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A review by janina_reads
Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty
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.