ellemnope's Reviews (2.4k)

I started off thinking I wasn't going to make it through this one. The writing is a little...well...juvenile. But then I had to remind myself that it IS YA fiction, so I should probably cut it some slack. Once I relaxed about that, this thing took off. I read the entire book in a single sitting. It was actually quite good. It held my attention really well, I was rooting for characters and hoping things would turn out the way I wanted to, I was hoping other characters would get their crap together. It kept me involved. It won't go up to the top shelf with my favorite of favorites, but The Duff is a good book that's worth the read -- especially since you won't have to invest a ton of time or energy in reading it. It's a good afternoon book -- probably a great beach read as well. This might also be a good one to grab if you're doing a read-a-thon.

I like Amy Poehler. I find her very funny, but also with the ability to be real and human. I liked her book for the most part. There were a couple of sections where I felt she was being slightly less than genuine and maybe a little preachy or too (for lack of a better term) holier than thou. These spots wrecked the flow of the book for me and dropped it a star. Overall though, a very decent and straightforward read from a very talented lady.

Meh. When within a few pages you admit that you are an "unreliable narrator", your memoir quickly becomes fiction to me. The stories are small snippets with really no cohesiveness, seeming to exist only for Lena Dunham to try and shock you with the life she has led thus far. It fell flat for me. I wasn't impressed, I was more annoyed. Unable to trust the honesty of any of her pieces after her declaration, I simply worked to get my way through the book. She can write, but the content just wasn't attractive for me. I found myself more often bored than entertained.

A more grown up version of the Judy Blume writing that I knew and loved in my youth. This one was a quick read with characters I could understand and identify with. Her writing is as good as it has always been. I really enjoyed this book and put off reading it for far too long. See the full review at: Erratic Project Junkie