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Jersey Angel
It's the summer before senior year and the alluring Angel is ready to have fun. She's not like her best friend, Inggy, who has a steady boyfriend, good grades, and college plans. Angel isn't sure what she wants to do yet, but she has confidence and experience beyond her years. Still, her summer doesn't start out as planned. Her good friend Joey doesn't want to fool around anymore, he wants to be her boyfriend, while Angel doesn't want to be tied down. As Joey pulls away, and Inggy tours colleges, Angel finds herself spending more time with Inggy's boyfriend, Cork. With its cast of vivid and memorable characters, this tale from the Jersey shore is sure to make some waves.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 8, 2012
17 people are currently reading
895 people want to read
About the author
Beth Ann Bauman
6 books50 followersBeth Ann Bauman is the author of the acclaimed short-story collection Beautiful Girls and the young adult novel Rosie and Skate, which was a New York Times Editors' Choice and a Booklist Editors' Choice, as well as a Booklist Top Ten for Youth in two categories. Her newest book Jersey Angel hits the shelves on May 8, 2012. Beth is the recipient of fellowships from the Jerome Foundation and the New York Foundation for the Arts. She lives in New York City, but will always be a Jersey girl at heart.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
March 26, 2012
Where shall I start with this book? Well the blurb was what drew my attention to the book in the first place. I read it and thought a perfect summer read, this is just what I need. I thought it would be along the lines of Jenny Han’s Summer series, but my assumptions couldn’t have been more wrong
Angel is having a break from her on-off boyfriend Joey, Angel doesn’t want to be tied down with a guy for too long; she likes to be care free and having fun. So after Angel’s had enough fun, she decides she wants Joey back, but this time Joey decides to put his foot down, he’s sick of Angel running from one guy to another, he’s sick of the breaks, he genuinely loves Angel and he wants her to his girlfriend, so he refuses to take her back. Angel finds herself in a dilemma she wants to be with Joey; he understands her, whenever she needs someone she knows she can turn to him, he’s a reassuring presence but she’s unsure whether she loves him back and she’s still so young there’s plenty of time to settle down.
I had several issues with this book, and thus my reason for giving it 1 star. First the characters lacked depth; they were flaky with no idea what was going on. Angel just kept flitting back and forth from one guy to another, she had the perfect guy who wanted to be with her, openly admitting his feelings for her, standing right in front of her, but Angel was so caught up in her own little world that when she realised what she wanted it was a little too late. Her messing around with her best friend’s boyfriend aggravated me and her continually going back on her word aggravated me.
That by the end of the book I was so utterly fed up with her that I couldn’t care less what she did.
I also couldn’t connect with the secondary characters at all, they were under developed in places, were at times like back ground noise; completely unnecessary. Inggy the best friend was clueless and couldn’t see what was going on in front of her, Cork Inggy’s worthless boyfriend; who knows how many girls he was playing around at the same time? The only character I initially liked was Joey; he was strong, put his foot down when Angel came wallowing back. But then his decision at the end kind of tarnished the impression I had of his character.
The plot kind of went round in endless circles, Angel unsure of what she wanted so hooked up with a guy, Joey still turning her down so she hooks up with someone else and so on. I thought that when a life changing situation did happen that Angel would take something from it, but no the story continued to trundle along its same tortuous pointless path.
I really wished I liked this book and had more positive things to say about it but it really wasn’t my cup of tea.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
This review and more can also be found on my blog: The Readers Den
Angel is having a break from her on-off boyfriend Joey, Angel doesn’t want to be tied down with a guy for too long; she likes to be care free and having fun. So after Angel’s had enough fun, she decides she wants Joey back, but this time Joey decides to put his foot down, he’s sick of Angel running from one guy to another, he’s sick of the breaks, he genuinely loves Angel and he wants her to his girlfriend, so he refuses to take her back. Angel finds herself in a dilemma she wants to be with Joey; he understands her, whenever she needs someone she knows she can turn to him, he’s a reassuring presence but she’s unsure whether she loves him back and she’s still so young there’s plenty of time to settle down.
I had several issues with this book, and thus my reason for giving it 1 star. First the characters lacked depth; they were flaky with no idea what was going on. Angel just kept flitting back and forth from one guy to another, she had the perfect guy who wanted to be with her, openly admitting his feelings for her, standing right in front of her, but Angel was so caught up in her own little world that when she realised what she wanted it was a little too late. Her messing around with her best friend’s boyfriend aggravated me and her continually going back on her word aggravated me.
That by the end of the book I was so utterly fed up with her that I couldn’t care less what she did.
I also couldn’t connect with the secondary characters at all, they were under developed in places, were at times like back ground noise; completely unnecessary. Inggy the best friend was clueless and couldn’t see what was going on in front of her, Cork Inggy’s worthless boyfriend; who knows how many girls he was playing around at the same time? The only character I initially liked was Joey; he was strong, put his foot down when Angel came wallowing back. But then his decision at the end kind of tarnished the impression I had of his character.
The plot kind of went round in endless circles, Angel unsure of what she wanted so hooked up with a guy, Joey still turning her down so she hooks up with someone else and so on. I thought that when a life changing situation did happen that Angel would take something from it, but no the story continued to trundle along its same tortuous pointless path.
I really wished I liked this book and had more positive things to say about it but it really wasn’t my cup of tea.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
This review and more can also be found on my blog: The Readers Den
February 16, 2012
I like the way Beth Bauman writes and she has a bold hand that I trust. No sugar coated overly dramatic depictions of sex and no Vampires (thank goodness!) and no Snooki. Jersey Angel is just a really raw look at a believably promiscuous teen trying to find the confidence to face the reality of her impending high school graduation. And to make a decision herself for her own future. What I like about Bauman's writing is that it unapologetically forges new ground for the genre and makes the story about the character instead of some agenda to create what adults think are the right 'roles' for youth. She depicts honest characters that exist on every block of anytown USA that otherwise might not have had a voice. My only criticism is that Angel is such a bold character sort of teetering on a kind of teenage angst ledge and I wanted slightly more solid clues as to what would really happen to her post High school (basically her success). I think there is important stuff in Angels story and I wanted a bit more solid concrete optimism for her at the end.
December 13, 2012
A great summer read, Jersey Angel will be perfect by the pool or at the shore. If you are looking for a plot driven book, this is not for you. Jersey Angel is a slice of life story about a girl who is trying to come to terms with her future, her sexuality, her social status, and life in general. It could be argued that this is a “regionalist” book, as it does take place on the Jersey Shore, but having friends from the OC, and being a frequent traveler to Lake Havasu, AZ, any person who has ever been to a vacation town during those hot summer months should be able to relate, and those who haven’t will get a taste of what “kids” do during those hot summer months.
Angel narrates this book with a frank manner and an honest look at herself, but Beth Ann Bauman doesn't allow here to be overly introspective. Angel is coming to understand that she is going to be a community college girl, and that some of her friends will move on, and some will always be on the Shore. She is torn between these two lives. She feels a bit guilty that she doesn’t want more for her life than to be happy (and pretty). She is paired against two extreme female models in the book, her mother (whom she is on a path to become) and her best friend (who seems to be a bit innocent in the ways of the world, but we see her opening her eyes a bit in the end). When we meet Angel, she is in the process of developing her own sexuality, and attempts to discover what Love is all about and if it has anything to do with sex at all.
Not only does Bauman not dwell on introspection, she does not sentimentalize her Angel's character either. Angel makes mistakes, at one point almost an unbelievable one. Then I see my students (I teach high school English) walking around campus, having OBVIOUSLY made these same mistakes, I gave Angel (and by definition Bauman) the benefit of the doubt. There are definitely girls who are more sexually active than others, and Angel is one of those. I found it a refreshing read, and finished it in a day. I was fortunate to have an advance reader copy, and I think once this book becomes available to the general public this week, May 4, 2012, the Goodreads ratings on the book will skyrocket.
*Spoiler Alert?* This book does not wrap itself up in a neat little package. As with life, there are no easy answers (and people make mistakes, have guilt, etc.) and I could tell about 2/3 the way through that I was not going to get a very “satisfactory” resolution. The text is broken into three parts, Summer, Fall, and Winter. The Reader is left to determine what “Spring” will be like for Angel. Many readers prefer a first person narrator that tells the Reader what they are thinking, or tells the Reader what to think and how to feel. The clever thing about Jersey Angel, and a salute to Bauman’s craft, is that we the READERS are forced to reflect upon how we feel about Angel’s actions, and what she might do in the future. Many readers would say, “I would never to that.” But does that mean someone else wouldn’t? If we are pigeon-holed into reading books about characters that are exactly like us, why read at all? I can say this… I would have been excited (and terrified) to have met Angel in high school, but I wouldn’t have wanted to miss it.
Angel narrates this book with a frank manner and an honest look at herself, but Beth Ann Bauman doesn't allow here to be overly introspective. Angel is coming to understand that she is going to be a community college girl, and that some of her friends will move on, and some will always be on the Shore. She is torn between these two lives. She feels a bit guilty that she doesn’t want more for her life than to be happy (and pretty). She is paired against two extreme female models in the book, her mother (whom she is on a path to become) and her best friend (who seems to be a bit innocent in the ways of the world, but we see her opening her eyes a bit in the end). When we meet Angel, she is in the process of developing her own sexuality, and attempts to discover what Love is all about and if it has anything to do with sex at all.
Not only does Bauman not dwell on introspection, she does not sentimentalize her Angel's character either. Angel makes mistakes, at one point almost an unbelievable one. Then I see my students (I teach high school English) walking around campus, having OBVIOUSLY made these same mistakes, I gave Angel (and by definition Bauman) the benefit of the doubt. There are definitely girls who are more sexually active than others, and Angel is one of those. I found it a refreshing read, and finished it in a day. I was fortunate to have an advance reader copy, and I think once this book becomes available to the general public this week, May 4, 2012, the Goodreads ratings on the book will skyrocket.
*Spoiler Alert?* This book does not wrap itself up in a neat little package. As with life, there are no easy answers (and people make mistakes, have guilt, etc.) and I could tell about 2/3 the way through that I was not going to get a very “satisfactory” resolution. The text is broken into three parts, Summer, Fall, and Winter. The Reader is left to determine what “Spring” will be like for Angel. Many readers prefer a first person narrator that tells the Reader what they are thinking, or tells the Reader what to think and how to feel. The clever thing about Jersey Angel, and a salute to Bauman’s craft, is that we the READERS are forced to reflect upon how we feel about Angel’s actions, and what she might do in the future. Many readers would say, “I would never to that.” But does that mean someone else wouldn’t? If we are pigeon-holed into reading books about characters that are exactly like us, why read at all? I can say this… I would have been excited (and terrified) to have met Angel in high school, but I wouldn’t have wanted to miss it.
November 1, 2012
Originally posted at: A Girl that Likes Books
I received this book through a give away from Naiche at The Book Girl Reads. She has pretty good reviews, mostly about YA fiction. Anyway, she gave this book a good review, but I’m afraid I just can’t concur.
This was not a good book for me. I had a problem with almost everything happening in the story. First of all, the main character, Angel. Sure, she is not supposed to be a role model, but just so we are clear, several characters are not role model, or even good models. But they have something going on for them!. I mean, this girl apparently is only good looking and into sex, apparently not matter with whom. Do I mind that someone is sexually active? No. Do I know that teenagers alike having sex, yes. But what I find ridiculous is how this girl has NOTHING else going on for herself!. And for that matter, all of the other characters are just so one dimensional!.
I kept telling myself, hang in there, sure, is a bit annoying the way they talked, but it happens that sometimes authors want to sound young and “hip” and end up using too many words that make no sense anymore. But no, my problem was not with the way they talked, is the fact that they talked about nothing!. Oh but Caro, teenagers are like that, they ramble a lot…yes that is true in some cases, and during the fifth book of Harry Potter I was almost going to strangle him if he complained one more time about how nobody understood him and how everyone left him abandoned (not big on whinnies) but there was something going on at the same time, and at the end, something going on for him too.
The best friend is an oblivious nerd, that, although pretty, is just that, committed to her studies, blind about the fact that her boyfriend is a big jerk. Is she better character? No, she is not, I’m afraid. You pass through all the almost 200 pages of the book, and I swear to you, nothing really happens. Angel sleeps with this guy, and then with this other, but then is jealous that the first one (who has a girlfriend) kisses someone else. Oh and there is a pregnant girl, who is in every party the summer, drinking soda and when she have the baby will be now at the parties drinking beer…that’s about it with the story.
No I don’t want another book where everyone is a good kid. I realize that that’s not “the real teenager” behaviour either. But in a world taken by assault by teenage stories where everyone is supernatural, I was expecting that a book with real life kids and real life problems wouldn’t be an MTV show on paper.
Am I too old for this book? Is this why I didn’t like it? Maybe…but I’m sincerely afraid that my cousin who is 16 right now would read this book and actually feel like this characters are a behavioural option.
I received this book through a give away from Naiche at The Book Girl Reads. She has pretty good reviews, mostly about YA fiction. Anyway, she gave this book a good review, but I’m afraid I just can’t concur.
This was not a good book for me. I had a problem with almost everything happening in the story. First of all, the main character, Angel. Sure, she is not supposed to be a role model, but just so we are clear, several characters are not role model, or even good models. But they have something going on for them!. I mean, this girl apparently is only good looking and into sex, apparently not matter with whom. Do I mind that someone is sexually active? No. Do I know that teenagers alike having sex, yes. But what I find ridiculous is how this girl has NOTHING else going on for herself!. And for that matter, all of the other characters are just so one dimensional!.
I kept telling myself, hang in there, sure, is a bit annoying the way they talked, but it happens that sometimes authors want to sound young and “hip” and end up using too many words that make no sense anymore. But no, my problem was not with the way they talked, is the fact that they talked about nothing!. Oh but Caro, teenagers are like that, they ramble a lot…yes that is true in some cases, and during the fifth book of Harry Potter I was almost going to strangle him if he complained one more time about how nobody understood him and how everyone left him abandoned (not big on whinnies) but there was something going on at the same time, and at the end, something going on for him too.
The best friend is an oblivious nerd, that, although pretty, is just that, committed to her studies, blind about the fact that her boyfriend is a big jerk. Is she better character? No, she is not, I’m afraid. You pass through all the almost 200 pages of the book, and I swear to you, nothing really happens. Angel sleeps with this guy, and then with this other, but then is jealous that the first one (who has a girlfriend) kisses someone else. Oh and there is a pregnant girl, who is in every party the summer, drinking soda and when she have the baby will be now at the parties drinking beer…that’s about it with the story.
No I don’t want another book where everyone is a good kid. I realize that that’s not “the real teenager” behaviour either. But in a world taken by assault by teenage stories where everyone is supernatural, I was expecting that a book with real life kids and real life problems wouldn’t be an MTV show on paper.
Am I too old for this book? Is this why I didn’t like it? Maybe…but I’m sincerely afraid that my cousin who is 16 right now would read this book and actually feel like this characters are a behavioural option.
August 13, 2012
Jersey Angel takes a unusually candid look at teen promiscuity for a young adult novel. At the outset, narrator Angel Cassonetti is pretty much ruled by her id. She has a see/want/take attitude towards food (this might be a tough book for dieters) and boys. She sort of works, but selects her employment partly based on on-the-job tanning opportunities.
Angel's story has a deceptively strong moral compass. She's not necessarily punished for her choices by the standard teen sex bogeymen of pregnancy or STD's, but she's marginalized by some of her choices within her own peer group. This sort of language is me talking, not Angel -- when her on-again, off-again goto-boytoy Joey says he wants to get off the ride, she's not completely clear why -- she relates the clues she's given without consciously putting them together. When friends explicitly criticize her indiscriminate approach to selecting partners she reacts with a curious mixture of nonchalance and indignation. And when her gimmie-gimmie-gimmie eye falls on her best friends' longtime steady, complications inevitably ensue, even if they're not exactly what you might expect. Meanwhile, her younger sister Mimi, galpal Sherry, and her mother function as a sort of ghost of Christmas past/present/future: Mimi is all-too eager to assume Angel's high-availability hottie mantel. Sherry is stumbling through an unplanned pregnancy with a frightening lack of preparedness. Angel's mom is scarcely more mature than Angel herself -- she's chronically unemployable, clearly not satisfied if not exactly miserable, and able to provide for her kids mostly thanks to an accident of inheritance.
Angel acknowledges almost none of this consciously, but throughout the book she shows signs of a slowly dawning awareness that the path she's on might be lacking in important ways. Bauman gets Angel's voice just right. Angel is hardly bookish, nor given to introspection, but the language she uses is clear, structurally clean, and enlivened by a wealth of detail about the Jersey seaside environs. And even though Angel makes a wealth of choices that look at best questionable and at worst horrible from my vantage point she remains essentially likable and believable.
Angel's story has a deceptively strong moral compass. She's not necessarily punished for her choices by the standard teen sex bogeymen of pregnancy or STD's, but she's marginalized by some of her choices within her own peer group. This sort of language is me talking, not Angel -- when her on-again, off-again goto-boytoy Joey says he wants to get off the ride, she's not completely clear why -- she relates the clues she's given without consciously putting them together. When friends explicitly criticize her indiscriminate approach to selecting partners she reacts with a curious mixture of nonchalance and indignation. And when her gimmie-gimmie-gimmie eye falls on her best friends' longtime steady, complications inevitably ensue, even if they're not exactly what you might expect. Meanwhile, her younger sister Mimi, galpal Sherry, and her mother function as a sort of ghost of Christmas past/present/future: Mimi is all-too eager to assume Angel's high-availability hottie mantel. Sherry is stumbling through an unplanned pregnancy with a frightening lack of preparedness. Angel's mom is scarcely more mature than Angel herself -- she's chronically unemployable, clearly not satisfied if not exactly miserable, and able to provide for her kids mostly thanks to an accident of inheritance.
Angel acknowledges almost none of this consciously, but throughout the book she shows signs of a slowly dawning awareness that the path she's on might be lacking in important ways. Bauman gets Angel's voice just right. Angel is hardly bookish, nor given to introspection, but the language she uses is clear, structurally clean, and enlivened by a wealth of detail about the Jersey seaside environs. And even though Angel makes a wealth of choices that look at best questionable and at worst horrible from my vantage point she remains essentially likable and believable.
May 10, 2012
I was really looking forward to Jersey Angel, but I had my doubts when the word “Jersey Shore” was linked to this book. I really do NOT like that reality tv show and its people but I still hoped it would be a fun, summer read. Boy, was I wrong. This book has nothing to do with anything except Angel getting it on with every guy she ever made eye contact with, and get this, she is PROUD of that. I mean, setting aside how wrong this is and the message it sends, I don’t think this is YA material in my opinion. I mean if you are looking for the moral of the story? I don’t think there is any, because for one, there is no character development, the Angel (yea that’s her name) at the beginning of the book, is the same one at the end, oh but she’s even worse. She somehow found it in her mind that it is fine to cheat with her best friend’s boyfriend AS LONG as her best friend 'didn’t find out, because if you look at it 30 years from now, we will all be laughing at the time I cheated with her boyfriend’. Yes, I summed up her mentality regarding cheating.
Oh, can I point out she is only 16? There was a scene in the football field where she looks at all the guys she has slept with one by one as if she’s ticking off a checklist and you sense that THIS is her accomplishment and goal in life. This book is wrong in so many ways, I definitely wouldn’t want my younger sister to read this and see how frivolous the protagonist is and how this book was one step away from being an adult book. There is even an explicit scene between her and her best friend’s boyfriend. I really can’t stress how misleading the synopsis is and how wrong the message sends about what normal life for girls of that age.
Overall I did not enjoy this book one bit, I actually have a lot of problems with the overall ‘moral’ of the story and what it is trying to teach the young adult community, which if some may have forgotten, DOES contain YOUNG adults, and not just us old people who still read YA. I am really disappointed in this book and honestly wouldn’t be recommending it to anyone at all.
Oh, can I point out she is only 16? There was a scene in the football field where she looks at all the guys she has slept with one by one as if she’s ticking off a checklist and you sense that THIS is her accomplishment and goal in life. This book is wrong in so many ways, I definitely wouldn’t want my younger sister to read this and see how frivolous the protagonist is and how this book was one step away from being an adult book. There is even an explicit scene between her and her best friend’s boyfriend. I really can’t stress how misleading the synopsis is and how wrong the message sends about what normal life for girls of that age.
Overall I did not enjoy this book one bit, I actually have a lot of problems with the overall ‘moral’ of the story and what it is trying to teach the young adult community, which if some may have forgotten, DOES contain YOUNG adults, and not just us old people who still read YA. I am really disappointed in this book and honestly wouldn’t be recommending it to anyone at all.
June 9, 2012
I was really looking forward to Jersey Angel, but I had my doubts when the word “Jersey Shore” was linked to this book. I really do NOT like that reality tv show and its people but I still hoped it would be a fun, summer read. Boy, was I wrong. This book has nothing to do with anything except Angel getting it on with every guy she ever made eye contact with, and get this, she is PROUD of that. I mean, setting aside how wrong this is and the message it sends, I don’t think this is YA material in my opinion. I mean if you are looking for the moral of the story? I don’t think there is any, because for one, there is no character development, the Angel (yea that’s her name) at the beginning of the book, is the same one at the end, oh but she’s even worse. She somehow found it in her mind that it is fine to cheat with her best friend’s boyfriend AS LONG as she ’didn’t find out, because if you look at it 30 years from now, we will all be laughing at the time I cheated with her boyfriend’. Yes, I summed up her mentality regarding cheating.
Oh, can I point out she is only 16? There was a scene in the football field where she looks at all the guys she has slept with one by one as if she’s ticking off a checklist and you sense that THIS is her accomplishment and goal in life. This book is wrong in so many ways, I definitely wouldn’t want my younger sister to read this and see how frivolous the protagonist is and how this book was one step away from being an adult book. There is even an explicit scene between her and her best friend’s boyfriend. I really can’t stress how misleading the synopsis is and how wrong the message sends about what normal life for girls of that age.
Overall I did not enjoy this book one bit, I actually have a lot of problems with the overall ‘moral’ of the story and what it is trying to teach the young adult community, which if some may have forgotten, DOES contain YOUNG adults, and not just us old people who still read YA. I am really disappointed in this book and honestly wouldn’t be recommending it to anyone at all.
Oh, can I point out she is only 16? There was a scene in the football field where she looks at all the guys she has slept with one by one as if she’s ticking off a checklist and you sense that THIS is her accomplishment and goal in life. This book is wrong in so many ways, I definitely wouldn’t want my younger sister to read this and see how frivolous the protagonist is and how this book was one step away from being an adult book. There is even an explicit scene between her and her best friend’s boyfriend. I really can’t stress how misleading the synopsis is and how wrong the message sends about what normal life for girls of that age.
Overall I did not enjoy this book one bit, I actually have a lot of problems with the overall ‘moral’ of the story and what it is trying to teach the young adult community, which if some may have forgotten, DOES contain YOUNG adults, and not just us old people who still read YA. I am really disappointed in this book and honestly wouldn’t be recommending it to anyone at all.
March 3, 2012
This was a fun read. A thoughtful, nuanced, and in-depth look at dating, sexuality, friendship, and school. It's also fun, suspenseful, and dramatic -- a page-turner. Very satisfying. And unlike some other reviewers, I loved the ending!
I don't want to give too much away, but I'll just say this:
Angel, the main character, is fun-loving, yet level-headed, popular but also affectionate and generous. She's someone who deals with her difficulties by living in the moment, generally avoiding too much self-reflection. But during the course of the book she's forced to confront the dark side of her personal circumstances, and also the negative consequences of some of her behavior. (We all have a dark side. Even me.) Angel is not perfect, but she's never vindictive. She's well meaning. In a weird way she's totally guileless. She's always genuinely trying her best. And she comes out stronger at the end for what she's gone through.
I strongly recommend this book to other YA readers.
I don't want to give too much away, but I'll just say this:
Angel, the main character, is fun-loving, yet level-headed, popular but also affectionate and generous. She's someone who deals with her difficulties by living in the moment, generally avoiding too much self-reflection. But during the course of the book she's forced to confront the dark side of her personal circumstances, and also the negative consequences of some of her behavior. (We all have a dark side. Even me.) Angel is not perfect, but she's never vindictive. She's well meaning. In a weird way she's totally guileless. She's always genuinely trying her best. And she comes out stronger at the end for what she's gone through.
I strongly recommend this book to other YA readers.
May 31, 2019
I don't remember why I marked this book as to read, but I probably was excited to read a young adult book set at the Jersey Shore. I grew out of young adult a little since then, but I wanted something fun to read and this book did NOT disappoint. I thought it would be a love triangle book, but there was no triangle, as Angel, the main character, was perfectly fine with the set up. I like how she and the other characters weren't juvenile and they all drank alcohol and had sex instead of having hang ups about hooking up. Was it realistic? Probably not. But it was exciting.
This book knew how to keep things interesting throughout it. Oh, Angel dating her best friend's boyfriend wasn't saucy enough? Angel catches him making out with her mom! And a random plot about a miscarriage that this book decided it needed to cover added for some emotional whiplash during Angel's summer of love.
The book doesn't end at graduation but another marker in the town. I thought it was fitting for the book as Angel didn't really care about school and was fine with being a receptionist. She never told her best friend about the affair, but I guess it wasn't a shore answer.
This book knew how to keep things interesting throughout it. Oh, Angel dating her best friend's boyfriend wasn't saucy enough? Angel catches him making out with her mom! And a random plot about a miscarriage that this book decided it needed to cover added for some emotional whiplash during Angel's summer of love.
The book doesn't end at graduation but another marker in the town. I thought it was fitting for the book as Angel didn't really care about school and was fine with being a receptionist. She never told her best friend about the affair, but I guess it wasn't a shore answer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2012
Review originally posted on Rather Be Reading Blog:
Like most people might, I was interested in this book because of the title. But not because I can’t miss an episode of the Jersey Shore. (Trust me, it makes me feel ill to even know it exists.) Born and raised in New Jersey, I’m used to all the jokes. And that was before MTV ever “created” that god-forsaken show in the very town my parents and I would spend two weeks on vacation every single summer. So when the publisher note said this book explored “the real people behind the Jersey stereotypes” I was hopeful.
But Angel, the main character, and this cast of characters were unlike anyone I had ever encountered before. First, Angel’s mom owns three houses at the shore that they rent out every summer, which means most months of the year Angel (remember she is 18) lives in her own house. HER OWN HOUSE. She needed a smoking patch at the age of 13, and she can barely pass a crowd without being able to point out at least one guy she has hooked up with in some capacity.
I can tolerate a character who is “empowered by her sexuality” (as the publisher’s note always points out) but when it comes to Angel, I’m not totally convinced she is feeling that way. It seems like sex is a hobby. She doesn’t get much parenting from her mother (who has her own problems) and she doesn’t seem very focused on anything else – except her sudden pangs to hang out with her on again/off again boyfriend, Joey.
The thing about Angel is that she is likable. She is surprisingly maternal. She loves her best friend and her siblings. She does want something out of her life (even if her goals are somewhat mediocre). But the book spends more time getting into the dirty details of her sexual escapades then the innermost thoughts of this girl, and that was what I wanted. Even when she embarks on risky encounters with a certain someone, I was disappointed in the lack of consequence in the end. The book didn’t need a big blow up; it could have easily been an inner breakdown, a rationalization of how her actions could affect her life forever. What kind of person was she if she wasn’t loyal? If she didn’t have any morals? I’m not sure this character learned much of anything.
There were also supporting characters, namely Sherry, who were underutilized and I thought would have brought much to the book if they were involved in a bigger role. Add in a rushed ending and I’m left with a lot of questions. Truthfully, I think the plot of this book had potential but the structure and the lack of development when it came to plot and the characters made it fall short for me. For the record, I wouldn’t have minded all the hot steamy moments if there was more substance to the story to begin with.
Like most people might, I was interested in this book because of the title. But not because I can’t miss an episode of the Jersey Shore. (Trust me, it makes me feel ill to even know it exists.) Born and raised in New Jersey, I’m used to all the jokes. And that was before MTV ever “created” that god-forsaken show in the very town my parents and I would spend two weeks on vacation every single summer. So when the publisher note said this book explored “the real people behind the Jersey stereotypes” I was hopeful.
But Angel, the main character, and this cast of characters were unlike anyone I had ever encountered before. First, Angel’s mom owns three houses at the shore that they rent out every summer, which means most months of the year Angel (remember she is 18) lives in her own house. HER OWN HOUSE. She needed a smoking patch at the age of 13, and she can barely pass a crowd without being able to point out at least one guy she has hooked up with in some capacity.
I can tolerate a character who is “empowered by her sexuality” (as the publisher’s note always points out) but when it comes to Angel, I’m not totally convinced she is feeling that way. It seems like sex is a hobby. She doesn’t get much parenting from her mother (who has her own problems) and she doesn’t seem very focused on anything else – except her sudden pangs to hang out with her on again/off again boyfriend, Joey.
The thing about Angel is that she is likable. She is surprisingly maternal. She loves her best friend and her siblings. She does want something out of her life (even if her goals are somewhat mediocre). But the book spends more time getting into the dirty details of her sexual escapades then the innermost thoughts of this girl, and that was what I wanted. Even when she embarks on risky encounters with a certain someone, I was disappointed in the lack of consequence in the end. The book didn’t need a big blow up; it could have easily been an inner breakdown, a rationalization of how her actions could affect her life forever. What kind of person was she if she wasn’t loyal? If she didn’t have any morals? I’m not sure this character learned much of anything.
There were also supporting characters, namely Sherry, who were underutilized and I thought would have brought much to the book if they were involved in a bigger role. Add in a rushed ending and I’m left with a lot of questions. Truthfully, I think the plot of this book had potential but the structure and the lack of development when it came to plot and the characters made it fall short for me. For the record, I wouldn’t have minded all the hot steamy moments if there was more substance to the story to begin with.
March 28, 2015
At First Sight: It's summertime in the Jersey Shore and Angel is ready to have fun. Even if every summer starts with her moving to the smallest of the three houses her Mom owns and having to frantically clean the other two so they can be let out to the summer people.
But that's okay, because for Angel, Summer is the time to live life to the fullest, even if her on again/off again 'boyfriend' Joey doesn't want to keep on their pattern of breaking up and hooking up over and over.
He wants Angel to be serious about them, but Angel just wants to be free. This often leads her to lots of flirting, sex and even to getting 'closer' to her best friend Iggy's boyfriend, Cork.
Second Glance: Let me start by saying something that you might not get from the cover, Jersey Angel is not really a summer book - it carries on through Fall and Winter of Angel's senior year.
Also, I have to say that I didn't like this book and came very close to DNF-ing. I know from an editorial note at the beginning of the e-galley that I was supposed to take away from this book that Angel was a independent young woman empowered by her sexuality but really? she was mostly just slutty.
She gets physically intimate with a lot of people, just because she can, even with her best friend's boyfriend and she doesn't seem to feel much remorse about it. But I began to dislike her way before that happened: when she kept going to her ex 'boyfriend's' house over and over, expecting he would change his mind about hooking up when what he really wanted was a relationship (this happens in chapter 2 so I don't feel bad for saying it).
And, as we go into Fall and Winter, it seems like the book just goes around in circles without going anywhere in particular. The book felt long which is not good when it's only about 200 pages long, and this was mostly because Angel wasn't very likable. She was the female equivalent of a horn-dog
Also... the Jersey slang? didn't work for me all that well. And Angel's mom was a bad cartoon at best, for all the parenting she did she might just not been there at all.
Bottom Line: I wanted Jersey Angel to be a fun, summer book about a fun girl having a fun summer. Sadly, I didn't get that and I ended up quite disappointed. What I liked the most was when Joey talked about cheese. This book comes out May 8th, 2012.
Favorite Quote: "I wonder if I've ever had fancy cheese."
He shrugs, "You probably have a refrigerator full of the usual suspects: American, Swiss, provolone, mozzarella, ricotta..."
"Exactly. You haven't become a cheese snob, have you? American's okay for like a grilled cheese, right?"
"Listen, I can now tell you without a doubt that American has no excuse for existing."
"Mozzarella?"
"No soul. Mozzarella has no soul."
I fake a gasp. "What kind of Italian are you, Joey Sardone?"
"The fancy-cheese-eating kind."
But that's okay, because for Angel, Summer is the time to live life to the fullest, even if her on again/off again 'boyfriend' Joey doesn't want to keep on their pattern of breaking up and hooking up over and over.
He wants Angel to be serious about them, but Angel just wants to be free. This often leads her to lots of flirting, sex and even to getting 'closer' to her best friend Iggy's boyfriend, Cork.
Second Glance: Let me start by saying something that you might not get from the cover, Jersey Angel is not really a summer book - it carries on through Fall and Winter of Angel's senior year.
Also, I have to say that I didn't like this book and came very close to DNF-ing. I know from an editorial note at the beginning of the e-galley that I was supposed to take away from this book that Angel was a independent young woman empowered by her sexuality but really? she was mostly just slutty.
She gets physically intimate with a lot of people, just because she can, even with her best friend's boyfriend and she doesn't seem to feel much remorse about it. But I began to dislike her way before that happened: when she kept going to her ex 'boyfriend's' house over and over, expecting he would change his mind about hooking up when what he really wanted was a relationship (this happens in chapter 2 so I don't feel bad for saying it).
And, as we go into Fall and Winter, it seems like the book just goes around in circles without going anywhere in particular. The book felt long which is not good when it's only about 200 pages long, and this was mostly because Angel wasn't very likable. She was the female equivalent of a horn-dog
Also... the Jersey slang? didn't work for me all that well. And Angel's mom was a bad cartoon at best, for all the parenting she did she might just not been there at all.
Bottom Line: I wanted Jersey Angel to be a fun, summer book about a fun girl having a fun summer. Sadly, I didn't get that and I ended up quite disappointed. What I liked the most was when Joey talked about cheese. This book comes out May 8th, 2012.
Favorite Quote: "I wonder if I've ever had fancy cheese."
He shrugs, "You probably have a refrigerator full of the usual suspects: American, Swiss, provolone, mozzarella, ricotta..."
"Exactly. You haven't become a cheese snob, have you? American's okay for like a grilled cheese, right?"
"Listen, I can now tell you without a doubt that American has no excuse for existing."
"Mozzarella?"
"No soul. Mozzarella has no soul."
I fake a gasp. "What kind of Italian are you, Joey Sardone?"
"The fancy-cheese-eating kind."
February 18, 2012
Jersey Angel deals openly and shamelessly with sex, lust, and promiscuity, but those things don't have the final say over Bauman's characters - especially her central character, Angel. That is what stands out to me about this book.
Bauman's subtle, yet potent story-telling paints a living imagine of how things in life actually are. Her characters - teenagers, friends, siblings, parents, lovers - all experience the full effects of the human condition, and she presents them to us fearlessly.
Bauman also makes masterful use of her story's three part framework – Summer, Fall, and Winter – creating intuitive links between each season's symbolic qualities and her own characters' struggles. She begins with Summer - the season of life lived to its full - with Angel about to enter her senior year of high school. The context charges Angel with an energy of life she hasn't experienced before, and, by the end of the summer, she's engaging in a steamy, sexual relationship with her best friend Iggy's boyfriend Cork.
That moves us into Fall, and Bauman is keenly aware of the symbolism. An internal struggle takes place in Angel, and she tries to resolve her desire for sex with her deeper desire to love and be loved. Over time she realizes that what she has with Cork isn't love - that he does't care about her in that way - and that he can't satisfy her deeper longing.
The story ends in Winter, and, again, the season's symbolism embodies a deep truth for Bauman's characters. We experience Angel's disappointment at losing a beauty pageant to her best friend Iggy, and the deeper complexity of Angel's simultaneous love for and jealousy of her. We experience Iggy's own sadness as she faces the reality of leaving her friends and family to attend college. And, at the extreme, we experience Sherry's (a mutual friend of theirs) heartbreaking loss over the death of her baby daughter.
At the very end of the book, however, death and loss don't have the final say. While their effects are very real and painful, there's also a first snow coming. This too stands out to me as a deep truth about the human condition: that Winter is both real and unavoidable, but that being covered in freshly fallen snow – in newness, in white – is what Angel, and the rest of us for that matter, all want at our core. Jersey Angel captures this reality masterfully, and rang true with me long after turning its final page.
Bauman's subtle, yet potent story-telling paints a living imagine of how things in life actually are. Her characters - teenagers, friends, siblings, parents, lovers - all experience the full effects of the human condition, and she presents them to us fearlessly.
Bauman also makes masterful use of her story's three part framework – Summer, Fall, and Winter – creating intuitive links between each season's symbolic qualities and her own characters' struggles. She begins with Summer - the season of life lived to its full - with Angel about to enter her senior year of high school. The context charges Angel with an energy of life she hasn't experienced before, and, by the end of the summer, she's engaging in a steamy, sexual relationship with her best friend Iggy's boyfriend Cork.
That moves us into Fall, and Bauman is keenly aware of the symbolism. An internal struggle takes place in Angel, and she tries to resolve her desire for sex with her deeper desire to love and be loved. Over time she realizes that what she has with Cork isn't love - that he does't care about her in that way - and that he can't satisfy her deeper longing.
The story ends in Winter, and, again, the season's symbolism embodies a deep truth for Bauman's characters. We experience Angel's disappointment at losing a beauty pageant to her best friend Iggy, and the deeper complexity of Angel's simultaneous love for and jealousy of her. We experience Iggy's own sadness as she faces the reality of leaving her friends and family to attend college. And, at the extreme, we experience Sherry's (a mutual friend of theirs) heartbreaking loss over the death of her baby daughter.
At the very end of the book, however, death and loss don't have the final say. While their effects are very real and painful, there's also a first snow coming. This too stands out to me as a deep truth about the human condition: that Winter is both real and unavoidable, but that being covered in freshly fallen snow – in newness, in white – is what Angel, and the rest of us for that matter, all want at our core. Jersey Angel captures this reality masterfully, and rang true with me long after turning its final page.
July 11, 2012
I have a feeling a lot of folks are going to feel differently about Angel. But I really loved this girl, the protagonist in Beth Ann Bauman's latest, JERSEY ANGEL.
Jersey Girl Angel is almost a senior in high school, getting ready for her yearly move from one of her mother's summer rental properties on the beach back into the big house down the street for the summer. And that's about all she knows about her future. Angel doesn't have plans like her best friend Inggy. Angel likes meeting different boys, likes having her freedom, likes that she doesn't know what she's going to do after high school. Inggy has college plans, a steady boyfriend, and, well, a steady life.
Angel is starting to feel insecure about her choices, though. For one thing, the guy she was just having a fling with doesn't want to see her anymore because she refuses to get serious. She's starting to notice that her mom acts more like a teenager than an adult. And she's started sneaking around behind Inggy's back in a way that could destroy their friendship forever.
JERSEY ANGEL is a beautifully written breezy read, and if you can get past the fact that Angel is, well, not usually doing herself any favors, you'll see that this is a book that is not only about growing up, but about growing. This is a great novel for fans of Laurie Halse Anderson's SPEAK and John Green's LOOKING FOR ALASKA who are looking for a strong, serious, elegant novel that isn't quite as heavy. Definitely a good pick for summer reading.
Jersey Girl Angel is almost a senior in high school, getting ready for her yearly move from one of her mother's summer rental properties on the beach back into the big house down the street for the summer. And that's about all she knows about her future. Angel doesn't have plans like her best friend Inggy. Angel likes meeting different boys, likes having her freedom, likes that she doesn't know what she's going to do after high school. Inggy has college plans, a steady boyfriend, and, well, a steady life.
Angel is starting to feel insecure about her choices, though. For one thing, the guy she was just having a fling with doesn't want to see her anymore because she refuses to get serious. She's starting to notice that her mom acts more like a teenager than an adult. And she's started sneaking around behind Inggy's back in a way that could destroy their friendship forever.
JERSEY ANGEL is a beautifully written breezy read, and if you can get past the fact that Angel is, well, not usually doing herself any favors, you'll see that this is a book that is not only about growing up, but about growing. This is a great novel for fans of Laurie Halse Anderson's SPEAK and John Green's LOOKING FOR ALASKA who are looking for a strong, serious, elegant novel that isn't quite as heavy. Definitely a good pick for summer reading.
June 12, 2012
What a lovely, well-written book about complex, believable relationships among high school seniors at a specific point in time, within a specific place on the east coast. Angel and her friends live in a seaside town that is mainly taken for granted by others and "operational" two or three months out of the year. By staying put after the "bennies" (vacationers) leave, Bauman allows us to see a complete ecosystem. By boldly taking the focus off of sex (but definitely not ignoring it), Bauman illustrates several lives at a universal turning point without all the usual "noise." And at the center is a young woman, Angel, trying to find her place, define love, grow up with rather uninvolved parents (but still, present)and all the anxieties that come with the end of high school. These are quiet characters who stay with you; their lives seem particularly fluid, and many times I wished I could hop on my bike the way Angel does. The author doesn't judge, the characters don't judge, and it's best if the reader doesn't, rather letting the characters unfold the way Bauman seems to have intended. I'm not a typical YA reader but I picked this up because I like Bauman's writing, and she has a talent for revealing beautiful girls confronting tough subjects in a way that isn't condescending, overwrought, or moralizing. There are no heroines, superheros, dramatic turns, but by the end, I feel as though I've gotten to know a group of friends, and wonder, as they do, what their futures will hold.
July 14, 2012
I picked this up when I heard that Angel was the somewhat rare phenomenon of a sex-positive teenage female protagonist. And she was. Probably a little too positive for my taste as the mother of teenage girls. But, this wasn't a book about the way I wish the world was, it's a book about how the world is. And there are lots of girls out there with self-absorbed mothers, little supervision and guidance, and no life goals whatsoever. And many of them like to have sex - sometimes with their best friend's boyfriend--and do not experience any consequences whatsoever.
Anyway.
I think this was a very realistic book - very slice-of-life - which means not a lot happened. It was well-written but I prefer to read things with stronger plots. I did like the somewhat nontraditional romance between Angel and her old boyfriend. I like to think they'll end up together.
I appreciated the pathos of the storyline of the pregnant friend, but found it to be the most unrealistic part of the story. It damaged the book's credibility a bit for that to be the outcome of the pregnancy, particularly Angel's role at the hospital.
Anyway.
I think this was a very realistic book - very slice-of-life - which means not a lot happened. It was well-written but I prefer to read things with stronger plots. I did like the somewhat nontraditional romance between Angel and her old boyfriend. I like to think they'll end up together.
I appreciated the pathos of the storyline of the pregnant friend, but found it to be the most unrealistic part of the story. It damaged the book's credibility a bit for that to be the outcome of the pregnancy, particularly Angel's role at the hospital.
August 21, 2012
Personally, I had mixed reviews about the book. I loved it for the realism and the how raw the character is in the sense that we can see right through her. Angel is portrayed as anything but an angel- she fools around, betrays her best friend, and can't see that what Joey wants is sweet and innocent. Instead, she does things she soon comes to regret. What I and a lot of the readers have mixed feelings is the open nature of the discussion of the sexual acts Angel commits. Yes, the author has the right to write as what she pleases, but it must come in mind this book is a YA book, and not an adult. There is no warning of the content of this book, so any young teen may come across this book, and read something that might not want to be read. But despite that, I give this book 3.5 stars out 5 for the open discussion, controversy that rises, and the true rawness of the character- a character we usually idolize as the "it girl". By seeing her weaknesses and the change of character she goes through, we experience something unique. So read this book, but be warned of the sometimes crude and harsh language and description!
August 22, 2013
I might end up liking this book more than three stars depending on how long it stays with me. Jersey Girl is a short novel and a really quick read and, to be honest, I picked it up because it was mentioned in an article about sexy-times in young adult literature.
Angel is 17, and unlike her BFF Inggy, she doesn't have big ambitions about her future adult life. She just wants to hang out with her friends, have her boyfriends, and enjoy being a teenager. But maybe it's time Angel grew up just a little.
Jersey Angel is a very frank and honest novel. Angel makes mistakes and keeps making them and wants to do better and then says, "well, maybe one more time." How true. Her friend Sherry's pregnancy is dealt with so matter-of-factly, in a way, actually, I see teens in my library dealing with their/their friend's pregnancies. Then when the baby is stillborn, all those scenes are so heartbreaking. It was like, 2AM when I finished the book, but I cried and cried at Sherry's grief for losing something she never really wanted in the first place. I've never read a YA book that deals with this issue, and I think that's what's going to really stay with me.
Angel is 17, and unlike her BFF Inggy, she doesn't have big ambitions about her future adult life. She just wants to hang out with her friends, have her boyfriends, and enjoy being a teenager. But maybe it's time Angel grew up just a little.
Jersey Angel is a very frank and honest novel. Angel makes mistakes and keeps making them and wants to do better and then says, "well, maybe one more time." How true. Her friend Sherry's pregnancy is dealt with so matter-of-factly, in a way, actually, I see teens in my library dealing with their/their friend's pregnancies. Then when the baby is stillborn, all those scenes are so heartbreaking. It was like, 2AM when I finished the book, but I cried and cried at Sherry's grief for losing something she never really wanted in the first place. I've never read a YA book that deals with this issue, and I think that's what's going to really stay with me.
February 29, 2012
Angel is a great, strong character. Although it's classified as a YA title, adults can also enjoy this quick, well-written read. I would recommend to my daughter who is 16 without hesitation. It doesn't pull any punches around the life of older teenager girls, and it's another pleasant break from the syrupy sweet stuff that sometimes haunts YA shelves. Bauman's writing is loaded with great details, painting a private, real, sensory-filled, and very specific world that you get immersed in quickly. A world full of funny but realistic characters.
There have been several posts about sex in the book, so here's what I hope is a real-world point of view as a parent who is pretty conservative about such things: I'd avoid recommending for my middle-school daughter - but wouldn't freak out in the least if she sought it out herself. Frankly, this describes just about every YA "real life" books I've read, and I do read things I see my kids with. A great deal of YA deals with sex and the choices teens face every day, and most are nowhere near as well-written.
A Good Read!
There have been several posts about sex in the book, so here's what I hope is a real-world point of view as a parent who is pretty conservative about such things: I'd avoid recommending for my middle-school daughter - but wouldn't freak out in the least if she sought it out herself. Frankly, this describes just about every YA "real life" books I've read, and I do read things I see my kids with. A great deal of YA deals with sex and the choices teens face every day, and most are nowhere near as well-written.
A Good Read!
January 27, 2012
A bit of a reluctant 2 star on this.
I didn't connect with or care about any of the characters, as none of them were particularly developed. There wasn't really a plot -- there was the pregnancy issue with Angel's friend -- but that sort of goes in and out between Angel's hook ups. I mean, this is a book about Angel's getting a lot of sex, which will definitely be the appeal for a lot of teen readers. I didn't find it particularly sexy because it felt so empty and meaningless, but that's how Angel preferred it.
I was hoping for a lot more out of this, especially in terms of the family story (because there's a lot to unpack there) and in terms of the fact this is set on the Jersey Shore. But I didn't really get much of anything at all.
I didn't connect with or care about any of the characters, as none of them were particularly developed. There wasn't really a plot -- there was the pregnancy issue with Angel's friend -- but that sort of goes in and out between Angel's hook ups. I mean, this is a book about Angel's getting a lot of sex, which will definitely be the appeal for a lot of teen readers. I didn't find it particularly sexy because it felt so empty and meaningless, but that's how Angel preferred it.
I was hoping for a lot more out of this, especially in terms of the family story (because there's a lot to unpack there) and in terms of the fact this is set on the Jersey Shore. But I didn't really get much of anything at all.
April 17, 2014
Even though that time is well behind me, I will never forget what it felt like to be seventeen: the reckless mistakes, the uncertainty, the excitement, the regret. Beth Ann Bauman remembers these feeling too, because I've never read a more honest, painful, exhilarating portrayal of seventeen than Angel Cassonetti, the Jersey Angel of Bauman's amazing novel. Jersey Angel is so far beyond the Young Adult genre it's being marketed in, not just in its frankness and sexual situations, but in its emotional range and its plot. I literally couldn't put it down, and got very little sleep the night I started reading it. Even now, weeks later, Angel haunts me a little bit.
I loved this novel and hope it reaches an audience far beyond teen readers.
I loved this novel and hope it reaches an audience far beyond teen readers.
March 22, 2012
I mean no disrespect to the author when I say this, but this book was a complete waste of two hours of my life. I really despised Angel, not because she was a careless, ungrateful slut, but because she was so stupid, and her actions were just plain dumb. I also thought the conversations were awkward and weird. The book was really pointless, and there wasn't really an end. I don't know, just not the book for me.
July 20, 2015
I do believe this book is legitimately Hilarious !!!!!
Casonetti Had me laughing all the time ......she's an impressive Female figure of Boss lol #BOSS XD
Short but sweet & definitely satisfying :))))
Casonetti Had me laughing all the time ......she's an impressive Female figure of Boss lol #BOSS XD
Short but sweet & definitely satisfying :))))
August 23, 2013
Fabulous short novel about a teenage girl who loves sex, who loves to desire and to be desired, who sleeps around and is not shamed for it. Awesome.
January 23, 2018
I truly feel like I wasted my time reading this book, and this is not something I often feel. This book was a bunch of thoughts and ideas mushed together without any purpose. The praise for this book got me interested in it, it claimed a bunch of stuff that was false, agh. I could not care less about the main character, she does not grow at all. This book was boring, it revolves around a young girl named Angel who is seventeen and likes to sleep around, and break boys hearts. I have no issue with this contemporary trope but dang. This was ridiculous and the plot just did not advance. There are also things in this book that are very dumb and made me angry do not read this if you do not want to be spoiled
The main character sleeps with her best friends boyfriend, and this is hardly an issue for the main character and the boy, because they don't have feelings for each other. HOW DOES THAT MAKE IT OK. There is also the pregnancy thing... why was this written in the book if it was not going to be properly dealt with? Like seriously this was horrible. The mother kissing a 17-year-old boy, again very problematic.
On a more positive note, I did like the younger siblings were included and were somewhat important in the story.
The main character sleeps with her best friends boyfriend, and this is hardly an issue for the main character and the boy, because they don't have feelings for each other. HOW DOES THAT MAKE IT OK. There is also the pregnancy thing... why was this written in the book if it was not going to be properly dealt with? Like seriously this was horrible. The mother kissing a 17-year-old boy, again very problematic.
On a more positive note, I did like the younger siblings were included and were somewhat important in the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2014
- ACHTUNG SPOILERGEFAHR -
Ich weiß ehrlich gesagt gar nicht, wo genau ich bei dieser Rezension anfangen soll. Als ich mich für Jersey Angel von Beth Ann Baumann auf Blogg dein Buch beworben habe, bin ich von einer hübschen, kleinen Sommerlektüre ausgegangen. Der Inhalt klang nach einem angenehmen Roman für zwischendurch; eine Geschichte, die genau in die aktuelle Jahreszeit passt. Auch das Cover hatte mich gleich angesprochen. Alles in allem war ich davon überzeugt, dass mir das Buch ein paar unterhaltsame, sonnige Stunden bescheren würde. Leider habe ich mich geirrt.
Zwar handelt es sich bei diesem Roman tatsächlich um eine Sommerlektüre, allerdings um eine ohne Story, ohne Hintergrund, ohne gut ausgearbeitete Charaktere und vor allen Dingen ohne Charme. Ganz grob gesagt geht es in diesem Buch lediglich um primitiven hirnlosen Sex.
Während des gesamten Lesens ist absolut kein roter Faden erkennbar; als ich das Buch beendet hatte, hatte ich noch immer keine Ahnung, worum es in dieser Geschichte eigentlich geht. Es gab keine Story, keinen richtigen Plot und keinen Kern. Wahrscheinlich hätte ich mir anstelle des Buches auch einfach einen Porno anschauen können; die verfügen bekanntlich auch über keinerlei Story.
In der Geschichte geht es um Angel; Angel, die absolut kein Engel ist. Sie ist gerade mal 17 Jahre alt und hatte wahrscheinlich schon mehr Sexualpartner als manch andere Frau mit 30 Jahren. Sie ist eingebildet, arrogant und alles andere, was man als gute Freundin bezeichnen würde. Denn obwohl sie mit so ziemlich jedem Jungen aus ihrer Schule geschlafen hat und sich immer mal wieder mit ihrem On-Off-Freund Joey begnügt, unterhält sie sogar mit dem festen Freund ihrer angeblich besten Freundin eine Affäre. Als ich zu der Stelle kam, hätte ich das Buch am liebsten gegen die Wand geworfen. Ich meine, ganz ehrlich? Welcher normal denkende anständige Mensch würde es übers Herz bringen, über Wochen hinweg mit dem Freund der besten Freundin zu schlafen, ohne schlechtes Gewissen und ohne überhaupt in Erwägung zu ziehen, es ihr zu beichten? Lächerlich. Cork der besagte Freund verhält sich ebenso hirnlos und hat absolut kein Problem damit, Angel sogar in Anwesenheit seiner Freundin Inggy zu befummeln. Abgesehen davon ist Angel auch nicht die einzige, mit der er eine Affäre unterhält. Wirklich großartig; so einen Freund wünscht sich doch wirklich jede Frau. Doch ganz abgesehen von Angel und Cork hatten auch sämtliche andere in dem Buch vorkommenden Charaktere weder Charme, noch Hintergrund. Die Charaktere waren unglaublich schlecht ausgearbeitet; hatten weder Herz noch Seele und haben in keinster Weise zur Auflockerung des Buches beigetragen. Da wäre zum Beispiel Mimi, Angels 10 Jahre alte Schwester, die in diesem jungen Alter nichts anderes im Kopf hat, als Jungs. Sie ist eingebildet, hält sich für wunderschön UND sexy (man bedenke hier, dass sie erst 10 Jahre alt ist) und trägt in ihrer Freizeit am liebsten sexy Bikinis, Hularöckchen und High Heels ihrer großen Schwester. Auch über Angels Mutter konnte ich nur lachen. Sie glaubt immer noch, sie wäre erst Anfang 20 und verhält sich demnach auch so. Ihr Verschleiß an Männern ist ebenso groß wie der ihrer Tochter und zwischenzeitlich kann sie auch einen 17-jährigen Jungen zu ihren "Opfern" zählen. Ich meine ernsthaft? Die Frau ist über 40 und hat was mit einem 17-jährigen High School Jungen? Inggy war auch ziemlich unspektakulär und unglaublich naiv und dumm, nicht einmal eine Ahnung zu hegen, dass zwischen ihrer besten Freundin und ihrem Freund etwas laufen könnte. Die einzigen beiden Personen, die ich tatsächlich etwas mochte waren Mossy, Angels kleiner Bruder und Joey, Angels On-Off-Freund, der endlich mal seinen Mann gestanden und die Sache mit Angel tatsächlich beendet hat, nachdem er kapiert hat, dass sie sowieso nur mit ihm spielt und ihn fürs Bett benutzt.
Außerdem wird in diesem Buch kein einziges Mal das Thema Verhütung angesprochen. Es wird wohl einmal erwähnt, dass Angel die Pille nimmt, doch bei so vielen Geschlechtspartnern hätte man vielleicht auch das Thema Safer Sex ansprechen sollen, gerade wenn dieses Buch tatsächlich in die Kategorie "Jugendbuch" untergeordnet wird, was ich keineswegs nachvollziehen kann. Dieses Buch ist definitiv nichts für Jugendliche unter 16 Jahren.
Zu dem Schreibstil kann ich leider auch nicht sonderlich viel sagen. Er war nicht wirklich gut, aber auch nicht schlecht. Das Buch hat sich schnell lesen lassen, was aber wohl vielmehr damit zusammen hängt, dass ich es schnell hinter mich bringen wollte.
Ich bin unglaublich enttäuscht von diesem Buch. Ich meine, ich habe nichts gegen Erotikbücher, absolut nicht. Manche sind sogar richtig gut, aber dieses Buch hier ist einfach nur hirn- und sinnlos, unglaublich flach ohne Story und strotzt nur so von naiven, dämlichen und uninteressanten Charakteren, die man am liebsten nacheinander gegen die Wand klatschen würde. Vielleicht hätte ich mir zuvor ein paar Rezensionen durchlesen sollen denn jetzt, nachdem ich ein paar davon gelesen habe, muss ich sagen, dass all die negativen Rezensionen absolut ins Blaue getroffen haben.
Ein Buch ohne Story und ohne roten Faden mit den langweiligsten Charakteren, von denen ich jemals gelesen habe. Ich kann dieses Buch absolut nicht weiterempfehlen, schon gar nicht für Jugendliche unter 16 Jahren. Das man das Buch in den Buchhandlungen tatsächlich unter der Kategorie "Kinder- und Jugendbücher" finden kann ist ein absoluter Witz. Ich wurde sehr enttäuscht und werde mich definitiv erst einmal von dieser Autorin fern halten. Alleine wegen des Covers und dem gut gemeinten Versuch, eine hübsche, erotische Sommergeschichte zu schreiben gibt es von mir dann doch noch einen kleinen Sympatiepunkt. Mehr ist allerdings nicht drin. Schade drum. Ich hatte viel mehr erwartet.
Ich weiß ehrlich gesagt gar nicht, wo genau ich bei dieser Rezension anfangen soll. Als ich mich für Jersey Angel von Beth Ann Baumann auf Blogg dein Buch beworben habe, bin ich von einer hübschen, kleinen Sommerlektüre ausgegangen. Der Inhalt klang nach einem angenehmen Roman für zwischendurch; eine Geschichte, die genau in die aktuelle Jahreszeit passt. Auch das Cover hatte mich gleich angesprochen. Alles in allem war ich davon überzeugt, dass mir das Buch ein paar unterhaltsame, sonnige Stunden bescheren würde. Leider habe ich mich geirrt.
Zwar handelt es sich bei diesem Roman tatsächlich um eine Sommerlektüre, allerdings um eine ohne Story, ohne Hintergrund, ohne gut ausgearbeitete Charaktere und vor allen Dingen ohne Charme. Ganz grob gesagt geht es in diesem Buch lediglich um primitiven hirnlosen Sex.
Während des gesamten Lesens ist absolut kein roter Faden erkennbar; als ich das Buch beendet hatte, hatte ich noch immer keine Ahnung, worum es in dieser Geschichte eigentlich geht. Es gab keine Story, keinen richtigen Plot und keinen Kern. Wahrscheinlich hätte ich mir anstelle des Buches auch einfach einen Porno anschauen können; die verfügen bekanntlich auch über keinerlei Story.
In der Geschichte geht es um Angel; Angel, die absolut kein Engel ist. Sie ist gerade mal 17 Jahre alt und hatte wahrscheinlich schon mehr Sexualpartner als manch andere Frau mit 30 Jahren. Sie ist eingebildet, arrogant und alles andere, was man als gute Freundin bezeichnen würde. Denn obwohl sie mit so ziemlich jedem Jungen aus ihrer Schule geschlafen hat und sich immer mal wieder mit ihrem On-Off-Freund Joey begnügt, unterhält sie sogar mit dem festen Freund ihrer angeblich besten Freundin eine Affäre. Als ich zu der Stelle kam, hätte ich das Buch am liebsten gegen die Wand geworfen. Ich meine, ganz ehrlich? Welcher normal denkende anständige Mensch würde es übers Herz bringen, über Wochen hinweg mit dem Freund der besten Freundin zu schlafen, ohne schlechtes Gewissen und ohne überhaupt in Erwägung zu ziehen, es ihr zu beichten? Lächerlich. Cork der besagte Freund verhält sich ebenso hirnlos und hat absolut kein Problem damit, Angel sogar in Anwesenheit seiner Freundin Inggy zu befummeln. Abgesehen davon ist Angel auch nicht die einzige, mit der er eine Affäre unterhält. Wirklich großartig; so einen Freund wünscht sich doch wirklich jede Frau. Doch ganz abgesehen von Angel und Cork hatten auch sämtliche andere in dem Buch vorkommenden Charaktere weder Charme, noch Hintergrund. Die Charaktere waren unglaublich schlecht ausgearbeitet; hatten weder Herz noch Seele und haben in keinster Weise zur Auflockerung des Buches beigetragen. Da wäre zum Beispiel Mimi, Angels 10 Jahre alte Schwester, die in diesem jungen Alter nichts anderes im Kopf hat, als Jungs. Sie ist eingebildet, hält sich für wunderschön UND sexy (man bedenke hier, dass sie erst 10 Jahre alt ist) und trägt in ihrer Freizeit am liebsten sexy Bikinis, Hularöckchen und High Heels ihrer großen Schwester. Auch über Angels Mutter konnte ich nur lachen. Sie glaubt immer noch, sie wäre erst Anfang 20 und verhält sich demnach auch so. Ihr Verschleiß an Männern ist ebenso groß wie der ihrer Tochter und zwischenzeitlich kann sie auch einen 17-jährigen Jungen zu ihren "Opfern" zählen. Ich meine ernsthaft? Die Frau ist über 40 und hat was mit einem 17-jährigen High School Jungen? Inggy war auch ziemlich unspektakulär und unglaublich naiv und dumm, nicht einmal eine Ahnung zu hegen, dass zwischen ihrer besten Freundin und ihrem Freund etwas laufen könnte. Die einzigen beiden Personen, die ich tatsächlich etwas mochte waren Mossy, Angels kleiner Bruder und Joey, Angels On-Off-Freund, der endlich mal seinen Mann gestanden und die Sache mit Angel tatsächlich beendet hat, nachdem er kapiert hat, dass sie sowieso nur mit ihm spielt und ihn fürs Bett benutzt.
Außerdem wird in diesem Buch kein einziges Mal das Thema Verhütung angesprochen. Es wird wohl einmal erwähnt, dass Angel die Pille nimmt, doch bei so vielen Geschlechtspartnern hätte man vielleicht auch das Thema Safer Sex ansprechen sollen, gerade wenn dieses Buch tatsächlich in die Kategorie "Jugendbuch" untergeordnet wird, was ich keineswegs nachvollziehen kann. Dieses Buch ist definitiv nichts für Jugendliche unter 16 Jahren.
Zu dem Schreibstil kann ich leider auch nicht sonderlich viel sagen. Er war nicht wirklich gut, aber auch nicht schlecht. Das Buch hat sich schnell lesen lassen, was aber wohl vielmehr damit zusammen hängt, dass ich es schnell hinter mich bringen wollte.
Ich bin unglaublich enttäuscht von diesem Buch. Ich meine, ich habe nichts gegen Erotikbücher, absolut nicht. Manche sind sogar richtig gut, aber dieses Buch hier ist einfach nur hirn- und sinnlos, unglaublich flach ohne Story und strotzt nur so von naiven, dämlichen und uninteressanten Charakteren, die man am liebsten nacheinander gegen die Wand klatschen würde. Vielleicht hätte ich mir zuvor ein paar Rezensionen durchlesen sollen denn jetzt, nachdem ich ein paar davon gelesen habe, muss ich sagen, dass all die negativen Rezensionen absolut ins Blaue getroffen haben.
Ein Buch ohne Story und ohne roten Faden mit den langweiligsten Charakteren, von denen ich jemals gelesen habe. Ich kann dieses Buch absolut nicht weiterempfehlen, schon gar nicht für Jugendliche unter 16 Jahren. Das man das Buch in den Buchhandlungen tatsächlich unter der Kategorie "Kinder- und Jugendbücher" finden kann ist ein absoluter Witz. Ich wurde sehr enttäuscht und werde mich definitiv erst einmal von dieser Autorin fern halten. Alleine wegen des Covers und dem gut gemeinten Versuch, eine hübsche, erotische Sommergeschichte zu schreiben gibt es von mir dann doch noch einen kleinen Sympatiepunkt. Mehr ist allerdings nicht drin. Schade drum. Ich hatte viel mehr erwartet.
May 23, 2020
Für mich leider ein sehr oberflächliches Buch. Es gab eigentlich keinerlei Handlung und die Charaktere haben sich genau 0.0 weiterentwickelt oder überhaupt entwickelt.
Ebenfalls ging es mir viel zu viel um das Thema Sex.
Die 2 Sterne gibt es nur, weil der Schreibstil wirklich sehr schön flüssig war.
Ebenfalls ging es mir viel zu viel um das Thema Sex.
Die 2 Sterne gibt es nur, weil der Schreibstil wirklich sehr schön flüssig war.
November 27, 2021
Judging by the title, I thought this would be just a quick summer-y read. This book was AWFUL. At the very least, this could have been a 'coming of age' story. The main character was had zero moral compass, which checked out with many of the people she surrounded herself with, including her mother. & there was.no.ending. Not in a cliffhanger way either.
April 2, 2018
Hopefully others find the protagonist’s actions impracticable, unhealthy and a bit corrupt. No one should think it is acceptable to sleep with their best friend’s boyfriend...who is also hooking up with your own Mother. Yikes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2019
This book was interesting......
There were negatives and positives. On the bright side, it was very captivating and I couldn't stop reading it but I didn't really like where the story went. But overall not bad!
There were negatives and positives. On the bright side, it was very captivating and I couldn't stop reading it but I didn't really like where the story went. But overall not bad!
June 29, 2021
The book was ok. It was an easy read as well which I enjoyed. Angel kind of annoyed because she seemed to hurt so many people and didn't care. But the ending was ok. The story it self was kinda bland but I was expecting way worse due to the cheese over.
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