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The Notebook Girls: Four Friends, One Diary
Everyone likes to think they started the notebook. Sophie claims she stole the idea from two girls in her math class. Courtney still has a death grip on the theory that the notebook was her invention. Lindsey doesn't really care; she's just along for the ride. And Julia never knows what's going on anyway.What we do know is that we started the notebook in freshman year at Stuyvesant High School as a way to keep in contact when our conflicting schedules denied us one another's company.
It allowed us to express ourselves and our views of the world in a tone of complete sarcasm, obscenity, and blind honesty. We've spent a significant portion of our adolescence trying to figure out who we are. The notebook is the closest we've come.We're just a group of normal girls with normal lives. Our notebook is meant to make you laugh and make you remember.
It allowed us to express ourselves and our views of the world in a tone of complete sarcasm, obscenity, and blind honesty. We've spent a significant portion of our adolescence trying to figure out who we are. The notebook is the closest we've come.We're just a group of normal girls with normal lives. Our notebook is meant to make you laugh and make you remember.
352 pages, Paperback
First published April 13, 2006
14 people are currently reading
344 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
January 14, 2011
I have a couple of cousins who are still teens. One 18, one 16. And it terrifies me to death that this gives a taste of what their life is like, how their brains work. On the other hand, the girls in this are definitely in a very specific place and a very specific time that is very different from my family's. So I can still pretend that my girls aren't smoking pot every day, partying every weekend, etc. etc. etc. I can pretend.
One summary said that these girls go to the top public school in NYC. Which may or may not be completely accurate. But it is true that it's a fairly elitist school which students have to test into. Not to mention, the school is four blocks from ground zero, and the girls started this in March, 2002. Unique unique unique. They're able to articulate themselves much much more clearly than most teens I've met, their handwriting is much more legible than most teens I've met, they're aware of the world in a way that I think most teens aren't. It's really cool to watch them throw around feminism, sexism, discrimination, social justice issues, etc. among all their fart and penis jokes.
Which reminds me, these girls (intelligent and educated though they may be) are obsessed with sex. Obsessed. Which makes me wonder how much is conditioning (sex is how you get attention from boys) and how much is empowered sex drive from being post-feminist-movement. Teenage boys have a reputation of being sex maniacs, but would girls be any different if they were allowed to voice/embrace their true desires?
Also refreshing to see how comfortable they were with GLBTIQA issues. Honestly, the way they talk to each other kinda drove me crazy at times. Constantly making raunchy jokes at the expense of each other, etc. But there's so much love in the midst of the harshness. And you really truly watch them grow up over the two years the book covers. Each one goes through something really serious and makes very adult choices in a positive way. Makes me hopeful.
My favorite piece is written on 9/23/03 by Sophie, where she writes about 9/11 two years later. Just beautiful writing about a very unique time and space. Brought to mind amazing visual images and made me think about how I've reacted in the crises I've experienced.
It's just amazing that it got made.
One summary said that these girls go to the top public school in NYC. Which may or may not be completely accurate. But it is true that it's a fairly elitist school which students have to test into. Not to mention, the school is four blocks from ground zero, and the girls started this in March, 2002. Unique unique unique. They're able to articulate themselves much much more clearly than most teens I've met, their handwriting is much more legible than most teens I've met, they're aware of the world in a way that I think most teens aren't. It's really cool to watch them throw around feminism, sexism, discrimination, social justice issues, etc. among all their fart and penis jokes.
Which reminds me, these girls (intelligent and educated though they may be) are obsessed with sex. Obsessed. Which makes me wonder how much is conditioning (sex is how you get attention from boys) and how much is empowered sex drive from being post-feminist-movement. Teenage boys have a reputation of being sex maniacs, but would girls be any different if they were allowed to voice/embrace their true desires?
Also refreshing to see how comfortable they were with GLBTIQA issues. Honestly, the way they talk to each other kinda drove me crazy at times. Constantly making raunchy jokes at the expense of each other, etc. But there's so much love in the midst of the harshness. And you really truly watch them grow up over the two years the book covers. Each one goes through something really serious and makes very adult choices in a positive way. Makes me hopeful.
My favorite piece is written on 9/23/03 by Sophie, where she writes about 9/11 two years later. Just beautiful writing about a very unique time and space. Brought to mind amazing visual images and made me think about how I've reacted in the crises I've experienced.
It's just amazing that it got made.
July 20, 2011
How am I going to review this book without sounding like a grouchy old lady complaining about "the kids these days?" Oh well. Here it goes. Thoughts while reading this book.
1. I kept notebooks like this with my friends in high school. We discussed classes, family, boys we liked, stuff we did, etc. Maybe it's a Midwestern thing, or life was so different back in the 80's, but most of what was written about in this book was not even on our radar.
2. As a teenager, I would have rather died than have my parents read this and know what I'd been up to and the language I used and my thoughts on things.
3. It's pretty boring, actually. I love to read books in journal form, and real journals even more, but this was entry after entry of crude language, being high, or planning on getting high, or chasing boys. We don't know anything about the other people mentioned in the book, or events that they mention. There's no background for us to understand them better.
4. What about this book makes it such an important and amazing glimpse into the teenage life? Are they supposed to be all philosophical and wise because their school was a few blocks from Ground Zero?
5. For a bunch of girls who got into this wonderful school, and were supposed to be so smart, I found them to be really stupid.
1. I kept notebooks like this with my friends in high school. We discussed classes, family, boys we liked, stuff we did, etc. Maybe it's a Midwestern thing, or life was so different back in the 80's, but most of what was written about in this book was not even on our radar.
2. As a teenager, I would have rather died than have my parents read this and know what I'd been up to and the language I used and my thoughts on things.
3. It's pretty boring, actually. I love to read books in journal form, and real journals even more, but this was entry after entry of crude language, being high, or planning on getting high, or chasing boys. We don't know anything about the other people mentioned in the book, or events that they mention. There's no background for us to understand them better.
4. What about this book makes it such an important and amazing glimpse into the teenage life? Are they supposed to be all philosophical and wise because their school was a few blocks from Ground Zero?
5. For a bunch of girls who got into this wonderful school, and were supposed to be so smart, I found them to be really stupid.
November 16, 2011
I found this book when I was in high school, so needless to say I was hooked. I knew where these girls were coming from, granted I wasn't as into drugs and sex as they were. I think the entire idea is fantastic, honest, and extremely brave. These girls took their lives, the ones their parents certainly didn't know about, and put it all out on the table for everyone to see. I think there was even an actual joint taped inside it somewhere. These girls reminded me of me and my friends and all of the stupid things we used to say in notes we passed to each other. These girls are hilarious. At the start of one of Julia's entries she says "Lindsay, don't worry, we value quality over quantity. Unless your entries suck, in which case we yell at you for keeping the notebook too long and wasting our lives. I love you. How was your math test?" This even inspired a few of us to start our own notebook. Let's just say that it's now hidden and there is a burning planned.
Looking back, I feel even more connected to it because I've grown up and I understand all of the stupid mistakes we make as teenagers. That's what helps keep this book entertaining: how you can continue to relate to it. This taught to me experiment in my own writing because not every thing that's published in nonfiction is a biography or a memoir.
Looking back, I feel even more connected to it because I've grown up and I understand all of the stupid mistakes we make as teenagers. That's what helps keep this book entertaining: how you can continue to relate to it. This taught to me experiment in my own writing because not every thing that's published in nonfiction is a biography or a memoir.
October 17, 2009
This was such a throw back to my high school years where I passed around a very beloved notebook between a best friend of mine. It does exactly what it promises:
Introduction excerpt
This book fairs so well among young adults because it's relatable, it's fun, it's uncensored (very uncensored), and it's unique.
Introduction excerpt
"We don't claim to be anything we aren't. We aren't on crack; we're not pregnant; our parents don't abuse us; and we're not failing out of high school. We are just a group of normal girls with normal lives. Our notebook isn't meant to make you depressed or make you feel sorry for us; it's meant to make you laugh and to make you remember."
This book fairs so well among young adults because it's relatable, it's fun, it's uncensored (very uncensored), and it's unique.
March 17, 2018
I received this book in high school and only skimmed it a few times, but finally decided to read it cover to cover. It was amazing to see these four girls grow over the course of three years. Their maturity about drugs, alcohol, and sex was refreshing to see and I feel that it does reflect most young adults their age, though adults in their lives may not have seen it.
A great commentary on how teenagers view their world, and I think this is a great book for young adults and parents alike. It will show young adults that they can be adventurous yet conscious of what they are doing and how it affects them and others around them. It will remind parents what it is like to be in high school, trying to fit in and figure out who you are all at the same time.
A great commentary on how teenagers view their world, and I think this is a great book for young adults and parents alike. It will show young adults that they can be adventurous yet conscious of what they are doing and how it affects them and others around them. It will remind parents what it is like to be in high school, trying to fit in and figure out who you are all at the same time.
Read
July 23, 2022Four teenage girls that attend the prestigious Stuyvesant School in Manhattan decide to keep a notebook to stay in touch. The notebook begins in March of 2002, but reflects back on September 11th and how their school had to be used as a Triage center for 9/11 victims. In this notebook, the girls provide detailed accounts of their escapades, drinking, and drug use. The book portrays drug use and drinking as acceptable everyday activities that seem to be the norm. So I found this a little frightening, but realistic. This book would appeal to high school students. I read a digital version and it was like reading pictures of the notebook. Certain pages were difficult to read due to the handwriting, however, the drawings and pictures, along with the stories made this an interesting read. As a mom, I can completely understand why this is a banned book.
May 20, 2022
I began this book, read the intro stuff and a few of the first entries, and then decided this was not a book I wanted to read. It's basically a vanity project - a real notebook passed around by real people, and what appears to be only slightly edited for length and content. Within the first few entries, I figured out it would be more difficult than I want to work to keep the four main girls and their minor characters straight in my head, and there were already too many inside jokes or whatever for me to glaze over. Neat idea, but not worth reading for me.
January 15, 2018
The book was okay. Reminded me a lot of my times in high school and the notebooks we used to pass around with funny drawings and all our secrets. It did drag though, and at first I had a hard time distinguishing who was who due to the lack of backstory. Also, their experience was MUCH different than mine- I didn’t do many of these things until college.
March 29, 2020
I mean it's about what you would expect to read if you were ever a girl in an American high school at some point in the last 30 years.
December 17, 2011
High school girls exchange honest notes.
Summary
Julia, Lindsey, Sophie, and Courtney are all freshman attending the prestigious Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan. One of them (they still argue who's idea it was) suggest they keep a group journal that they can pass back and forth to one and another, and lo' and behold, the Notebook Girls are created. The journal holds within its pages nearly two years of honest detailed high school life. Whether it's getting high at a Friday night party, having sex for the first time, stressing over exams, or dealing with the emotions of NYC's first memorial of 9/11, The Notebook girls candid and raw journal will inspire giggles, generate nostalgia and invite its readers into the realm of contemporary teenagers.
Why did I read it?
I came across this book while making a list for the Dangerously Read Challenge (I wanted to focus on banned books). The blurb that I read said that the notebook was a creation by four freshman girls after 9/11. It seemed genuine and exposed.
What did I like the most?
The four girls were definitely candid and there was a certain depth there that I didn't necessarily expect. I had no information about NYC schools, how they operated or the various programs each schools focused on. Evidently Stuy is an "ivy-league" primer, and because of that some entries were quite profound. Of course you still had the normal sex questions (should I do it or should I wait), but following that entry would be a discourse on religion (two girls were jewish and one was an atheist).
Here is an entry that discusses national security and sexuality.
2/16/03
[...] You're right it is really scary. But also, you have to think, how much is true and how much is the current administration playing on our fears. The really scary thing about being in such a precarious international situation like we are right now is that I feel like our government and media can totally fuck with our emotions. When you think about it, they have the power to make us panic, and that makes me want to panic. Or move to Canada.
[...]
So I actually think I've found a way to solve the above problem, and that is my new progression from the world of dicks to the world of chicks. One word: Tori. OMG I wanna get with this girl so badly!
What did I like the least?
The same thing that I liked the most about The Notebook Girls, is what I liked the least. The authenticity. I mean come on! They act and talk like high school students! There are only so many times the novelty of "spying" on the inner thoughts of teenagers while they partied, puked, got stoned, made out, got grounded, bullshitted about gossip, bitched about boys (or girls) or shared the "did you hear that so and so did this over the weekend" and "I can't believe that they are saying that I...." could last.
Plus because the notebook really appears to have been photocopied, the handwriting would shift, the drawings would blur, and the side margin notes were soooo tiny that even squinty made it difficult to read.
Do I recommend this book?
Overall, I would recommend this book. It's interesting because I can see why parents threw their hands up in the air and fought for this book to get on the banned book list. These kids did everything that a parent doesn't want their fourteen + year old to do. I read an article somewhere that the girls show that you can experiment and party while still making good grades. I think that's what scares parents the most. They don't want their kids to get that idea.
I'm sort of on the fence. I think that these girls are definitely the exception. There are plenty of students that try to lead the same sort of lifestyle but do not have the maturity, life goals, and quite honestly intelligence to follow in their footsteps. But I hardly think that this book should be banned because of that. (** I'd also like to mention that some of the girls alluded to the difficulty that their parents had initially with the publication of this book).
Who would I recommend this book to? Hardly not a middle schooler, but definitely an upper level and mature high schooler. I also think that it would be a fabulous book to read with your high school student as a parent. It might open up the lines of communication.
Also, anyone who is interested in a voyeuristic adventure should also check it out.
Summary
Julia, Lindsey, Sophie, and Courtney are all freshman attending the prestigious Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan. One of them (they still argue who's idea it was) suggest they keep a group journal that they can pass back and forth to one and another, and lo' and behold, the Notebook Girls are created. The journal holds within its pages nearly two years of honest detailed high school life. Whether it's getting high at a Friday night party, having sex for the first time, stressing over exams, or dealing with the emotions of NYC's first memorial of 9/11, The Notebook girls candid and raw journal will inspire giggles, generate nostalgia and invite its readers into the realm of contemporary teenagers.
Why did I read it?
I came across this book while making a list for the Dangerously Read Challenge (I wanted to focus on banned books). The blurb that I read said that the notebook was a creation by four freshman girls after 9/11. It seemed genuine and exposed.
What did I like the most?
The four girls were definitely candid and there was a certain depth there that I didn't necessarily expect. I had no information about NYC schools, how they operated or the various programs each schools focused on. Evidently Stuy is an "ivy-league" primer, and because of that some entries were quite profound. Of course you still had the normal sex questions (should I do it or should I wait), but following that entry would be a discourse on religion (two girls were jewish and one was an atheist).
Here is an entry that discusses national security and sexuality.
2/16/03
[...] You're right it is really scary. But also, you have to think, how much is true and how much is the current administration playing on our fears. The really scary thing about being in such a precarious international situation like we are right now is that I feel like our government and media can totally fuck with our emotions. When you think about it, they have the power to make us panic, and that makes me want to panic. Or move to Canada.
[...]
So I actually think I've found a way to solve the above problem, and that is my new progression from the world of dicks to the world of chicks. One word: Tori. OMG I wanna get with this girl so badly!
What did I like the least?
The same thing that I liked the most about The Notebook Girls, is what I liked the least. The authenticity. I mean come on! They act and talk like high school students! There are only so many times the novelty of "spying" on the inner thoughts of teenagers while they partied, puked, got stoned, made out, got grounded, bullshitted about gossip, bitched about boys (or girls) or shared the "did you hear that so and so did this over the weekend" and "I can't believe that they are saying that I...." could last.
Plus because the notebook really appears to have been photocopied, the handwriting would shift, the drawings would blur, and the side margin notes were soooo tiny that even squinty made it difficult to read.
Do I recommend this book?
Overall, I would recommend this book. It's interesting because I can see why parents threw their hands up in the air and fought for this book to get on the banned book list. These kids did everything that a parent doesn't want their fourteen + year old to do. I read an article somewhere that the girls show that you can experiment and party while still making good grades. I think that's what scares parents the most. They don't want their kids to get that idea.
I'm sort of on the fence. I think that these girls are definitely the exception. There are plenty of students that try to lead the same sort of lifestyle but do not have the maturity, life goals, and quite honestly intelligence to follow in their footsteps. But I hardly think that this book should be banned because of that. (** I'd also like to mention that some of the girls alluded to the difficulty that their parents had initially with the publication of this book).
Who would I recommend this book to? Hardly not a middle schooler, but definitely an upper level and mature high schooler. I also think that it would be a fabulous book to read with your high school student as a parent. It might open up the lines of communication.
Also, anyone who is interested in a voyeuristic adventure should also check it out.
August 10, 2015
3.5 Stars
2015 Reading Challange : A book set in high school.
Okay, backstory: From 8th grade to 11th grade my three best friends and I passed around a notebook that we wrote notes to each other in. 6 notebooks to be exact. The first one was when we were just starting to become friends and each subsequent one shows how are friendship has deepened (drama and all). At some point during this time, we read some previous notebooks and thought about how entertaining they were and how they told such a great story of high school drama and friendship. We were determined to edit and publish these notebooks and become rich and famous (or just sell a few copies haha). So you can understand our horror when we go to Barnes and Noble in 12th grade and find this book sitting on the shelves! These four girls stole our idea!!!! (aka our idea was not all that original)
More recently, I picked up this book and figured I should give it a read. Coincidentally, my reading of this book coincided with a vacation weekend with my HS bffls (yes, after 12 years and attending different colleges and living in different states, we are still best friends) where we pulled out our old notebooks and read them, laughed at our ridiculous emo poetry, remembered people we have forgotten, and realized how truly wonderful it was for us to have something like that to go back to.
Anyhoo, it's kind of eerie at times how The Notebook Girls mirrors our own notebooks. I guess that's to be expected (these girls are only a couple of years older than us). We had the similar parent drama and boy (or girl) drama, we were also high achieving students (we didn't go to a magnet school, but we were in our school's "Gifted and Talented" program), were in Speech and Debate and the Gay-Straight Alliance, we also had a funny quotes section in the back of our notebooks. But there were also other things that were similar including their dedication to "the fifth notebook girl" (we had a 5th friend who was part of our notebooks) and the fact that one of us likes girls and guys.
A main difference between us and them was our straight-eged-ness and their lack thereof and the fact that they lived in the city. No judgement on my part, but it got a bit boring to read about how all they did was smoke weed and how awesome it was to be blazed. (The whole I don't mind weed, but I hate stoners who won't stfu about it). Also they were smoking week laced with PCP and shit and didn't stop to think it was dangerous? But I think as the girls got older, they kind of realized that too (and you have to remember I am reading this with a 25 yr old's perspective). There were a couple of other things that bothered me, mainly the one entry about how the girls were at a dinner party thrown by one of their mothers where this 30 yr old guy kept trying to molest them. Like there were 5 or 6 examples of him being totally rape-y. I can understand a teenaged girl's reaction just being "ugh he was creepy" but what the hell were the other adults there doing?? Anyhoo, I was kind of jealous of the freedom these girls had walking and subway-ing around the city. (In the 'burbs of Houston, if you want to go somewhere, you ask your parents to drive you -_-) Another interesting perspective I thought they had to offer was their continuing thoughts on 9/11, seeing as they lived in Manhattan and started writing this notebook less than year after it occurred.
I am sorry I made this review more about me than about the book itself, but I did that to show the deep personal connection I have with this book due to it's format. Would this be an interesting read for an older teenager who didn't keep a group notebook? Mildly. There are some great things written in here but it's an organic and non-structured tale, so it drags a lot. But because I feel like these girls are us in another life, I had to give it the extra star.
2015 Reading Challange : A book set in high school.
Okay, backstory: From 8th grade to 11th grade my three best friends and I passed around a notebook that we wrote notes to each other in. 6 notebooks to be exact. The first one was when we were just starting to become friends and each subsequent one shows how are friendship has deepened (drama and all). At some point during this time, we read some previous notebooks and thought about how entertaining they were and how they told such a great story of high school drama and friendship. We were determined to edit and publish these notebooks and become rich and famous (or just sell a few copies haha). So you can understand our horror when we go to Barnes and Noble in 12th grade and find this book sitting on the shelves! These four girls stole our idea!!!! (aka our idea was not all that original)
More recently, I picked up this book and figured I should give it a read. Coincidentally, my reading of this book coincided with a vacation weekend with my HS bffls (yes, after 12 years and attending different colleges and living in different states, we are still best friends) where we pulled out our old notebooks and read them, laughed at our ridiculous emo poetry, remembered people we have forgotten, and realized how truly wonderful it was for us to have something like that to go back to.
Anyhoo, it's kind of eerie at times how The Notebook Girls mirrors our own notebooks. I guess that's to be expected (these girls are only a couple of years older than us). We had the similar parent drama and boy (or girl) drama, we were also high achieving students (we didn't go to a magnet school, but we were in our school's "Gifted and Talented" program), were in Speech and Debate and the Gay-Straight Alliance, we also had a funny quotes section in the back of our notebooks. But there were also other things that were similar including their dedication to "the fifth notebook girl" (we had a 5th friend who was part of our notebooks) and the fact that one of us likes girls and guys.
A main difference between us and them was our straight-eged-ness and their lack thereof and the fact that they lived in the city. No judgement on my part, but it got a bit boring to read about how all they did was smoke weed and how awesome it was to be blazed. (The whole I don't mind weed, but I hate stoners who won't stfu about it). Also they were smoking week laced with PCP and shit and didn't stop to think it was dangerous? But I think as the girls got older, they kind of realized that too (and you have to remember I am reading this with a 25 yr old's perspective). There were a couple of other things that bothered me, mainly the one entry about how the girls were at a dinner party thrown by one of their mothers where this 30 yr old guy kept trying to molest them. Like there were 5 or 6 examples of him being totally rape-y. I can understand a teenaged girl's reaction just being "ugh he was creepy" but what the hell were the other adults there doing?? Anyhoo, I was kind of jealous of the freedom these girls had walking and subway-ing around the city. (In the 'burbs of Houston, if you want to go somewhere, you ask your parents to drive you -_-) Another interesting perspective I thought they had to offer was their continuing thoughts on 9/11, seeing as they lived in Manhattan and started writing this notebook less than year after it occurred.
I am sorry I made this review more about me than about the book itself, but I did that to show the deep personal connection I have with this book due to it's format. Would this be an interesting read for an older teenager who didn't keep a group notebook? Mildly. There are some great things written in here but it's an organic and non-structured tale, so it drags a lot. But because I feel like these girls are us in another life, I had to give it the extra star.
May 23, 2010
Picked this up in hopes that it was a real notebook, and guess what? It is! I then became very excited about this book since it is so similar in idea to all the writing I did as a teen.
But, this book was a let down. I had hoped for something like Perks of Being a Wallflower in a true notebook form, but that was really an unrealistic expectation. What this book is, though, is very real and true to how teenage girls talk to each other. All the playful insults, sex talk, drugs and drinking, parties, boys (and in one case girls), teacher and parent rants - all these things were very true to what normal girls discuss together. I liked that about this book. It made it interesting because it was true, but also not as interesting because its not your own friends.
I didn't like how the middle of the book discussed smoking weed so much. If a teen were to not get to the end where the girls decide that they don't need to smoke (and to some extent drink) to have fun, then they would be getting a very negatively influential view of drugs. Also, the "hook ups" could be misleading to other teens as well. Unless you read many of the entries, it is unclear what this means. I took hook up to mean sex, but it did not. It was what I would call "making out," because when oral sex or intercourse took place, it was a noted event.
The one thing that made this book unrealistic to me was that each of the four girls was such a good writer. These girls did NOT write my average high school freshman. Turns out that was because they went to a school for high achieving students. That really shows in the writing style. The wit, reasoning, and clarity of the writing just isn't there for most kids of that age. It makes for a more interesting read, but brings at the same time makes it a little less universal.
The last interesting point about this book was that the Notebook Girls were very close to the WTC when it went down on 9/11. So, there are a few entries that deal with their experiences on that day as well as on the first two anniversaries.
But, this book was a let down. I had hoped for something like Perks of Being a Wallflower in a true notebook form, but that was really an unrealistic expectation. What this book is, though, is very real and true to how teenage girls talk to each other. All the playful insults, sex talk, drugs and drinking, parties, boys (and in one case girls), teacher and parent rants - all these things were very true to what normal girls discuss together. I liked that about this book. It made it interesting because it was true, but also not as interesting because its not your own friends.
I didn't like how the middle of the book discussed smoking weed so much. If a teen were to not get to the end where the girls decide that they don't need to smoke (and to some extent drink) to have fun, then they would be getting a very negatively influential view of drugs. Also, the "hook ups" could be misleading to other teens as well. Unless you read many of the entries, it is unclear what this means. I took hook up to mean sex, but it did not. It was what I would call "making out," because when oral sex or intercourse took place, it was a noted event.
The one thing that made this book unrealistic to me was that each of the four girls was such a good writer. These girls did NOT write my average high school freshman. Turns out that was because they went to a school for high achieving students. That really shows in the writing style. The wit, reasoning, and clarity of the writing just isn't there for most kids of that age. It makes for a more interesting read, but brings at the same time makes it a little less universal.
The last interesting point about this book was that the Notebook Girls were very close to the WTC when it went down on 9/11. So, there are a few entries that deal with their experiences on that day as well as on the first two anniversaries.
February 18, 2024
I read the physical copy of this book several years ago & remembered enjoying it. On my Kindle, the only reason I gave it 4 stars is because the printed journal handwriting was SO tiny & tough to strain my eyes reading. I do like the journaling & reliving some aspects of my own youth through books lile this so overall it was pretty good.
Want to read
November 10, 2020So I picked this notebook up because I too did the same thing in high school. I had a notebook I shared with 2 of my friends, and I still have it to this day. We'd pass it around in between classes, read each other's thoughts, write back, one of us would take it home one night, another person the next. Looking back, I'd bet that none of the stuff in that notebook is terribly interesting. I haven't re-read it in at least a decade, but I'm willing to bet that pretty much everything in that notebook would be boring, mundane tedious high school stuff that seemed all consuming and important at the time, but in hindsight wasn't that big of a deal at all. I"m willing to bet that if this is in fact a REAL high school notebook that it's more of the same. That said, I'm absolutely down to read someone else's high school notebook because it just seems like a neat idea, and I didn't realize other people had done this, so the pseudo-voyeurism of reading a group of friends's notebook sounds intriguing.
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Upon reading some reviews though, I have decided not to read this book. I love the premise, but apparently, it's really only about these girls chasing boys and drugs, which holds zero appeal for me. I usually like reading these sorts of things, because there's a certain appeal in continuing to see the world through the eyes of someone who has yet to truly experience it. After all, we constantly spend our entire lives trying to figure out who we are, and what our place in the world is, so reading about teen doing it, and taking their first steps into that foray holds a certain appeal for me. But this doesn't seem like any of that. This just seems like rambling about typical teen shit that these girls are too spoiled to realize they shouldn't be doing. Meh, think I'll pass.
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Upon reading some reviews though, I have decided not to read this book. I love the premise, but apparently, it's really only about these girls chasing boys and drugs, which holds zero appeal for me. I usually like reading these sorts of things, because there's a certain appeal in continuing to see the world through the eyes of someone who has yet to truly experience it. After all, we constantly spend our entire lives trying to figure out who we are, and what our place in the world is, so reading about teen doing it, and taking their first steps into that foray holds a certain appeal for me. But this doesn't seem like any of that. This just seems like rambling about typical teen shit that these girls are too spoiled to realize they shouldn't be doing. Meh, think I'll pass.
October 18, 2018
When Julia Baskin, Lindsey Newman, Sophie Pollitt-Cohen and Courtney Toombs were freshmen in a New York City high school, they began keeping a notebook of letters/notes. Each girl would write an entry and then pass the notebook to the next for comment. The Notebook Girls is the actual notebook-diary presented in its unrestrained glory for the world to read. Interspersed with the journal entries are photos of the girls, drawings, jokes, and other funny and heartbreaking things.
Though these girls' lives are unique, they nonetheless bear similarities to what any fourteen-year-old encounters. Friends are everything. Parties are common. Boys are obsessed over. Drugs are available - and, in this case, experimented with. It's fascinating to read their book and become immersed in experiences with which you might - or might not - identify.
Since memoirs/true stories have come into question lately, I was skeptical of the claim that this is a true diary that these girls kept in high school. After doing some research, I believe that it is, indeed, true. The four girls are now in college and are quite upfront about how much this notebook helped them connect and grow up during school. The only things they claim are changed are people's names (other than their own), and the removal of a few inside jokes or obscure references.
This is not a book for the faint at heart, with graphic descriptions of sex, drugs, and alcohol. Many teens will find it fascinating, and adults who have a bit of perspective on the issue (my own daughter is in college and twenty) will feel mixed emotions (nostalgia and relief are the main ones). But if you like peeking into someone's life, this unique format and these lively girls will grab you and keep you entertained.
Though these girls' lives are unique, they nonetheless bear similarities to what any fourteen-year-old encounters. Friends are everything. Parties are common. Boys are obsessed over. Drugs are available - and, in this case, experimented with. It's fascinating to read their book and become immersed in experiences with which you might - or might not - identify.
Since memoirs/true stories have come into question lately, I was skeptical of the claim that this is a true diary that these girls kept in high school. After doing some research, I believe that it is, indeed, true. The four girls are now in college and are quite upfront about how much this notebook helped them connect and grow up during school. The only things they claim are changed are people's names (other than their own), and the removal of a few inside jokes or obscure references.
This is not a book for the faint at heart, with graphic descriptions of sex, drugs, and alcohol. Many teens will find it fascinating, and adults who have a bit of perspective on the issue (my own daughter is in college and twenty) will feel mixed emotions (nostalgia and relief are the main ones). But if you like peeking into someone's life, this unique format and these lively girls will grab you and keep you entertained.
June 13, 2007
I was expecting more of this. I actually struggled not to put it down and pick something else to read. That's never a good omen.
The girls did change from the beginning to the end but without having been there living the things they did it's hard to really follow the story. Because there is no story. It's just mashed up bits of information that didn't register after a while. I did not know who was who until the very end. And the boys got mixed up as well. I couldn't relate to the girls because they weren't telling each other everything. They censored themselves and that nipped the link we could have had for them in the bud.
It was okay and I finished it because there were bits that were alright. I saw the changes and the maturity after the two years or so that they'd been writing.
But that's not going to make me give back the third star I took away. I didn't want to be harsh. But they even said themselves that they found it hard at times to write and pass it along. So I'm not sure why they thought this would make a good read. Write a fiction about it. Something slightly more romanticized something like a Sarah Dessen book or Ann Brashares. With heart and knowledge and insight. Not just the facts and almost no heart.
The girls did change from the beginning to the end but without having been there living the things they did it's hard to really follow the story. Because there is no story. It's just mashed up bits of information that didn't register after a while. I did not know who was who until the very end. And the boys got mixed up as well. I couldn't relate to the girls because they weren't telling each other everything. They censored themselves and that nipped the link we could have had for them in the bud.
It was okay and I finished it because there were bits that were alright. I saw the changes and the maturity after the two years or so that they'd been writing.
But that's not going to make me give back the third star I took away. I didn't want to be harsh. But they even said themselves that they found it hard at times to write and pass it along. So I'm not sure why they thought this would make a good read. Write a fiction about it. Something slightly more romanticized something like a Sarah Dessen book or Ann Brashares. With heart and knowledge and insight. Not just the facts and almost no heart.
January 13, 2008
Someone told me about this diary that 4 highschool students wrote while attending Stuyvesant Highschool here in NYC.
The four girls- Julia, Lindsey, Sophie, and Courtney shared this notebook and wrote their thoughts and comments to share within their own social circle. They talked about their life in Stuy. One girl got arrested for drug possession and her parents didn't really punish her. These girls wrote about them smoking pot. Religion was a main factor in this book as well, they talked about their differences. I think they published this book mainly to show the public what was going on in the school and to show the way teenagers are. I thought that the book was boring and confusing until it talked about drugs and alcohol. I think this book shows a bad view of teenagers because everyone is not like them, smoking pot and drinking. At the end of the book, the girls matured and looked back on their way of life. They began caring about their grades and futures. I don't know if anything in the book was made up or exaggerated so I don't necessarily believe everything I read. Overall, this was a book that caught my interest. This book was okay. I liked the change of character in all four of them.
The four girls- Julia, Lindsey, Sophie, and Courtney shared this notebook and wrote their thoughts and comments to share within their own social circle. They talked about their life in Stuy. One girl got arrested for drug possession and her parents didn't really punish her. These girls wrote about them smoking pot. Religion was a main factor in this book as well, they talked about their differences. I think they published this book mainly to show the public what was going on in the school and to show the way teenagers are. I thought that the book was boring and confusing until it talked about drugs and alcohol. I think this book shows a bad view of teenagers because everyone is not like them, smoking pot and drinking. At the end of the book, the girls matured and looked back on their way of life. They began caring about their grades and futures. I don't know if anything in the book was made up or exaggerated so I don't necessarily believe everything I read. Overall, this was a book that caught my interest. This book was okay. I liked the change of character in all four of them.
April 8, 2013
This is a story about best friend that share their stories with each other and tell their heart breaks and tragedies in the world. Everyone likes to think they started the notebook. Sophie claims she stole the idea from two girls in her math class. Courtney still has a death grip on the theory that the notebook was her invention. Lindsey doesn't really care; she's just along for the ride. And Julia never knows what's going on anyway. What we do know is that we started the notebook in freshman year at Stuyvesant High School as a way to keep in contact when our conflicting schedules denied us one another's company. It allowed us to express ourselves and our views of the world in a tone of complete sarcasm, obscenity, and blind honesty. We've spent a significant portion of our adolescence trying to figure out who we are.
I really liked this story because i was able to connect to it because i am a girl in high school in New York with teen issues. Most of the problems that the girls ran into, boys, body parts,etc., i was able to connect with so half of the time i was reading i was going, "Oh my god, i know right" as if they were my friends. Over all i give the book a 4star because of the reality of the girls and being able to connect with them.
I really liked this story because i was able to connect to it because i am a girl in high school in New York with teen issues. Most of the problems that the girls ran into, boys, body parts,etc., i was able to connect with so half of the time i was reading i was going, "Oh my god, i know right" as if they were my friends. Over all i give the book a 4star because of the reality of the girls and being able to connect with them.
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June 12, 2012The Notebook Girls is a novel that looks into four freshman lives in New York City. They all wrote in the journal and took turns writing down everything that happened to them, including photos, boys, experiences with drugs and other things. The journal holds everything from the two years of high school, it's a way for them to interact with their friends anywhere. The only problem is that they don't want their students from the school and their parents finding out what's inside the journal.
This book wasn't as interesting as I thought it would be. It was cool reading it like a journal and seeing how their high school life was. But it wasn't something I would recommend to anyone. I feel like it's not just for freshman to read, but for any grade... even college. It was awesome to see each side of their stories and see what happened in their lives. But some things didn't seem right. It was an okay book.
This book wasn't as interesting as I thought it would be. It was cool reading it like a journal and seeing how their high school life was. But it wasn't something I would recommend to anyone. I feel like it's not just for freshman to read, but for any grade... even college. It was awesome to see each side of their stories and see what happened in their lives. But some things didn't seem right. It was an okay book.
May 4, 2012
Love this style of writing. I grabbed this book quickly at the library when renting some movies for the week. It caught my eye and I skimmed the pages, checked it out because it was all handwritten. This was the first book that I have read cover to cover in a while. It was nice relaxing from the semester being over. The doodles and jokes in this book are so funny and easy to relate to, some of the topics they bring up take me back to high school times. I enjoyed the entries about September 11th, it was interesting to hear each girl's view about what happened that day especially since they were only 3 blocks away from the World Trade Center. Was a fun read and did not take much time. I now feel inspired to keep a journal of my own, however I am not sure it would last, I suppose I could always fill it with doodles...
September 18, 2011
Having read this book twice I feel it might as well be time to review it.
The Notebook Girls is an entertaining tale of four girls going to high school in New York City in the early 2000s. There you see how they deal with issues in their life such as 9/11 and sex and drugs. The girls are clearly very close and have witty banter back and forth with each other throughout the whole story. Are some parts repetitious? Of course, because it's a book about real girls living real lives. Some parts are a little bit difficult to believe or just accept that people would allow it to happen. Such as Julia's parents finding out that she smokes pot and only 'looking at her like they were disappointed.' It really is an amazing story and a fun read. Definitely recommend it!
The Notebook Girls is an entertaining tale of four girls going to high school in New York City in the early 2000s. There you see how they deal with issues in their life such as 9/11 and sex and drugs. The girls are clearly very close and have witty banter back and forth with each other throughout the whole story. Are some parts repetitious? Of course, because it's a book about real girls living real lives. Some parts are a little bit difficult to believe or just accept that people would allow it to happen. Such as Julia's parents finding out that she smokes pot and only 'looking at her like they were disappointed.' It really is an amazing story and a fun read. Definitely recommend it!
December 18, 2011
I truly loved this book. Yes the language and activities these girls did were not at all appropriate, but what is anymore that us teens do? I was blown away by how real it was and what others had to say about it. As a teenager going into highschool it was cool to see what highschoolers are like. It was rateable in so many ways, extremely funny, and cool to see how they went through 9/11. My friends and I all read the book and thought we should do the same. So out notebook has 5 people in the rotation all sharing our thoughts and daily life struggles except rated PG. We don't use such language or talk about the exact same things, but we do have similarities. I can't wait to finish it, half way done(:
February 15, 2011
I saw this on a list of banned books - which is always enough to pique my interest. Reading it was an odd experience - it was a bit repetitious, and after a while I felt like a voyeur. But even though my high school experience was very very different from theirs (I went to a mediocre high school in a small city, and was not doing drugs or having sex or partying..... and 15 years earlier) - I felt like certain aspects of the way the girls wrote to each other were so familiar. It was so reminiscent of the notes I used to write to my friends, and the notes I got from them. Some things really are universal about teenaged girls, I guess.
July 24, 2007
four high school students write their innermost thoughts in a notebook, which then gets sold to Warner Books. talk about an idea that could have gone horribly, horribly awry.
but it doesn't. the book, handwritten by the girls themselves and including photographs, drawings, and quotable quotes, is fun to read, enlightening, and proves that "kids today" know a hell of a lot more than we think they do...
from religion to terrorism to drugs to sex, these girls give readers an important look at the complexity of teens--not to mention their impressive sense of their place in the world.
but it doesn't. the book, handwritten by the girls themselves and including photographs, drawings, and quotable quotes, is fun to read, enlightening, and proves that "kids today" know a hell of a lot more than we think they do...
from religion to terrorism to drugs to sex, these girls give readers an important look at the complexity of teens--not to mention their impressive sense of their place in the world.
January 18, 2009
What a pointless endeavor this was for the publishing company. When I hear my friend talk about all the steps involved in having her book published, I can't imagine why anyone would go through that with this book. It is a real diary of four friends from a high school in New York. They would pass it around and write in it for each other's eyes only. They should have kept it that way. I only hope that when people read this they don't think that all teenage girls are this way. I could hardly get through it.
October 18, 2009
i thought i was going to like this book so much more. everyone has a story to tell, some more boring than others. this isnt talent, this is friends passing notes. all of my friends and i have passed notes. why didnt we get our published?
these girls seem like the people i hated in highschool. they were rude to eachother, and just all around not fun lol. i didnt even get this far but apparently it goes on to detail their smoking and drinking habits. thats fine. but i heard enough of those stories in homeroom.
next time i want to read a diary i'll re-read "Go Ask Alice"
these girls seem like the people i hated in highschool. they were rude to eachother, and just all around not fun lol. i didnt even get this far but apparently it goes on to detail their smoking and drinking habits. thats fine. but i heard enough of those stories in homeroom.
next time i want to read a diary i'll re-read "Go Ask Alice"
December 13, 2010
this book is the true, handwritten stories of the girls' school year, forced apart from each other by conflicting scheduals. So to "rebel" against the injust situation, the four girls keep a notebook between them, switching off every day.
The four girls, although not MEANING to, have done a very well, (although somewhat crude) job! it's funny until the very end! (not that anything bad happens, it's just a saying). It's a really funny book to read and I think you would enjoy it.
Caution: The book isn't exactly a "nice" book. There are drawings that some might not find suitable. (haha)
The four girls, although not MEANING to, have done a very well, (although somewhat crude) job! it's funny until the very end! (not that anything bad happens, it's just a saying). It's a really funny book to read and I think you would enjoy it.
Caution: The book isn't exactly a "nice" book. There are drawings that some might not find suitable. (haha)
June 2, 2013
They talked about their life in Stuy. One girl got arrested for drug possession and her parents didn't really punish her. These girls wrote about them smoking pot. Religion was a main factor in this book as well, they talked about their differences. I think they published this book mainly to show the public what was going on in the school and to show the way teenagers are. I thought that the book was boring and confusing until it talked about drugs and alcohol. I think this book shows a bad view of teenagers because everyone is not like them, smoking pot and drinking
December 27, 2007
This book was really profane, which usually doesn't bother me, but I had to be really careful who I read it around. I only read it because several years ago, my friends and I started the same thing. I found this book last year most likely. It was pretty...boring. It's hard to follow the people in the book because you don't know them. I just didn't like it, but it was a journal so it isn't very fair to judge, but it was their choice to put it in a book.
June 24, 2010
5/21/10: Not sure I want to finish this book... Not sure I can. If I was in grade school, this would be awesome! I would read it like, totally 15 times! But alas, I am not in grade school and these high school girls are a bit ridiculous. And their handwriting is awful (except one). Not sure if I will continue much further unless they start to grow up a bit. It really looked like something I would want to read...
I quit this book. I couldn't read another single page... it was that bad.
I quit this book. I couldn't read another single page... it was that bad.
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