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Things You Either Hate or Love
Fifteen-year-old Georgia has to get to the Natural Affinity concert. She's obsessed with the lead singer, Jakob, and will do anything it takes to see him live. However, there is one major obstacle standing in her money. To earn some extra cash, she takes on a string of disastrous jobs, one ending worse than the next. Georgia also struggles with her weight, slipping grades, her lack of a boyfriend and the distance that seems to be growing between her and her best friend. Add to all that the tension with her mother, and life really starts to get complicated. True to Brigid Lowry's colorful style of writing, the book is peppered with lists Georgia writes in her diary, like "Ten things you can do with a sausage besides eating it" and "Great excuses for not doing my homework." Georgia is funny, honest, far from perfect, and will win the heart of every girl who has ever pined hopelessly after a rock star.
192 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2005
9 people are currently reading
255 people want to read
About the author
Brigid Lowry
18 books78 followersBrigid Lowry was born in New Zealand into a rather strange but very creative family. Here she learned a love of books, too many swear words and how to cook a decent omelette. Brigid's early, rather awful poetry was made into a small book by her father, a printer and typographer, and sold to kindly relatives for two and sixpence a copy. Thus her writing career was launched, but it took about twenty years for her to take it to a higher place. In the meantime she tried being a hippie, a waitress, a software tutor, a librarian, a mother, a wife and a primary school teacher.
At the age of thirty five Brigid returned to university and began to publish poetry and short fiction. Her first young adult book was Fizz & Max & Me, which was published in the Dolly Fiction series. As well as teaching her how to write dialogue, this book paid Brigid the grand sum of $3000 and inspired her to apply for an Arts Council Grant for funding to write a second young adult book. With the grant safely in the bank, armed with nothing more than a flimsy idea about a girl who wanted a nose-ring, Brigid wrote Guitar Highway Rose. Constructed in a quirky collage style, this book was a runaway success. It was shortlisted for a number of major prizes in Australia, and won the WA Hoffman Young Readers Choice Award.
Brigid's star sign is Aries, and she has a tattoo of an island, a palm tree and a planet on her left shoulder. She has an MA in Creative Writing and teaches creative writing here and there. Brigid is currently working on a new young adult book and has recently returned to live in her homeland, New Zealand, after living for 27 wonderful years in Australia.
At the age of thirty five Brigid returned to university and began to publish poetry and short fiction. Her first young adult book was Fizz & Max & Me, which was published in the Dolly Fiction series. As well as teaching her how to write dialogue, this book paid Brigid the grand sum of $3000 and inspired her to apply for an Arts Council Grant for funding to write a second young adult book. With the grant safely in the bank, armed with nothing more than a flimsy idea about a girl who wanted a nose-ring, Brigid wrote Guitar Highway Rose. Constructed in a quirky collage style, this book was a runaway success. It was shortlisted for a number of major prizes in Australia, and won the WA Hoffman Young Readers Choice Award.
Brigid's star sign is Aries, and she has a tattoo of an island, a palm tree and a planet on her left shoulder. She has an MA in Creative Writing and teaches creative writing here and there. Brigid is currently working on a new young adult book and has recently returned to live in her homeland, New Zealand, after living for 27 wonderful years in Australia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
May 29, 2012
Georgia is the 15-year-old narrator of New Zealand novelist Brigid Lowry’s YA book, Things You Either Hate or Love. I was smitten with her almost as soon as she opened her mouth to announce:
I like to think of myself as a brilliant creative person, but sometimes I just feel like a sad lonely girl with a big bum.
Georgia is madly in love with Jakob, the lead singer of a funk band called Natural Affinity. She spends long hours talking to his poster – free therapy – and plotting ways to earn money so she can fly off to Brisbane to see his band in concert.
In an effort to make some money, Georgia tries (and fails) at babysitting, working in a video store and then a bakery, before finally landing as a cashier at the local supermarket. When she isn’t moaning about regular teenage stuff (her mother, school, friends) she’s trying to navigate the fraught path from childhood to adulthood.
Georgia is charming and funny, but lacks any real confidence. She is a character that would definitely speak to a lot of girls. She certainly spoke to my former self. When she ends up working with Hunter, the gorgeous boy who used to come into the bakery, she can’t help but develop a bit of a crush. But she’s sure Hunter could never be interested in a girl like her.
If I have any complaints about the book it’s that the girl on the cover is a misrepresentation of the Georgia in the book – although I have no doubt that Georgia is nowhere near as plain as she thinks she is. Also, Georgia contracts glandular fevor and loses a lot of weight…just in time for the book’s happy ending.
That said, I really enjoyed Things You Either Hate or Love. Georgia is lovely and her trials are relateable without being overwrought. It is a skilled writer who can make a book without an overabundance of teenage drama compelling and entertaining.
I like to think of myself as a brilliant creative person, but sometimes I just feel like a sad lonely girl with a big bum.
Georgia is madly in love with Jakob, the lead singer of a funk band called Natural Affinity. She spends long hours talking to his poster – free therapy – and plotting ways to earn money so she can fly off to Brisbane to see his band in concert.
In an effort to make some money, Georgia tries (and fails) at babysitting, working in a video store and then a bakery, before finally landing as a cashier at the local supermarket. When she isn’t moaning about regular teenage stuff (her mother, school, friends) she’s trying to navigate the fraught path from childhood to adulthood.
Georgia is charming and funny, but lacks any real confidence. She is a character that would definitely speak to a lot of girls. She certainly spoke to my former self. When she ends up working with Hunter, the gorgeous boy who used to come into the bakery, she can’t help but develop a bit of a crush. But she’s sure Hunter could never be interested in a girl like her.
If I have any complaints about the book it’s that the girl on the cover is a misrepresentation of the Georgia in the book – although I have no doubt that Georgia is nowhere near as plain as she thinks she is. Also, Georgia contracts glandular fevor and loses a lot of weight…just in time for the book’s happy ending.
That said, I really enjoyed Things You Either Hate or Love. Georgia is lovely and her trials are relateable without being overwrought. It is a skilled writer who can make a book without an overabundance of teenage drama compelling and entertaining.
January 3, 2013
If Seinfeld was an Australian YA book about a fifteen year old girl whose main aim in life is to save enough money for tickets to a pop concert, this might be it.
Well, okay, not really, but Seinfeld was famed for being about 'nothing', and in a way this book is about nothing, too. That's not say it's boring, and there's certainly a lot of different threads - but rather than focus on any of these, it's more about Georgia's journey through.
Georgia lives with her mum. Her dad died when she was young, and her mum remains fixated on her dad's memory. She's close to her grandad, but the rest of her family drive her a bit mad - her crazy aunt, her other aunt and uncle, who can't stop fighting, and her cousin Gilda, limp and disappearing under the weight of her parents' constant battles. Georgia's best friend is Mel, a vegan girl with acne who understands Georgia's anguish at not looking like everyone else, except Mel is a) in love and b) going to the beach for the summer, leaving Georgia all alone.
Feeling alone, Georgia starts to make lists. Useful lists and silly lists and wishful lists, all in a yellow journal. Her aim is to save up enough money to see her favourite band, Natural Affinity, in Melbourne, which prompts a string of jobs over her lonely summer. She hangs out with the cool kids but still feels inferior. She and her mum tiptoe around the subject of her dad. And, obviously, there's a boy.
I still couldn't say the book was about any of these things: mostly, it's about all of these things to some extent, but moreover it's a kind of coming of age, as Georgia comes to terms with her family, her friends, and herself. On occasion I found her narrative voice to be annoying, but the more I thought about it the more I think Lowry got it spot on. There's an edge to some of the things she says, a kind of self-righteous defensiveness, that reminded me of someone I knew when I was a teenager. But then a lot of the things that Georgia is dealing with - insecurities about her weight and appearance, growing apart from her best friend, simultaneously wanting and not-wanting to be like everyone else - reminded me of the same person, so although it was a little bit annoying at times it did in fact ring true for me.
That's not to say Georgia is an annoying character - it's easy enough to sympathise with her, and I liked that there wasn't a miracle makeover involved at any point, and that the boy wasn't used simply to fix all of her problems. Her changing relationship with Mel was also interesting, and there were some nice moments between Georgia and her grandad.
My only real issue was that although Georgia's voice rang true, some of the conversations didn't. Some of the conversations between the teenage characters sounded very obviously written by an adult, and rather than have conversations develop a character would just say everything they needed to say in one go, or offer up a handy pseudo-psychological reasoning for their actions, one of those "I'm sorry I yelled but I guess growing up with a violent father means I don't know how to handle my emotions properly" moments that seems unlikely to ever come out of someone's mouth in real life. Georgia and her mother handily resolve an issue that's been simmering for most of the book in less than two pages, going from full-blown yelling and accusations to hugs and forgiveness without the reader ever having to blink.
As a light, realistic coming of age story, this is certainly worth a read, and was perfect for a lazy weekend. Although I didn't enjoy it as much as the other Lowry book I have read (Follow The Blue), it's still a fun slice of contemporary YA.
Overall rating: 6/10
Originally published here: http://bibliotekit.blogspot.co.uk/201...
Well, okay, not really, but Seinfeld was famed for being about 'nothing', and in a way this book is about nothing, too. That's not say it's boring, and there's certainly a lot of different threads - but rather than focus on any of these, it's more about Georgia's journey through.
Georgia lives with her mum. Her dad died when she was young, and her mum remains fixated on her dad's memory. She's close to her grandad, but the rest of her family drive her a bit mad - her crazy aunt, her other aunt and uncle, who can't stop fighting, and her cousin Gilda, limp and disappearing under the weight of her parents' constant battles. Georgia's best friend is Mel, a vegan girl with acne who understands Georgia's anguish at not looking like everyone else, except Mel is a) in love and b) going to the beach for the summer, leaving Georgia all alone.
Feeling alone, Georgia starts to make lists. Useful lists and silly lists and wishful lists, all in a yellow journal. Her aim is to save up enough money to see her favourite band, Natural Affinity, in Melbourne, which prompts a string of jobs over her lonely summer. She hangs out with the cool kids but still feels inferior. She and her mum tiptoe around the subject of her dad. And, obviously, there's a boy.
I still couldn't say the book was about any of these things: mostly, it's about all of these things to some extent, but moreover it's a kind of coming of age, as Georgia comes to terms with her family, her friends, and herself. On occasion I found her narrative voice to be annoying, but the more I thought about it the more I think Lowry got it spot on. There's an edge to some of the things she says, a kind of self-righteous defensiveness, that reminded me of someone I knew when I was a teenager. But then a lot of the things that Georgia is dealing with - insecurities about her weight and appearance, growing apart from her best friend, simultaneously wanting and not-wanting to be like everyone else - reminded me of the same person, so although it was a little bit annoying at times it did in fact ring true for me.
That's not to say Georgia is an annoying character - it's easy enough to sympathise with her, and I liked that there wasn't a miracle makeover involved at any point, and that the boy wasn't used simply to fix all of her problems. Her changing relationship with Mel was also interesting, and there were some nice moments between Georgia and her grandad.
My only real issue was that although Georgia's voice rang true, some of the conversations didn't. Some of the conversations between the teenage characters sounded very obviously written by an adult, and rather than have conversations develop a character would just say everything they needed to say in one go, or offer up a handy pseudo-psychological reasoning for their actions, one of those "I'm sorry I yelled but I guess growing up with a violent father means I don't know how to handle my emotions properly" moments that seems unlikely to ever come out of someone's mouth in real life. Georgia and her mother handily resolve an issue that's been simmering for most of the book in less than two pages, going from full-blown yelling and accusations to hugs and forgiveness without the reader ever having to blink.
As a light, realistic coming of age story, this is certainly worth a read, and was perfect for a lazy weekend. Although I didn't enjoy it as much as the other Lowry book I have read (Follow The Blue), it's still a fun slice of contemporary YA.
Overall rating: 6/10
Originally published here: http://bibliotekit.blogspot.co.uk/201...
Read
October 31, 2009A book written in diary form about a girl called Georgia??? No way! Somehow I swear I have heard of something like this before. I would say actually thats as far as it goes for similarities but they are both funny too. But then in the end they are actually completely different.
So Georgia is actually an interesting person. She has a very eventful life and luckily we get to know all about and it is actually pretty good. I myself write a lot of lists too and so I find Georgia to be an incredibly relatable character.
This book is actually really short and it's very interesting and exciting and so I basically just sat down and read this book in one setting. It's definitely a good read.
I first saw this book on a poster of finalists for the New Zealand Post book awards and so I picked it up and read it and the good news is it actually won the award for 2006. Which just goes to show how good of a book it is.
I have to say there is a little bit of a surprise in this book. Which is a really interesting one and when it happens you can actually see that yes all the signs were there. I don't know if anyone else was expecting it but I wasn't.
Overall, Brigid Lowry does a fantastic and absolutely splendid job of writing about Georgia. This book is a really light read and I think it would best be suited for a holiday read.
So Georgia is actually an interesting person. She has a very eventful life and luckily we get to know all about and it is actually pretty good. I myself write a lot of lists too and so I find Georgia to be an incredibly relatable character.
This book is actually really short and it's very interesting and exciting and so I basically just sat down and read this book in one setting. It's definitely a good read.
I first saw this book on a poster of finalists for the New Zealand Post book awards and so I picked it up and read it and the good news is it actually won the award for 2006. Which just goes to show how good of a book it is.
I have to say there is a little bit of a surprise in this book. Which is a really interesting one and when it happens you can actually see that yes all the signs were there. I don't know if anyone else was expecting it but I wasn't.
Overall, Brigid Lowry does a fantastic and absolutely splendid job of writing about Georgia. This book is a really light read and I think it would best be suited for a holiday read.
Read
February 1, 2016While I enjoyed the book, I felt it wasn't as cohesive as I prefer. There were many topics I wanted Georgia to explore more, such as her dad and her mom. At times, the book didn't seem to be about anything tangible. However, sometimes a book can be enjoyable without being a straight story.
I truly enjoyed the use of lists and found the characters believable. I'm glad it ended as it did and will read more books by this author. I love books about life and its upside down flips.
Have a great day...!
Personal note: I got this book from St. Vincent De Paul in Bendigo. Cheers.
I truly enjoyed the use of lists and found the characters believable. I'm glad it ended as it did and will read more books by this author. I love books about life and its upside down flips.
Have a great day...!
Personal note: I got this book from St. Vincent De Paul in Bendigo. Cheers.
July 11, 2018
OMG! I am still in touch with my inner teenager. This was a great read if only I was still 15. I am not, but I liked it anyways! ( Not sure if I should be worried by the fact that I could identify with the 16 year old main character.) She writes a lot of super cute lists and has an innocent slightly sarcastic way of narrating. The book is sweet it feels like an all night gab session with your bff.
January 3, 2015
I don't even know why I stated reading this book, but it was lying around so I gave it a go.
So in the beginning, I hated this book. The main character (Georgia) was annoying, rude and well, a miserable person to be around. I DID NOT like her. Seriously, she made me soo angry!
The book did improve, as Georgia became a better person. And I must say the ending actually wasn't too bad.
So in the beginning, I hated this book. The main character (Georgia) was annoying, rude and well, a miserable person to be around. I DID NOT like her. Seriously, she made me soo angry!
The book did improve, as Georgia became a better person. And I must say the ending actually wasn't too bad.
March 2, 2013
Such a sweet read, the book didnt really go anywhere though. I loved reading georgias little rants and feelings; and the words she used! Sometimes she seemed abit older than 15. But overall i really enjoyed it for a bit of light reading. I would recommend it.
February 9, 2018
Meh. 2.5 stars, rounded up because I can't actually pinpoint why I didn't really enjoy it. I just couldn't get into it, but it wasn't the worst thing ever.
August 10, 2021
Where was this book when I was a teenager? Georgia is a high schooler who is starting a new job, doing school work, has a Mom with some problems that counseling could fix, and she likes to binge eat. It doesn't come out and say it, but you read it in the large amounts of food to eats and the times where she quickly eats something before having a meal with others. This is another coming of age story that we watch a young teenager just try to figure out who she is, who wants to be with, who she wants to interact with, and what happens when she speaks her mind. It was a cute story that I quickly read.
June 22, 2017
3 stars doesn't mean it was a terrible book--or even a "Meh" book. It just means I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as the author's other books. Like...it was no Guitar Highway Rose. Not even close. Still, a cute and funny (in an awkward way) coming-of-age story that reminded me a bit of Louise Rennison.
March 31, 2019
A heartwarming YA novel about a high schooler getting her first job and dating. I think this book inspired me to apply for my first jobs, though it would be a few years before I actually got a real one. I do follow her list-making methods still!
November 25, 2023
this was awful
August 14, 2009
Georgia lives with her mom, has a best friend named Mel, and adores musical sensation Natural Affinity. She wants so badly to see them in concert that she gets a job (several, in fact). Along the way she deals with her emotional eating, Mel’s devotion to her ideals (being vegan), glandular fever (she’s sick for weeks), and unrequited love (*sigh* Hunter is so perfect). She keeps a journal in which she writes her thoughts, her poetry, and amusing lists. Georgia could be any teenage girl – she’s goofy, hormonal, temperamental, thinks she’s “podgy” (plump). In Things You Either Hate or Love we glimpse what Georgia’s life is like, get to watch her figure things out, and deal with some of her problems (like getting over her disappointment when Natural Affinity breaks up – good thing she has Hunter to fall back on).
This was kind of messy and all over the place – like Georgia. Some parts are entertaining (Georgia’s fictitious Curriculum Vitae/resumé), and some parts grate on your nerves (Georgia’s constant internal monologue about her weight, looks, etc.). It takes place in Australia (and is written by a native New Zealander), so there are lots of fun words/expressions with which to get familiar, and it’s mostly light-hearted and funny (if one can call the trials and tribulations of being a teenager ‘light-hearted and funny’ – maybe ‘painful and wretched’ are better words to describe it). There’s a bit too much wrap-up at the end, where Georgia takes on the sage voice of adulthood and says that things aren’t perfect, but they’re/that’s/she’s ok. She also goes through this amazing transformation where she totally finds herself – hobbies, job, boyfriend, the truth about her father. Suddenly she’s able to see where she fits into the world. This is good, because it means that she stops whining, but it all happens so fast that one wonders, ‘Where did that come from?’
Excerpt:
NAME: Georgia Amy Reeves
ADDRESS: 70 Russell Street, Golden Bay PLANET WEIRD
PHONE: 9543 7792
DATE OF BIRTH: April 7th 1988
WORK HISTORY
Founder of the Modernist movement – 1937
Cauliflower Farmer – 1991 – 1992
Brain Surgeon – 1992 – 2001
CURRENT EMPLOYMENT
Natural Affinity groupie
Volunteer for Market Research into Recreational Drugs
OTHER INFORMATION
Georgia is extraordinarily delightful in every way. There’s nothing this girl can’t achieve, given the right circumstances and a shit-load of money. Georgia is intelligent, intuitive, insightful, and illustrious. She has promised to give up shoplifting and start wearing deodorant. Georgia is an Aries Earth Dragon who believes in girl power and mashed potatoes. I recommend her to you highly, unless you are after someone who knows how to do electrolysis, in which case, forget it.
(pp. 41-42)
This was kind of messy and all over the place – like Georgia. Some parts are entertaining (Georgia’s fictitious Curriculum Vitae/resumé), and some parts grate on your nerves (Georgia’s constant internal monologue about her weight, looks, etc.). It takes place in Australia (and is written by a native New Zealander), so there are lots of fun words/expressions with which to get familiar, and it’s mostly light-hearted and funny (if one can call the trials and tribulations of being a teenager ‘light-hearted and funny’ – maybe ‘painful and wretched’ are better words to describe it). There’s a bit too much wrap-up at the end, where Georgia takes on the sage voice of adulthood and says that things aren’t perfect, but they’re/that’s/she’s ok. She also goes through this amazing transformation where she totally finds herself – hobbies, job, boyfriend, the truth about her father. Suddenly she’s able to see where she fits into the world. This is good, because it means that she stops whining, but it all happens so fast that one wonders, ‘Where did that come from?’
Excerpt:
NAME: Georgia Amy Reeves
ADDRESS: 70 Russell Street, Golden Bay PLANET WEIRD
PHONE: 9543 7792
DATE OF BIRTH: April 7th 1988
WORK HISTORY
Founder of the Modernist movement – 1937
Cauliflower Farmer – 1991 – 1992
Brain Surgeon – 1992 – 2001
CURRENT EMPLOYMENT
Natural Affinity groupie
Volunteer for Market Research into Recreational Drugs
OTHER INFORMATION
Georgia is extraordinarily delightful in every way. There’s nothing this girl can’t achieve, given the right circumstances and a shit-load of money. Georgia is intelligent, intuitive, insightful, and illustrious. She has promised to give up shoplifting and start wearing deodorant. Georgia is an Aries Earth Dragon who believes in girl power and mashed potatoes. I recommend her to you highly, unless you are after someone who knows how to do electrolysis, in which case, forget it.
(pp. 41-42)
March 23, 2010
Filled with humour, wit, and a bit of romance, this book is sure to captivate a wide audience. Readers will definitely be able to connect with fifteen-year-old Georgia Reeves as she embarks on her journey. Modern-day teenagers will be able to relate to a lot of the problems Georgia must face and overcome. Issues like weight problems, the complicatedness of finding a part-time job, the falling out with her best friend, and the roller coaster ride of emotions that come with having a crush.
Georgia is your typical teenage girl who just wants to go to a concert for her favourite band, the Natural Affinity but she needs to come up with the cash for it. The story follows Georgia as she goes from one disastrous job to the next while having to deal with her grades dropping, the space growing between her and her best friend, and the craving for a boyfriend.
Georgia acts a little naive and immature at times but you can't help but want to help her in any way possible because of her innocent and honest nature. She makes wrong decisions like every other person on the planet (like faking her CV and whacking her co-worker with a french stick), but you can't help sympathizing with her for doing it.
This book is written in the form of a journal and it allows us to view the story in a more intimate way and it draws us into the story. Brigid Lowry also did an amazing job with the characters in this book. There are still the typical characters you would find in any high school setting like the popular, beautiful crowd, but in addition to this, she has characters like the vegan girl who believes in her ideals no matter what, the insecure girl who has to deal with her problems, and the aunt and uncle who lie to themselves about their "fake" relationship.
This book is very well written and it draws the reader in with ease. I would recommend this book for any teenager. It has taught me that although high school life is complicated, I'm not the only one going through these problems and I shouldn't give up if something isn't going the way I hoped it would.
Georgia is your typical teenage girl who just wants to go to a concert for her favourite band, the Natural Affinity but she needs to come up with the cash for it. The story follows Georgia as she goes from one disastrous job to the next while having to deal with her grades dropping, the space growing between her and her best friend, and the craving for a boyfriend.
Georgia acts a little naive and immature at times but you can't help but want to help her in any way possible because of her innocent and honest nature. She makes wrong decisions like every other person on the planet (like faking her CV and whacking her co-worker with a french stick), but you can't help sympathizing with her for doing it.
This book is written in the form of a journal and it allows us to view the story in a more intimate way and it draws us into the story. Brigid Lowry also did an amazing job with the characters in this book. There are still the typical characters you would find in any high school setting like the popular, beautiful crowd, but in addition to this, she has characters like the vegan girl who believes in her ideals no matter what, the insecure girl who has to deal with her problems, and the aunt and uncle who lie to themselves about their "fake" relationship.
This book is very well written and it draws the reader in with ease. I would recommend this book for any teenager. It has taught me that although high school life is complicated, I'm not the only one going through these problems and I shouldn't give up if something isn't going the way I hoped it would.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2011
At First Sight: Georgia is fifteen and obsessed with going to see her favorite band, Natural Affinity, in concert. She has a mental love affair with the band's lead singer Jakob and currently is basing her whole life on going to see him.
This prompts her to get a string of jobs - each worse than the last - even as other things in her life start to complicate, like the fact that she's growing apart from her best friend Mel.
Family and personal drama just keeps pouring over her as she tries to stick to her plan to see the band.
Second Glance: Things You Either Hate or Love is what I would describe as a quiet book where nothing much happens. I usually don't mind, I'm all for Slice of Life stories, but I have to say that I could never really connect to Georgia, that - though at times she could be very funny - I grew tired of her inner monologue about how she's fat and how her family is all crazy. Also found the treatment of the death of her father when she was four a little strange, something about the tone didn't quite seem right.
Plus, I never really grew to like anyone in her inner circle, I particularly didn't like her best friend Mel. I don't know why.
Bottom Line: With an uneven pace and a bit all over the place, Things You Either Hate or Love is an unremarkable book that I can't see myself re-reading.
This prompts her to get a string of jobs - each worse than the last - even as other things in her life start to complicate, like the fact that she's growing apart from her best friend Mel.
Family and personal drama just keeps pouring over her as she tries to stick to her plan to see the band.
Second Glance: Things You Either Hate or Love is what I would describe as a quiet book where nothing much happens. I usually don't mind, I'm all for Slice of Life stories, but I have to say that I could never really connect to Georgia, that - though at times she could be very funny - I grew tired of her inner monologue about how she's fat and how her family is all crazy. Also found the treatment of the death of her father when she was four a little strange, something about the tone didn't quite seem right.
Plus, I never really grew to like anyone in her inner circle, I particularly didn't like her best friend Mel. I don't know why.
Bottom Line: With an uneven pace and a bit all over the place, Things You Either Hate or Love is an unremarkable book that I can't see myself re-reading.
March 8, 2011
I can't give this a higher star rating because of 2 things:
--swearing. There was a LOT of swearing, and I don't like books with profanity. I don't need those ugly words in my head.
--The Aussie slang. It takes a really, really long time to feel comfortable in a book where there is SO much unfamiliar slang in every sentence, in every paragraph, on every page. To Australians/New Zealanders, I'm sure it would be totally normal. But to an American who's read 30 or less books by Australian authors, it was glaring. It made me pull out of the story time and again to think to myself, "What does that mean? Oh...maybe it means this."
I don't want to say there shouldn't be any of this in a book. I like learning about different cultures and customs, after all. But to have so much made it hard to read at times. It wasn't till the last 1/4 of the book that I started to feel comfortable in the "world" the book had created.
Other than that.. it was a very quiet book where not much happened, though I did like the ending (even though it seemed really fast). I am interested in checking out the other books by this author.
--swearing. There was a LOT of swearing, and I don't like books with profanity. I don't need those ugly words in my head.
--The Aussie slang. It takes a really, really long time to feel comfortable in a book where there is SO much unfamiliar slang in every sentence, in every paragraph, on every page. To Australians/New Zealanders, I'm sure it would be totally normal. But to an American who's read 30 or less books by Australian authors, it was glaring. It made me pull out of the story time and again to think to myself, "What does that mean? Oh...maybe it means this."
I don't want to say there shouldn't be any of this in a book. I like learning about different cultures and customs, after all. But to have so much made it hard to read at times. It wasn't till the last 1/4 of the book that I started to feel comfortable in the "world" the book had created.
Other than that.. it was a very quiet book where not much happened, though I did like the ending (even though it seemed really fast). I am interested in checking out the other books by this author.
January 23, 2009
Georgia is determined to earn enough money to go to the Natural Affinity Concert to see Jakob, the lead singer of the group. Jakob is also the guy who Georgia's obsessed with. However, Georgia finds many problem getting in her way. First, the fact that she don't have enough money. Second, she is WAY too overweight. Third, she believes she's far from perfect. So even if she finds a job, the boss might not hire her because of the way she is.
I thought this book was pretty inspiring, because how the main character felt about herself is how many teenagers, today, feel about themselves. Teenagers who read this book and also feel that way, will know that they have someone to connect to. Also, it might change the way they're thinking. One thing I'm confuse about is, why did the author or the publisher or whoever it was who made the cover, put that girl on it? As much as I know, that is not Georgia, the main character.
I thought this book was pretty inspiring, because how the main character felt about herself is how many teenagers, today, feel about themselves. Teenagers who read this book and also feel that way, will know that they have someone to connect to. Also, it might change the way they're thinking. One thing I'm confuse about is, why did the author or the publisher or whoever it was who made the cover, put that girl on it? As much as I know, that is not Georgia, the main character.
November 11, 2009
This book Things you either hate or love is a really interesting book about a girl who thinks that life is had seeing how her father died when she was 4 and she barely knew him and now she uncovers a truth about him that changes her relationship with her mother. She also had eating habits so her mother thinks she needs counseling for both her eating habits and her constant mood swings, but what her mother doesn't know is what she's been going through. Eventually she meets a guy she likes, but things don't go the way she wants. This book shows how a girl goes through her hardships and how life can be good as long as you stay positive.
I think this book was very well written especially because the author writes about actual things that teens go through in life and it's completely related-able. I would recommend it to everyone because it's really intriguing. Once you pick this book up, you won't want to put it down.
I think this book was very well written especially because the author writes about actual things that teens go through in life and it's completely related-able. I would recommend it to everyone because it's really intriguing. Once you pick this book up, you won't want to put it down.
February 22, 2017
I love Brigid Lowry. I discovered her when I read Juicy Writing, my favorite non-fiction book of writing tips. Everything I’ve read by her has the same entrancing almost-poetical feel. She has a trick of spinning words, using them in unique ways, and creating a magical ambience that’s completely different from anything else I’ve ever read. Her distinctive turn of phrase may have something to do with the fact that she’s Australian, so even though her books are English, the unique phraseology almost seems like a foreign language.
As usual, I enjoyed the author’s conversational tone, and the little world she builds over the course of a book. The little lists and creative sidenotes were classic Lowry, and gave a great flavor to the story. But I didn’t like this book as much as some of the others.
Read my full review at http://closetoheartandhome.blogspot.c...
As usual, I enjoyed the author’s conversational tone, and the little world she builds over the course of a book. The little lists and creative sidenotes were classic Lowry, and gave a great flavor to the story. But I didn’t like this book as much as some of the others.
Read my full review at http://closetoheartandhome.blogspot.c...
July 8, 2009
This was sweet and fun and sharp and hilarious, and it went in a completely different direction from where I thought it was going, which was *awesome*.
One thing I noticed - it's not exactly that physical "defects" are depicted as relationship dampeners, or "She gopt the makeover and then she got the guy!" because a dude is interested in the big girl before she loses weight and the girl who had acne breaks up with the guy she was with and the gorgeous girl doesn't get the guy she was after at first. BUT BUT the big girl *does* lose weight and the acne-ridden girl *does* go through a nearly miraculous cure and I found the celebration of that a little problematic, however true to life.
But it's a wonderful book and Georgia is a fantastic narrator, engaging and witty and perfectly judged.
One thing I noticed - it's not exactly that physical "defects" are depicted as relationship dampeners, or "She gopt the makeover and then she got the guy!" because a dude is interested in the big girl before she loses weight and the girl who had acne breaks up with the guy she was with and the gorgeous girl doesn't get the guy she was after at first. BUT BUT the big girl *does* lose weight and the acne-ridden girl *does* go through a nearly miraculous cure and I found the celebration of that a little problematic, however true to life.
But it's a wonderful book and Georgia is a fantastic narrator, engaging and witty and perfectly judged.
June 3, 2008
The main character, Georgia, who is 15 years old is very similar to many teenagers. She loves and is obsessed with a singer named Jakob and she is desperate to go to his concert. Like one of my friends, Linda, she was obsessed with a singer and she went to his concert. I think many teenagers are like this because we're so young and still naive. In addition to being obsessed with the lead singer, she also struggles in school because her grades are not that high, but average. That really relates to me because I'm not great in school myself but I try my best.
Overall, this book is great for many who is in the same position as Georgia.
Overall, this book is great for many who is in the same position as Georgia.
October 21, 2008
This book is exciting because a girl is put through some tough choices and has to decide what is right and what is wrong. She is very opinionated and has a little brother and sister. Her mom is a famous cook and her dad is depressed. She wants a boyfriend badly and will do alot to get one! She is mad at her mom because right once her dad gets back from the hospital they go on a vacation to America. Then thats when things start to go wrong with her life but then again she gets to have alot of freedom..... You will have to read this book to find out what happens.
February 24, 2010
Georgia is a likable protagonist, a teen in Australia trying to get through her last years of high school without too many hitches. It's sort of along the same lines as Louise Rennison's Georgia Nicholson books (Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging is the first in that series)--it's got the same humorous tone. Though Georgia can be pretty self-deprecating, it's nothing too different than what most teen girls go through at one point or another. I liked the lists she made throughout the book, too--those could be pretty funny. All in all, a quick and humorous read.
April 16, 2010
Okay, I admit it, the book was kind of weird. But I can't say I didn't enjoy it. I admit it, I, Eryn VDH, enjoyed probably the weidest books ever written. I don't know why I liked it, but I did. It was hard to read at first, but I kind of pushed myself through it, but I found at the end I didn't have to. I looked forward to reading it after school. But if there was a sequal, I can honestly say I wouldn't read it. I guess I'm having mood swings about this book haha. Anyways good book. Can't say everyone will like it though.
February 14, 2011
I wanted to read more Australian YA after finishing The Piper's Son, and this one was ok, but nothing exceptional. Likable enough main character, but nothing in the book felt particularly high stakes to me as a reader. The ups and downs of the plot were disconnected, and didn't add up to a satisfying conclusion.
Also, and this is not the fault of the author of course, but publishers/book designers, WTF? This is a book about an overweight girl, and that is a MAJOR PLOT POINT. So why is the cover a picture of a skinny girl jumping?
Also, and this is not the fault of the author of course, but publishers/book designers, WTF? This is a book about an overweight girl, and that is a MAJOR PLOT POINT. So why is the cover a picture of a skinny girl jumping?
March 7, 2010
What did I learn from this book? I learned about the power of a good case of glandular fever (aka mono) and losing four kilos. Apparently it will solve all your problems. Georgia, upon getting mono and losing 8.8 pounds, suddenly gets a boyfriend, finds a job she loves, and has all familial problems resolved.
The lists were charming, but as for the plot--really?
I'm off to go try and catch mono.
The lists were charming, but as for the plot--really?
I'm off to go try and catch mono.
June 14, 2010
Acceptance is the core theme of this novel and anyone who is or has been a young girl will totally understand. The protagonist, Georgia, is a girl that you will either connect to personally or who will remind you of someone.
I did find the novel easy and quick to read, but sometimes it seemed choppy (it'd jump from scene to scene) and at the end I think it rushed; however, even with these flaw, it was a fun read.
I did find the novel easy and quick to read, but sometimes it seemed choppy (it'd jump from scene to scene) and at the end I think it rushed; however, even with these flaw, it was a fun read.
June 2, 2007
It took me awhile to get into this book. Once I did, I thought the plot would be relatable for teen girls. Georgia obsesses about her weight, the boy she likes, and her favourite band. Pretty standard teen fare, though I did enjoy the sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant lists scattered throughout the book.
July 17, 2012
This book was somewhere between OK ( 2 stars) and Like (3 stars) for me. The beginning wasn't so good at all and it took about 20% of the book to finally get things going. There are many characters; most are not memorable at all.
On the other hand Georgia is great, fun and entertaining. I wish her weird Lists began earlier, they were really amusing :).
On the other hand Georgia is great, fun and entertaining. I wish her weird Lists began earlier, they were really amusing :).
April 13, 2008
touching novel about a girl's coming of age experience, struggles with her weight and just growing up in general. relationship with her single mom is touched upon. Being yourself. I really liked it, it has some very clever passages.
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