Exams are over, love is in the air, and Janet's summer is already down the pan. Not only has her mother (The Mad Cow) got a new, right-on boyfriend with two daughters from hell, but she is expecting Janet to get a summer job! Add to that a lovesick dad, a best friend going gooey over a gorgeous Australian and a suffering, pregnant, lesbian aunt - and you have enough to send anyone into orbit. Welcome to Janet's Planet...
Dyan Sheldon is the author of many novels for young adult readers, including the #1 New York Times bestseller CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN, which was made into a major motion picture. American by birth, she lives in North London.
Maybe it's just my age, but I found this book a bit difficult to handle. Janet seems to have written over 200 pages of pure groaning agony. I get that the book is supposed to be a diary, and therefore requires that the writing be sympathetic to the narrator and not require a sense of self-awareness from this narrator, BUT there were several instances in the story where I found myself wholeheartedly disagreeing with Janet's choices and commentary. When I read a book, I expect to become sympathetic to the main character, therefore latching me onto the story. However, I found Janet difficult to like. I read the predecessor to this novel when I was about 12 or 14, therefore making the characters far more appropriate for my age. I stumbled across this sequel at age 24, giving me a very different perspective on the woes of a 17 year old girl. I don't necessarily think that the writing is bad... I happen to think Janet has a very strong, well-defined personality (trés true) and the others characters in the story are "v" interesting. I just didn't like the 200 pages of "woe is me" when I didn't really think there was so much woe. I guess everyone is a little blind to their own problems being quite small, sometimes even blessings. Janet seemed incredibly self-absorbed, yet the lack of attention and understanding she gets from her friends and family is somehow all based on what their issue is, not what hers are. Truly, this novel sounds like something a 10-15 year old could read and get something great out of. At my age though, I think this was a difficult book for me to rate fairly. It was still a very fun and quick, and I do recommend reading it, but maybe before you graduate high school. Fun note: If you love novels with tons of British lingo you will probably love Janet's writing. I always get excited when I read words like chuffed, blokes, crisps, dosh, and loo, etc.... so entirely un-American.
A funny look into a teenage girls mind. As the book goes on, you realize that Janet only thinks of herself and you end up disliking the her character. It's a read once book, and not compelling enough to read the other Planet Janet book.
Janet is still self absorbed and it's still a funny look into a teenage girls mind. The ending was really nice and it was even more engaging than the first book.
This book has a good, sassy sense of humor and a really good narration tone. However, I want to complain that it is practically the same thing being said so many times for half the book (Marcella, Lucrezia, and Buskin’ Bob going crazy and Disha and Janet facing conflict because of Disha’s boyfriend). Overall, I found the plot entertaining and didn’t get bored from reading it (like I do with most teen’s books), so this book is overall better than average.