What do you think?
Rate this book
Confessions of a Not It Girl
Jan Miller is a senior in high school who’s convinced she is destined to lead the world’s least fabulous life. Her college application deadlines are looming and her French homework is taunting her. And she never seems to say the right thing around guys, unlike her best It Girl friend who knows the moves and lines to catch an older, adorable, sophisticated boyfriend. But Jan’s about to learn that in life and romance, being a Not It Girl has some major rewards.
256 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2004
43 people are currently reading
1988 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews
April 16, 2019
"...but why would I bother to have preferences in the real world when my fantasy life demanded so much attention?"I've been wanting to read something light and fluffy to deflect an incoming slump AND THIS BABY CONVENIENTLY POPS UP!
Confessions of a Not It Girl is a funny narrative of Jan's life, (pronounced "Yahn" like Jan Van Eyck) a self-deprecating teenager who's mostly in love with the idea of love than what love really is. She's insecure with her physique but is also pretty confident and snarky in some ways. I laughed out loud most of the time while reading this in one sitting. I really really enjoyed it and I find myself guffawing whenever she goes autopilot with every encounter with her crush. For a pretty outspoken girl, her loud mouth can't seem to function that well in these crucial times. To be honest, there really is nothing special or life changing with this book. It's just really relatable and I think that's reason enough for me to like this. (Which probably reflects my somber love life and my ridiculous attempts to have one)
I enjoyed Jan's monologues and her highly implausible fantasies. I read this swiftly and I'll definitely reread this when I need a palate cleanser XD This is now a favorite book of mine!
October 27, 2007
ugh. i slogged through this simply because i'm almost physically unable to give up on a book once i start, and i kept thinking, "it has to get better than this. seriously."
unfortunately, no. the main character is annoying as hell, her best friend is a carbon copy of every other new york-based YA/chicklit socialite, and there isn't even any real interesting growth going on. not to mention, my guilty pleasures are those name-dropping chicklit books, and this only really referenced shopping at barney's with your mom's amex, which really, is so passe these days. the romance is lackluster, the way the character sometimes thinks in stage directions and scenes was possibly meant to be clever, but is just plain annoying.
save your time. read something else.
unfortunately, no. the main character is annoying as hell, her best friend is a carbon copy of every other new york-based YA/chicklit socialite, and there isn't even any real interesting growth going on. not to mention, my guilty pleasures are those name-dropping chicklit books, and this only really referenced shopping at barney's with your mom's amex, which really, is so passe these days. the romance is lackluster, the way the character sometimes thinks in stage directions and scenes was possibly meant to be clever, but is just plain annoying.
save your time. read something else.
April 23, 2015
For the love of cheese why?! I honestly wanted to chuck my Kindle into a pool of toxic acid while I read this. Is common sense and communication dead? I didn't like how the characters were portrayed. The only thing I liked was when Jan got rejected by the nerd. I guess the book just isn't for me.
April 5, 2007
CONFESSIONS OF A NOT IT GIRL follows the story of Jan Miller and her misadventures in and out of love on the high school scene. She is your typical boy-crazy girl who may be more in love with love than any actual boy she meets. But then again, she is young. She has all the time in the world to mature and learn some hard lessons. I really liked Confessions of A Not It Girl. It was funny. It was entertaining. It was just so right in that light-hearted m&m's way. The book's central focus is on whether or not Jan can get the guy. The guy in question: Josh. Josh is the stepbrother of a little girl she babysits. He's also in her English class which prompts this:
Only that morning Mr. Kryle had been my favorite teacher and English my favorite subject, especially since we had just finished reading Romeo and Juliet, which, only that morning had been my favorite play. English stopped being my favorite subject, Mr. Kryle stopped being my favorite teacher, and Romeo and Juliet stopped being my favorite play at approximately 10:56 AM eastern standard time, which is when Mr. Kryle ruined my life by calling me up to the front of the room to act out the last scene in the play, the one where Romeo finds Juliet sleeping in the tomb and thinks she's dead (14).
When Josh is cast as Romeo, Jan might have looked a little too eager to be kissed. Which is why I not only need to change English classes but most enroll in the government's witness protection plan immediately (17).
After a dozen or so similar missteps, it's easy to see why Jan thinks her love life is doomed. But could love be just around the corner? Could she be misreading the signs and signals of guys in her life? Can she finally figure out this thing called love before graduating from high school?
Only that morning Mr. Kryle had been my favorite teacher and English my favorite subject, especially since we had just finished reading Romeo and Juliet, which, only that morning had been my favorite play. English stopped being my favorite subject, Mr. Kryle stopped being my favorite teacher, and Romeo and Juliet stopped being my favorite play at approximately 10:56 AM eastern standard time, which is when Mr. Kryle ruined my life by calling me up to the front of the room to act out the last scene in the play, the one where Romeo finds Juliet sleeping in the tomb and thinks she's dead (14).
When Josh is cast as Romeo, Jan might have looked a little too eager to be kissed. Which is why I not only need to change English classes but most enroll in the government's witness protection plan immediately (17).
After a dozen or so similar missteps, it's easy to see why Jan thinks her love life is doomed. But could love be just around the corner? Could she be misreading the signs and signals of guys in her life? Can she finally figure out this thing called love before graduating from high school?
April 8, 2013
Confessions of a Not It Girl by Melissa Kantor was a very good book. Its about a girl named Yuan(she pronounces Jan), who's a senior in high school that happens to have a best friend who's a rich model. The whole book talks about her crushes, complicated life as a senior, and tells her story of being a not it girl. The message of the book is that you need to try to be the best you can be.
My favorite character in the book is her crush Josh because of his personality. He stands up for what he believes in and its obvious why Yuan likes him a lot. I do think the author intended in the reader liking Josh, but it was more of a personal reaction to me liking him a lot. I feel this way because I feel the main character in this book is the senior version of me.
I would recommend this book! My thoughts on it are very positive. I would most likely recommend it to someone that's a girl, and can take a good joke. I wouldn't recommend to a boy because he probably wont get the jokes, because its set in a girls point of view and lets get real boys aren't to well at understanding girls and what we think. I think you should go read it now because it has a REALLY good ending!
My favorite character in the book is her crush Josh because of his personality. He stands up for what he believes in and its obvious why Yuan likes him a lot. I do think the author intended in the reader liking Josh, but it was more of a personal reaction to me liking him a lot. I feel this way because I feel the main character in this book is the senior version of me.
I would recommend this book! My thoughts on it are very positive. I would most likely recommend it to someone that's a girl, and can take a good joke. I wouldn't recommend to a boy because he probably wont get the jokes, because its set in a girls point of view and lets get real boys aren't to well at understanding girls and what we think. I think you should go read it now because it has a REALLY good ending!
July 1, 2008
I read this in a matter of just a couple hours. The only reason I finished it is because I hate not finishing a book. Everything that happened in it was rather lame and the ending was cheesy as all get out. I don't suggest this book to anyone older than junior high.
November 1, 2025
urnebesno smešna knjiga u osnovnoj školi (čak je i moja mama pročitala i stalno citirala i pucala od smeha), ne znam da li bi isto bilo kad bih ponovo pročitala, verovatno ne.
January 13, 2008
Jan (pronounced "Yahn" as in Jan van Eyck) Miller's life is anything but glamorous, especially compared to the life of Rebecca, her bonafide "It Girl" best friend. "Confessions of a Not It Girl," Melissa Kantor's debut novel, follows Jan as she tries to make her mark despite her very non-it-girl life.
That isn't to say Jan's life is rough. A senior at Lawrence Academy in Brooklyn, Jan lives with her parents in their private brownstone and spends weekends gallivanting about town with Rebecca. Jan and her friends have the privilege of the Gossip Girl characters without the catty, soap opera narratives (I imagine, I haven't read any of the Gossip Girl series yet).
Privilege aside, Jan's life is pretty normal for a teenage girl. She's studiously avoiding French class, and college applications while trying to avoid looking like an idiot in front of her newest (possibly biggest) crush, a classmate/neighbor named Josh.
Kantor contrasts Jan's romantic misadventures with Rebecca's new relationship with an older man showing that, no matter what age, guys are confusing and relationships are hard. Rebecca's life serves a similar purpose, counterpointing Jan's to further emphasize that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.
Written from Jan's perspective, Kantor writes in a snappy, youthful voice creating a convincing and usually likable teen narrator. Sometimes, particularly in the latter half of the novel, Jan comes off as whiny and somewhat self-centered, but if readers are honest I suspect most people feel like that now and then. The important thing here is that, by the end of the novel, Jan redeems herself, finding the self-assurance and perspective that she lacked at the beginning of the novel.
The novel always seems authentic without going overboard in its efforts to portray "real" teens. Yes, there is underage drinking here and talk about sex, but Kantor never gives either a stamp of approval. Instead she often looks at them from a unique perspective as with when Jan compares the difference between a high school party and a grown up one (the climax of a high school party obviously comes right before the cops come to shut it down). Kantor's writing about Rebecca's relationship is similarly direct without being risque. Unlike other novels about teens ("The New Rules of High School" or "Rx"), "Confessions of a Not It Girl" is not concerned with being edgy or showing everyone how different things are for modern teenagers. Instead she focuses on the characters and their stories, not on placing them in dramatic or shocking situations.
"Confessions of a Not It Girl" falls into the conventional romantic comedy "Chick Lit" mold. There isn't that much action beyond the scope of Jan's interactions with Rebecca and Josh, but in this case that works. To be fair, the ending might be a bit rushed or cliched, but on some level that's also par for the course with romantic comedies and that works for this novel too.The writing here might not be life-altering, but the novel is a character study of sorts giving what I consider a fairly accurate depiction of a teenage girl (except for the whole brownstone thing perhaps) while creating a fun, light read.
That isn't to say Jan's life is rough. A senior at Lawrence Academy in Brooklyn, Jan lives with her parents in their private brownstone and spends weekends gallivanting about town with Rebecca. Jan and her friends have the privilege of the Gossip Girl characters without the catty, soap opera narratives (I imagine, I haven't read any of the Gossip Girl series yet).
Privilege aside, Jan's life is pretty normal for a teenage girl. She's studiously avoiding French class, and college applications while trying to avoid looking like an idiot in front of her newest (possibly biggest) crush, a classmate/neighbor named Josh.
Kantor contrasts Jan's romantic misadventures with Rebecca's new relationship with an older man showing that, no matter what age, guys are confusing and relationships are hard. Rebecca's life serves a similar purpose, counterpointing Jan's to further emphasize that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.
Written from Jan's perspective, Kantor writes in a snappy, youthful voice creating a convincing and usually likable teen narrator. Sometimes, particularly in the latter half of the novel, Jan comes off as whiny and somewhat self-centered, but if readers are honest I suspect most people feel like that now and then. The important thing here is that, by the end of the novel, Jan redeems herself, finding the self-assurance and perspective that she lacked at the beginning of the novel.
The novel always seems authentic without going overboard in its efforts to portray "real" teens. Yes, there is underage drinking here and talk about sex, but Kantor never gives either a stamp of approval. Instead she often looks at them from a unique perspective as with when Jan compares the difference between a high school party and a grown up one (the climax of a high school party obviously comes right before the cops come to shut it down). Kantor's writing about Rebecca's relationship is similarly direct without being risque. Unlike other novels about teens ("The New Rules of High School" or "Rx"), "Confessions of a Not It Girl" is not concerned with being edgy or showing everyone how different things are for modern teenagers. Instead she focuses on the characters and their stories, not on placing them in dramatic or shocking situations.
"Confessions of a Not It Girl" falls into the conventional romantic comedy "Chick Lit" mold. There isn't that much action beyond the scope of Jan's interactions with Rebecca and Josh, but in this case that works. To be fair, the ending might be a bit rushed or cliched, but on some level that's also par for the course with romantic comedies and that works for this novel too.The writing here might not be life-altering, but the novel is a character study of sorts giving what I consider a fairly accurate depiction of a teenage girl (except for the whole brownstone thing perhaps) while creating a fun, light read.
June 7, 2016
What I like about the plot in "Confessions of a not it girl" is that the person you least expect to be in love with is the person you might end up with. In my opinion it move slowly. The thing I didn't like was when guys were around Jan she didn't know how to act. It was kind off interesting because it explains a lot of interesting things that makes young people in relationship realize that what you least expect is what you end up with. Also it gives us reasons and explanations of how you get when you meet someone for the first time.
My favorite character was the best friend of Jan who was Rebecca. Rebecca was a outgoing girl. Had a boyfriend in college. Wears the hottest trends too. Let's not forget this she been in Magazines. Well Rebecca didn't remind me of no one. I'm a outgoing person when it comes to my boyfriend I like having fun but other than that I can't relate myself to Jan Best friend.
Love= The author teaches us that you gotta realize that falling for someone could be the person you least expect to be with. Inspire us to see the reality of the world. Shows us this through Jan and guys around her...
Student the age 15 and older should read this. I really recommend this book to all the girls because it's going to give them a idea of how love interfere upon guys and they will explore many things.
My favorite character was the best friend of Jan who was Rebecca. Rebecca was a outgoing girl. Had a boyfriend in college. Wears the hottest trends too. Let's not forget this she been in Magazines. Well Rebecca didn't remind me of no one. I'm a outgoing person when it comes to my boyfriend I like having fun but other than that I can't relate myself to Jan Best friend.
Love= The author teaches us that you gotta realize that falling for someone could be the person you least expect to be with. Inspire us to see the reality of the world. Shows us this through Jan and guys around her...
Student the age 15 and older should read this. I really recommend this book to all the girls because it's going to give them a idea of how love interfere upon guys and they will explore many things.
April 16, 2015
“Life would be so much simpler if guys were like mood rings, and they changed color when they liked you.”
She is a regular teenager who is a awkward to her crushes. She was deluded by her fantasies which is all the time. She is so dreamy and assuming which is the worst considering how complicated high school boys are. She is judgmental, materialistic, ungrateful and has the worst timing in the world but despite her thousand flaws I begin to like her. I know that her quality on being mean and indifferent would get back to her and it did in the worse ways. What makes the story long is that they didn't communicate the same language clearly. They keep on assuming that may be this and that will happen. Well, at the end they both had this terrible belief which ruined both of them.
She is a regular teenager who is a awkward to her crushes. She was deluded by her fantasies which is all the time. She is so dreamy and assuming which is the worst considering how complicated high school boys are. She is judgmental, materialistic, ungrateful and has the worst timing in the world but despite her thousand flaws I begin to like her. I know that her quality on being mean and indifferent would get back to her and it did in the worse ways. What makes the story long is that they didn't communicate the same language clearly. They keep on assuming that may be this and that will happen. Well, at the end they both had this terrible belief which ruined both of them.
July 18, 2009
This book was a great way of learning not to rush things with your private lives. I enjoyed this book very much, because I got to imagine and learn how Yahn Miller really liked this guy named Josh who doesn’t recognize her. While she tries to earn his attention, she asked her best friends opinion on how to get him who's an it girl compared to yahn. Finally, as yahn gives up and stops chasing after Josh he goes after her in a heart beat and then they fall in love.
December 12, 2016
Melissa Kantor's "Confessions of a Not It Girl" is a wonderful coming of age novel. The main characters, Jan and Rebecca, are currently best friends and seniors in high school. While filling out endless college applications, they're also managing to balance their love lives, family, and education. I would definitely recommend this book to teenage girls, or anyone who is in the mood for a teenage drama.
July 14, 2010
Confessions of a Not It Girl has an awesome combination of a funny and charming protagonist, laugh-out-loud situations, and a cute but quite stereotypical love interest. I loved Jan and her scripted scenarios, but often times, her obsession over Josh made her unbearably annoying. However, her energy and wit made up for it.
August 19, 2010
Reviewed by Rebecca C.
A girl who is trying to find love but keeps putting herself down because she doesn't have the perfect New York body and her "fairytale" love scene.
The book was interesting because it was relatable because it points out that we all focus on our flaws while other people don't make such a big deal about them.
A girl who is trying to find love but keeps putting herself down because she doesn't have the perfect New York body and her "fairytale" love scene.
The book was interesting because it was relatable because it points out that we all focus on our flaws while other people don't make such a big deal about them.
September 27, 2007
it was a pretty good book, but there was no depth. well i guess what do you expect with a title like that. overall, acceptable
January 3, 2008
Picked this up at the AHS library. Not bad for some of the more "girly" girls. Not too sappy...just a bit.
June 29, 2010
so cute! and its so hilarious i was chuckling the entire time!
August 30, 2021
I mean I know she feeling left out.. 🥺👀
April 7, 2017
Let's step into the world of teenage high school. A girl like Jan is like any regular high school girl. She's awkward, shy, insecure, and has no clue whatsoever about relationships. That's realistic, and so true to what many girls feel like. That is what made me drawn to a character like Jan; her realism.
Of course, not only does her name sound weird like it's from a different era but she is best friends with New York's It Girl which would totally make her more insecure about herself than ever.
Jan's got boy problems. Who doesn't? She's so confused about her feelings. To like or not to like? She has this teenaged girl syndrome about having crushes and changing her mind about who she likes from time to time. The biggest thing that made me lean towards her character was her confusion over her latest crush, Josh. He's so confusing like most boys are so I was usually over the edge of my seat in figuring out if he actually likes her or not? If Leslie was his girlfriend or just a friend? And why it seemed like he was setting up his cousin, Henry with Jan when she thought that Josh liked her?
There were scenes in the book that are true to a teenaged girl's heart. Jan was always fussing over what to do to impress Josh. Whether it was to baby-sit his little sister, Hannah, go to a high school party, or have dinner with him, his mom and his cousin. Jan always fretted over what she would wear whenever she got the chance to be with him, this showed she was like many girls who are also trying their best to impress the guy they like.
As a former high school senior myself (I'm going to be college this year) I know what it feels like to like a boy. It's very complicated. Boys like Josh would make your head hurt from thinking too much about everything about him, about what he says, about what he does, about what you think he thinks about YOU.
Although I find the story was getting pretty repetitive and boring at some parts of Jan's overactive imagination about scenes of her and Josh confessing their love for one another, (but since I think that every teenager has a wild imagination it would be plausible) this story was a good read, and I highly recommend it to those high school girls who like Jan, is getting confused over the guy she likes.
On a side note:
We might think Rebecca's character might not be so realistic since she is THE It Girl but actually, she's also just a regular teenager who likes to hang out with her best friend, rebel against her parents (by having a secret relationship with her dad's law student), and have fights and then make up with her best friend. I think she is a great character. Unlikely many girls who have portrayed the title of It Girl, Rebecca, although beautiful, is still an ordinary girl like her best friend, Jan. She doesn't always go to high school parties, she isn't conceited and mean, and she doesn't go all around the school flaunting herself as the It Girl of New York. Yes, there is a time in the book where she and Jan drank at a party, and she smoked once in her room's balcony but any teenager could have done that. She's more realistic than others, and for that I give props to Melissa Kantor for making such great characters. Who would have thought that the It Girl would NOT have fun in her Thanksgiving because of her family problems? Certainly not me. But then again, the author has proved wrong and made it a task to show the uniqueness of every character. Bravo!
Of course, not only does her name sound weird like it's from a different era but she is best friends with New York's It Girl which would totally make her more insecure about herself than ever.
Jan's got boy problems. Who doesn't? She's so confused about her feelings. To like or not to like? She has this teenaged girl syndrome about having crushes and changing her mind about who she likes from time to time. The biggest thing that made me lean towards her character was her confusion over her latest crush, Josh. He's so confusing like most boys are so I was usually over the edge of my seat in figuring out if he actually likes her or not? If Leslie was his girlfriend or just a friend? And why it seemed like he was setting up his cousin, Henry with Jan when she thought that Josh liked her?
There were scenes in the book that are true to a teenaged girl's heart. Jan was always fussing over what to do to impress Josh. Whether it was to baby-sit his little sister, Hannah, go to a high school party, or have dinner with him, his mom and his cousin. Jan always fretted over what she would wear whenever she got the chance to be with him, this showed she was like many girls who are also trying their best to impress the guy they like.
As a former high school senior myself (I'm going to be college this year) I know what it feels like to like a boy. It's very complicated. Boys like Josh would make your head hurt from thinking too much about everything about him, about what he says, about what he does, about what you think he thinks about YOU.
Although I find the story was getting pretty repetitive and boring at some parts of Jan's overactive imagination about scenes of her and Josh confessing their love for one another, (but since I think that every teenager has a wild imagination it would be plausible) this story was a good read, and I highly recommend it to those high school girls who like Jan, is getting confused over the guy she likes.
On a side note:
We might think Rebecca's character might not be so realistic since she is THE It Girl but actually, she's also just a regular teenager who likes to hang out with her best friend, rebel against her parents (by having a secret relationship with her dad's law student), and have fights and then make up with her best friend. I think she is a great character. Unlikely many girls who have portrayed the title of It Girl, Rebecca, although beautiful, is still an ordinary girl like her best friend, Jan. She doesn't always go to high school parties, she isn't conceited and mean, and she doesn't go all around the school flaunting herself as the It Girl of New York. Yes, there is a time in the book where she and Jan drank at a party, and she smoked once in her room's balcony but any teenager could have done that. She's more realistic than others, and for that I give props to Melissa Kantor for making such great characters. Who would have thought that the It Girl would NOT have fun in her Thanksgiving because of her family problems? Certainly not me. But then again, the author has proved wrong and made it a task to show the uniqueness of every character. Bravo!
August 21, 2014
Review bisa juga dibaca di: http://kandangbaca.blogspot.com/2014/...
Jan Miller. Jan dibaca "Yahn" loh. Salahkan orang tuanya yang memberinya nama aneh itu. Untunglah teman-temannya banyak yang tidak tahu hal itu tetap memanggilnya Jan, dan ia juga tak mau repot-repot mengoreksi mereka. Jan bukanlah cewek populer. Ia selalu mengeluhkan pantatnya yang sebesar truk (iya, Jan memang agak lebay soal ukuran pantatnya). Maka dapat dikatakan ajaib bahwa ia bersahabat dengan cewek secantik dan segaul Rebbeca, yang baru-baru ini dinobatkan sebagai Cewek Gaul versi majalah remaja New York. Dalam kehidupan sehari-hari, Rebbeca selalu menjadi penasihat Jan soal banyak hal, terutama soal cowok dan fashion. Tapi Jan tetaplah Jan. Meski sering dipilihkan baju-baju keren oleh Rebbeca, tapi tetap saja ia payah dan tak memiliki cukup rasa percaya diri, bahkan untuk menyapa cowok yang sudah lama ia taksir.
Suatu ketika, ia bertemu dengan Josh, teman masa kecilnya yang dulu pindah ke Seattle dan kini kembali lagi ke Manhattan. Ternyata penampilan Josh sudah tidak seculun dulu. Ia telah berubah menjadi cowok keren yang sukses mendepak Tom Richmond dari benak Jan, cowok yang selama ini membuat Jan tergila-gila. Pementasan drama kecil-kecilan Romeo & Juliet di kelas bahasa Inggris sukses membuat Jan klepek-klepek di hadapan Josh. Kesempatan emas datang saat Jan dimintai tolong oleh ibu Josh untuk menjadi pengasuh adik Josh setelah sang pengasuh yang biasanya mengasuh adik Josh jatuh sakit.
Dapatkah Jan menarik perhatian Josh? Cowok itu mau nggak sih sama cewek berpantat lebar seperti Jan? Temukan jawabannya dalam Confessions of A Not It Girl (Bukan Cewek Gaul) karya Melissa Kantor Pos.
Saya nggak bereksptektasi tinggi waktu memutuskan untuk membaca novel young adult ini (yang dengan teganya diberi label teenlit oleh Gramedia, padahal terdapat adegan yang sedikit vulgar di dalamnya). Karena tidak berekspektasi tinggi, saya kalem-kalem saja sewaktu menikmati novel ini. Maka dari itu saya terkejut bahwa ternyata novel ini lumayan kocak. Beberapa komentar dan imajinasi Jan di luar dugaan sanggup membuat saya tergelak.
Cerita novel ini sangat ringan. Terlalu ringan malahan. Jadi cocoklah dibaca bagi mereka yang kebetulan sedang mencari bacaan ringan (dalam kasus saya, novel ini bisa membuat saya rileks setelah membaca Mockingjay yang bikin depresi itu). Tapi bagi pembaca yang ingin mencari bacaan young adult yang lebih 'berisi', novel ini mungkin bukan pilihan yang pas. Apalagi sikap Jan terlalu kekak-kakanan untuk ukuran cewek SMA yang sebentar lagi akan lulus dan masuk universitas.
Interaksi Jan dan Josh sebenarnya lumayan seru. Sayang sikap Jan lebih terlihat seperti eibiji yang baru pertama kali jatuh cinta, sehingga membuat saya geregetan sendiri. Belum lagi alur dalam novel ini terasa sangat datar, hampir tidak ada konflik yang berarti. Tapi khayalan-khayalan Jan tentang dirinya dan Josh yang ditampilkan dalam bentuk drama (lebih tepatnya sih, opera sabun!) sedikit menyelamatkan alur-datar novel ini.
Endingnya terkesan terlalu terburu-buru, padahal seharusnya bisa dibuat lebih keren lagi. Secara keseluruhan novel ini lumayan oke lah. Dan karena sanggup membuat saya ngakak, maka saya berbaik hati memberi novel ini 3 bintang. ^^
***
December 4, 2015
'Confessions of a Not It Girl' by Melissa Kantor takes readers right into the mindset of Jan (pronounced “Yahn”), who thinks (and sometimes professes to know) that she doesn't have high hopes in the areas of guys and popularity. Even though her best friend Rebecca is basically a rising socialite with infinite prospects of guys, colleges, and everything else Jan could possibly want, her life feels dull and unaccomplished by comparison.
Being a senior in high school is hard enough, let alone feeling this way all the time. Instead of living the high life, dating older guys and taking glamorous trips with her parents like Rebecca tends to do, Jan finds herself relegated to having a crush on a guy named Josh whom she's sure doesn't notice her, dealing with what she considers her insufferable parents, and trying to fend off another guy who she used to like but now would rather not deal with at any cost. The world seems to be against her (at least from Jan's perspective), and nothing she does seems to be good enough in her eyes, based on the turnout from every encounter she has.
As the novel goes on and Jan falls harder and harder for Josh, conflicts ensue between Jan and Rebecca, and eventually Jan and Josh. Revelations that she thought would keep the other guy who likes her away from her come back to haunt her, causing her relationship with Josh to take a swift turn for the worse, and making her question whether anything can go right in her life.
Despite some of the predictability of the ending, the issues that plagued Jan throughout the story were well-conceived, and I very much enjoyed watching Jan have issues so I had all the more reason to root for her to get the outcome she wanted in the end. I look forward to reading more of Melissa Kantor's books. She definitely knows how to add personality and vitality to her characters.
Beth Rodgers, Author of 'Freshman Fourteen,' A Young Adult Novel
Being a senior in high school is hard enough, let alone feeling this way all the time. Instead of living the high life, dating older guys and taking glamorous trips with her parents like Rebecca tends to do, Jan finds herself relegated to having a crush on a guy named Josh whom she's sure doesn't notice her, dealing with what she considers her insufferable parents, and trying to fend off another guy who she used to like but now would rather not deal with at any cost. The world seems to be against her (at least from Jan's perspective), and nothing she does seems to be good enough in her eyes, based on the turnout from every encounter she has.
As the novel goes on and Jan falls harder and harder for Josh, conflicts ensue between Jan and Rebecca, and eventually Jan and Josh. Revelations that she thought would keep the other guy who likes her away from her come back to haunt her, causing her relationship with Josh to take a swift turn for the worse, and making her question whether anything can go right in her life.
Despite some of the predictability of the ending, the issues that plagued Jan throughout the story were well-conceived, and I very much enjoyed watching Jan have issues so I had all the more reason to root for her to get the outcome she wanted in the end. I look forward to reading more of Melissa Kantor's books. She definitely knows how to add personality and vitality to her characters.
Beth Rodgers, Author of 'Freshman Fourteen,' A Young Adult Novel
April 14, 2011
I wavered between three and three-and-a-half stars on this one, but in the end decided on a solid three. There were things about this book that I really liked--Melissa Kantor's dry sense of humor really cracks me up, for one. Jan's imaginary dramas were a cute touch, though eventually they did get to be a bit much. (I'm normally totally in favor of denial and living in an elaborate fantasy world, but they just seemed to go too far, even for a high school senior.) Jan's comments and asides are often very funny and had me laughing out loud quite a bit ("Whoever said honesty is the best policy obviously didn't have much experience with dating" for example), but her attitude toward her parents and her mother in particular gave me pause more than once. Yes, I know teenage daughters and their mothers often have issues. Sure, I didn't always get along wonderfully with mine at that age, but again, Jan goes way too far. At one point, she compares her mother to Stalin, only grudgingly apologises because she figures that's the only way she'll get what she ultimately wants from this conversation with her parents ("I'm sorry, Mom, I should never have compared your cooking to Stalin's extermination of the kulaks.") and then is offended because her mother doesn't say she accepts her apology, because it's "fairly rude" of her not to. The self-centered teenager routine just went a bit too far at times. I know I'm probably showing my age here (and the fact that I have an almost-teenage daughter I'm sure factors in too) but if I talked to or acted toward my parents the way Jan does I'd have been grounded, or worse. I enjoyed Kantor's later book, If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince? much more. More of Kantor's trademark fun snarkiness, less of those factors that I have issues with.
January 19, 2010
Confessions of a Not It Girl, by Melissa Kantor, is about an insecure high-school senior girl named Jan. As Jan faces the insecurities involved with having a best friend who was voted, It Girl of the week, by one of the most popular teen magazines, she finds herself falling in love with a new guy at school. Being the brother of the little girl she babysits, Jan's crush encounters Jan on a nearly day-to-day basis. Throughout the story, Jan lives her unexciting New York City life in her townhouse in Brooklyn, constantly procrastinating to complete her lengthy college applications and to confront her crush about her love for him.
As I read this book, I made a text-to-text connection. Although this novel is a bit less advanced than the novel I am comparing it with, The A-List, I did spot multiple similarities. Throughout each of these books the protagonist has a best friend who they are always trying to live up to. In fact, in each book, it seems as though their goals throughout the stories are to be just a little more like their fun, spontaneous friends. Along with this, each of these main-characters who claim to be "boring", has a love-interest who is typically handsome.
Overall, I gave this book two stars. I chose to give this easy novel such a low rating, mainly because it seemed like an amateur wrote it, along with the fact that it took me a total of one day to read. Along with this, I found the plot to be a total cliche and I feel like I've already seen or read ten other books exactly like it. Basically, I would only recommend this book to girls around the age of twelve who haven't already experienced multiple other books like Confessions of a Not It Girl.
As I read this book, I made a text-to-text connection. Although this novel is a bit less advanced than the novel I am comparing it with, The A-List, I did spot multiple similarities. Throughout each of these books the protagonist has a best friend who they are always trying to live up to. In fact, in each book, it seems as though their goals throughout the stories are to be just a little more like their fun, spontaneous friends. Along with this, each of these main-characters who claim to be "boring", has a love-interest who is typically handsome.
Overall, I gave this book two stars. I chose to give this easy novel such a low rating, mainly because it seemed like an amateur wrote it, along with the fact that it took me a total of one day to read. Along with this, I found the plot to be a total cliche and I feel like I've already seen or read ten other books exactly like it. Basically, I would only recommend this book to girls around the age of twelve who haven't already experienced multiple other books like Confessions of a Not It Girl.
October 21, 2013
The book Confessions of a Not It Girl by Melissa Kantor is a well thought out story about the average High School Senior. In this case, Kantor created the character Jan (pronounced Ya-hn) to provide realistic instances in which the average High School girl would encounter such as body image, boys, college applications and her ever-so embarrassing parental units. Kantor really elaborates on how the everyday High School girl feels; nervous, shy and absolutely clueless when it comes to the likes of relationships, much less boys! Kantor creates the character, Rebecca, Jan’s best friend. Jan is extremely jealous of Rebecca because her life is perfect, which is how most girls feel when it comes to their best friends. Rebecca being so amazing makes Jan feel unoriginal or in other words simplistic like most girls encounter when they’re being compared to other people. The author creates the average authentic teenage girl. What I don’t like about the book was the fact that it was obviously made for young adults but there was no complexity to it. The story really didn’t have much of a climax or a huge problem. The only problem that Jan really faces is the fact that things don’t always turn out how you plan them to. The author could’ve given the story a bigger climax because the author really built up the rising point but failed to follow through on the climax. Otherwise the book was well written. Kantor did a wonderful job creating Jan and basing her off of a teen girl in High School which made the book enjoyable. I would recommend the book to anyone from 8th grade to 11th grade that enjoys a wonderful love story and a good laugh!
January 30, 2012
This book is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I'm not sure if it's because I needed something that wasn't overly heavy and dark or what, but it was funny and witty and pretty believable to. Well, I'm not sure if a senior in high school could have made ALL of those intelligent and witty quotes and whatnot, but it was delivered in such a funny and believable way I didn't mind. I actually snorted while reading this book, causing my boyfriend to look at me strangely when I did.
I have to say, it is quite refreshing to read something from a teen point of view that isn't dripping in vampires and werewolves and high drama. It was also a CLEAN book. There was some talk of a friend of the main character's "losing it" on New Years, but it was just talk. I guess I'm just implementing wishful thinking, but it is kind of nice to read about high school seniors who aren't jumping into bed with anything that moves, or who drink and do drugs. The parents were quirky and funny, but they were stable and while the main family in the book isn't perfect, it's normal in it's weirdness and you can tell that the family members all care for one another.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone, teen or older (I'm a bit older myself and I loved this book). I guess a young reader who is mature would be able to handle it. Like I said, there are no scenes that are mature, but there is some discussion of mature topics.
All in all, 5 stars. I loved the humor of the main character most of all. She was a bit over-angsty at times, but it worked.
I have to say, it is quite refreshing to read something from a teen point of view that isn't dripping in vampires and werewolves and high drama. It was also a CLEAN book. There was some talk of a friend of the main character's "losing it" on New Years, but it was just talk. I guess I'm just implementing wishful thinking, but it is kind of nice to read about high school seniors who aren't jumping into bed with anything that moves, or who drink and do drugs. The parents were quirky and funny, but they were stable and while the main family in the book isn't perfect, it's normal in it's weirdness and you can tell that the family members all care for one another.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone, teen or older (I'm a bit older myself and I loved this book). I guess a young reader who is mature would be able to handle it. Like I said, there are no scenes that are mature, but there is some discussion of mature topics.
All in all, 5 stars. I loved the humor of the main character most of all. She was a bit over-angsty at times, but it worked.
April 13, 2015
*Review ini disertakan dalam 13 days Reading Children & YA Literature
Jan Miller, selalu mengeluhkan penampilannya terutama bagian bokongnya yang lebar. Ia bersahabat baik dengan gadis cantik, keren dan gaul, Rebecca, yang selalu membantu Jan dalam menentukan pilihan berpakaian. Rebecca ini salah satu gadis yang dinobatkan oleh majalah remaja NewYork sebagai cewek gaul, maka Jan lumayan beruntung bisa mendapatkan ilmu tentang berpakaian atau tips mengenai cowo yang ditaksir. Namun, Jan tetap tidak percaya diri. Apalagi saat ini ia menyukai Tom Richmond, yang akan segera tergantikan oleh Josh.
Josh, adalah tetangga Jan semasa kecil, yang akhirnya pindah dan bersekolah ke Seattle. Kepulangan Josh ke kota Jan membuat Jan kaget dan menyukai Josh, bagaimana tidak, Josh yang tadinya biasa-biasa saja bahkan culun, dalam jangka waktu tersebut berubah menjadi cowo tinggi, dan keren.
Kesempatan untuk mendekati Josh pun datang ketika, Ibu Josh meminta bantuan Jan untuk mengasuh adik tiri Josh. Yup, Ibu Josh bercerai dan menikah lagi. Jan yang senang sekaligus kalang kabut menentukan pakaian apa yang ia kenakan untuk mengasuh adik Josh, meminta saran Rebecca.
Mampukah Jan membuat Josh berpaling kepadanya dan menjadi kekasihnya?
Sebenarnya pengen ngasih bintang 3 untuk buku ini, tapi 2, 5 saja soalnya ceritanya datar banget plus agak bosen mendengarkan keluhan Jan terus menerus.
Jan Miller, selalu mengeluhkan penampilannya terutama bagian bokongnya yang lebar. Ia bersahabat baik dengan gadis cantik, keren dan gaul, Rebecca, yang selalu membantu Jan dalam menentukan pilihan berpakaian. Rebecca ini salah satu gadis yang dinobatkan oleh majalah remaja NewYork sebagai cewek gaul, maka Jan lumayan beruntung bisa mendapatkan ilmu tentang berpakaian atau tips mengenai cowo yang ditaksir. Namun, Jan tetap tidak percaya diri. Apalagi saat ini ia menyukai Tom Richmond, yang akan segera tergantikan oleh Josh.
Josh, adalah tetangga Jan semasa kecil, yang akhirnya pindah dan bersekolah ke Seattle. Kepulangan Josh ke kota Jan membuat Jan kaget dan menyukai Josh, bagaimana tidak, Josh yang tadinya biasa-biasa saja bahkan culun, dalam jangka waktu tersebut berubah menjadi cowo tinggi, dan keren.
Kesempatan untuk mendekati Josh pun datang ketika, Ibu Josh meminta bantuan Jan untuk mengasuh adik tiri Josh. Yup, Ibu Josh bercerai dan menikah lagi. Jan yang senang sekaligus kalang kabut menentukan pakaian apa yang ia kenakan untuk mengasuh adik Josh, meminta saran Rebecca.
Mampukah Jan membuat Josh berpaling kepadanya dan menjadi kekasihnya?
Sebenarnya pengen ngasih bintang 3 untuk buku ini, tapi 2, 5 saja soalnya ceritanya datar banget plus agak bosen mendengarkan keluhan Jan terus menerus.
June 12, 2024
My impression after reading it the first time: how could a book bore me to this extent?
My impression after reading it the second time: I still hate it, but I like it even more.
I think I've grown up as a person who could appreciate things more. I could relate myself more to the stories I read, and so what I did with 'Confessions of a Not It Girl.' I totally forgot why I even bought it in the first place. It's not my kind of book. Well, maybe, it was? But I never liked it before. Jan is awkward with her crush. She doesn't know what to do / say in front of him. And I have Jan in my very own soul, too. Maybe the way I now understand it, quite explains it all.
This tells a story about Jan and as what I told you before, her awkwardness with guys. Also about her friendship with her 'it' best friend, but I'm not here to review you on that. I would like to talk more about Josh. Those nights of Jan babysitting in Josh's place are sweet in ways you don't find anything actually romantic happen. It is awkward and stuff, but it makes me like John immediately. I think it's sweet when a girl makes a move with a guy she likes, without knowing about how the guy feels about her. It sounds lame, but I used to think that way, haha.
Been a long time haven't read a teen-literature though. I feel younger now lol.
My impression after reading it the second time: I still hate it, but I like it even more.
I think I've grown up as a person who could appreciate things more. I could relate myself more to the stories I read, and so what I did with 'Confessions of a Not It Girl.' I totally forgot why I even bought it in the first place. It's not my kind of book. Well, maybe, it was? But I never liked it before. Jan is awkward with her crush. She doesn't know what to do / say in front of him. And I have Jan in my very own soul, too. Maybe the way I now understand it, quite explains it all.
This tells a story about Jan and as what I told you before, her awkwardness with guys. Also about her friendship with her 'it' best friend, but I'm not here to review you on that. I would like to talk more about Josh. Those nights of Jan babysitting in Josh's place are sweet in ways you don't find anything actually romantic happen. It is awkward and stuff, but it makes me like John immediately. I think it's sweet when a girl makes a move with a guy she likes, without knowing about how the guy feels about her. It sounds lame, but I used to think that way, haha.
Been a long time haven't read a teen-literature though. I feel younger now lol.
November 12, 2018
To begin the book isn’t too appropriate for middle schoolers in my opinion but it was in the library. This book is very mature and it overall has a good story line, it starts out with the main character Jan. Her name is pronounced jan when its is Yahn, she has a crush on the little girl she babysits older brother. They go through a lot of ups and downs but end up liking each other. Jan has a best friend named Rebecca and she ends up getting a boyfriend, but she lied about her age and was quickly dumped. Overall, I really enjoyed the storyline and the book was really funny but not one for me, if you can handle more mature content this book is great!
August 12, 2011
Not a good book for young adults. Jan is applying to Amherst, yet she comes off as a stupid and shallow teenager who doesn't care about the world around her, let alone her own family. Honestly, I hated the character by the end of the book. Not someone I would want teenagers looking up to.
March 9, 2018
Trebala sam ovu knjigu pročitati pre deset godina, kada sam je i dobila, ali dobro, imam ja knjiga koje i duže stoje u sobi. Sve u svemu i dalje zanimljiva knjiga, na trenutke stil pisanja podseća na Luiz Renison, što je uvek pohvalno :)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews