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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
I'm not convinced that printing up a collection of one's juvenilia is ever a very good idea, even with (especially with?) snarky commentary by your adult self. But here we are and I have such residual affection for Ribon, from Early Internet days and her first few books. I had to read this one really slowly, as too much time with it led to lots of annoyance. It's easy to find her voice - both the adolescent and adult one - exhausting. And, perhaps ironically, the best parts were the ones that weren't just "Oh, here's a boy I liked when I was 15, isn't that hilarious and sad and cringeworthy" and instead actually focused on experiences and didn't try to be super funny about them.
What I love about Pamela Ribon’s books is how they are simultaneously hysterical and heartbreaking. They’re like two, two, two books in one! Except they aren’t, because she manages to move between the two extremes—giving more time to the hilarious, thank goodness—in a way that feels completely normal.
In “Notes to Boys,” Ribon adult-narrates her teen dorkiness. Her notes to boys are exactly that: uncensored bits from her journals and first drafts of notes—some 200+ pages!—detailing her ascent into madness. And isn’t that how must of us entered our teens, mostly sane until the hormones hit? What she shares will make most readers cringe and nod and laugh along with her... and dig around in their parents’ attic for their old journals.
(That’s what I did anyway, and was disappointed to find that my teenage journals were far less interesting than Little Pam’s, though they were equally embarrassing.)
“Notes to Boys” is another Pamela Ribon hit. She has woven these excerpts from her journals into a story that, like her earlier books, is both realistic, relatable, and an absolute joy to read.
In “Notes to Boys,” Ribon adult-narrates her teen dorkiness. Her notes to boys are exactly that: uncensored bits from her journals and first drafts of notes—some 200+ pages!—detailing her ascent into madness. And isn’t that how must of us entered our teens, mostly sane until the hormones hit? What she shares will make most readers cringe and nod and laugh along with her... and dig around in their parents’ attic for their old journals.
(That’s what I did anyway, and was disappointed to find that my teenage journals were far less interesting than Little Pam’s, though they were equally embarrassing.)
“Notes to Boys” is another Pamela Ribon hit. She has woven these excerpts from her journals into a story that, like her earlier books, is both realistic, relatable, and an absolute joy to read.
Little Pam goes from 15 to 19. I think her letter to her 6 mo old daughter is the best in the book. Some parts of the book are down right funny and self-deprecating but there are other parts that make you feel sad and amazed how she got to adulthood without to many scars emotionally and physically. I recommend this book to any one that has been a teenage girl or has daughters.
This may be the funniest book I've read this year. Definitely one of the top 5 books I've read this year.
The author, Pamela Ribon, wrote notes to boys when she was in middle school and high school. This is hardly unusual. But she wrote several drafts before she gave the note to said boy. And kept the drafts. The entire book is a compilation of notes she wrote to various boys through the years, with commentary from Pamela about the note and boy. Her commentary is spot on and entertaining. It was good for me to know that someone else experienced the emotions, drama, and vagueness of boys during middle school and high school. I loved this book. Loved loved loved. If you like to laugh and appreciate a trip down memory lane - read this book.
The author, Pamela Ribon, wrote notes to boys when she was in middle school and high school. This is hardly unusual. But she wrote several drafts before she gave the note to said boy. And kept the drafts. The entire book is a compilation of notes she wrote to various boys through the years, with commentary from Pamela about the note and boy. Her commentary is spot on and entertaining. It was good for me to know that someone else experienced the emotions, drama, and vagueness of boys during middle school and high school. I loved this book. Loved loved loved. If you like to laugh and appreciate a trip down memory lane - read this book.
Oh gosh, I cringed from embarrassment-by-proxy and then I laughed and cringed and cried some more. This was actually kind of wonderful. I like that Ribon doesn't over-explicate the context for some of these letters and stories; there are references to pretty heavy things (abuse, sexual assault, depression) but where I would normally find Ribon's reluctance to engage with them head on to be kind of annoying, in this case it ended up making her experiences feel more universal. It's hard to explain. Reading this kind of made me want to get together with her and a box of wine and spend hours going, "OMG, and did you ever..?" and giggling and crying until 4 AM.
Graded By: Jennie
Cover Story: Old School Message Delivery
BFF Charm: Heck Yes
Swoonworthy Scale: 3
Talky Talk: Note to Self
Bonus Factors: You're Not Alone, The Olden Days
Relationship Status: Friends, Together Forever
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Old School Message Delivery
BFF Charm: Heck Yes
Swoonworthy Scale: 3
Talky Talk: Note to Self
Bonus Factors: You're Not Alone, The Olden Days
Relationship Status: Friends, Together Forever
Read the full book report here.
Lord, this book is funny. Funny and sad and true. I wasn't once a teenage girl but I was certainly young, stupid, full of big ideas that came out in all the wrong places and made a giant mess of everything but mostly me. I probably would've gotten further in my chosen career had I at least figured out how to write them out like Little Pam did instead of just blurting them and then being heartbroken when they didn't work. Then repeating.
Here's what you're in for: Letters Pam-in-high-school (c. early 90s in suburban Houston) footnoted and commented by present-day-Pam (screenwriter of Moana and Wreck-it-Ralph 2) interspersed with a half dozen essays what we are seeing (youth and gender roles from 30 years ago) via the straight gaze of the present. You probably won't be fully in-it for every moment (that's really only possible if you are very mean, hate whom you once were and enjoy cackling at the failings of youth)but a dip here, a sustained Sunday afternoon to follow (that's how I finished it) and "Notes to Boys" will be read but stick around inside you.
I hear it's also being adopted as an animated series. that makes so much sense
If you believe
Here's what you're in for: Letters Pam-in-high-school (c. early 90s in suburban Houston) footnoted and commented by present-day-Pam (screenwriter of Moana and Wreck-it-Ralph 2) interspersed with a half dozen essays what we are seeing (youth and gender roles from 30 years ago) via the straight gaze of the present. You probably won't be fully in-it for every moment (that's really only possible if you are very mean, hate whom you once were and enjoy cackling at the failings of youth)but a dip here, a sustained Sunday afternoon to follow (that's how I finished it) and "Notes to Boys" will be read but stick around inside you.
I hear it's also being adopted as an animated series. that makes so much sense
If you believe
Ribon has a way of infusing humour with seriousness. Even with a cringeworthy book about love letters she wrote to boys as a teenager, she captures the struggles that every young girl has faced.
Her stories and poems that I wouldn't even share with my closest friends are displayed for everyone to judge - spelling mistakes and all. My favourite story being the one written as an ode to Sylvia Plath where she imagines what drugs feel like and is hilariously wrong. However, her awkwardica (awkward erotica) written at 16 is better than the 50 shades trilogy. But mostly, I loved the nick names everyone got - GumPubes Boy still makes me laugh. What a horribly wonderful story.
I found it difficult to put this book down despite all those memories that came out of the recesses of my mind.
Her stories and poems that I wouldn't even share with my closest friends are displayed for everyone to judge - spelling mistakes and all. My favourite story being the one written as an ode to Sylvia Plath where she imagines what drugs feel like and is hilariously wrong. However, her awkwardica (awkward erotica) written at 16 is better than the 50 shades trilogy. But mostly, I loved the nick names everyone got - GumPubes Boy still makes me laugh. What a horribly wonderful story.
I found it difficult to put this book down despite all those memories that came out of the recesses of my mind.
Oh Pamie, your stories are awkward and weird and real and uncomfortable and awesome, therefore I love you.
What started out as a mostly silly memoir with a unique POV--Ribon essentially live-blogs her own writing from her teen years, while recounting stories to provide context--ended up being surprisingly touching. Toward the end of the book, I was surprised to find myself occasionally tearing up. Ribon has always had a way with words, and this work is no different. She continues to put out satisfying and occasionally thought-provoking prose.