The Complete Jessica Darling Series: Sloppy Firsts, Second Helpings, Charmed Thirds, Fourth Comings, Perfect Fifths

by Megan McCafferty

Growing Up Can Be Perfect in Its Imperfection  The Jessica Darling series chronicles one young woman’s coming-of-age in the first decade of the 21st century. Over five books and ten years, Jessica Darling fumbles her way into adulthood. She evolves from a sixteen-year-old cynic, snarking in her diary about catty cliques, unrequited crushes, and other high school indignities, into a jet-setting twenty-six-year-old urbanite searching for more meaning in her life. Through all her misadventures in high school, college, and beyond, Jessica gets long-distance support from her best friend, Hope. But it's her on-again/off-again love of her life, Marcus Flutie, who can always be counted on to complicate her life in ways that are infuriating, intoxicating, and ultimately irresistible. SLOPPY  Meet Jessica Darling—and fall for Marcus Flutie—in this high school comedy of many, many errors.  A fresh, funny, utterly compelling fiction debut, Sloppy Firsts is an insightful true-to-life look at sixteen-year-old Jessica's predicament as she embarks on another year of teenage torment—from the dark days after her best friend, Hope, moves away through her months as a type-A personality turned insomniac to her completely mixed up feelings about Marcus Flutie, the intelligent and mysterious "Dreg" who works his way into her heart. SECOND  Can Jessica survive senior year without losing her mind . . . or her heart?This time, Jess is going through the social and emotional ordeal of her last year at Pineville High.  Not only does the mysterious Marcus Flutie continue to distract her, but Hope still lives in another state, and she can't seem to escape the clutches of the Clueless Crew, her annoying so-called friends.  To top it off, Jessica's parents won't get off her butt about choosing a college. Will Jess crack under the pressure of senioritis? CHARMED  Jessica is in college . . . and smart girls have more fun!Jessica has finally left her hometown/hellhole for Columbia University; she's into Marcus more than ever (so what if he's at a Buddhist college in California), and she's making new friends. But Jess soon realizes that her bliss might not last. As she and Marcus hit the rocks, will she fall for her GOPunk, neoconservative RA . . . or for the hot grad student she's assisting on a summer project . . . or for the oh-so-sensitive emo boy down the hall? Will she even make it now that her parents have cut her off financially? And what do the cryptic one-word postcards from Marcus really mean? FOURTH   Is the real world ready for Jessica Darling?At first it seems like she's living the New York City dream. She's subletting an apartment with her best friend, working for a magazine that actually cares about her psychology degree, and is still deeply in love with Marcus. But when Marcus proposes—giving her only one week to answer—Jessica must decide if she's ready to give up a world of late-night literary soirees, art openings, and downtown drunken karaoke to move back to New Jersey and be with the one man who's gripped her heart for years. PERFECT Does Jessica and Marcus's journey end here? Or is it just the beginning? . . . Now a young professional in her mid-twenties, Jess is off to a Caribbean wedding.  As she rushes to her gate at the airport, she literally runs into her former boyfriend, Marcus Flutie. It's the first time she's seen him since she reluctantly turned down his marriage proposal three years earlier—and emotions run high. They have both changed dramatically, yet their connection feels as familiar as ever. Is their reunion just a fluke, or has fate orchestrated this collision of their lives once again?

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, New Adult, Romance, Chick Lit, Humor, Drama

1664 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Megan McCafferty writes fiction for tweens, teens and teens-at-heart of all ages. The author of twelve novels, she’s best known for SLOPPY FIRSTS and four more sequels in the New York Times bestselling Jessica Darling series--available throughout 2021 in updated 20th anniversary editions. She published two new books in 2020: TRUE TO YOUR SELFIE (MG, Scholastic) and THE MALL (YA, Wednesday Books). Described in her first review as “Judy Blume meets Dorothy Parker” (Wall Street Journal), she’s been trying to live up to that high standard ever since.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know why I give this five stars? Aside from Harry Potter, this is my most reread series. I love Jessica Darling and Marcus Flutie. When I can’t sleep at night, I read about Jessica writing about not being able to sleep at night. Jessica keeps me company.

[Melissa Garcia]

This book is about Jessica having to deal with her best friend moving away. It's also about how her parents treat her and her beginning to talk to a boy at school.. Their first conversation was pretty funny! He asked her to pee in the cup for her his drug test!!! But I really recommend this book to you if you can connect to not liking people you are surrounded by.

[ginny · Rating 5 out of 5]

All 5 books in 5 days and I'm tempted to reread them. I had never heard of Jessica Darling until last month as the first in the series celebrated it's 10th anniversary. With my addiction to YA at an all time high as I approach my (cough cough thirty something) birthday, I picked up the first and did not put down the entire series until I finished the final episode of Jessica and Marcus Flutie last night. The first four books are told from Jessica's point of view in journal entries and letters to her best, absent (she moves away at the start of the first book) friend Hope. The series follows Jessica's coming of age in high school and college and her off and on, crazy intense relationship with Marcus. I can't recommend these enough to anyone that enjoys YA--the series exemplifies everything good about YA but is also much more sophisticated and funny than pretty much everything else (cough*twilight*cough) out there. Jessica is smart and snarky and bratty and judgmental--but very, very real and she actually grows up and changes as the series progresses. Her colorful group of friends and acquaintences are entertaining and Marcus is dreamy but still real in his ability to disappoint and confuse Jessica. I'm only a little embarrassed to admit that I laughed out loud and cried during every single book. Skimming through some of the reviews that panned the last 3 books as inferior to the first two...I disagree strongly with their assessments. Jessica remains kind of a pain in the ass (for better or worse, I share her crappy attitude about people in general) but she does mature throughout the series and becomes much more compassionate towards her parents, sister and friends. {kind of a spoiler alert} The final book did read a bit like fanfic because of the too convenient pieces of the puzzle that throw them back together but I still loved their quick dialogue and it remained very true to them as people and as a couple.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oooooh, chick lit. You provide the much needed break that I need between teenagers saving the future downtrodden messed up world.

I gave this series 3 stars, when really it should break down more like book one and maybe two - 4 stars, book five is 3, and book three and four were 1 star. I could have skipped those. Ugh.

Not that it really matters, because if you read book one, you are going be dying to know what happens with Jessica and dreamy Marcus Flutie, the Jordan Catalano of books.

There really seems to be quite a thing out there for Marcus Flutie. If you don't believe me, google him. You will be surprised by the amount of blogging, images, tshirts, fan fic, you name it, it has been inspired by this fictional romance.

Also, I found out about this series on a website that I hesitate to name because it will out me, but how many people, if any, have actually read this far on this post... but it is called foreveryoungadult.com.

These books are not YA by my definition, at least I would not want my daughter reading past book one until she was at least in her upper teens. They are in the adult section in our library. Go Richardson and your appropriate cataloging!

Fun, fluffy, and romantic... a welcome break.

[Spammonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate Jessica Darling and the whole WASP-y, privileged lifestyle she has. She had no character development, and actually became MORE entitled and annoying. This kind of reminded me of characters in Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries series because they too were the same. Honestly, I think these writers HAVE to show some sort of developmental maturity both mentally and emotionally in their protagonists if they're going to write about them being "grown up" and having jobs post-high school. It makes no sense how these girls are still whiny GIRLS after graduating, overcoming their cheesy highschool romances, and establishing their own independent lives. I don't even know why I kept reading...It was probably because of the plagiarism controversy that fueled me into finishing series. Honestly, the only person I actually think has grown as a person is Marcus, and that is NOT a good thing if the protagonist is something teenage girls are feeling emotionally attached and empathetic towards.

[Jessica Gregs · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was halfway into a murder mystery about a child killer when I decided I couldn't deal with anymore dark material. These books are fluffy YA fiction books (as in no wrist cutting or child abuse or other dark topics that have recently taken over YA lit). First book was great and I highly recommend. The second book was a good sequel. Books 3, 4, and 5 were not as enjoyable.

[Isa B · Rating 2 out of 5]

https://open.substack.com/pub/isabell...

Sometimes it’s best to leave things in the past, a review of The Complete Jessica Darling series.

Somehow in my 13 year old pre-political mind Megan McCafferty was able to say the most racist, inane, and offensive things all the while masquerading as a progressive and appealing to the depressed desperation of my preteen years.

The Jessica Darling series gave voice to the typical millennial experience. The post 9/11 anxiety and unemployability millennials faced in the Bush era very closely mirrors the woes of our current administration. I think often of this novel series when I hear the phrase “how did we get here?” Quite simply, we were never really that progressive and popular society wants a return to form rather than a push forward. It’s so strange to read McCafferty bring focus to a burgeoning queer consciousness and in the same novel casually diminish the validity of same sex relationships and casually espouse Islamophobic slurs. It strangely invalidates the very real, tangible anxieties about moving to a city that was the victim of a terrorist attack.

The parts of this series that felt most earnest and raw were Jessica’s inability to find kinship amongst her peers and observant eye, all the while admitting she was somebody that ultimately often succumbed to peer pressure and didn’t have a very accurate perception of her social standing in high school. The reader has some sense of this as she inwardly mock’s Len’s speech difference, makes value judgments on people based on their style and outward appearance, and ultimately has trouble relating to people who had genuine difficulties after she goes to college. McCafferty attempts to speak about wealth and class in regard to how it affects their (admittedly very caucasian community) but then diminishes minor characters as token characters in almost ironic parallel. I found it troubling when McCafferty’s protagonist felt relief when a minor character relinquished her “ebonics” for a typical academic English. I can see that McCafferty’s attempt was to bring truth to the fact that this minor character had a privileged upbringing and her speech was a performance to uphold an inaccurate portrayal of herself.

(review continues on Substack)

[Sandi Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am conflicted about this series. Overall I really enjoyed Jessica's journey. I found several of her experiences painfully relatable. By the same token utterly inscrutable. On the one hand I wanted to knock some sense into her. Other times I found her observations to be spot on. Sometimes I found them depressing (her perfect descriptions of middle aged married couples was depressingly accurate, and her discussions about her mothers pursuit of youth).
I can say I read these books back to back, found them hard to put down, and by the end I missed Jessica!

[Stephanie Tr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series holds such a special place in my heart! I'll forever remember reading the first novel in high school and LOVED it! I waited in anticipation for each book to be released in the series thereafter. A fun, coming of age story that I would recommend to any teen/early adult. Also, for those who read this at just the right time in their life, it is a great re read, and will definitely stir up some feelings of nostalgia.
Jessica Darling and Marcus Flutie forever❤️

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know, it’s an imperfect series with an imperfect main character. However, I love the diary style that the first 3 books are told in. I revisited this series as an adult and while the characters really irked me at times, and some of the things the characters say are a bit cringe, I’m sad the series is over. It was entertaining and Megan created such a fun “world” around Jessica Darling that I feel I’m setting down a book and saying goodbye to friends I’ve made along the way.

[Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this now!

This is one of the best set of books that I've read. It was ship hard to pour it down; i anyways wanted to read one more page. I rest connected to the main character partially because we were in high school during the same time and also because the author writes her in such a relatable way. I have high hopes for her other books.

[Taraji Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is good, it talks about Jessica darling and her high school experiences. It has drama and a little bit of Romance. No spicy stuff in the book. All in all it is a good book. Can’t wait to read the next book.

[Carlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

i recall loving this series through high school and early college but i think i’d rather perform my own lobotomy than attempt re-reading them.

[Makayla Lunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the book second helpings i was drawn into the book each page. This book has so many plot twists and unexpected events pop up all the time making it hard to even put the book down. the new friendships, the ending of old friendships, the relationships that pop up then disappear, the random confessions of love, and the end of old hobbies this book is guaranteed to never bore. My favorite part of this whole book is the bluntness and somewhat pettiness of Jessica Darling when people and situations get in her way of getting what she wants.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second time reading this series, and it was just as amazing as the first.

As a Christian, it can be a challenging read due to the fact that Jessica Darling begins as agnostic, and by the end of the series is an atheist. Some of the things she says about religion and the absence of God makes you want to throw the book across the room, especially when she also doesn't believe in coincidences and accidents (from what I recall. It's been a week since I finished the series). But these challenges as a reader make the character all the more real, and all the more relatable.

Megan McCafferty is truly a master of the human psyche. She developed the characters perfectly across the five books, and she developed the plot perfectly as well. I don't think I have much more to say on that subject, because nothing can be added to perfection.

I did skip over the fourth book, because when you're re-reading you're allowed to do such things, because it was my least favorite (understandably so, if you've read it). But if you're reading for the first time, you have to read it. It's needed to feel the triumph of "Perfect Fifths," which is my favorite. I actually re-read the series just to read "Perfect Fifths." It has my all-time favorite chapter in it, written entirely in senrus!

If you're a geek, read this. If you grew up, read this. If you're growing up, read this. But keep an open, yet closed, mind. These books are not meant to influence your understanding of the world, just an understanding of Jessica, which may result in a better understanding of the people around you, and yourself.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rather than individually review all 5 books, I'll do the series as a whole, but it may not do the books justice!
The series follow Jessica Darling, beginning when she is in highschool and finishing after her college years. Jessica Darling is one of my favorite female fictional characters. She is hilarious and an amazing, admirable writer. So is Megan Mccafferty, the author, for the way she portrays her. Darling has a dark and funny sense of humour throughout the entire series and a way with words I love and wish I had. Her experiences as a young teenage girl are interesting, fresh, and addictive. I couldn't stop reading to see what would happen next between her and Marcus.
The author nailed the confusion and awkwardness of young love and interactions with peers, as well as the bitter yet intelligent and realistic outlook on life some people have, in this case Jessica Darling. Any female writer/reader would devour this series; I highly recommend it. It will make you laugh out loud and possibly cry if you're anything like me. :)
I take a lot of influence from the way McCafferty develops her characters. They are each so complex and always changing and growing, while still staying the same in a lot of ways.

[Lisa C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Admittedly, after a seemingly endless run of death-themed books - (a main character dies, a main character is mourning a parent/friend/child(s) death, the main character SHOULD die, et al,) I was ready for something way different.

I was intrigued by this series because the main characters were named on the website Forever Young Adult as the "Most Swoon worthy Couples in the 2000's" or something like that.

This story follows Jessica Darling from a high school sophomore to ten years later. Her life experiences are written as journal entries sarcastically and, at times, endearingly, describing high school, college and young adulthood and managed to rank the books from YA to A in my public library as Jessica aged.

They were quick reads, and, like most reviewers I would agree that the first two books were the best. I did not like Jessica that much in the third and fourth books. I was a Marcus Flutie fan throughout the series despite his quirky choices. However, I do think, unlike many others that the fifth book was good and actually liked it a lot. I wasn't as bothered by the third person perspective and liked the characters that were featured at the conclusion. Isn't that who were wondering about after all?

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was like Megan McCafferty hacked into my email and stole my journals from college. I think there must be a lot of Marcus Fluties out there since so many people can relate to this story. To me, these books were like a romantic comedy because there was love, struggle, love, and more struggle through so much of it (cue popular Indie music and frustration montages) and then I thought it ended predictably or in a "happily ever after" sort of way that doesn't sit well with me now. Because I got obsessed with the series and spent one week reading all five books, the characters are like, alive, I catch myself wondering what they are doing now that all the angst is gone? Are they happy together? Has the passion fizzled? Are they dissatisfied?

I'm not sure a relationship like the one dominating this series is a particularly healthy relationship, what with all the drama. If all you know how to do is disappoint the other person, how and when do you get past that and start living a real relationship? We all think we want drama because it makes us feel young and alive, but at the same time we want security and an equal loving relationship. I'm afraid Jessica and Marcus are going to get bored of each other. And that makes me sad.

[Allison Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read about this series on a website for culture/style that I like, and although I try to veer away from YA (I don't want to be painted with that brush given my Twilight issue) I just LOVED these books, especially taken in their entirety. What is most impressive is that the author captures the voice of a smart,snarky, insecure but confident 15 year old in the first book, and she matures throughout the series over about 12 years. And the voice remains true to Jessica's age, growth, intelligence, it is wonderful to see how she pulls that off so naturally. And oh my, the boy in the books, right up my alley. I am soooo glad I found these books and LOVED reading them. Sucked them right down. They are making a movie out of the first book in a year or so, they are casting now, and I can't even bear it because these characters exist so strongly in my mind.

[Rossana Snee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't quite sure how to rate this book so I decided a 3 was a good middle ground. As a writer the author is amazing. I cannot find flaw. I thoroughly enjoyed her first three books in the series. But this fourth one took me months, literally, to finish. It held absolutely no interest for me. I didn't like the journal format at all. It didn't seem authentic. No one writes a journal written like a book, with dialogue and all. The novel was just a lot of rambling to me. Jessica started getting on my nerves. I have the last and final book but am afraid to start it. It was just too painful trying to finish the fourth one. I think Megan McCafferty is an excellent writer. I feel bad to give her a low rating, but this book just didn't do it for me.

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars I think. This series was just meh for me. Jessica was so moody and wishy washy and I just couldn't deal. Some of the dialogs/journal entries were even just offensive, to be honest.

I did like how each book changed in writing style a bit. And there were definitely some "laugh out loud" chapters, and even some anticipation of what was to come. I have to say the final book was probably my favorite, the third book was my least favorite, and I'm indecisive about book four (I can't decide if it was ok or really disliked it).

However, if you're looking for an extremely quick read and aren't too taken aback by a lot of teenage relationship (romantic and platonic) drama, this could be a good read for you.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

After seeing other reviews, I see I'm definitely in the minority here. I've seen this described as YA so let me start by saying that I would be HORRIFIED if my teenager read these books. I began reading these on a whim after seeing the author mentioned on Twitter.

The first book held my interest enough to the point of NEEDING to know what happened. I suffered through (and probably should NOT have read) books 2, 3 & 4 but was thankful for book 5, not so much because of the content, but because of the lack of stress it made me feel (unlike the others). The things discussed in these books are definitely NOT young adult material, at least in my eyes.

[Reneé Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite YA series ever! The snark is awesome, as is the complexity of Jessica's character. It'd have been so awesome going through high school knowing all the things you realize after (nothing is that serious, it's not the end of the world, some kids will peak in hs and they aren't the ones to envy).

Read it years ago but decided to reread the whole series start to finish which was nice to be able to really appreciate the recurring characters.

Super excited for the prequel coming out this fall

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't say enough good things about this series. Jessica Darling is sarcastic and amazing and I want to be her friend. I've read through this series multiple times and if my ever-growing list of "books to read" would ever slow down it would allow me the time to re-read this every month. I could immediately relate to Jessica not only because she ran track, but because of McCafferty's prose. If I start a book and I can't stand how the author writes I most likely put it down. This book had me laughing out loud and crying in public and I wouldn't have it any other way.

[Danella Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the first four books a long time ago and absolutely fell in love with the character of Jess 'Notso' Darling. I really identified with her sarcastic and cynical nature and also the feeling of kind of being an outsider in your family and even in your group of friends while growing up.
Now because there is a new book - Perfect Fifths - to end out the series, I am rereading them all just to reconnect with the characters. I'm really excited to see what happens in perfect fifths.

[Jen Warren · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a series, this was okay. McCafferty started strong with Sloppy Firsts, which was hilarious, and kept up the drama in Second Helpings. From there, however, everything went downhill. Jessica Darling became less and less likeable as the series went on.
Still, I kept reading: suffering through books three and four, so hoping the last, finally, would redeem the series. In the end, unfortunately, I regret reading past book two.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series. Beautiful coming of age story starting as the cranky teen and moving into growing up and figuring out who she is. I'm not a huge fan of the 5th book. Not that it's a bad read just not what I wanted for the last book of my favorite series. It also has a personal feel for me because I grew up around places in the book and have experienced Jessica's experiences. Ive passed this series to many friends and all of them have read it in no time and enjoyed it.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a difficult review, because I loved the first 3 books so much. Fourth Comings was awful, and Perfect Fifths was neccessary, but not amazing. In many ways, I wish the author had stopped after the third book. Either way, I loved following Jessica and Marcus from high school through adulthood.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I re-read this series already this year. It's a five book series following the main character from high school into her late twenties. Her narrative is cynical, snarky, truthful, profane, painful, and so very fresh. Be warned: graphic language(f bombs) and some graphic content(sex related). Love this series. Jessica is often at her worst which sort of makes her one of my favorite heroines.

[stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am glad ghat my library had the complete series, because once I started, I didn't want to put it down. Yes, there was a chapter or two that was boring, but the pull between Jessica and Marcus was so profound that it sucked me in! and of course, knowing that Marcus reminds me of a guy I once knew made it even more intriguing.