Wow, what a difference some time makes, huh? I had read the first three books staring Jessica Darling a while back, so I was totally psyched to learn about this, the fourth installment. Careful what you wish for, I suppose. I don't know if it's me or the writing, but this was a disappointing book on several levels. Description first, moaning later....
Jessica has gone to Princeton to tell her boyfriend, Marcus, that she's breaking up with him. Drama right from the start! Marcus immediately counteracts with a proposal - THE proposal, that of marriage. She has a week to think about it (what is it with the one-week deadline here??) while he's at a Freshman Orientation camping thing. In the meantime, he's given her some blank notebooks (she's always kept a diary, although has also always used notebooks rather than actual "diary"-type books) and has encouraged her to write about her week of thought.
And that's pretty much what we get, musings by Jessica Darling. About her current life, her past, her desire to make in it New York City despite the fact she's not really employed anywhere, and, of course, her relationship (or somewhat lack thereof) with Marcus. She doesn't really want to tell anyone about the proposal, but word leaks out, thus giving us more drama when her friends and family ask what she's going to do.
So why didn't I enjoy this book as much? Well, that's the big question, isn't it? The other three entries were pretty good and the writing was really good, or at least, I thought so at the time. I'm wondering if I'd feel the same way about it now? Maybe it's because I'm almost 40 yrs old and married myself, but Jessica just came off as really, well, whiny and pathetic this time around. She can't make a decision about anything, let alone whether or not she should marry Marcus. And what led to the whole breaking up announcement in the first place? Her embarrassment at having to tell people that her boyfriend was a freshman at Princeton. She, being the ripe old age of 22, just doesn't see how she can tell anyone that news with a straight face. WHAT??? Uh, shallow much? Sigh. Maybe it really is me; I just found Jessica Darling to be very Notsodarling this time around.
Jessica has gone to Princeton to tell her boyfriend, Marcus, that she's breaking up with him. Drama right from the start! Marcus immediately counteracts with a proposal - THE proposal, that of marriage. She has a week to think about it (what is it with the one-week deadline here??) while he's at a Freshman Orientation camping thing. In the meantime, he's given her some blank notebooks (she's always kept a diary, although has also always used notebooks rather than actual "diary"-type books) and has encouraged her to write about her week of thought.
And that's pretty much what we get, musings by Jessica Darling. About her current life, her past, her desire to make in it New York City despite the fact she's not really employed anywhere, and, of course, her relationship (or somewhat lack thereof) with Marcus. She doesn't really want to tell anyone about the proposal, but word leaks out, thus giving us more drama when her friends and family ask what she's going to do.
So why didn't I enjoy this book as much? Well, that's the big question, isn't it? The other three entries were pretty good and the writing was really good, or at least, I thought so at the time. I'm wondering if I'd feel the same way about it now? Maybe it's because I'm almost 40 yrs old and married myself, but Jessica just came off as really, well, whiny and pathetic this time around. She can't make a decision about anything, let alone whether or not she should marry Marcus. And what led to the whole breaking up announcement in the first place? Her embarrassment at having to tell people that her boyfriend was a freshman at Princeton. She, being the ripe old age of 22, just doesn't see how she can tell anyone that news with a straight face. WHAT??? Uh, shallow much? Sigh. Maybe it really is me; I just found Jessica Darling to be very Notsodarling this time around.
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