Title: Adorkable by Sarra Manning
Release date:
May 24th 2012 by Atom
Source:
Library
Format:
Audiobook
Age group:
Young adult
Genre:
Humourous contemporary
Reviewer: Arianne
Grade rate: A+
Jeane Smith's a blogger, a dreamer, a dare-to-dreamer, a jumble sale queen, CEO of her own lifestyle brand and has half a million followers on twitter.Michael Lee's a star of school, stage and playing field. A golden boy in a Jack Wills hoodie.They have nothing in common but a pair of cheating exes. So why can't they stop snogging?
Whatever you're expecting from this book, unexpect it.
Jeane's seventeen and living the dork dream: she's made her
oddness into a lifestyle brand and is considered something of a teen icon to
millions of people worldwide. But this blogging guru is hiding some harrowing
secrets - and it will take a very special person to help her find her true self
again.
Adorkable has a great premise, a great male lead,
laugh-out-loud humour and a writing style that will leave you breathless - or
rolling in the dust. Just like it's namesake, it's is a complete mash-up of
characters and style and it makes for a vibrant, chatty and often conflicted
book.
I'll be honest: he real beginning of Adorkable is about eight
chapters in. There are identity crises and flashes of humour galore - and they
almost make up for the fact that for the majority of Adorkable, Jeane acts like
more of a bitch than a dork. She's abrasive, snippy and sometimes, downright
cruel. She's one of the world's most in-demand lifestyle bloggers, but there's
an undeniable sense that many of the choices she labels as 'dorky' are
motivated by a desperate need for attention.
There is, however, one person who undoes this acerbic
attitude. Michael Lee wears branded clothes and gels his hair. He plays sport
and partakes in extracurricular activities. Worst of all, even Jeane's legion
of Twitter followers could never compete with his many real friends and his
ability to simply get along with everyone. He is Jeane's antithesis. He's not
perfect but he is, without doubt, one of the most genuine and lovable young
adult love interests I've read in a long time. There was chemistry in his
relationship with Jeane, but he was also a normal teenage boy with normal
teenage angst and of course, some ever-present and slightly predictable teenage
boy reactions. His Asian heritage makes for the icing on top of our very lovely
Michael-shaped cake. This book is nothing if not multi-cultural and I adored
that as well as the dual narrative.
Adorkable isn't exactly plot-heavy, but it does document a
transformation. Jeane's hard to relate to and even harder to like, but there
are plenty of other characters who fill out the backdrop to her journey (because
while Michael plays a very important role in this story, we all know it's Jeane
who needs to make the most dramatic change). The gormless exes of both main
characters aside, there was a great cast who collectively captured the modern
teenage experience very well. Michael's family, Jeane's sister, Gustav and
Harry the endlessly entertaining neighbours - I loved them all.
What I didn't love was the fact that Jeane's parents are
absent from most of the book. Likewise there are several emotional bomshells
which are mentioned once and never spoken of again. These included some very
inappropriate references (for example, a casual mention of a past relationship
between Jeane and a much older man) and there are some very appropriate ones
(for example, a casual mention of a past relationship between Jeane and another
girl - the ease with which the author deals with Jeane's bi-curious nature is
something I'd really like to see more of in YA). As a result of these
contradictions, the emotional power of the story was lessened.
Adorkable is an acquired taste, but if you perservere, the
investment is definitely worth it. A four star rating may be a little too
generous (don't read it on a bad day, you'll just be irritated - remember it
requires an open mind!) but it was oddly addictive and strangely satisfying, so
I'd definitely recommend it.
As Jeane would say: “Welcome to the dorkside. It’s going to
be a bumpy ride.”
I'm glad I know this going in otherwise I might have been put-off when I started reading. Awesome review!
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