Don't Call Me Baby by Gwendolyn Heasley

Apr 05, 2014 Glass rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: realistic-fiction

I am confused.

I started reading Don't Call Me Baby expecting light and fun read, but can you blame me. Clue number one: look at that cover - sea, sunshine, naked legs. Screams summer romance and beach parties. Clue number two: read the book summary - wouldn't you expect something like diary entries trough which we will find out about secret crushes, first date, kissing on the beach under the moonlight. Or it is just me and what I wanted to read at that moment? After first ten pages I realized ...more

flag 17 likes · Like · see review

Apr 05, 2014 Jenni Arndt rated it did not like it

Oooh boy, this book and I did not get along very well at all. Upon starting it I got really nervous because the first thought I had was that it all felt really juvenile. Now that I am finished I can safely say that this novel will probably appeal much more to middle grade readers than young adult ones. Though to be completely honest, I won’t be recommending this book to anyone at anytime.

In Don’t Call Me Baby we are Imogene, a girl who has grown up being blogged about daily by her mother. Her mo Oooh boy, this book and I did not get along very well at all. Upon starting it I got really nervous because the first thought I had was that it all felt really juvenile. Now that I am finished I can safely say that this novel will probably appeal much more to middle grade readers than young adult ones. Though to be completely honest, I won’t be recommending this book to anyone at anytime.

In Don’t Call Me Baby we are Imogene, a girl who has grown up being blogged about daily by her mother. Her mom goes by the online monicker Mommylicious and Imogene by Babylicious. First of all let me talk about this blog of her mother’s, if I was the adult writer of that blog I would be pretty embarrassed and it’s definitely not a place that I would go to as a mom for advice. The posts that we get to read in between chapters from the blog feel like they are written by a high school student, an air headed one at that. “OH EM GEE Imogene might get asked to the dance!” That sort of stuff. Another thing that felt really annoying to me was Imogene’s constant need to explain the most basic things, like here:

"I had such a nice weekend, and I figure we might as well enjoy one another before I go back to my birdies and eagles.”
Birdies and eagles are more golf speak.

Thanks tips! When pretty much everything that comes out of your grandmother’s mouth has to do with golf I’m pretty sure us reader’s can put two and two together if we don’t know what those references are to begin with. This is definitely one of those books where you feel as if the author thinks you are dumb which is why I think it might be better left to much younger readers who maybe need those explanations.

Even the actions of the characters grated on my nerves in this one, especially Mommylicious herself. This woman, man I wanted to strangle her. I mean I am a blogger and I understand that a blog means a lot to a person but it shouldn’t be at the expense of others. Mommylicious takes it upon herself to blog about Imogene’s first period, a “Babylicious is a woman now!” type thing and the poor girl gets bugged at school about it but this woman just does not let up. She posts before and after pictures of Imogene waking up and getting ready for school and just anything unflattering you can think of. Teenage years are hard, really hard, even without your most personal of moments being aired out on the World Wide Web for everyone to see. The fact that Mommylicious just didn’t get that rubbed me the wrong way.

Now I am not usually one to get really technical about writing techniques but there is something else that really bothered me in this novel. Contractions were just running rampant! Now, I know that contractions are necessary and in dialogue they make it flow better and feel much more natural because who doesn’t contract words when they speak? I’m not sure if in this novel it was just the name that was CONSTANTLY being contracted but it was really bothersome for me because they didn’t feel natural they just felt awkward. Here are some examples from the first 20% of the novel:

"As Sage's paying the cashier..."
"Sage's holding her phone in a tight fist..."
"In the photo, Sage's making a face..."
“Sage's always been so much better at telling her mom..."

That last one really bothers me, no honey, Sage HAS always been so much better at it!

So anyway, I’ll stop this rant. As you can guess I really didn’t like this book and this probably isn’t an author that I will seek out in the future. The only reason that I didn’t DNF this one early on is because it was super short. I think this would be much better marketed towards MG readers but unfortunately it’s not. Stay away, folks.

--

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

...more

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Mar 14, 2017 enqi ☁️✨ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2017, 2017-favs, amortentia, standalones, standalone-favorites

Do you know what it's like to be recognised at the mall by random moms pushing strollers when you're just trying to hang out with your friends?

Don't Call Me Baby begins with this cryptic, direct line that summarises the story perfectly. Imogene Luden's mother has been writing an incredibly embarrassing but incredibly popular blog about her since before she was even born. Hundreds of thousands of perfect strangers knew when her first period arrived. Her crush saw her "before" and "after" orth

Do you know what it's like to be recognised at the mall by random moms pushing strollers when you're just trying to hang out with your friends?

Don't Call Me Baby begins with this cryptic, direct line that summarises the story perfectly. Imogene Luden's mother has been writing an incredibly embarrassing but incredibly popular blog about her since before she was even born. Hundreds of thousands of perfect strangers knew when her first period arrived. Her crush saw her "before" and "after" orthodontia photos. Her life is detailed online for all the world to see, and worst of all, people think they know her because of what they see on her mom's blog. But this year, Imogene is fifteen, and her mother is still blogging about her in gruesome detail against her will. And she wants to live her life with independence without having her every move broadcasted to the world. Then a mandatory English project requires her to create a blog. At first Imogene balks at the idea, before she realises that this is her big chance to tell the truth about her life. What it's really like. How she really feels about her life being under a virtual microscope. This is her chance to define herself for the very first time. Her best friend, Sage's mom also runs a blog - except it's a vegan one, but this means she insists Sage be vegan too, giving her absolutely no say in what she eats and ingests into her stomach. So together the two girls embark on the plan to give readers a glimpse into their real lives, unlike how their mothers tell it on their blogs. Will Sage and Imogene manage to convince their mothers that they're not willing to be featured so prominently on their blogs anymore?

When I first saw this book at the library, I thought it would be a breezy summer contemporary read, with tanned surfer boys and bikini-clad girls and lake houses and lazy days at the beach with the sun shining brightly on everything. A few pages in, and I knew I had been wrong. But I was hooked by the premise almost immediately. Ultimately, I skimmed the blurb and that was the whole reason I even put it in my book bag.

Here is the paragraph from the summary because I feel like it describes what I want to say about this book perfectly: Don't Call Me Baby is a sharply observed and irrepressibly charming story about mothers and daughters, best friends and first crushes, and the surface-level identities we show the world online and the truth you can see only in real life. In this first-world century that epitomises the word modern, technology and the online personality is second nature to most of us. But then - what is the fine line that differentiates who we are online and who we are in real life? After a while, do both personalities overlap and is it healthy, or advantageous, for them to do so? I felt like in just a few hundred pages, this book not only provokes these questions, but answers them as well. It makes you really think. About how sometimes we're too absorbed in what's online to notice reality around us; about how we project the most perfect version of ourselves online but are in reality a very different person; about how responses or approval from perfect strangers online can drastically affect our mood for better or worse. This story details all the ramifications and implications of living in the twenty-first century, and it was wonderfully, simply, realistic. Gwendolyn Heasley captured the elements of real and relatable and incorporated them beautifully in her book.

One more thing I loved was the prominent theme of mother-daughter relationship in this book. Every nuance of this complex, abstract relationship is explored carefully by the author, and it was generally charming and intriguing to watch the dynamics between Imogene and her mother. It was all the more interesting because I was Imogene’s age myself and I definitely understood where she was coming from. I can relate to her so well -- after all, how often have I told my very own parents that I need some freedom? That they have to stop trying to stifle me? Imogene struck a chord in my heart that resonated with me on a personal note, and I adored this book more for it.

I did not expect Don’t Call Me Baby to be as compelling and fantastic as it was. It was the perfect balance of light, cute and fluffy, yet stunningly thoughtful and evocative. The subject matter was unique and fresh and I couldn’t stop myself from turning the pages. All in all, an amazing read. Definitely one of my favorite ones this year yet! ...more

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Aug 22, 2014 Abbie rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary, ebooks, young-adult

Imogene Luden has been the star of her mother, Meg's blog since conception. Her mother documented every detail about her; from first word, first walk, to first period. Yikes! Imogene has two identities: Babylicious, the blog star, and Imogene, the girl next door.

Now, at fifteen years old, she still continues to be her mother's business subject. But this year Imogene is assigned a blog project for her English class and she decides to speak her mind about what she really thinks of Mommylicious an Imogene Luden has been the star of her mother, Meg's blog since conception. Her mother documented every detail about her; from first word, first walk, to first period. Yikes! Imogene has two identities: Babylicious, the blog star, and Imogene, the girl next door.

Now, at fifteen years old, she still continues to be her mother's business subject. But this year Imogene is assigned a blog project for her English class and she decides to speak her mind about what she really thinks of Mommylicious and Babylicious --- and it ain'tgonna be pretty.

What I thought:
I understood Imogene's dilemma. She needed privacy. It's one thing to blog details of your life on the web, it's another to blog about someone else's private life. Before there was internet people led pretty private lives. Now, it's like every move you make can be documented and shared whether you like it or not. I guess that's why celebrities freak out so much.

I liked Imogene's character. She wasn't a whiny, self-centered teenage girl. She was smart and genuine about her concerns and even though she fought with her bestie about varying ideas they still made up in the end (in a non-cheesy way).

The sprinkle of romance was nice too. And I appreciated Dylan's opinions and "worldly" views.

I also understood Meg's situation. The blog began as a coping mechanism that soon consumed her and affected the way she raised Imogene. She seemed more hands on in writing than in real life.

Imogene's message about unplugging to reconnect was very inspirational. And I know that it sounds ironic considering that I'm posting this review online, but hear me out. Nowadays, some people care too much about their social media identities rather than their real life situations. Whenever I go to restaurants or malls I often see people (especially teens) taking pictures to post or scrolling through their gadgets. Sometimes they even get miffed if a certain establishment does not have wifi.

What's up with that? I can honestly say that when I am in the company of friends and family, I try to interact with them instead of staring at my cellphone screen. Technology has made us robots. And I wish more people thought like Imogene. More people should know that it is important to communicate with their loved ones face to face and leave the gadgets in their pockets. God didn't make us to be alone, he made us so we could communicate with each other.

Anyway, I really liked this book. This would be perfect for middle schoolers or anyone at all, to raise awareness about the importance of technology and social media control. ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Feb 10, 2014 eileen rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary

Check out more of my reviews at Singing and Reading in the Rain!

While Gwendolyn Heasley’s new novel can at first be dismissed as a lighthearted read about the inevitable struggle between one’s parent and themselves, it quickly morphs into something less simplistic. It endeavors to reach a new type of depth and create a coming-of-age story, when it is very obviously not.

Imogene suffers from a lifestyle under the scrutiny of the majority of the population. In fact, it’s gotten to the point that he Check out more of my reviews at Singing and Reading in the Rain!

While Gwendolyn Heasley’s new novel can at first be dismissed as a lighthearted read about the inevitable struggle between one’s parent and themselves, it quickly morphs into something less simplistic. It endeavors to reach a new type of depth and create a coming-of-age story, when it is very obviously not.

Imogene suffers from a lifestyle under the scrutiny of the majority of the population. In fact, it’s gotten to the point that her classmates teased her about what happened on her blog. While I find it highly unlikely that a mom blog is so popular that Imogene herself gets recognized while shopping in a mall, I understood the sour feelings towards her mom’s blog because it was obvious from very early on that Imogene’s mother treated her like a baby. When her English teacher gives Imogene’s class a project to write a blog themselves, Imogene launches a campaign to escape the ridicule of both her mother and classmates before she formally enters high school. I would label Don’t Call Me Baby as a mix between a middle grade and young adult novel, because of the young age Imogene is portrayed at (15, entering ninth grade) and the superficiality of her problems. The innocence of Imogene and her peers wasn’t quite believable, given the amount of interconnection seen in the novel, when the “popular girl” of the grade attempts to ally with Imogene and takes an assignment seriously, when it was established that she was the stereotypical “popular mean girl.”

Don’t Call Me Baby’s biggest flaw is how abruptly the character development takes place. As soon as she decides to fight back against her mom, the conflict persists for maybe three or four chapters before the book abruptly changes tone and all of a sudden we’re focusing on (view spoiler) Imogene continuously thinks of new ideas, but they come at spontaneous and awkward intervals, without any previous development or foreshadowing.

My last few complaints were slightly nitpicky, like how unrealistic and unprofessional the Mommylicious blog sounds, and the ignorance of the main character. She jokingly asks what a CD is, because just because you’re fifteen means that you’re too young to understand what a CD is. CDs still exist, I have dozens of CDs, and I’m the same age. It’s absolutely ridiculous how much the younger generation is dismissed as an ignorant generation in Don’t Call Me Baby. Furthermore, with the number of allusions made, all of them are thoroughly explained upon delivery. As soon as a cougar is mentioned, Imogene takes it upon herself to explain it to her audience, which in reality is only herself since it’s her inner dialogue. The word “swag” is explained as party favors for bloggers, and while it may be a term that needs explaining, it shouldn’t need an outright definition compared to maybe an inference.

While this could have been a lighthearted book, another issue is how Gwendolyn attempts to give it an added depth by reflecting on the simple nature of teenagers and growing up. If it were not for the absurdity of the story beforehand, I would’ve bought it. But it remains that the lack of development and naïveté behind our leading and supporting characters produced an inability to even entertain the idea of this book being more than a “cute” book. I was originally holding this at a three-star rating, because it was decent, however I lowered it because of the anticlimactic ending and the overall rushed pacing, topped with an unfortunately failed attempt to provide depth. ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Aug 05, 2014 Maja (The Nocturnal Library) rated it really liked it

Shelves: own-a-dtb, contemporary-fiction, harper-teen, surprise-surprise, arc-2014, middle-grade

The first thing you need to know about Don’t Call Me Baby is that it’s not Young Adult at all, it’s actually much closer to a Middle Grade read, and if you approach it as such, you’re going to be a very happy camper. If, however, you’re looking for a YA read with everything that entails (including kissing, yes), you’re going to have to look elsewhere. I was forewarned and fully prepared for a younger protagonist, which is probably (at least in part) why I ended up enjoying this book immensely.

D The first thing you need to know about Don’t Call Me Baby is that it’s not Young Adult at all, it’s actually much closer to a Middle Grade read, and if you approach it as such, you’re going to be a very happy camper. If, however, you’re looking for a YA read with everything that entails (including kissing, yes), you’re going to have to look elsewhere. I was forewarned and fully prepared for a younger protagonist, which is probably (at least in part) why I ended up enjoying this book immensely.

Don’t Call Me Baby is a surprisingly thought-provoking read. Imogene’s problems may that of a 15-year-old, but they will give any smart parent plenty to think about. We often underestimate our children and stop paying attention, even though we find ways to convince ourselves of the opposite. Imogene’s mother knew what’s best for her. A mother always does, right? But really, even we mothers are someone’s daughters and we make plenty of mistakes every day, we just hide them better.

To Imogene, a simple request for privacy meant years of arguments and miscommunications. Somewhere along the line, her mother stopped being a mom first and a blogger second, even though she constantly claimed otherwise – on her very popular blog, of course. I think bloggers, especially those of us who are a bit older, will understand very well how blogging can take over your life.

As a parent, I’m very conscious of my child’s privacy, even though she’s only seven years old. I’m not above sharing an occasional photo on Facebook with friends and family, but I’m always aware that there are boundaries and that she’s her own person, with a right to decide some things for herself. Since she’s still too young to do so, I keep her as far away from the internet as I can. However, I clearly see how easy it would be not only to live vicariously through her, but to share her life here for everyone to see. That’s precisely the trap Imogene’s mom fell into, and Imogene was forced to find a way out.

I think I’ll save this one for my kid to read in a few years. If she has fun with it, great. And if she somehow learns from Imogene how to get in my face and make me see my blind spots, then even better.

...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Dec 31, 2013 Trish at Between My Lines rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews-done

Don’t Call Me Baby was a light, fun book that held my attention from beginning to end.

First Line of Don’t Call Me Baby:

“Do you know what it’s like to be recognized at the mall by random moms pushing strollers when you’re just trying to hang out with friends?”.

My Thoughts on Don’t Call Me Baby:

I really enjoyed this book; it’s a quick entertaining read. Anyone who blogs should enjoy the amount of blog talk in the book and it is also food for thought for bloggers. The main character has a mother wh Don’t Call Me Baby was a light, fun book that held my attention from beginning to end.

First Line of Don’t Call Me Baby:

“Do you know what it’s like to be recognized at the mall by random moms pushing strollers when you’re just trying to hang out with friends?”.

My Thoughts on Don’t Call Me Baby:

I really enjoyed this book; it’s a quick entertaining read. Anyone who blogs should enjoy the amount of blog talk in the book and it is also food for thought for bloggers. The main character has a mother who documents every part of her daughter’s life on her blog. Yes, EVERY part, I repeat every part *cringe*! Nothing is deemed too private to share.

Imogene is now in ninth grade and is ready to rebel. She no longer wants strangers or people she knows in real life to be privy to her whole life. And I don’t blame her. But in order to make her mother listen, she makes her protest by starting her own blog. It’s blog war! Keyboards and mouses at dawn! And good fun to read about. Imogene is a likeable character and her mother is a bit annoying but good at heart so you know that all is going to end well. The journey to the happy ending though is charming, feel good read.

It does make you think about the details you share on line and how they might affect someone else. I don’t overly share about anyone else in my life but if I ever do I make sure I run it by them first and I think this is important to do and this book highlights that also. The book also reminds you of the pleasure and freedom of going ‘unplugged’ every now and again. A lesson I need constant reminding of!

Overall this is light book about the growth and development of a teenager and the mother/daughter relationship. There is a romance in the book as a side story and it’s sweet and enjoyable.

Who should read Don’t Call Me Baby?

If you like contemporary books that cover some growing up issues then I’d recommend this one to you. As there is a lot of ‘blogging talk’ in the book, I’d also recommend to bloggers who enjoy books that focus on blogs.

Thanks to Edelweiss and HarperTeen for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Sep 19, 2014 Runa rated it it was amazing

Oh, wow, I don't understand why this book has such low ratings. Do the people reading this book understand that "mommy bloggers" are an actual thing? I'm not sure they do. I definitely understand that this book isn't going to be well-received or understood by everyone, but I have definitely spent time wondering what it must be like to be the child of a parenting/family blogger/vlogger who has their family out in the spotlight. I actually found this book on a 'social media in YA' booklist, and I' ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Apr 19, 2017 Madie rated it really liked it

I really love this book and it's definitely something that you should read! I love the story line and it's a great fast read. ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Oct 27, 2018 Myndi rated it really liked it

This was a very cute coming of age novel that addressed issues between mothers and daughters. As a mother to a teenage girl, I was interested to read the daughter's perspective on her relationship with her mother. I'm also a mom who takes a lot of pictures and it never occurred to me that my kids might not enjoy having those memories as much as I do. After reading this book, I'm going to be more mindful of what pictures I share at least, if not what pictures I take.

I like how both sides were abl ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Apr 13, 2014 Anne rated it really liked it

Shelves: review-copies

This may seem strange but, one of the things I like about this book is that the main character, Imogene, lives in a two-parent, mother-father home where no one is sick, including grandma who lives with them. Not that there’s anything wrong with single-parent, two-mommy or two-daddy families, or stories where a parent or child is dying or has died, but it’s refreshing to read a story that doesn’t have any of those elements.

But that doesn’t mean life is hunky dory and Imogene is a happy 15-year-ol ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 05, 2013 Celine rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, arc

This review also appears on YA Midnight Reads.

1.5 stars

Don’t Call Me Baby left me with very conflicted feelings. For the majority of the book, I was perfectly content with giving it one star, since I pretty much hated it. But when I reached the ending, I felt much better about the book and I thought the ending was worth three stars. The logical thing would be to give this book 2 stars, then, but the first part was longer than the second, so I’m giving this 1.5 stars. Since I felt very differentl ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 10, 2014 Alexa rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2014, friends-with-arcs

FIRST THOUGHTS:

Even with its length, Don't Call Me Baby has a pretty solid story. I loved seeing how Imogene came to terms with her life as the daughter of a "mommy blogger", and how everything changed for her over the course of just about one year. It also made me think a lot about blogging and the digital world, which was something I appreciated.

REVIEW:

Don’t Call Me Baby is a thoughtfully written novel. It really is Imogene’s story of learning how to stand up for herself, and get a message ac ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 26, 2019 Sarah rated it liked it

Shelves: younger-audiences

This book was super corny and cheesy, and the dialogue felt forced, but it was an interesting story at least. Just something fun to entertain myself for a few hours.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 03, 2014 Jamie (The Perpetual Page-Turner) rated it did not like it

Shelves: for-review-physical-copy, ya-contemporary, young-adult, ya-realistic-fiction

1.5 stars in reality!

Ah…so this book. I almost put it down. Truthfully? I kept going because I really wanted to, for once, make my Goodreads goal and so I pressed on. Even though I really should have reminded myself of THIS. Anyways, I really liked the concept of this book but it didn’t quite pan out the way I had hoped.

What I Liked:

- the plot: It was new and fresh and as a blogger felt kind of relevant to me — the daughter of a popular mommy blogger is fed up with her mom’s invasion of privacy 1.5 stars in reality!

Ah…so this book. I almost put it down. Truthfully? I kept going because I really wanted to, for once, make my Goodreads goal and so I pressed on. Even though I really should have reminded myself of THIS. Anyways, I really liked the concept of this book but it didn’t quite pan out the way I had hoped.

What I Liked:

- the plot: It was new and fresh and as a blogger felt kind of relevant to me — the daughter of a popular mommy blogger is fed up with her mom’s invasion of privacy and being the focus of her blog (seriously HER MOM WROTE ABOUT HER FIRST PERIOD). I thought it was interesting to explore this culture of the internet and blogs and how it affects those close to us. Plus when you read a book about blogging you are like nodding your head about so many things.

- how it made me think about the internet: I think in some areas it was just kind of shallow in its exploration of the internet, being connected and privacy but it did provide this springboard for me to really think about it. It posed some interesting thoughts and questions!

What I Didn’t Enjoy:

- Imogene’s POV: So I didn’t realize, because I didn’t read the summary SUPER well, that Imogene is in 9th grade. I typically don’t go for books with MCs that young personally unless I’ve heard AMAAAZING things or that the MC is a bit more mature. But honestly? She felt way younger than 9th grade. I have a nephew in 9th grade and I just think she came off to me more as 6th or 7th grader. I struggled with her voice the whole time. It was just toooo young for me as a personal preference. I think this one will be better for younger teens for sure and readers who aren’t bothered by this. So this was PROBABLY more a reader preference rather than something technically wrong with the book.

- the writing: Something with the writing just annoyed me a lot. From the blog posts Mommylicious makes to Imogene’s voice itself, it just never jived with me. Mostly every voice just felt contrived and just kind of fakey to me. I can’t explain what I mean by that but nobody felt like a real person.

- Mommylicious herself: I don’t have to like characters to like a book but Imogene’s mom is the worst. I mean, her whole Mommylicious things was so grating and over the top. I mean, I know it was probably intended to be exaggerated like that but I couldn’t take it seriously. Her blog post sounded like something some valley girl teenager would write but somehow she is like mommy blogger royalty. I could have handled that as annoyed I was. But even by the end of the book I never felt like her mom ACTUALLY understood how awful she was. Even after Imogene tries to tell her a million ways. Like WHAT TEENAGER WANTS THEIR MOM TO WRITE ALL THEIR MOST PERSONAL DETAILS ON A BLOG THEIR PEERS CAN READ?? But she just never truly GOT it in my mind.

- The drama was just so over-the-top and threw me out of the story: I eye-rolled a lot. Sage getting mad at her was so over-the-top. Reactions to things were over the top. Mommylicious’s reaction to everything was over the top. What could have been an actually interesting plot just kept pulling me out of the story from so much ridiculousness and drama that felt so contrived. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jun 12, 2014 Brandy Painter rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary-fiction

Originally posted here on Random Musings of a Bibliophile.

When I discovered what Don't Call Me Baby by Gwendolyn Heasley was about, I immediately wanted to read it because I like books that explore online dynamics and family dynamics. A book with both seemed a perfect fit for me and this one does both fairly well.

I have never understood the world of mommy-blogs. To be perfectly honest, they creep me out. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who don't get why people blog about books eith Originally posted here on Random Musings of a Bibliophile.

When I discovered what Don't Call Me Baby by Gwendolyn Heasley was about, I immediately wanted to read it because I like books that explore online dynamics and family dynamics. A book with both seemed a perfect fit for me and this one does both fairly well.

I have never understood the world of mommy-blogs. To be perfectly honest, they creep me out. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who don't get why people blog about books either, but at least I don't have to talk about MY KIDS on the book blog. (I know I do occasionally but only briefly and I always ask permission first.) I was perfectly prepared going in to completely side with Imogene and not her mom. No surprises there, that is what happened. Meg is absorbed with her blog (the entries she writes are super obnoxious). It has taken over her life. She has lost sight of who her daughter is and what she wants. Every little thing they do revolves around the blog in some way. Imogene does not respond in the most mature manner to her mother's blogging. She is young and her voice definitely reflects that. At her school the 9th graders are still in junior high and not at the high school yet. She has had a fairly sheltered life which causes her to sound even younger. Her best friend Sage is the daughter of a blogger too. Her mom runs a vegan/organic eating blog. Sage rebels by gorging herself on junk food from the mall food court on a regular basis and eating sugar from any source she can get it. Together the girls launch their own blog to counteract their moms. Imogen grows a lot over the course of the book and discovers things about herself, her mom, and the complications of life. While Meg is an example of how not to deal with a teenage daughter, she really does love Imogen and they don't have a terrible relationship. The way their situation was resolved is believable and makes sense. My favorite character is Imogene's grandmother (Meg's mom) who lives with them. I really enjoyed the inter-generational interactions and conversations from this.

The book is an interesting inspection of online versus offline life, the motives people may have for sharing what they do online, and the benefits of unplugging it all for a little bit. There is also an interesting look at who is really more obsessed with social media, teens or their parents. All of this is good stuff even if it is not as well executed in places as it might have been. Mostly though it is a book about family and relationships. What I enjoyed the most were watching the interactions between the three generations of women in this family and how they loved each other despite their differences. It is certainly worth a read if these are things that interest you and I am now interested in picking up Heasley's other novels. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 17, 2013 Estelle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2014-new-releases, young-adult, internet

4 stars -- close to 4.5.

Review originally posted on Rather Be Reading Blog

Reading Don’t Call Me Baby was an ironic experience. On one hand, I could totally understand where Imogene was coming from. She wanted her privacy; she didn’t want her mom to tell the world about every little thing going on with her. But on the other, as a blogger myself, I know there are so many positives experiences to come out of writing in your corner of the internet.

But Imogene’s mom definitely took blogging to a whol 4 stars -- close to 4.5.

Review originally posted on Rather Be Reading Blog

Reading Don’t Call Me Baby was an ironic experience. On one hand, I could totally understand where Imogene was coming from. She wanted her privacy; she didn’t want her mom to tell the world about every little thing going on with her. But on the other, as a blogger myself, I know there are so many positives experiences to come out of writing in your corner of the internet.

But Imogene’s mom definitely took blogging to a whole new level. I didn’t entirely blame her because she made a living by running her blog and had built quite a following. But she was distracted by her Mommylicious brand. She wasn’t sensitive to her daughter’s needs or even the needs of her mother (Grandma Hope) or her husband. She had a one track mind.

I’ll admit it, though. I can totally lose myself in my computer screen, and on my phone. To the point where I don’t even hear what the person next to me is saying. It’s not good. And it’s not something I’m proud of. But I have tried to put a cork in it, and be more conscious of how much time I’m spending around technology. That was one of the main themes of the Don’t Call Me Baby and in our internet-driven world, I appreciated it. Balance is so important when it comes to screen time vs. real life time. Imogene’s acting out had so much to do that, and her mother needed to take the time to realize this and do something about it.

Since Imogene was in ninth grade (and not yet officially in high school), the novel read a little young at points but I loved the friendship between Imogene and Sage (her mom also had a blog) and how their conspiring to take down their moms brings up a few conflicts between the two of them. They had a supportive, honest relationship and could lean on each other, but like any other friendship, they didn’t always agree with one another. And then there was Grandma Hope — a bright light and energetic gal who loved golf and didn’t understand the internet. She’s also gave Imogene the support she needed to be more honest with her mother.

From the authentic family dynamics to the commentary on the internet age, I had a great time reading Don’t Call Me Baby. While I had a few concerns about the logistics of the ending, the entire reading experience had me thinking about overexposure of children on the internet, the pros and cons of blogging (how dangerously easy it is to make your life look perfect), creating boundaries to ensure your life is about more than social media, and, most importantly, the delicate and tumultuous relationships between mothers and daughters. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 02, 2014 Rebecca (Unbound Pages) rated it it was ok

Shelves: contemporary, standalones, 2-5-stars

This review is also on my blog, The Library Canary.

***I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way changed my opinion of the book. The review below is my open and honest opinion.***

I grabbed this book because it mentioned blogging and obviously I relate to that. The story is about a girl whose mom runs a very successful mommy blog. Well that was cute and fun when she was a kid, but now she’s starting high school and it’s not okay an This review is also on my blog, The Library Canary.

***I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way changed my opinion of the book. The review below is my open and honest opinion.***

I grabbed this book because it mentioned blogging and obviously I relate to that. The story is about a girl whose mom runs a very successful mommy blog. Well that was cute and fun when she was a kid, but now she’s starting high school and it’s not okay anymore. Imogene wants privacy, rightfully so. I was very interested in seeing how the mother-daughter relationship evolved over the course of this book.

Unfortunately, I didn’t particularly like this book. It wasn’t terrible, but this book just didn’t do it for me. Part of it was that the voice sounded extremely juvenile. I know the girl is a teenager, but she just seemed especially immature for me. Younger readers might be okay with this, but it just didn’t work for me. The other thing was that a lot of times, Imogene’s inner monologue sounded forced. There were points where I was like, really? Come on, kids don’t think like that.

Imogene’s mom was an airhead. I’m sorry, it had to be said. She was completely blind to everything going on around her. I wanted to slap her and scream “hello?? Your daughter is almost in high school now. She doesn’t want you taking “before and after” pictures of her first day of school outfit and blogging about her first period.” Seriously, that really happened. What kind of mother does that? I just don’t get it. Does she not remember what it was like to be a teenager at all? I was just annoyed and angry at her the entire book.

I did like the friendship between Imogene and Sage. We got to see their friendship grow and become stronger over the novel. And I loved Imogene’s dad and her grandma. That part of her family dynamic was so great. They really cared about each other and Imogene enjoyed spending time with them.

Overall, this book just didn’t work for me. The juvenile voice and the terror of a mother just didn’t click with me. I think that the concept is important though. Parents learning to respect their children’s privacy. “Unplugging” from the internet and phones for a day. There are some good lessons in this one, but it simply wasn’t for me. Happy reading all!
...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 02, 2013 Jen Ryland added it

Shelves: young-ya, edelweiss, april-2014

I liked this book, but think it definitely falls on the very young side of the YA spectrum. Not only is Imogen on the young end of YA heroines (she's 15 and still in middle school) but the story's main conflict -- Imogen wants her mother to stop posting personal information about her on a popular "Mommy Blog" and starts her own blog to fight back and set the record straight -- felt much more like a tween-age "my family is soooo annoying" conflict than a YA-style conflict.

By the cover you might ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 16, 2015 Kimberly rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult

This one is an easy-breezy read that touches lightly on some timely drama between a teen girl and her mom. Imogene is 15 and for her whole life has been the subject of her mom's blog. Though she has repeatedly asked her mother to stop reporting every detail of her life to the world wide web, and even goes to great lengths to avoid her mother, Mommylicious (ew) doesn't pick up on the hint. As a result, Imogene starts her own blog for an English assignment, and uses it to tell her side of the stor ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 29, 2013 Debbie Narh rated it did not like it

Shelves: annoying-protagonist, contemporary, disappointments, netgalley-edelweiss, arc, boring-as-hell, female-pov, i-don-t-even-know, harpercollins, review-to-come

0.5 Stars

This book is just a mess. For someone who hates blogs, our main character talks about them non-stop. Actually, the whole pitch for this book sounds really ridiculous the longer I think about it and I couldn't bring myself to care about any of the characters. I also had to laugh at the blog, mommylicious (?) because it's such a joke. Instead of sounding like a woman in her 30's/40's, this mother of Imogene sounds younger than her. The blog is childlike, like a 12 year old trying to make ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 18, 2015 Book_freak rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-2015

- I have this (weird) thing where i don't read books in which the MC is younger than 16...bc i'm 18 and i feel like I'm reading a children's book & i just find everything so childish...sue me for being weird :p
But this book was okay...i could pretend Imogene was 16
- I would have said the romance is underdeveloped, but thats bc i'm used to YA Contemporary...so its fine for this book
- The premise was interesting but i was left disappointed with the book as a whole
- It was horrible but it wasn't ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 12, 2016 Joharis rated it did not like it

I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone, ever.

The writing itself has me bewildered, the author writes as if she believes us dumb creatures that can't put two and two together.

'Mommylicious' was such an annoying person, I understand that the blog has been a major part of her life and she has had to deal with a lot, but she is completely engrossed with it, for her to leave it so suddenly is convenient to the plot succession way too obviously.

The plot itself was really weird, like. without any com ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 06, 2015 Claire.arnold rated it it was amazing

I loved this book and was very happy that I only found one grammar mistake not like many other books.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 12, 2014 Rachel Brand rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, kindle, contemporary, 2014

Imogene’s mother has been blogging about her since before she was even born at Mommylicious.com, and although being in the lime-light constantly may be exciting for a seven-year-old, she’s failing to see the appeal now that she’s gearing up to enter high school. Her mom has blogged about her braces, her first period, and taken far more bed-head photographs than Imogene can count. But no matter how many times Imogene tries to drop hints to her mom about cooling off on the blogging, she just doesn Imogene’s mother has been blogging about her since before she was even born at Mommylicious.com, and although being in the lime-light constantly may be exciting for a seven-year-old, she’s failing to see the appeal now that she’s gearing up to enter high school. Her mom has blogged about her braces, her first period, and taken far more bed-head photographs than Imogene can count. But no matter how many times Imogene tries to drop hints to her mom about cooling off on the blogging, she just doesn’t seem to get it.

Imogene is at her breaking point when her English teacher announces that every student must write a blog that counts towards their final grade for the year. Initially horrified at the idea, Imogene and her best friend Sage (whose mom runs a healthy eating blog) boycott the assignment. But after a while, Imogene begins to wonder if she can use her English project to her own benefit. How would her mom react if Imogene began blogging about her? Would it finally force her mom to see how miserable Imogene’s life has become?

I picked up Gwendolyn Heasley’s debut novel, Where I Belong, entirely on a whim back in 2012. I don’t read a lot of Young Adult fiction, but when I find an author that I love, I tend to stick with them. While Don’t Call Me Baby appeals to a slightly younger audience than Gwendolyn’s previous novels, the premise immediately grabbed my attention. I’m expecting my first child in August, and I’ve been kind of overwhelmed at the abundance of “mommy blogs” that are available. Ranging from websites insisting that you must only feed your children organic vegetables and cure all their colds with essential oils, to rants from moms who always seem to be having a bad day and make you scared of having children, to the serene but almost unreal blogs from parents who seem to have it all together—there’s something out there for everyone. Except, maybe, the children of these bloggers.

My mother doesn’t even have a Facebook account (although my grandmother does!) so I’ve never had to worry about her posting embarrassing stories about me online. But even if your mom isn’t a blogger, anyone who grew up with the internet at their finger-tips (do kids Imogene’s age even know what dial-up is?) can sympathise with Imogene’s story. Ever regretted something you posted on Twitter? Now imagine that your mom posted it, and you can’t get her to take it down, and several thousand people have already seen it. Imogene’s reactions to her mother’s blogging might be immature at times (then again, she is only fifteen) but I could certainly sympathise with her situation.

Imogene is surrounded by a fabulous cast of characters, all of whom felt real and had an important role to play in the story. There’s Sage, her best friend, whose mother has a less popular but similarly frustrating blog. Sage’s dilemma is slightly different from Imogene’s—she feels that her mother’s healthy eating kick has gotten out of hand, to the point where Sage has no control over what she eats because her mother chooses every mouthful for her. Like Imogene, she wants more independence and freedom. Then there’s Ardsley, the supposed mean girl who teases Imogene about her mom’s blog. When she’s forced to make her own blog for English project, she seeks out Imogene’s help and the two end up understanding each other a little better. I was pleased to get a humanising insight into the mind of the school’s mean girl, since this is something that a lot of YA novels don’t dare to do. And then there’s Dylan, the boy that Imogene has a crush on, who infuriates her by saying that he wishes his mom took as much interest in him as Imogene’s.

My favourite character has to be Imogene’s grandmother, Grandma Hope. She lives in Imogene’s basement, spends all day either playing golf or watching the golf channel, and insists on calling her granddaughter by her middle name, since Imogene was chosen by the readers of Mommylicious. Initially Grandma Hope just seems to be an amusing side character, but as the feud between Imogene and her mom develops, Grandma Hope finds herself thrust into the midst of their dispute. She’s a welcome voice of wisdom to all the blogging madness in this book, but her comments never come across as moralising or preachy.

Imogene’s blogging experience delves into two important issues—finding independence as a young adult, and how much is too much to share online. The first issue is one that I think will appeal to a relatively broad audience, and parents of teenage girls might find that they can gleam some insights from Don’t Call Me Baby. It’s incredibly difficult for Imogene to explain to her mom that she needs more independence. It’s about more than just being embarrassed by her mom blogging about her crush—she needs to form her own identity, away from the one her mom has created for her at Mommylicious. Crafting out your own space in the world is incredibly important for teenagers, and Don’t Call Me Baby dealt with this issue exceptionally well.

I was also surprised at how balanced a view of the blogging world this book gave. Although Imogene decides to cool off on her blogging once she’s sorted out matters with her mom, she understands why that medium of writing appeals to certain people—particularly Ardsley, who is using it as an outlet to explore her interest in fashion. While Don’t Call Me Baby encourages readers to unplug every now and then, and enjoy life without feeling the need to photograph or tweet about every experience, it also shows that blogging can be a legitimate hobby and business for some people.

Don’t Call Me Baby didn’t have any major flaws that stopped me from enjoying it. My only real complaints would be that there is a lot of brand-name dropping in this book, which was distracting at times. Sometimes the name-dropping made sense, because Iris was reviewing a product for her blog, but at other times I don’t think it was entirely necessary. And as much as I loved the lessons Grandma Hope was able to teach Imogene, there were a few points towards the end of the story where the “moral” was summarised rather overtly. I felt like the reader should have been able to pick out the lesson without needing Imogene to verbalise it as confirmation.

The reviews for Don’t Call Me Baby have been very mixed so far, and I can tell that this isn’t a book that’s going to appeal to everyone. In particular, this book is definitely better suited for younger teens. I’d say it would be best marketed to 12-15 year olds—teens who are old enough to have some sort of internet presence and be longing for a little more independence, but not so far into their adolescent years that they’re rolling their eyes when Imogene and Sage have a fight.

I wasn’t sure whether I’d enjoy a novel about the fifteen-year-old daughter of a Mommy Blogger, but Imogene’s story ended up being far more touching and thought-provoking than I expected. I’m glad that Gwendolyn Heasley decided to write about such a topical issue, and I hope that this novel speaks to teenagers and parents alike.

Review title provided by HarperTeen and Little Bird Publicity. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jun 11, 2018 Rebecca rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult, romance, school-story, family-story, drama

The entirety of Imogene's life has been made public through her mother's ongoing blog--even her name was chosen by her mother's readers. Now, at 15 and starting 9th grade [with no explanation of why she's a year late starting], Imogene has had enough. All her mother thinks about is the blog, and every picture she takes of Imogene goes on the blog, their main source of income is the blog, etc. Even the fact of Imogene's first period and first padded bra were out for public consumption, including ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Apr 20, 2014 BookHookup rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: arc

The original review of this title can be found here on The Book Hookup.

Christina's Review:

♥ Initial Thoughts and Rating: Actual rating of 2.5 stars! I think Ms. Heasley perfectly captured the fun side of blogging and the sense of community that comes with the territory, even though in this scenario, it didn’t revolve around books. However, it was the characters and their often offensive actions that proved to be quite a challenge for me to connect to and accept throughout the nov ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 02, 2013 Christina rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2014-publication, arc-galley, own-on-nook-kindle, contemporary, stand-alone-books, realistic-storyline, edelweiss

My original review of this title can be found here on The Book Hookup.

♥ Initial Thoughts and Rating: Actual rating of 2.5 stars! I think Ms. Heasley perfectly captured the fun side of blogging and the sense of community that comes with the territory, even though in this scenario, it didn’t revolve around books. However, it was the characters and their often offensive actions that proved to be quite a challenge for me to connect to and accept throughout the novel that impacted my rating the m ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Mar 26, 2014 Maggie rated it really liked it

Shelves: ebook, ya, 2014

4.25 stars

Right off the bat I feel compelled to say that I have been a blog reader for many years, not just book blogs, which came more recently, but many years ago I started reading “healthy living” blogs, cooking blogs, fitness blogs, and the occasional “mommy” blog. Don’t Call Me Baby very much lives in the kind of blogs that I enjoy reading so I’m not the objective source to be able to say that you’ll enjoy this book if you’re not familiar with these styles of blogs. However, I think there i 4.25 stars

Right off the bat I feel compelled to say that I have been a blog reader for many years, not just book blogs, which came more recently, but many years ago I started reading “healthy living” blogs, cooking blogs, fitness blogs, and the occasional “mommy” blog. Don’t Call Me Baby very much lives in the kind of blogs that I enjoy reading so I’m not the objective source to be able to say that you’ll enjoy this book if you’re not familiar with these styles of blogs. However, I think there is enough to this book to make it enjoyable no matter your blog background.

Because I’m familiar with these blogs I actually think I’m a tougher critic and I give lots of credit to Gwendolyn Heasley for creating an authentic blog world. Imogene’s mom is a mommy blogger and has been blogging about Imogene since she was a baby (and before that she was a “healthy living” blogger), her mom even let her blog readers vote on Imogene’s name. When Imogene was a baby this was ok, but now that she’s fifteen and going into ninth grade she’s had enough. Imogene feels like her privacy is constantly being violated with her mom posting pictures of Imogene just rolled out of bed, the news of Imogene’s first period, and speculation about which boy Imogene will attend the big ninth-grade dance with. And really, it’s hard to argue with Imogene’s opinion when you hear the evidence. When Imogene’s English teacher assigns a project where each student needs to create their own blog and maintain it throughout the year, Imogene, and her best friend Sophie, whose mom also has a blog, are horrified by the idea. The girls eventually decide to make their own blogs called “The Mommy Bloggers’ Daughters” where they tell their own version of their lives.

Each chapter of the book opens with a post from Imogene’s mother’s blog and Imogene and Sophie’s blogs. I can’t really speak to the authenticity of Imogene and Sophie’s blogs, but I fell head over feels for Imogene’s mom’s blog. From the linking back to other posts, to the shout-outs to sponsors, to the trying to get readers to participate in discussion, it read so much like the real-life blogs I read it was (good) creepy. I’ll admit I try to read blogs that are slightly less annoying than Imogene’s mom’s, but all of the elements were there to make her blog seem authentic.

As much as I loved the blogging aspect of the book the family dynamics were my favorite part and left me wanting to run out and read Gwendolyn Heasley’s other books ASAP (and I’ve since read Where I Belong and really enjoyed it). When I first started reading I thought Imogene’s mom must be a single mom, but she’s not, Imogene’s parents are married and her dad is very much present, even though he mostly defers to her mom on major decisions like what her mom will feature on the blog. The story of Imogene’s parents and her mom’s blog is complicated by the fact that her dad’s architecture business is suffering during the recession and her family increasingly relies on her mom’s blog for money. Even though I wished Imogene’s dad would stand up to her mom more I still very much liked him, but my favorite family member was Imogene’s grandma, Hope. Grandma Hope was amazing. She lives with Imogene and her parents, but she’s very much independent. She grills her own food, she shuns technology like the internet, and she’s a championship golfer. Plus she’s incredibly wise and ridiculously funny. The journey and growth that Imogene’s family underwent over the course of the book was so interesting and relatable, I came to really care for her family, even her boundary-defying mother. In many ways I was reminded a lot of the families in Lindsey Leavitt’s books and that is very high praise.

Before I read Don’t Call Me Baby, the lovely Estelle kept telling me that the main character is very young and (obviously) Estelle was right. I knew from the beginning of the book that Imogene was fifteen and just going into ninth grade, which is much younger than most of the characters that I typically read about. Throughout the book there would be things that Imogene did or said or things that happened at school that gave me pause and made me wonder what was wrong with these people, but then I reminded myself that the characters and young and that fifteen year olds have stupid fights and make up quickly and make silly decisions. With that in mind, I also really enjoyed the subplots about Imogene’s friendship with Sophie and how that relationship grew over the course of the book. Imogene also has a crush on a boy and I loved how he wasn’t always perfect and how Imogene was willing to stand up to him when he said or did something that bothered her.

Bottom Line: I could go on gushing about this book for many more paragraphs, but I’m going to cut myself off now and say that this a great book. The questions about technology and the information we and other people put out there were fascinating and thought-provoking and the family and friend relationships were dynamic and true-to-life. Even though Don’t Call Me Baby features younger characters than I’m used to it’s just further proof that if the story, characters, and writing are there age is only a number.

I received an electronic review copy from the publisher via Edelweiss (thank you!). All opinions are my own.

This review first appeared on my blog. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 26, 2014 Ellice Y. rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, e-arcs, reviewed-at-paper-riot

Original review posted here at Paper Riot

I finished reading Don’t Call Me Baby by Gwendolyn Heasley over the weekend, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I flew through the pages quickly, loving the quirky cast of characters that Heasley introduced me to. I have to say, though, that this seemingly innocent book with the cute cover also packs a pretty hard punch! Sure, it is cutesy, fun, and fast-paced, but it also has some pretty serious undertones. Don’t Call Me Baby really made me stop and think abou Original review posted here at Paper Riot

I finished reading Don’t Call Me Baby by Gwendolyn Heasley over the weekend, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I flew through the pages quickly, loving the quirky cast of characters that Heasley introduced me to. I have to say, though, that this seemingly innocent book with the cute cover also packs a pretty hard punch! Sure, it is cutesy, fun, and fast-paced, but it also has some pretty serious undertones. Don’t Call Me Baby really made me stop and think about the impact that social media is having on the younger generations. Poor Imogene and her best friend Sage are tormented by their mothers’ blogs, and I’m sure these two girls represent plenty of other tweens and teens who feel the same way.

I’ve often wondered how children react to their parents’ involvement in social media: do they just accept it (some of them don’t know any different; they’ve grown up with Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc.) or if, like Imogene, they loathe the invasion of privacy. I just want to make readers aware that this book does seem to fall more on the younger end of the YA spectrum (the main character is 15). I think it was due to the fact that I had just finished reading adult fiction, but the book initially seemed more like middle grade than YA. However, as I kept reading, I became sucked into the story and didn’t even think about that anymore. After I got used to Imogene’s narration, I realized that the story was much more mature than I originally thought. It has some pretty serious themes: mother/daughter relationships, online versus real-life identities, computer ethics.

Don’t Call Me Baby begins on Imogene’s first day of ninth grade, as her mother torments her by taking tons of pictures (as almost every parent does on the first day of school). However, Meg is primarily taking these pictures for sharing on Mommylicious, her “mommy blog” where she has been writing about Imogene since before she was born. Affectionately dubbed Babylicious, Imogene loathes this blog. Her mother discloses private, often humiliating details about her personal life, and when Imogene’s friends (and enemies) were old enough, they started reading Mommylicious, which of course made her hate it even more. To add insult to injury, the blog is quite popular, so strangers recognize (and often approach) Imogene when she is out with her friends. Her best friend Sage shares a similar predicament, though her mother’s blog is centered on Vegan food. When an English teacher requires the entire class to create and maintain their own individual blogs, Imogene and Sage decide to use that assignment as an attempt to get their mothers to stop blogging once and for all.

Drama, drama, drama. And for once, the drama isn’t coming from the teenagers! This book put an interesting twist on the way I think about users of social media. In Don’t Call Me Baby, it’s the adults who need lessons in computer ethics and social media, NOT the kids. This fact was pointed out several times by Imogene and Sage. They can’t even set up Facebook accounts because their moms constantly use them for blog publicity. According to Imogene, “my mom wouldn’t let me be on [Facebook] unless I was her friend, and I couldn’t stand her constant Mommylicious—and Babylicious—updates.”

Also, I HAVE to mention the fact the Meg picked Imogene’s name by THE RESULTS OF A POLL ON HER BLOG. Who does that? This is a name that your child will have to live with for the rest of his/her life, and you name her Imogene because a bunch of strangers picked it? I was so enraged by that little fact. Though it’s a minor detail in the story, it reveals so much about their mother/daughter relationship. Imogene’s Grandma Hope (I adored this woman—she’s so sassy!) hates that name so much that she calls her Georgia (her middle name). Little things like this, plus the fact that her mom is always staging “happy” pictures, is what leads Imogene to believe that her mother’s online identity is much more important to her than real life.

Don’t Call Me Baby made me oh-so-thankful that social media wasn’t a big deal yet when I was in high school (ugh, do you know how OLD it makes me feel to say this?!). My heart truly went out to Imogene and Sage because it’s hard enough to be a teenager without your parents putting embarrassing details online for the world to see. However, at the end of the book, when Meg reveals why she started Mommylicious in the first place, I really sympathized with her too. It’s just a tough situation that, unfortunately, probably happens a lot more often than we know. I thought the book ended perfectly. Oh, and Dylan (Imogene’s crush) stole my heart. And there’s a dance called the Pirate’s Booty Ball. If that’s not a good enough reason to read Don’t Call Me Baby, I don’t know what is!

________________________________________________________________
This book was such an eye-opener for me about the way technology impacts children's lives. It makes me so glad that I didn't have to worry about social media when I was teenager (that time of my life was stressful enough without someone documenting my every move!). Don't Call Me Baby is also a very cute story, with a memorable cast of characters, and I really enjoyed it. Full review to come soon. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review