Since my first days in the Blogosphere, I've seen some incredibly talented fellow writers and bloggers published. One of the most entertaining of these writers is Jen Mann, author of such gems as I Just Want To Pee Alone and People I Want To Punch In The Throat, both of which are AMAZING books with hysterical commentary on the ins and outs of parenting...and being a societal introvert who hates wearing pants. (And honestly, don't we all??) Her newest foray into the world of publishing is a YA novel entitled My Lame Life: Queen of the Misfits, her first jaunt into the genre. Because of my humble blog here, I was so fortunate as to receive a signed copy from Jen to read and review. Having done the former, I am now ready to tackle the latter!
Fourteen-year old Plum Parrish is not the kind of girl you'll find in the middle of a group of cheerleaders, or whose name is revered by the other students at her school. For Plum, life exists of one best friend who understands her, and nothing else except her passions for both reading and for learning French. She revels in her misfit status, because it is her niche in life. But all of that changes when she receives an announcement from her parents that throws her entire world into disarray: Due to a promotion, her parents will be moving their family far away from the only life she knows. The journey to her new life is fraught with the same battles she was waging with the so-called "cool kids" in her previous school, and makes for some heady drama once school starts up again. Her shenanigans even manage to drag her brother and her parents into the fray, which results in some hilarious moments as well as some tender ones. One is left desperately hopeful that Jen will continue the saga of Plum Parrish, since the novel ended with a bit of a cliffhanger that absolutely found me wanting more!
This is a novel that celebrates the kids who are different, who march to the beats of their own drummers, and I found it refreshing and wildly engaging. As always with Jen's work, I walked away from this read with a smile on my face and affection in my heart. You can't go amiss here -- I wholeheartedly recommend this book to tweens/teens and adults alike. Nothing quite so nostalgic as remembering the days of our own misspent youth. LOL
Rating: ★★★★★
