Mishaps

by Nansi Kunze

Sometimes bad luck is more than coincidence...

Pen O’Connell is, without a doubt, the unluckiest girl at Callindra Secondary College. Her dream date’s just fallen through, her dog has literally eaten her homework, and don’t even mention the incident at school camp. But when Pen meets Sebastian Meyer, teenage genius and genetics expert, she begins to wonder if everything that happens to her really is just bad luck.

Could the bizarre theory that’s turned every teacher in the school against Sebastian explain why Pen is more likely to get a head injury than a hot date? Why does Pen’s name strike terror into the heart of pop princess Sereena? And just how far will Pen go to get what she deserves?

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Teen

292 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2008

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book I've read recently by a new author which was really enjoyable. The story is about a teenage girl called Pen, who has very bad luck and finds out it has something to do with her DNA. Her DNA is unique and if she does something mean then her DNA transmits signals which gives her bad luck and if she does something nice then she gets good luck. But the problem is that her signals are being crossed with someone else and whenever this other person is horrible then Pen gets the bad luck. I really enjoyed this book and found it easy to read and a bit of fun. It's filled with likeable characters and one very dislikeable character. Very funny and I'd say it's like adult chic lit but for teens.

[Frezanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a girl who has the worst luck in the world. Even if she does not do anything, disaster just finds her. The question is: "Is this karma?" But this girl is so well behaved. She never break rules and she always help others. So is it her fate that she has this kind of bad luck. Does she have to bear with it throughout her life. The possible answer comes when a genius guy from her school discover that the luck of some person with a special gene called mishap is related to their behavior. That means if the person do a good work, she will be rewarded somehow and vice versa. But then this girl is an anomaly..What happens to the girl is the other way around. That's when they discover something about the girl's past and the people who were responsible for the bad luck. When I read the author's idea, I actually questioned it. It seems far-fetched. But she manages to convince me though. It's an enjoyable book until the end

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this as a teenager!

[Sharni]

I love this book!!!!!

[Shannon louise Butterworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is totally cool!!

[Watermelon Daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourites.

Literally, it is.

Everything about this book is just perfect and awesome. Some parts feel a little far-fetched, but I wasn't thinking about reality throughout the whole book. Since the whole plot is a little bizzare, the things which happen to Pen are quite realistic when comparing.

The writer has such a beautiful writing style, I'm jealous. She manages to create dialogue which makes me laugh like a barking dog, and at several times, feel a deep sympathy for Penelope. But this wasn't like a Twilight version. Maybe Bella from Twilight was extremely clumsy, but she was lucky in every other way. But not Pen. She was amazing, freaks out in certain places and reacts exactly like I do. She would be my best friend if she was real.

The things Serena said were harsh, and I loved it. Because like Sebastian had said, there can't be all evil in a person. Underneath their mask, there HAS to be some good in them. There's no other thing to say. One of these days, I'm going to buy this book. Yes, you heard me. I loved it that much.

Sebastian is a complete nerd, so imagine my surprise when he turned out to be the love interest. Here's another thing which really appeals to me about Nansi's writing style. She uses cliches. A lot of them. But they all have their own original quirk to them.

There's the person we all want to avoid; but instead, Collin's a kind and helpful person.

There's the best friend who's overly girly; and yet, Becky has a thing for punching people.

Then there's the perv; but Dweebus can be extremely sweet and sincere when it came to Becky, who THOUGHT she hated him.

Of course, Penelope. Who has bad luck, but hardly ever complains. VERY rare. She just seems to take life just the way it is, and I ADMIRE that.

Overall, it's easy to say this has a place on my favourites shelves. You seriously have to read it. I'm gonna recommend it to EVERYONE.

Remy xx

[Janson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nansi Kunze has a nice fluid style with a contemporary feel reminiscent of Meg Cabot. The characters are lively and believable. The dialogue is fast and witty. The soft SF in the story gives it an added depth and interest, but, as with every engaging story, the main fun is in seeing how ordinary humans react in extraordinary situations. Kunze keeps the pace moving and the twists coming and has us solidly rooting for her protagonist - ungly duckling and misfit, Pen - from start to finish.
Anyone who has had to deal with the problems of fitting in as a teenager will find a lot to enjoy in this amusing and inventive tale.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first Nansi Kunze book I read, and now I'm hooked! The characters were so real, and easy to relate to, especially the lead, Pam. I loved that it was set in Australia. So many other books seem to be written as though nothing exists outside of America.

Mishaps started off sort of normal, but with a kind of quirky feel that just sucked me in. The further into the book I got, the more X-Files it got, which was just brilliant. The only reason it lost a star was that I managed guess the ending before I got to the last page, BUT that didn't stop me loving every word. I've now read Dangerously Placed and Kill The Music, and can't wait for more.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mishaps is about a girl call Penelope who has really bad luck that makes her life miserable. However when she meets mysterious Sebastian her luck might just change.

I really enjoyed this book. It was unique and different from anything I've read before. I enjoyed the way that it had genetics in it too. I was intrigued from page 1 and as the plot moved along fast I couldn't stop reading.

I would recommend it to pre teens and teenage girls.

[liz]

I read this back in 2011 and did my speech in 7th grade on it. I just rediscovered that speech and from what it says, I really enjoyed the book and recommended it to 11 year olds hahah. I'm sure it will be interesting for older reader too, though.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easily finished within one sitting, this is a light read with developed characters and an enjoyable plot line.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is hilarious!

[Jacinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

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[Jim Mahony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mishaps is full of vivid and believable characters and has a very likable protagonist. Fast, witty dialogue keeps the book moving and entertaining. The basic idea is original and that clever dollop of Science Fiction makes this story a bit more interesting than the average ugly duckling tale. This is the best of Nansi Kunze’s books and one of the best teen books I’ve read. If you like Meg Cabot you'll probably like this.

[Elana · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was such a good full of everything read, would definitely reread

[Jennifer Lynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I used to be more discriminatory when it came to giving ones: only awarding them to books I was unable to finish, but I have come to realize there are quite a few that I soldier through anyways that still make me feel like I suffered the whole way. Many are probably going to argue this should not fall under that category but the whole book felt like shear stupidity that made me want to bang my head the whole time. The biggest problem was that no questions were asked or answered about what should have been a fascinating subject- cloning. Come on! Facts (or at least fake book ones) and common curiosity should have brought these up. Then to top it off, the major problem in the book and how they answered it were too unbelievable, too briefly explained, and not enough action. Without giving anything away it is hard to explain anything. The thing though is the book was very immature and if it had been addressed to a younger demographic I could see why people would like it, but to put it under YA fiction made me expect a bit more to it.

[Ely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, the best kind of feels <3

*Review coming soon

[Tressa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mishaps was preposterous, but fun. I did like Penelope; she was such a nice character. I was sympathetic with her situation and I was glad that everything worked out in the end.

[Ange · Rating 4 out of 5]

a brilliant story that include some science terms that we can learn from.