Find out what I thought. Go on…read the review…. you know you want to.
About the Book
Synopsis (book blurb) : Apparently I'm boring. A nobody. But that's all about to change. Because I am starting a project. Here. Now. For myself. And if you want to come along for the ride then you're very welcome.
Bree is a loser, a wannabe author who hides behind words. Most of the time she hates her life, her school, her never-there parents. So she writes.
But when she’s told she needs to start living a life worth writing about, The Manifesto on How to Be Interesting is born. Six steps on how to be interesting. Six steps that will see her infiltrate the popular set, fall in love with someone forbidden and make the biggest mistake of her life.
My Review
Let me begin this review by saying that I now have some very mixed feelings about this book and as such this has actually in no way helped me to actually decide whether or not I am a fan of Bourne or not.
Let's start with why I didn't like the book - that way the review can end positively without any negativity to leave bad feelings in our mouths. Firstly, I didn't care for Bree as a character. At all. She *spoiler* is a terrible friend to Holdo and then decides that as a 'gift' and by way of apology for her being such a nasty friend, she should try to have sex with him?!?! *spoiler done* What? Seriously?! Tell me that doesn't sound arrogant to you (not to mention really cruel considering how Holdo *spoiler* actually likes her *spoiler done*) She also calls herself a feminist and yet almost the whole of the book is about her relationships with men - and how she lets them control and manipulate her (excluding Holdo) - and it is peppered with some long, drawn-out, tortured love scenes. Sorry Bourne, but it's true. Bree is a hypocrite and not very likeable. Also, she describes the 'perfect posse', who she becomes friends with, as being mean and bullies, yet states that she really likes them all the same. It's like she has conveniently forgotten that not only are the 'perfect posse' people, but the people she watches them bully are people too, simply because they aren't picking on her anymore. This makes her seem very fickle.
Secondly, I hate to say it, but there are aspects of the plot that are dangerously similar to 'Mean Girls' - infiltrating a gang of popular people to find out what they're really up to? The makeover…. The liking the queen bee's on/off boyfriend…. uh….. *cough cough*
There's quite a bit more I could pick up on, but I'll just leave it at that and move on to the positives, shall I?
On the other hand, it was an elegant and sophisticated portrayal of a very confused girl trying to make sense of the world. She tries to change herself to make herself a worthy writer, and actually, this kind of thing is done by a lot of writers. Changes of lifestyle to encourage new material, I mean, not necessarily becoming a member of the local popular group.
Bourne does, as others have put it, 'get' teenagers. She has gotten into Bree's head well. I must say that while I am not a huge fan of her characters as people, she does develop them quite well.
Bourne's use of language was good, and it held my attention well- I did find myself getting into the book, actually, which is promising. I happily read it for eight hours straight- it was a satisfying length for the avid reader like me, which felt good.
In conclusion, while I did enjoy the book, I might not read it again. I just dislike Bree as a character. I'm going to award it a neutral:
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