What do you think?
Rate this book
Emma Nash Series #1
Editing Emma
When sixteen-year-old Emma Nash is ‘ghosted’ by the love of her life Leon Naylor, she does what any normal teenage girl would do…
Emma spends the summer lurking in her bedroom, avoiding all human contact (and the shower), surrounded by the collection of chewit wrappers she saved from packs Leon gave her, back when he actually acknowledged her existence…
But seeing Leon suddenly ‘In a relationship’ on Facebook with the perfect Anna, spurs Emma into action and she embarks on a mission to make positive changes to her life (or ‘edits,’ if you will) and vows to use the internet for more than obsessively stalking Leon’s activities! Instead, she will use it for good and noble causes like finding someone who will actually be nice to her, and recording her findings for the rest of the world to see (i.e. BFF Steph and her mum) on her new Editing Emma blog.
But Emma soon discovers her ‘habit’ is harder to break than she first thought – turns out she’s not the only one ‘editing’ herself online (thank you Tinder for finding her mum’s profile, age 35, really?) and that life through an Instagram filter isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. But it could be worse, she could have outed her best friend, accidentally chatted up a 12 year old boy and revealed to the world why Leon Naylor is worth no girl’s time or virginity… oh no wait, that’s exactly what happened…
Emma spends the summer lurking in her bedroom, avoiding all human contact (and the shower), surrounded by the collection of chewit wrappers she saved from packs Leon gave her, back when he actually acknowledged her existence…
But seeing Leon suddenly ‘In a relationship’ on Facebook with the perfect Anna, spurs Emma into action and she embarks on a mission to make positive changes to her life (or ‘edits,’ if you will) and vows to use the internet for more than obsessively stalking Leon’s activities! Instead, she will use it for good and noble causes like finding someone who will actually be nice to her, and recording her findings for the rest of the world to see (i.e. BFF Steph and her mum) on her new Editing Emma blog.
But Emma soon discovers her ‘habit’ is harder to break than she first thought – turns out she’s not the only one ‘editing’ herself online (thank you Tinder for finding her mum’s profile, age 35, really?) and that life through an Instagram filter isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. But it could be worse, she could have outed her best friend, accidentally chatted up a 12 year old boy and revealed to the world why Leon Naylor is worth no girl’s time or virginity… oh no wait, that’s exactly what happened…
330 pages, Paperback
First published August 10, 2017
47 people are currently reading
3749 people want to read
About the author
Chloe Seager
9 books98 followersChloe Seager grew up in East London with her Mum and much-loved cat, Katie. She studied English Literature and Drama at the University of East Anglia, where she sadly realised she couldn't act, but did rediscover her love of children's books. Studying them on her favourite module, Children's Literature, made her wonder why grown-ups ever stopped reading them. She now works with them full-time as a YA/Children's literary agent at Northbank Talent, and lives back in East London with her boyfriend, three fish and her cat Edie. Editing Emma is her first novel and the sequel, Friendship Fails of Emma Nash, was published in 2018.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 290 reviews
April 23, 2019
How long are you supposed to wait for a kiss to happen, before leaving?
Then his head whacked me in the face. It was nice, I think.
I want to say I have no idea why Dating Disasters of Emma Nash (Editing Emma in the UK) has such a low average rating on Goodreads, but if I'm being honest, I think I do. I mean, Emma is ridiculous. She chases around after, and obsesses over, this boy who seems like a prick. She makes all kinds of terrible decisions, and mopes for far longer than anyone should ever be allowed to mope for. But... she completely reminds me of myself as a teenager!
Oops.
Tatiana got it right when she compared this book to Louise Rennison's Georgia Nicholson series. It's got all of the same silliness, humour, and "what are you doing?!" moments that I loved about that. Plus, there's the more modern aspects like social media, blogging and Internet stalking.
I found the author's decision to allow Emma to break down, not shower, mope, and obsess to be realistic, honestly. I didn't get the sense that we were supposed to think Emma's behavior was good-- the U.S. title actually has the word "disasters" in it. And Emma's dating disasters were funny, cringey and very entertaining.
Also, I just don't think feminism requires women to be strong and smart all the time. I'm certainly not. I find it so much more real and refreshing to see girls going through heartaches and making stupid mistakes, but then growing and learning from them. Admittedly, Emma still has a long way to go, but I know there is at least one other book so I have faith in her.
Plus, I decided not to open with this quote (lol) but I LOVE that this book is so cool about girls masturbating. It's great AND makes for some hilarious moments:
Right. Time to start on my resolutions...
[..]
Or I could always go to my room and masturbate all afternoon. It does seem infinitely more appealing.
[..]
Six orgasms in half an hour. That's one every five minutes. If you look at my daily activity based on masturbation alone, I'm actually an incredibly productive person.
Girlfriends, family dynamics, dating nightmares and embarrassing moments... so much fun!
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube
April 26, 2019
3.5*. This was super fun.
December 22, 2018
12/22/2018
What does it say about me that I have to reread a book I read in May of 2018 because I can’t remember enough details to understand its sequel?
Original review
If you like Louise Rennison (RIP) and occasionally enjoy a silly romp about teen girls obsessing about boys and acting dumb as much as I do (how else would I relive the sweet memories of me crying in a school bathroom over some pimply boy?), this book is not a bad choice. The humor is not as strong as Rennison’s - it doesn’t land quite the same punch, but a lot of the same elements are here - girl friendships, clueless dating, conflicts with ridiculous mom. Seager’s novel is more explicit and frank about sex too, which is a good thing I think. I’d totally read more of these.
What does it say about me that I have to reread a book I read in May of 2018 because I can’t remember enough details to understand its sequel?
Original review
If you like Louise Rennison (RIP) and occasionally enjoy a silly romp about teen girls obsessing about boys and acting dumb as much as I do (how else would I relive the sweet memories of me crying in a school bathroom over some pimply boy?), this book is not a bad choice. The humor is not as strong as Rennison’s - it doesn’t land quite the same punch, but a lot of the same elements are here - girl friendships, clueless dating, conflicts with ridiculous mom. Seager’s novel is more explicit and frank about sex too, which is a good thing I think. I’d totally read more of these.
May 8, 2018
So, you know when a book is constantly blurbed as hilarious and 'laugh-out-loud' worthy, and you get kinda anxious because the expectation is so high for this to be a Funny Book? Well, for me, 'Editing Emma' totally deserved this praise! It's actually a miracle, because I find it really difficult to get on board 'funny books' as they often feel like rehearsed skits to me. But Emma's relationship with all of the guys she dates, her best friends and her mum hit all levels of enjoyment:
a) the laugh in your head
b) the little smile
c) the really loud 'HA!' that disturbs whoever's next to you
d) the 'I need to read this to you, it's too good' joke
e) the 'I'm getting abs right now' laugh
Please tell me this is a series so I can continue to read about Emma? I don't think I've read a more likeable character, honestly.
a) the laugh in your head
b) the little smile
c) the really loud 'HA!' that disturbs whoever's next to you
d) the 'I need to read this to you, it's too good' joke
e) the 'I'm getting abs right now' laugh
Please tell me this is a series so I can continue to read about Emma? I don't think I've read a more likeable character, honestly.
May 14, 2018
A cute angst riddled YA novel with a cast of characters that carry the authentic voices of actual teenagers. Boy troubles, parental problems, and helping friends with their problems- that is the life of 16 year old Emma Nash. I can definitely see this appealing to a few of my grade 8 and 9 female readers.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review.
April 27, 2018
4 “My belly hurts from all the laughter” Stars
Disclaimer: Copy provided by Harlequin Teen via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.
WARNING: I mention how much I laughed while reading this every other paragraph.
When I requested a copy to review, I thought I would laugh, but I never expected myself to be like this, page after page. It wasn’t just a chuckle or a giggle, it was full on laugh.
The writing. There was nothing very special about the writing. Be warned that the style is very informal and it uses a lot of exclamation marks! But it certainly was addicting, as it is formatted in diary blog entries, so you can literally stop whenever you want but also tempts you to read just one more entrywe all know how that goes. Although I wasn’t a huge fan of the simplicity of the writing, it represented well the teenage vibe without being like a 12-year-old voice.
The plot. Okay so I will not lie, I was expecting more dating incidents. I really thought Emma was gonna do it all to forget about Leon, so I was so annoyed when she kept comparing everyone to him and kind of self-sabotaging all other possible love interests. So you may be wondering then why did you like it so much? I will say the uniqueness of the individual scenes and dialogues, and the freshness of teenage life represented.
The humor. teenage girl life subjects, like period, masturbation, sex, shaving, etc, gave more color to the story.
The characters. I actually didn’t like Emma that much, I felt she was very childish, awful and stalkerish. But I did like her humor and way of explaining events, also you could blame all the other qualities to adolescence. My favorite characters must be Steph and Faith, they were so funny and kept up with all the shit from Emma with so much friend support. Also, her mom was hilarious, like the parts I cracked up the most were their interactions.
The love interests. I couldn’t care less about Leon, even though he was mentioned every other paragraph. Contrary to everyone's believe I feel Paolo wasn’t that bad, yeah he may have said some awful stuff at the end, but he was the one who got . Laurance was cute but honestly quite absurd. And finally Greg, who I didn’t think it was the prince in shiny armor, but he didn’t deserve the way he was treated at the end.
In summary, this is not exactly a masterpiece, but it accomplished the job of making me forget my stressful real life and put a smile on my face from all the funny stuff.
I recommend this to you if you are looking for a quick, funny, not dense read. There is nothing incredibly outstanding, but the humor was right up my alley. I literally laughed as much as a friends episode, and that’s a lot for me.
Pre-reading thoughts:
First review copy approved in Edelweiss+ and I need to read in 4 days, wish me luck. I AM EXCITED. Plus this cover appeals to my red/black/white aesthetic soul.
Merged review:
First review copy approved in Edelweiss+ and I need to read in 4 days, wish me luck. I AM EXCITED. Plus this cover appeals to my red/black/white aesthetic soul.
Disclaimer: Copy provided by Harlequin Teen via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.
”How come, when you do really mundane things on your own, it’s not art, but as soon as you invite people to look at you doing it, it can be art? I feel like that’s a rule that should change. I can be art right here, right now. I can be still unthinking, unfeeling art. Some might say I was just a person sitting and staring into space on a toilet, but they would be wrong.”
Disclaimer: Copy provided by Harlequin Teen via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.
WARNING: I mention how much I laughed while reading this every other paragraph.
When I requested a copy to review, I thought I would laugh, but I never expected myself to be like this, page after page. It wasn’t just a chuckle or a giggle, it was full on laugh.
The writing. There was nothing very special about the writing. Be warned that the style is very informal and it uses a lot of exclamation marks! But it certainly was addicting, as it is formatted in diary blog entries, so you can literally stop whenever you want but also tempts you to read just one more entry
The plot. Okay so I will not lie, I was expecting more dating incidents. I really thought Emma was gonna do it all to forget about Leon, so I was so annoyed when she kept comparing everyone to him and kind of self-sabotaging all other possible love interests. So you may be wondering then why did you like it so much? I will say the uniqueness of the individual scenes and dialogues, and the freshness of teenage life represented.
The humor. teenage girl life subjects, like period, masturbation, sex, shaving, etc, gave more color to the story.
The characters. I actually didn’t like Emma that much, I felt she was very childish, awful and stalkerish. But I did like her humor and way of explaining events, also you could blame all the other qualities to adolescence. My favorite characters must be Steph and Faith, they were so funny and kept up with all the shit from Emma with so much friend support. Also, her mom was hilarious, like the parts I cracked up the most were their interactions.
The love interests. I couldn’t care less about Leon, even though he was mentioned every other paragraph. Contrary to everyone's believe I feel Paolo wasn’t that bad, yeah he may have said some awful stuff at the end, but he was the one who got . Laurance was cute but honestly quite absurd. And finally Greg, who I didn’t think it was the prince in shiny armor, but he didn’t deserve the way he was treated at the end.
In summary, this is not exactly a masterpiece, but it accomplished the job of making me forget my stressful real life and put a smile on my face from all the funny stuff.
I recommend this to you if you are looking for a quick, funny, not dense read. There is nothing incredibly outstanding, but the humor was right up my alley. I literally laughed as much as a friends episode, and that’s a lot for me.
Pre-reading thoughts:
First review copy approved in Edelweiss+ and I need to read in 4 days, wish me luck. I AM EXCITED. Plus this cover appeals to my red/black/white aesthetic soul.
Merged review:
First review copy approved in Edelweiss+ and I need to read in 4 days, wish me luck. I AM EXCITED. Plus this cover appeals to my red/black/white aesthetic soul.
Disclaimer: Copy provided by Harlequin Teen via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.
August 9, 2017
4.5 stars
Editing Emma is such a refreshing read. It is funny in all the right places, witty where it needs to be and honest. Before picking up the book I had heard whispers of comparison to Louise Rennison’s series and it took only a couple of pages for me to see why. It is filled with hilarious anecdotes that are so relatable I couldn’t help but cackle to myself.
Emma has been ghosted by her ‘boyfriend’ Leon and after taking what she deems as adequate time for self-pity, she takes to stalking him and his new girlfriend on social media. Then Emma embarks on a new journey, one where she will edit her own life to pursue her own new romance with unexpectedly funny and touching results. In true teenage fashion, Emma discovers a lot about herself in this book as well as about those around her. There’s plenty to make you both laugh and cringe in this hilarious set of blog posts.
It took only a few pages before I fell in love with Emma’s voice. She has such a refreshing voice and I’ve not read one quite like hers in a YA novel for some time. Written as a series of private (or not so private!) blog posts, we truly get to grips with exactly who Emma is right from the beginning of the book. I loved her edgy, sassy voice that, combined with some eye rolling moments and plenty of laughter, had me sucked in straight away. The main reason I loved Emma was that she was so relatable.
Whilst there is a big focus on romance in the book (Emma is, after all, trying to find herself a boyfriend) it doesn’t feel like it is pushed in your face. The anecdotal style writing makes for a light, quick read whilst actually Emma is making leaps and bounds in character development. I think a lot of teenage girls reading this book (basing this on the teens that I know) would really love the romantic aspects and reading about Emma’s dates – the good and not so good.
I loved how heavily weighted social media and the Internet were in the story. I thought the book did really well to show both the positive and negatives of using the internet. From approaching online personas and Internet safety, to online dating (even finding your Mum on there!) and a bit of good old Facebook stalking (which we are ALL guilty of…) there were definitely plenty of things to relate to for anyone of these modern times. As mentioned, the book is written as blog posts so the Internet was sure to have a big feature but I think one of my favourite moments was when Emma had her devices taken from her and she had to live without the Internet. She used the time to rediscover an old passion of hers and, whilst that may not happen for everyone, I thought it was a really nice way of showing that life isn’t all about the internet and sometimes we all need to take a break.
This book also delivered in many ways that I did not expect it to and I think that’s why I’ve given it a high rating. Not only is it a laugh out loud novel but it also covers so many topics that are often taboo in YA novels. Emma openly talks about masturbation in the book, both privately in her blog posts and openly with her friends, and it was nice to see this put out there in such a way that doesn’t make female masturbation embarrassing. There is talk of periods, the societal pressures put on women to act or look a certain way eg. to wear makeup or shave their legs – my feminist heart was bursting to the seams with joy at reading certain parts of this book. Level this out with really strong messages that (despite the romantic nature of the book) relationships aren’t the be all and end all and you don’t need to be with someone else to be happy and I was a very happy camper. There is diverse representation in the book as well and discussion between the main 4 girls (one of whom is a lesbian) about why being straight has to be considered the norm. Again, this book approaches topics I didn’t think I would find within the covers and I was very happy to see these topics being discussed so freely.
The four main characters are all flawed in their own ways. Emma certainly makes a lot of mistakes and it was nice to read a main character that is not deemed to be perfect. It also shows that friendships are not always perfect, even within our closest friendships we will all make mistakes and that’s okay. Editing Emma shows that even after some pretty horrific mistakes within a friendship things can be fixed if you work on it and I think that’s a great message to send out into the world. It was also good to see a rocky relationship between Emma and her mother being explored and there was a scene towards the end that really brought a tear to my eye.
This book truly reignited teenage Kelly within me and I can’t begin to imagine what it will do for the thousands of teenage girls out there who will read this. Teenage Kelly would have fallen head over heels for this book and I can’t wait to share it with some of my older pupils who will find so much of themselves in Emma.
Filled with plenty of laugh out loud, relatable moments and with a fresh new voice for the YA scene, Editing Emma is sure to capture many hearts.
Thank you to NetGalley, HQ and Chloe Seager for my advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Editing Emma is such a refreshing read. It is funny in all the right places, witty where it needs to be and honest. Before picking up the book I had heard whispers of comparison to Louise Rennison’s series and it took only a couple of pages for me to see why. It is filled with hilarious anecdotes that are so relatable I couldn’t help but cackle to myself.
Emma has been ghosted by her ‘boyfriend’ Leon and after taking what she deems as adequate time for self-pity, she takes to stalking him and his new girlfriend on social media. Then Emma embarks on a new journey, one where she will edit her own life to pursue her own new romance with unexpectedly funny and touching results. In true teenage fashion, Emma discovers a lot about herself in this book as well as about those around her. There’s plenty to make you both laugh and cringe in this hilarious set of blog posts.
It took only a few pages before I fell in love with Emma’s voice. She has such a refreshing voice and I’ve not read one quite like hers in a YA novel for some time. Written as a series of private (or not so private!) blog posts, we truly get to grips with exactly who Emma is right from the beginning of the book. I loved her edgy, sassy voice that, combined with some eye rolling moments and plenty of laughter, had me sucked in straight away. The main reason I loved Emma was that she was so relatable.
Whilst there is a big focus on romance in the book (Emma is, after all, trying to find herself a boyfriend) it doesn’t feel like it is pushed in your face. The anecdotal style writing makes for a light, quick read whilst actually Emma is making leaps and bounds in character development. I think a lot of teenage girls reading this book (basing this on the teens that I know) would really love the romantic aspects and reading about Emma’s dates – the good and not so good.
I loved how heavily weighted social media and the Internet were in the story. I thought the book did really well to show both the positive and negatives of using the internet. From approaching online personas and Internet safety, to online dating (even finding your Mum on there!) and a bit of good old Facebook stalking (which we are ALL guilty of…) there were definitely plenty of things to relate to for anyone of these modern times. As mentioned, the book is written as blog posts so the Internet was sure to have a big feature but I think one of my favourite moments was when Emma had her devices taken from her and she had to live without the Internet. She used the time to rediscover an old passion of hers and, whilst that may not happen for everyone, I thought it was a really nice way of showing that life isn’t all about the internet and sometimes we all need to take a break.
This book also delivered in many ways that I did not expect it to and I think that’s why I’ve given it a high rating. Not only is it a laugh out loud novel but it also covers so many topics that are often taboo in YA novels. Emma openly talks about masturbation in the book, both privately in her blog posts and openly with her friends, and it was nice to see this put out there in such a way that doesn’t make female masturbation embarrassing. There is talk of periods, the societal pressures put on women to act or look a certain way eg. to wear makeup or shave their legs – my feminist heart was bursting to the seams with joy at reading certain parts of this book. Level this out with really strong messages that (despite the romantic nature of the book) relationships aren’t the be all and end all and you don’t need to be with someone else to be happy and I was a very happy camper. There is diverse representation in the book as well and discussion between the main 4 girls (one of whom is a lesbian) about why being straight has to be considered the norm. Again, this book approaches topics I didn’t think I would find within the covers and I was very happy to see these topics being discussed so freely.
The four main characters are all flawed in their own ways. Emma certainly makes a lot of mistakes and it was nice to read a main character that is not deemed to be perfect. It also shows that friendships are not always perfect, even within our closest friendships we will all make mistakes and that’s okay. Editing Emma shows that even after some pretty horrific mistakes within a friendship things can be fixed if you work on it and I think that’s a great message to send out into the world. It was also good to see a rocky relationship between Emma and her mother being explored and there was a scene towards the end that really brought a tear to my eye.
This book truly reignited teenage Kelly within me and I can’t begin to imagine what it will do for the thousands of teenage girls out there who will read this. Teenage Kelly would have fallen head over heels for this book and I can’t wait to share it with some of my older pupils who will find so much of themselves in Emma.
Filled with plenty of laugh out loud, relatable moments and with a fresh new voice for the YA scene, Editing Emma is sure to capture many hearts.
Thank you to NetGalley, HQ and Chloe Seager for my advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
March 26, 2018
My ex is called Leon 💀💀
August 6, 2017
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4.5 stars
I picked up this book at the perfect time, while I was going through a period of self-realisation. (You can read about it in my mid-year review.) Why perfect? Because this book is all about Emma and her own self-discovery. Yes, there's a lot going on in it to do with boys and school and so on, but those aren't the point. Editing Emma is about Emma growing up (a bit). And despite an age gap of almost 10 years (yikes!), I've also been growing up, becoming more of the adult that I should probably be already.
A belated disclaimer, but I've actually met Chloe, the author. Our first meeting was also when I was first told about the book, when she admitted to being nervous about the comparison of Editing Emma with Louise Rennison's Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series. I was also hesitant to believe it; I can remember being obsessed with those books when I was younger, and the bar was set really high. But she shouldn't have worried because Editing Emma is hilarious. Instead of a diary (which is what Georgia kept), Emma keeps a private blog, which she updates throughout the day with whatever is going on. Just the first chapter heading had me laughing out loud, so I knew I was onto a winner.
There are very clear parallels between Georgia and Emma in the beginning...
In addition to a lot of laughs, there were plenty of damn straight and hell yeah moments. Emma has mini rants about how guys get grossed out by periods, with this funny-because-it's-true line thrown in:
I envied how open she was with her friends about periods and masturbation and so on. (Emma loved to love herself.) I didn't have that level of honesty in my friendships as a teen, and I think it's rare even now. Wouldn't it be nice if society could just accept that girls have needs, too?
Given that we were introduced to all the other characters through whatever Emma wrote on her blog, they were surprisingly real. I could actually imagine them and relate them to people I knew in my own experiences. I liked how different each of her friends were, and how the guys were portrayed as normal guys, not villains. Everyone in the book was flawed and made mistakes, but they were relatable and understandable mistakes. I've already come up with book titles for Emma's friends if Chloe ever wants to write books about them. Except Steph. Steph seemed pretty mature.
Overall, Editing Emma was a very satisfying read that made me laugh and evaluate my own life at the same time. I feel like every book should aspire to make you think about your own life. And as an added bonus, you can read the book wondering which of the hilariously awkward bits are inspired by real life events, because I've been told that there are quite a few.
-----------------------
See this review in its natural environment, Dani Reviews Things.
You can find me on Twitter and Instagram.
Rating: 4.5 stars
I picked up this book at the perfect time, while I was going through a period of self-realisation. (You can read about it in my mid-year review.) Why perfect? Because this book is all about Emma and her own self-discovery. Yes, there's a lot going on in it to do with boys and school and so on, but those aren't the point. Editing Emma is about Emma growing up (a bit). And despite an age gap of almost 10 years (yikes!), I've also been growing up, becoming more of the adult that I should probably be already.
A belated disclaimer, but I've actually met Chloe, the author. Our first meeting was also when I was first told about the book, when she admitted to being nervous about the comparison of Editing Emma with Louise Rennison's Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series. I was also hesitant to believe it; I can remember being obsessed with those books when I was younger, and the bar was set really high. But she shouldn't have worried because Editing Emma is hilarious. Instead of a diary (which is what Georgia kept), Emma keeps a private blog, which she updates throughout the day with whatever is going on. Just the first chapter heading had me laughing out loud, so I knew I was onto a winner.
There are very clear parallels between Georgia and Emma in the beginning...
In addition to a lot of laughs, there were plenty of damn straight and hell yeah moments. Emma has mini rants about how guys get grossed out by periods, with this funny-because-it's-true line thrown in:
If guys bled out of their penises for a week of every month, you can bet we'd hear more about it.
I envied how open she was with her friends about periods and masturbation and so on. (Emma loved to love herself.) I didn't have that level of honesty in my friendships as a teen, and I think it's rare even now. Wouldn't it be nice if society could just accept that girls have needs, too?
Given that we were introduced to all the other characters through whatever Emma wrote on her blog, they were surprisingly real. I could actually imagine them and relate them to people I knew in my own experiences. I liked how different each of her friends were, and how the guys were portrayed as normal guys, not villains. Everyone in the book was flawed and made mistakes, but they were relatable and understandable mistakes. I've already come up with book titles for Emma's friends if Chloe ever wants to write books about them. Except Steph. Steph seemed pretty mature.
Overall, Editing Emma was a very satisfying read that made me laugh and evaluate my own life at the same time. I feel like every book should aspire to make you think about your own life. And as an added bonus, you can read the book wondering which of the hilariously awkward bits are inspired by real life events, because I've been told that there are quite a few.
-----------------------
See this review in its natural environment, Dani Reviews Things.
You can find me on Twitter and Instagram.
September 8, 2022
Neviem, či mi postupne odumierajú mozgové bunky, alebo som AŽ TERAZ mentálne dozrela na humor Georgie Nicolsonovej (ktorý sa mi v teen rokoch FAKT NEPÁČIL), ale... smiala som sa. NAHLAS. NIEKOĽKOKRÁT. Hrdinka sa nejakým spôsobom pubertálne strápni pred svojím crushom a ja proste vybuchnem do smiechu. Bože. Som dospelá už dlho, nemala by som mať na viac...?
Každopádne - kedykoľvek som Emmu vzala do rúk, nálada mi behom pár strán stúpla o 100%. Emma sa po prvom rozchode rozhodne, že je čas zbaviť sa nekonečnej priepasti v svojej doráňanej duši, ktorú v nej Leon svojím krutým činom zanechal... a vydá sa na "dating spree". Skúsiť veci, ktoré nikdy neskúsila. Napísať niekomu, s kým sa nepozná. Vypýtať si od spolužiačky číslo na sexy chalana. Opiť sa a dať si divokú bozkávačku na párty. FOR SCIENCE!
Celá kniha sú také krátke denníkové zápisky ako z Denníkov princeznej (aj Emma prekvapivo často píše zo záchodov) s kopou tínedžerských trapasov v štýle tej spomínanej Georgie Nicolsonvej a okorenené rodinnou drámou ako zo seriálového My Mad Fat Diary. A veľký plus pre mňa je, že . Nechcem vám to odporúčať ako knihu, pri ktorej sa zaručene zabavíte, ale kombinácia hrdinkinho dramatického pátosu a krátkych a úsečných "kapitol" na mňa proste fungovala viac, ako by mala mať dovolené. 8/10
Odporúčania:
Každopádne - kedykoľvek som Emmu vzala do rúk, nálada mi behom pár strán stúpla o 100%. Emma sa po prvom rozchode rozhodne, že je čas zbaviť sa nekonečnej priepasti v svojej doráňanej duši, ktorú v nej Leon svojím krutým činom zanechal... a vydá sa na "dating spree". Skúsiť veci, ktoré nikdy neskúsila. Napísať niekomu, s kým sa nepozná. Vypýtať si od spolužiačky číslo na sexy chalana. Opiť sa a dať si divokú bozkávačku na párty. FOR SCIENCE!
Celá kniha sú také krátke denníkové zápisky ako z Denníkov princeznej (aj Emma prekvapivo často píše zo záchodov) s kopou tínedžerských trapasov v štýle tej spomínanej Georgie Nicolsonvej a okorenené rodinnou drámou ako zo seriálového My Mad Fat Diary. A veľký plus pre mňa je, že . Nechcem vám to odporúčať ako knihu, pri ktorej sa zaručene zabavíte, ale kombinácia hrdinkinho dramatického pátosu a krátkych a úsečných "kapitol" na mňa proste fungovala viac, ako by mala mať dovolené. 8/10
Odporúčania:
September 3, 2017
Editing Emma features the word 'masturbation' more than any other book I've read. It's crazy, if you think about it, because most of what I read is contemporary YA. The genre is supposed to be realistic. It's supposed to tell stories of what it's like to be a teenager: school, friends, heartbreak, family and everything in between, so you think there'd be more talk of sex. Go you, Chloe.
When 16-year-old Emma is 'ghosted' by the boy she is 'dating' (they were dating, right?! She didn't just imagine it?!), she creates a private blog to write about the life and thoughts of this new heartbroken-but-refuses-t0-be-defeated Emma. It's the perfect way to document the positive changes she's making in her life, from finding a boyfriend who will treat her right to stalking Leo's social media profiles. Wait, no, she's definitely meant to be stopping that.
Continue reading this review over on Pretty Books.
Thank you to the publisher for providing this book for review!
When 16-year-old Emma is 'ghosted' by the boy she is 'dating' (they were dating, right?! She didn't just imagine it?!), she creates a private blog to write about the life and thoughts of this new heartbroken-but-refuses-t0-be-defeated Emma. It's the perfect way to document the positive changes she's making in her life, from finding a boyfriend who will treat her right to stalking Leo's social media profiles. Wait, no, she's definitely meant to be stopping that.
Continue reading this review over on Pretty Books.
Thank you to the publisher for providing this book for review!
February 7, 2020
Loved this so much. Saw a review complaining that there was too much masturbating and to that I say: not ENOUGH masturbating!!!! (Just kidding it was the perfect amount of masturbating. And I love it when masturbating is normalised for teen girls). I may have given you the false impression that this book is very masturbation-centric. It's not.
May 11, 2018
Reminiscent of early-2000's YA's, this funny story goes about a teenager trying to understand the end of her relationship and move on.
Since she's been ghosted by her then boyfriend and now Anna/Apple's boyfriend Leon, Emma blogs about how she's not coping at all. Until she reaches a big low and decides it's time to stop stalking Leon and Apple and edit herself. The story follows her disastrous attempts to find a replacement for Leon when he is all she really wants.
3.5.
It had been a 4-star for a large portion, but I wasn't too into the direction it took. I'm still rounding it up because I can't say this read wasn't worth it. It was, and it was a lot. It had been a while since a book got me laughing so hard. It's not really Meg Cabot but this was the closest I've come in a while to how I felt back when I read her YA books. I also agree with the comparison to Louise Rennison's Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging, even though I liked this one much more than Rennison's.
What I didn't like: Emma's lists got old too soon, I found myself wanting to skip them each time. I think this was a little too graphic in parts? I'm not sure I wanted to read that much about the character's masturbation, for example, so it was a bit awkward. The part where she goes anywhere just to blog was exaggerated—yes, it was funny when she was drunk, but I don't see how realistic it is to write a secret blog but log anywhere for it. I liked the idea of the conclusion, I really like what the author was going for. Still, I didn't feel satisfied.
Now I wonder if there's a sequel planned somewhere? That would certainly fix it for me. Please?
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Edelweiss. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
Since she's been ghosted by her then boyfriend and now Anna/Apple's boyfriend Leon, Emma blogs about how she's not coping at all. Until she reaches a big low and decides it's time to stop stalking Leon and Apple and edit herself. The story follows her disastrous attempts to find a replacement for Leon when he is all she really wants.
3.5.
It had been a 4-star for a large portion, but I wasn't too into the direction it took. I'm still rounding it up because I can't say this read wasn't worth it. It was, and it was a lot. It had been a while since a book got me laughing so hard. It's not really Meg Cabot but this was the closest I've come in a while to how I felt back when I read her YA books. I also agree with the comparison to Louise Rennison's Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging, even though I liked this one much more than Rennison's.
What I didn't like: Emma's lists got old too soon, I found myself wanting to skip them each time. I think this was a little too graphic in parts? I'm not sure I wanted to read that much about the character's masturbation, for example, so it was a bit awkward. The part where she goes anywhere just to blog was exaggerated—yes, it was funny when she was drunk, but I don't see how realistic it is to write a secret blog but log anywhere for it. I liked the idea of the conclusion, I really like what the author was going for. Still, I didn't feel satisfied.
Now I wonder if there's a sequel planned somewhere? That would certainly fix it for me. Please?
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Edelweiss. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
June 18, 2017
Not a fan of this one. I thought it sounded interesting and it's perfect for Louise Rennison fans... but I just didn't get the hype. It's supposed to be a blog, but I've never seen a blog where someone posts so much, unless it's a Tumblr and even then, it was fairly dull. Yes, it's open about sexuality and stuff but Emma just baffles me. She's clearly suffering after her break up with Leon (which we know nothing about really, so it's kinda hard to care) yet she's obsessed with finding a new lad to go out with? Yeah because that's healthy?? I just idk I didn't like it. Considering Emma was supposed to be 16 - which is an adult in England - she came across really young/childish.
It needs a strong voice when it's just a blog for the entire novel and for me, Emma couldn't carry that narrative off. I read it all and I just reached the end and I was like that was it??? That's what I spent my time reading?? It was disappointing.
It needs a strong voice when it's just a blog for the entire novel and for me, Emma couldn't carry that narrative off. I read it all and I just reached the end and I was like that was it??? That's what I spent my time reading?? It was disappointing.
February 9, 2019
Začiatok bol super. Mega som sa rehotala. Potom to už trochu upadlo. Malo to svetlé chvíle keď to bolo opäť vtipné. A je jednoznačne cítiť že to je britské a nie americké. Toto by rozhodne neprešlo americkou YA cenzúrou.
September 8, 2017
*NOTE: A review copy of the book was provided in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I would like to thank the publisher for the copy*
Review :
🌟🌟🌟
Editing Emma was light, short and a very summerish contemporary Young-Adult novel. It is told by Emma and her blog updates, which blog this might be we have no idea, but my guess is tumblr because she literally uploads every minute of every day. Emma Nash is an obsessed girl. All throughout summer she obsesses over her ex boyfriend Leon. She stalks his girlfriend, and looks at them crossing various stages of their dating life. We’ve all been Emma; at least some time, sans the blog updates. I know I was one, way back in seventh grade.
The writing style was relatable, short and blog appropriate and so were the pop culture references to Game of Thrones and music. There were screenshots of conversations and general updates about her life. It is a typical young adult contemporary/coming-of-age novel. It has a few mistakes, and loads of fun elements packed into this short book. It is also realistic where it needs to be and overdramatic where it can afford to be. I love seeing the various relationship dynamics that Emma goes through, from her heartbreak, the conversations with her mom and Steph, the various dating flops and so on.
Emma’s blog is a novel way of showing the teenage angst that teenagers go through now-a-days, where blogs make them feel that they aren’t alone. And being a teenager, I myself am in this category. The social media presence makes us feel invisible yet gives us a space to share our thoughts, but what the author also tries to tell us is that we may end up hurting ourselves more by putting our absolutely unfiltered thoughts on a platform where anyone can view them.
However, having said that, the book isn’t much of a mortality lesson. It is fun, and Emma is unabashedly herself, even if she is making mistakes, she’s a self aware girl who knows her true feelings. The entire episode with her ex boyfriend and stalking and her being a party-pooper for her friends, she is aware, all the while, that she isbehaving like a brat getting on their nerves and that makes her even more likeable.
I liked listening to Emma’s lists and her observations; I was hooked onto her story and the endless drama that followed her. I liked her family dynamics as well as her best friend. She wasn’t as irritating and whiny, and Mary Sue-ish as some Y-A characters tend to become. So, I would definitely recommend this to anyone who would want to lighten their own heartbreak or even if you’re looking for well-done clichéd YA trope.
- Samidha Kalia
Review :
🌟🌟🌟
Don’t worry so much about meeting someone else I like. Be a version of MYSELF I like.
Editing Emma was light, short and a very summerish contemporary Young-Adult novel. It is told by Emma and her blog updates, which blog this might be we have no idea, but my guess is tumblr because she literally uploads every minute of every day. Emma Nash is an obsessed girl. All throughout summer she obsesses over her ex boyfriend Leon. She stalks his girlfriend, and looks at them crossing various stages of their dating life. We’ve all been Emma; at least some time, sans the blog updates. I know I was one, way back in seventh grade.
The writing style was relatable, short and blog appropriate and so were the pop culture references to Game of Thrones and music. There were screenshots of conversations and general updates about her life. It is a typical young adult contemporary/coming-of-age novel. It has a few mistakes, and loads of fun elements packed into this short book. It is also realistic where it needs to be and overdramatic where it can afford to be. I love seeing the various relationship dynamics that Emma goes through, from her heartbreak, the conversations with her mom and Steph, the various dating flops and so on.
Emma’s blog is a novel way of showing the teenage angst that teenagers go through now-a-days, where blogs make them feel that they aren’t alone. And being a teenager, I myself am in this category. The social media presence makes us feel invisible yet gives us a space to share our thoughts, but what the author also tries to tell us is that we may end up hurting ourselves more by putting our absolutely unfiltered thoughts on a platform where anyone can view them.
Conclusion : I DO NOT NEED TO DRINK ALCOHOL TO MAKE MYSELF INTERESTING.
However, having said that, the book isn’t much of a mortality lesson. It is fun, and Emma is unabashedly herself, even if she is making mistakes, she’s a self aware girl who knows her true feelings. The entire episode with her ex boyfriend and stalking and her being a party-pooper for her friends, she is aware, all the while, that she is
I liked listening to Emma’s lists and her observations; I was hooked onto her story and the endless drama that followed her. I liked her family dynamics as well as her best friend. She wasn’t as irritating and whiny, and Mary Sue-ish as some Y-A characters tend to become. So, I would definitely recommend this to anyone who would want to lighten their own heartbreak or even if you’re looking for well-done clichéd YA trope.
- Samidha Kalia
May 13, 2018
2 stars :/
Easy to read since it's written as blog posts. I didn't like Emma. I thought this book was going to have more of Emma's dating mishaps but it was just her getting over this one ass. The humor was not my cup of hot chocolate (I'm not a tea or coffee girl)
Easy to read since it's written as blog posts. I didn't like Emma. I thought this book was going to have more of Emma's dating mishaps but it was just her getting over this one ass. The humor was not my cup of hot chocolate (I'm not a tea or coffee girl)
May 5, 2018
Yet another books that I was pulled in to the hype for right when it releases. I have to say I was pretty excited to pick this up because who doesn't like reading about other people's lives being a disaster so you can forget about yours for some time. I'm pretty sure that I finished this book in just about two days because it was so easy to read and quick as well.
This book is written in blog post form by our main character Emma. Emma has spent all summer living a hermit life at home while wallowing over the fact that her recent boyfriend decided to ghost her. Come on people, ghosting is honestly worse than actually breaking up with someone. At least give a girl closure, right? While doing what any normal teenage girl would do, stalking your ex online, Emma finds that he's in a relationship with a new girl, while still not officially ending things with her. That's where everything starts.
I have to say, honestly I would probably act the exact same mopey way that Emma does when it comes to a break up. Especially because Emma and Leon were said to be such good friends before their relationship went to something more serious. But with that being said, there are some pretty crazy things that Emma does, like keeping a band-aid of Leon's under her pillow and apparently keeping a collection of candy wrappers that he's eaten. That all seems to be just a smidge to psychotic for me. Although, when you look at the kind of behavior her mom exhibits in the book, I guess it's no surprise that Emma acts like this as well.
Also, holy cow is masturbation mentioned so freaking much in this book. I get it, girls can be just as exploratory as boys when they're teens but I don't think I needed it to be mentioned about every ten pages. Sure it's a thing that happens but I don't need to know the details that I found out either. Although, Emma's first experience with an actual boy makes all the glamour other first times finally seem fake, where as her experience is EXTREMELY realistic.
Overall I did enjoy reading this book, but there was so much that could have been explored during this book that was left untouched. I also feel like so many things were just left either unfinished or just too loosely left over. One whole plot point of the summary doesn't even happen til about the last 10% of the book and then it's blown up real quick and not fully fixed by the end of the book. Not a book I would suggest running out to buy, but if you want a chuckle inducing book maybe check to see if your library has it.
March 7, 2019
Initial thoughts: HILARIOUS AND GENUINE AND SO UNEXPECTEDLY GOOD.
Time commitment: I read this in like one day, though I would like to re-read it at a somewhat slower pace.
What it promises: Too lazy to hunt down my copy mid-book organisation to see what it was billed as, but I'm almost certain it would've been 'laugh out loud.'
What it delivers: Genuinely a book that made me LAUGH, multiple times. It's hilarious as fuck, yet doesn't lack substance. Seagar is really very, very good with humour, and at writing a character who is clearly flawed, but who you can still root for.
Inescapable limitations: N/A
Pitfalls 🕳️: None that I can remember.
Bright shining 🌟 moments: That one time that Emma's BFF told her that if she was a Pokémon she'd be a Jigglypuff, and Emma's like 'I will never forget this.' + the revelation about who did the you-know-what with her blog, and the reasoning behind it
Diverse?: Not that I can really remember?
(Some) Subjects it deals with: Break ups, female friendships, ridiculousness, growing as a person, Social Media.
Monetary value 💸: Full price, and SIGNED, and I'm 100000000% with this.
Re-read, reference, or give away? Will re-read this sometime this year, I'm sure.
Recommend: YES!! Especially if you're into YA and are a low-key kind of a sarcastic, hilarious bitch and completely own that.
Time commitment: I read this in like one day, though I would like to re-read it at a somewhat slower pace.
What it promises: Too lazy to hunt down my copy mid-book organisation to see what it was billed as, but I'm almost certain it would've been 'laugh out loud.'
What it delivers: Genuinely a book that made me LAUGH, multiple times. It's hilarious as fuck, yet doesn't lack substance. Seagar is really very, very good with humour, and at writing a character who is clearly flawed, but who you can still root for.
Inescapable limitations: N/A
Pitfalls 🕳️: None that I can remember.
Bright shining 🌟 moments: That one time that Emma's BFF told her that if she was a Pokémon she'd be a Jigglypuff, and Emma's like 'I will never forget this.' + the revelation about who did the you-know-what with her blog, and the reasoning behind it
Diverse?: Not that I can really remember?
(Some) Subjects it deals with: Break ups, female friendships, ridiculousness, growing as a person, Social Media.
Monetary value 💸: Full price, and SIGNED, and I'm 100000000% with this.
Re-read, reference, or give away? Will re-read this sometime this year, I'm sure.
Recommend: YES!! Especially if you're into YA and are a low-key kind of a sarcastic, hilarious bitch and completely own that.
August 12, 2017
WHAT A HILARIOUS AND UTTERLY AMAZING READ!!
Chloe Seager you are officially a queen. This book had me laughing like I had just swollen chewits the wrong way and then spat them back out on my brothers neck or something!
Gosh...
I cannot explain how awesome this book is. I won't stop recommending this now—to like EVERYONE!
Emma was an exquisite and refreshing main lead who I just really want to be BFF's with and throw cookies at!
Five stars to this amazing read!
Chloe Seager you are officially a queen. This book had me laughing like I had just swollen chewits the wrong way and then spat them back out on my brothers neck or something!
Gosh...
I cannot explain how awesome this book is. I won't stop recommending this now—to like EVERYONE!
Emma was an exquisite and refreshing main lead who I just really want to be BFF's with and throw cookies at!
Five stars to this amazing read!
May 21, 2018
3.5 stars
I didn't really like Emma and her mopiness was really annoying. But there are some surprising insights and hilarity scattered across the book. And I loved Faith and Steph. So it was worth the read.
I didn't really like Emma and her mopiness was really annoying. But there are some surprising insights and hilarity scattered across the book. And I loved Faith and Steph. So it was worth the read.
May 24, 2019
This was truly SO funny. I honestly felt like I had been transported back to my early teen years — talking about periods, boys, crushes, sexuality and school. It was honestly brilliant; immensely captivating, thoroughly funny and a lot of fun whilst also dealing with topics that are rarely discussed in YA literature.
— periods are discussed in detail, not just a passing comment here and there. They are actually discussed properly - how they feel, how they make you feel, how awful they can be etc.
— the discussion of masturbation! This is rarely discussed unless it refers to people with a penis, so it was refreshing to see some vagina based masturbation discussion.
— sex! Young female teens having sex! It happens. It was discussed here. It was fab!
— figuring out your sexuality in your early teens, coming to terms with who you are and also telling your family about it. Really appreciated this discussion and the element of acceptance in this area.
— depression/anxiety was touched upon sensitively, too.
— the aspect of art/design helping with low mood. Emma finds herself feeling massively lost and so she channels her energy into creativity, which was an element that I absolutely adored. I loved seeing her focused on something and feeling proud of herself for it.
I truly felt like I had whizzed back to when I was in my teens. It was hilarious yet infinitely uncanny to read this story and feel my story mirrored so much in Emma’s. Absolutely fabulous! Would definitely recommend this to everyone; though mainly teenagers because I think the themes discussed in this novel would be massively helpful. I think I would have been helped colossally if this book had existed when I was younger! All round fabulous; well written, a lot of fun, extremely brilliant!
— periods are discussed in detail, not just a passing comment here and there. They are actually discussed properly - how they feel, how they make you feel, how awful they can be etc.
— the discussion of masturbation! This is rarely discussed unless it refers to people with a penis, so it was refreshing to see some vagina based masturbation discussion.
— sex! Young female teens having sex! It happens. It was discussed here. It was fab!
— figuring out your sexuality in your early teens, coming to terms with who you are and also telling your family about it. Really appreciated this discussion and the element of acceptance in this area.
— depression/anxiety was touched upon sensitively, too.
— the aspect of art/design helping with low mood. Emma finds herself feeling massively lost and so she channels her energy into creativity, which was an element that I absolutely adored. I loved seeing her focused on something and feeling proud of herself for it.
I truly felt like I had whizzed back to when I was in my teens. It was hilarious yet infinitely uncanny to read this story and feel my story mirrored so much in Emma’s. Absolutely fabulous! Would definitely recommend this to everyone; though mainly teenagers because I think the themes discussed in this novel would be massively helpful. I think I would have been helped colossally if this book had existed when I was younger! All round fabulous; well written, a lot of fun, extremely brilliant!
December 28, 2018
5 Words: First-love, funny, friendship, family, forthright.
This book was the perfect mood-booster, and I loved the performance by Charlie Sanderson for the audiobook.
I liked the way the story was told, the personal blog posts, it really felt like I was in Emma's head. And I thought the story was great - a dramatic tale of friendship, first love, and self discovery. It's realistic, slightly cringey at times, and it doesn't shy away from what being a teen is like. It really takes a long hard look at how you find yourself.
Emma pretty much goes into full on meltdown when she discovers that her boyfriend is now with someone else, and oh man, have we not all been there? When I was younger I thought love, and the person I loved at the time, were the be all and end all. I really loved how sex-positive the book was, because it's something that should absolutely be explored more in YA.
I did like how the book wasn't just about Emma's drama - it was that of her friends and family too. Despite blogging for herself, at herself, she took in a lot of what was generally going on around her and really seemed to care for her family and friends (even if she didn't always show it).
I honestly wish I had read this book as a teen.
This book was the perfect mood-booster, and I loved the performance by Charlie Sanderson for the audiobook.
I liked the way the story was told, the personal blog posts, it really felt like I was in Emma's head. And I thought the story was great - a dramatic tale of friendship, first love, and self discovery. It's realistic, slightly cringey at times, and it doesn't shy away from what being a teen is like. It really takes a long hard look at how you find yourself.
Emma pretty much goes into full on meltdown when she discovers that her boyfriend is now with someone else, and oh man, have we not all been there? When I was younger I thought love, and the person I loved at the time, were the be all and end all. I really loved how sex-positive the book was, because it's something that should absolutely be explored more in YA.
I did like how the book wasn't just about Emma's drama - it was that of her friends and family too. Despite blogging for herself, at herself, she took in a lot of what was generally going on around her and really seemed to care for her family and friends (even if she didn't always show it).
I honestly wish I had read this book as a teen.
May 18, 2018
I received this book on NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
This book was an enjoyable, lighthearted read which I was able to read in an afternoon, however I felt that there were some problems.
There wasn’t a certain direction the plot seemed to be going so the book seemed drawn out and read like it followed the daily life of Emma, but didn’t really seem to have any interesting points. I found myself getting bored in some sections that I found unnecessary for the quality of the book. You could read the first 20 pages and then the last 20 pages, and you would know everything you needed to know about the entire book. I understood the overall moral of the story but the plot didn’t have that much correlation to it.
Emma’s character was developed well, but the supporting characters weren’t very well developed and their personalities seemed to be all over the place.
Also some of the explicit scenes in this novel were more new adult than young adult and some parts of it made me feel a bit uncomfortable as I felt it was a bit too intense for young adult.
This book was an enjoyable, lighthearted read which I was able to read in an afternoon, however I felt that there were some problems.
There wasn’t a certain direction the plot seemed to be going so the book seemed drawn out and read like it followed the daily life of Emma, but didn’t really seem to have any interesting points. I found myself getting bored in some sections that I found unnecessary for the quality of the book. You could read the first 20 pages and then the last 20 pages, and you would know everything you needed to know about the entire book. I understood the overall moral of the story but the plot didn’t have that much correlation to it.
Emma’s character was developed well, but the supporting characters weren’t very well developed and their personalities seemed to be all over the place.
Also some of the explicit scenes in this novel were more new adult than young adult and some parts of it made me feel a bit uncomfortable as I felt it was a bit too intense for young adult.
October 23, 2017
*** I received this book for free from Netgalley in return for an honest review ***
I really enjoyed this book. Although it was nearly entirely done through blog posts and messages it flowed well.
Editing Emma had a lot of themes that I'm sure teenagers these days can relate to and it was quite refreshing to see Emma and her friends all (mostly) discussing masturbation openly and showing that 'yes, this is something girls do too!'
Although Emma isn't always likable and I would find myself getting frustrated with her, I think back to times in my teenaged years and think "oh wow, was I REALLY like that?" and can see how this could be a realistic portrayal of a teenaged girl just trying to work out who she is.
I really enjoyed this book. Although it was nearly entirely done through blog posts and messages it flowed well.
Editing Emma had a lot of themes that I'm sure teenagers these days can relate to and it was quite refreshing to see Emma and her friends all (mostly) discussing masturbation openly and showing that 'yes, this is something girls do too!'
Although Emma isn't always likable and I would find myself getting frustrated with her, I think back to times in my teenaged years and think "oh wow, was I REALLY like that?" and can see how this could be a realistic portrayal of a teenaged girl just trying to work out who she is.
September 4, 2017
I am still not sure what to rate this... on the one hand this was hilarious, fun, and quite awkward.. But on the other hand I wanted to whack Emma a lot of times, her obsession with Leon was creepy and dumb, she treated people like shit (like Greg or Laurence, then again not too caring about Laurence, more soon), she acted like she was all that (no you are not). So I am going for 2.5 stars.
This review will be a bit chaotic.
At first it was quite sad to see Emma be so destroyed over a short relationship, it was all dramatic, but quickly I just got bored. And annoyed. The guy broke up with you (in a bad way, but well, still broke up), and you keep on stalking him, and his new girlfriend all the TIME. Like, she stalks more than she breathes. I kept wondering why her friends were still with her. If my best friend would just keep on talking and talking and talking about her ex... I would talk to her and tell her to stop. It is over, really. Stop.
And then when she is going on dates with other people she is just thinking about Leon, and that made me hate Emma. I get that it is hard to get over him, but this is just rude and mean.
And I just was rolling my eyes and wondering if this girl had a brain during the part when she was grounded and her internet (phone/laptop) was taken away from her. She went total drama queen, even walking away and not caring if she would get hit by a car. What the actual hell. Oh, boohoo, you lose your internet, oh boohoo you can't stalk people now, how terrible. Your life must suck so utterly much. *rolles eyes some more*
Same goes when she was with Greg. She didn't want to be with him. Every time he wanted to kiss she wanted to duck. He wanted to go further and instead of saying no, or talking it over, she just did stupid things. I just felt so sorry for Greg, he really liked Emma, and she treats him like crap. Like a science experiment.
Laurence, guy, really, you went on ONE date with Emma and you think that equals as a start of a relationship? You didn't even ask her about it, you just got angry at her. Which is just awkward. Are you going to do that to every girl you go on a date on? Oh, we have done one date now we are together for ever and ever? Whut?
Leon, bleh, I hate guys that treat girls like poop, I just couldn't see the attraction between Leon and Emma. Maybe because we don't see them together, just in flashbacks, but I just felt he was a bit of a player.
The thing that girl did near the end? Wow. I already didn't like her that much, but this was definitely the final straw into putting her into the same list with Leon.
Plus the ending just felt really fake. Sorry, but after all the stuff in this book, I can't believe that will ever work out. Sorry, if I am mean, but Emma just isn't the brightest light bulb.
I did like that the author dared to breach the topic of masturbation. It isn't mentioned often in YA, but she wrote quite openly about this, about feeling horny.
Other good parts include the times when Emma was sewing clothes (she is getting quite good at it), when she was with her friends (and not talking about Leon), I liked the fact this book was written as posts/updates on a blog/online diary, I loved Greg, Steph was fun (though also weird, but in a good way), Faith was sweet (and I hope that one day she can tell her parents about her being a lesbian without them given her too much hurt for it), several of Emma's antics were quite fun (I had such a laugh when she send the blown-out screenshot to the boy in question or when she met with PAOLO), reading about the things she does in school was interesting (had a laugh at the biology lesson with that heart), for some reason I couldn't stop reading (I had to know if Emma would get a brain, plus I wanted to see how much more she would wreck things around her). So yeah, there is good in this book, but sadly most of Emma's behaviour ruined the book for me.
Would I still recommend this book? I am not sure. As I said it had lots of good moments, but be warned of Emma.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
This review will be a bit chaotic.
At first it was quite sad to see Emma be so destroyed over a short relationship, it was all dramatic, but quickly I just got bored. And annoyed. The guy broke up with you (in a bad way, but well, still broke up), and you keep on stalking him, and his new girlfriend all the TIME. Like, she stalks more than she breathes. I kept wondering why her friends were still with her. If my best friend would just keep on talking and talking and talking about her ex... I would talk to her and tell her to stop. It is over, really. Stop.
And then when she is going on dates with other people she is just thinking about Leon, and that made me hate Emma. I get that it is hard to get over him, but this is just rude and mean.
And I just was rolling my eyes and wondering if this girl had a brain during the part when she was grounded and her internet (phone/laptop) was taken away from her. She went total drama queen, even walking away and not caring if she would get hit by a car. What the actual hell. Oh, boohoo, you lose your internet, oh boohoo you can't stalk people now, how terrible. Your life must suck so utterly much. *rolles eyes some more*
Same goes when she was with Greg. She didn't want to be with him. Every time he wanted to kiss she wanted to duck. He wanted to go further and instead of saying no, or talking it over, she just did stupid things. I just felt so sorry for Greg, he really liked Emma, and she treats him like crap. Like a science experiment.
Laurence, guy, really, you went on ONE date with Emma and you think that equals as a start of a relationship? You didn't even ask her about it, you just got angry at her. Which is just awkward. Are you going to do that to every girl you go on a date on? Oh, we have done one date now we are together for ever and ever? Whut?
Leon, bleh, I hate guys that treat girls like poop, I just couldn't see the attraction between Leon and Emma. Maybe because we don't see them together, just in flashbacks, but I just felt he was a bit of a player.
The thing that girl did near the end? Wow. I already didn't like her that much, but this was definitely the final straw into putting her into the same list with Leon.
Plus the ending just felt really fake. Sorry, but after all the stuff in this book, I can't believe that will ever work out. Sorry, if I am mean, but Emma just isn't the brightest light bulb.
I did like that the author dared to breach the topic of masturbation. It isn't mentioned often in YA, but she wrote quite openly about this, about feeling horny.
Other good parts include the times when Emma was sewing clothes (she is getting quite good at it), when she was with her friends (and not talking about Leon), I liked the fact this book was written as posts/updates on a blog/online diary, I loved Greg, Steph was fun (though also weird, but in a good way), Faith was sweet (and I hope that one day she can tell her parents about her being a lesbian without them given her too much hurt for it), several of Emma's antics were quite fun (I had such a laugh when she send the blown-out screenshot to the boy in question or when she met with PAOLO), reading about the things she does in school was interesting (had a laugh at the biology lesson with that heart), for some reason I couldn't stop reading (I had to know if Emma would get a brain, plus I wanted to see how much more she would wreck things around her). So yeah, there is good in this book, but sadly most of Emma's behaviour ruined the book for me.
Would I still recommend this book? I am not sure. As I said it had lots of good moments, but be warned of Emma.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
October 10, 2023
If you’re looking for a light, fun, laugh out loud read this book is for you, it is definitely much needed through these complicated, uncertain, darker times! As soon as I saw the back that said, “Leon Naylor is in a relationship with Anna McDonnell. Huh. That’s funny. Because I thought he was in a relationship with me”, I lost it laughing because it reminds me of how I was as a teenager and even am sometimes in my 20s (shh I shouldn’t be admitting that). The unhealthy obsessing, the social media stalking, the being ghosted, the trying to figure out the mystery that is guys, all the while making mistakes while doing it. Emma just felt very human to me.
Although I wish she wouldn’t have pined after Leon for so long because he treated her so poorly, but that, too, felt natural. Sometimes the way we feel towards someone can be blindsiding and confuse even ourselves as to why we are still hopelessly bent out of a shape about a certain person who we may see through rose-colored glasses around and everyone else has on more realistic lens' towards.
I appreciate books that humanize teenagers and all the rites of passage that they go through because emotions can be complicated and lead us to do strange things or even send texts with a little more attitude like Emma does with Paolo (does anyone else think of the loser that lip syncs in the Lizzie McGuire movie?!) than intended after a failed gig where Paolo said Emma might be more fun if she was drunk…how dare he?! In my humble opinion, the attitude she shot back at him was warranted and I was proud of her for sending a witty text, even though she was worried it wasn’t and she shouldn’t have.
Ultimately, this was loaded up with energetic fun, all the right amounts of fluffy silliness and a great douse of a good old-fashioned breakdown, which is dealt with, and occasionally not dealt with, with some hilarious, relatable results!
Although I wish she wouldn’t have pined after Leon for so long because he treated her so poorly, but that, too, felt natural. Sometimes the way we feel towards someone can be blindsiding and confuse even ourselves as to why we are still hopelessly bent out of a shape about a certain person who we may see through rose-colored glasses around and everyone else has on more realistic lens' towards.
I appreciate books that humanize teenagers and all the rites of passage that they go through because emotions can be complicated and lead us to do strange things or even send texts with a little more attitude like Emma does with Paolo (does anyone else think of the loser that lip syncs in the Lizzie McGuire movie?!) than intended after a failed gig where Paolo said Emma might be more fun if she was drunk…how dare he?! In my humble opinion, the attitude she shot back at him was warranted and I was proud of her for sending a witty text, even though she was worried it wasn’t and she shouldn’t have.
Ultimately, this was loaded up with energetic fun, all the right amounts of fluffy silliness and a great douse of a good old-fashioned breakdown, which is dealt with, and occasionally not dealt with, with some hilarious, relatable results!
July 28, 2017
It's not often I read a YA contemp that I can't bare to put down. I have owned this book for a matter of hours and already devoured it. This is fresh and funny, and Emma's voice is so authentically teen like I'm still half convinced she's a real-life blogger.
I adored the convo's about sex, masturbation, feminism and sexuality--because, THESE ARE THINGS TEENS TALK ABOUT!
This is a bit of a rambling incoherent review, but as a tween/tween I remember reading and re-reading the Georgia Nicolson books, discussing them constantly with my BFF, and trawling bookshops to find the latest book out. I was completely and utterly captured by Georgia. Today's teens will be captivated by Emma.
I adored the convo's about sex, masturbation, feminism and sexuality--because, THESE ARE THINGS TEENS TALK ABOUT!
This is a bit of a rambling incoherent review, but as a tween/tween I remember reading and re-reading the Georgia Nicolson books, discussing them constantly with my BFF, and trawling bookshops to find the latest book out. I was completely and utterly captured by Georgia. Today's teens will be captivated by Emma.
September 10, 2017
I would give it zero stars if i could.
October 7, 2018
3.5 stars
What an enjoyable quick read. Emma is (unfortunately) highly relatable. I honestly won't believe you if you try to tell me that you didn't act like that over a boy in high school. We all did. And man, thinking of those moments make me cringe as much as I cringed for Emma when she was making a fool out of herself. It gets better, Emma Nash.
Was this a thought-provoking Pulitzer prize winner? No, but it was a fun, light-hearted, make-you-laugh kind of book. It was a good time. Emma is highly likable, as are her friends (with the exception of Gracie, whom I still haven't warmed to). The quick relationships that form are an accurate portrayal of high school "love" and Emma's "I hate myself for doing this but I'm gonna do it anyway" attitude is pretty spot on from what I remember of being a teenage girl.
I'll be reading the next one.
What an enjoyable quick read. Emma is (unfortunately) highly relatable. I honestly won't believe you if you try to tell me that you didn't act like that over a boy in high school. We all did. And man, thinking of those moments make me cringe as much as I cringed for Emma when she was making a fool out of herself. It gets better, Emma Nash.
Was this a thought-provoking Pulitzer prize winner? No, but it was a fun, light-hearted, make-you-laugh kind of book. It was a good time. Emma is highly likable, as are her friends (with the exception of Gracie, whom I still haven't warmed to). The quick relationships that form are an accurate portrayal of high school "love" and Emma's "I hate myself for doing this but I'm gonna do it anyway" attitude is pretty spot on from what I remember of being a teenage girl.
I'll be reading the next one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 290 reviews