Georgie Nicholson is a teenage girl who doesn't know who she is or what she wants and she's all over the place trying to pin it down. Written in epistolary form, this novel is laugh-out-loud hilarious and a no-holds-barred telling of one girl's coming of age through adolescence and the discovery of boys and trying to get them to like you. With bursts of self-loathing and self-acceptance sprinkled throughout Georgie's journal musings, one can't help but remember how awkward growing up was when reading through. The constant back-and-forth between different ideas, preferences, thoughts, and desires paints a raw and honest picture of being a teenager.
Rennison, L. (2000). Angus, thongs, and full frontal snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Review:
This is the hilarious Bridget Jones-like diary of 14-year-old Georgia, who has a rather wild cat named Angus, a three-year-old sister who pees in her bed, and a best friend who is in love with the vegetable seller's son. Georgia discusses kissing (snogging) lessons, which she needs because she has just met the "Sex God" of her dreams; what to wear to parties and school; and how to spy on your crush's girlfriend (this is where thongs come into play). In typical teen manner, Georgia lives in her own world; she thinks she is ugly, is convinced that her parents are weird, positively abhors schoolwork, and has a deep desire to be beautiful and older. Yet she still has time to enjoy the mad antics of her cat and indulge her odd but sweet sister. It will take a sophisticated reader to enjoy the wit and wisdom of this charming British import, but those who relish humor will be satisfied. Fresh, lively, and engaging.
Reynolds, A. J. (2000). Angus, thongs and full-frontal snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson. School Library Journal, 46(7), 109.
My Impressions:
This book is wildly hilarious and dangerously cheeky at any given moment. Considering how the book even starts (with a direct, descriptive discussion of breasts, bras, and boob shape), I can see why this book would be challenged. Georgie, while well-intentioned most of the time, writes and records her most honest opinions and thoughts about the world around her in the journal entries that make up the book. Many of her opinions and those of teens everywhere are not always clean, appropriate, or respectful. Georgie is frequently demeaning and demanding toward her parents and friends alike. All that to say, I think Georgie's voice is a wonderful depiction of what actual, real-life teens would sound like if you could sit inside their head and listen for awhile. The content pushes boundaries and, at times, social norms, but overall, it approaches society with honesty and that often causes some amount of uproar, the least of which is book challenge.
Library Use:
An unusual element of Angus is that it is written by a British author and Georgie is British herself. The language and slang used in the book is unfamiliar to most American audiences. This book could be used as book study into the meaning of words and how they came to be established. As an introduction into the importance and role of the library, students could discuss the passing on of information and how meanings and expectations change over time and across cultures. Angus shows how some meaning can be taken for granted while others need to be evaluated and learned in multiple formats to truly understand. Students could use multi-lingual dictionaries or urban dictionaries to determine differences in meaning and usage across cultures and languages.
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