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How My Private, Personal Journal Became a Bestseller
Formerly ordinary fourteen-year-old Jamie Bartlett isn't so ordinary anymore. Ever since she wrote a story about Isabella (aka IS), the stereotype-defying, popular-girl-crushing super teen, Jamie's life hasn't been the same. Suddenly she's doing interviews and book signings, flying to L.A. to hang out with celebrities, and dating Marco Vega, the hottest guy in school! But will all of this attention go to Jamie's head? Or will she take a lesson from IS and remember that there's more to life than popularity?
212 pages, Paperback
First published May 11, 2004
24 people are currently reading
1191 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
January 26, 2019
Yes, it was obvious from a split-second glance at the cover that this was not going to be a profoundly deep or quality book, but I was looking for a light read. I prepared myself for an onslaught of pop culture references, but the author kept them to a perfectly reasonable amount, and the majority of dropped celebrity names came out of her own imagination.
What I was not prepared for was just how exceptionally, jaw-droppingly, amazingly ludicrous and unbelievable this book was. This is not even your usual teen-chick-lit fluff; this actually insults the intelligence of any reader over the age of 10. I'm going to let it have two stars because I'll assume someone made a mistake in the marketing department, and I'd feel okay about little kids reading it. Though at the same time, I would also feel some pain at the idea of spoon-feeding them such drivel when there are so many higher quality books for young readers.
The author is writing about nothing more than any aspiring author's fantasy/wish fulfillment, and not even trying to disguise it. In a nutshell, the story behind the title is that a 14-year-old accidentally turns in a short story instead of her homework assignment, but her teacher is so blown away that she shows it to her literary agent friend, who has a similar fit of what I can only assume is temporary insanity and decides this girl's raw talent is so amazing that she barely even needs an editor.
All she has to do is make it a little bit longer - oh here, take some time off school, we can't interrupt such creative genius - and then there will be a spontaneous tooth-and-nail bidding war between publishing companies to get their hands on it. Incidentally, we get to see plenty of excerpts from this ~amazing manuscript~, and the sophistication level is reminiscent of Captain Underpants, just with girl power instead of bathroom humor.
That should be enough warning, but if you have already read the book and/or would like an extremely detailed and spoiler-filled summary of snark, feel free to read the long version below. (yep. What you just saw was the *short* version.)
What I was not prepared for was just how exceptionally, jaw-droppingly, amazingly ludicrous and unbelievable this book was. This is not even your usual teen-chick-lit fluff; this actually insults the intelligence of any reader over the age of 10. I'm going to let it have two stars because I'll assume someone made a mistake in the marketing department, and I'd feel okay about little kids reading it. Though at the same time, I would also feel some pain at the idea of spoon-feeding them such drivel when there are so many higher quality books for young readers.
The author is writing about nothing more than any aspiring author's fantasy/wish fulfillment, and not even trying to disguise it. In a nutshell, the story behind the title is that a 14-year-old accidentally turns in a short story instead of her homework assignment, but her teacher is so blown away that she shows it to her literary agent friend, who has a similar fit of what I can only assume is temporary insanity and decides this girl's raw talent is so amazing that she barely even needs an editor.
All she has to do is make it a little bit longer - oh here, take some time off school, we can't interrupt such creative genius - and then there will be a spontaneous tooth-and-nail bidding war between publishing companies to get their hands on it. Incidentally, we get to see plenty of excerpts from this ~amazing manuscript~, and the sophistication level is reminiscent of Captain Underpants, just with girl power instead of bathroom humor.
That should be enough warning, but if you have already read the book and/or would like an extremely detailed and spoiler-filled summary of snark, feel free to read the long version below. (yep. What you just saw was the *short* version.)
November 1, 2007
The inspiration for the Disney Channel original movie Read it and Weep, this book is the story of 14-year-old
Jamie Bartlett, a girl who writes her journal in story form on her laptop. By accident, she turns her journal in for her Creative Writing assignment, and it ends up becoming a bestseller. While Jamie enjoys all the fame and fortune, she neglects spending time with her real friends, and hangs out with the rude popular girl, and dates the "cutest guy in school", Marco.
*
Jamie Bartlett, a girl who writes her journal in story form on her laptop. By accident, she turns her journal in for her Creative Writing assignment, and it ends up becoming a bestseller. While Jamie enjoys all the fame and fortune, she neglects spending time with her real friends, and hangs out with the rude popular girl, and dates the "cutest guy in school", Marco.
*
January 28, 2010
There's a reason why books about average, awkward girls overcoming the machinations of the A-list clique are so popular - 98% of the female readers out there can identify, at least is part, with that average girl. For those currently navigating the treacherous waters of their tweens, such books are vital, a lifeline out of insecurity, bad self image and self-doubt. How My Private, Personal Journal Became a Bestseller is a particularly good example of the average-girl-wins-out novel. It's witty, fun and compulsively readable and, most importantly, the message of self-empowerment is native to the story and not tacked on the end like a tail on a paper donkey.
October 11, 2017
3.5 Honestly I liked the movie more than this book. There was no developing of the characters and things happened too fast without any feeling. I love the idea but... eh. It was still good but not as good as I expected
August 15, 2022
My report: The Power of Fame
I hated writing essays with an intro, body, and conclusion because my thoughts are always disjointed. So this review will be naturally me. (Was that an intro?)
I love how gradually the shift in mentality happened with Jamie, her friends, and her parents. The parents especially, just noting from 'no phone, no new laptop' to immediately 'we do need a new dishwasher and okay you can have a phone just temporarily, ok maybe new laptop would help you'. The introduction of not only a literary agent, but a stylist and publicist. Compared to the movie, it was slower placed and more drastic. Jamie isn't such a jerk so soon in the beginning of her fame either. At least one friend is included in training stuff, and she doesn't immediately abandon the other for the popular table. She drags her with her. And Connor isn't 'old best friend' which i definitely like better.
In this story, Jamie really cares about the plight of the 'normal' teen girl. The author adds some nice internal monologue throughout, and seems more motivated to help others than the movie's 'gotta save the family's pizza store ' drama. I also loved all the old Disney and Nick at nite references.
That whole scene with Jennifer2?? Was it too mature for Disney at the time to add it into the movie??? It screamed internet safety classes, but i thought very well done.
In the Battle of Book verses Movie, i will have to concede to Book in this round. (it shouldn't be surprising that i support movie adaptations, all thanks to Emma 2020 that made me like something of the story of Emma) The movie was a watered down, disnefied (not that i don't appreciate Disney reforming Cheetah Girls and Princess Diaries, adding the movie adaptation KO) cliche rework of this pretty fantastic book.
I hated writing essays with an intro, body, and conclusion because my thoughts are always disjointed. So this review will be naturally me. (Was that an intro?)
I love how gradually the shift in mentality happened with Jamie, her friends, and her parents. The parents especially, just noting from 'no phone, no new laptop' to immediately 'we do need a new dishwasher and okay you can have a phone just temporarily, ok maybe new laptop would help you'. The introduction of not only a literary agent, but a stylist and publicist. Compared to the movie, it was slower placed and more drastic. Jamie isn't such a jerk so soon in the beginning of her fame either. At least one friend is included in training stuff, and she doesn't immediately abandon the other for the popular table. She drags her with her. And Connor isn't 'old best friend' which i definitely like better.
In this story, Jamie really cares about the plight of the 'normal' teen girl. The author adds some nice internal monologue throughout, and seems more motivated to help others than the movie's 'gotta save the family's pizza store ' drama. I also loved all the old Disney and Nick at nite references.
That whole scene with Jennifer2?? Was it too mature for Disney at the time to add it into the movie??? It screamed internet safety classes, but i thought very well done.
In the Battle of Book verses Movie, i will have to concede to Book in this round. (it shouldn't be surprising that i support movie adaptations, all thanks to Emma 2020 that made me like something of the story of Emma) The movie was a watered down, disnefied (not that i don't appreciate Disney reforming Cheetah Girls and Princess Diaries, adding the movie adaptation KO) cliche rework of this pretty fantastic book.
March 10, 2024
two stars is generous but only because this book inspired my fave disney movie. i can’t even wrap my head around how disappointed i am in this book…. i couldn’t tell if was for kids or teens?? i’m assuming teens because of the cursing throughout but it discusses issues such as body image, bullying, cyberstalking in a manner that seemed more appropriate for a 10 year old. it wasn’t even a fun read…just oddly out of touch even for a book written 20 years ago.
April 28, 2009
well from reviewing the experts of the book "IS" that the main character Jamie writes. I just have one thing to say. THAT BOOK THAT SHE WROTE WOULD NEVER GET PUBLISHED! It was really well..., there's no other way to say this, stupid.... I mean no respecting teen girl would ever be caught dead reading the book IS. The book itself was ok.
June 3, 2009
This is one of the books that showed me how fun an empowering YA novel could be. Still has a permanent place on my keeper shelf. Rock on, IS!
December 19, 2012
I hated it. `it was just so ugh.
Cliche.
How did her book even become a best seller?
from the expert it sucks
`she's a horrrible writer and I just fucking hate her.
Cliche.
How did her book even become a best seller?
from the expert it sucks
`she's a horrrible writer and I just fucking hate her.
May 1, 2015
Easy read but I loved the story! And it was also made into a Disney Channel movie called Read It And WEEP.
June 5, 2017
This was a fast read.
I wouldn't call it romanc-y.
The ending was a good confidence inspiring one.
I wouldn't call it romanc-y.
The ending was a good confidence inspiring one.
September 21, 2023
I didn't want to talk about this book without mentioning the movie adaptation, so I sat down and suffered through Read It and Weep and actually took notes! The biggest thing that stood out to me is that Disney Channel took this story and somehow made it more predictable and schmaltzy - something I didn't even think was possible. But given how they absolutely butchered Avalon High and made it into something completely different than the source material, I really shouldn't be too surprised.
PLOT
The basic storyline is kept the same: 14-year-old Jamie Bartlett accidentally turns in a journal entry instead of her English essay, and it's somehow so groundbreaking and fantastic, it becomes a book and she's launched into stardom in a matter of days. Even back in 2004, when the book was first published, that's a huge stretch, but it's even more-so given the current publishing climate almost 20 years later. I appreciate that the book at least gave an explanation about the publishing process, even if it was bare-bones at best; the movie just had her fork over all her diaries and then suddenly the book was magically in existence.
JAMIE BARTLETT
Oddly enough, both versions of Jamie didn't have much depth or character outside of being the protagonist. Book!Jamie tends to exaggerate and complain, but it never gets to be too grating and it at least gives her a little bit of personality. Movie!Jamie is a blank slate who never gets developed, making her transformation into a fame-hungry tyrant all the more obnoxious. Book!Jamie does have moments where she's selfish and annoying, but she's called on it immediately or she catches the way she's acting and feels guilty about it. Movie!Jamie is oblivious to the way she treats other people once she becomes famous, which is understandable given how young she is, but there was nothing to her personality to begin with and it's hard to sympathize with her as a result.
HARMONY AND LINDSAY
The downgrades the movie makes to Jamie's best friends were extremely disappointing. While they both get an equal amount of screen time, Harmony is now an abstract artist and Lindsay is a future spokesperson for PETA. That in itself isn't awful, but Harmony especially has been drained of her entire character. Her subplot in the book included feeling unmoored due to the joint custody her parents have of her, and she starts to have a life outside of her involvement with Jamie, which of course makes Jamie a little jealous. Taking all of that away and reducing her to a one-note best friend for the movie did the story a disservice and made it all the more soulless. Lindsay's subplot has gone from dealing with weight insecurities and struggling to feel like she fits in to being aggressive about animal rights and accusing women selling cosmetics of destroying the world with their eyeshadow palettes. Her story in the book was bittersweet and it was satisfying to see her gain confidence to stand up for herself and overcome the harsh things her father was constantly telling her. Part of me is a little relieved that Disney forwent this, mostly because I don't think they would have done justice to such a serious issue back in 2007, but movie!Lindsay is grating and pushy and lacking anything remotely interesting to her personality.
SAWYER SULLIVAN AND MARCO VEGA
Normally I'm not a fan of cartoony villains, but it would have been nice for these two to have a little more oomph. Movie!Sawyer isn't so much an evil popular girl as she is mildly rude from time to time, and she's certainly not as bad as Jamie makes her out to be. Book!Sawyer could be a comic book villain with all of her scheming and nasty insults, and it was weirdly entertaining to see just how far she would go to ruin everything for Jamie, including lying about them being friends and making her boyfriend fake date Jamie to potentially get famous, then dump her and start dating Sawyer again so she could potentially get famous. (I'm not even joking, a 14-year-old came up with that plan. It's so silly and I love it.) Movie!Sawyer honestly doesn't do anything too evil, and she has every right to be angry that Jamie would make her out to be some caricature in a best-selling novel. Movie!Marco is similarly toned down to be a smooth-talking jock who is clearly only interested in Jamie because of her newfound fame, but he decides to date her of his own volition after he and Sawyer actually do break up. Book!Marco is a himbo who is clearly not the sensitive boy Jamie imagines him to be, obsessed with cars and oblivious to almost everything else, and it makes the foreshadowing for Jamie's eventual disappointment a little more realistic (more on that later). And once the truth does come out, he's genuinely apologetic about what he was up to, unlike movie!Marco who never even apologizes for being an obvious pseudo-villain.
MR. AND MRS. BARTLETT (AND THE ADDITION OF A RANDOM PIZZA PLACE)
Fun fact: the actress who plays Jamie's mom was the sister in Troll 2. With actual direction and a script that doesn't completely suck, she's actually not that bad. Also she was like 16 when she did Troll 2, so obviously she had more experience sixteen years on.
Jamie's parents weren't too interesting in the book, so the fact that the movie gave them more to do was kind of refreshing to see. I think a lot of that comes from Tom Virtue (the dad from Even Stevens) and the way he and the mom play off each other, but it was a lot more interesting than them staying stereotypical YA parents like their book counterparts. I'm not sure what made them decide to add in a pizza restaurant or the dad experimenting with new toppings, because there was nothing in the book of that nature, but it was a nice bit of levity from time to time. I'm very disappointed that we didn't get to see the mom dancing on a piano bar with a fictional singer, but I guess you have to make sacrifices when you sanitize a story for Disney.
ALLIE THE COMPUTER GENIUS --> LENNY THE MUSICIAN
I'm not sure what compelled the film writers to give Jamie an older brother instead of an older sister, honestly. Lenny was super cute, but he didn't add much to the overall story. Allie is a huge pain for Jamie in the book, constantly bullying her and belittling her success, and near the end it's revealed she's extremely smart when it comes to computers, which is something that ends up repairing her relationship with Jamie. Maybe Disney thought having another cute guy in the movie would be more marketable or something? He sings a song at the end, so...whatever.
THE PROBLEM WITH JENNIFER2
The two Jennifers made it into the movie, but were barely more than lackeys for Sawyer. Jennifer2 has a subplot in the book that reveals she's not as awful as Jamie perceives her to be; Jennifer's parents are always fighting, she feels left out at school, and she's met an older man online who wants her to come live with him. This serves as the book's climax instead of a homecoming dance (or whatever the movie called it), and it's a little more somber, but it allows Jamie to finally crack and confess how overwhelmed she feels with everything. I understand why Disney would want to leave something like that out, but it was a wasted opportunity to really give the movie more depth than it had. Everyone in the movie is upset with how Jamie's book portrays them, so why not have one of the Jennifers be a secret fan, at the very least? Why not have Jamie realize things aren't as black and white as she thinks in a way that ins't forced?
CONNOR THE INCEL
One thing I was really impressed with in the book was how natural Connor came off. He was a side character who was a casual friend of Jamie's, he was nice and they had good chemistry when they were together, and he was never forceful about his feelings for her - the book ends with him revealing he has a crush on her, but at that point Jamie's figured out she likes him too, without any prodding or dumb nice guy BS. Disney decided that that was way too subtle for them, so they ruined what little character Connor even had to begin with and made him the guy friend with an unrequited crush on Jamie, to the point where all he does is pout about Jamie not noticing him in favor of Marco. He now has an older brother (who suspiciously looks like a father) who encourages him to keep acting creepy and clingy, because Connor definitely needed more reason to be obnoxious and insecure as hell. I conceded that having Connor write the poem Marco turned in for homework worked with the movie's storyline, but I honestly thought it was funnier when he just bought if off the school's underground plagiarist in the book. That also allowed Connor to not be forced down our throats as the OBVIOUS RIGHT CHOICE, which was something that got old almost immediately. Can we go one movie without the guy best friend acting entitled to the protagonist? Be more like book!Connor, friends.
IS AND THE OVERALL THEME
Let's get this out of the way: I'm honestly not a fan of movie!IS (surprising, I know). I would have liked to see more excerpts from Jamie's writing than IS becoming this weird, obsessive alter ego for Jamie, because neither of them were likable and the hallucination jokes weren't funny in the slightest. IS remains a fictional character in the book, with excerpts scattered throughout as supplements to the main story, which allowed the focus to remain on Jamie and how she was making her own choices, not being influenced by a physical manifestation of a character she's created.
The biggest problem the movie has is IS, funny enough. In the book, IS is Jamie's desire to empower herself and feel confident and beautiful, played out in a journal entry she writes for herself; Sawyer is the only other person Jamie draws inspiration from, because the book is about IS taking down insecurities and mean girls to help other girls feel good about themselves. The movie throws most of this out and basically has Jamie writing a fictional version of her life, making everyone she knows into characters and the story following a more traditional YA format. And that seemingly insignificant change actually made a huge difference in how well these two versions work.
The movie does the dreaded Liar Revealed plot, due to Jamie not being open about where her inspiration actually came from. (I guess you could also argue that the people in the movie are honestly dumb as rocks for not picking up on her thinly-veiled proxies, but I digress.) The conflict comes from her letting her success go to her head and treating everyone around her horribly, and at the end learning that she hurt their feelings and somehow coming to the conclusion that people are complex and not two-dimensional without having a revelation of any kind and just magically learning everything off screen.
The book places Jamie in a position where she knows her book has helped a lot of girls her age, but she feels as if she can't be the IS everyone expects her to be. She still struggles with her social life and her self-esteem, and the pressure of being a published author keeps her from sharing any of this due to fear that she'll fail. Her heart is in the right place most of the time, and she never gets an inflated ego as consistently as movie!Jamie does. Jamie actually learns a lot from her experience with IS, striving to be more like her in being positive about her self image and uplifting other girls. The book doesn't need the melodrama the movie added, because the inner conflict Jamie faces is more than enough to make a good story.
Now, is the book perfect? Definitely not, but what book is? It's a quick read, it's fun, and it's got some early-2000s gadgets and references that people my age will recognize and enjoy. I love Disney, but there are times when they take something and make it even weaker than it originally was, and this is unfortunately one of those cases. (And hopefully I'll never make myself watch it again, because wow, it's bad.)
Final thoughts: excuse my language, but fuck that stupid whale.
PLOT
The basic storyline is kept the same: 14-year-old Jamie Bartlett accidentally turns in a journal entry instead of her English essay, and it's somehow so groundbreaking and fantastic, it becomes a book and she's launched into stardom in a matter of days. Even back in 2004, when the book was first published, that's a huge stretch, but it's even more-so given the current publishing climate almost 20 years later. I appreciate that the book at least gave an explanation about the publishing process, even if it was bare-bones at best; the movie just had her fork over all her diaries and then suddenly the book was magically in existence.
JAMIE BARTLETT
Oddly enough, both versions of Jamie didn't have much depth or character outside of being the protagonist. Book!Jamie tends to exaggerate and complain, but it never gets to be too grating and it at least gives her a little bit of personality. Movie!Jamie is a blank slate who never gets developed, making her transformation into a fame-hungry tyrant all the more obnoxious. Book!Jamie does have moments where she's selfish and annoying, but she's called on it immediately or she catches the way she's acting and feels guilty about it. Movie!Jamie is oblivious to the way she treats other people once she becomes famous, which is understandable given how young she is, but there was nothing to her personality to begin with and it's hard to sympathize with her as a result.
HARMONY AND LINDSAY
The downgrades the movie makes to Jamie's best friends were extremely disappointing. While they both get an equal amount of screen time, Harmony is now an abstract artist and Lindsay is a future spokesperson for PETA. That in itself isn't awful, but Harmony especially has been drained of her entire character. Her subplot in the book included feeling unmoored due to the joint custody her parents have of her, and she starts to have a life outside of her involvement with Jamie, which of course makes Jamie a little jealous. Taking all of that away and reducing her to a one-note best friend for the movie did the story a disservice and made it all the more soulless. Lindsay's subplot has gone from dealing with weight insecurities and struggling to feel like she fits in to being aggressive about animal rights and accusing women selling cosmetics of destroying the world with their eyeshadow palettes. Her story in the book was bittersweet and it was satisfying to see her gain confidence to stand up for herself and overcome the harsh things her father was constantly telling her. Part of me is a little relieved that Disney forwent this, mostly because I don't think they would have done justice to such a serious issue back in 2007, but movie!Lindsay is grating and pushy and lacking anything remotely interesting to her personality.
SAWYER SULLIVAN AND MARCO VEGA
Normally I'm not a fan of cartoony villains, but it would have been nice for these two to have a little more oomph. Movie!Sawyer isn't so much an evil popular girl as she is mildly rude from time to time, and she's certainly not as bad as Jamie makes her out to be. Book!Sawyer could be a comic book villain with all of her scheming and nasty insults, and it was weirdly entertaining to see just how far she would go to ruin everything for Jamie, including lying about them being friends and making her boyfriend fake date Jamie to potentially get famous, then dump her and start dating Sawyer again so she could potentially get famous. (I'm not even joking, a 14-year-old came up with that plan. It's so silly and I love it.) Movie!Sawyer honestly doesn't do anything too evil, and she has every right to be angry that Jamie would make her out to be some caricature in a best-selling novel. Movie!Marco is similarly toned down to be a smooth-talking jock who is clearly only interested in Jamie because of her newfound fame, but he decides to date her of his own volition after he and Sawyer actually do break up. Book!Marco is a himbo who is clearly not the sensitive boy Jamie imagines him to be, obsessed with cars and oblivious to almost everything else, and it makes the foreshadowing for Jamie's eventual disappointment a little more realistic (more on that later). And once the truth does come out, he's genuinely apologetic about what he was up to, unlike movie!Marco who never even apologizes for being an obvious pseudo-villain.
MR. AND MRS. BARTLETT (AND THE ADDITION OF A RANDOM PIZZA PLACE)
Fun fact: the actress who plays Jamie's mom was the sister in Troll 2. With actual direction and a script that doesn't completely suck, she's actually not that bad. Also she was like 16 when she did Troll 2, so obviously she had more experience sixteen years on.
Jamie's parents weren't too interesting in the book, so the fact that the movie gave them more to do was kind of refreshing to see. I think a lot of that comes from Tom Virtue (the dad from Even Stevens) and the way he and the mom play off each other, but it was a lot more interesting than them staying stereotypical YA parents like their book counterparts. I'm not sure what made them decide to add in a pizza restaurant or the dad experimenting with new toppings, because there was nothing in the book of that nature, but it was a nice bit of levity from time to time. I'm very disappointed that we didn't get to see the mom dancing on a piano bar with a fictional singer, but I guess you have to make sacrifices when you sanitize a story for Disney.
ALLIE THE COMPUTER GENIUS --> LENNY THE MUSICIAN
I'm not sure what compelled the film writers to give Jamie an older brother instead of an older sister, honestly. Lenny was super cute, but he didn't add much to the overall story. Allie is a huge pain for Jamie in the book, constantly bullying her and belittling her success, and near the end it's revealed she's extremely smart when it comes to computers, which is something that ends up repairing her relationship with Jamie. Maybe Disney thought having another cute guy in the movie would be more marketable or something? He sings a song at the end, so...whatever.
THE PROBLEM WITH JENNIFER2
The two Jennifers made it into the movie, but were barely more than lackeys for Sawyer. Jennifer2 has a subplot in the book that reveals she's not as awful as Jamie perceives her to be; Jennifer's parents are always fighting, she feels left out at school, and she's met an older man online who wants her to come live with him. This serves as the book's climax instead of a homecoming dance (or whatever the movie called it), and it's a little more somber, but it allows Jamie to finally crack and confess how overwhelmed she feels with everything. I understand why Disney would want to leave something like that out, but it was a wasted opportunity to really give the movie more depth than it had. Everyone in the movie is upset with how Jamie's book portrays them, so why not have one of the Jennifers be a secret fan, at the very least? Why not have Jamie realize things aren't as black and white as she thinks in a way that ins't forced?
CONNOR THE INCEL
One thing I was really impressed with in the book was how natural Connor came off. He was a side character who was a casual friend of Jamie's, he was nice and they had good chemistry when they were together, and he was never forceful about his feelings for her - the book ends with him revealing he has a crush on her, but at that point Jamie's figured out she likes him too, without any prodding or dumb nice guy BS. Disney decided that that was way too subtle for them, so they ruined what little character Connor even had to begin with and made him the guy friend with an unrequited crush on Jamie, to the point where all he does is pout about Jamie not noticing him in favor of Marco. He now has an older brother (who suspiciously looks like a father) who encourages him to keep acting creepy and clingy, because Connor definitely needed more reason to be obnoxious and insecure as hell. I conceded that having Connor write the poem Marco turned in for homework worked with the movie's storyline, but I honestly thought it was funnier when he just bought if off the school's underground plagiarist in the book. That also allowed Connor to not be forced down our throats as the OBVIOUS RIGHT CHOICE, which was something that got old almost immediately. Can we go one movie without the guy best friend acting entitled to the protagonist? Be more like book!Connor, friends.
IS AND THE OVERALL THEME
Let's get this out of the way: I'm honestly not a fan of movie!IS (surprising, I know). I would have liked to see more excerpts from Jamie's writing than IS becoming this weird, obsessive alter ego for Jamie, because neither of them were likable and the hallucination jokes weren't funny in the slightest. IS remains a fictional character in the book, with excerpts scattered throughout as supplements to the main story, which allowed the focus to remain on Jamie and how she was making her own choices, not being influenced by a physical manifestation of a character she's created.
The biggest problem the movie has is IS, funny enough. In the book, IS is Jamie's desire to empower herself and feel confident and beautiful, played out in a journal entry she writes for herself; Sawyer is the only other person Jamie draws inspiration from, because the book is about IS taking down insecurities and mean girls to help other girls feel good about themselves. The movie throws most of this out and basically has Jamie writing a fictional version of her life, making everyone she knows into characters and the story following a more traditional YA format. And that seemingly insignificant change actually made a huge difference in how well these two versions work.
The movie does the dreaded Liar Revealed plot, due to Jamie not being open about where her inspiration actually came from. (I guess you could also argue that the people in the movie are honestly dumb as rocks for not picking up on her thinly-veiled proxies, but I digress.) The conflict comes from her letting her success go to her head and treating everyone around her horribly, and at the end learning that she hurt their feelings and somehow coming to the conclusion that people are complex and not two-dimensional without having a revelation of any kind and just magically learning everything off screen.
The book places Jamie in a position where she knows her book has helped a lot of girls her age, but she feels as if she can't be the IS everyone expects her to be. She still struggles with her social life and her self-esteem, and the pressure of being a published author keeps her from sharing any of this due to fear that she'll fail. Her heart is in the right place most of the time, and she never gets an inflated ego as consistently as movie!Jamie does. Jamie actually learns a lot from her experience with IS, striving to be more like her in being positive about her self image and uplifting other girls. The book doesn't need the melodrama the movie added, because the inner conflict Jamie faces is more than enough to make a good story.
Now, is the book perfect? Definitely not, but what book is? It's a quick read, it's fun, and it's got some early-2000s gadgets and references that people my age will recognize and enjoy. I love Disney, but there are times when they take something and make it even weaker than it originally was, and this is unfortunately one of those cases. (And hopefully I'll never make myself watch it again, because wow, it's bad.)
Final thoughts: excuse my language, but fuck that stupid whale.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2017
The first thing you need to keep in mind is this is for Young Adults, it’s written in a 14-year-old girls perspective and they have a different language and thought process then adults do. Jamie reminded me of myself and my friends when I was younger…when your life revolved around the little world that is high school. There are pressures everywhere to be someone that you aren’t, to make you feel bad about yourself and the way you look…pressures from the popular kids to the magazines that you read. When all of the pressures of life were compressing Jamie, she decided to write a journal entry about a girl who would rise above all the materialistic things and above the popular girls who treated everyone as less then they were. The girl she created was Isabella, a.k.a. IS, the superhero girl who would “flick” all of the snooty girls away, the girl who accepted everyone no matter what they wore or what size their waist was. IS ended up having a huge impact on girls around the world and really inspired them to truly love themselves and ignore the people who thrived off of making other peoples lives miserable. (The fact that her superpower was a “flick” that shot rays of positivity out to destroy evil gave me a really nice giggle…the flick is mentioned a lot in the book which brought on several more giggles.)
I think Jamie was a very likeable character, she’s your average girl. She has friends, parents, homework assignments, and a crush on the most popular boy in school. She had a fun personality and it was nice that even when she shot into stardom, she really stuck to her values…for the most part. I mean, any person who is thrown into the world that is famous celebrities might have a bit of a hard time keeping a level head. I feel that even when Jamie started acting like she was owed something, she either brought herself back down to earth or one of her friends did. It was refreshing to see that she didn’t do a complete 180 when she became famous…I feel like those stories are over done.
Every book has to have conflict and this book had some conflict…it just wasn’t as dramatic as I was expecting, especially where Sawyer was concerned. You see Sawyer is the leader of the popular girls. She’s the girl who will make others feel horrible about themselves and this includes Jamie and her friends. I really thought that Sawyer was going to be our main dramatic event in this book, but she really wasn’t. I was really thrown off by that at first, but the more I thought about it the happier I was. It was refreshing that Ms. DeVillers had Jamie handle the Sawyer conflict in a very undramatic way. I mean, our teens are subject to ridiculous dramas with all the shows that are out there…everything from Pretty Little Liars to Gossip Girl…it was actually a good lesson that you can stand up to people you have conflict with without making it a huge scene.
I enjoyed the side characters of Harmony (Jamie’s BFF), Connor and Lindsay. Harmony was very down-to-earth and unique, she had a good head on her shoulders and was some of the inspiration that Jamie drew on to create IS. Connor is the normal boy who appears in a book…the one that you know is a really nice guy, he’s genuine, and he would be a perfect person to date. However, he’s the guy that is normally overlooked. I wish Ms. DeVillers would have brought the love interest out a little sooner in the book, but I was happy with where it left off. Then there was Lindsay, poor Lindsay. This girl isn’t the skinniest girl alive, and her father has NO PROBLEM reminding her off that. She is constantly struggling with her weight and image and I loved how she grew throughout the book to really take IS’ advice on enjoying yourself for who you are.
The only thing that held me back from liking this book more was probably the fact that the one REALLY climactic part was a little rushed. Like I said, there was some conflict in the book, but you are always waiting for that one HUGE climax that is going to come in the story. We’ll, I’m pretty sure I know which one that was…but it still only lasted a few pages. It was thrown together so fast and resolved so quickly that I felt a bit let down.
Other then that, I really enjoyed the story overall. I liked how the majority of Ms. DeVillers chapters started off with an “excerpt” from IS written by Jamie or a Newspaper Headline or Advertisement of Jamie’s books and interviews.
Overall:
I really enjoyed this read. I think that it was well written and really got you into the mind of a 14-year-old who is thrown into the lime light. It made me laugh a few times and had me shaking my head at others…but a shaking of the head because I remembered what it was like to be Jamie back in high school. I think it’s a wonderful read for teenage girls since it really emphasizes just being yourself and that you aren’t alone in some of the feelings you might feel. I liked the less dramatic resolutions to some of the issues that Jamie was faced with as well. Sometimes the shows that teenagers watch make them think they need to act a certain way and really blow things out of proportion…however you don’t need to do that! It’s actually better not going the dramatic route. Now, I just wish the story of IS was also a real novel so I could take a look at this literary genius that Jamie created.
I think Jamie was a very likeable character, she’s your average girl. She has friends, parents, homework assignments, and a crush on the most popular boy in school. She had a fun personality and it was nice that even when she shot into stardom, she really stuck to her values…for the most part. I mean, any person who is thrown into the world that is famous celebrities might have a bit of a hard time keeping a level head. I feel that even when Jamie started acting like she was owed something, she either brought herself back down to earth or one of her friends did. It was refreshing to see that she didn’t do a complete 180 when she became famous…I feel like those stories are over done.
Every book has to have conflict and this book had some conflict…it just wasn’t as dramatic as I was expecting, especially where Sawyer was concerned. You see Sawyer is the leader of the popular girls. She’s the girl who will make others feel horrible about themselves and this includes Jamie and her friends. I really thought that Sawyer was going to be our main dramatic event in this book, but she really wasn’t. I was really thrown off by that at first, but the more I thought about it the happier I was. It was refreshing that Ms. DeVillers had Jamie handle the Sawyer conflict in a very undramatic way. I mean, our teens are subject to ridiculous dramas with all the shows that are out there…everything from Pretty Little Liars to Gossip Girl…it was actually a good lesson that you can stand up to people you have conflict with without making it a huge scene.
I enjoyed the side characters of Harmony (Jamie’s BFF), Connor and Lindsay. Harmony was very down-to-earth and unique, she had a good head on her shoulders and was some of the inspiration that Jamie drew on to create IS. Connor is the normal boy who appears in a book…the one that you know is a really nice guy, he’s genuine, and he would be a perfect person to date. However, he’s the guy that is normally overlooked. I wish Ms. DeVillers would have brought the love interest out a little sooner in the book, but I was happy with where it left off. Then there was Lindsay, poor Lindsay. This girl isn’t the skinniest girl alive, and her father has NO PROBLEM reminding her off that. She is constantly struggling with her weight and image and I loved how she grew throughout the book to really take IS’ advice on enjoying yourself for who you are.
The only thing that held me back from liking this book more was probably the fact that the one REALLY climactic part was a little rushed. Like I said, there was some conflict in the book, but you are always waiting for that one HUGE climax that is going to come in the story. We’ll, I’m pretty sure I know which one that was…but it still only lasted a few pages. It was thrown together so fast and resolved so quickly that I felt a bit let down.
Other then that, I really enjoyed the story overall. I liked how the majority of Ms. DeVillers chapters started off with an “excerpt” from IS written by Jamie or a Newspaper Headline or Advertisement of Jamie’s books and interviews.
Overall:
I really enjoyed this read. I think that it was well written and really got you into the mind of a 14-year-old who is thrown into the lime light. It made me laugh a few times and had me shaking my head at others…but a shaking of the head because I remembered what it was like to be Jamie back in high school. I think it’s a wonderful read for teenage girls since it really emphasizes just being yourself and that you aren’t alone in some of the feelings you might feel. I liked the less dramatic resolutions to some of the issues that Jamie was faced with as well. Sometimes the shows that teenagers watch make them think they need to act a certain way and really blow things out of proportion…however you don’t need to do that! It’s actually better not going the dramatic route. Now, I just wish the story of IS was also a real novel so I could take a look at this literary genius that Jamie created.
May 27, 2012
How My Private, Personal Journal Became a Bestseller by Julia DeVillers starts out as a typical teenage story about school and terrible teachers. This story revolves around Jamie Bartlett an ordinary girl in High School,having trouble with boys, friends, and the mean popular girls in her school. Just when she thinks her life couldn’t change, it changed. After being assigned to write an essay in her english class she finishes it and decides to write in her journal. Isabella (IS), the main character in her journal, also the fictional character of herself tells the stereotype of a teenager life. By accident, Jamie sends her journal entry to her english teacher. Her teacher sends it to agents and suddenly Jamie is a famous author, flying to L.A, hanging out with celebrities, doing book signings and interviews getting all the attention she has ever wanted. But then she forgets her values, friends and becomes stuck up and self centered just like any celebrity. Can she learn a lesson before it’s too late or become wasted by fame?
One of my favorite scene was when her english teacher starts reading her journal entry out to the class, and when Jamie realized she sent the wrong attachment. I found that scene quite funny as Jamie’s response was very expected but also very exaggerated.
My second favorite scene was at the beginning of the book when Jamie is just 10 seconds away from an interview and everyone is in a mad rush. I liked it because it felt realistic for me to read and everything just seemed so new and weird to her. She didn’t believe, this was real and it wasn’t some kind of day dream either.
Overall the book was very interesting, but the plot wasn’t really that realistic. I would recommend this book to girls about the age of 11-12, because the language Julia uses really sounds like a 12 year old talking which I think young girls would understand. However this book does have a great theme, work hard for your dreams, but at the same time remember the people around you.
One of my favorite scene was when her english teacher starts reading her journal entry out to the class, and when Jamie realized she sent the wrong attachment. I found that scene quite funny as Jamie’s response was very expected but also very exaggerated.
My second favorite scene was at the beginning of the book when Jamie is just 10 seconds away from an interview and everyone is in a mad rush. I liked it because it felt realistic for me to read and everything just seemed so new and weird to her. She didn’t believe, this was real and it wasn’t some kind of day dream either.
Overall the book was very interesting, but the plot wasn’t really that realistic. I would recommend this book to girls about the age of 11-12, because the language Julia uses really sounds like a 12 year old talking which I think young girls would understand. However this book does have a great theme, work hard for your dreams, but at the same time remember the people around you.
June 21, 2014
since i was 12 i have been Wanting to read this!!! All because of the DCOM read it and weep which was one of my fav movies back then
8 years later i finally have the book and let me just say this is a perfect example where the book is a heck lot more better than the movie!!
Jamie writes about IS who is someone she fantasise to be in a journal entry as a way of coping with bullies and peer pressure and typical teenage problems.
Although her writing process was actually considered a struck on luck situation (um write the draft and a whole book in a week?? Instant best seller?? Etc) as a book writing process is a lot longer and harder than shown. That's the only problem i had with the book and only not so realistic element of the book.
Also there were alot of talk about stereotype which yes and no its part of a typical teenage life.
Other than that this book is perfect for teens especially those who deal with issues of bulling, insecurity, peer pressure and finding themselves. Its alot about self empowerment which is what IS represent.
The writing... To be honest i thought it will be alot younger like middle grade but its definitely along the lines of a typical Ya. Its freaking witty and sarcastic and really cute! There were some times where i was smiling like an idiot and laughing out loud!
Jamie was a very interesting character to read about. In fact her and her friends have some aspect that i could relate to especially in my teen years.
I find how interesting and creative she wrote her journal and her expression when her teacher read out her journal and she realise her mistake??? Priceless xD
So yah check this out of you want a quick light hearted read that is cute and really funny. Definitely inspiring for those who want to be an author and for those who want a boost of self confident/esteem
Very different from the movie but reading this... The movie looked like a stereotypical dcom movie. The book is way better and more unique and creative.
Also flick :P
8 years later i finally have the book and let me just say this is a perfect example where the book is a heck lot more better than the movie!!
Jamie writes about IS who is someone she fantasise to be in a journal entry as a way of coping with bullies and peer pressure and typical teenage problems.
Although her writing process was actually considered a struck on luck situation (um write the draft and a whole book in a week?? Instant best seller?? Etc) as a book writing process is a lot longer and harder than shown. That's the only problem i had with the book and only not so realistic element of the book.
Also there were alot of talk about stereotype which yes and no its part of a typical teenage life.
Other than that this book is perfect for teens especially those who deal with issues of bulling, insecurity, peer pressure and finding themselves. Its alot about self empowerment which is what IS represent.
The writing... To be honest i thought it will be alot younger like middle grade but its definitely along the lines of a typical Ya. Its freaking witty and sarcastic and really cute! There were some times where i was smiling like an idiot and laughing out loud!
Jamie was a very interesting character to read about. In fact her and her friends have some aspect that i could relate to especially in my teen years.
I find how interesting and creative she wrote her journal and her expression when her teacher read out her journal and she realise her mistake??? Priceless xD
So yah check this out of you want a quick light hearted read that is cute and really funny. Definitely inspiring for those who want to be an author and for those who want a boost of self confident/esteem
Very different from the movie but reading this... The movie looked like a stereotypical dcom movie. The book is way better and more unique and creative.
Also flick :P
June 20, 2018
Good books will not only give you an enjoyable, but good books will give you an opportunity to think and it will open your eyes to something important that you never realise before.
Wow, I finished this book in 2 days! And it was amazing!
People are good and giving advice, but when it's their turn, they often can't deal with their own problems. This book is about a freshman girl Jamie that is suddenly became famous because the story that she journaled got published and became a bestseller. This book is easy to read,so relatable and I also love the writing style too! Also, this book taught me some really important things; fame and popularity aren't everything. And if you let them blind you, you might lose something more important and might never gain them back. Humans want to be loved by others, but what's the point wasting your time trying to please somebody that don't even care you just to look good or be popular?
I recommend everyone to read this book because it is not just only fun books for teens like what it might seem like when you see a cover, but it really reflects the teenage life and the desire to be the best among all. We all want to be the best, admit it. But for teenagers, if you read this book, you will know that there are more important things than just popularity, cheerleaders and some stupid stuffs and it will make you realise that while you are wasting your time to look the best for your crush or getting the best outfit for school to be a class star or something like that, you might ignoring something or someone that you might later regret. True friends are hard to find, but is harder to gain their trust.
Wow, I finished this book in 2 days! And it was amazing!
People are good and giving advice, but when it's their turn, they often can't deal with their own problems. This book is about a freshman girl Jamie that is suddenly became famous because the story that she journaled got published and became a bestseller. This book is easy to read,so relatable and I also love the writing style too! Also, this book taught me some really important things; fame and popularity aren't everything. And if you let them blind you, you might lose something more important and might never gain them back. Humans want to be loved by others, but what's the point wasting your time trying to please somebody that don't even care you just to look good or be popular?
I recommend everyone to read this book because it is not just only fun books for teens like what it might seem like when you see a cover, but it really reflects the teenage life and the desire to be the best among all. We all want to be the best, admit it. But for teenagers, if you read this book, you will know that there are more important things than just popularity, cheerleaders and some stupid stuffs and it will make you realise that while you are wasting your time to look the best for your crush or getting the best outfit for school to be a class star or something like that, you might ignoring something or someone that you might later regret. True friends are hard to find, but is harder to gain their trust.
January 17, 2011
This is one of those books I just randomly picked up at the library, not expecting it to be very good. Which unfortunatley it wasn't. First of all the plot was very unbeilevable. There is NNOO way that a fourteen-year old girl would accidentally turn in her joutnal entry instead of her english report and then have her journal be the number one newyork times bestseller just a few short weeks later!! And the few short sections of IS (jamie's journal/book) that start and end some of the chapters make it sound pretty stupid. I kept think NO WAY would this book become so popular in real life. On top of all that the author seemed to think that, since she was writing a book about teenagers, she had to put the word like in every other sentance. Which like got like pretty like annoying after like awhile!!! Also in all the e-mails exchanged between characters the author made it her personal duty to make sure that all the words were spelled incorectly or abreviated. I mean who acctually writes like this: Do u wnt 2 go 2 the mall b4 br8k? Can you see how that would be annoying? Thirdly, I found Jamie to be such a self absorbed hypocrite. In her book she was saying who cares about popularity but then dying to do anything to be popular herself. Finally having said all this I have to say it was acctually a pretty cute, easy read. Once i got past all these anoyances I just listed it was accually enjoyable. Sorry for the sycotic rant!
June 13, 2010
We like books for a lot of different reasons - sometimes the story is very exciting, maybe the characters were very realistic, maybe the setting was beautifully described.It all depends on the author's specific skills. I started this book.... and knew right away that I would give this book a one-star rating. It all seemed too unrealistic; too good to be possible. Many books are a little unrealistic,maybe to make them seem more amazing, but this book..... was just too dumb. It's not very likely that a publisher would pick up her book, and it would get published and sold in stores like 3 weeks later. And then 2 days after, it hits number one on the bestseller list [are you getting my point here??:]. And THEN, she goes to some teen magazine awards in Hollywood, and meets famous celebrities. Happens too fast..... and what are the chances of her JOURNAL selling that fast? I really didn't like that aspect of the book!!
However, some things were very good. The author writes about the characters' emotions very well, and the ending was satisfying. THAT'S why it actually didn't get a one-star rating.
However, some things were very good. The author writes about the characters' emotions very well, and the ending was satisfying. THAT'S why it actually didn't get a one-star rating.
March 26, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. I had been looking for a book for a while that I would love so much, I couldn't put it down; this was that book. I always wanted to know what was going to happen to Jamie next. I think Julia DeVillers did an amazing job of capturing the image of the life of a teenager, and all the problems they face in school, including bullying and the constant feeling that they need to be popular. One thing, the only thing, that I disliked, however, were the many stereotypes in the story, including popularity. They were, of course, needed in the book for it to be the story that it was, I just find that having to read through all the stereotypes, and just having them be a normal part of everyday life, in a book annoys me. Despite this, the book How My Private, Personal Journal Became a Bestseller was an amazing story. I would've read it all in one sitting if I didn't have other things that I had to do every day.
December 26, 2012
This book was very inspiring but a little on the "eh" side. It was inspiring because I'm going to become a writer when I grow up. I want my book to get published in the next month like Jamie, I want it to become the #1 bestseller, and I want a movie to be made out of it just like Jamie's. I want my career 2 be like that. Though, I won't turn it in on accident. The book was a little on the "eh" side because she kind of made the book boring when the popularity got to her. I won't say anymore so I don't spoil the book EVEN MORE...!!! But. I think you should read this. Especially if you want to become a writer when you grow up or even if you are a writer ( a teenage writer would be the best to read this ). (P.S) I love how the writer wrote a bestselling book ABOUT a girl writing a best selling book!!! Har de har de har...!!!
May 10, 2018
The main concept of this book is cute, about a fourteen year old girl accidentally becoming a teenage author. That is, it's cute when you're fifteen and starry eyed with dreams of being the next William Shakespeare or Emily Bronte (minus the whole dying at 30 thing...). When you're in your late twenties, have slaved over two YA novels of your very own, and have been struggling towards publication for several years (no luck so far, but fingers crossed), this book's concept is about as much "fun" as sand in the butt of your swimsuit, and you may well develop an eye twitch reading it.
A fourteen year old girl is so busy being in love with the wrong guy she just doesn't have time to deal with the "major inconvenience" of accidentally selling more books than J.K. Rowling.
It gets old fast.
A fourteen year old girl is so busy being in love with the wrong guy she just doesn't have time to deal with the "major inconvenience" of accidentally selling more books than J.K. Rowling.
It gets old fast.
March 22, 2016
This book came in a book box of random stuff and looked interesting enough to make the first cut. Expectations were that this would be senseless teenage drivel, and in some senses it is. But specifically it seems to poke holes at the senseless teenage drivel genre. There are some heady topics discussed within these pages not the least of which is teenagers meeting a somebody online and traveling cross country. This always seems far fetched and yet it happens with some frequency. Julia DeVillers kept a fine balance between humor and uplifting characters contrasted the false front we use to get through the day that hides are faults and failures.
May 27, 2014
I have to say this book was a roller coaster for me. Some parts and characters were A+, two thumbs up and other characters not so much. I wouldn't have put this book in the YA section, because frankly except for the age of the characters, who didn't act their age, and the small references to 'making out' nothing really made that link to me.
Overall, the teen turmoil, mean girl picks on everyone in school, my world is centered around a boy that will suck, I found to be pretty typical tween or teen issues. It was a quick read and the main character had a few bumps but ultimately stayed true to herself.
Overall, the teen turmoil, mean girl picks on everyone in school, my world is centered around a boy that will suck, I found to be pretty typical tween or teen issues. It was a quick read and the main character had a few bumps but ultimately stayed true to herself.
September 24, 2008
This was a really fun read, although the main character seems younger than high school. Jamie writes a journal entry that accidentally gets handed into her English teacher, who in turn gives it to a literary agent. Practically overnight, she becomes the next new sensation. If the reader is willing to overlook some impracticalities it will be a fun fantasy for them. With parents who are determined to keep her grounded, Jamie might be able to survive her new fame with not only her self-esteem intact, but better for it and with a cute, sweet new boyfriend, too!
September 3, 2009
This is a really grat book because Jamie, the main character, learns a very important lesson. She starts out as a regular insecure girl. She is wishing she was popular. And when she writes in her journal, she invents an alter ego, called IS. One night, she accidentaly sends a journal entry as a class assingment. She gets published. She instantly becomes popular, famous and whatnot. She realizes that she had it in her all along. She didn't need looks or popularity to get to where she got. You realize that you can achieve anything.
August 21, 2012
I thought this book was excelent. one of the comments on the back of the book says "Aspiring novelist will love it." Meg Cabot, and i totally agree. i want to be a writer so it deffidently taught nme that, especially in high school, if you publish a book, you really have to keep a cool head and not get too overwhelmed by all of the pressure as i'm sure a lot of first time writers do. this book is great for teens. it shows us that no matter how young you are, if your doing something you love, it can turn into something great. even if it was by accident. FLICK!!!!
October 12, 2007
A young woman accidentally turns in a private story from her journal instead of an English assignment and becomes a best-selling author almost overnight. DeVillers’ frothy, humorous first novel is a giddy fairy tale, written in a combination of diary excerpts, instant messages, and Jamie’s spot-on narration. Recommend this to Meg Cabot fans, as well as aspiring authors, who might also enjoy Andrew Clements’ The School Story (2001). Grades 5-9.
Read
June 18, 2019This book is cute. What else can I say? I loved the movie when I was in elementary school so when someone offered to let me borrow their copy I thought- sure why not? I am glad I read it! Sure the book didn't change my life or move me to tears, but it was good. The book kept my attention! I wish I had read it over the summer, because that is the kind of book I see it as really. A good book to read in the sunshine and the beach. It isn't too deep but it isn't too shallow either.
July 4, 2014
I had to write something for this book because it was FANTASTIC! I remember reading this when I was a kid and not feeling attached to the characters but now that I am 18 and have been through high school and all, I can totally feel just like Jamie. This book was such an inspiration and the Disney movie does not capture that at all! I would recomend this to every girl that has been struggling with high school problems because this is what we go through. 5 deserved stars.
Read
August 13, 2008 Fourteen year old Jamie Barlette or somethiong accidently hands in her journal instead of her report by accident, about IS, superhero fighting against populars. But when it becomes a bestseller, guys notice her, she meets celebrities, and gets a big head.
Gabriella and Harmony were really mean to Jamie, and Im glad Lindsay is fat, instead of perfecct like Harmony.
Gabriella and Harmony were really mean to Jamie, and Im glad Lindsay is fat, instead of perfecct like Harmony.
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