Prim Improper (Primrose Leary) by Deirdre Sullivan

Prim #1

by Deirdre Sullivan

Excellent Book

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Ireland, Contemporary, Teen

Paperback

First published September 1, 2010

About the author

Deirdre Sullivan is a writer from Galway.

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know what this book needs? ...A sequel.

And more moustaches.

[E. Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Acerbic, robust, kind and charming 13-year-old Primrose Leary is the heroine of Prim Improper, the first novel by Deirdre Sullivan. It covers a few months of an adolescence complicated by premature bereavement. The cast of characters is large and various. Most prominent is dad Fintan, a successful businessman whose dress sense, moustache, fogeyish humour and general fatherly incompetence rile his daughter no end. We are introduced to Primrose's world via her diary, which is supplemented and enhanced by her singular definitions of the new words she learns, e.g. "PRECOCITY: Being too grown-up for your own good. Knowing things early, like how to win an argument with your sorry moustachioed excuse for a father..." Her problems increase when she becomes a topic of gossip among her surly classmates. Meanwhile her best friend Joel is also struggling to cope at school, and the boy she fancies seems oblivious of her admiration. Under these wavering conditions the one she relies on most is Roderick, her beloved rat and muse, a frequent inspirer of the dizzying, delirious asides she thinks up to dispel unhappy thoughts. The story zips along at so fast and assured a pace you hardly notice the pages whirring by, and the jokes are so frequent and funny you soon take their appearance for granted. Recommended to readers of all ages.

[Grummygirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! What a surprising book. I picked this up in the library, expecting a novel which fails miserably at telling us about a witty and somewhat peculiar 13 year old girl. I was very wrong indeed. Primrose is an Irish 13 year old girl, starting First Year who has just faced a tragedy and her life has become rather difficult. She is a girl whose quirks are plentiful yet realistic. Unlike other books about slightly odd teenage girls, Prim feels real.

I adored the characters:
-Prim is simply awesome. Love her!
-Fintan is Prim's businessman father who she didn't know well until she moved in. Prim feels she hates him yet loves him really.
-Joel is Prim's best friend from primary school. He is so cool and down to earth.

There are loads more epic characters, including Ciara, a good friend of Prim's with an irritating habit of chewing her hair, Ella, an Aspie and great friend of Prim's, Prim's pet rat Roderick and so many more.

I really recommend this book to girls aged 12-14, especially if they happen to be Irish ;)

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarky, quirky and utterly endearing, Primrose - Prim for short - is trying to cope with her new school, her new surroundings living with her father, and the fact that her best friend Joel is going to a new, boys-only school. This is her account of the ups and downs in her life - the daring escapes of the dashing Roderick, her pet rat; the presence of her father's girlfriend, Hedda (Cabbage, Lettuce) in her life; the ups and downs of being a growing girl with no mother to turn to...and dealing with the sadness that brings her. A wonderful, funny, human book which will make you sigh, smile and cackle in turn. A moving, funny take on the hopes and fears of a smart, sassy 13 year old girl.
If you like this, try The Real Rebecca by Anna Carey
Last read September 2010, reread September 2012.

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, especially for teenage girls

[Marathon County Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet Primrose “Prim” Leary, the quirky and charming 13-year-old star of Deirdre Sullivan’s Prim Improper. Prim is coping with the sudden loss of her mother, and you might expect a story like this to be dark and brooding, but Prim tells her tale (in diary form) with a precocious and wittily observant voice that delves into sensitive – and even painful – subjects with grace and humor. Prim must live with her father now, with whom she had not previously developed much of a relationship, and she is quick to judge “the mustachioed one” for his style, his questionable facial hair, and his general lack of humor when it comes to Prim’s constant antics, such as dressing her rat Rhoderick in tiny top hats or putting fake mustaches on babies. Prim is also surrounded by a colorful cast of characters, from Ella, who doesn’t talk much but indulges Prim’s love of dressing animals, to Ciara, who is struggling to quit her habit of eating her own hair. The diary entries are dotted with occasional asides with Prim’s definitions for new or unusual words she has come across – e.g., “Manly demeanour: appearance and general carry-on that reeks of manly. Lumberjacks, outlaws, and Clint Eastwood as a cowboy all have manly demeanour without trying.”

Prim Improper is a fascinating peek into the life of a middle-grade Irish girl who isn’t afraid to speak her mind, regardless of the consequences, and this debut novel leaves you wanting to hear more from Prim and her friends. Fortunately, there are two more books in the series! This is a great book for any middle grade reader and up, and makes a great transitional read for those who might be on the cusp of moving into young adult books.

Laura L. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.

[Rosamund Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Primrose is a 13-year-old who is living with her estranged father following the sudden death of her mother. Witty and charming, Prim chafes under her father's new rules, and struggles to fit in at school. Prim's narrative voices makes this book: it's funny, engaging, and full of life. Little happens in this story, and I felt that the ending was too abrupt, but overall it was very enjoyable and full of genuine emotion, and I'll certainly pick up the next installment.

[Christina Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prim wriggled her way into my heart almost immediately with her precocity, wit and honesty. She is painfully relateable and this book manages to be both hilarious and poignant, with moments of sheer insanity and others that will take your breath away. Prim and the people who surround her (totally including her pet rat Roderick in 'people') are the true heart of this book in all their warmth, mistakes and infuriating behaviour. What an authentic voice!

[Cally73 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. Prim is a loveable protagonist. Some hilarious moments and some heartbreaking moment too, as she copes with the loss of her mum, living with her father, a new school without her best friend and growing up. Looking forward to reading the next books.

[Niamh Ennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky, cute and quite funny with characters that are hard not to warm to, even mustachioed annoyances and former plastics. Dealing with teenage awkwardness and grief in a delicate but not overly heavy way, not much happens per sé but I'm interested to see where this series goes.

[Bee Tay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved Prim!

[Adrianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in a diary-esque format, the book follows 13-year-old, sassy, Irish Prim as she goes through some big life changes: she's moved in with her dad; her best friend is going to a different school; and she is starting middle school. On top of all this, she is processing the loss of her mother. (Is this a spoiler? IDK, but better safe than sorry.) I cannot rave enough about Prim's character--she is the true-to-herself, acerbic, witty preteen we all wish we had been. My only criticism is that the diary format is almost too realistic and becomes hard to follow. Without a storyline, it was hard to keep with it, but I loved the character and the writing so much that I will definitely be reading the other books.

[Daph (Loving Books) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Final rating: 2.5/5


It’s been a while and I’m still unsure about what I should think of this book. Prim Improper started off promising enough, with enough potential to keep me reading, but in the end, it just wasn’t for me.

The entire book is written in semi-diary style, following Prim in her daily life while she tries to deal with living with her father after her mum died in an accident. We see what she does every day, both at home and at school and with therapy in between. Maybe I am missing something, but I felt like the story was clueless. I didn’t feel like the story was going anywhere, and I didn’t feel like it was particularly character or plot driven. It just fell flat because the story and the characters didn’t come alive.

The reason I kept reading was because I was hoping this would be a similar style book to Confessions of Georgia Nicolson, which I loved. But it wasn’t. I felt like maybe the author had tried to make it like Georgia, but failed. Because it wasn’t as funny, and it wasn’t going anywhere.

When I read the reviews that are out there for this book, I feel like I’m missing something trivial. I’ve only seen positive reviews and I fail to understand why this book is awesome. Yeah, I kept reading, because there were funny bits that were very promising, but on the next page we would just hear more about Prim’s ramblings.

No, this definitely wasn’t a book for me. I sincerely hope that I’m indeed missing something, because the world could do with a good humorous series starring a teenage girl.


Find this review and others on Loving Books.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out my full review of the series click here!

Here's a snippet of my review:

"I recently finished reading the series and I have to say I was surprised at how thoroughly impressed I was. Upon first glance, I had thought these novels would be middle grade, light hearted sort of reads. I did not account for the range of difficult topics, character emotions and resonating story the books would hold.

Through out the series Deirdre Sullivan writes about deep issues that affect Prim, from grief and loss, to parental separation, friendship, growing up, love and mental health. Deirdre Sullivan writes all of these issues with such honesty and does not rose-tint or sugar coat any of the more difficult themes. This made the story of Prim feel so real and really allows for the reader to sympathise with Prim and her family.

If I could describe the series in a word it would be quirky! The novels are unique, with a host of unusual and fun characters..."

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sweet and funny account of a young girl getting to know her semi-estranged father following the death of her mother. While it seems to be considered a YA book, to me it felt much more like a MG one. There are some subject matter themes that might automatically push it into YA, but the overall innocence with which they are treated, and the young voice of the protagonist, make me believe that this book would appeal to older MG girl readers or very young YA girl readers. I'm not sure that a boy reader would enjoy the firmly entrenched female voice that pervades this heroine. A quick, fun read for an avid reader or a reluctant reader who enjoys humor.

[Aoife · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing! I enjoyed it so much because the characters were so easy to relate to and the more I read the book, the more I liked the characters. The obstacles that Prim encountered were very realistic and were written cleverly. The light-hearted tone of the book was even more enjoyable! I think the best aspect of the book was the glossary, it made much more sense than a normal one. In general, this book was amazing and is a must read. Can't wait to start the next book.

[Megan Wynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book, but not for heavy reading. It's kind of like a diary of a girl, except not in a diary format. She has just moved into her dads house after her mothers death, and she is having trouble adjusting to it. Prim Improper is about all the trouble she gets up to in her new life.

I enjoyed this book, but it didn't fulfill my craving for good reading material.

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very very very good book!

I may not be the target market for this book (Im 28) but I don't care. Haven't enjoyed a book as much in ages. Really funny. I wish teenage me had of been able to read it. Five stars!

[Noelle Landis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very "Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging" but for a slightly younger crowd. Has a bit of confusing Irish lingo. Ends suddenly, a bit disappointing.

[Katie Avery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely charming.

[robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

so proud of joel 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈