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stephxsu's review
5.0
The year 2000 ended on a mixed note for Jessica. She got her period back and renewed her long-distance friendship with best friend Hope, sure, but she lost her close friendship with Marcus Flutie, the boy who broke her heart. Picking up in the summer before her senior year, Jessica attends a summer writing program with stereotypically goth/emo writers and decides to attend Columbia University. However, her parents won't let her go anywhere near the Big Apple, and September 11 also affects her decision.
Meanwhile, Jessica's trying to be a good girlfriend to Len Levy, her rival for valedictorian and Marcus Flutie's best friend. Which means that He Whose Name Shall Not Be Mentioned is around. A lot. And still sending mixed messages. On top of that, Marcus works at the "old fogues" home where Jessica's grandmother, the spirited and beloved Gladdie, lives. Will Jessica be able to experience some semblance of a happy ending to her high school years?
As with the previous book in the series, SECOND HELPINGS is a deliciously funny account of high school. Adults will be glad they don't have to go through the ordeal again, while high schoolers will want Jessica as their best friend. Megan McCafferty's books are well on their way to immortalization.
Meanwhile, Jessica's trying to be a good girlfriend to Len Levy, her rival for valedictorian and Marcus Flutie's best friend. Which means that He Whose Name Shall Not Be Mentioned is around. A lot. And still sending mixed messages. On top of that, Marcus works at the "old fogues" home where Jessica's grandmother, the spirited and beloved Gladdie, lives. Will Jessica be able to experience some semblance of a happy ending to her high school years?
As with the previous book in the series, SECOND HELPINGS is a deliciously funny account of high school. Adults will be glad they don't have to go through the ordeal again, while high schoolers will want Jessica as their best friend. Megan McCafferty's books are well on their way to immortalization.
christiana's review
3.0
This book grew on me like an exotic entertaining fungus. Jessica is so clueless but kind of in a relatable way and kind of a shoulder shaking “how can you be this dense?!” way. But I mean, I read the whole thing so there’s that.
heyjadey's review
4.0
Jessica Darling just keeps getting more and more sarcastic throughout the series. I LOVE IT!
lorelizers's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
aurelyarose's review
This book continued to be an overall fun, enjoyable and distracting experience for me.
That being said this series contains so many problematic... Words and elements it is kinda amazing the book is only what 16 years old? Haha as old as Jessica Darling around the beginning of the series.
As I have read others say, it's ... Achievable to let Jessica Notso Darling's anti-pc language and agenda slide given she is a dumb teenager. I too was once a dumb teenager and had my own slut shaming tendencies, implicit bias and racism and shit to fight against that I am still fighting against. But according to reviews of the later books even as Jessica ages, apparently she doesn't grow up in these respects.
Personally, I think the second book wraps things up well enough. So this is likely where I will part with McCafferty's series.
That is more a personal reminder than anything else. Gotta stay strong and read something different from my long long to read list, which likely contains so titles that I will enjoy that won't simultaneously make me want to sanitize my mind.
That being said this series contains so many problematic... Words and elements it is kinda amazing the book is only what 16 years old? Haha as old as Jessica Darling around the beginning of the series.
As I have read others say, it's ... Achievable to let Jessica Notso Darling's anti-pc language and agenda slide given she is a dumb teenager. I too was once a dumb teenager and had my own slut shaming tendencies, implicit bias and racism and shit to fight against that I am still fighting against. But according to reviews of the later books even as Jessica ages, apparently she doesn't grow up in these respects.
Personally, I think the second book wraps things up well enough. So this is likely where I will part with McCafferty's series.
That is more a personal reminder than anything else. Gotta stay strong and read something different from my long long to read list, which likely contains so titles that I will enjoy that won't simultaneously make me want to sanitize my mind.
janina_reads's review
4.0
Reasons I enjoyed Second Helpings more than [b:Sloppy Firsts|138202|Sloppy Firsts (Jessica Darling, #1)|Megan McCafferty|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1282983047s/138202.jpg|2975988]:
Reading it in English. Really, the humour – and especially the play on words – just doesn’t translate too well. I had much more fun reading the original. Jessica’s voice felt more authentic.
It had more Marcus Flutie. Enough said.
I loved that Jessica started to make friends with someone she only felt mild annoyance for in book one. Her relationship with Bridget grew and she acknowledged that while it wasn’t the same as with Hope, it was still valuable. I also liked Pepe, the French class guy.
Jessica standing up to Paul Parliapiano (I am writing is name from memory. I hope it’s spelled correctly because I’m too lazy to look it up. Somehow, every time I read his surname, I almost had my tongue tied in a knot.), her old-time high school crush. Priceless.
Grandma Gladdie and the other guys from ‘Silver Meadows’. They were so much fun to read about, and I loved how Gladdie always had the right piece of advice for Jessica, supported her in her decisions – and called Marcus ‘Tutti Flutie’
Reasons I enjoyed Second Helpings less than [b:Sloppy Firsts|138202|Sloppy Firsts (Jessica Darling, #1)|Megan McCafferty|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1282983047s/138202.jpg|2975988]:
Everyone seemed to be obsessed with sex. Seriously. E V E R Y O N E. And Jessica was the worst.
It didn’t have as much Marcus Flutie as I had hoped for.
Some of the decisions Jessica made just came out of nowhere and I couldn’t understand why she would make them. She just seemed so self-centred and whiny about things. Which was also the case in book one, but to a lesser extent.
So, all in all, the positive and negative points balance each other. I really enjoyed this second instalment of the Darling series, still like Jessica a lot and would love to read on, but I think I’ll take the advice of my friend Jessica (hehe) and stop reading here. I liked the ending – we get closure, but not in the all-is-perfect-and-they-will-live-happily-ever-after kind of way – and I don’t think I want to read through three more books of ups and downs, rights and lefts, break-ups and hook-ups (which is so going to happen, because, hey, it’s Jessica Darling).
I don’t want my good memory of these two books spoiled, even if there is a chance I might like the others as well. You should stop when everything is at its best – an advice few authors seem to take anymore these days.
Reading it in English. Really, the humour – and especially the play on words – just doesn’t translate too well. I had much more fun reading the original. Jessica’s voice felt more authentic.
It had more Marcus Flutie. Enough said.
I loved that Jessica started to make friends with someone she only felt mild annoyance for in book one. Her relationship with Bridget grew and she acknowledged that while it wasn’t the same as with Hope, it was still valuable. I also liked Pepe, the French class guy.
Jessica standing up to Paul Parliapiano (I am writing is name from memory. I hope it’s spelled correctly because I’m too lazy to look it up. Somehow, every time I read his surname, I almost had my tongue tied in a knot.), her old-time high school crush. Priceless.
Grandma Gladdie and the other guys from ‘Silver Meadows’. They were so much fun to read about, and I loved how Gladdie always had the right piece of advice for Jessica, supported her in her decisions – and called Marcus ‘Tutti Flutie’
Spoiler
and tried to mend his and Jessica’s relationship. Which wasn’t revealed until the end, but I had kind of guessed it. I was so sad when Gladdie died at the end. She was one of my favourite characters in the book.Spoiler
Jessica and Marcus are together in the end!Reasons I enjoyed Second Helpings less than [b:Sloppy Firsts|138202|Sloppy Firsts (Jessica Darling, #1)|Megan McCafferty|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1282983047s/138202.jpg|2975988]:
Everyone seemed to be obsessed with sex. Seriously. E V E R Y O N E. And Jessica was the worst.
It didn’t have as much Marcus Flutie as I had hoped for.
Some of the decisions Jessica made just came out of nowhere and I couldn’t understand why she would make them.
Spoiler
Quitting writing for the school paper after one of her articles was rejected? Not wanting to go to Columbia because of 9/11? Rejecting Marcus Flutie again and again after he tried to make up for his mistakes?So, all in all, the positive and negative points balance each other. I really enjoyed this second instalment of the Darling series, still like Jessica a lot and would love to read on, but I think I’ll take the advice of my friend Jessica (hehe) and stop reading here. I liked the ending – we get closure, but not in the all-is-perfect-and-they-will-live-happily-ever-after kind of way – and I don’t think I want to read through three more books of ups and downs, rights and lefts, break-ups and hook-ups (which is so going to happen, because, hey, it’s Jessica Darling).
I don’t want my good memory of these two books spoiled, even if there is a chance I might like the others as well. You should stop when everything is at its best – an advice few authors seem to take anymore these days.
jeslyncat's review
5.0
The sequel to the wonderful story that was "Sloppy Firsts" is in no way disappointing. We revisit the people we love and hate and follow their current lives in a way that is honest and necessary. When I finished "Sloppy Firsts" I never imagined a sequel, the story seems finished, and because of that I wasn't expecting much from McCafferty's follow-up, but I was mistaken. The author pens a resonating plot that makes you realize how much you cared about where everyone ends up, and that reminds you of the situations that come with this time in a person's life.
ameserole's review against another edition
3.0
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Second Helpings is the second installment in the Jessica Darling series. Just like the previous book, this one was okay as well. Jessica did have her funny moments here and there but this honestly felt like background noise to me. It's easy to listen to but I wasn't overly invested into any person or thing throughout the book.
As for the romance? It was okay but I didn't really care for Jessica being obsessed with losing her virginity. I also thought the whole thing with Marcus seem anti-climactic. Like for some reason, I was just expecting more from him and them. So I was a little disappointed that he didn't really do much and she just kind of welcomed him into her arms.
In the end, I'm glad that I got the opportunity to dive into this one but I think I'm going to hold off diving into the third book.
Second Helpings is the second installment in the Jessica Darling series. Just like the previous book, this one was okay as well. Jessica did have her funny moments here and there but this honestly felt like background noise to me. It's easy to listen to but I wasn't overly invested into any person or thing throughout the book.
As for the romance? It was okay but I didn't really care for Jessica being obsessed with losing her virginity. I also thought the whole thing with Marcus seem anti-climactic. Like for some reason, I was just expecting more from him and them. So I was a little disappointed that he didn't really do much and she just kind of welcomed him into her arms.
In the end, I'm glad that I got the opportunity to dive into this one but I think I'm going to hold off diving into the third book.
mbrandmaier's review
4.0
Still a good read even the second time around. I love Jessica's biting sarcastic wit.
themaritimereader14's review
4.0
I thought this one was wittier than the first, and I loved the end of it. Can't wait to read about Jessica Darling in University!