I think it was a case of THE (Too High Expectations). Disappointment was probably inevitable because they were ridonkulously high. Go Fug Yourself is one of my fave blogs; Heather and Jessica are so damn brilliant and their blog posts are hilarious, intelligent and extremely witty. So when I found out they were releasing a YA novel, I was super excited - so much that I couldn't wait for it to be released in Australia, and ordered it on Book Depository (that site knows no borders).
I thought Spoiled would be as awesome as GFY, and in some parts it was, but overall I have to say it was nothing I haven't read or seen before. The plot - focusing on a sweet girl named Molly who finds out her dad is a big time Hollywood star and her half-sister Brooke is a big time bitch - was entertaining, but predictable, and while the authors' flare for language shines at times, for the most part I felt anybody could have written this story. I guess that's why I felt let down - I wanted to be blown away by unique quirkiness and instead I got just another fluffy teen read.
Of course, I like fluffy teen reads as much as the next YA addict, so I did enjoy the book - in fact, I really, really liked it. I just didn't love it, and I wanted to SO. BADLY. I adore the authors so much I was tempted to say I loved it, anyway, but I can't lie. I will say there are some gold one-liners in there, which made me mentally fist-pump the Fug Girls and think, "Oh, there you are!" The pop culture references are also a lot of fun, though I think they'll date the book very quickly - I mean, the description of Molly as a homewrecker for allegedly hooking up with Pete Wentz already rings untrue because he's split from Ashlee Simpson. But for now, it's a colourful, glossy, perky read that's enjoyable as a quick pick-me-up (which I needed after Forbidden).
Rating: 3/5
Spoilery Talking Points
- I didn't like the lack of closure at the end. It's pretty obvious what's going to happen, but I wanted to see the big happy family reunion scene for myself. I guess they're saving that for the sequel...
- I wanted more Teddy - he was a cute character and I really loved the romance between him and Molly, but I feel like it wasn't given enough attention.
Revealing how obsessed I am with trashy TV, I pictured...
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| Ashley Benson as Brooke |
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| Lucy Hale as Molly |
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| Robert Downey Jr as Brick |
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| Zach Roerig as Danny |
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| Penn Badgley as Teddy |
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Poppy
Published: May 2011 (US only)
Get It: Book Depository
I enjoy the Go Fug Yourself blog, too. It seems like practically every blogger who gains enough fans manages to snag a book deal, but there's a huge divide between writing a few dozen razor sharp bon mots about fashion and writing a novel. Or being a mommy blogger and talking about stretch marks or sleeping through the night and writing a novel. Etc.
ReplyDeleteBlogs have made it possible for those who aren't necessarily "writers" to become writers.
By the way, how on earth do you find the time to produce as many posts as you do? I would like to bottle your energy.
You make a good point, Nico.
ReplyDeleteAs for my energy, I don't know about that - I probably spend waaaay too much time online. I'm a bit addicted ;) If I'm watching TV at night I usually have the laptop on me. But I've found pre-scheduling posts when I've got a bit of free time (usually on the weekends) helps :)
I don't read GFY as often as I hope, but I do love their humour. Too bad this was disappointing for you, *shakes fist at high expectations* :P I love how you included pictures :P RDJ!
ReplyDeleteI read it every day, I'm a massive fan - hence the expectations! Ah, well, can't win em all ;)
ReplyDelete