serafina67 *urgently requires life*

by Susie Day

The hilarious online misadventuring of a teenage girl, as told through her blog.

Serafina doesn't have a boyfriend, doesn't have a best friend, and her parents fight all the time. But she does have a shiny new laptop (a present from her guilt-ridden and therefore overly-generous dad). And with the shiny new laptop, comes a shiny new serafina67, blogging (and kissing) addict.

But in a year when the secrets turn serious, and friends and parents might not be what they seem, is spilling your whole life on the Internet such a bright idea? It might just lead to tears, trouble, hilarious online adventures and a fresh new take on writing - a novel told as a blog.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Childrens, Chick Lit

240 pages, Hardcover

First published April 7, 2008

Reviews

[Runa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was...well, disappointed may put it mildly, by this book. I figured, hey, a book about blogging, how perfect for me! How wrong I was. This girl, taking on the identity of serafina67, blogs about her life. Her blog entries are filled with nothing but vain remarks, rudeness, and really bad spelling. She is a horrendous gossiper, and is mean to pretty much anyone she encounters. I guess it's true what they say--don't judge a book by its cover. It's true. I chose this book because it had a pretty eyecatching cover. Big mistake. I feel like a lot of potential was wasted. This could have been a pretty interesting book and an interesting blog, if the blog writer hadn't been an absolute spazz (of the bad kind). Upon finishing the book, I honestly felt as if I had just read a book entitled "Why You Should Not Give Your Personal Information Out Online" by Susie Day. The only thing that kept me reading the book was daisy13. The reveal at the end was pretty epic, and I guess I'd thought of every possibility (ranging from psychostalker to Crazy Pete) for "her" true identity.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is one of the BEST books i have EVER read. i usually just read internet based books to relax, but this one really drew me in. it was so funny, so sad, so happy...everything a good book ought to be. i recommend it to everyone!

[Loveliest Evaris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh my God shut this brat up. There is something about 12 year olds that irks me. Well, even if this kid ISNT 12 years old, she sure acts like it. All hyper and whiny over the internet. And to top it all off she's a BRITISH brat. I can barely handle American brats here at home, no way am I gonna read about some snot nosed pigtailed pile of slag and her "Mummy" issues.. Barf.

And I created THREE -- count em -- THREE new shelves JUST for this book! Hurray?

[Jada · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found it quite boring and the language was so childish you would think the narrator is 10 and not 16. Also some of the abbreviations were so weird, what does 'zomg' even mean? But there were quite a few bits I found funny and I liked the usernames some of the characters had

[Tiani · Rating 5 out of 5]

IT WAS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO AWESOME!

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Natalie Tsang for TeensReadToo.com

Susie Day's SERAFINA67 *URGENTLY REQUIRES LIFE* is a hilarious and intimate peek about being a British teenage girl, which besides the weird slang is strikingly familiar to being an American teen. It takes place over approximately four months and is entirely composed of Serafina67's blog and accompanying comments. (Note: There is a glossary in the back with definitions to weird English slang. Don't be like me and discover it after you've finished reading.)

Serafina67 is a fifteen-year-old girl who lives with her mum and visits her dad on weekends. She has a witch under her skin that makes her act terribly sometimes and has made a resolution to be accomplished on April 22nd (blog starts on Christmas) to be happy. On the way, she is helped and hindered by her real and blog friends, Crazy Pete the therapist, her parents (and their significant others), and, of course, her blog.

It's hard to describe Serafina, because she's very full-fleshed and complicated. She can be bouncing off the walls and wonderfully excited about her VTN (Very Thrilling Novel) at the beginning of one day and feel fat, miserable, and prone to chocolate by mid-afternoon. And even when she's at her lowest, she finds humorous ways to unload it onto her readers. She often summarizes horrible events with hilarious but appropriate imaginary dialogue, but one of my favorite moments is when she doesn't feel up to posting and hence composes a blog post entirely in haiku and her friends comment accordingly.

This book reminded me a lot of Stephen Chbosky's epistolary novel THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER, not only because of its content, but also because it feels almost interactive. As I read the posts and the character's reactions, I realized that the format was really cool because it's a mixture between first person (Serafina) and third person (various comments). It was also a neat blur between the privacy of a journal and the public-ness of the Internet. One of Serafina's friends, Georgia Darkly, finds her by Googling "mermaid" and "anorexia."

This is a really fun read and the author, Susie Day, touches on a lot of issues -- I won't call them teen issues, because teens don't have a monopoly on being unhappy even though it sometimes feels like it -- without getting motherly, moral, or "I've-been-there" about it. And I swear that you don't even have to be(en) a teen girl to enjoy it. This book applies to anyone who has ever thought the Parents are crazy, said something they shouldn't have, or just hates their life.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a comical way author Susie Day tells the amusing story serafina67*urgently requires life* in a bright pink 235 page novel. This realistic fiction novel is told in an interesting text/blog form.

Serafina is a teen who's parents divorce has newly impacted her life in the U.K. She writes frequently and goes through friend, boyfriend, and family troubles with her blog.When her father's affair turns into an engagement it adds one more trouble to her list. Read to find out the unexpected turn of events that come when Serafina reaches the breaking point.

In my opinion this book was very exciting and lively to read! However, the middle of the book was a little dull to read after so much happening in the beginning. The resolution was very exciting and definitely not what I was expecting. This book is a must for all the Facebook or text crazed people!

[Sydney S · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this book was sooooo good after reading the back. I thought if this is a blog book I would love it. WRONG. Personally I hated this book worst book I ever read.

[Caitlin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very boring book, didn't enjoy it at all

[moonsunandstars · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think when reading this book you have to consider the time it was written. the eating disorder stuff and the words they used were outdated.

the book was not good at what it was supposed to be doing. but the insight into the lives of people who seemed real was interesting to read. her mom was toxic and she was also semi toxic but she was also struggling. her boyfriend cheated but she forgave him. her dad was trying his best. the characters weren’t likable like they were supposed to be but it offered an unexpected poetic meaning. but also it kinda did suck a little. it took me two years to finish it and i’m the type to finish a book in two days or less.

[Ethereal · Rating 1 out of 5]

The R-slur is used literally on the fourth page. And either this author doesn't remember being a teen enough to write about it, or this book is what happens when you try to keep up with all the kids speak......IT'S DATED. God this book is so stuck in its time, but not in a fun way. How can Susie day seriously not wait until at least page twenty in a 235 page book to start dropping slurs is beyond me. And I do mean casual slurs, people. Not "Oh my god I can't believe this character said that she needs serious education" slurs.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zomg this was fantastically nostalgic! Loved all the slang and internet silliness. Was very creeped out by daisy until I peeked and found out who they were. This could’ve gone some interesting places but the author kept it really chill so it was just a fun little read.

[Athenaareads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cool and amazing booookkkk♥♥♥

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like books that are written in unique ways but found myself liking the comments more than the blogging. Probably would have liked it better if I was younger.

[Stefanie Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

""

[Michelle (Fluttering Butterflies) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally posted at Fluttering Butterflies

Big Woo by Susie Day is such a wonderful little book! The first half made me grin like crazy and laugh out loud and I had the general feeling of giddy happiness reading it. And then in the second half of the book as the story touches on some more serious things, I felt my heart absolutely ache. I think it's wonderful how connected to the characters I felt, despite the structure of the novel.

The subtitle for the book is 'My not-so-secret teenage blog' and it is exactly that! Serafina67 has set up her own blog on this social networking site and uses it in order to vent about all aspects of her life. Can I stop right now and say how much I love books involving blogging? I think blogging is fantastic and has positively changed my life and I recommend that absolutely everyone should get involved.

But of course as some bloggers do (I know I certainly have!), Sera goes slightly overboard in the things that she reveals on her blog. At times, I felt like I was reading a personal diary as opposed to a blog written in a very public space, and it then came as a surprise reading comments to these very personal outpourings. Nothing seems to be off-limits, from her friends, her family and her new relationship.

Sera is finding it difficult to adjust to her parents' divorce some years ago and she's blogging about some life goals she has in order to achieve happiness. She has a great voice and goes through so many ups and downs throughout Big Woo. I really felt for her. There's this unexplained event which happened that cannot be mentioned that seems to be the main things spurring Sera on in her quest for happiness.

Even though we don't get to see the whole story around Sera and her friends, through Sera's blog posts, I felt Sera was pretty well formed. And I loved witnessing her journey, as she attempts to build up her relationships with her parents and with some friends both old and new, and with varying degrees of success. I did very much love the layout of the book, with the blog posts followed by comments. I don't always love text speak or really conversational text filled with exclamation marks and everything, but I thought everything just felt right when used in this book.

I think what Big Woo shows very well is how things often don't turn out like you think they will and that strong connections with friends and family are very important, both when things are going good and also when they're not. This is my second book that I've read and loved by Susie Day and both books come highly recommended!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saying that the Internet is changing communication falls in the trite-but-true category; what’s often missed while bemoaning chat acronyms and the much-hyped isolation of the young is the way “social utilities” like MySpace and Facebook create once-impossible chances for connection. A small-town kid with broadband can find kindred souls all over the world. Every misfit has a niche on the web. Young adult novelists who understand this have turned to a new form of epistolary fiction: the blog novel. Susie Day’s “serafina67” (titled after the protagonist’s screenname) is an engaging entry in this new genre, imported from across the pond.
After her dad gives her a laptop for Christmas, 15-year-old Sarah finally starts a ULife blog, for purposes of “documentarying my proper grown-up life, just as soon as I start having one.” To this end, she makes a series of resolutions, ranging from making her mother happy to forgiving her father to losing some weight to, finally, “BE HAPPY AGAIN BY APRIL 22ND,” the one-year anniversary of what she mysteriously calls The Incident. Through Sarah’s entries, Day follows her progress as she tries to change her life. The diary format brings Sarah’s funny, self-deprecating voice to the forefront, and following her moods is sometimes as simple as noticing she hasn’t posted for a week. Her friend’s comments reflect the ebb and flow of teenage relationships. All in all, it’s a compelling way to tell a story, and the language sometimes approaches Joycean levels of inventiveness.
*kthxbai*

[Miss Ryoko · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up at the library book sale because I tend to enjoy reading books written via technology (such as Lauren Myracle's fabulous TTYL series, which is written in AIM messenger format). And this book, while at times annoying because of the "teenagery" context (I'm finding myself talking more like Serafina these days), was witty and fun to read. I think I felt a connection with Serafina because we have a similar voice in the way we type online (though, I'm not AS...imaginative ;-) with my language as she is), and a lot of the things she said I thought were hysterical (see my quotes section :-p). The storyline itself is pretty basic - teenage girl whose parents just got divorced and she's trying to deal with that and other life issues, such as friendships, boys, and body image issues. But for the most part, I thought that teens reading this book would really be able to connect with her and understand her. That being said, there were, of course, moments of utter teenage drama rubbish...but once I thought about the age of the character, I could forgive her behavior a little bit ;-)

All together, I liked the book. It was cute and youthful and creative. I think many teenage girls would love this!

Awesome win-points mentions:

*My husband!!! Sera talks about watching a movie with Jake Gyllenhaal and the most important part of the movie is his bum XD
*Betch!! Yay Kelly!!!

[Kristen Osborne · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I don't know about the 1 person who reads these reviews, but I feel that I don't say everything I need to say with my former review format. And they were getting boring. SO I'm back to normal people format!

I don't add in a summary because, THERE's A SUMMARY UP THERE BY THE BOOK

SO Anyway, back to the book. Its pretty good, I guess. It draggggged on in the middle, but I liked the plot and the main character was interesting enough to keep me reading. I didn't like how lolbabe dropped off the face of the earth and wouldn't even look at her. She needed help, and it wasn't wrong to help her with that. Maybe it shouldn't have been on her blog, but still. I didn't like her from the beginning. she was a betch.

I hated the sekrit and the skience. Its not hard to spell the word right. Its not cute to spell it wrong purposely.

Um ok so mini rant about the identity of daisy13 It was lame for it to b her dad. seriously? I thought it was patch or kym or someone else, not her dad

I'm being generous and giving it three stars because I did kind of like it.

Oh wait 1 more thing! Patch was a reallllly crappy boyfriend. he didn't do anything nice for her after the whole kym thing, and didn't say Baby your not fat! when she posted about it ALL the time. Grr.

[Sesana · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the searingly pink cover indicates, this is a teen chick lit. Basically: Bridget Jones by a teenager on a blog with comments turned on. And that's the format, but it's also the point. Because it does touch on all aspects of internet community, the friendships, the trolls, and the weird. Obviously, the big thing that sells it is Serafina's voice, which is just perfect. In fact, she reminded me of a friend of mine. And that made it all more real for me. It can be very funny in spots, too. A great ending, which ties it all together, but leaves you wondering if there's more, and hoping for better for Serafina. This is one of the better experimental format teen books I've read recently, actually.

[W.Y. · Rating 1 out of 5]

the most horrible book I've ever read. Very cliche like all other diary-themed books, where the first person always record their miserable, daily life events in their diary and bla bla bla so on. Not my cup of tea. Maybe to others but certainly not mine. I previously owned a copy of this book but I had a full refund with Scholastic after I only received it for the first 3 days since it was too horrible to bare. There are plenty of other great books out there which has more of a wide view of the world instead of being stuck inside someone's personal diary. I'd advise everyone to avoid these sort of books if you're those types who feels that life's too short.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a nice light read. It was about a teenage girl living in Britain who was keeping a blog. She had friends commenting on her thoughts and she went through the normal trials and tribulations of any teenage girl. It was just a little bit too young for me (that's why the 3 stars) and I had a hard time concentrating on some of the book. It wasn't very long, but some of the language was a little out there for me. It is a blog and that's how a lot of teens talk now. It would be a good book for young adults, but it was just not right for me.

[Angeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I was initially annoyed by the poor grammar, I understand that it was the author's way of developing a voice. As I got into the book, it drew me in. It's not a masterpiece and it's not for everyone, but it was just what I needed. I read it when I was really stressed out and it took me away. Serafina67 is a fun book. The blog set-up is cool and the characters seem like actual people. It tackled some big issues like eating disorders, feeling outcast, and family relations while remaining lighthearted and fun.

[$hanel · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I picked up this book I loved the cover and then I heard that the book was written in all blog and text format so I thought "perfect for me." When I began to read the book I could not put it down! The story is about a girl named Sarah who creates a blog that pours out about her parents divorce and her own popularity and social life. Although the book does have some swearing that got to me but other wise the book was perfect!

[Ania · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't be fooled by the title. This book is neither funny, interesting or inspirational. It's written as a series of posts, on a blog, by a teenager, and we all know what that means. Bad grammar, vagueness, unreadability and atrocious spelling. Half the time I didn't know what was going on and I didn't care. At the end of the book I felt confused and cheated, as some major event seemed to have eluded me. I didn't feel the need to read back and find out what it was though.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

BIG WOO is such a great book: very funny but with serious issues underneath and wonderfully real characters. The whole dynamic of the blog and its commenters was SO believable, the voice was spot-on, and how could I not fall for a girl who, yes, worries about boys and her weight, but also writes VTNs (Very Thrilling Novels) and fantasizes about traveling with Doctor Who? Funny, sad, lovely and real.

(Note: in America, this novel has a different title: serafina67 *urgently requires life*)

[Rhea · Rating 1 out of 5]

UPDATE: I gave the book away about a year ago...I couldn't get myself to re-read this. Thank god this was a free book from the "free book" section...

I got this book in a “free books” section. It caught my eye because of how the book looked. But overall, I don’t think this was favorite book I read. I did finish it in the end but I was very close to not continuing this book towards the beginning. Should I re-read it again to get a different understanding out of it?

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, blogs are easy to read when you only read one entry per day and then they are fun, but a book written in them is hard to read. Only the comments sections were particularly fun or anything like that. The voice was off and overall it wasn't very good. I did laugh a couple of times though so 2 stars.

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit tricky at times to understand because you have to fill in a lot of blanks by yourself. Interesting and challenging format: the entire book is a series of blog posts and the comments that follow. A classic "empowered girl" book with enough swearing, slang, and mature content to keep it from getting too preachy.

[Emily Rozmus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Totally British teen whines her way through the first three months of a year and we get to read about it in blog format complete with annoying blog language that is okay for online but not so much for books.