Everything Sucks: Losing My Mind and Finding Myself in a High School Quest for Cool by Hannah Friedman
Release Date: August 3, 2009
Publisher: HCI Teens
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 200
From: TLC Tours
Interest: story
“By my senior year [in high school] I am the chair of the student body and disciplinary committee, coordinator of 3 community service programs, I have a 4.0 GPA, a millionaire boyfriend with a BMW, and finally, for the first time in my entire life, I am considered ‘cool.’ But when an article of mine about the college admissions process is published in Newsweek, everything I’ve worked so hard to achieve is pulled out from under me…and I resolve once and for all to stop allowing other people to define me.” Welcome inside the head of 21-year-old Hannah Friedman–a fresh new author whose biting wit and captivating writing style is a cross between bestselling YA author Anne Brashares (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) and the hysterically honest Amy Sedaris (I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence). Everything Sucks details the teenage years in all of their cringe-worthy absurdity–from getting home schooled in a tour bus with hippie musicians to attending one of New York’s most prestigious private schools on full scholarship to developing a drug addiction and eating disorder to nearly getting kicked out of Yale University before she even gets to attend. In the end, it’s Friedman’s spirit that keeps her afloat.
Wow. And I thought my high school experience sucked. Hannah is insane, and I mean that is the most endearing way possible. I loved her voice in this story. There were moments where, I found myself screaming “yes” in agreement. Like the irrational fear of that stupid spider story from Scary Stories, that one still bothers me to this day!
Hannah’s honest, brutally honest at times, but it only adds to the overall appeal of the novel. She doesn’t bs around the issues, she addresses them head on, despite how very embarrassing they may be. If other memoirs I’ve read had been like this I may have actually enjoyed them. I hate when they try to cast their lives in the perfectly fake image, I think it’s demeaning to your readers. Luckily Hannah doesn’t do that. She tells you like it is, or like it was. She highlights the good times, she highlights the bad times.
She doesn’t shy away from mentioning her drug use, she doesn’t shy away from her eating disorder, she lays it out there, allowing you to judge her. Even though you won’t be able to do anything but love and appreciate her in the end.
Hoping that Hannah continues to share her journey.
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Isn't it fun to experience life HS life thru someone else's eyes… or thru there trials & tribulations. lol.
Can't wait to read about your HS days, Kristi. lol.
This sounds great. I had a love/hate relationship with high school.
I picked this one up at ALA, but I don't know if mine had the ending-it just said to pick up the book. Or maybe it was a promo for another one she's writing? I didn't look at it very clearly (obviously) and now it's at work. Either way, it looks like a good read and I like the trailer she made for it.
This sounds awesome! I think two stars for the cover is fair.
wow, the book sounds pretty good.
but, yeah, the cover is a little eh…
Sounds like a great read! I'll have to add it to my list
Natalie
Sounds good. I'm not a big fan of the cover either….
It sounds like such a good book!
That's funny though, because the cover isn't a favorite of mine either!
I didn't like high school at all. Once I made it to middle school, my love of school declined. It reached it's all time low in hs.
I've never read a memoir, but I have been reading some really good reviews of them lately.
Forgot. The cover does suck. Your rating was generous.
I just bought this book and can't wait to read it
Good to hear it's good. I was trying to decide whether to read it when I put it up at my work this weekend. I'm reading the other HCI teen memoirs right now.
Seems like a nice book! I should read it some time, Great Review!
I think I just talked to my computer screen when I read this: "She doesn't bs around the issues, she addresses them head on, despite how very embarrassing they may be. If other memoirs I've read had been like this I may have actually enjoyed them. I hate when they try to cast their lives in the perfectly fake image, I think it's demeaning to your readers."
That is the exact reason I'm not really into memoirs. But if you liked it, Kristi, and we obviously feel the same about memoirs, I think I would probably enjoy it too!
I'm still not convinced about this book! Hmmm.. But your review certainly points toward reading it! Thanks!
This book is FANTASTIC. Even if you're not a big memoir fan, I really reccommend that you check it out. I couldn't put it down. Friedman is downright hilarious. Awesome awesome awesome allaround- it's for sure one of my top three of the entire year.
I haven't seen this book before…I'll be sure to check if I like it…maybe I will. Who knows?
Reggie
I just got an email offer for this one. I'm not a huge fan of the cover, so I almost said no. After reading this I'm glad I didn't let my shallow side win out!