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The Brittanys
"Bursting with bittersweet nostalgia, a funny, poignant, perfectly voiced debut that brilliantly captures what it's like to be a teenage girl. A VINTAGE ORIGINAL. They're not the most popular freshmen at their Florida prep school, but at least everyone knows their name(s). The Brittanys. Brittany drives her golf cart around her subdivision to meet boys. Brittany insists you can't lose your virginity if you haven't gotten your period. (She heard it somewhere!) Brittany is from New York. Brittany once threw her tampon into a stranger's swimming pool. A brash, bold, unapologetic tomboy. And the greatest person in the whole wide world. At least as far as the fifth Brittany--our narrator--is concerned. Even within their friend group, she and Jensen are a with their matching JanSport backpacks, Tiffany chokers, and Victoria's Secret push-up bras, they are unstoppable. And now that they're finally growing up, they're going to do dye their hair, attend no-parent parties, try pot, kiss boys for real . . . maybe even lose their virginities. 2004 is totally going to be their year! But Jensen, it turns out, may not share quite the same outlook. And within our narrator's own family--in the lives of her exhausted mother and beloved, genius older brother--life-changing events may be taking shape. Events that only years later, looking back, she has the perspective to see"--
255 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 15, 2021
34 people are currently reading
5983 people want to read
About the author
Brittany Ackerman
3 books62 followersBrittany Ackerman is a writer from Riverdale, New York. She earned her BA in English from Indiana University and an MFA in Creative Writing from Florida Atlantic University. She has led workshops for UCLA’s Extension, The Porch, HerStry, Write or Die, and Lighthouse Writers. She is a 3x Pushcart Prize Nominee and her work has been featured in The Sun, MUTHA, Jewish Book Council, Lit Hub, The Los Angeles Review, No Tokens, Joyland, and more. Her first collection of essays, The Perpetual Motion Machine, was published with Red Hen Press in 2018, and her debut novel, The Brittanys, is out now with Vintage.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
June 3, 2021
32% and I’m out. I’m not sure if it’s because I just don’t relate (I was a B-crowd/did my own thing leader type who graduated high school in the 90’s), or if it’s summer and I’m a teacher and I feel like I’m taking my work home with me. Either way, the Brittany’s aren’t grabbing my attention.
I do acknowledge and appreciate the ARC from the publisher and Netgalley.
I do acknowledge and appreciate the ARC from the publisher and Netgalley.
March 13, 2023
The Brittanys is a slice of life story about a group of 5 Brittanys in their freshman year at a South Florida high school in 2004, told from the POV of just one. They deal with cliques and friendships, school, crushes, peer pressure, and family stuff.
As someone who graduated HS in FL in 2005, the time and place in this book felt accurate. The Brittanys was an easy read with YA vibes and I kept reading, but not a lot actually happened.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
As someone who graduated HS in FL in 2005, the time and place in this book felt accurate. The Brittanys was an easy read with YA vibes and I kept reading, but not a lot actually happened.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 31, 2021
I received an early ARC from Netgalley.
I couldn’t put this one down! The author’s writing reminded me a lot of Curtis Sittenfeld’s writing. It was smart, honest and nostalgic. The Brittany’s is one everyone should read.
I couldn’t put this one down! The author’s writing reminded me a lot of Curtis Sittenfeld’s writing. It was smart, honest and nostalgic. The Brittany’s is one everyone should read.
July 17, 2021
THE BRITTANYS is an indulgent book without a plot that never needed to be published. Though well-written, THE BRITTANYS is merely a slice of life about high school freshmen going through the growing pains of privileged, wealthy white girl. The drama, mean-girls, exploration of dating, drugs and sex in 2004 will be familiar to readers, a sense of nostalgia to those with similar experiences.
I hoped for a story more campy like CLUELESS or more insightful, or with a plot at least. Brittany Ackerman can wordbuild engaging sentences, but that’s not enough for a decent book.
I hoped for a story more campy like CLUELESS or more insightful, or with a plot at least. Brittany Ackerman can wordbuild engaging sentences, but that’s not enough for a decent book.
June 23, 2021
Somewhere between CLUELESS, PEN 15, and SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELLING PANTS lies The Brittanys, the novel by Brittany Ackerman that takes the frivolity of girlhood and teeny bopper culture perfectly seriously.
THE BRITTANYS tells the story of a group of friends that just so happens to include five girls all named Brittany – something not impossible for Boca Raton in 2004. One Brittany is a little bit posh, one’s a little bit of a baby, one’s a bit sporty – but unlike the entirely distinct Spice Girls, these Brittanys are recognized for their sameness, not what makes them unique. The story is told through the eyes of one Brittany – who’s relationship to her bestie gets strained. Over the course of the year, these fourteen-year-old Florida freshmen (freshwomen?) discover the perks and pitfalls of growing up, outgrowing your friends, and growing a world view of your own.
Brittany Ackerman’s first novel is a treat for those looking for a nostalgic trip down memory lane. As someone who was born in the 90s – and therefore grew up in the 2000s – was immediately drawn to Ackerman’s vivid portrait of prettiness, pettiness, and popularity that dominated the social scene of the privileged few. It’s a piece of historical fiction from a time that is both a minute and a lifetime ago. And while there’s lots to laugh with (or at) in the pages of this book, the treatment on the page is literary and grounded. Because it’s fundamentally a story of the power of friendship, and the ways that we outgrow our friends, the book is filled with drama that is both incredibly trivial – and yet stunningly serious in the way that teenage drama does feel like the end of the world. The story takes primarily in the past, but with flashes forward to our narrator Brittany fifteen years in the future (so, more or less today). Like the main character, this novel enables us to be nostalgic, a little flippant about our past selves, but also a little sad about remembering how simple life was when you had your whole life ahead of you – before things were spoiled. The story is subtle; for me, what I loved was the way that details that teenage Brittany blatantly ignored that we, as adults, would obviously know would affect development in a deep and real way. It’s almost like playing a game of I Spy with your own memories. Don’t be surprised if this story makes you think about your past just a little bit harder afterward.
A beachy read with heart, zest, and a brain to back it. THE BRITTANYS is out now. Thank you Vintage Books for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!
THE BRITTANYS tells the story of a group of friends that just so happens to include five girls all named Brittany – something not impossible for Boca Raton in 2004. One Brittany is a little bit posh, one’s a little bit of a baby, one’s a bit sporty – but unlike the entirely distinct Spice Girls, these Brittanys are recognized for their sameness, not what makes them unique. The story is told through the eyes of one Brittany – who’s relationship to her bestie gets strained. Over the course of the year, these fourteen-year-old Florida freshmen (freshwomen?) discover the perks and pitfalls of growing up, outgrowing your friends, and growing a world view of your own.
Brittany Ackerman’s first novel is a treat for those looking for a nostalgic trip down memory lane. As someone who was born in the 90s – and therefore grew up in the 2000s – was immediately drawn to Ackerman’s vivid portrait of prettiness, pettiness, and popularity that dominated the social scene of the privileged few. It’s a piece of historical fiction from a time that is both a minute and a lifetime ago. And while there’s lots to laugh with (or at) in the pages of this book, the treatment on the page is literary and grounded. Because it’s fundamentally a story of the power of friendship, and the ways that we outgrow our friends, the book is filled with drama that is both incredibly trivial – and yet stunningly serious in the way that teenage drama does feel like the end of the world. The story takes primarily in the past, but with flashes forward to our narrator Brittany fifteen years in the future (so, more or less today). Like the main character, this novel enables us to be nostalgic, a little flippant about our past selves, but also a little sad about remembering how simple life was when you had your whole life ahead of you – before things were spoiled. The story is subtle; for me, what I loved was the way that details that teenage Brittany blatantly ignored that we, as adults, would obviously know would affect development in a deep and real way. It’s almost like playing a game of I Spy with your own memories. Don’t be surprised if this story makes you think about your past just a little bit harder afterward.
A beachy read with heart, zest, and a brain to back it. THE BRITTANYS is out now. Thank you Vintage Books for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!
March 12, 2021
This review is based on an ARC of The Brittanys, which I received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher (Knopf Doubleday/Vintage).
"Back then, my life felt like it was about to start, not yet at the important part, but now I wish I had been mindful of the world around me and noticed it as much as possible. I wish I had found joy in that instead of rushing through it."
I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting when I started this novel. Angsty teenage antics, for sure, but beyond that, I was an open book to this book (har har). The cover drew me in; the idea of a cliqué of Brittanys had me hooked. Unfortunately, "The Brittanys" aren't nearly as much of a feature in this story as I had hoped. We see two, occasionally three, and very rarely all five of the Brittanys together at any time. For a book supposedly about the titular cliqué, I was expecting a lot more group activity and was disappointed by the lack thereof.
Now, for an early-2000s-centric story, the author hits the mark... Quite hard... Perhaps a little blatantly... Don't get me wrong: I loved the aesthetic; I loved the vibes. But it seems that the worldbuilding consists mainly of heavy-handed brand-dropping and pop culture references. This method suits the materialistic 14-year-old narrator, but it felt a little tedious.
On the subject of tedium: oh, my lord, how dull the tone of this book is. You'd think, for such a spirited narrator, that her words wouldn't come across so monotone, but oh, how they do. Even despite the ninth grade dramatics (trés repetitive and always, ultimately, inconsequential, by the way), the narration remains drab, unaffected.
Fabulously nostalgic and relatable as The Brittanys is, I can't help but feel that this story is purely a leisure read. There's nothing to make you think (at least as far as comparing this to a classic or nonfiction might go). Not that easy, readable, girly fluff is a problem. In fact, for me, right now, this book hit the spot. I couldn't put it down; I was up into the wee hours of the night (er, nine o'clock). So this isn't the best book ever written. Whatever. I still loved it while it lasted!
POPSUGAR 2021 Reading Challenge: a book published in 2021
"Back then, my life felt like it was about to start, not yet at the important part, but now I wish I had been mindful of the world around me and noticed it as much as possible. I wish I had found joy in that instead of rushing through it."
I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting when I started this novel. Angsty teenage antics, for sure, but beyond that, I was an open book to this book (har har). The cover drew me in; the idea of a cliqué of Brittanys had me hooked. Unfortunately, "The Brittanys" aren't nearly as much of a feature in this story as I had hoped. We see two, occasionally three, and very rarely all five of the Brittanys together at any time. For a book supposedly about the titular cliqué, I was expecting a lot more group activity and was disappointed by the lack thereof.
Now, for an early-2000s-centric story, the author hits the mark... Quite hard... Perhaps a little blatantly... Don't get me wrong: I loved the aesthetic; I loved the vibes. But it seems that the worldbuilding consists mainly of heavy-handed brand-dropping and pop culture references. This method suits the materialistic 14-year-old narrator, but it felt a little tedious.
On the subject of tedium: oh, my lord, how dull the tone of this book is. You'd think, for such a spirited narrator, that her words wouldn't come across so monotone, but oh, how they do. Even despite the ninth grade dramatics (trés repetitive and always, ultimately, inconsequential, by the way), the narration remains drab, unaffected.
Fabulously nostalgic and relatable as The Brittanys is, I can't help but feel that this story is purely a leisure read. There's nothing to make you think (at least as far as comparing this to a classic or nonfiction might go). Not that easy, readable, girly fluff is a problem. In fact, for me, right now, this book hit the spot. I couldn't put it down; I was up into the wee hours of the night (er, nine o'clock). So this isn't the best book ever written. Whatever. I still loved it while it lasted!
POPSUGAR 2021 Reading Challenge: a book published in 2021
August 6, 2021
Oh, my heart! Yes, it's another coming of age, literary fiction novel about a high schooler in the early 2000s and they may be a dime a dozen, but I can't get enough! Give me alllll the early 2000s teen feels. Ackerman is a fantastic writer, immediately drawing you in with fun prose, amazing pop culture references, and heart-breaking sentences. Set in 2004 at a prep school in Florida, we follow a group of girls named Brittany and one of them who is trying to sort out her place in the group, in the school, with boys, with her family, and with one specific Brittany whom she considers a best friend. The story is bright on the outside, filled with trips to the mall and IM conversations, but is also a classic story of a high school freshman and all the dark, underlining heartbreaks they face everyday.
This reminded me a lot of PEN15, one of my favorite TV shows right now. Mining that time us millennials were in school is rife with content, and I truly enjoy looking back (even if it does bring up tough memories). Though it's singed with specific nostalgia, it's a coming of age story that is universal and if that's your jam, this is a must-read. It is certainly not as vapid or cold as the blurb and cover will lead you to believe! Might be one of my favorites of the year so far, I read it in less than a day and enjoyed every page.
This reminded me a lot of PEN15, one of my favorite TV shows right now. Mining that time us millennials were in school is rife with content, and I truly enjoy looking back (even if it does bring up tough memories). Though it's singed with specific nostalgia, it's a coming of age story that is universal and if that's your jam, this is a must-read. It is certainly not as vapid or cold as the blurb and cover will lead you to believe! Might be one of my favorites of the year so far, I read it in less than a day and enjoyed every page.
March 21, 2021
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book. DNF-40%. As excited as I was for this confection about a group of friends all with the same name, I had a hard time figuring out what the point of the story was. The narrator wasn’t a very engaging voice and I struggled with the “look back, but forward” parts in italics. It took awhile to figure out how these sidebars really fit into the story. I love me some fun, fluffy reads, but this one just didn’t click for me.
August 18, 2021
This is a fun read with a strong voice and a delightful nostalgia trip if you came of age in the early aughts.
Five friends all named Brittany experience all the joy and terror of starting high school in an affluent community in South Florida.
Unlike in most coming of age books, the Brittanys (our focus is primarily on two of them, best friends since fourth grade) lives are, well, pretty normal. There are no great tragedies, horrific events, or other such catastrophes to endure.
Instead the Brittanys must navigate all the real-life events that occur at this age that *feel* momentous and often catastrophic to us all as we experience them.
I really like books about teens that focus on “regular” kids like these, as they’re a bit difficult to find. They’re far more relatable and less filled with the kind of drama that I don’t care for in novels centered around this age group.
I also liked that while the book encompasses all of the things that matter when you’re starting high school (boys, friends, status, parents, schoolwork, sports, clothes), it’s primarily a story about friendship, which is a refreshing change from most novels focused on this age group that generally go primarily for romance and horrific life events.
This is a fun, light read that also has some emotional heft, and Ackerman has absolutely nailed the voice of our 14-year-old protagonist.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Five friends all named Brittany experience all the joy and terror of starting high school in an affluent community in South Florida.
Unlike in most coming of age books, the Brittanys (our focus is primarily on two of them, best friends since fourth grade) lives are, well, pretty normal. There are no great tragedies, horrific events, or other such catastrophes to endure.
Instead the Brittanys must navigate all the real-life events that occur at this age that *feel* momentous and often catastrophic to us all as we experience them.
I really like books about teens that focus on “regular” kids like these, as they’re a bit difficult to find. They’re far more relatable and less filled with the kind of drama that I don’t care for in novels centered around this age group.
I also liked that while the book encompasses all of the things that matter when you’re starting high school (boys, friends, status, parents, schoolwork, sports, clothes), it’s primarily a story about friendship, which is a refreshing change from most novels focused on this age group that generally go primarily for romance and horrific life events.
This is a fun, light read that also has some emotional heft, and Ackerman has absolutely nailed the voice of our 14-year-old protagonist.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
August 19, 2021
ehhhh this just wasn’t for me. to be honest I thought this was supposed to be abt like culty mean girls and not just completely normal growing up stuff. which is my fault bc apparently I completely made that up but I’m still disappointed. any time I read a book that involves horny teenagers in just like :/ why am I doing this. I was the least horny teen of all time I just can’t relate!!!
also this book did one thing I actually hated which was at seemingly random parts there would be an italicized section, sometimes very short sometimes quite long, that was the narrator looking back 15yrs later and like… giving her perspective? or pondering what had changed? and it just felt very weird and it didn’t do much for me.
also this book did one thing I actually hated which was at seemingly random parts there would be an italicized section, sometimes very short sometimes quite long, that was the narrator looking back 15yrs later and like… giving her perspective? or pondering what had changed? and it just felt very weird and it didn’t do much for me.
June 23, 2021
Brittany Ackerman is my spirit animal and I felt this story in my bones. As I was reading my Kindle kept warning me that it was going to die. And it did, right after I highlighted the last sentence in the author’s note. Fate.
This the story of the Brittanys--but it is especially the story of Jensen and the unnamed narrator--and their navigation through freshman year. This story spoke to my soul and brought back so many feelings, so many memories and I highlighted line after line after line.
"We're girls and we want what girls want, have what girls have, do what girls do."
"We've got that small freedom, and we're riding with it, until we both, inevitably, get into trouble."
"Sometimes it feels like no one is watching us, the way we find ourselves in spots to make our own decisions. But it also feels like we're too young to do so, even though it's all we want...."
"Parties are happening everywhere. Girls are fighting, getting their hearts broken, and doing all the things they're not supposed to do."
Honestly this book just felt like a love letter to my teenage self. The writing was beautiful and magical and reminded me of how very hard it is to be fifteen.
This the story of the Brittanys--but it is especially the story of Jensen and the unnamed narrator--and their navigation through freshman year. This story spoke to my soul and brought back so many feelings, so many memories and I highlighted line after line after line.
"We're girls and we want what girls want, have what girls have, do what girls do."
"We've got that small freedom, and we're riding with it, until we both, inevitably, get into trouble."
"Sometimes it feels like no one is watching us, the way we find ourselves in spots to make our own decisions. But it also feels like we're too young to do so, even though it's all we want...."
"Parties are happening everywhere. Girls are fighting, getting their hearts broken, and doing all the things they're not supposed to do."
Honestly this book just felt like a love letter to my teenage self. The writing was beautiful and magical and reminded me of how very hard it is to be fifteen.
December 28, 2021
“We could talk forever, if only someone would let us” (254).
***Spoilers included***
I’m not sure who the target demographic is for this book. I assume it’s people who were teens in 2004, but the simplistic writing style was not compelling for adult audiences, and it’s definitely dated to appeal to younger audiences. I definitely didn’t hate it, but I can see why this book generated contrasting reviews.
The plot centers around a girl named Brittany who is in a group of female friends with four other Brittanys, a Kenzie, and a Leigh. The book spans their freshman year of high school in 2004 and issues they have between each other (and the main character’s issues in her family with her druggie brother, absentee father who flies to NY for work, and mother who is just trying to help her). The main character (I’ll call her Brittany since every other Brittany is described with her last name) mainly is super forward with boys and hopes to lose her virginity at 14/15.
When reading, I was at first excited because it reminded me of the Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. Those books basically just followed everyday things that happened to Alice and her friends, although those books were more innocent overall. I didn’t mind that Ackerman basically just listed events over the course of a year, but it did feel like a freshman girl was listing her day in a journal (without the journal entry style) and I wish it had felt more like Curtis Sittenfeld’s Prep, which has the adult Lee reflecting on the events with her adult lens. While Ackerman does have the adult Brittany add some “afterward” areas in italics, they are sporadic and only serve to tell readers blips of what happened to the characters later on without deeper meaning.
I was also confused with the plot because the narrator is so devoid of emotion and out-of-touch with herself. Paired with isolated events that span an entire year, I did not see why Brittany wasn’t more hurt when she and her best friend quit talking, or Milo ignored her at the party. Although the author shares the first name as the protagonist, she wrote that the plot is fiction, so I am not sure why she chose not to develop it more.
A highlight was the nostalgia. I liked seeing shows like Bug Juice mentioned, clothes lacey tank tops, Birkenstock slides (that I never wore; they were always hideous), instant messenger, the hair straighteners, etc. Unfortunately, Ackerman basically just threw them in instead of explaining them so readers of different times could visualize them effectively or spend more time with them. I also wish Ackerman had spent more time with her nostalgic details because some of them were really off. No one said “Same.” as a reply in 2004 (45). That’s a really current phrase and lazy of Ackerman to leave that in. Also, no one was drawing Xs on their hands to be “straight edge” until much later. Still, there were some nostalgic bits that spoke to me. I loved “Cool Rider” from Grease 2 in middle school, likely because that movie and the first ran on cable constantly and I really thought it was a depiction of high school instead of old people playing teens for awhile. I also hated when people called soda “pop” (134). Ackerman also captured the disturbing attitude of early 2000 young adults towards the environment briefly: “Maybe your children or grandchildren will have to endure the demise of society and the world as we know it, but most likely not you” (13)
I definitely felt little empathy for Brittany since she was a privileged Jewish girl in Florida. Her whines come from being “dragged” to the Bahamas each year (173), or because an asshole friend like Jensen gets to be alone in her house all the time. Ackerman has this weird italic area where she talks about how Brittany didn’t realize how rich they all were and privileged until much later, but then doesn’t develop that at all and has most of them go on to lead decent lives. I wonder if her editor told her that it came off as insensitive and she threw that in there to appease the editor.
I love that Brittany’s mom hired a driving teacher because she refused to tolerate her bratty, lying daughter’s attitude anymore! But Brittany’s mom, like all of the other parents in the book, sucks. I was floored at how permissive they all were. Ackerman states in an interview that she wanted people to think about whether the girls were internalizing punishment because their parents didn’t punish them, but I think they were mainly unphased and chased dick.
There is definitely a sadness in this book too, though, with how pressured the girls are to grow up. The girls waiting on Jensen’s mom to read them the Christmas story (98) was one of the saddest scenes. My closest female friends were in middle school and ninth grade, and after that, I had larger groups of friends with less depth. I reflect on the closeness we all had before guys were really in the picture at times. Also, the excuses girls make about growing up to be cruel was on point, like Jensen saying the balloon birthday thing was stupid after everyone recieved theirs except Brittany.
I also thought the interaction with Amber was really realistic. I had moments where I would connect briefly with someone I’d never spoken to before and would see a different side of them, then we would go about our lives, but it would stay with me.
At first, I felt like the obsession with sex was unrealistic for 2004. I was in high school in 2004 and the only girls who were open about having sex were slut shamed; however, my sister is younger than me and definitely went to high school during a time where girls were more open about sex, so maybe it is accuratr for a freshman in 2004.
Final thoughts:
No one would read The Outsiders in high school Honors English. It’s known to be the first YA book ever, and Brittany would be reading something on a higher reading level, especially at a private school; however, I did like her creative spin on her essay and that her teacher gave her an A for it.
***Spoilers included***
I’m not sure who the target demographic is for this book. I assume it’s people who were teens in 2004, but the simplistic writing style was not compelling for adult audiences, and it’s definitely dated to appeal to younger audiences. I definitely didn’t hate it, but I can see why this book generated contrasting reviews.
The plot centers around a girl named Brittany who is in a group of female friends with four other Brittanys, a Kenzie, and a Leigh. The book spans their freshman year of high school in 2004 and issues they have between each other (and the main character’s issues in her family with her druggie brother, absentee father who flies to NY for work, and mother who is just trying to help her). The main character (I’ll call her Brittany since every other Brittany is described with her last name) mainly is super forward with boys and hopes to lose her virginity at 14/15.
When reading, I was at first excited because it reminded me of the Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. Those books basically just followed everyday things that happened to Alice and her friends, although those books were more innocent overall. I didn’t mind that Ackerman basically just listed events over the course of a year, but it did feel like a freshman girl was listing her day in a journal (without the journal entry style) and I wish it had felt more like Curtis Sittenfeld’s Prep, which has the adult Lee reflecting on the events with her adult lens. While Ackerman does have the adult Brittany add some “afterward” areas in italics, they are sporadic and only serve to tell readers blips of what happened to the characters later on without deeper meaning.
I was also confused with the plot because the narrator is so devoid of emotion and out-of-touch with herself. Paired with isolated events that span an entire year, I did not see why Brittany wasn’t more hurt when she and her best friend quit talking, or Milo ignored her at the party. Although the author shares the first name as the protagonist, she wrote that the plot is fiction, so I am not sure why she chose not to develop it more.
A highlight was the nostalgia. I liked seeing shows like Bug Juice mentioned, clothes lacey tank tops, Birkenstock slides (that I never wore; they were always hideous), instant messenger, the hair straighteners, etc. Unfortunately, Ackerman basically just threw them in instead of explaining them so readers of different times could visualize them effectively or spend more time with them. I also wish Ackerman had spent more time with her nostalgic details because some of them were really off. No one said “Same.” as a reply in 2004 (45). That’s a really current phrase and lazy of Ackerman to leave that in. Also, no one was drawing Xs on their hands to be “straight edge” until much later. Still, there were some nostalgic bits that spoke to me. I loved “Cool Rider” from Grease 2 in middle school, likely because that movie and the first ran on cable constantly and I really thought it was a depiction of high school instead of old people playing teens for awhile. I also hated when people called soda “pop” (134). Ackerman also captured the disturbing attitude of early 2000 young adults towards the environment briefly: “Maybe your children or grandchildren will have to endure the demise of society and the world as we know it, but most likely not you” (13)
I definitely felt little empathy for Brittany since she was a privileged Jewish girl in Florida. Her whines come from being “dragged” to the Bahamas each year (173), or because an asshole friend like Jensen gets to be alone in her house all the time. Ackerman has this weird italic area where she talks about how Brittany didn’t realize how rich they all were and privileged until much later, but then doesn’t develop that at all and has most of them go on to lead decent lives. I wonder if her editor told her that it came off as insensitive and she threw that in there to appease the editor.
I love that Brittany’s mom hired a driving teacher because she refused to tolerate her bratty, lying daughter’s attitude anymore! But Brittany’s mom, like all of the other parents in the book, sucks. I was floored at how permissive they all were. Ackerman states in an interview that she wanted people to think about whether the girls were internalizing punishment because their parents didn’t punish them, but I think they were mainly unphased and chased dick.
There is definitely a sadness in this book too, though, with how pressured the girls are to grow up. The girls waiting on Jensen’s mom to read them the Christmas story (98) was one of the saddest scenes. My closest female friends were in middle school and ninth grade, and after that, I had larger groups of friends with less depth. I reflect on the closeness we all had before guys were really in the picture at times. Also, the excuses girls make about growing up to be cruel was on point, like Jensen saying the balloon birthday thing was stupid after everyone recieved theirs except Brittany.
I also thought the interaction with Amber was really realistic. I had moments where I would connect briefly with someone I’d never spoken to before and would see a different side of them, then we would go about our lives, but it would stay with me.
At first, I felt like the obsession with sex was unrealistic for 2004. I was in high school in 2004 and the only girls who were open about having sex were slut shamed; however, my sister is younger than me and definitely went to high school during a time where girls were more open about sex, so maybe it is accuratr for a freshman in 2004.
Final thoughts:
No one would read The Outsiders in high school Honors English. It’s known to be the first YA book ever, and Brittany would be reading something on a higher reading level, especially at a private school; however, I did like her creative spin on her essay and that her teacher gave her an A for it.
July 16, 2021
“They're not the most popular freshmen at their Florida prep school, but at least everyone knows their name(s). The Brittanys. “ A novel that captures what it is to be a teenage girl and all the life changing events that shape you.
Thoughts: Do you remember 9th grade? I do, like it was yesterday. Ackerman captures the incandescent and hilarity of growing up a teenager in 2004. With impassive and uncompromising prose, she puts her heart on her sleeve with discipline and honesty.
I really enjoyed the “future” passages where she provides future insight to minor/major characters adding a personal touch which my curious brain appreciated. I just really felt all of her emotions as I too, went through all of the things she did. It felt like listening to my childhood self and friends talk (minus the Uber rich factor as well as everything being done for me) about the experiences and situations they faced. Being young is tough. This shows you all the growing pains teenage girls have.
Thoughts: Do you remember 9th grade? I do, like it was yesterday. Ackerman captures the incandescent and hilarity of growing up a teenager in 2004. With impassive and uncompromising prose, she puts her heart on her sleeve with discipline and honesty.
I really enjoyed the “future” passages where she provides future insight to minor/major characters adding a personal touch which my curious brain appreciated. I just really felt all of her emotions as I too, went through all of the things she did. It felt like listening to my childhood self and friends talk (minus the Uber rich factor as well as everything being done for me) about the experiences and situations they faced. Being young is tough. This shows you all the growing pains teenage girls have.
July 31, 2021
I saw parts of myself not so much in the content, but in the feeling of this book. We follow the character’s discovery of herself in the context of her early high school environment, ever-changing in its definition of what’s cool and acceptable and okay, at a time when all that stuff really mattered.
There’s a lot of privilege in here — though there’s a self-awareness of that, which I think is pretty tough to pull off given that most of the narration comes from a 14ish-year-old girl who doesn’t realize she’s privileged, hasn’t grown up and left her bubble yet. Themes of depression, anxiety, and loneliness still ring true throughout.
The book is super absorbing and I thought it was a fun summer read. It balanced deep heart and sincerity with pop culture references that made me laugh. Nostalgic high school shit just hits different for me :’)
There’s a lot of privilege in here — though there’s a self-awareness of that, which I think is pretty tough to pull off given that most of the narration comes from a 14ish-year-old girl who doesn’t realize she’s privileged, hasn’t grown up and left her bubble yet. Themes of depression, anxiety, and loneliness still ring true throughout.
The book is super absorbing and I thought it was a fun summer read. It balanced deep heart and sincerity with pop culture references that made me laugh. Nostalgic high school shit just hits different for me :’)
April 29, 2024
There isn’t a lot of story here but I was also in early high school in the early 2000s so I enjoyed that aspect.
April 23, 2021
4.5 Stars
April 21, 2021
The Brittanys was like stepping back into my preteen/teenage years. The smell of Victoria’s Secret PINK body spray cannot escape my brain but this book provided a sweet step into memory lane. This novel kept me captivated and reminded me of a life that I once lived.
Our book opens up by diving into the relationship between Brittany and Jensen. We really get to see the closeness of two teenage girls and what it’s like to have your one best friend. But with the same breath, Ackerman displays how quickly life for a teenager goes. Hormones are flooding teenage brains at such a rate that yesterday’s drama can feel like it was light years away. The pacing is fast but overall quite enjoyable.
The only things that stood out to me were the italicized inserts of a later Brittany reflecting upon these moments. They seemed a bit random but did provide some closure however they could have executed differently. The dialogue was also odd at moments. Teens aren’t known for their riveting conversations but sometimes the conversations between characters were just very one-lined and silly.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to someone who is looking for a taste of overly perfumed 2000’s nostalgia. I definitely got a mature The Clique meets Pretty Little Liars (without the murder) vibes, and I loved it.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY FOR LETTING ME READ THIS NOVEL IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.
Our book opens up by diving into the relationship between Brittany and Jensen. We really get to see the closeness of two teenage girls and what it’s like to have your one best friend. But with the same breath, Ackerman displays how quickly life for a teenager goes. Hormones are flooding teenage brains at such a rate that yesterday’s drama can feel like it was light years away. The pacing is fast but overall quite enjoyable.
The only things that stood out to me were the italicized inserts of a later Brittany reflecting upon these moments. They seemed a bit random but did provide some closure however they could have executed differently. The dialogue was also odd at moments. Teens aren’t known for their riveting conversations but sometimes the conversations between characters were just very one-lined and silly.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to someone who is looking for a taste of overly perfumed 2000’s nostalgia. I definitely got a mature The Clique meets Pretty Little Liars (without the murder) vibes, and I loved it.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY FOR LETTING ME READ THIS NOVEL IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.
November 20, 2022
this book is for the big ole nostalgia freaks like me. if you grew up in the late 90s/early 2000s, i think you'll relate to this book. my upbringing was not nearly as affluent as the brittany's was. however, the friendship dynamics, the questions about drugs and alcohol, boys, school, etc. was very relatable to me.
now—the characters have very heteronormative experiences and have immense financial and racial privilege. i made the personal choice to move past this because the novel felt more like a memoir to me than pure fiction. it seems like this story was the authors' experience or close to it. she also acknowledges her privilege in the book, as an aside, which was helpful.
my biggest issue with the book is the cover and the marketing. it seems like a YA book but it's hardly YA. only in the character's literal ages. other than that, it's definitely more for those of us in our 30s who experienced high school in the aughts.
overall, i loved this book. it made me laugh out loud a ton, it made me cringe and brought me back to an incredibly awkward, anxious, sometimes very fun time in my life.
now—the characters have very heteronormative experiences and have immense financial and racial privilege. i made the personal choice to move past this because the novel felt more like a memoir to me than pure fiction. it seems like this story was the authors' experience or close to it. she also acknowledges her privilege in the book, as an aside, which was helpful.
my biggest issue with the book is the cover and the marketing. it seems like a YA book but it's hardly YA. only in the character's literal ages. other than that, it's definitely more for those of us in our 30s who experienced high school in the aughts.
overall, i loved this book. it made me laugh out loud a ton, it made me cringe and brought me back to an incredibly awkward, anxious, sometimes very fun time in my life.
June 9, 2021
This isn't technically bad but there was nothing I enjoyed about it. The characters were too young. And incredibly annoying (but not only because they were young). Entirely forgettable. I skimmed parts because I was so bored. It was a complete waste of my time.
*Thank you Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.*
*Thank you Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.*
June 16, 2021
There is so much to love about The Brittanys. I flew through this book in just a few hours and could not put it down. I didn’t grow up in the same place, circles, lifestyle as this group of teens, but I found myself enthralled by their antics anyway. A collective of girls who share the same namesake are drawn together through the typical workings of high school, and this book follows them through the eyes of one Brittany as she discovers herself—learning who she imagines herself to be, how others see her, and who she really truly becomes by the end of the novel. The two “main” Brittanys (narrator and Jensen) share an unrivaled bond, and it becomes clear from page one that this friendship is something special.
Ackerman does an excellent job of pacing this novel. Each interaction bleeds into the next party, the next hangout, the next adventure between these two best (but wildly different) friends and the other Brittanys of their high school class. Interestingly, Ackerman layers in a post-teen voice that gives the reader a further heightened sense of nostalgia. We learn about the Brittanys in their future as well as their shared pasts, which is something so rarely done in such a successful way (no page breaks, no new chapter with a new POV, simply there and ready for the reader to consume).
But what shines the most for me in this book is that in real life we may see groups exactly like the Brittanys, teenage girls experimenting with makeup, hairstyles, fashion, drugs, alcohol, their bodies, their sexualities, and be so quick to unfairly judge. The Brittanys gives a window into the realities of living the experience—the anxiety of lying to our parents, the anticipation of seeing a crush the next day at school, the worry over breaking up with a friend and maybe never getting things back to the way they were before, the desperation of wanting to be grown up, and the fear of doing it all too soon. There is more to The Brittanys than just high school, boys, and makeup. It’s a coming of age novel, a nostalgic flashback to the early 2000s, and a revelation that just because we dress up and act mature does not always mean we’re ready for the real world. Brittany Ackerman is a skilled and dedicated writer who will continue to do brilliant things. I can’t wait to read more!
Ackerman does an excellent job of pacing this novel. Each interaction bleeds into the next party, the next hangout, the next adventure between these two best (but wildly different) friends and the other Brittanys of their high school class. Interestingly, Ackerman layers in a post-teen voice that gives the reader a further heightened sense of nostalgia. We learn about the Brittanys in their future as well as their shared pasts, which is something so rarely done in such a successful way (no page breaks, no new chapter with a new POV, simply there and ready for the reader to consume).
But what shines the most for me in this book is that in real life we may see groups exactly like the Brittanys, teenage girls experimenting with makeup, hairstyles, fashion, drugs, alcohol, their bodies, their sexualities, and be so quick to unfairly judge. The Brittanys gives a window into the realities of living the experience—the anxiety of lying to our parents, the anticipation of seeing a crush the next day at school, the worry over breaking up with a friend and maybe never getting things back to the way they were before, the desperation of wanting to be grown up, and the fear of doing it all too soon. There is more to The Brittanys than just high school, boys, and makeup. It’s a coming of age novel, a nostalgic flashback to the early 2000s, and a revelation that just because we dress up and act mature does not always mean we’re ready for the real world. Brittany Ackerman is a skilled and dedicated writer who will continue to do brilliant things. I can’t wait to read more!
June 17, 2021
Q: Do you like to read more than one book at once?
__
The Brittanys
Brittany Ackerman
#arcreview
Pub Date: 6/15/21
__
This is a coming of age story of a group of girls from West Florida who were bonded in elementary school by sharing the same name. This book explores so much of the drama, sex and relationships, evolutions of friendships and falling out of them from high.
I feel like I was looking in a mirror throughout this book. I made so many of these mistakes and did these silly things to get boys to like me or look at me.
I admit it took me well into my 20s to stop.
I felt like this was me growing up in Napa having my group but trying to fit in everywhere and trying everything. Omg I even had someone walk up to me and call me a whore. I did not know he was dating her! High school is rough add in raging hormones, peer pressure, drugs, sex, oh ya I guess homework, it gets way harder.
Honestly I think high school is a social test that is designed to torture or turn you into a narcissist. Just a thesis I have been working on.
My in-laws live in Boynton Beach and when we visit we travel all around so I can envision these mini mansions and all these places described not to mention all the references to the brands from the 2000s.
This is a definitely nostalgic blast back to the early 2000s.
Thank you @vintageanchorbooks and @netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫
__
The Brittanys
Brittany Ackerman
#arcreview
Pub Date: 6/15/21
__
This is a coming of age story of a group of girls from West Florida who were bonded in elementary school by sharing the same name. This book explores so much of the drama, sex and relationships, evolutions of friendships and falling out of them from high.
I feel like I was looking in a mirror throughout this book. I made so many of these mistakes and did these silly things to get boys to like me or look at me.
I admit it took me well into my 20s to stop.
I felt like this was me growing up in Napa having my group but trying to fit in everywhere and trying everything. Omg I even had someone walk up to me and call me a whore. I did not know he was dating her! High school is rough add in raging hormones, peer pressure, drugs, sex, oh ya I guess homework, it gets way harder.
Honestly I think high school is a social test that is designed to torture or turn you into a narcissist. Just a thesis I have been working on.
My in-laws live in Boynton Beach and when we visit we travel all around so I can envision these mini mansions and all these places described not to mention all the references to the brands from the 2000s.
This is a definitely nostalgic blast back to the early 2000s.
Thank you @vintageanchorbooks and @netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫
March 13, 2024
The Brittanys really missed the mark for me. From the title, cover, and synopsis, I thought this was going to be an interesting coming-of-age novel set in the 90s, which sounds like it would be right up my alley. I guess it was a coming-of-age novel set in the 90s, but it was not interesting in any way. This felt like a story that did not need to be told. It was just a bunch of privileged, unlikeable white teenagers who do nothing but date boys and wonder when they will get their periods. I understand that the narrator was a high school student, but I hate that this novel portrays teen girls as nothing but boy crazy high schoolers with absolutely no emotional depth. By the end of the book, the only character development that the Brittanys experience is that they start having sex and smoking weed. The narrator truly believes shopping at Sephora and dating is what it means to be mature and she never grows past that. It's pointless and kind of infuriating. If you want an interesting slice-of-life novel about girls growing up, skip this one and read Dogs of Summer by Andrea Abreu.
June 30, 2021
Perfect summer read! Few books have stirred up nostalgia to this level. This one was a slower read for me as I stopped multiple times and let the scenes and feelings sit with me for a day or two. This allowed memories and (even more so) feelings about being a preteen/teen in the early 2000s to emerge. You didn’t have to have gone to a prep school, been popular, or even have known 5 Brittanys to have felt your inner teen heart. The feelings of growing , changing, discovering who you are in the world are universal at that age. We all had family or friends that we clung to for dear life, who were vital to us then. Some are still by my side, some I haven’t even spoken to in the past decade. Its humbling and emotionally freeing to be able to look back on that time with the perspective I have now. Thanks Brittany for conjuring some magic that even made me dream of days at the mall with friends again :)
October 13, 2021
I’ll be honest, the whole way through this book I was reading solely for the nostalgic vibes—but it was great for that. Like most books where an adult is writing from the perspective of someone younger, the narrative voice felt a little off at times. Considering this was apparently a memoir in novel form, perhaps it was even more inevitable that the teen narrator would feel a little too self-aware to be convincing. Still, the book brought me back to the mid-2000s and what it felt like to be a 14 or 15 year old girl (I think the author must be only a few years older than me) so for that it was a fun read. In a weird way, it actually kind of reminded me of reading Lisi Harrison’s The Clique series when I was younger. Without the nostalgic connections though, I don’t think this book would’ve done anything for me.
February 6, 2024
I liked The Brittanys. This slice of life novel does not have a compelling plot. However, I found it easily readable and very enjoyable. I think it’s because of the nostalgia. Brittany is one of five Brittanys in her class. It was the most popular name of her time. This book is about the main character learning about herself, her friends, and boys. She goes to house parties, fights with her girlfriends, and gets hot and heavy with some young men . I forgot how heady that time period can be. She also struggles with her family relationships, specifically, her mother and older brother. I would recommend this book to other women to relive the innocence and stupidity of youth, between the covers of a book.
October 10, 2021
Pointless. I only stuck it out to see if anything happened.
Nothing happened.
The only redeeming feature was that the writer created a strong sense of place. But any millennial writer should be able to do that.
The characters were mostly awful but the awfulness didn't go far enough. the weird italicised perspective didn't add anything. there weren't even really five distinct Brittanys. there is main character Brittany and her bully bff whose story goes nowhere and the other Brittanys just float around doing nothing.
total waste of time
Nothing happened.
The only redeeming feature was that the writer created a strong sense of place. But any millennial writer should be able to do that.
The characters were mostly awful but the awfulness didn't go far enough. the weird italicised perspective didn't add anything. there weren't even really five distinct Brittanys. there is main character Brittany and her bully bff whose story goes nowhere and the other Brittanys just float around doing nothing.
total waste of time
June 4, 2021
One of most hotly anticipated and hyped novels this summer is debut author, Brittany Ackerman's, THE BRITTANYS (Vintage). You'll find yourself looking back to those high school years and literally cringing ... in a good way?
Remember how important it was to be in the most popular clique? I do. In ninth-grade it was who you are and in THE BRITTANYS they're not the most popular freshmen at their Florida prep school, but at least everyone knows their name(s). The Brittanys.
Brittany Rosenberg: drives her golf cart around her subdivision to meet boys.
Brittany Gottlieb: insists you can't lose your virginity if you haven't gotten your period. (She heard it somewhere!)
Brittany Tomassi: is from New York.
Brittany Jensen: once threw her tampon into a stranger's swimming pool. A brash, bold, unapologetic tomboy. And the greatest person in the whole wide world.
At least as far as the fifth Brittany--our narrator--is concerned. Even within their friend group, she and Jensen are a duo: with their matching JanSport backpacks, Tiffany chokers, and Victoria's Secret push-up bras, they are unstoppable. And now that they're finally growing up, they're going to do everything: dye their hair, attend no-parent parties, try pot . . . maybe even lose their virginities. 2004 is totally going to be their year!
But as is with friendships in ninth grade, they come and go. Your bestest, best friend today, may be just a memory tomorrow. Sometimes perspective from afar is the best way to find out what is important and real.
Ackerman's novel took me back all those many years to ninth grade when everything was SO important. The here and now was ALL that was relevant. Boys, clothes were all we thought about and much hasn't changed. Ackerman's novel for me was a blessing to realize I'm so way over that crap.
Remember how important it was to be in the most popular clique? I do. In ninth-grade it was who you are and in THE BRITTANYS they're not the most popular freshmen at their Florida prep school, but at least everyone knows their name(s). The Brittanys.
Brittany Rosenberg: drives her golf cart around her subdivision to meet boys.
Brittany Gottlieb: insists you can't lose your virginity if you haven't gotten your period. (She heard it somewhere!)
Brittany Tomassi: is from New York.
Brittany Jensen: once threw her tampon into a stranger's swimming pool. A brash, bold, unapologetic tomboy. And the greatest person in the whole wide world.
At least as far as the fifth Brittany--our narrator--is concerned. Even within their friend group, she and Jensen are a duo: with their matching JanSport backpacks, Tiffany chokers, and Victoria's Secret push-up bras, they are unstoppable. And now that they're finally growing up, they're going to do everything: dye their hair, attend no-parent parties, try pot . . . maybe even lose their virginities. 2004 is totally going to be their year!
But as is with friendships in ninth grade, they come and go. Your bestest, best friend today, may be just a memory tomorrow. Sometimes perspective from afar is the best way to find out what is important and real.
Ackerman's novel took me back all those many years to ninth grade when everything was SO important. The here and now was ALL that was relevant. Boys, clothes were all we thought about and much hasn't changed. Ackerman's novel for me was a blessing to realize I'm so way over that crap.
June 8, 2021
I absolutely felt like I was back in high school and I kind of loved it. It was super nostalgic feeling, especially with the friend group dynamics (ours, thankfully, were a lot less dramatic). I love the cover. I loved the writing. Brittany Ackerman is officially on a list of authors I will read more from. Love her so much! This book was EVERYTHING.
July 1, 2021
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
In terms of readability this book was great, but I just didn't care about the characters. Maybe if I weren't so far removed from my high school days? I think the author did a great job of capturing the fears and emotions that come along with being in high school. The friend drama, the boy/girl drama, etc. And even though the characters were affluent I didn't feel like that overshadowed the overall story presented. So I would say that if the book piques you interest then pick it up and read it, but I wouldn't go out of my way to tell people they have to pick it up.
In terms of readability this book was great, but I just didn't care about the characters. Maybe if I weren't so far removed from my high school days? I think the author did a great job of capturing the fears and emotions that come along with being in high school. The friend drama, the boy/girl drama, etc. And even though the characters were affluent I didn't feel like that overshadowed the overall story presented. So I would say that if the book piques you interest then pick it up and read it, but I wouldn't go out of my way to tell people they have to pick it up.
March 22, 2021
Review coming in Booklist!
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