave me a makeover."
"with a plank?"
"no," said debbie.
"she can't go to brian's like that," said dad. he wiped the oil off his hands onto a tea towel.
"they'll think i bash her."
(p30)
*** ** *** ** *** ** ***
"how do you know when you're in love?" i asked.
mum stood up and popped her cup in the sink. "oh that's easy. i know a good test. you'll know when you're in love when you meet someone and --despite his faults and flaws-- you'll happily clean his shoe for him after his trodden in dog poo."
"that's the test" i asked. "dog poo? that's the test you used on dad?"
"your father had a lot of flaws," said mum. "he hocked up his phlegm in a way that made my skin crawl. he wasn't a good listener. he was tight with his money. his hair was oily and he always seemed to have a speck of red capsicum caught in his front teeth - but one day we went for a walk and he trod in a mountain of poo, and i couldn't clean it quickly enough. it was delight. a pleasure. after that, i knew he was 'the one', even though his flaws are the same if not worse." she dipped her hands into her pockets and beamed at me.
"the moment that something like the dog poo happens to you and you don't care, you'll know you've found 'the one'!"
"but what about the fireworks, the heart thudding and the legs trembling like jelly?" i asked.
"the're important," said mum. "but they're not always the most reliable hallmarks of enduring, true love."
she patted my head. "no, gem. you can't go past the dog poo test."
(p112-113)
March 3, 2011
I love this sort of book, about life in a modern Australian family and growing up and dealing with boy/girl problems, that sort of thing. This was really well-written and quite gripping in places, and very funny too. My only beef with it was that sometimes I think the author tried a little bit TOO hard to play on the reader's emotions and didn't quite get the right balance. It felt a bit cheesy sometimes, like she was laying it on a little thick. Still. A great read.
EDIT: I've just re-read this and have a few more thoughts to add. I loved it as much as I did before - there are some really brilliant, insightful observations about life and the language use is always fresh and interesting, which is great. However I felt like the author was trying to squash three very different stories into one, and they didn't always meld.
One is a funny, light-hearted, outrageous yarn involving a family with an army training ground in their back yard, a mum who is obsessed with cross-stitching fruit (not veg), a drama queen whose boyfriend proposes to her by the spice rack in the corner store, and a girl being forced to wear a swan costume to her sister's wedding.
One is a very serious, intense drama about a teenager getting involved with an underpriveleged Indigenous family and finding out that life isn't as peachy for everyone as it as for her. This is by far the best one - the De Head family are just amazingly real and well-drawn and heartbreaking.
The last one is the story of a theatre production, as told by a passionate drama teacher. This was the one that fell the most flat for me. Gemma and Raven are in Year Nine, which makes them fourteen, maybe fifteen. But they respond to the acting process and to Shakespeare's text with far more maturity and intelligence than many adults would, displaying astonishing depth of understanding of the character's motivations and the nuances of meaning in the text, and are both naturally brilliant actors. It was a little unrealistic.
EDIT: I've just re-read this and have a few more thoughts to add. I loved it as much as I did before - there are some really brilliant, insightful observations about life and the language use is always fresh and interesting, which is great. However I felt like the author was trying to squash three very different stories into one, and they didn't always meld.
One is a funny, light-hearted, outrageous yarn involving a family with an army training ground in their back yard, a mum who is obsessed with cross-stitching fruit (not veg), a drama queen whose boyfriend proposes to her by the spice rack in the corner store, and a girl being forced to wear a swan costume to her sister's wedding.
One is a very serious, intense drama about a teenager getting involved with an underpriveleged Indigenous family and finding out that life isn't as peachy for everyone as it as for her. This is by far the best one - the De Head family are just amazingly real and well-drawn and heartbreaking.
The last one is the story of a theatre production, as told by a passionate drama teacher. This was the one that fell the most flat for me. Gemma and Raven are in Year Nine, which makes them fourteen, maybe fifteen. But they respond to the acting process and to Shakespeare's text with far more maturity and intelligence than many adults would, displaying astonishing depth of understanding of the character's motivations and the nuances of meaning in the text, and are both naturally brilliant actors. It was a little unrealistic.
June 1, 2011
At First Sight: After her sister Debbie drops the bombshell that she's marrying her boyfriend of one month, things start to get a little crazy for fourteen year old Gemma Stone.
She's asked to be a flower girl at the wedding, and to wear a swan costume. She gets asked by her crush to audition for the school play - even though she's sure that he otherwise doesn't know who she is, and if she famously throws up when she has to speak in public - and catches the eye of Raven, one of the De Head boys.
The De Heads are infamous in Gemma's little suburb. Once Mr. De Head blew up the fountain commemorating town's founder; the whole family is considered delinquents in training, and the boys are all named after birds - Crow, Magpie, Raven, Robin and Sparrow.
Everything comes together in the time leading to her sister Debbie's animal themed wedding. Everything... even heartbreak.
Birkett
Second Glance: Otherwise know as My Big Birkett, The Sweet, terrible, glorious year I truly, Completely Lost It wasn't exactly the book I expected it to be. I'm actually not sure what I expected if I'm to be completely honest. I liked Gemma from the start, she's funny and a very fluid narrator, but I wasn't entirely in love with the story.
I liked Raven when he first showed up, he is one of those characters that exude attitude, but I didn't like Nick - Gemma's crush - for example. Jody, Gemma's best friend, was fun but not that developed, and so on. So the book felt a little uneven at times.
Bottom Line: Not my favorite Aussie read of the year so far, but a nice book all the same.
Favorite Quote: "In my family, when anyone rides the wave of their emotions, we say they're chucking a birkett. When the emotion drives out all common sense, we say they're chucking a big one. The telltale signs are: flaming cheeks, shortness of breath, bulging eyes and a prolonged illogical outburst."
She's asked to be a flower girl at the wedding, and to wear a swan costume. She gets asked by her crush to audition for the school play - even though she's sure that he otherwise doesn't know who she is, and if she famously throws up when she has to speak in public - and catches the eye of Raven, one of the De Head boys.
The De Heads are infamous in Gemma's little suburb. Once Mr. De Head blew up the fountain commemorating town's founder; the whole family is considered delinquents in training, and the boys are all named after birds - Crow, Magpie, Raven, Robin and Sparrow.
Everything comes together in the time leading to her sister Debbie's animal themed wedding. Everything... even heartbreak.
Birkett
Second Glance: Otherwise know as My Big Birkett, The Sweet, terrible, glorious year I truly, Completely Lost It wasn't exactly the book I expected it to be. I'm actually not sure what I expected if I'm to be completely honest. I liked Gemma from the start, she's funny and a very fluid narrator, but I wasn't entirely in love with the story.
I liked Raven when he first showed up, he is one of those characters that exude attitude, but I didn't like Nick - Gemma's crush - for example. Jody, Gemma's best friend, was fun but not that developed, and so on. So the book felt a little uneven at times.
Bottom Line: Not my favorite Aussie read of the year so far, but a nice book all the same.
Favorite Quote: "In my family, when anyone rides the wave of their emotions, we say they're chucking a birkett. When the emotion drives out all common sense, we say they're chucking a big one. The telltale signs are: flaming cheeks, shortness of breath, bulging eyes and a prolonged illogical outburst."
September 28, 2011
3.5/5
It’s sweet, cute and ridiculously over the top. Her family is so out there that it’s a wonder Gemma didn’t throw more fits (or “birketts” as she calls them) than she did. The characters are absolutely darling though, and Gemma, the most darling of all. The best thing (and worse thing) about her, is how aware she was. She knew precisely who her family was and what they could be. She was also perfectly aware of how she could act and what she ought not do. The sad thing was despite this knowing, she could behave just as atrociously as others did!
As to what she thought of her family, I loved how they came across…outrageously hilarious and sometimes impossibly insane… what with her sister’s bride-zilla impersonation and her father’s inability to put a sock in it. Yet, there was an obvious affection that tied them together. There had to be an affection, for I simply do not know what would have convinced her to wear a swan get-up as the flower girl despite being 14!
Of course there’s the young girl side of her… crushes and all that, that had me a little swoony. Even this part of her I enjoyed. She’s hopelessly shy, but was crushing on Nick.. it’s this that gets her to audition for a part in a play. And it’s here that she got to know who was “real” and who was not.
Then there’s Raven. It’s Raven’s part of the story that brought out the swoony girly-girl in me, but at the same time had me blinking some tears back because it’s his side of the story that’s tinged with the sad. (I don’t think I have read an Aussie book without a hint of sad in it…)
While a good deal of it is over the top and funny (all care of Gemma,) there’s a sad bit that stems from a not so perfect family (Raven’s.) Goodness me! I really enjoyed this one even though I feel like I could have had an ending that was a bit more stretched out…
It’s sweet, cute and ridiculously over the top. Her family is so out there that it’s a wonder Gemma didn’t throw more fits (or “birketts” as she calls them) than she did. The characters are absolutely darling though, and Gemma, the most darling of all. The best thing (and worse thing) about her, is how aware she was. She knew precisely who her family was and what they could be. She was also perfectly aware of how she could act and what she ought not do. The sad thing was despite this knowing, she could behave just as atrociously as others did!
As to what she thought of her family, I loved how they came across…outrageously hilarious and sometimes impossibly insane… what with her sister’s bride-zilla impersonation and her father’s inability to put a sock in it. Yet, there was an obvious affection that tied them together. There had to be an affection, for I simply do not know what would have convinced her to wear a swan get-up as the flower girl despite being 14!
Of course there’s the young girl side of her… crushes and all that, that had me a little swoony. Even this part of her I enjoyed. She’s hopelessly shy, but was crushing on Nick.. it’s this that gets her to audition for a part in a play. And it’s here that she got to know who was “real” and who was not.
Then there’s Raven. It’s Raven’s part of the story that brought out the swoony girly-girl in me, but at the same time had me blinking some tears back because it’s his side of the story that’s tinged with the sad. (I don’t think I have read an Aussie book without a hint of sad in it…)
While a good deal of it is over the top and funny (all care of Gemma,) there’s a sad bit that stems from a not so perfect family (Raven’s.) Goodness me! I really enjoyed this one even though I feel like I could have had an ending that was a bit more stretched out…
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June 5, 2020
This was on track to be a pretty good book, but then the ending took a sudden super-dark twist and I now am all kinds of shook. Came out of left field and just meant everything was left unresolved. The romance was going really well until then but then it just became weird and unfinished.
Beyond that, the heroine is a little young for me (14) and the dialogue is pretty unrealistic.
[Blog] - [Bookstagram]
Beyond that, the heroine is a little young for me (14) and the dialogue is pretty unrealistic.
[Blog] - [Bookstagram]
June 15, 2018
The story of an Australian teen working through normal teen stuff: trying to feel comfortable with herself enough to try out for the school play, suffering through the preparations for her obnoxious sister's wedding, and crushing hard on the gorgeous rich kid while not really recognizing her feelings for the Bad Boy Who Lives on the Other Side of the Tracks and Who Also Has Feelings for Her. A fun story with some nicely-handled serious bits as well.
May 26, 2011
The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It is a bit of a mouthful. In fact, I absolutely can not keep track of the title, but the story on the other hand, has been tagging along in the back of my brain all day.
This book is magnificent. The title may be a mouthful but it tells all. I could not keep the grin off my face and the dialogue and family quirks and the off beat but fantastic De Head family, kept me laughing even at times when I was feeling like I might cry.
Gemma Stone is the most authentic, humorous narrator that I’ve heard in a while. Her personality is impossibly sweet but equally truthful. She may have a best friend that doesn’t always seem to have her back, a family that are going to their own beat, and a crush on a future politician, and a soon-to-be-determined roll in the school play (even though being up on stage makes her want to throw up, and in the past has), and a future family of in-laws that “has war in their blood”, and a bridezilla sister that’s chucking birketts left and right but she handles it with quirky humor and hope. I adore Gemma Stone.
Speaking of characters I adore, let’s talk about Raven De Head. I don’t know how anyone is going to be able to read this book without falling madly in love with him :) He’s funny and cool and awkward and at times, painfully honest. Lisa Shanahan took the clichéd bad boy and gave it a refreshing makeover. A delinquent that can quote Shakespeare (admittedly not unheard of, but did you ever learn about where these delinquents pick up their Shakespeare? I think not.) He can cook, he has a lot of pride that he doesn’t know what to do with, he loves his family an awful lot, he’s joined the school play, and he may not be so delinquent-ish after all! Or maybe he is, but I’m still in love with him. And don’t you think that his name is PURE BRILLIANCE!?
(All of his brother’s names are also birds. We’ve got: Crow, Magpie, Robin, and Sparrow also casting in the De Head family. And for some mad reason, as crazy as they were, I really enjoyed reading about them all. They’re got that tough/sweet exterior that just rips me apart inside.)
Some other random things that I loved about this book:
--Debbie’s fiancé Brian’s family that were all certifiably nuts (for their country).
--The dog poo love story
--That Gemma’s mom cross-stitched fruit
--All of the fun facts about lawns (I didn’t even know that grass had different names!)
--The theme for Debbie’s wedding which was “animals that mate for life” such as swans (that’s unfortunate for both Gemma and Jackie) and also, the silvery gibbon. And the American Beaver. And the dik-dik.
--All of the lines from The Tempest which related back to Gemma’s life.
And lots more of humorous, quirky stuff that will reach in and take you by surprise, in that way that genuine and funny things do.
This book, from cover to back, is one of those genuine and funny things.
It has moments that’ll wring your heart out with ache and worry, but all the same it has moments that will make you smile to moments where you’re going “that’s so lovely/true/real”. Underneath the surface of all the jokes, you’ll find something extraordinarily profound and moving. There’s also some pretty great Aussie slang :)
This book was published in Australia (the country where all of my favorite books seem to be coming from :D) under the title My Big Birkett which I think sums it up even more truly than the US title does.
Now I’m going to go find my own copy because otherwise the library is never getting this back.
One of my absolute favorite books :)
This book is magnificent. The title may be a mouthful but it tells all. I could not keep the grin off my face and the dialogue and family quirks and the off beat but fantastic De Head family, kept me laughing even at times when I was feeling like I might cry.
Gemma Stone is the most authentic, humorous narrator that I’ve heard in a while. Her personality is impossibly sweet but equally truthful. She may have a best friend that doesn’t always seem to have her back, a family that are going to their own beat, and a crush on a future politician, and a soon-to-be-determined roll in the school play (even though being up on stage makes her want to throw up, and in the past has), and a future family of in-laws that “has war in their blood”, and a bridezilla sister that’s chucking birketts left and right but she handles it with quirky humor and hope. I adore Gemma Stone.
Speaking of characters I adore, let’s talk about Raven De Head. I don’t know how anyone is going to be able to read this book without falling madly in love with him :) He’s funny and cool and awkward and at times, painfully honest. Lisa Shanahan took the clichéd bad boy and gave it a refreshing makeover. A delinquent that can quote Shakespeare (admittedly not unheard of, but did you ever learn about where these delinquents pick up their Shakespeare? I think not.) He can cook, he has a lot of pride that he doesn’t know what to do with, he loves his family an awful lot, he’s joined the school play, and he may not be so delinquent-ish after all! Or maybe he is, but I’m still in love with him. And don’t you think that his name is PURE BRILLIANCE!?
(All of his brother’s names are also birds. We’ve got: Crow, Magpie, Robin, and Sparrow also casting in the De Head family. And for some mad reason, as crazy as they were, I really enjoyed reading about them all. They’re got that tough/sweet exterior that just rips me apart inside.)
Some other random things that I loved about this book:
--Debbie’s fiancé Brian’s family that were all certifiably nuts (for their country).
--The dog poo love story
--That Gemma’s mom cross-stitched fruit
--All of the fun facts about lawns (I didn’t even know that grass had different names!)
--The theme for Debbie’s wedding which was “animals that mate for life” such as swans (that’s unfortunate for both Gemma and Jackie) and also, the silvery gibbon. And the American Beaver. And the dik-dik.
--All of the lines from The Tempest which related back to Gemma’s life.
And lots more of humorous, quirky stuff that will reach in and take you by surprise, in that way that genuine and funny things do.
This book, from cover to back, is one of those genuine and funny things.
It has moments that’ll wring your heart out with ache and worry, but all the same it has moments that will make you smile to moments where you’re going “that’s so lovely/true/real”. Underneath the surface of all the jokes, you’ll find something extraordinarily profound and moving. There’s also some pretty great Aussie slang :)
This book was published in Australia (the country where all of my favorite books seem to be coming from :D) under the title My Big Birkett which I think sums it up even more truly than the US title does.
Now I’m going to go find my own copy because otherwise the library is never getting this back.
One of my absolute favorite books :)
February 12, 2012
Now let me begin this review with a picture of Bjork and her famous swan dress because I am certain it was an inspiration for writing this book. Was anyone else picturing the swan dress as Bjork's? :P
It was hard to give this book a rating. Although I really enjoyed the story line and had some great chuckles along the way, there are some issues within that prevent me from giving it a full 3/5 (liked it vote), so I'm giving it 2.5 (between OK and Like). I also have to admit I did expect it to be better than it was, hence I am a little disappointed. After having read several books by Melina Marchetta and Jacklyn Moriarty, the bar on the Aussie YA is high indeed!
More specifically some of these issues were:
- The writing style was too simple. I do realise that this is a book in first person in the voice of a young teenage girl, BUT there is a big discord between her normal voice and when she does a journal entry as a character in the play that she is in. She goes along in relatively simple sentences, and then writes something quasi-shakespearian which leaves the reader wondering why she doesn't normally use bigger, more creative way of self-expression? It's like Gemma, the main character, is stunted ...
-The Webster family was just too unreal and too comical to be taken seriously. I, as not an Aussie, have a hard time picturing them as so militaristic when Australia is not being invaded :S Perhaps there's an influence here by the book called "Tomorrow, when the war began", which is also an Aussie YA book. The Websters could have been made snobby in other ways. Also, while the whole Webster family is quite prominent in the story, Brian is not, but he should be!
-The statue of Buranderry's founder.
There is stuff I liked however.
- It made me chuckle several times! :)
- I like the unusual ending, not the typical scripted "happily ever after ones" as in American YA books.
- The writer has a lot of potential! She can certainly write funny moments with ease, and the overall structure of the story was very good. This is her first book for young adults (she wrote children's books before that...) and so hopefully she'll improve as she continues to write more books.
Note: if you want to read a similar book try "Please ignore Vera Dietz". It's of a much higher writing quality, although I admit that it is much more sombre.
It was hard to give this book a rating. Although I really enjoyed the story line and had some great chuckles along the way, there are some issues within that prevent me from giving it a full 3/5 (liked it vote), so I'm giving it 2.5 (between OK and Like). I also have to admit I did expect it to be better than it was, hence I am a little disappointed. After having read several books by Melina Marchetta and Jacklyn Moriarty, the bar on the Aussie YA is high indeed!
More specifically some of these issues were:
- The writing style was too simple. I do realise that this is a book in first person in the voice of a young teenage girl, BUT there is a big discord between her normal voice and when she does a journal entry as a character in the play that she is in. She goes along in relatively simple sentences, and then writes something quasi-shakespearian which leaves the reader wondering why she doesn't normally use bigger, more creative way of self-expression? It's like Gemma, the main character, is stunted ...
-The Webster family was just too unreal and too comical to be taken seriously. I, as not an Aussie, have a hard time picturing them as so militaristic when Australia is not being invaded :S Perhaps there's an influence here by the book called "Tomorrow, when the war began", which is also an Aussie YA book. The Websters could have been made snobby in other ways. Also, while the whole Webster family is quite prominent in the story, Brian is not, but he should be!
-The statue of Buranderry's founder.
There is stuff I liked however.
- It made me chuckle several times! :)
- I like the unusual ending, not the typical scripted "happily ever after ones" as in American YA books.
- The writer has a lot of potential! She can certainly write funny moments with ease, and the overall structure of the story was very good. This is her first book for young adults (she wrote children's books before that...) and so hopefully she'll improve as she continues to write more books.
Note: if you want to read a similar book try "Please ignore Vera Dietz". It's of a much higher writing quality, although I admit that it is much more sombre.
June 11, 2012
Sometimes cover judging gets me into trouble....
Sometimes, I am just plain wrong.
I judged this cover (negatively). I really thought it looked corny and extremely girly. I mean, it's all pink and bubbly. Blek. I am somewhat girly, but I'm just not a big fan of girly-girl, chick-lit books. And, that is exactly what I thought this was going to be.
But, I had seen so many positive reviews and the synopsis seemed decent, so I thought I'd give it a go.
I'm glad I did.
I love being pleasantly suprised.
My main thoughts after reading this:
I love, love, love Raven.
I cannot believe Debbie actually went through with the Swan thing.
There is no way I would dress up as a bird and prance down the aisle for ANYONE.... (maybe my son, but that's pushing it)
I love the expression: throwing a burkett
This was a lot more deep and emotional that I expected.
'The Tempest' throw-backs didn't bother me
This book reminds me of Scribbler of Dreams, but I like "Lost it" better :)
3.75 stars.... oh, so close to a 4
This is another, I'm a spinster book..... I feel like I am on repeat lately: if I had read this is high school I think I would have loved it. Great, super age appropriate book for YA readers!
Sometimes, I am just plain wrong.
I judged this cover (negatively). I really thought it looked corny and extremely girly. I mean, it's all pink and bubbly. Blek. I am somewhat girly, but I'm just not a big fan of girly-girl, chick-lit books. And, that is exactly what I thought this was going to be.
But, I had seen so many positive reviews and the synopsis seemed decent, so I thought I'd give it a go.
I'm glad I did.
I love being pleasantly suprised.
My main thoughts after reading this:
I love, love, love Raven.
I cannot believe Debbie actually went through with the Swan thing.
There is no way I would dress up as a bird and prance down the aisle for ANYONE.... (maybe my son, but that's pushing it)
I love the expression: throwing a burkett
This was a lot more deep and emotional that I expected.
'The Tempest' throw-backs didn't bother me
This book reminds me of Scribbler of Dreams, but I like "Lost it" better :)
3.75 stars.... oh, so close to a 4
This is another, I'm a spinster book..... I feel like I am on repeat lately: if I had read this is high school I think I would have loved it. Great, super age appropriate book for YA readers!
December 29, 2007
Surprisingly funny book -- was it the wit in general or a particular style of Aussie humor? I'm not sure, but I do know I laughed aloud several times in the first 30 pages, particularly as people "chucked birketts" while the Stones meet the soon-to-be in-law Websters.
Gemma Stone thinks she can't speak in front of people but discovers that she actually has a dramatic flair, as long as she's speaking as someone else. She tries out for the school play, Shakespeare's The Tempest, to be close to her crush Nick but ends up getting Raven, a kid with a bad reputation from a family of delinquents, as a practice partner.
As both boys begin giving Gemma attention, she is also involved in sister Debbie's wedding plans to fiance Brian, whose military family has a training course in their backyard.
Where else do you read about love being both about the weak legs and the willingness to clean dog poo?
Gemma Stone thinks she can't speak in front of people but discovers that she actually has a dramatic flair, as long as she's speaking as someone else. She tries out for the school play, Shakespeare's The Tempest, to be close to her crush Nick but ends up getting Raven, a kid with a bad reputation from a family of delinquents, as a practice partner.
As both boys begin giving Gemma attention, she is also involved in sister Debbie's wedding plans to fiance Brian, whose military family has a training course in their backyard.
Where else do you read about love being both about the weak legs and the willingness to clean dog poo?
October 6, 2010
This was adorable and genuinely funny. I loved Raven.
How I would love a sequel!
How I would love a sequel!
March 22, 2023
"Well, you know, as you get older, life becomes like . . . like marbled chocolate. When you’re younger, it’s like Top Deck.
The white chocolate sits flush on the dark chocolate, but separate from it. The joyful things in life are clear and distinct from the sad. But as you get older, it gets muddled. The good comes with the sad. The sad with the good. And it’s not so clear. Life’s not harder or easier. It’s just both, all whirled into one."
-Gemma's Mom
The white chocolate sits flush on the dark chocolate, but separate from it. The joyful things in life are clear and distinct from the sad. But as you get older, it gets muddled. The good comes with the sad. The sad with the good. And it’s not so clear. Life’s not harder or easier. It’s just both, all whirled into one."
-Gemma's Mom
December 4, 2015
Every reason I still read YA is perfectly contained in this one book. I can't even begin to describe the journey from loud guffaws in the beginning pages to the constant sobs throughout the ending chapters. Is it an Australian author thing or what?
All the characters are distinctly drawn. Raven and Gemma understandably more fleshed out than the others. The wacky cast almost verges on caricatures but sudden bursts of human weaknesses grounds them in a way few writers can pull off. From Nick's almost detached "charitable" front and the army-obsessed Websters, Debbie's self-centered wedding plans, and Jackie's refusals to wear a dress, all the way to the most interesting of all, the loud/joyous/violent/self-destructive De Heads--all of them shined.
The subplots were excellent and not just because they're such a novelty in YA to begin with. Debbie's wedding provided all the shenanigans, the wacky mishaps, the laughs. But what really impressed me was the incorporation of a Shakespearean play into the story. Not an easy thing to do on its own but to do it without once descending into a HEY-LOOKIE-HERE-I-CAN-QUOTE-SHAKESPEARE, AREN'T-I-BRILLIANT thing while still staying relevant to the main plot, is quite a feat. Gemma's insights into Miranda's character, while a bit advanced for a girl her age, are well worth a read.
However, all of that is just excess to the true heart of the story, which is the bubbling tension between the different socioeconomic classes going on throughout the book. And at the center of it all are the ostracized De Heads. Known for their delinquent men and their impoverished lifestyle, it would be an understatement to say the family isn't held in very high regard by the rest of the town. The lack of sympathy for the De Heads in the story, while not exactly shocking, was a bit disconcerting (especially considering the buckets I cried for them myself), making the point that people will happily turn a blind eye to the suffering of anyone deemed unpleasant by a selfish, neglectful society.
A powerful message once again hidden under a bright pink cover and a funny title.
All the characters are distinctly drawn. Raven and Gemma understandably more fleshed out than the others. The wacky cast almost verges on caricatures but sudden bursts of human weaknesses grounds them in a way few writers can pull off. From Nick's almost detached "charitable" front and the army-obsessed Websters, Debbie's self-centered wedding plans, and Jackie's refusals to wear a dress, all the way to the most interesting of all, the loud/joyous/violent/self-destructive De Heads--all of them shined.
The subplots were excellent and not just because they're such a novelty in YA to begin with. Debbie's wedding provided all the shenanigans, the wacky mishaps, the laughs. But what really impressed me was the incorporation of a Shakespearean play into the story. Not an easy thing to do on its own but to do it without once descending into a HEY-LOOKIE-HERE-I-CAN-QUOTE-SHAKESPEARE, AREN'T-I-BRILLIANT thing while still staying relevant to the main plot, is quite a feat. Gemma's insights into Miranda's character, while a bit advanced for a girl her age, are well worth a read.
However, all of that is just excess to the true heart of the story, which is the bubbling tension between the different socioeconomic classes going on throughout the book. And at the center of it all are the ostracized De Heads. Known for their delinquent men and their impoverished lifestyle, it would be an understatement to say the family isn't held in very high regard by the rest of the town. The lack of sympathy for the De Heads in the story, while not exactly shocking, was a bit disconcerting (especially considering the buckets I cried for them myself), making the point that people will happily turn a blind eye to the suffering of anyone deemed unpleasant by a selfish, neglectful society.
A powerful message once again hidden under a bright pink cover and a funny title.
April 15, 2017
I don't know what happened, but somewhere in the middle I lost it. I appreciate that the plot aims to be unpredictable, but the spontaneity is a little too much for me to handle.
November 23, 2010
This book had a strange feel to it. Not unpleasant, more like foreign. Forgive me if this sounds strange, but once I realized the book was set in Australia, everything made sense. I actually enjoyed this book. Gemma finds herself repelled and attracted to Raven-one of five sons in the local delinquent family. Raven is what made this book for me. He was such a great underdog. He never gave up and he didn’t let his reputation or his family tell him who he was supposed to be. Gemma navigates the responsibilities of a high school play, Raven, and her sister’s upcoming wedding with all the ease of a typical high school student. :)
And, there was a great quote, which for my West Coast purposes, I needed to decipher slightly. Click through the link to see what I mean. Now for the quote: “Well, you know, as you get older, life becomes like…marbled chocolate. When you’re younger, it’s like Top Deck. The white chocolate sits flush on the dark chocolate, but separate from it. The joyful things in life are clear and distinct from the sad. But as you get older, it gets muddled. The good comes with the sad. The sad with the good. And it’s not so clear. Life’s not harder or easier. It’s just both, all whirled into one…Marbled chocolate is richer, creamier, sometimes harder to take in one go, but in the end much more satisfying. And that’s what life is like when you get older too.”
And, there was a great quote, which for my West Coast purposes, I needed to decipher slightly. Click through the link to see what I mean. Now for the quote: “Well, you know, as you get older, life becomes like…marbled chocolate. When you’re younger, it’s like Top Deck. The white chocolate sits flush on the dark chocolate, but separate from it. The joyful things in life are clear and distinct from the sad. But as you get older, it gets muddled. The good comes with the sad. The sad with the good. And it’s not so clear. Life’s not harder or easier. It’s just both, all whirled into one…Marbled chocolate is richer, creamier, sometimes harder to take in one go, but in the end much more satisfying. And that’s what life is like when you get older too.”
October 18, 2014
Book Review of The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost it by Lisa Shanahan
In The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely lost it, Lisa Shanahan tells the story of a girl named Gemma, and how crazy her life is with school, boys, and her family. The reader follows her through the struggles with her sister Debbie and the three R’s, Rochelle, Renee, and Rachael. They are also led through decisions that Gemma has to make about two important guys in her life, Nick and Raven. Gemma is brought upon lots of ups and downs in the school play and throughout the story, but in the end she knows what she wants her life to be like.
As Lisa Shanahan takes the reader deeper into the book, it becomes obvious that Gemma doesn’t really have a say in her life. Nor does she know how highly others think of her. As the story slowly goes on, she becomes more independent and stronger than she was before. This shows how so many things in one’s life can affect them and turn them into the person they want to be. Hopefulness and happy endings add an interesting spin to the book and make the reader want more. The way that Gemma never lets herself fall short of what she wants can teach the reader to never give up on themselves. Gemma doesn’t stop trying when she’s having trouble in the school play, but there could have been more to why she was having such a hard time in the first place.
Overall, I gave this book four stars out of the five on GoodReads. I really enjoyed how I could relate to Gemma, in the way that sometimes I feel like I don’t have a say in things as well. I would recommend this book to middle school and high school girls, because the main character is someone who is having boy troubles and it has more of a girly vibe to it. I feel as if younger girls wouldn’t have the best ability to understand exactly what the story is getting at, so that is why I recommend it for a more mature reader.
In The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely lost it, Lisa Shanahan tells the story of a girl named Gemma, and how crazy her life is with school, boys, and her family. The reader follows her through the struggles with her sister Debbie and the three R’s, Rochelle, Renee, and Rachael. They are also led through decisions that Gemma has to make about two important guys in her life, Nick and Raven. Gemma is brought upon lots of ups and downs in the school play and throughout the story, but in the end she knows what she wants her life to be like.
As Lisa Shanahan takes the reader deeper into the book, it becomes obvious that Gemma doesn’t really have a say in her life. Nor does she know how highly others think of her. As the story slowly goes on, she becomes more independent and stronger than she was before. This shows how so many things in one’s life can affect them and turn them into the person they want to be. Hopefulness and happy endings add an interesting spin to the book and make the reader want more. The way that Gemma never lets herself fall short of what she wants can teach the reader to never give up on themselves. Gemma doesn’t stop trying when she’s having trouble in the school play, but there could have been more to why she was having such a hard time in the first place.
Overall, I gave this book four stars out of the five on GoodReads. I really enjoyed how I could relate to Gemma, in the way that sometimes I feel like I don’t have a say in things as well. I would recommend this book to middle school and high school girls, because the main character is someone who is having boy troubles and it has more of a girly vibe to it. I feel as if younger girls wouldn’t have the best ability to understand exactly what the story is getting at, so that is why I recommend it for a more mature reader.
January 29, 2012
I got this book as a birthday present about 2 or 3 years ago from relatives in Australia,and didn't know entirely what to make of it. The cover art and typeface were a little unusual to me, and the origami instructions at the start of every chapter baffled me. The whole thing seemed a little serious for my liking, so I put off reading it - but when I did get round to it, I had the shock of my life. I had been utterly deceived - lurking between those unusual covers was a brilliant little story.
Gemma Stone, our narrator, does have a very matter-of-fact voice despite the weirdness that goes on in her life. Her ideas about life are that rules should be abided by - this is this and that is that. Never chuck a birkett in public. Never go near the De Heads if you have any sense. And so on, and so on. But as Gemma's walls come down, and her life takes several very unexpected turns, she realises that unspoken rules can - and do - break.
All the characters are perfectly crafted, and you do develop a fondness for them - from Gemma's older sister and hysterical Bridezilla Debbie, to her hapless fiance Brian and his ardently military family, to the seemingly shady De Head family (of whom Gemma's opinion radically changes).
It's a sweet little story that depicts family life, first love and first heartbreak to excellent effect - but it's also packed with twists and turns that leave you thinking "wow".
Gemma Stone, our narrator, does have a very matter-of-fact voice despite the weirdness that goes on in her life. Her ideas about life are that rules should be abided by - this is this and that is that. Never chuck a birkett in public. Never go near the De Heads if you have any sense. And so on, and so on. But as Gemma's walls come down, and her life takes several very unexpected turns, she realises that unspoken rules can - and do - break.
All the characters are perfectly crafted, and you do develop a fondness for them - from Gemma's older sister and hysterical Bridezilla Debbie, to her hapless fiance Brian and his ardently military family, to the seemingly shady De Head family (of whom Gemma's opinion radically changes).
It's a sweet little story that depicts family life, first love and first heartbreak to excellent effect - but it's also packed with twists and turns that leave you thinking "wow".
January 16, 2016
**3.5/4 stars**
I definitely have to say this book is very different from my usual 'cup of tea', but I thought it was a pretty good book, actually! The characters are very unusual (Which I actually kind of like), in their lifestyle, actions, etc. I liked both Gemma and Raven most, I think, because I can relate to both Gemma and Raven's unstable and crazy lives. But, there lives are very different as well.
Gemma Stone has that typical teenage personality, with the coming-of-age plot; her family is typical, with of course their individual funny moments (Birketts- how they describe burst of emotions that may seem illogical and crazy) I really liked that about the Stones. Raven De Head, at first comes across as a trouble making, delinquent, but as Gemma starts to see the real Raven who is actually a sweet boy - just with a troubled life.
In some ways I feel sorry for Raven and his siblings and especially his mother who is just so kind, I can't imagine how her children became known as delinquents.
And the love of poetry in the book, is astounding! I really like that it's woven into the story and small excerpts of Shakespeare are included. :)
I would recommend this book to younger or older teens, and even adults that like YA. It's a good 'out of the norm for Americans' book!
January 3, 2014
I wasn't expecting anything from this book, as I decided to read it without reading the blurb (Yes I do this quite often) solely because I liked the title when Goodreads recommended it.
I have to admit that I wasn't disappointed.
It was funny, witty, sad and kind of an eye opener - all at the same time, which is kind of surreal if you ask me. Though I couldn't fathom the lead protagonist Gemma's behavior in places (Like ), she turned out to be quite nice overall.
And every time I read about the flower girls' dresses, I imagined this -
But that ending? I always get frustrated at endings like this. I mean,
I have to admit that I wasn't disappointed.
It was funny, witty, sad and kind of an eye opener - all at the same time, which is kind of surreal if you ask me. Though I couldn't fathom the lead protagonist Gemma's behavior in places (Like ), she turned out to be quite nice overall.
And every time I read about the flower girls' dresses, I imagined this -
But that ending? I always get frustrated at endings like this. I mean,
December 12, 2010
I really liked this book. I wasn't able to put it down. I liked how Raven liked her and joined drama because Gemma was. It was awesome that it was Gemma who changed Raven and made him a better person. I want to be that person to someone someday. It was sad how Maggie had to die because of that explosion, but it was honorable because he was protecting Raven. It was still sad though. Nick was a jerk by switching the drinks at the after party after their last performance. If Gemma were sober during the moment when Raven wanted to kiss her it would have been a very sweet moment. I liked how he quoted a line from one of Shakespeare's plays. I also liked how the ending was, but I was disappointed that they didn't get to kiss at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2010
I absolutely loved this book. With a 14 year old girl who seems to be in a whirwind of situations. For firsts, her perfectionist sister is getting married and she is stuck helping her do everything, then she trys out for a school play to get noticed by her crush, which is a jerk, and instead of getting closer to him, she gets stuck with a trouble maker Raven, who has a family full of worse trouble makers than him. I fell in love with this book and Raven. There is some Aussie slang that I did not unerstand, but then got it later in the book. The ending was not good at all, but I still love how Raven can recite pretty much and Spakespearian quote. If only there was a real De Head family out there. It' really humorous and ealy great to read.
July 30, 2011
I only picked up this book out of interest. But boy, if I hadn't of picked it up, I seriously wouldn't have been able to live with myself. This book was epic- it made me laugh so many times and I still laugh now when I think about the book. The sotry was also fanscinating- it had such a addicting story line. And whats makes it the best was becuase it was written by an AUSTRALIAN WRITER!! That just made the story more funny and likeable. I just could not belive that I almost put this book pack on the shelf. This is a one book that I think EVERYONE should read. Sure, it'snot as good as some other books, but still, this book was really enjoyable, and one of the best Australian books I have every read. Heaps better than The Ranger's Apprentice series!
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October 2, 2013Gemma Stone, age 14, is having trouble coping. Among her list of problems: her sister, Debbie, is getting married to a boy whose family is war obsessed; her major crush is the crush of at least ten other girls; she has auditioned for the school play (despite her fear of public speaking); and the school bad boy, Raven De Head, has taken a special interest in her. Gemma is forced to take action, determined to stop all of this nonsense, but at the end of the day, nonsense isn't always a bad thing. The Sweet, terrible, glorious year I truly, Completely Lost It wasn't exactly the book I expected it to be. I'm actually not sure what I expected if I'm to be completely honest. I liked Gemma from the start, she's funny and a very fluid narrator, but I wasn't entirely in love with the story.
May 12, 2011
I was very surprised by this book! I thought it was going to be really chicky and fluffy. But it was actually very meaningful. There were a couple of laugh-out-loud moments, which I love, and it was almost like the book was alot of different stories pieced together to make one full story. It was really interesting watching the main character grow as a person, because she changed alot throughout the course of the story. I really enjoyed this book, and it really made me think. Thanks for letting me borrow it Sabrina!
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