I have a secret love for YA novels. Not all the time, but sometimes I like to visit literature that reminds me of growing up, surviving high school, and figuring stuff out. I admit that I am not this book's demographic, and even when it was published 20 years ago, I was on the outer edge of the age group Megan McCafferty would probably consider her ideal reader. So, I missed Jessica Darling the first time around.
But I am so happy that I arrived at this particular party, even if I came a little late. Jessica is funny, relatable, and more comfortable with her own sexuality than typical girls of YA. Her own friend group irritates her a little, and her parents irritate her a lot. The only jarring note: the casual jokes about "skanks" that may have been acceptable in 2001 sound a lot like slut shaming now. You can tell that we've made some sort of progress in the last 20 years because some of this banter is truly uncomfortable. But Jessica is ahead of her time and timeless in a lot of ways. She knows her worth and she's aware of her own strengths, as a student, athlete, and person. She's also aware of her shortcomings: she's not the greatest friend in the world, and she's a bit judgmental. But that makes her real and believable. I almost dropped this to 4 stars because the ending is the WORST kind of "To Be Continued... " in the world! Obviously McCafferty had the series sketched out in her head before submitting to the publisher. So now I have to keep reading, which is ultimately why I bumped Sloppy Firsts back up to 5 stars: because I have to keep reading! Happy 20th Anniversary, Jessica Darling!

4 1/2

When I was asked to read Sloppy Firsts, a novel by Megan McCafferty celebrating its 20th birthday, I agreed because I knew I hadn’t been reading YA novels 20 years ago and the likelihood that I had read this novel, which didn’t sound familiar, seemed pretty close to nil. As it turns out, thanks to Goodreads, the likelihood was higher–far higher– than I would have guessed. I read Sloppy Firsts back in 2016 before I became a book blogger!

Sloppy Firsts is the story of Jessica Darling (you’d think I would have remembered just based on her name! 😉 ) whose best friend has moved away and who is facing Sophomore year of high school with the remainder of their clique, whom she really doesn’t like. Jessica is a well-developed character who clicks the boxes on intelligence, angst, humor, and drama. Because she’s such an interesting character, I’m really surprised that I didn’t read the rest of the series, except perhaps because of the fact that my library didn’t carry them and my house can only hold so many books without me having to give up a dog–not happening.

Maybe it’s because this is such a character-driven novel that I remembered only bits and pieces from my first read. I liked Jessica’s growing relationship with Marcus Flutie, the “bad” boy and I liked the way his character was developed. He is swoony, which is saying a lot coming from me because I don’t usually like “bad boy” characters. The way in Marcus’ character is portrayed shows just as much about the people around him as it does him: It shows how easily people are dismissed or disregarded when others don’t take a moment to look or consider what might be beneath the surface.

My feeling is that I enjoyed Sloppy Firsts better this time but upon completion I saw the very element which would have left a bad taste in my mouth: the cliffhanger. I have gotten better about accepting cliffhangers in books these days, but it just seems like such a sales ploy to me. (Is that cynical or what?) I can’t tell you the number of books that have fallen by the wayside without me ever knowing what happens to the characters. (Well, I probably can tell you; it’s under five.) However, when I catch up with everything (which might be never), I will track down the rest of the series as I understand it follows Jessica into her 20s. I’d love to see what happened to Jessica and Marcus and the rest of the characters from Sloppy Firsts.

Some reviewers have been banging their gongs about slut-shaming, fat-shaming, shame-shaming, you name it. I didn’t see it, but I wasn’t looking for it because unless it’s overt, completely in my face, I just don’t. So if you read for those things and are easily offended, you might beware or be aware or something of that ilk, at least based on the advice of such reviewers.

All in all, I found Sloppy Firsts enjoyable, maybe moreso, the second time around.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so cute and nostalgic! The writing evoked some real emotions and memories, which was so fun. Love that the was re-printed years later, still as good as the first time!

I was very intrigued by this book because of it's republication after two decades. I didn't make it very far in before walking away though.

The second or third chapter jumps straight into a lot of slut-shaming and very unhealthy discussions on size and eating disorders and while that was fairly normal for 2001, it's just not acceptable in 2021.

I think if this had been edited to make it more modern, it would have sat better with me.

While I am sure the story is well written (I've enjoyed newer works by McCafferty) I'm just not in on this one.

4.5/5 stars

"'So I’m sloppy seconds, is what you’re saying.'
'Oh no, Jessica.' He laughed. 'You’re sloppy firsts.'
Have truer words ever been spoken?"

I’m a newcomer to the cynical and hilarious world of Jessica Darling, but boy am I glad to have visited now! This is such an important book for teens and adults alike, for although it was originally written at the turn of the century, Jessica and her teenage struggles are still so relevant today. Thank you SO much, Wednesday Books and Netgalley, for the free e-arc in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own!

Goodreads synopsis:
Jessica Darling is devastated when her best friend moves away from Pineville, New Jersey. With Hope gone, Jessica has no one she can really talk to. She doesn’t relate to the boy-and-shopping obsessed girls at school, or her dad’s obsession with track meets, and her mom is too busy planning big sister Bethany’s lavish wedding. Jessica is lost more than ever, and her nonexistent love life is only making things worse.

Fresh, funny, and utterly compelling, readers fell in love with Jessica Darling’s poignant, hilarious voice and have stayed with her through her ups and downs (and her mixed-up feelings about her first love, Marcus Flutie). A modern classic, readers will be excited to return to Pineville, New Jersey and Jessica Darling’s world with Sloppy Firsts.

I will be honest with you, I hadn’t heard of this book until Wednesday Books announced they would be releasing a slightly edited/modernized version this year. I truly didn’t know what to expect when I started it, and at first, I was unsure about how I was going to feel, mainly because Jessica Darling is quite the character. Her voice drips with sarcasm and cynicism in a way that, at first, felt almost depressing to me. HOWEVER, I was immediately captivated. Jessica has a strong (and decently crude) personality to be immersed (no, dunked) into, but McCafferty wrote her voice so solidly and consistently that I couldn’t help but be hooked.

'Look, I’m not proud of this retrograde attitude. But it requires major effort to undo sixteen years of brainwashing by the patriarchy and I don’t have that kind of energy right now.'

I understand now why Jessica Darling’s story is so beloved. I’m probably not the best representative of the common teenager, if I’m being honest, because her language felt crude and brutally honest to me. But even so, I still felt her thoughts, her internal dialogue, and her rebellion against high school hierarchy to my core. It didn’t take me long to realize how much McCafferty had endeared Jessica to me because her relatability is just that universal, and especially by the end, I was 120% invested in what Jessica Darling wanted to show me of her life.

I never read the original version, the one published in 2001, so I can’t really review what changed. But I can tell you how in love I am with this story. It’s truly a testament to the story’s strength that although I’ve never been exactly in Jessica’s shoes, I felt like I was both seeing her and seeing myself through her honest, reflective, and quite humorous takes on high school life. And even though the time period is still in the early early 2000s, it doesn’t feel separate from our time today; in fact, I was impressed by how many of Jessica’s experiences I could relate to having graduated high school only a few days ago. In essence, this book is now a beloved edition to my favorites shelf, as well, and I recommend it to anyone who is or has been a teenager (I’m pretty sure that’s you 😉).

But here’s a big cliffhanger warning!! This book ends in quite the abrupt fashion (at least to me it did) and if you don’t have the sequel at the ready, fix that!! This new edition released May 4th, 2021 (look at the adorable cover!), so you can already snag it, but the new edition of the second book releases in July! I don’t think I can wait that long so I’ll probably just read the old sequel and get back to you on how it is ;)





If you enjoyed this review, you can friend me here on Goodreads and follow me on Instagram/Pinterest @ashton_reads for more bookish content! Thanks for reading!

I've always been a fan of Megan Mcafferty. This updated version of Sloppy Firsts was a reminder of the brilliance she has and the way she grows as an author.

This was hilarious. The book gave me all the feels of highschool. Mean girls, nerds, pretenders etç. The main character was really funny. I loved how distinct the author made the characters. I could feel the attitude from the words.

This one was not for me. I like it, especially at first because it has great things going for it but overall it just couldn't really keep my attention. I loved the flash back the book provided because it was published in the early 2000's and I enjoyed the slang and teen speak. Overall though that novelty wore off and I lost interest in the book.

Sloppy Firsts was such a delight! I loved everything about it: the imperfectly perfect main characters Jessica Darling and her constant existential crises, her complicated relationship with her family, the diary format of the story taking us through a full year in the life of Jessica (January through December), Jessica's far-from-perfect relationship with most of the student body of Pineville High (after her best friend Hope left PHS, Jessica feels so alone and cannot genuinely connect with any other girl from school), the hilarity of her crush situation and how improper it would be be to write this storyline today, the surprise connection at the end of the book, Hy's curveball, Jessica's sassiness throughout,..

I discovered Megan McCafferty last year with Th Mall and her writing did strike me as cool and smart, which is very hard to do. Megan McCafferty is a genius.

Once my daughters turn 15, if they ever ask me what it was like to be a high schooler in my time, I would lend her Sloppy Firsts as it perfectly depicts life in the early 2000s.

I enjoyed the updated 2021 version, but it made me want to read the original work with all the original references.. must be priceless!

Thank you so much Net Galley and Wednesday Books for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is just not my cup of tea. The writing style is good, and I have no complaints about the caliber of work it is. The subject and setting of the early 2000s makes the book dated and a little out of touch. Overall, it wasn’t a book that made me want to keep reading.

I first read the Jessica Darling series when I was 15. I devoured each of the 5 books as they were released, and as Jessica grew up, I felt like she was a growing up alongside me as we navigated the challenges of a teenage girl in high school.

It is important to remember that this series is a re-release, and that it originally was published in 2001.
Knowing that the series takes place 20 years ago (and I can't believe it has been that long! ) gives the new reader a way to vicariously experience being a teen in the early 2000s, and a welcomed feeling of nostalgia for those of us who lived it firsthand.

Jessica Darling is a sophomore, and she is heart-broken. Her best friend Hope has moved away from Pineville, New Jersey, and Jess has to face Pineville High School without her. Jess has enough trouble fitting in—she’s just not interested in the things that most high school girls care about, or at least the ones she hangs out with. She doesn’t care about the makeup or the make-outs, the drinking and the dances. She just keeps her grades up and her head down for track.

In the absence of her best friend, Jessica falls back in with the kids she hung out with before Hope, even though they’re boy-crazy cheerleaders and Scotty, the jock who’s been carrying a torch for Jess. She is also writing in her journal, since she can’t sleep and she made a pact with Hope that they would only write one snail mail letter a month, and only as long as they want to (the phone calls and emails are more frequent).

While having one of those days where Jess can’t remember her locker combination, she runs into Marcus Flutie in the school office. He isn’t someone Jess considered a friend, especially since he did drugs with Hope’s brother Heath before he overdosed. And then, a few weeks later, when he comes to her asking a favor that could get her into serious trouble, she refuses at first. Why should she put herself on the line like that? But when he points out that she’s taking the safe way out, her frustrations at everyone in her life thinking that they know just what she’ll do all the time, that she takes the risk. And while she doesn’t get caught, Marcus does and get shipped off to another school.

And while Jess knows that she took a big risk and got away with it, no one else knows. But they change in other ways. Her friends get caught up with a girl who transferred in from New York City, and even Scotty gets a date to the prom and sets aside his feelings for Jess to try to make it work with his new girlfriend. Jess feels even more alone as sophomore year ends.

Summer brings a job on the boardwalk and the wedding of her older sister. Jess flirts with the best man’s younger brother and earns money for a visit to see Hope at the end of summer. But even that doesn’t end the way Jess wants.

The first semester of junior year brings some new surprises, like Marcus back to school in a tie and some news about last semester’s NY transfer student. And it brings back some old friends, like Jess’s insomnia. But as the weeks go by, Jess finds more of her voice and discovers friendships she can be herself in. She never does become that high school girl who is all about the boys and shopping, but she does grow in confidence in the young woman she is and the direction she’s heading.

Megan McCafferty’s Sloppy Firsts is a novel about a difficult year in one girl’s high school experience. While the teenage life adds to the setting of this story, the part of this book that adds the real sparkle is the voice, the intelligence, the humor, and the attitude of one Jessica Darling. Although much of this first-person tale is about Jess’s grief at losing a friend and frustration at feeling like a stranger in a strange land, her strength remains and moves her forward through it all.

Personally I loved Jess Darling. When I was a teenager, I didn’t want to read about the cheerleaders and the girls at the mall. I wanted to read about the snarky girls, the ones who made their own rules for what mattered, the ones who subverted the norms. I wanted them to roll their eyes at the makeup and the boys. I wanted them to be smart and individual and to follow their own hearts. And that is Jess.

Sloppy Firsts, as well as several other Jessica Darling novels, were first published about 20 years ago. But because of the times and the mature nature of the books, they were published by an imprint for adult novels. Wednesday Books, an imprint for teens, is bringing them back. There are a few edits to bring them up to current standards of inclusion, but for the most part these are as originally written. And they are set in the early aughts, post Y2K, post boy bands, and definitely post Barry Manilow. But the pop culture references bring you back to those years and add depth and richness to the experience.

Sloppy Firsts is a return to high school with high snark, powerful emotions, and mature themes to make you have to think. It’s a lovely story, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll want Jess Darling as one of your new best friends.

Egalleys for Sloppy Firsts were provided by Wednesday Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Sloppy First is a sweet, funny YA novel full of firsts. The coming of age novel is very relatable, while also being laugh-out-loud hilarious. Perfect for those going through the same things, but also for adults looking for a nostalgic read. Highly recommended!

**Free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

I'd like to start off by saying I am the absolute target demographic for this book. It is fun, but has some good biting humor, and is a great depiction of every young person trying to fit in and find their way in the world.

Jessica's voice is strong and relatable, which makes it very entertaining even when the pacing shows down a bit. I didn't have a problem with the pacing though. I think my favorite thing about the novel is how realistic it is. Your first love isn't usually the most attractive unattainable guy. Sometimes it's that weird kid that somehow gets under your skin.

I love growing up with Jessica Darling and I don't think the time period the books are set in will negatively impact new readership at all. Truly a joyous read!

Instagram @dragon_hoards_books

How did I miss reading the original back in 2001? I just finished the newest edition published TODAY and LOVED IT! NOT just for YA, adults wanting a glimpse back into the teen years should read this, too. I am so glad that I did! It was such a fun read with a totally relatable and quirky main character with a punchy and hormonal attitude. I was brought back to the joys and horrors of the teen years; of emotions and drama, anxieties and paranoia, and cliques and social status. Be prepared to read what it was like for a young woman to come of age in the first decade of the new millennium. This book was so clever, so fun! I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

Sloppy firsts is about a coming of age story for a girl named Jessica Darling and her teenage problems. Her best friend suddenly leaves their town and a boy becomes interested in her. This book brought me back to the teenage angst: the heartache, the lust, the love that we all think we need. This book made me laugh, made me cry and I am so glad they've made a movie about it so I can watch it on the big screen as well.

Thanks to Netgallery and Broadway Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So the good stuff:
It hooked me, I couldn't put it down, it was very reminiscent of my high school experience, and I want to continue the series!

I enjoyed the nostalgia that is high school in the early 00s, and the diary format. I can see why this book was an early staple in YA.

And the (not so) bad:
It had a difficult start. There is a LOT of teen speak and dated slang.

Megan McCafferty’s Sloppy Firsts is everything a seemingly “lost” or apathetic teen needs. Even reading this for the first time in my 30’s, the appeal still rings true. The voice completely authentic.

The book does a pretty good job of balancing hilarity, heartbreak, light and just utterly dark moments.

Jessica Darling is sarcastic. She’s smart. She’s caustic. She’s divergent. And she is every protagonist we’ve ever needed.

I was around for the original version of this book, way back when. I was and I am still SUPER STOKED that there is a reissue.

I remember reading the first version, and some language in there prickling me. But this was what? The early 2000s? People speaking up about things like that--those people just went unheard and ignored. But now, our voices are loud and in some cases, those in power are listening. This updated version has removed all of the really offensive things—but, and this is important—it did not remove Jessica's acerbic and misanthropic voice. She is still angsty and clueless about her privilege, which I think is what makes her appealing, even if a bit frustrating.

I reread these books almost every year, and every year I find something different to appreciate. Jessica's worldview is so small, but everything seems really big to her, and I think that's why she is so relatable. I also enjoy that from time to time she does realize how ridiculous she is, but it doesn't stop her.

I also really enjoy the journal entry format of this book. Epistolary-type books were huge back then, but they seem to have fallen off in favor of thick tomes. I hope this brings them back in style. I find them fun to read and fast-paced.

I'm super excited that a new generation will get to know Jessica Darling, in all her complicated glory.

This one gets a forward-leaning 3.5 stars because I feel somewhat like I've read this story before. I'm aware that the original printing might be one of the first YA titles and thus might be responsible for the fact that it reads familiar, but, alas, I'm only now meeting Jessica Darling.
I enjoyed Jessica's distinctive voice. She's full-on cynical and judgmental and opinionated, but she's honest about it. It feels very real to the too-smart-for-her-peers, bored teenager that she is. All the things Jessica has to deal with and she has zero support from family or friends. I honestly feel like getting her someone to talk to that would actually listen to her and not dismiss her worries would have helped solve so much there would have not been much of a book.
There is a lot of the prerequisite angst and melodrama that would usually annoy me, yet I found nostalgic with Jessica. It's mostly due to the great pacing and plot planning that keep things moving forward and interesting.
I'm for sure reading the next book if only to know what best friend Hope's reaction is to some of the things that happened.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the early read.