TMI

by Sarah Quigley

Friends call Becca the Overshare Queen, but her tendency for TMI never seemed like a problem to her until she blabs about her sweet band-geek boyfriend’s sloppy kisses—and gets dumped! Realizing it may be better to resist the temptation to overshare face-to-face, Becca decides to blog anonymously about everything instead. On her blog, Too Much Information, Becca unleashes her alter ego, Bella. Bella tells it like it is . . . though perhaps with a bit more drama. After all, no one’s going to read it, right???

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Teen, LGBT

288 pages, Hardcover

First published April 16, 2009

About the author

There is more than one author with this name

Sarah started a blog when she was procrastinating writing her master’s thesis. A few years later, the blog caught the attention of an editor at Dutton Children’s Books, who asked Sarah if she was interested in writing a young adult novel. Thus, the seeds for TMI were planted. Sarah is something of a unicorn in the publishing world: a first-time author who has never received a rejection letter.

Sarah currently resides in San Francisco with her husband and daughter. She is a stay-at-home mother, and she never misses an episode of Survivor. Like Becca, the heroine of TMI, Sarah enjoys knitting, baking, and oversharing.

Reviews

[Alea · Rating 4 out of 5]

TMI was a fun and thoughtful book. I found it easier to relate to than most other books set in high school. Most of the things that happen in this book happen everyday in the halls of high schools. Also the characters seemed like people I know, definitely.

So while I myself related more with Becca's friend Katie (I personally tend to undershare) I definitely got a kick out of Becca, let's just say I have a few overshare queens in my own family! I definitely know what it's like to hear things about yourself from other people, nothing bad but not exactly something you wanted out there! But at the same time I know how easy it is to say too much and then realize well maybe I shouldn't have said that! I really liked all the other characters as well, especially Becca's crush Matt, her friend Jai, and her family!

A good chunk of the book revolves around a high school musical of Grease! Boy did I love that, I was totally a set painter in high school! I never wanted to be on stage though! About a year and a half ago I actually got hired by my former high school to do set painting, sound, and graphic design. It was a ball, mostly because my sister was in the musical! Where we went to high school the theatre is a big deal so it's great to see that reflected in this book!

And of course, I loved the blogging part of the book, gotta love it! And I definitely appreciated the author's descriptions of the evil that is a Minnesota winter, it's true y'all! Getting back to how realistic I found most of the book, I thought the ending was perfect, it was very believable for me. I can't wait to see what the author has in store for us next!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Becca, a high school sophomore, is a bubbly girl who loves to talk about anything, anytime. She shares every little detail of her life and other lives with her friends, and it finally gets her into big trouble when her boyfriend breaks up with her for blabbing about his sloppy kisses to her friends. Becca decides that's the last time she'll overshare, so she stops talking all the time and instead begins anonymously blogging about her life, changing names and embellishing personalities to make people seem dorkier or hotter than they are in person.

I loved Becca. Although she's a talker, she's fun and bubbly. Her thoughts (as told by the narration) are hilarious, and I could just picture someone thinking like her. I also loved the way the friendships were portrayed, although the introduction to her friends at the beginning of the book was a bit on the cheesy side - something I didn't mind, since the rest of the book was so good. Becca's anger over the breakup and her subsequent crushing on another guy were completely understandable and entertaining to read about. And I thought the ending was very good - not sappy sweet, not unbelievably perfect, but good. Very fitting for the book, anyway. It made the book seem even more realistic to me.

I think this book would appeal more to younger teens because of Becca's age (15/16), but really anyone could enjoy it. Lots of laughs, lots of fun, cute story. I'll definitely pick up another book by Sarah Quigley.

[711amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was one of those where I didn't particularly like the main character. Actually, most of the time I just wanted to slap her. I mean, why? WHY? WWWHHHHYYY???? on earth would you post highly detailed descriptions of, no. Not your own little surface secrets, like who you have a crush on, but your FRIENDS' deepest, darkest, most important secrets on a blog that could easily be found by the very same tech geek who wants revenge on you for totally hurting his best friend (and your ex)'s feelings beyond repair? Why? Anyway, the reason I gave this three stars is, well, Becca enters the book as a confident loudmouth and exits as a smarter girl with lots of friends who care about her and will help her become even less of an overshare queen (quoting from the book). However, it was kind of average and not something I would buy and read again.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was pretty funny, but the main character was such an idiot!!! i mean really, posting everything you think of on the internet in your blog, and then being shocked to hear that somehow people at your school actually read your blog that you posted to the world. he-llo!!!! everyone can view the internet!! that's the purpose of it! you don't post that your friend is gay when he hasn't come out yet, that your boyfriend has a huge tongue when he kisses, and you don't post all the most embarrasing moments of your life. what do you expect, that nobody you know will read it? AHHHHH!!!! Sorry i needed to rant. anyway, it was actually pretty funny, and my favorite character was probably Jai.

[Adriana Villarroel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remembered devouring this book in 8th grade, the mentions of emotions and boys felt very real for my preteen self. Listen when she talked about making out my world was ROCKED. I don’t remember much but 5 stars because of how much I enjoyed it at the time

[Lisette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.3/5
Age R: 13+
Release Date: April 16, 2009
Thoughts:
This book took me by surprise. I honestly thought it was gonna be just one of those YA novels, no offense Sarah Quigley, and I am so glad it wasn't! Now that Sarah, that girl can write and entertain. TMI made me laugh soo darn much, and not just on the inside, on the outside too. It's laugh out loud funny! I really liked it. :)
TMI is the story of a fifteen year old girl, Becca, who has a wee bit of a problem, she overshares a little too much. :) This ends up being a huge problem for her that gets in the way of her relationship with her freshmen boyfriend hehe, so she decides to turn over a new leaf. As her new year's resolution, she is going to stop being the overshare queen. Since she can't just keep all these thoughts to herself because she runs the risk of exploding (hehe), she starts a blog (!!!). She not only talks about her problems but she also creates these fantasies about her and her crush, Matt, who she'll be working with on the Grease musical. :) *I love Grease!!! She says a ton of stuff that is extremely personal and in the wrong hands ..well things could get really bad. But there's just no way someone can find it and besides she changes everyone's name including hers so there's just no way someone will find out. Or will they? Obviously you and I know someone will. You'll have to read this hugely entertaining book to find out what happens. :D
Did I say how much this book made me laugh? No? Well it made me laugh a LOT. hehe I love stuff that makes me laugh. I believe it's one of the greatest things in life, laughter I mean. :) I kinda hope there'll be a sequel even though at the same time I believe there shouldn't because a sequel to this book might not work out so well. I just really liked Becca's character, her personality, the way she talked and "wrote".
The book also made me REALLY sad at times though. I swear it's like you're there with Becca when she's "talking" about her life and the embarassing things that happen to her. You just feel so bad for her! I felt so sad for the poor girl sometimes that I thought I would cry. This is one of those books that many will relate to especially those who are "outcasts". I don't think she's an outcast I mean she has this one great friend, what more could you need?
The itty bitty problem I had with this book was that sometimes it honestly didn't seem like it was about teenagers. It seemed more like it was talking about middle school kids. Then again there were some thoughts that middle school kids just wouldn't have they just lack the hormones at that age. Either way I still really enjoyed the book and I think a bunch of others will too especially those up for a cute entertaining read.
Something I absolutely loved, besides the laughs and the 80's movies references, was that for the most part, this book was realistic. *Possible spoiler* You know how there's a ton of YA books and movies out there where there's a geeky boy or girl and they think "That guy/girl will never like me because I'm such a geek" then at the end he/she ends up with the guy/girl? Well this book was NOT like that and I loved that so much! I understand that in real life things like that do happen but when it's overly repeated it just gets freakin' boring especially since it doesn't always happen like this in real life. Sometimes the hot guy/girl really does not care for the "geek". *End of possible spoiler*

Notes: Doesn't the model from the cover look JUST like Taylor Swift except with brown hair and green eyes? Well I dont' think TS has green eyes, I don't know and I'm not looking it up, either way they look alike!! I really like that cover it's so pretty and colorful. If you notice, there are pictures referencing stuff from the book, I just love it because it's done in a really creative way, just like the book hehe

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:

Becca has always been know as the overshare queen of her high school. Since, when anything happens to her, no matter how gross, she always has to tell someone, pronto.

Though, when her oversharing habits go behind the limit, hurting someone she loves dearly, she knows she has to stop. So, instead of oversharing with her friends and classmates, she starts up a blog with an alter ego name Bella, telling all of the glory details of her life. Since, no one is going to read it, right?

Review:

I simply adored TMI. Though, why wouldn't I? Since, it did have a cute cover and an interesting premise.

Becca was the classic main character. She was funny, wise, and a bit awkward, making her someone any teenage girl can relate to. I loved how she had a problem with oversharing, since it made for several laugh out loud occasions and made me come to love her. Then, there was Katie, the typical shy but stunning best friend. She was another well developed character. Lastly, Jai, he was the flamboyant boy with a love of all things related to musicals at Becca's high school and one of my favorite characters. I did see the whole plot twist with him coming, though.

The plot was well thought out and original, making this a quick read. I liked how what happened in TMI- Becca telling too much about her relationship with her boyfriend hence loosing him- could happen in any school, which added a big reality to it. Also, other situations had the same kind of feeling. One of my favorite parts of the book was how it centred around Becca's schools reproduction of the musical Grease. Since, I'm a huge sucker for musicals.

Also, Sarah Quigly's writing was another main factor in my liking of this book. It was fast paced and hilarious, making if often seem similar to Meg Cabot's style.

My only problem with TMI was the times when Becca would write her alter ego blog entries. Before, starting this I thought I would love how one of the main focus would be Becca's blog, because of my blog. Though, as the story went on, I felt that the blog entries were lacking majorly. Since, most of the time they were not funny at all and always seemed a bit over dramatized. I did end up skipping a big portion of them, though I still enjoyed TMI just the same.

Overall, TMI is a darling book. I suggest this to teens looking for a light and funny read. I look forward to reading Sarah's next book.

Grade: B+

[Anna Schroeder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot: I really liked the idea of TMI. The whole idea of teens having blogs and the repercussions of blogs is something that isn't written about too much. So, the idea was very original. However, I think that this story could've been written a little better than it was. In the beginning, I found it very slow moving and boring. I didn't really get into the story until almost a hundred pages in. Then it got really exciting, but then, just after a little bit, it got boring again, and the ending seemed very slow. This book would've been lots better if the pacing was a little better, in my opinion.

Characters: Becca has a strong personality... you can tell that from even the summary. However, I do not have a strong personality, and that made it hard for me to relate to Becca. I could in certain aspects, but parts of the book such as talking a lot, sharing too much information, I could not. I actually related to Becca's fried, Katie, more than I did Becca. Becca was a wonderfully written character, don't get me wrong, it was just hard to relate to her. I also really like Jai's character. He was funny and really made me laugh a lot.

Wow Factor: This book could've been better if the pacing was more even. That's really the main reason why I found it hard to read this book. However, it's still a pretty good read -- it has a message, but it's not at all very serious, it's still a light read.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

TMI by Sarah Quigley was an amazing book. I love all the drama and happenings in this book. The characters were relatable and they seemed like they could have been real I loved seeing the development through the book. The writing style was very simple so I liked that and the book is very relatable for me. The main character reminds me of one of my best friends becuase well sadly she's not very good at keeping secrects. This teaches you a valuble lesson to try to stay away from drama if possible and it shows you that gossip hurts.It also teaches you how important it is to keep secrects that people have told you because if told they wont be to happy with you. It shows the dangers of using the internet and saying things about people hoping they wont every see it and that if they see it the internet is forever and it may go away in time but it will always be out there. Sarah Quigley does a great job at describing a high school life with the qliques and gossip and drama and more. I enjoye this book very much and definetly recomend it to people whor are interested in drama and real life problems. All in all I couldn't put the book down when i was reading this so this book gets a 5 out of 5.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think everyone has had a TMI moment at one time in their life. Becca unfortunately has a ton of them! The girl had me rolling on the floor. Well I guess Sarah Quigley had me rolling on the floor!

I felt like I was stepping back in to my small town high school when I was reading this book. The characters held a overwhelming sense of deja-vu. I’m not exactly sure it that made this a more enjoyable read, but it did hold a more realistic aspect for me.

Personally I related more to Becca’s friend Katie. I’m not a big talker, I usually won’t initiate a conversation and have a hard time butting in unless I’ve been spoken too directly. So the fact that Katie and Becca were able to maintain such a close friendship wasn’t a surprise to me.

The blog entries where a little out there for me. They were funny, but at times it was a little too much for my liking. Even so the overall message was well displayed.

Great characterization, witty dialogue, and an original plot make this a notable debut novel.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is definitely one of those Message Books: Do.Not.Make.This.Mistake. ... but it's done in such a way that I think the target audience can relate to and perhaps get, message-wise. It falls into that group of books that includes Good Girls, or Story of a Girl, with less drastic issues. It also falls into the Girl Starts Blog/Diary genre. Or the G-rated version of an ABC Afterschool Special.

I liked Becca, and while her habit of TMI was (at times) cringe-worthy, her story did ring true. I was less happy about her blog, which seemed to be less about TMI and more about TMI+a strong dose of fantasy. Still, the results of her blogging are predictable, as are her attempts to change and make amends.

It'll be interesting to see how real teens (ok, pre-teens/tweens and young teens) respond to this one.

[Amanda K · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cover: The cover is nice. I like how the green eyes match the font.
StoryLine: This book was kind of hard to get into. Don't get me wrong, there were times where I found myself flying through the pages, eager to know what happens next, but there were just as many times where I found myself trying to pick the book back up and to get back into it.
Characters: The main character, Becca, annoyed me at times. The stuff she said was just so embarrassing most of the time. The rest of the characters were just, there, but maybe a just feel that way since I couldn't get into the book enough to care.
Parting Thoughts: I'm sad to say I really just couldn't make myself love this book. I'm sure it was a great book, but it just wasn't really my thing. Or maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this book. I know that I was moderately interested and some parts were good and there might have been a few parts that made me laugh, but it just didn't leave the best impression on me.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cutesty book for the most part. Becca has a habit of over sharing information, and it always comes back to bite her in the end. To solve the problem, she resolves to over share over the internet via blogging under an fake name only. On her blog, appropriately titled TMI to embrace the hated phase she's heard far too many times, she writes out her fantasies of her every day life. Just as it seems Becca's life has gotten better because of her new, healthier habit of blogging, Josh, one of the school's freshman computer club geeks, aka her ex boyfriends best friend, finds her blog and basically ruins her life by letting it all out.

This book was easy to stray on and off from, considering I didn't get *really* interested until a little past midway through the book. It's a simple, cute, non serious, happy little book.

[Devon · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good. It kept me reading. The not-being-able-to-go-and-not-talk-about-something aspect of the girl seemed like me. My one friend is always telling me to shut up and TMI. I would have liked it better if her blogging style wasnt as wierd [i know im wierd by being annoyed by that little aspect of it:] and the fact that she didnt get the guy. i know it would have been totally expected for him to have Matt fall for her. I was hoping he would say " i read your blog. I know thats not normally how you find out abt someone liking you back but i guess it works" and then having her start to leave and him go "no dont go! didnt you hear wat i said?" and then she catch that he said "like you back" and then is all happy and they are togather and ya...

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Becca is the queen of oversharing; she can’t help saying whatever’s on her mind, even if it’s inappropriate or embarrassing (to herself, or to others). When her big mouth causes her first boyfriend to break up with her, she realizes that she needs to channel her urge to share somewhere else. She starts a blog, TMI (too much information), with pseudonyms and fantasies, thinking that no one will ever connect it with her life in Pine Prairie, MN. The plot is fairly predictable, but the writing style is lively and sympathetic, and the characters and high school situations are believable if a bit stereotyped. I loved her three-year-old brother who preferred to run around naked except for a super-hero cape.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book after meeting the author at a Carleton reunion book signing. And I enjoyed it a lot, although it took me a little while to get into. The main character, Becca, is kind of hard to take--and at the beginning her ceaseless chatter and total lack of introspection put me off. But I think that's done on purpose, because her character develops to become much more interesting. I liked the characters Becca surrounded herself with and the way the author keeps you guessing--there are some plot points that might seem obvious in many YA novelists' hands, but wound up twisting in unexpected ways. A fun read that even makes you think. I enjoyed this book a lot and think I would have enjoyed it even more as a tween.

[Natalie Baghdadlian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a girl named Becca who just shares everything that is on her mind (Too Much Information). Because of this habit, she doesn't have too many friends. She decides to make an anonymous blog where she can say anything she feels without people knowing it is her. There is lots of drama in the book varying from boy troubles, friend problems, and family disagreements. I recommend this book to people who like lots of drama and action in a book. It also has a little bit of humor to make it more enjoyable to read. Also, I really liked the way the author developed the characters in the story.

[Mel Raschke]

Becca has a problem: She has a big mouth. Well, it isn't a problem to her, but to her friends, and especially her enemies. Her boyfriend, dramatically breaks up with her after she spills one of his secrets and he finds out. She decides that instead of being a blabbermouth, she'll be a blogger, just like the glamorous New York blogger she follows. Meanwhile, she shares major news, like the fact that her mom is pregnant and her best friend, Jai, is gay. She's also managed to make an enemy of one of her school's Meanest Girls when she beats her out for the lead in the school play

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just your everyday fluffy chick-lit book. It was a great read and the only reason that I'm not giving it a full five-stars is because the premise of the novel has been done before. Girl talks to much...hurts her friends...they make up and become friends again. It's just typical. BUT it was a fun read and very light hearted.


COMMITTEE WISE: Not going to recommend it because of a lack of pertinent literary value and simplicity of plot!

[Corie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really cute, fun high-school based novel. It reminded me of all of my favorite 80's movies, Pretty in Pink, 16 Candles, ect. Except in those movies Molly Ringwald always ends up with the guy. But, in TMI poor Becca doesn't, her best friend does. I thought the author did a great job captivating what it's like in high-school nowadays. All the different clicks and everything. Oh, and I loved the characters, especially Jai, I so want a friend like him!

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Becca likes to talk and tends to share too much about herself and her friends with others. When she kisses and tells a bit too much about her first boyfriend, Becca learns how much that can hurt. In an attempt to control her oversharing, she decides to write an anonymous blog as a diary to help keep her thoughts more private. With friends Katie and Jai by her side, Becca navigates this highschool drama with character. A cute, if not overly reaching, highschool novel.

[Bibi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Becca has a habit of sharing too much information. This sometimes leads to trouble. When she blabs about her boyfriends kisses and gets dumped, she feels terrible. She decides to start an open blog (bak idea!) called TMI where she vents all her feelings. The book is in a high school setting some drama.

Overall, I liked this book. It was a nice light read. It doens't compare to books like the Harry Potter series, though.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book,it's perfect for any girly girl who loves books with romance and fun. Becca will show you her another identity, as a blogger, "Vanessa", who's telling the blog world about her life as a different person, but with the same incidents happening. I liked it, but to me, something was missing that would make the book great!

[Sammi D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought tat this book was fantastic, it had a lot of felling in it and I enjoy books that express that. I think they should make another book because they kind of ended on a random note I want to know what happens with two of the characters, like if they end up dating or not. Overall this book is a great book for a addictive read.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a surprising find. I think that I would have absolutely adored it, had I of been a teenager when I read it. I too have been bit by the blogger bug in the past and have regretted it. This book was rather clever. I knew exactly how Becca felt often throughout this book.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

$0.50 and a cute cover--that's why I got this book. It was a high school dramedy, basically, and appropriately high-schoolerish. Cute in places, overdone in some places, but overall, a decent fluffy evening read.

[Anne Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book. Sometimes I felt the narrator spoke and thought older than her age, but the book is fairly entertaining.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the message of the book, but Becca drove me nuts throughout most of it.

[Allura]

So far it is really introsting. the discribtion is weird but i hope that it gets better

[Pleieralyssa429]

this book was fantastic i really do recommend it did have some inapropriate refrence but still awesome!