What do you think?
Rate this book
Rachel Hill #0
The Year Nick McGowan Came to Stay
Seventeen-year-old Rachel Hill is the girl most likely to succeed. And the girl most likely to have everything under control . . . that is, until her dad invites Nick McGowan, the cutest boy at school, to live with them. Rachel worries that this could only be a recipe for disaster, but her best friend Zoe thinks it’s the perfect opportunity for lurve. Sparks start to fly for all the wrong reasons. Nick finds Rachel spoiled and uptight and Rachel dismisses Nick as lazy and directionless. But a secret from Nick’s past draws them together and makes the year Nick McGowan came to stay one that Rachel will never forget.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2006
10 people are currently reading
1363 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Sparrow
10 books60 followersRebecca Sparrow didn’t always want to be a writer. When she was six-years-old she wanted to be the blonde woman out of ABBA, a movie star and Mrs Donny Osmond. And then she discovered Charlie’s Angels. Rebecca spent most of 1980 running around her family’s backyard wearing a bathing suit and her mum’s high heels, armed with a Super-soaker. In her one year reign of terror she arrested her dog, Mac, 329 times.
When Rebecca was eleven, she begged her parents to send her to the Johnny Young Talent School so that she would be spotted as the obvious choice to replace Tina Arena when she left the YTT cast. Mr and Mrs Sparrow’s response to her pleas was to buy Rebecca a guitar and a book of music by some guy called Donovan (not the Jason variety). Rebecca continued to practice lip-synching to When Doves Cry in the mirror. Her crush on Vinnie Del Tito lingered on.
When she was a teenager Rebecca auditioned to be the host of different children’s television shows. She auditioned for Wombat, Saturday Disney, played "a big sister" on a pilot for a show called Happy Families and auditioned to be a reporter on some other new show featuring a sarcastic snake puppet.
While she waited for her "big break" she took part-time after school jobs to help her afford (for example) to be able to see the movie Cocktail nine times at the cinema. She dressed up as a Christmas Tree and walked through Myer, sold handbags and wallets and books and clothing and touch lamps. She did birthday parties and baby-sitting and telemarketing and asked "Do you want fries with that?" more times than she cares to remember.
And in between all of this, she wrote. In 1993 Rebecca graduated from QUT with a Bachelor of Business (Communication) and started writing media releases, feature articles, speeches and newsletters for a living. She worked for The Australian Red Cross, The Flight Centre Group, The Nine Network and the British Millennium Commission to name a few. Her first article "The Haircut" was published in The Courier-Mail in 1995. In 1997 she found herself working as a travel writer and then editor of Trips magazine. She travelled everywhere from Kuwait to Kotakinabalu, San Diego to Southampton … and then got paid to write up her adventures. She had found her niche and a never-ending supply of hotel biros.
After three years on magazines (and a dodgy Vegas wedding under her belt), Rebecca decided to have a go at writing her first novel. The Girl Most Likely is a comedy about a former travel writer who tries to put her life back together after secretly getting married in Vegas. The novel was published by UQP in March 2003 and spent 16 consecutive weeks in the Mary Ryan’s Top 10. AFI award-winning Australian actress Pia Miranda (Looking for Alibrandi, Garage Days, Secret Life of Us) has optioned the film rights with Icon Films and hopes to turn the book into a feature film.
Rebecca’s second novel, The Year Nick McGowan Came To Stay, is the prequel to The Girl Most Likely and was released in May 2006 in Australia and April 2008 in the US. It debuted as a stage play at Brisbane’s La Boite Theatre in May 2007.
Rebecca’s third novel, Joel and Cat Set The Story Straight, was published in August 2007 and co-written with her good friend Nick Earls.
When she’s not writing novels, Rebecca writes a weekly column for The Sunday Mail newspaper and she gives motivational talks and runs writing workshops in schools and businesses across the country. Rebecca is an Ambassador of War Child Australia and The Pyjama Foundation. War Child Australia (www.warchild.org.au) is an international aid organisation dedicated to providing immediate, effective and sustainable aid to children affected by war. The Pyjama Foundation (www.theyjamafoundation.org.au) is a Brisbane-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing children in foster care the same opportunities in life as other children.
SOURCE: http://www.rebeccasparrow.com/about.a
When Rebecca was eleven, she begged her parents to send her to the Johnny Young Talent School so that she would be spotted as the obvious choice to replace Tina Arena when she left the YTT cast. Mr and Mrs Sparrow’s response to her pleas was to buy Rebecca a guitar and a book of music by some guy called Donovan (not the Jason variety). Rebecca continued to practice lip-synching to When Doves Cry in the mirror. Her crush on Vinnie Del Tito lingered on.
When she was a teenager Rebecca auditioned to be the host of different children’s television shows. She auditioned for Wombat, Saturday Disney, played "a big sister" on a pilot for a show called Happy Families and auditioned to be a reporter on some other new show featuring a sarcastic snake puppet.
While she waited for her "big break" she took part-time after school jobs to help her afford (for example) to be able to see the movie Cocktail nine times at the cinema. She dressed up as a Christmas Tree and walked through Myer, sold handbags and wallets and books and clothing and touch lamps. She did birthday parties and baby-sitting and telemarketing and asked "Do you want fries with that?" more times than she cares to remember.
And in between all of this, she wrote. In 1993 Rebecca graduated from QUT with a Bachelor of Business (Communication) and started writing media releases, feature articles, speeches and newsletters for a living. She worked for The Australian Red Cross, The Flight Centre Group, The Nine Network and the British Millennium Commission to name a few. Her first article "The Haircut" was published in The Courier-Mail in 1995. In 1997 she found herself working as a travel writer and then editor of Trips magazine. She travelled everywhere from Kuwait to Kotakinabalu, San Diego to Southampton … and then got paid to write up her adventures. She had found her niche and a never-ending supply of hotel biros.
After three years on magazines (and a dodgy Vegas wedding under her belt), Rebecca decided to have a go at writing her first novel. The Girl Most Likely is a comedy about a former travel writer who tries to put her life back together after secretly getting married in Vegas. The novel was published by UQP in March 2003 and spent 16 consecutive weeks in the Mary Ryan’s Top 10. AFI award-winning Australian actress Pia Miranda (Looking for Alibrandi, Garage Days, Secret Life of Us) has optioned the film rights with Icon Films and hopes to turn the book into a feature film.
Rebecca’s second novel, The Year Nick McGowan Came To Stay, is the prequel to The Girl Most Likely and was released in May 2006 in Australia and April 2008 in the US. It debuted as a stage play at Brisbane’s La Boite Theatre in May 2007.
Rebecca’s third novel, Joel and Cat Set The Story Straight, was published in August 2007 and co-written with her good friend Nick Earls.
When she’s not writing novels, Rebecca writes a weekly column for The Sunday Mail newspaper and she gives motivational talks and runs writing workshops in schools and businesses across the country. Rebecca is an Ambassador of War Child Australia and The Pyjama Foundation. War Child Australia (www.warchild.org.au) is an international aid organisation dedicated to providing immediate, effective and sustainable aid to children affected by war. The Pyjama Foundation (www.theyjamafoundation.org.au) is a Brisbane-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing children in foster care the same opportunities in life as other children.
SOURCE: http://www.rebeccasparrow.com/about.a
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
September 20, 2012
It's always harder for me to talk about books I love, but basically, I was so utterly charmed by this book that I haven't been able to finish a book since. Yes, people, it's that serious.
Nick McGowan was the perfect all-around guy, good looking, popular, and the top of his class. Then something happened over the summer and he dropped his classes and started acting out. Rumors are swirling about what happened, but no one knows the cause. He's a boarder at his school and after his last stunt pulling the fire alarms, he's on the verge of getting kicked out. In steps Rachel Hill's family.
Rachel Hill is a driven overachiever. She has set hours for study, work, and school. She works as a clown at a children's party place, and she even takes her clowning seriously. She has a clown archrival. She lives with her adorable parents who, to her chagrin, can't help but offer to take in Nick McGowan.
I loved all the characters. Nick reminded me of Heath Ledger's character in 10 Things I Hate About You.
I loved how high school this book felt. Rachel is just so busy with all her work and can't believe her parents would risk derailing her academic career by asking her to the dishes. The nerve. Rachel is anal retentive and a perfectionist but she doesn't fall into the unlikable category because she is so endearingly dorky. I mean, she has Kirk Cameron and Huey Lewis posters on her wall! The way Nick and Rachel's friendship developed felt natural as well. It's the inside jokes and little moments that come from sharing a space and constantly bumping into one other whether you want to or not.
When I first got this book, I set it aside after finding out it was set in 1989. Another 80s YA? But it totally works here. The story itself doesn't feel dated at all and the 80s references (acid washed jeans! cassettes!) are amusing rather than annoying. It's funny that I worried pre-read about whether this book would be a ripoff of Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys. This book is so much better that there's really no comparison.
Just read this book. It's actually available in the States! Rebecca Sparrow writes with such charm and humor that she may temporarily ruin all other books for you, but you'll be cracking up before you know it. You may also find yourself singing, You're just too good to be true...
This review appears on Young Adult Anonymous.
--
Hmm.... the plot sounds similar to Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys by Kate Brian. Hopefully, this is better than that though.
Nick McGowan was the perfect all-around guy, good looking, popular, and the top of his class. Then something happened over the summer and he dropped his classes and started acting out. Rumors are swirling about what happened, but no one knows the cause. He's a boarder at his school and after his last stunt pulling the fire alarms, he's on the verge of getting kicked out. In steps Rachel Hill's family.
Rachel Hill is a driven overachiever. She has set hours for study, work, and school. She works as a clown at a children's party place, and she even takes her clowning seriously. She has a clown archrival. She lives with her adorable parents who, to her chagrin, can't help but offer to take in Nick McGowan.
I loved all the characters. Nick reminded me of Heath Ledger's character in 10 Things I Hate About You.
Like with Patrick Verona, everyone has some crazy theory about what happened to Nick over the summer. And Rachel? I loved her goody goody ass from the moment she went to the cool record store in the city to buy some Ramones albums after finding out they're Nick's favorite band. When the sales guy asks if she's a Ramones fan, she replies, "Fuck yeah." Cut to the next chapter after she listens to her very first Ramones albums: "I hate the Ramones." I cracked up and remembered the time a really hot French boy told me about his favorite band, Louise Attaque. I went to FNAC feeling all proud and badass, ready to buy some hot French boy music. Now I don't know what I expected hot French boy music to sound like, but French hillbilly fiddle fuckery was not it. My favorite character, though, was Rachel's wacky, loyal best friend, Zoe Budd. When Zoe finds out Nick is moving in, her response is, "This is great. You get to have sex with him!"
I loved how high school this book felt. Rachel is just so busy with all her work and can't believe her parents would risk derailing her academic career by asking her to the dishes. The nerve. Rachel is anal retentive and a perfectionist but she doesn't fall into the unlikable category because she is so endearingly dorky. I mean, she has Kirk Cameron and Huey Lewis posters on her wall! The way Nick and Rachel's friendship developed felt natural as well. It's the inside jokes and little moments that come from sharing a space and constantly bumping into one other whether you want to or not.
When I first got this book, I set it aside after finding out it was set in 1989. Another 80s YA? But it totally works here. The story itself doesn't feel dated at all and the 80s references (acid washed jeans! cassettes!) are amusing rather than annoying. It's funny that I worried pre-read about whether this book would be a ripoff of Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys. This book is so much better that there's really no comparison.
Just read this book. It's actually available in the States! Rebecca Sparrow writes with such charm and humor that she may temporarily ruin all other books for you, but you'll be cracking up before you know it. You may also find yourself singing, You're just too good to be true...
This review appears on Young Adult Anonymous.
--
Hmm.... the plot sounds similar to Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys by Kate Brian. Hopefully, this is better than that though.
February 25, 2012
“Well, I just asked the Psychic Lettuce what my future holds, and it said, ‘You will live alone with sixty guinea pigs. And they will all be called Peter.’”
“Hang on a second. You asked what? Did you say Psychic Lettuce?”
She puts the fern down.
“It’s a lettuce that predicts your future. I found it at the games arcade next door.”
“Lettuce as in vegetable? As in iceberg and romaine? There’s a lettuce in this shopping center claiming to have psychic abilities?”
Zoë grabs my hand and leads me out the door. In between the motorbike game and Space Invaders is a black machine with PSYCHIC LETTUCE written on the front. Stepping up to the machine, I see that a cartoon lettuce complete with googly eyes and a mouth—a lettuce that frankly looks like a drug addict—is offering to tell me my future.
“Put in forty cents, and then when it says, ‘Tell me my future, Lettuce,’ you hit the big red button.”
I put in my forty cents. I click the big red button. The lettuce’s eyes begin to whirl. Within seconds, up pops the following message: “You will discover a new use for empty milk cartons and be the first self-made billionaire under twenty.”
“Ohmygod! How lucky are you?”
“Zoë, I am not going to discover a new use for milk cartons, believe me. And as for your prediction, you are not going to end up alone living with sixty guinea pigs….”
“Who are all named Peter.”
“Right. You hate animals. And even if you did have sixty guinea pigs, as if you’d call them all Peter.”
“Yeah. I hate that name.”
“Exactly. And you’re gorgeous. Do not listen to an allegedly clairvoyant vegetable. Okay?”
And as I say that, Zoë pushes in another forty cents and smacks the red button again. “Your grandmother will leave you a great big house…that’s haunted!” says the lettuce (who I suspect is doing tequila shots in between readings because its eyes are becoming more bloodshot).
“Ohmygod!” Zoë pushes me over. “A haunted house!”
“Zoë! Zoë!” I snap my fingers in front of her face. “That lettuce is on drugs. Think about it. Your gran lives in an apartment in Toowong. This is a stupid game developed by some stupid guy in America who is trying to suck money out of people. It’s not real.”
I simply adored The Year Nick McGowan Came to Stay. It is the book that other books like Teen Idol and Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys aspire to be. It's the kind of book that makes you want to cuddle it and smile happily. I was laughing out loud within two minutes of beginning this book, and I never stopped. This book is, quite simply, the best fun I've had in ages!
The story is set on the cusp of a new decade - 1989, when big hair, loud stripes and The Ramones still ruled. The book is full of late-eighties references... considering that I was all of five when the eighties ended, I'm not sure if I should be excited or worried that almost all of the references were familiar to me!
So, the story. Rachel Hill is an obsessed, anal-retentive over-achiever whose life is suddenly derailed when her parents decide to take in the school delinquent Nick McGowan. The school is abuzz with rumors of Nick's sudden descent into delinquency - he's gone from straight-A student to law-breaking slacker, all of a sudden, and nobody knows why, but that doesn't stop them from speculating. Rachel's worries are more mundane- living with a (hot!) boy who'll see her morning-hair and zits, being forced to pretend she's cool when she doesn't even like The Ramones and trying to deal with the consequences of the new and under-achieving Nick and trying to win the Party Hostess of The Year at work while dealing with rowdy kids pantsing her and pooping on the Astroturf.
Rachel is a great character. Completely and totally adorable with a wacky, slightly hysterical, very believable voice. Nick is cute, in a somewhat generic, troubled-teen sort of way, but it's Rachel who steals the show all the way. She's funny and smart, and a goody two-shoes who still somehow manages to get herself into the most awkward, embarassing situations. Her family is adorable, too and her best friend Zoe is one of my favorite supporting characters of all time.
But what really got to me is how authentic this book feels. Rachel feels like a beautifully normal teenager, with very normal teenage problems that the author manages to make entertaining and readable. There is a sort of innocence in Rachel and Zoe that is peculiar to that time - it's hard to find that sort of naivete and wide-eyed worldview in this age of instant access. Sparrow manages to make the Australia of the eighties come alive, and in a subtle, microfocus way that barely even registers. Now that's what I call talent.
All in all, this is a must-read book. Must. Read. I'm still smiling as I write this review, that's how warm and fuzzy this book left me, so if you're looking for a fun read that's well-written and, in the end, surprisingly and understatedly poignant, this is the book for you.
“Hang on a second. You asked what? Did you say Psychic Lettuce?”
She puts the fern down.
“It’s a lettuce that predicts your future. I found it at the games arcade next door.”
“Lettuce as in vegetable? As in iceberg and romaine? There’s a lettuce in this shopping center claiming to have psychic abilities?”
Zoë grabs my hand and leads me out the door. In between the motorbike game and Space Invaders is a black machine with PSYCHIC LETTUCE written on the front. Stepping up to the machine, I see that a cartoon lettuce complete with googly eyes and a mouth—a lettuce that frankly looks like a drug addict—is offering to tell me my future.
“Put in forty cents, and then when it says, ‘Tell me my future, Lettuce,’ you hit the big red button.”
I put in my forty cents. I click the big red button. The lettuce’s eyes begin to whirl. Within seconds, up pops the following message: “You will discover a new use for empty milk cartons and be the first self-made billionaire under twenty.”
“Ohmygod! How lucky are you?”
“Zoë, I am not going to discover a new use for milk cartons, believe me. And as for your prediction, you are not going to end up alone living with sixty guinea pigs….”
“Who are all named Peter.”
“Right. You hate animals. And even if you did have sixty guinea pigs, as if you’d call them all Peter.”
“Yeah. I hate that name.”
“Exactly. And you’re gorgeous. Do not listen to an allegedly clairvoyant vegetable. Okay?”
And as I say that, Zoë pushes in another forty cents and smacks the red button again. “Your grandmother will leave you a great big house…that’s haunted!” says the lettuce (who I suspect is doing tequila shots in between readings because its eyes are becoming more bloodshot).
“Ohmygod!” Zoë pushes me over. “A haunted house!”
“Zoë! Zoë!” I snap my fingers in front of her face. “That lettuce is on drugs. Think about it. Your gran lives in an apartment in Toowong. This is a stupid game developed by some stupid guy in America who is trying to suck money out of people. It’s not real.”
I simply adored The Year Nick McGowan Came to Stay. It is the book that other books like Teen Idol and Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys aspire to be. It's the kind of book that makes you want to cuddle it and smile happily. I was laughing out loud within two minutes of beginning this book, and I never stopped. This book is, quite simply, the best fun I've had in ages!
The story is set on the cusp of a new decade - 1989, when big hair, loud stripes and The Ramones still ruled. The book is full of late-eighties references... considering that I was all of five when the eighties ended, I'm not sure if I should be excited or worried that almost all of the references were familiar to me!
So, the story. Rachel Hill is an obsessed, anal-retentive over-achiever whose life is suddenly derailed when her parents decide to take in the school delinquent Nick McGowan. The school is abuzz with rumors of Nick's sudden descent into delinquency - he's gone from straight-A student to law-breaking slacker, all of a sudden, and nobody knows why, but that doesn't stop them from speculating. Rachel's worries are more mundane- living with a (hot!) boy who'll see her morning-hair and zits, being forced to pretend she's cool when she doesn't even like The Ramones and trying to deal with the consequences of the new and under-achieving Nick and trying to win the Party Hostess of The Year at work while dealing with rowdy kids pantsing her and pooping on the Astroturf.
Rachel is a great character. Completely and totally adorable with a wacky, slightly hysterical, very believable voice. Nick is cute, in a somewhat generic, troubled-teen sort of way, but it's Rachel who steals the show all the way. She's funny and smart, and a goody two-shoes who still somehow manages to get herself into the most awkward, embarassing situations. Her family is adorable, too and her best friend Zoe is one of my favorite supporting characters of all time.
But what really got to me is how authentic this book feels. Rachel feels like a beautifully normal teenager, with very normal teenage problems that the author manages to make entertaining and readable. There is a sort of innocence in Rachel and Zoe that is peculiar to that time - it's hard to find that sort of naivete and wide-eyed worldview in this age of instant access. Sparrow manages to make the Australia of the eighties come alive, and in a subtle, microfocus way that barely even registers. Now that's what I call talent.
All in all, this is a must-read book. Must. Read. I'm still smiling as I write this review, that's how warm and fuzzy this book left me, so if you're looking for a fun read that's well-written and, in the end, surprisingly and understatedly poignant, this is the book for you.
October 29, 2012
Rating: 3.5 Stars
I hadn't heard of this novel until I came across Mandee's review of it on Vegan YA Nerds or Maggie's review of it on YA Anonymous, but I knew upon reading both their gushing reviews that I had to get my hands on this one. Luckily enough for me, The Year Nick McGowan Came to Stay was readily available in the US and I was thrilled beyond measure to be diving into this short, but witty tale. Ultimately though, while this novel was definitely satisfying, it wasn't satisfying enough.
Rachel, our protagonist, is a cute, laugh-out-loud funny, and all-round adorable character. Her flaws are obvious, her childish behavior endearing, and her friendship with her best friend Zoe oh-so-amusing, not to mention the riot that her relationship with her parents is. When Nick moves in, Rachel and Nick don't quite get along, but as the novel progresses, you can see them develop a close bond of friendship. I'm not denying the refreshing nature or pure enjoyability of this short story, but it was somehow disappointing as I wanted more. more character development, more growth, more depth.
The Year Nick McGowan Came to Stay t ackles some heavy topics, but it really could have been better novel if Sparrow had chosen to extend it, even by another hundred pages. Nevertheless, if you're looking for something short, sweet, and sure to bring a smile on your face, you simply can't go wrong with this story!
I hadn't heard of this novel until I came across Mandee's review of it on Vegan YA Nerds or Maggie's review of it on YA Anonymous, but I knew upon reading both their gushing reviews that I had to get my hands on this one. Luckily enough for me, The Year Nick McGowan Came to Stay was readily available in the US and I was thrilled beyond measure to be diving into this short, but witty tale. Ultimately though, while this novel was definitely satisfying, it wasn't satisfying enough.
Rachel, our protagonist, is a cute, laugh-out-loud funny, and all-round adorable character. Her flaws are obvious, her childish behavior endearing, and her friendship with her best friend Zoe oh-so-amusing, not to mention the riot that her relationship with her parents is. When Nick moves in, Rachel and Nick don't quite get along, but as the novel progresses, you can see them develop a close bond of friendship. I'm not denying the refreshing nature or pure enjoyability of this short story, but it was somehow disappointing as I wanted more. more character development, more growth, more depth.
The Year Nick McGowan Came to Stay t ackles some heavy topics, but it really could have been better novel if Sparrow had chosen to extend it, even by another hundred pages. Nevertheless, if you're looking for something short, sweet, and sure to bring a smile on your face, you simply can't go wrong with this story!
March 8, 2025
This is will be an audiobook I recommend to all who love chick-lits! The narrator does such an amazing job making Rachel’s character come to life. Rachel is a typical, uptight seventeen-year old but she’s absolutely hilarious. Nick was a likeable character as well with the right amount of mysterious. Characters complemented each other perfectly! I’m looking forward reading more books from Rebecca Sparrow. It was a short feel-good read.
May 13, 2008
Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com
What's worse then waking up, having morning breath, and looking your worst? Having the hottest guy in school see you every morning when you just woke up, looking your worst. Rachel Hill has experienced this firsthand, and it is all because of her parents and their kindheartedness.
Nick McGowan (a.k.a. the hottest and most popular guy, a.k.a. every girl's eye candy), has become somewhat of a troublemaker. No one really understands why, but of course rumors take care of that. Most of them evolve around drugs. The school's PTA calls a little meeting and, in no time, Rachel's parents agree to let him stay with them, since he does need a little guidance. Of course, Rachel isn't too happy about this, since not only is she not the prettiest or most popular girl in school, but she doesn't want him to see how dorky her life is. Like having to use an egg timer keep track of how long she can talk on the phone, all because she accidentally created a generous amount of charges on the phone bill because she made a long distance call to her sister.
Rachel tries everything to convince her parents that this is a very bad idea, especially having two hormonal teenagers under the same roof. But since her parents won't budge, Rachel slowly sees that this could be the perfect opportunity to make Nick fall in love with her.
Of course, this little arrangement doesn't go so well in the beginning, since Nick thinks Rachel is a little diva while Rachel finds him to be a complete jerk who can't do anything for himself. Not only that, but in the heat of the moment, Rachel created her very own fake boyfriend just to impress him.
As the days go by, though, both begin to see a different side of each other and secrets that have kept them wondering will open up a whole new friendship that they never thought was possible.
A hilarious novel, THE YEAR NICK MCGOWAN CAME TO STAY will be on everyone's mind. Taking place in 1989, Rebecca Sparrow lets us see what the teen angst and drama was like almost two decades ago. Rachel will be the girl who everyone wants to be since she got to live with Nick McGowan!
What's worse then waking up, having morning breath, and looking your worst? Having the hottest guy in school see you every morning when you just woke up, looking your worst. Rachel Hill has experienced this firsthand, and it is all because of her parents and their kindheartedness.
Nick McGowan (a.k.a. the hottest and most popular guy, a.k.a. every girl's eye candy), has become somewhat of a troublemaker. No one really understands why, but of course rumors take care of that. Most of them evolve around drugs. The school's PTA calls a little meeting and, in no time, Rachel's parents agree to let him stay with them, since he does need a little guidance. Of course, Rachel isn't too happy about this, since not only is she not the prettiest or most popular girl in school, but she doesn't want him to see how dorky her life is. Like having to use an egg timer keep track of how long she can talk on the phone, all because she accidentally created a generous amount of charges on the phone bill because she made a long distance call to her sister.
Rachel tries everything to convince her parents that this is a very bad idea, especially having two hormonal teenagers under the same roof. But since her parents won't budge, Rachel slowly sees that this could be the perfect opportunity to make Nick fall in love with her.
Of course, this little arrangement doesn't go so well in the beginning, since Nick thinks Rachel is a little diva while Rachel finds him to be a complete jerk who can't do anything for himself. Not only that, but in the heat of the moment, Rachel created her very own fake boyfriend just to impress him.
As the days go by, though, both begin to see a different side of each other and secrets that have kept them wondering will open up a whole new friendship that they never thought was possible.
A hilarious novel, THE YEAR NICK MCGOWAN CAME TO STAY will be on everyone's mind. Taking place in 1989, Rebecca Sparrow lets us see what the teen angst and drama was like almost two decades ago. Rachel will be the girl who everyone wants to be since she got to live with Nick McGowan!
September 5, 2010
True I was drinking wine at the time, but I had several moments where I had tears streaming down my face as I was laughing my head off. I enjoyed the previous book (The Girl Most Likely) more, but this one was good too. It was great to see the characters I got familiar with in The Girl Most Likely when they were in high school. It had some great moments.
March 27, 2017
THIS IS HILARIOUS AND GREAT AND YOU SHOULD READ IT!!
August 15, 2008
What happens when a gorgeous boy with a mysterious secret comes to live with the family of a driven success-obsessed girl?
I liked this short fresh book. The author didn't take the expected path and the result was a wry and charming book with a lot of nice humor. I listened to the audio and the australian narrator was wonderful.
I liked this short fresh book. The author didn't take the expected path and the result was a wry and charming book with a lot of nice humor. I listened to the audio and the australian narrator was wonderful.
June 20, 2011
This book reminds me of Sweethearts.
August 12, 2019
very quick read... it had moments when it felt rushed and I think the author could have slowed it down a bit so that you could connect with the characters and the story line more.
June 17, 2011
I am completely tempted to rate this book 5 stars.
Something about it was absolutely pitch-perfect for the mood I was in, and the characters were so authentically heartfelt, and all the little quirks (hello chocolate desserts on the front cover :) were so sweet and real and gosh, I really love this book.
So, because I just finished up Joel and Cat Set the Story Straight, have I mentioned how much I love Rebecca Sparrow's main characters? Because I do. Rachel Hill is frank, genuine, and utterly true. Anyone who has a secret guilty pleasure for Johnny Depp or any band that is today's version of Huey and the News (Britney Spears, perhaps? Just kidding ;) will relate. She's an overachiever, who cares about her prefect status and collage and such, but she's not a perfect, straight-A, honor roll student. And really, what percentage of teenagers is? We all struggle with something and it's unrealistic for authors to put characters in their books that are in every advanced class and on the road to Harvard because it is probably very rare that those teenagers do much other then study their brains out. Rachel was just as normal as the rest of us, and somehow that made her all the more unique :) And the birthday parties that Rachel did for work so she could earn the "Party Hostess of the Year" award, those made me laugh.
Anyway, the point here is that Rachel Hill is fabulous.
And then there was Nick McGowan and all I have to say is SWOON. I adore the prologue of this book which has the paragraph:
On the night of the swimming carnival, at eleven-forty-five, Nick McGowan got out of bed, changed into his school uniform and systematically set off every fire alarm in the boy’s boardinghouse. They eventually found him sitting on the Chapel steps—in clear view of the principal’s house—smoking a pack of Benson & Hedges and doing his German homework. When Mr. Tallon, the principal, asked Nick what he was doing, he said that he had a German quiz the next day.
I love the balance of tension between Rachel and Nick. I love the whole unfolding of their relationship/friendship/getting-to-know-each-other. Both of them were fully fleshed out and the sarcastic quips were quick and some of the parts that had me laughing were just your basic conversation, except not basic because Rachel and Nick were the two people have it, obviously. Nick also had a fondness for the Ramones which didn't come off as at all contrived, and while I was reading I listened to some Ramones (I always read with my iPod in) and could fully, completely, beyond-words understand why this was Nick McGowan's favorite band.
I liked the setting of the 80's and only wish that John Hughes was discussed.
I very highly recommend this book, because once again, Rebecca Sparrow proves that she has the best sense of humor, and there were parts that even made me a bit teary. Plus, I found the ending charming (but it also broke my heart a little, in the best way) rather than unnecessary.
Now I have to go put The Girl Most Likely on hold, because I have a complete addiction for Rebecca Sparrow books :)
Something about it was absolutely pitch-perfect for the mood I was in, and the characters were so authentically heartfelt, and all the little quirks (hello chocolate desserts on the front cover :) were so sweet and real and gosh, I really love this book.
So, because I just finished up Joel and Cat Set the Story Straight, have I mentioned how much I love Rebecca Sparrow's main characters? Because I do. Rachel Hill is frank, genuine, and utterly true. Anyone who has a secret guilty pleasure for Johnny Depp or any band that is today's version of Huey and the News (Britney Spears, perhaps? Just kidding ;) will relate. She's an overachiever, who cares about her prefect status and collage and such, but she's not a perfect, straight-A, honor roll student. And really, what percentage of teenagers is? We all struggle with something and it's unrealistic for authors to put characters in their books that are in every advanced class and on the road to Harvard because it is probably very rare that those teenagers do much other then study their brains out. Rachel was just as normal as the rest of us, and somehow that made her all the more unique :) And the birthday parties that Rachel did for work so she could earn the "Party Hostess of the Year" award, those made me laugh.
Anyway, the point here is that Rachel Hill is fabulous.
And then there was Nick McGowan and all I have to say is SWOON. I adore the prologue of this book which has the paragraph:
On the night of the swimming carnival, at eleven-forty-five, Nick McGowan got out of bed, changed into his school uniform and systematically set off every fire alarm in the boy’s boardinghouse. They eventually found him sitting on the Chapel steps—in clear view of the principal’s house—smoking a pack of Benson & Hedges and doing his German homework. When Mr. Tallon, the principal, asked Nick what he was doing, he said that he had a German quiz the next day.
I love the balance of tension between Rachel and Nick. I love the whole unfolding of their relationship/friendship/getting-to-know-each-other. Both of them were fully fleshed out and the sarcastic quips were quick and some of the parts that had me laughing were just your basic conversation, except not basic because Rachel and Nick were the two people have it, obviously. Nick also had a fondness for the Ramones which didn't come off as at all contrived, and while I was reading I listened to some Ramones (I always read with my iPod in) and could fully, completely, beyond-words understand why this was Nick McGowan's favorite band.
I liked the setting of the 80's and only wish that John Hughes was discussed.
I very highly recommend this book, because once again, Rebecca Sparrow proves that she has the best sense of humor, and there were parts that even made me a bit teary. Plus, I found the ending charming (but it also broke my heart a little, in the best way) rather than unnecessary.
Now I have to go put The Girl Most Likely on hold, because I have a complete addiction for Rebecca Sparrow books :)
July 22, 2015
4.5 Stars
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2013/11/t...
Funniest. Book. Ever.
This book was one of the biggest surprises I've stumbled across so far. It was funny, heartwarming and funny. Yes, it was just that humorous I felt the need to mention it twice. I was nine years old in 1989 and the pop culture references throughout, helped me form a connection to the storyline and characters. Although some of Rachel's musical tastes are cringe worthy, back in the era, that's what the majority were listening to. Remembering Molly's death on A Country Practice, watching It's A Knockout, I absolutely loved reminiscing. Rachel's inner monologues are hilarious, but the real star is best friend Zoe. Some of the funniest lines in literature are courtesy of Rebecca Sparrow, and I'm an instant fan.
If you're an Aussie, thirty plus years old or remember the 1980's with a fondness, definitely add this one.
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2013/11/t...
Funniest. Book. Ever.
This book was one of the biggest surprises I've stumbled across so far. It was funny, heartwarming and funny. Yes, it was just that humorous I felt the need to mention it twice. I was nine years old in 1989 and the pop culture references throughout, helped me form a connection to the storyline and characters. Although some of Rachel's musical tastes are cringe worthy, back in the era, that's what the majority were listening to. Remembering Molly's death on A Country Practice, watching It's A Knockout, I absolutely loved reminiscing. Rachel's inner monologues are hilarious, but the real star is best friend Zoe. Some of the funniest lines in literature are courtesy of Rebecca Sparrow, and I'm an instant fan.
If you're an Aussie, thirty plus years old or remember the 1980's with a fondness, definitely add this one.
June 1, 2015
Rachel, the main character was boring and quite frankly, rude (especially to Nick).
The story line was poor and could've been developed a lot better.
One thing that I just DIDN'T UNDERSTAND was how quickly Rachel and Nick suddenly became friends, and how one day Rachel hates him (for no reason might I add since she DOESN'T EVEN KNOW HIM) and then the next they spend a walk home talking like old friends.
WHAT.
NO. JUST NO.
And Rachel was such a boring character I honestly don't know why Nick liked her at all. Nick McGowan was probably the best part of the whole story.
The story line was poor and could've been developed a lot better.
One thing that I just DIDN'T UNDERSTAND was how quickly Rachel and Nick suddenly became friends, and how one day Rachel hates him (for no reason might I add since she DOESN'T EVEN KNOW HIM) and then the next they spend a walk home talking like old friends.
WHAT.
NO. JUST NO.
And Rachel was such a boring character I honestly don't know why Nick liked her at all. Nick McGowan was probably the best part of the whole story.
July 5, 2008
This book was a dissapointment. the first five or so pages were really great, but then it kind of went downhill from there. It took place in 1989 which kind of threw me, as it's a new book.
By the end, I was more interested in the character, but then the book ended with more story to tell, in my opinion.
I do not recommend this one.
By the end, I was more interested in the character, but then the book ended with more story to tell, in my opinion.
I do not recommend this one.
July 9, 2009
A very funny, brilliantly observed wee book, with a lively Australian setting and a totally charming narrator. I appreciated the ending, too - not idyllic happy ever afters, but a realistic and reasonable happy resolution.
October 25, 2012
Gotta love a book that mentions the pub where I went on my second date with my husband.
I ADORED THIS.
A slightly more comprehensive review will follow soon..
I ADORED THIS.
A slightly more comprehensive review will follow soon..
May 3, 2013
An ok teen read maybe. i'm a bit above the target age group.A bit light & pathetic for me I'm afraid.
February 16, 2018
I'm really conflicted on what I should rate this one with. For the 99% of the book, I decided that Rebecca Sparrow will be my new favorite author until that 1% which is the ending. It's like the 1% of the germs on cleansing soap ads that seems to be main force driving away the full effectivity of that soap and with this one, it killed the whole entirety of the book.
Anyway.
I love everything about this like love, luurrrvee it. Rachel just nailed the kind of heroine I'd like my book to have. Sassy and feisty and headstrong. You can never get enough of her and Zoe is just a dahling. I wish she gets to have her own sequel, she's so adorable. The tandem with the two of them is like the friendship goals that should be aimed for by every best friends out there.
The writing is just superb. I laugh every turn of the page and that's just what I'm looking for in a book. I've also read another book of Rebecca's and I can definitely say that she's about to become my number 1 fave author until I notice that she's got a streak going on for her. A downward streak pointing to the endings. 99% of her books are like epic until we get to the ending and you just end up torn between pulling your hair out or karate chopping while cursing your way into her front door and demand additional pages to finish the book properly. I sometimes wonder if she has a bad-wrap syndrome that she can't properly conjure up an acceptable ending let alone a decent one.
Ugh.
I'll probably settle for an average 3.5 star on this mainly for the comedy. Also, I wish there was more romance in it, really, you can't feel it. And I still can't decide what I felt for Nick. He's like a display character that was just conjured up to fill in the hero role. I know the plot centers around him but it failed to really bring him out for me so yeah, probably the only hero that didn't made any impact on me. Adios.
Anyway.
I love everything about this like love, luurrrvee it. Rachel just nailed the kind of heroine I'd like my book to have. Sassy and feisty and headstrong. You can never get enough of her and Zoe is just a dahling. I wish she gets to have her own sequel, she's so adorable. The tandem with the two of them is like the friendship goals that should be aimed for by every best friends out there.
The writing is just superb. I laugh every turn of the page and that's just what I'm looking for in a book. I've also read another book of Rebecca's and I can definitely say that she's about to become my number 1 fave author until I notice that she's got a streak going on for her. A downward streak pointing to the endings. 99% of her books are like epic until we get to the ending and you just end up torn between pulling your hair out or karate chopping while cursing your way into her front door and demand additional pages to finish the book properly. I sometimes wonder if she has a bad-wrap syndrome that she can't properly conjure up an acceptable ending let alone a decent one.
Ugh.
I'll probably settle for an average 3.5 star on this mainly for the comedy. Also, I wish there was more romance in it, really, you can't feel it. And I still can't decide what I felt for Nick. He's like a display character that was just conjured up to fill in the hero role. I know the plot centers around him but it failed to really bring him out for me so yeah, probably the only hero that didn't made any impact on me. Adios.
April 17, 2025
uhh..I read this not knowing what to expect. It was purely for entertainment.
Pros-
- set in 1989, extremely interesting to uncover what life was like before social media or technology.
-in Brisbane! There's this one scene where the characters go to Indooroopilly shopping centre, but back then it was called shopping TOWN. Googled the pictures. It felt like I travelled back in time.
- so high school. Loved the vibe.
- the friendship that Rachel and Nick formed.
Cons-
-Rachel is so annoying I want to slap her across the face...she needs to learn to mind her own business and not be so defensive. She needs some self reflection.
-I HATE the awkward insecure girl x the popular boy trope. Rachel just can't stop doing things that give me second-hand embarrassment.
-Could've had more depth with Nick's backstory. I think the ending would've included a lot more depth to Nick's character development and the way he dealt with depression.
-Zoe was so annoying as well. sorry not sorry.
This was interesting to read. I can't say too much because this was written years ago.
Pros-
- set in 1989, extremely interesting to uncover what life was like before social media or technology.
-in Brisbane! There's this one scene where the characters go to Indooroopilly shopping centre, but back then it was called shopping TOWN. Googled the pictures. It felt like I travelled back in time.
- so high school. Loved the vibe.
- the friendship that Rachel and Nick formed.
Cons-
-Rachel is so annoying I want to slap her across the face...she needs to learn to mind her own business and not be so defensive. She needs some self reflection.
-I HATE the awkward insecure girl x the popular boy trope. Rachel just can't stop doing things that give me second-hand embarrassment.
-Could've had more depth with Nick's backstory. I think the ending would've included a lot more depth to Nick's character development and the way he dealt with depression.
-Zoe was so annoying as well. sorry not sorry.
This was interesting to read. I can't say too much because this was written years ago.
November 12, 2018
This was such a fast read! I finished it in about 3 hours which is great for me, even though it is a small book. I found the main character pretty unlikable and really preferred Nick! I liked how he brought some reality to Rachael since she was acting quite bratty. But other than this I didn't really see the overarching point of the book. I liked the notion of not believing rumours and doing what's right and what you love, for yourself but otherwise I just didn't really love the book. Overall it was fast and easy to read, giving me a bit of a brain break from all my heavy fantasy atm!
February 2, 2020
Ahhhh this was a true breath of fresh air after all of the complex novels I’ve been reading lately. It was perfectly YA and something that I’ve been missing in my life lately. I enjoyed how easy it was to read and how simple and sweet the storyline was. Thanks Rebecca, it’s always a pleasure reading your Brisbane based novels.
March 26, 2021
I’m absolutely stunned at how this book ended up making me feel. It starts off as a cute little opposites type YA girl novel, very Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging, but with so much more heart.
Love the 80s setting and little Australian mannerisms, which I only clocked towards the end.
The end literally will leave you with all the feels. Cannot recommend this enough.
Love the 80s setting and little Australian mannerisms, which I only clocked towards the end.
The end literally will leave you with all the feels. Cannot recommend this enough.
May 27, 2025
Theres only one reason why i read this book.
Have you ever googled your name to see what comes up, i have, it was this book, i have looked at it for years and thought about buying and reading it but never got myself to do it, then a couple of years ago my girlfriend (now wife) bought me this book, i read it, i enjoyed it, it was a nice short read.
Have you ever googled your name to see what comes up, i have, it was this book, i have looked at it for years and thought about buying and reading it but never got myself to do it, then a couple of years ago my girlfriend (now wife) bought me this book, i read it, i enjoyed it, it was a nice short read.
June 26, 2018
Den här tog tusen år att läsa och fick mig att tappa läslusten en del, eftersom Rachel var så förtvivlat pinsam. (Dock helt rimligt tonårsbeteende....)
Det tog sig en del på slutet. Men njä. Och mycket oklart varför den skulle utspela sig på åttiotalet?
Det tog sig en del på slutet. Men njä. Och mycket oklart varför den skulle utspela sig på åttiotalet?
August 1, 2020
I liked this but it was way too short to be really emotionally satisfying.
May 1, 2021
Whenever I begin to perceive myself as weak-willed or lazy, I remind myself that I possessed the mental tenacity to finish this book.
October 10, 2012
The Year Nick McGowan Came to Stay is essentially a prequel to Sparrow’s 2003 Bridget Jones-esque tale of Rachel Hill - The Girl Most Likely. This time around Sparrow has the hard to define (and harder to please) ‘young adult’ market in her sights, taking the reader back to Hill’s senior year at high school complete with exam pressure, embarrassing parents and unrequited love. When enigmatic tearaway Nick McGowan is invited to board with the Hill family, Rachel’s small, orderly, teenage world comes crashing down around her. An assortment of the expected teen life lessons are encountered along the path to the denouement of Nick’s secrets, as the likeable Rachel stumbles through 1989 with all the finesse of a contestant on her family’s favourite game show It’s a Knockout.
This is an affable, amusing, easy read. Moral messages, such as ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’, are sweet and timeless (if rather heavily underlined) and the relationships depicted feel authentic. Sparrow evidently loves, and has a good memory for, the music and other popular cultural representations of the era, which also were peppered through The Girl Most Likely. Music, film and television references will resonate for those in Sparrow’s/Hill’s generation, although at times Rachel’s cassettes and posters do seem to reflect the whole of the 1980s, rather than the more usual capricious teenage penchant for a hero of the week.
Rachel is an interesting protagonist: distinctly middle-class, academically minded, and a school prefect with a cosy family life. Her sister is studying in France, providing her conscientious, P & C parents with space to accommodate the curious loner of the book’s title. Though not without her insecurities, Rachel leads an unusually comfortable life for the lead player in a contemporary youth novel: Australian young adult fiction so often strives to reflect social diversity in its extreme that it almost seems risky on Sparrow’s part to wrap a teen story around this safe and conventional community. This particular type of Australian teendom, though, provides ample space for comedy set-pieces – around demoralising part-time jobs and high street fashion slavery, for example.
The ‘80s setting may appeal to younger readers in the spirit of retro curiosity, with the storyline easily transposed to almost anyone’s high school years. At the same time, the most welcoming readership for this novel will probably be Sparrow’s adult fans, for whom it would be a guilty pleasure polished off in a lunch hour. Though lacking some of the wit, punch and character development that made The Girl Most Likely a success, Nick McGowan does provide a positive, smart heroine for younger girls and a comical dose of nostalgia for older readers.
An extended review can be read at http://thischarmingmum.com
This is an affable, amusing, easy read. Moral messages, such as ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’, are sweet and timeless (if rather heavily underlined) and the relationships depicted feel authentic. Sparrow evidently loves, and has a good memory for, the music and other popular cultural representations of the era, which also were peppered through The Girl Most Likely. Music, film and television references will resonate for those in Sparrow’s/Hill’s generation, although at times Rachel’s cassettes and posters do seem to reflect the whole of the 1980s, rather than the more usual capricious teenage penchant for a hero of the week.
Rachel is an interesting protagonist: distinctly middle-class, academically minded, and a school prefect with a cosy family life. Her sister is studying in France, providing her conscientious, P & C parents with space to accommodate the curious loner of the book’s title. Though not without her insecurities, Rachel leads an unusually comfortable life for the lead player in a contemporary youth novel: Australian young adult fiction so often strives to reflect social diversity in its extreme that it almost seems risky on Sparrow’s part to wrap a teen story around this safe and conventional community. This particular type of Australian teendom, though, provides ample space for comedy set-pieces – around demoralising part-time jobs and high street fashion slavery, for example.
The ‘80s setting may appeal to younger readers in the spirit of retro curiosity, with the storyline easily transposed to almost anyone’s high school years. At the same time, the most welcoming readership for this novel will probably be Sparrow’s adult fans, for whom it would be a guilty pleasure polished off in a lunch hour. Though lacking some of the wit, punch and character development that made The Girl Most Likely a success, Nick McGowan does provide a positive, smart heroine for younger girls and a comical dose of nostalgia for older readers.
An extended review can be read at http://thischarmingmum.com
June 27, 2011
Sweet!
I love how almost all the Aussie YA's I've read have open endings~ I love the possibility those endings present. The year Nick McGowan Came to Stay is funny, with bits that were positively of embarrasing (particularly for her,) but most of all, it's sweet. Moments were absolutely side splitting; I'd laugh at how out of proportion things looked from her perspective. For one whom I thought to be level headed, she sure came across as a drama queen!
She's in Year twelve and has to focus. She thinks herself plain especially when next to her striking best friend Zoe. Not that that's a problem, she's perfectly fine with how things are, knows what she wants and how to get them. Things change when Nick McGowan has to stay the year. her self-consciuos self shows itself with a vengeance! She starts changing her musical taste to make herself seem a little bit more cool; then she starts seeing an imaginary boyfriend, aka Paul (Snuffy.) Not only does she become quite self conscious, she also could not fathom the need for him to stay with them in the first place. So while simultaneuosly trying to look cool and figure out why he's in her home, she pieces togther a bunch of theories that have him coming out in her (and in every other girl's) imagination as cute, hunky but troubled and maybe even suicidal. But the best part? It wasn't angsty and that's even after all his issues surfaced! It stayed sweet and fun. Yes, he wasn't perfect, but neither was she (as seen from pages one, onward!)
Another bonus is the setting: It's 1980-something, and I totally got a kick at what she described as popular and cool. Normally I find name dropping annoying, this time around I thought it added something special. I enjoyed her descriptions of their "cool" clothes, ultrabig shoulder pads, stone washed jeans, and puff skirts. Her references to some of what was popular was also cute: Phil Collins, the Eurythmics and even the Bangles, the Ramones too. And the shows she mentioned like Knots Landing and Twenty One Jump Street! While these referencs to these things added just a little extra something , the book really was about Rachel and Nick.
So what's to love?
A set of MC's who aren't too angsty but definitely quirky,
a setting that's different from the norm,
and an ending that leaves much to look forward to
3.5
I love how almost all the Aussie YA's I've read have open endings~ I love the possibility those endings present. The year Nick McGowan Came to Stay is funny, with bits that were positively of embarrasing (particularly for her,) but most of all, it's sweet. Moments were absolutely side splitting; I'd laugh at how out of proportion things looked from her perspective. For one whom I thought to be level headed, she sure came across as a drama queen!
She's in Year twelve and has to focus. She thinks herself plain especially when next to her striking best friend Zoe. Not that that's a problem, she's perfectly fine with how things are, knows what she wants and how to get them. Things change when Nick McGowan has to stay the year. her self-consciuos self shows itself with a vengeance! She starts changing her musical taste to make herself seem a little bit more cool; then she starts seeing an imaginary boyfriend, aka Paul (Snuffy.) Not only does she become quite self conscious, she also could not fathom the need for him to stay with them in the first place. So while simultaneuosly trying to look cool and figure out why he's in her home, she pieces togther a bunch of theories that have him coming out in her (and in every other girl's) imagination as cute, hunky but troubled and maybe even suicidal. But the best part? It wasn't angsty and that's even after all his issues surfaced! It stayed sweet and fun. Yes, he wasn't perfect, but neither was she (as seen from pages one, onward!)
Another bonus is the setting: It's 1980-something, and I totally got a kick at what she described as popular and cool. Normally I find name dropping annoying, this time around I thought it added something special. I enjoyed her descriptions of their "cool" clothes, ultrabig shoulder pads, stone washed jeans, and puff skirts. Her references to some of what was popular was also cute: Phil Collins, the Eurythmics and even the Bangles, the Ramones too. And the shows she mentioned like Knots Landing and Twenty One Jump Street! While these referencs to these things added just a little extra something , the book really was about Rachel and Nick.
So what's to love?
A set of MC's who aren't too angsty but definitely quirky,
a setting that's different from the norm,
and an ending that leaves much to look forward to
3.5
October 10, 2016
This is one of those stories set in the "before"-- you know, before Internet and cell phones were widely used and could essentially solve all the problems in 2 pages.
It's funny how modern technology can upset storylines like that. Almost makes you feel like since you do have a smartphone, you shouldn't have any problems (book-worthy problems, at least) because, seriously, just google it.
So to remove the all powerful genie that is the Internet, authors through in things like apocalypses or natural disasters or whatever so the characters actually have to figure stuff out on their own.
Awww, so cute.
Dystopian seems to be dying down (pleasepleaseplease) and now the trendy way to get around the pesky tech is to set stories in the late 80's/early 90's, right before they were a thing.
Great. Does this mean that for the rest of time, the early 90's will be a plot device? I suppose there have been many pre/post advancements that change society in monumental ways: electricity, telephones, cars, etc. that altered story-telling the same way, but it's hard to know if cellphones and internet are a bigger deal or not.
Anyway, apart from the Doris Day/Rock Hudson party-line hijinks of listening in on phone convos, there doesn't seem to be a real reason for it to be 1989. But it is DEFINITELY 1989, not just some random time in the pre-net era, because the author is forever throwing out cultural references like confetti. And because the year is not relevant to the development of the story, it's all just distracting filler.
Maybe it's campy, retro fun for today's teens, and since the story is pretty low-impact anyway, I guess I shouldn't complain, being an adult and all, and not the target audience.
But while there's really not much to the book, it does have one thing going for it:
Snarky Australian Humor.
It's funny how modern technology can upset storylines like that. Almost makes you feel like since you do have a smartphone, you shouldn't have any problems (book-worthy problems, at least) because, seriously, just google it.
So to remove the all powerful genie that is the Internet, authors through in things like apocalypses or natural disasters or whatever so the characters actually have to figure stuff out on their own.
Awww, so cute.
Dystopian seems to be dying down (pleasepleaseplease) and now the trendy way to get around the pesky tech is to set stories in the late 80's/early 90's, right before they were a thing.
Great. Does this mean that for the rest of time, the early 90's will be a plot device? I suppose there have been many pre/post advancements that change society in monumental ways: electricity, telephones, cars, etc. that altered story-telling the same way, but it's hard to know if cellphones and internet are a bigger deal or not.
Anyway, apart from the Doris Day/Rock Hudson party-line hijinks of listening in on phone convos, there doesn't seem to be a real reason for it to be 1989. But it is DEFINITELY 1989, not just some random time in the pre-net era, because the author is forever throwing out cultural references like confetti. And because the year is not relevant to the development of the story, it's all just distracting filler.
Maybe it's campy, retro fun for today's teens, and since the story is pretty low-impact anyway, I guess I shouldn't complain, being an adult and all, and not the target audience.
But while there's really not much to the book, it does have one thing going for it:
Snarky Australian Humor.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews