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Spoiled #2
Messy
When sixteen-year-old BROOKE BERLIN catches a taste of fame and her movie-star father's attention, she decides it's time to take her career to the next level - by launching a blog that will position her as a Hollywood "It Girl" who tells it like it is. But between schoolwork, shopping, and spray-tan appointments, she hardly has the time to write it herself...
Enter green-haired outsider MAX McCORMACK, an aspiring author with a terrible after-school job pushing faux meat on the macrobiotic masses. Max loathes the celebrity scene almost as much as she dislikes Brooke, but wooed by an impressive salary, Max reluctantly agrees to play Brooke's ghost-blogger - and the site takes off. How long will their lie last? Can the girls work together to stay on top, or will the truth come out and ruin everything they've built?
Along with an entourage of fame-hungry starlets, scruffy rocker wannabes, and sushi-scarfing socialites, the case of Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan's dazzling debut, Spoiled, are back for another adventure in Tinseltown.
Enter green-haired outsider MAX McCORMACK, an aspiring author with a terrible after-school job pushing faux meat on the macrobiotic masses. Max loathes the celebrity scene almost as much as she dislikes Brooke, but wooed by an impressive salary, Max reluctantly agrees to play Brooke's ghost-blogger - and the site takes off. How long will their lie last? Can the girls work together to stay on top, or will the truth come out and ruin everything they've built?
Along with an entourage of fame-hungry starlets, scruffy rocker wannabes, and sushi-scarfing socialites, the case of Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan's dazzling debut, Spoiled, are back for another adventure in Tinseltown.
Unknown Binding
First published May 23, 2012
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2,154 people want to read
About the author
Heather Cocks
6Ìýbooks1,447ÌýfollowersHeather Cocks is a die-hard sports fan, a Leo, an ex-reporter, a Notre Dame grad, a dual citizen of the U.S. and U.K., a sandwich enthusiast, and a former producer for America's Next Top Model.
Together, Heather and skewer celebrity fashion crimes on their popular blog, Go Fug Yourself, which draws millions of monthly readers and made Entertainment Weekly's Must List. They have covered New York Fashion Week for Cosmopolitan and New York magazine, and have written two young adult novels, Spoiled and Messy. The Royal We, their debut contemporary fiction novel, comes out April 7.
Together, Heather and skewer celebrity fashion crimes on their popular blog, Go Fug Yourself, which draws millions of monthly readers and made Entertainment Weekly's Must List. They have covered New York Fashion Week for Cosmopolitan and New York magazine, and have written two young adult novels, Spoiled and Messy. The Royal We, their debut contemporary fiction novel, comes out April 7.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews
June 30, 2012
i was just checking the release date on this. i'm kind of horrified that i typed "messy cocks" into amazon without blinking.
in this companion novel to spoiled, the focus moves to max macormick, molly's green-haired best friend from the first book. unexpected circumstances find her ghost-writing brooke berlin's blog, so that brooke will be taken seriously in the business and max can earn money for an NYU writing program. but when they both fall for the same guy, max is tempted to reveal brooke's secret.
i didn't love this quite as much as i loved spoiled. about a chapter in, i could predict the whole plot and the ending. no surprises there. that said, the writing was really fun and if there's another book- say, on arugula?- i will read it too.
in this companion novel to spoiled, the focus moves to max macormick, molly's green-haired best friend from the first book. unexpected circumstances find her ghost-writing brooke berlin's blog, so that brooke will be taken seriously in the business and max can earn money for an NYU writing program. but when they both fall for the same guy, max is tempted to reveal brooke's secret.
i didn't love this quite as much as i loved spoiled. about a chapter in, i could predict the whole plot and the ending. no surprises there. that said, the writing was really fun and if there's another book- say, on arugula?- i will read it too.
May 22, 2012
This takes place after the events of Spoiled and is more of a companion novel than a sequel. Like Spoiled, there are two narrators. Instead of it being Brooke and her half-sister though, it's Brooke and Molly's best friend Max. Brooke decides that she needs to have a "blogographer," which is basically a ghostwriter for her blog. Said ghostwriter ends up being Max...which is interesting, because Brooke and Max hate each other. Of course, they end up getting along a lot better and also of course, things end up falling apart.
I completely love these books, which are the most purely fun novels I've read in ages. I'm sure a great deal of it is because of Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (you know, the Go Fug Yourself ladies) and their uncanny ability to write the sharpest narration and dialogue possible. (You guys. There is a One Tree Hill reference in here! And it's a clever one!)
It's no surprise, then, that what could be the most stereotypical, one-note character is actually completely lovable. Brooke Berlin is basically every Hollywood starlet who got started because of nepotism you've ever heard of. But she also has actual depth and feelings; she's not just, say, a cardboard cutout of a character. And of course I love Max, because she is so smart and snarky and I love those people the most.
One thing. I really hope someone creates a real Brooke blog to work as advertising for this book. (Either the Max-written one or the one that Brooke writes herself. Either would be comedy gold.)
I don't know if there will be a third in the series, but I hope there will be. (Please, please let there be a third. And a fourth. And probably a fifth. And if one could have the dad, Brick Berlin, as a co-narrator, I think my life would be made. I imagine Brick sounds a lot like Rob Lowe in Parks and Recreation. And it would LITERALLY be the best book ever written.)
Recommended; these books are perfect summer reading.
I completely love these books, which are the most purely fun novels I've read in ages. I'm sure a great deal of it is because of Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (you know, the Go Fug Yourself ladies) and their uncanny ability to write the sharpest narration and dialogue possible. (You guys. There is a One Tree Hill reference in here! And it's a clever one!)
It's no surprise, then, that what could be the most stereotypical, one-note character is actually completely lovable. Brooke Berlin is basically every Hollywood starlet who got started because of nepotism you've ever heard of. But she also has actual depth and feelings; she's not just, say, a cardboard cutout of a character. And of course I love Max, because she is so smart and snarky and I love those people the most.
One thing. I really hope someone creates a real Brooke blog to work as advertising for this book. (Either the Max-written one or the one that Brooke writes herself. Either would be comedy gold.)
I don't know if there will be a third in the series, but I hope there will be. (Please, please let there be a third. And a fourth. And probably a fifth. And if one could have the dad, Brick Berlin, as a co-narrator, I think my life would be made. I imagine Brick sounds a lot like Rob Lowe in Parks and Recreation. And it would LITERALLY be the best book ever written.)
Recommended; these books are perfect summer reading.
April 10, 2017
1/9/2016
Interestingly, on reread? I think I preferred this one to Spoiled from a story perspective, but Spoiled feels stronger somehow?? It's pretty bitchy at times, but that fits in well with the teen it-girl approach of the story. The characters are fun, but frustrating. The writing is a little generic, but still enjoyable. The plot is kind of ridiculous, but silly and pretty fun. It feels quite dated as far as YA goes, despite only being four years old. But it's fine. Forgettable. But fine.
4/7/2012
Plot summary: Following on from the events of "Spoiled", 16 year old Brooke Berlin is determined to see her star rise. She decides that the perfect way to do this is to start a blog. But there's one catch - she doesn't want to write it. Enter Max McCormack, an aspiring writer, and best friend to Brooke's half sister, who's sick of her job in a restaurant and needs the hefty salary that Brooke is offering. When the site takes off and Brooke is cast as the lead in a movie, it's only a matter of time before the girls get on each other's nerves and the secret comes out.
Thoughts: I didn't enjoy this QUITE as much as I liked "Spoiled". But there were still plenty of entertaining moments. I loved the Nancy Drew movie, and the blog posts were fantastically snarky, as you'd expect from the Fug Girls. Brick Berlin was a highlight, as in "Spoiled", though I would have liked to see a little more of Molly.
It's a quick, fun read about all the insanity of Hollywood and trying to grow up in its midst.
Interestingly, on reread? I think I preferred this one to Spoiled from a story perspective, but Spoiled feels stronger somehow?? It's pretty bitchy at times, but that fits in well with the teen it-girl approach of the story. The characters are fun, but frustrating. The writing is a little generic, but still enjoyable. The plot is kind of ridiculous, but silly and pretty fun. It feels quite dated as far as YA goes, despite only being four years old. But it's fine. Forgettable. But fine.
4/7/2012
Plot summary: Following on from the events of "Spoiled", 16 year old Brooke Berlin is determined to see her star rise. She decides that the perfect way to do this is to start a blog. But there's one catch - she doesn't want to write it. Enter Max McCormack, an aspiring writer, and best friend to Brooke's half sister, who's sick of her job in a restaurant and needs the hefty salary that Brooke is offering. When the site takes off and Brooke is cast as the lead in a movie, it's only a matter of time before the girls get on each other's nerves and the secret comes out.
Thoughts: I didn't enjoy this QUITE as much as I liked "Spoiled". But there were still plenty of entertaining moments. I loved the Nancy Drew movie, and the blog posts were fantastically snarky, as you'd expect from the Fug Girls. Brick Berlin was a highlight, as in "Spoiled", though I would have liked to see a little more of Molly.
It's a quick, fun read about all the insanity of Hollywood and trying to grow up in its midst.
June 30, 2020
At first I kept thinking that I was not the target audience and this was a shallow chick lit novel. Later, the heart of it got to me so I raised the rating. Interesting interwoven stories of high schoolers on the edge of Hollywood. I enjoyed it.
March 20, 2017
I liked this even more than Spoiled! I liked the writing aspect of it, and I like that it wasn't as catty as Spoiled - that is, that the two girls were working together (mostly) rather than fighting. I also liked Max as a narrator. And Brady was a great love interest! Also the dialogue and writing was so witty. Ahhh I wish the Fuggirls would write more books!
September 20, 2012
the follow-up to spoiled, the debut YA novel by heather ckocks & jessica morgan, the ladies behind the go fug yourself blog. this is far from great literature that is soon to enter the canon, but it was definitely fun, funny, & clever. the plot focuses on max, the green-haired misanthropic daughter of the school headmistress. she dreams of attending writing school & needs to produce a writing sample for her application. unfortunately, this inspires major writer's block. to try to make money for school & possibly overcome her block, she answers an ad from an up & coming starlet seeking a ghostwriter for her blog. the starlet in question is in fact brooke berlin, villain-turned-misunderstood-rich-girl from the previous book. max takes the job & the blog succeeds even beyond brooke's wildest dreams. in fact, it becomes so well-known that brooke is actually landing acting jobs because casting directors think she is the dark wit behind the words. the system breaks down when max develops a crush on brooke's co-star, who thinks brooke writes the blog herself, & when brooke decides dating him might be good for PR. i won't say any more than that.
maybe because i had a better grasp on the narrative voice being employed after reading the first book, or maybe just because i think max is one of the more interesting characters in this universe, i think i enjoyed this book a little more than the last one. there are a lot of hollywood references & digs that some people might find cheap or embarrassing, & they will definitely age the books prematurely, but for now, they're fun.
maybe because i had a better grasp on the narrative voice being employed after reading the first book, or maybe just because i think max is one of the more interesting characters in this universe, i think i enjoyed this book a little more than the last one. there are a lot of hollywood references & digs that some people might find cheap or embarrassing, & they will definitely age the books prematurely, but for now, they're fun.
June 14, 2012
3.5 stars. I thought that this follow up to was great, but maybe not as stellar. I still loved the writing, the mixing in of made up and real celebrities and celebrity lore, and the true heart buried beneath the Hollywood veneer. The story centers much more on Brooke and on Molly's best friend Max (Maxine). Brooke has decided that she wants to start a blog, but she needs a ghostwriter. Max steps in only because she desperately needs to escape her crummy job at a local trendy vegan restaurant. Even though Max and Brooke are the most unlikely of pals, it turns out that they actually have things in common that have nothing to do with fashion or style. This is a fun read that is perfect for the summer and for teens who enjoy keeping up with tinsel town, the Kardashians, and all the latest E True Hollywood stories.
January 5, 2015
Over-all I really liked this book, I thought it was a good sequel to Spoiled. This book was a teen fiction book, and it was directly related to how teenagers act and how they feel about their lives at the moment, but instead of regular teenagers they're daughters of the most famous movie star in the world. I would recommend this book to teenage girls because it just relates to them a lot and it has a lot of relating to reality. In the end I really liked this book and I hope I can find more books like this to read in the future!
January 23, 2013
I love the Fug Girls and I enjoyed their first book (Spoiled) and I was ready to jump into a YA series after learning there would be a sequel. Messy was a valiant effort but it fell flat for me. The teenage dialogue was clunky and the character's histories were revealed so slowly that I still didn't have any connection to them until halfway through the book. It was a formulaic YA novel. And of course I will read the next one.
November 20, 2015
I didn't realize that I was accidentally reading the second book first, although that kind of came out in the text with a few references. I enjoyed the characters, even if the book seemed a bit more aimed at tweens than The Royal We, which is what first introduced me to these authors.
July 13, 2012
This book was so much fun. The characters were all complete people, not cardboard stereotypes, and the story was a delight to follow. Loved Max, Molly, the boys, and even Brooke.
March 9, 2015
Oh dear lord that was awful
August 15, 2015
An amazing book! It just surprises me what Hollywood is like.
July 15, 2013
My love of is pure and unabashed. I will rhapsodize about the brilliance of that book to anyone who will listen. It is utterly delightful, chiefly because it never takes itself too seriously. The weird problem I noticed with , however, is that although it is intended for young adults...it has not appealed to many of the actual young adults who read it. I had several students say they found it boring or slow, particularly in the beginning. I read it in about a day, so I have no recollection of that being an issue. I also think that, although the fun covers probably appeal to a younger audience (let's say the 7th & 8th grade set), most of them aren't mature enough to get that it's satire; it's intentionally ridiculous.
All of this is to say that, although I wanted to read Messy when it initially debuted, I held off on buying it for my classroom, since has sadly never been a big mover. It's a kinda sorta sequel, in that it features the same characters, but really you could read the books in any order, which I actually like. True, Messy references some of the events from Spoiled, but I'm fairly certain you could read this within having read Spoiled and it would still make sense.
At the end of , Molly had decided to return to Indiana, and Brooke and Brick were hightailing it after her in their tricked out RV. This had all the makings of a hilariously misguided father-daughter road trip adventure, so I was a little disappointed that, when Messy opens, Molly is back in the Berlin household (though in her own room), and the two sisters have apparently worked through their issues and are getting along swimmingly. In fact, Molly barely ranks as a supporting character here. This outing features Brooke, and Max, who was Molly's only friend in the first book. Max and her brother Teddy are the headmistress's children, so of course there's some social stigma at work (Teddy's in a band, so he manages to circumvent some of that. Max has green hair, so she's pretty much courting social stigma). Brooke is a much kinder, gentler figure here. It's less a case of revisionist history, and more just a matter of fleshing her out from a caricature into a character. She's dying for her (ridiculous) father's approval, and the best way to earn that is by building a "brand" and becoming famous. Since anyone who's anyone has a blog these days, Brooke decides she needs one as well and enlists Max's help as her ghostwriter. Max, coming from comparatively modest means, is dying to attend a summer writing program at NYU, and her job at vegan restaurant F'ud is terrible in every way. Against her better judgment, Max takes the job and assumes posting duties at OpenBrooke.com
Brooke manages to land a plum role as the titular detective in a gritty Nancy Drew reboot (which sounds just hilariously awful), and Max quickly gets sucked even further into Brooke's world. Turns out, Brooke landed the part because her blog's success, so she needs Max around to gather material to keep it going. Although she's reluctant and surly, it doesn't take Max long to get used to Brooke, and the two even become friends...sort of. She also develops a crush on Brady, Brooke's costar. Anyone who's taken an English class can see where this is going.
Basically, this is Cyrano in Los Angeles. Brooke likes Brady, Brady likes Brooke's blog. There are a few awkward exchanges wherein Brooke almost blows her cover (my personal favorite is when she refers to as a diet plan). What keeps this from just being a modern rehash of Cyrano is the authors� sense of humor. Yes, it’s a plot that has been featured on nearly every sitcom ever, and while it doesn’t exactly feel fresh here, it doesn’t feel overdone or stale either. I’ve read several books recently ( comes to mind in particular!) that were perfectly pleasant rehashes of overdone plots. I’d elevate this a bit above , mostly on the strength of its humor. I mean, there was never any doubt in my mind that it would have a happy ending; it’s that sort of book. But it’s hilarious, and lighthearted, and it actually has heart, without getting schmoopy. Cocks and Morgan deal with realistic issues in an outrageous setting -- Brooke stretches herself too thin, and ends up acting sort of crazy, because she’s just trying to be the person everyone wants her to be; all she really wants is for her father to say he’s proud of her. I think most people can relate to those sorts of feelings, even if they aren’t acting them out on a movie set. Likewise, Max comes to realize that, while there’s strength in being yourself, there’s also something to be said for not being unpleasant for the sake of being unpleasant (going against the grain just for its own sake). Again, most of us don’t learn to love ourselves as we are because we’ve been ghostwriting a blog for a Hollywood It Girl, but the theme itself is universal.
The only thing that bugged me, as I’ve already mentioned, is the fact that we don’t fully wrap up what happened at the end of . Molly and Brooke are getting along, and Molly herself is barely featured. We don’t know how she decided to come back to LA; it’s dealt with in a throwaway paragraph near the beginning (apparently by the time Brooke and Brick arrived, Molly had already decided on her own to come back...). I feel like there’s a story in Brooke and Brick’s excellent adventure, and I’m a little sad we didn’t get to hear it. I suspect it’s because Brick is most definitely a caricature, and spending too much time with him would be tiresome rather than entertaining (like an episode of Friends featuring nothing but Joey acting like an idiot). I can respect that, as a storytelling choice.
Overall, super fun, super easy read. I liked it as much as the first, and I’m glad I found it at the library last week (total impulse grab). Unlike a few of the books I’ve checked out this summer, this is one I would have gladly spent money on.
August 29, 2013
Green-haired alterna-girl Max MacCormack only goes to Colby Randall, a posh Hollywood prep school, because her mother is the principal. She's full of scorn for the rich and spoiled around her, and especially loathes that her mother forces her to take part in extra curricular events like planning the spring carnival. Max needs to earn money, and her current after school job is not working out as well as she expected. When she is offered insane amounts of money to ghost write Brooke Berlin's blog, she can't afford to refuse. Now she just has to spend most of her free time with a girl she can't stand, and convincingly channel her on the internet.
Brooke Berlin, Hollywood starlet and daughter of mega superstar Brick Berlin (think Arnie, Bruce Willis and Tom Cruise rolled into one) is convinced that she's one step away from the stardom she deserves. A popular blog showing the world what an "It Girl" she is, will help launch her rising star, she just doesn't have time to write it herself. So why not hire some creative writing nerd who will be grateful for any time she gets to spend with Brooke? Unfortunately, the only serious applicant to her ad is the spiky malcontent Max, Brooke's half sister's best friend. Can this girl be trusted to help jump start Brooke's career?
Brooke and Max are forced to agree to a truce, and before long, they're spending most of their time together, after Brooke's blog becomes a roaring success. Can the two wildly different girls learn to be friends? Even when there's a cute boy in the middle?
Messy is the second novel from , where Brooke discovers that her father has a second daughter, whose mother has just died, when the girl (Max' best friend) comes to live with them in Hollywood. While Brooke was more of the antagonist in that book, here she gets to be one of the protagonists, and a very fun one at that.
The authors have admitted that when they were writing , their model for Max was Mac from Veronica Mars. Max copes admirably with the fact that she is seen as somewhat of a freak at Colby Randall, and that her best (and pretty much only) friend is dating her brother, but her main worry is the terrible case of writer's block she suffers; not useful when she needs to write an admissions essay for a creative writing class in New York. That class is also the reason she needs to earn money. Unlike most of her classmates, Max' parents are not loaded. In fact, Max' father is unemployed, and the entire family are managing on her mother's salary. So when Brooke offers Max a ridiculous paycheck to ghost write her blog, Max forces herself to accept.
Naturally, as the two very different girls spend more time together, they start discovering that they may have more things in common than they expected. They even start approaching something close to a friendship, at least until a cute boy enters the mix. Max has been infatuated with the school quarterback for years and is so used to pining for him, that she refuses to accept her obvious mutual attraction to Brady (real name Taylor!) Swift. Brady/Taylor is Brooke's co-star in the new edgy Nancy Drew movie (where Nancy grows up in a slum, trying to read Les Miserables by candlelight, and her father's a drug dealer - I would pay good money to see this film!).
Brooke doesn't really like Brady (he's shorter than her and quite geeky, after all) but she knows all about how romances between co-stars can help publicise a film. Max keeps insisting that she doesn't really like Brady as anything but a friend, and when Brooke really puts the moves on a boy, he's pretty powerless to resist. Normally such a love triangle can feel contrived, but as the main focus in Messy isn't the romance angle - which girl will Brady choose in the end, but rather, will Brooke and Max realise that despite their differences, they've actually become really good friends? Brady is just the device to put some tension between them, which they have to work through to come out better friends in the end.
I liked Spoiled, but it didn't amuse me as much as Messy, which had me cackling with laughter several times while reading it. The authors, as anyone who reads Go Fug Yourself will know, have a wonderful snarky wit, and their observations on celebrity culture, both real and made up for this fictional universe, are wonderful. There are so many digs at movie stars, and reality shows, and celebrity culture, and at the same time, they manage to make both Brooke and Max so very likable. If you want a light-hearted, amusing read, you could do a LOT worse than picking up this book.
Brooke Berlin, Hollywood starlet and daughter of mega superstar Brick Berlin (think Arnie, Bruce Willis and Tom Cruise rolled into one) is convinced that she's one step away from the stardom she deserves. A popular blog showing the world what an "It Girl" she is, will help launch her rising star, she just doesn't have time to write it herself. So why not hire some creative writing nerd who will be grateful for any time she gets to spend with Brooke? Unfortunately, the only serious applicant to her ad is the spiky malcontent Max, Brooke's half sister's best friend. Can this girl be trusted to help jump start Brooke's career?
Brooke and Max are forced to agree to a truce, and before long, they're spending most of their time together, after Brooke's blog becomes a roaring success. Can the two wildly different girls learn to be friends? Even when there's a cute boy in the middle?
Messy is the second novel from , where Brooke discovers that her father has a second daughter, whose mother has just died, when the girl (Max' best friend) comes to live with them in Hollywood. While Brooke was more of the antagonist in that book, here she gets to be one of the protagonists, and a very fun one at that.
The authors have admitted that when they were writing , their model for Max was Mac from Veronica Mars. Max copes admirably with the fact that she is seen as somewhat of a freak at Colby Randall, and that her best (and pretty much only) friend is dating her brother, but her main worry is the terrible case of writer's block she suffers; not useful when she needs to write an admissions essay for a creative writing class in New York. That class is also the reason she needs to earn money. Unlike most of her classmates, Max' parents are not loaded. In fact, Max' father is unemployed, and the entire family are managing on her mother's salary. So when Brooke offers Max a ridiculous paycheck to ghost write her blog, Max forces herself to accept.
Naturally, as the two very different girls spend more time together, they start discovering that they may have more things in common than they expected. They even start approaching something close to a friendship, at least until a cute boy enters the mix. Max has been infatuated with the school quarterback for years and is so used to pining for him, that she refuses to accept her obvious mutual attraction to Brady (real name Taylor!) Swift. Brady/Taylor is Brooke's co-star in the new edgy Nancy Drew movie (where Nancy grows up in a slum, trying to read Les Miserables by candlelight, and her father's a drug dealer - I would pay good money to see this film!).
Brooke doesn't really like Brady (he's shorter than her and quite geeky, after all) but she knows all about how romances between co-stars can help publicise a film. Max keeps insisting that she doesn't really like Brady as anything but a friend, and when Brooke really puts the moves on a boy, he's pretty powerless to resist. Normally such a love triangle can feel contrived, but as the main focus in Messy isn't the romance angle - which girl will Brady choose in the end, but rather, will Brooke and Max realise that despite their differences, they've actually become really good friends? Brady is just the device to put some tension between them, which they have to work through to come out better friends in the end.
I liked Spoiled, but it didn't amuse me as much as Messy, which had me cackling with laughter several times while reading it. The authors, as anyone who reads Go Fug Yourself will know, have a wonderful snarky wit, and their observations on celebrity culture, both real and made up for this fictional universe, are wonderful. There are so many digs at movie stars, and reality shows, and celebrity culture, and at the same time, they manage to make both Brooke and Max so very likable. If you want a light-hearted, amusing read, you could do a LOT worse than picking up this book.
July 6, 2012
Messy is written in the hilarious, sarcastic and witty manner that is the trademark of the Go Fug Yourself girls. Every page is infused with priceless jabs at both factual and fake Hollywood stars, most of whom–being the unplugged teen that I clearly am� I’ve never even heard. But here’s the catch: I laughed anyway. I didn’t even know who they were talking about and I laughed anyway. Okay, laugh is a weak word to describe my snorting-slash-snickering-slash-rolling-around-on-my-bonbon-strewn-floor-clutching-my-stomach. But, as Brooke Berlin would say with a generalizing sweep of her manicured hand, “details.�
As accurately described in my current poll (which you may find on my site, ), Messy is the quintessential beach read: light, fun, and knock-your-socks-off hilarious. Old Hollywood clichés inadvertently compliment high school clique melodrama and up-and-coming It Girl debauchery as our two main characters learn to become dependant of one another in the hopes of bettering their futures. There is no saying more appropriate than Hollywood Is Like High School with Money in cases like these� especially when our read focuses not only on high school, not only on Hollywood, but on a high school in Hollywood whose students are more artificial than Glow‘s twisted sense of humour.
Well, all the students but Max McCormack (otherwise known as Kermit), of course. Yes, Max� what with her green hair, consisting-almost-entirely-of-black wardrobe, and serious writing aspirations� is certainly the square peg in Colby-Randall Preparatory School’s very round, very flaky hole. Her rebellious disposition has always led her to believe certain truths: bottle blondes, stupid celebrities and spoiled brats were simply meant to be mocked. However, this disposition cannot help her now, in the face of a desperate need for money, an overly-tempting, well paying job, and� this is the worst part� Brooke Berlin.
Some of you may be wondering what kind of job could even come near tempting the anti-establishment Max. I’m going to dash all of your hopes right this instant by saying that, contrary to popular belief, it does not involve egging Jennifer Hudson’s house (although this, too, would be completely satisfying for all parties). This job involves different key words, such as ghost, writing, and blog. Now, being a blogger, myself, I utterly delighted in the scattered postings of the girls� witty blog, . Or should I say Max’s witty blog? Brooke obviously has no idea what she’s talking about. And Max is growing tired of letting the glamazon hide behind her words.
Brooke is admittedly my favourite character. Although I most certainly am not the shallow fake most would claim her to be, I can absolutely relate to her need to constantly be wearing an attractive ensemble and drive to find the perfect pair of shoes. However, let’s not assume that Brooke is this afore-mentioned shallow fake. The youngest Berlin has piles upon piles of insecurities, doubts, hopes, and dreams (most of which do involve fame and fortune, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves here). In Messy, Brooke has most definitely become the realistic and at least quasi-deep person that she failed to represent in Spoiled.
As you may have guessed, although Messy is the claimed sequel of Spoiled, it’s more of a companion than anything else. Despite the fact that Molly does make brief appearances in certain nostalgic scenes, she has stepped off of the stage in order to allow her best friend and sister to take her place as protagonists. I’ve heard rumours that Brooke’s BFF Arugula may be the centre of Cocks and Morgan’s next book, but the person who I’m hoping to see more of is Shelby Kendall: self-proclaimed enemy of both Brooke and Molly.
Nevertheless, such a novel would not be complete without two of my favourite mandatory ingredients: drama and boys. And what better way to incorporate both than a delicious twist on the classic love triangle? When the unconventionally short and unconventionally bookish Taylor Swift (his stage name is Brady Swift, for obvious reasons) comes into the picture, our two protagonists become dazzled and not slightly giddy. The melodrama that ensues is best left for the actual reading of this book, but I will say that it is very intense, terribly evocative, and highly enjoyable.
Messy‘s obvious hilarity and delectable drama warrant 4.6/5 stars. For all in need of a light, creamy, and somewhat candy-coated escape.
Oh, and enter my current giveaway for a chance to win Burden of the Soul! You only have one day left. (But if you missed this one, I'll be having 1 giveaway a week throughout the summer)
I’ll keep you posted,
Ana
As accurately described in my current poll (which you may find on my site, ), Messy is the quintessential beach read: light, fun, and knock-your-socks-off hilarious. Old Hollywood clichés inadvertently compliment high school clique melodrama and up-and-coming It Girl debauchery as our two main characters learn to become dependant of one another in the hopes of bettering their futures. There is no saying more appropriate than Hollywood Is Like High School with Money in cases like these� especially when our read focuses not only on high school, not only on Hollywood, but on a high school in Hollywood whose students are more artificial than Glow‘s twisted sense of humour.
Well, all the students but Max McCormack (otherwise known as Kermit), of course. Yes, Max� what with her green hair, consisting-almost-entirely-of-black wardrobe, and serious writing aspirations� is certainly the square peg in Colby-Randall Preparatory School’s very round, very flaky hole. Her rebellious disposition has always led her to believe certain truths: bottle blondes, stupid celebrities and spoiled brats were simply meant to be mocked. However, this disposition cannot help her now, in the face of a desperate need for money, an overly-tempting, well paying job, and� this is the worst part� Brooke Berlin.
Some of you may be wondering what kind of job could even come near tempting the anti-establishment Max. I’m going to dash all of your hopes right this instant by saying that, contrary to popular belief, it does not involve egging Jennifer Hudson’s house (although this, too, would be completely satisfying for all parties). This job involves different key words, such as ghost, writing, and blog. Now, being a blogger, myself, I utterly delighted in the scattered postings of the girls� witty blog, . Or should I say Max’s witty blog? Brooke obviously has no idea what she’s talking about. And Max is growing tired of letting the glamazon hide behind her words.
Brooke is admittedly my favourite character. Although I most certainly am not the shallow fake most would claim her to be, I can absolutely relate to her need to constantly be wearing an attractive ensemble and drive to find the perfect pair of shoes. However, let’s not assume that Brooke is this afore-mentioned shallow fake. The youngest Berlin has piles upon piles of insecurities, doubts, hopes, and dreams (most of which do involve fame and fortune, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves here). In Messy, Brooke has most definitely become the realistic and at least quasi-deep person that she failed to represent in Spoiled.
As you may have guessed, although Messy is the claimed sequel of Spoiled, it’s more of a companion than anything else. Despite the fact that Molly does make brief appearances in certain nostalgic scenes, she has stepped off of the stage in order to allow her best friend and sister to take her place as protagonists. I’ve heard rumours that Brooke’s BFF Arugula may be the centre of Cocks and Morgan’s next book, but the person who I’m hoping to see more of is Shelby Kendall: self-proclaimed enemy of both Brooke and Molly.
Nevertheless, such a novel would not be complete without two of my favourite mandatory ingredients: drama and boys. And what better way to incorporate both than a delicious twist on the classic love triangle? When the unconventionally short and unconventionally bookish Taylor Swift (his stage name is Brady Swift, for obvious reasons) comes into the picture, our two protagonists become dazzled and not slightly giddy. The melodrama that ensues is best left for the actual reading of this book, but I will say that it is very intense, terribly evocative, and highly enjoyable.
Messy‘s obvious hilarity and delectable drama warrant 4.6/5 stars. For all in need of a light, creamy, and somewhat candy-coated escape.
Oh, and enter my current giveaway for a chance to win Burden of the Soul! You only have one day left. (But if you missed this one, I'll be having 1 giveaway a week throughout the summer)
I’ll keep you posted,
Ana
February 9, 2013
Messy is the second book in the Spoiled series. Set six months after the events of , Brooke Berlin decides to amp up her celebrity status by starting a blog about the rest of Hollywood’s celebrities � only to have a Ghostwriter (or should I say, Ghostblogger) do it for her.
I read this a day after Spoiled as a ‘you survived your first week of school � you deserve a treat!� type of thing. I had borrowed this a few days ago thinking it was a stand-alone novel. Alas, it wasn’t, so I bought Spoiled.
Characters: Brooke Berlin returns as a main character, although instead of starring with her half-sister, Molly Dix, she shares the spotlight with Max McCormack, Molly’s best friend. It was nice to read a book that, although cliché and stereotypical, doesn’t have character regression. Brooke has clearly learnt from what had happened in the events of the first book and the experiences somewhat shape her actions in Messy. Max is definitely an out there character with a lot of spunk; the reason why I picked the book up in the first place was because of her passion of writing. Molly, Teddy and Brick, who were big characters in the first book, kind of disappear in this one and I did miss them, but I did like the characters that the book introduced and put to the forefront (Jake and Max). Mavis (and Magnus) had me laughing.
Relationships: I felt that romantic relationships played more of a bigger part in this book than the other. (I’ve gone back to my first review to edit it to include the platonic relationships.) Brooke and Max certainly don’t get along initially, but they do build a bond on grudging respect and become friends. I do like Molly’s dynamic with both Brooke and Max, and it’s clear how close the sisters have become since Spoiled. I also liked how Molly/Teddy was there and hinted at, but didn’t detract from the plot. I also really liked the
World-Building: Hollywood seemed a little bit more out of my grasp this time and a lot less touristy. It’s more than likely because Max and Brooke are from LA, unlike Molly who was a newcomer and didn’t know much about it apart from what she’d seen in magazines. I was still rather interested in seeing what happened on set and other things that hadn’t really been focused on in the school/home setting that was prevalent in Spoiled. The media is important in both books, but while the first focused on paparazzi and tabloids, I felt like this one was more about social media. (I mean, the whole plot is based around a blog!)
Plot: I felt that the plot for Messy was a lot more complex than the one for Spoiled, but I called plenty of things. When things were going well for Open Brooke.Com about halfway in the book, I just kinda went, “Things are going to go horribly wrong in about another hundred pages.� And I was right. I felt this time, that the plot was somehow less stereotypical, because although Brooke is doing this for fame and to be noticed, Max’s reasons for college seem to be quite relatable, particularly since she’s suffering from writer’s block (which I suffer from a lot). I felt myself relating to the plot a lot better, but cringing when I guessed things were going to get ugly. It was messier and a bit more complex, but still predictable.
General Impression: Messy is definitely a lot more Gossip Girl-based than Spoiled, which probably has a lot more of a 90210 vibe. Yes, they can be quite stereotypical, but these books are definitely worth a laugh. Compared to some of the other reads I’ve had to do because of school, this was definitely a lot more lighthearted and enjoyable.
I read this a day after Spoiled as a ‘you survived your first week of school � you deserve a treat!� type of thing. I had borrowed this a few days ago thinking it was a stand-alone novel. Alas, it wasn’t, so I bought Spoiled.
Characters: Brooke Berlin returns as a main character, although instead of starring with her half-sister, Molly Dix, she shares the spotlight with Max McCormack, Molly’s best friend. It was nice to read a book that, although cliché and stereotypical, doesn’t have character regression. Brooke has clearly learnt from what had happened in the events of the first book and the experiences somewhat shape her actions in Messy. Max is definitely an out there character with a lot of spunk; the reason why I picked the book up in the first place was because of her passion of writing. Molly, Teddy and Brick, who were big characters in the first book, kind of disappear in this one and I did miss them, but I did like the characters that the book introduced and put to the forefront (Jake and Max). Mavis (and Magnus) had me laughing.
Relationships: I felt that romantic relationships played more of a bigger part in this book than the other. (I’ve gone back to my first review to edit it to include the platonic relationships.) Brooke and Max certainly don’t get along initially, but they do build a bond on grudging respect and become friends. I do like Molly’s dynamic with both Brooke and Max, and it’s clear how close the sisters have become since Spoiled. I also liked how Molly/Teddy was there and hinted at, but didn’t detract from the plot. I also really liked the
World-Building: Hollywood seemed a little bit more out of my grasp this time and a lot less touristy. It’s more than likely because Max and Brooke are from LA, unlike Molly who was a newcomer and didn’t know much about it apart from what she’d seen in magazines. I was still rather interested in seeing what happened on set and other things that hadn’t really been focused on in the school/home setting that was prevalent in Spoiled. The media is important in both books, but while the first focused on paparazzi and tabloids, I felt like this one was more about social media. (I mean, the whole plot is based around a blog!)
Plot: I felt that the plot for Messy was a lot more complex than the one for Spoiled, but I called plenty of things. When things were going well for Open Brooke.Com about halfway in the book, I just kinda went, “Things are going to go horribly wrong in about another hundred pages.� And I was right. I felt this time, that the plot was somehow less stereotypical, because although Brooke is doing this for fame and to be noticed, Max’s reasons for college seem to be quite relatable, particularly since she’s suffering from writer’s block (which I suffer from a lot). I felt myself relating to the plot a lot better, but cringing when I guessed things were going to get ugly. It was messier and a bit more complex, but still predictable.
General Impression: Messy is definitely a lot more Gossip Girl-based than Spoiled, which probably has a lot more of a 90210 vibe. Yes, they can be quite stereotypical, but these books are definitely worth a laugh. Compared to some of the other reads I’ve had to do because of school, this was definitely a lot more lighthearted and enjoyable.
April 10, 2018
I really enjoyed reading this book in a different point of view than the other book. On the other hand, though, it was not as good as the first book. It was hard to get hooked and read at home. It also doesn't necessarily carry on the story line from the first book.
August 16, 2012
After a rocky start in Spoiled, Brooke Berlin and her newly discovered half sister, Molly Dix, have settled into something like sisterly love, but the drama is far from over.
Now that Brooke's caught a taste of fame and her movie star father's attention, she wants to launch a blog that will position her as the ultimate Hollywood insider. But between schoolwork, party-planning committee meetings, and spa treatments, she hardly has the time to write it herself...
Enter Max McCormack, an aspiring author with a terrible after-school job pushing faux meat on the macrobiotic masses of La-La Land. Max reluctantly agrees to play Brooke's ghost-blogger for an impressive salary, and the site takes off, but how long can their lie last? In person, Brooke can't live up to the intellectual wit of openbrooke.com, and Max soon begins to resent hiding her genius behind a bandage dress-wearing blonde. Can the girls work together to stay on top, or will the truth come out and ruin everything they've built?
If you’re in serious need of something ridiculous and outlandish, then look no further. Messy is the companion novel to Spoiled and in my opinion, it’s even better!
What makes Messy a treat is the antagonistic relationship between Brooke and Max � Brooke being the total Hollywood package with her blonde hair and deep knowledge of shoewear and Max being the antithesis with her standout green hair and astute understanding of normal humans. When Max agrees to be the ghostwriter for Brooke’s blog, it’s really a means to an end. That end being a summer writing program in New York that she’s been unsuccessfully saving money for. Needless to say, Max struggles with feeling like a sellout for working with Brooke but at the same time can’t help but be a little awestruck by Brooke’s world. Somehow, the two manage a passable friendship that seems to call for carting Brooke around from one casting call to another. Max must have missed that in the fine print. It’s when Brooke’s blog lands her a lead in a brand new movie version of Nancy Drew that things turn hairy and utterly nonsensical. Not only are people’s perception of Brooke more positive because of the blog but expectations are also higher. They actually think she has substance and intelligible things to say! But the bonus is that Brick Berlin, Brooke’s famous actor dad is finally paying attention to her. His approval is what she has always wanted and she’s not about to squander this achievement.
Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan have a blast poking fun at all that’s ostentatious and trendy in and about Hollywood. They have plenty of ammunition considering how successful they are with their own celebrity fashion blog gofugyourself.com. You know how you hear people say, “You can’t make up this stuff�? It does make me wonder how true some of the more insane scenarios in the book are. Try as you might, Brooke is hard not to like. She’s not as shallow and brainless as she appears. Every scene she's in is amusing because she's so unabashed about who she is. She's never malicious � oblivious may be but I look forward to whatever she has to say. And thanks to Max, my new favorite phrase is “mind bitch� as when she, through her own internal process, serves up bitchy responses to a conversation currently taking place. I think it’s brilliant! Mostly because I do it all the time. Now while Hollywood is the backdrop, the story does essentially come down to friendship, honesty and may be some humble pie. Oh and boys. Don’t forget, there’s always a boy or two involved.
So yes, definitely give Messy a read. It's quick, smart and just simply entertaining. For me, it was just the perfect thing to take me out of the doledrums of a hellish couple of weeks recently. I needed laughs and that's exactly what I got. Now I'd also like to suggest an idea for their next book. How's this for a scenario? Brooke encounters the creatures from Jersey Sore (no, that's not a typo. I despise reality shows and consider that one in particular to be an example of an evolutionary glitch). Anyway, it would be interesting to see if Brooke could bring a little bit of class to that unkempt set. Just a suggestion ...
~ Bel
Now that Brooke's caught a taste of fame and her movie star father's attention, she wants to launch a blog that will position her as the ultimate Hollywood insider. But between schoolwork, party-planning committee meetings, and spa treatments, she hardly has the time to write it herself...
Enter Max McCormack, an aspiring author with a terrible after-school job pushing faux meat on the macrobiotic masses of La-La Land. Max reluctantly agrees to play Brooke's ghost-blogger for an impressive salary, and the site takes off, but how long can their lie last? In person, Brooke can't live up to the intellectual wit of openbrooke.com, and Max soon begins to resent hiding her genius behind a bandage dress-wearing blonde. Can the girls work together to stay on top, or will the truth come out and ruin everything they've built?
If you’re in serious need of something ridiculous and outlandish, then look no further. Messy is the companion novel to Spoiled and in my opinion, it’s even better!
What makes Messy a treat is the antagonistic relationship between Brooke and Max � Brooke being the total Hollywood package with her blonde hair and deep knowledge of shoewear and Max being the antithesis with her standout green hair and astute understanding of normal humans. When Max agrees to be the ghostwriter for Brooke’s blog, it’s really a means to an end. That end being a summer writing program in New York that she’s been unsuccessfully saving money for. Needless to say, Max struggles with feeling like a sellout for working with Brooke but at the same time can’t help but be a little awestruck by Brooke’s world. Somehow, the two manage a passable friendship that seems to call for carting Brooke around from one casting call to another. Max must have missed that in the fine print. It’s when Brooke’s blog lands her a lead in a brand new movie version of Nancy Drew that things turn hairy and utterly nonsensical. Not only are people’s perception of Brooke more positive because of the blog but expectations are also higher. They actually think she has substance and intelligible things to say! But the bonus is that Brick Berlin, Brooke’s famous actor dad is finally paying attention to her. His approval is what she has always wanted and she’s not about to squander this achievement.
Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan have a blast poking fun at all that’s ostentatious and trendy in and about Hollywood. They have plenty of ammunition considering how successful they are with their own celebrity fashion blog gofugyourself.com. You know how you hear people say, “You can’t make up this stuff�? It does make me wonder how true some of the more insane scenarios in the book are. Try as you might, Brooke is hard not to like. She’s not as shallow and brainless as she appears. Every scene she's in is amusing because she's so unabashed about who she is. She's never malicious � oblivious may be but I look forward to whatever she has to say. And thanks to Max, my new favorite phrase is “mind bitch� as when she, through her own internal process, serves up bitchy responses to a conversation currently taking place. I think it’s brilliant! Mostly because I do it all the time. Now while Hollywood is the backdrop, the story does essentially come down to friendship, honesty and may be some humble pie. Oh and boys. Don’t forget, there’s always a boy or two involved.
So yes, definitely give Messy a read. It's quick, smart and just simply entertaining. For me, it was just the perfect thing to take me out of the doledrums of a hellish couple of weeks recently. I needed laughs and that's exactly what I got. Now I'd also like to suggest an idea for their next book. How's this for a scenario? Brooke encounters the creatures from Jersey Sore (no, that's not a typo. I despise reality shows and consider that one in particular to be an example of an evolutionary glitch). Anyway, it would be interesting to see if Brooke could bring a little bit of class to that unkempt set. Just a suggestion ...
~ Bel
April 4, 2013
Messy by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan is a realistic fiction book that shows what it’s like to be a young adult growing up in a celebrity scene and how far people will go just to get their one shot at fame.
Max and Brooke don’t get along very well and haven’t for a long time. When Max needs money to get into a NYU writing program she finds herself becoming closer than she ever thought she would with Brooke. With spending more and more time together, they actually become friends with each other and Max starts to become more outgoing and a whole different person. I believe that Max likes the person who she’s become with befriending Brooke but I can tell she wants to also have time to herself and get away from all the fame that Brooke has gotten herself into.
“She and Brooke had slipped into a pleasant social truce - they weren’t sitting around braiding each other’s hair ... but they weren’t snipping at each other all the time, either.�
With Brooke and Max becoming friends throughout this book, they start to open up to each other. Max meets and starts talking to a guy who, weirdly, ends up becoming a part in a movie with Brooke. As the book goes on, conflict happens between the three and Max just stops being Brooke’s friend because of it. Then with that conflict, I believe Max becomes a bit depressed because she lost friends and doesn’t know what to do anymore. Brooke though doesn’t really know what to think of all the mess and she thinks that Max was just trying to sabotage her.
“I never should have trusted you, all you ever did was sit in the corner and say rude things under your breath about me and my friends.�
“I didn’t realize this was such a miserable assignment, I thought you were actually having fun. I thought we were becoming friends, Max, I really did.�
I believe this book can relate to the book Famous by Todd Strasser. Both books take place in LA, California and have to do with a lot of fame. In this book, Brooke is the one who is getting all the fame while Max is just her friend who she cares about but doesn’t at the same time. In the book Famous, Jamie gets a shot at fame when she finds pictures of the teen star, Willow, and she doesn’t know how. She doesn’t know what to do with them and when she does do something, it makes her famous for just tiny bit of time.
I gave this book 3 stars because I thought there could’ve been more conflict with the main characters. I liked the book but at the same time I thought it went back and forth between the main characters not very much. At one point something was going on with Max and then the next chapter was with Brooke and it was like a week later after the last chapter which only really talked about the day with Max. The genre of this book is realistic fiction and this helps me understand the “big picture� even more because it’s easy to tell what it is. There are many big pictures in this book and I think the main one is don’t pretend to be someone you’re not because it could blow up in your face later on. The authors� show this by setting it up to where Max is actually being someone she’s not and she doesn’t care about that. I now have learned that you shouldn’t act like someone you’re not because it’s not you and if you want to get to know someone, you should show them the real you.
Max and Brooke don’t get along very well and haven’t for a long time. When Max needs money to get into a NYU writing program she finds herself becoming closer than she ever thought she would with Brooke. With spending more and more time together, they actually become friends with each other and Max starts to become more outgoing and a whole different person. I believe that Max likes the person who she’s become with befriending Brooke but I can tell she wants to also have time to herself and get away from all the fame that Brooke has gotten herself into.
“She and Brooke had slipped into a pleasant social truce - they weren’t sitting around braiding each other’s hair ... but they weren’t snipping at each other all the time, either.�
With Brooke and Max becoming friends throughout this book, they start to open up to each other. Max meets and starts talking to a guy who, weirdly, ends up becoming a part in a movie with Brooke. As the book goes on, conflict happens between the three and Max just stops being Brooke’s friend because of it. Then with that conflict, I believe Max becomes a bit depressed because she lost friends and doesn’t know what to do anymore. Brooke though doesn’t really know what to think of all the mess and she thinks that Max was just trying to sabotage her.
“I never should have trusted you, all you ever did was sit in the corner and say rude things under your breath about me and my friends.�
“I didn’t realize this was such a miserable assignment, I thought you were actually having fun. I thought we were becoming friends, Max, I really did.�
I believe this book can relate to the book Famous by Todd Strasser. Both books take place in LA, California and have to do with a lot of fame. In this book, Brooke is the one who is getting all the fame while Max is just her friend who she cares about but doesn’t at the same time. In the book Famous, Jamie gets a shot at fame when she finds pictures of the teen star, Willow, and she doesn’t know how. She doesn’t know what to do with them and when she does do something, it makes her famous for just tiny bit of time.
I gave this book 3 stars because I thought there could’ve been more conflict with the main characters. I liked the book but at the same time I thought it went back and forth between the main characters not very much. At one point something was going on with Max and then the next chapter was with Brooke and it was like a week later after the last chapter which only really talked about the day with Max. The genre of this book is realistic fiction and this helps me understand the “big picture� even more because it’s easy to tell what it is. There are many big pictures in this book and I think the main one is don’t pretend to be someone you’re not because it could blow up in your face later on. The authors� show this by setting it up to where Max is actually being someone she’s not and she doesn’t care about that. I now have learned that you shouldn’t act like someone you’re not because it’s not you and if you want to get to know someone, you should show them the real you.
December 31, 2015
These are definitely books that you can read while you are on vacation or just simply being a beach bum. It’s light, full of fluff, and fun. These are the books that you read simply for the joy of reading them without having to deal with a lot of heavy subjects like the previous review that I wrote about.
Molly, the MC in the first book and a strong secondary character in the second, is very naïve. I found her to be too trusting and honest for her own good. I mean, yes she came from middle of nowhere America but she’s moving to Hollywood to be with her famous father. I think that fact alone should make someone a little more guarded � it’s pretty much common sense. Unfortunately she was naïve to the extreme and got some repercussion from her innocence. Thankfully she gained some backbone during the book and I was glad that while she grew some backbone, she was still herself and didn’t get too caught up in the famous-by-association thing like a lot of celebrities or wannabe celebrities out there.
Brooke was such a bitch to Molly. I mean, yes I understand that she was shocked to hear that she had a sister who lived in the middle of nowhere America but the way how she acted to her was appalling. I had hope that she would change her ways which, thankfully, she did and I’m also extremely glad that she became a lot better in the second book. I actually think that the whole sister thing helped Brooke a lot emotionally as well because she was having daddy issues since her famous father was never around and she had no one to share that with. With her new sister who faced the same dilemma, it was definitely something that helped bond the two together.
One thing that I didn’t really completely understand was the feud between Brooke and Shelby. It was never really mentioned why they hated each other and why they were always out to get each other but the fact that they did. I wish the author went into more details or at least gave an explanation as to the history between the two. Did something go sour? What happened exactly?
Their father, Brick, was just so absent. He claimed that he wanted to learn more about his daughter and whatnot but he was never there. And during the few times that he was actually there, he was constantly distracted by phone calls, fans, his own thoughts, etc. It was a little confusing to be perfectly honest.
Another character that I also really liked was Max, the MC in the second novel. I thought she really shined there and I really enjoyed reading about her personality. She was a little 2D for my taste in the first novel as Molly’s best friend but in the second, as the MC, I really got to know her more and admired her for taking the bat when Brooke needed it.
Overall, great series for a fluff read.
Molly, the MC in the first book and a strong secondary character in the second, is very naïve. I found her to be too trusting and honest for her own good. I mean, yes she came from middle of nowhere America but she’s moving to Hollywood to be with her famous father. I think that fact alone should make someone a little more guarded � it’s pretty much common sense. Unfortunately she was naïve to the extreme and got some repercussion from her innocence. Thankfully she gained some backbone during the book and I was glad that while she grew some backbone, she was still herself and didn’t get too caught up in the famous-by-association thing like a lot of celebrities or wannabe celebrities out there.
Brooke was such a bitch to Molly. I mean, yes I understand that she was shocked to hear that she had a sister who lived in the middle of nowhere America but the way how she acted to her was appalling. I had hope that she would change her ways which, thankfully, she did and I’m also extremely glad that she became a lot better in the second book. I actually think that the whole sister thing helped Brooke a lot emotionally as well because she was having daddy issues since her famous father was never around and she had no one to share that with. With her new sister who faced the same dilemma, it was definitely something that helped bond the two together.
One thing that I didn’t really completely understand was the feud between Brooke and Shelby. It was never really mentioned why they hated each other and why they were always out to get each other but the fact that they did. I wish the author went into more details or at least gave an explanation as to the history between the two. Did something go sour? What happened exactly?
Their father, Brick, was just so absent. He claimed that he wanted to learn more about his daughter and whatnot but he was never there. And during the few times that he was actually there, he was constantly distracted by phone calls, fans, his own thoughts, etc. It was a little confusing to be perfectly honest.
Another character that I also really liked was Max, the MC in the second novel. I thought she really shined there and I really enjoyed reading about her personality. She was a little 2D for my taste in the first novel as Molly’s best friend but in the second, as the MC, I really got to know her more and admired her for taking the bat when Brooke needed it.
Overall, great series for a fluff read.
Currently reading
February 29, 2016a) combine an accurate, analytical reading with a strong, personal response,
Messy is written in hilarious and sarcastic on how the Hollywood stars are fake but the conversation between those students are hilarious and even though sometimes I may not understand what the text is talking about but I’m still laughing because this book does not talk about any intense stuff. When I am reading this it made me felt stress relief and feel relax and also some part of the book, I can compare to my own life for example, there are some event that also had happened to me with my friends and I can use the way they deal with their friends as an example to use in my daily life because it is all about teenager
b) describe ideas (as opposed to plot), This book was published after the previous book called “Spoiled�, which is the story between the two teenagers (Brooke Berlin and Molly Dix) who are best friends to each other but then later on, they discovered that they were half sister. Molly Dix, have settled into something like sisterly love but the drama is way far from over. Now Brooke got famous because her father is a movie star so she try to launch a blog that can position her as the ultimate insider. But then, because of school work, party-planning committee meetings , and spa treatments. She rarely writes anything on the blog that is why she needs help from her half sister to work on the blog.
c) analyze how the book tried to achieve its purpose,
The purpose of this book is to show the teenager life. Which suggests that this book is for the people who is around my age(around 15+) this books show the teenager’s daily life and what kind of problem they will face and the relationship between friends and family. It also shows how to deal with problem that had occurred to us, as teenager that we faced all the time. The books also talks about the trend( Hollywood stars) that the teenager like us are talking about which might entertain the reader.
d) expresses any reactions and arguments from any unique perspective you might have.
My reactions and the perspective towards this book would be the uniqueness of this teenager book, it shows many views on each character and the imaginary setting is really noticeable which makes me created a better fantasy imagination that you will never know if it will happen in real life. This book can make the teenager have a hope and dream big on their future. It may activate each teenagers.
Messy is written in hilarious and sarcastic on how the Hollywood stars are fake but the conversation between those students are hilarious and even though sometimes I may not understand what the text is talking about but I’m still laughing because this book does not talk about any intense stuff. When I am reading this it made me felt stress relief and feel relax and also some part of the book, I can compare to my own life for example, there are some event that also had happened to me with my friends and I can use the way they deal with their friends as an example to use in my daily life because it is all about teenager
b) describe ideas (as opposed to plot), This book was published after the previous book called “Spoiled�, which is the story between the two teenagers (Brooke Berlin and Molly Dix) who are best friends to each other but then later on, they discovered that they were half sister. Molly Dix, have settled into something like sisterly love but the drama is way far from over. Now Brooke got famous because her father is a movie star so she try to launch a blog that can position her as the ultimate insider. But then, because of school work, party-planning committee meetings , and spa treatments. She rarely writes anything on the blog that is why she needs help from her half sister to work on the blog.
c) analyze how the book tried to achieve its purpose,
The purpose of this book is to show the teenager life. Which suggests that this book is for the people who is around my age(around 15+) this books show the teenager’s daily life and what kind of problem they will face and the relationship between friends and family. It also shows how to deal with problem that had occurred to us, as teenager that we faced all the time. The books also talks about the trend( Hollywood stars) that the teenager like us are talking about which might entertain the reader.
d) expresses any reactions and arguments from any unique perspective you might have.
My reactions and the perspective towards this book would be the uniqueness of this teenager book, it shows many views on each character and the imaginary setting is really noticeable which makes me created a better fantasy imagination that you will never know if it will happen in real life. This book can make the teenager have a hope and dream big on their future. It may activate each teenagers.
October 26, 2012
Originally reviewed on , a young adult book blog.
The Fug Girls are back with Messy, the fun sequel to their debut, Spoiled. The second book in the series takes the focus off Molly, who's adjusting to her new L.A. life pretty well, and shifts to Max, Molly's best friend and her sister Brooke Berlin's new partner in crime. Cocks and Morgan have taken "write what you know" quite literally and incorporated something they're very good at--blogging--into the book. Don't go in expecting blogging of the book variety--OpenBrooke.com is pretty snarky and of the celeb gossip variety.
The entries in Open Brooke are honestly one of the highlights to this book. I did like Spoiled a little more than this one, but the Spoiled books are still great summer reads. There's more than a little satire and snark directed at the craziness that is Hollywood, and those were my favorite moments. There's a quote that goes something like this:
And so on and so forth. Messy's greatest flaw is its predictability. Sometimes you can tell what's going to happen in a novel just by reading the first 50 pages or so, and this is one of those times. The blurb I've put in this review doesn't talk about the romance so much, but let's just say: there's a boy who doesn't know Max is writing the blog. Ta-da! You already know what happens. Cool, isn't it?
Of course, predictability is a pretty minor issue. If you're looking for a funny beach read, Messy and Spoiled are your books. Megan McCafferty (Sloppy Firsts, Bumped) and Mindy Kaling (Is Everybody Hanging Out Without Me?) probably said it best:
I love the way Heather and Jessica write. They're so funny, and so fashion-y, which is incredibly rare. Ìý- MK
Spoiled is soapy, funny, and full of the Fug Girl's trademark Hollywood snark. I want to read the sequel now. - MM
The Fug Girls are back with Messy, the fun sequel to their debut, Spoiled. The second book in the series takes the focus off Molly, who's adjusting to her new L.A. life pretty well, and shifts to Max, Molly's best friend and her sister Brooke Berlin's new partner in crime. Cocks and Morgan have taken "write what you know" quite literally and incorporated something they're very good at--blogging--into the book. Don't go in expecting blogging of the book variety--OpenBrooke.com is pretty snarky and of the celeb gossip variety.
The entries in Open Brooke are honestly one of the highlights to this book. I did like Spoiled a little more than this one, but the Spoiled books are still great summer reads. There's more than a little satire and snark directed at the craziness that is Hollywood, and those were my favorite moments. There's a quote that goes something like this:
"Um, so how are you doing, Brooke?" Brady asked, making brief eye contact and somewhat nervously picking at his pockets. "I saw Max hadÌýThe Hunger GamesÌýin her bag the other day--are you guys reading that now?"
"Yes, of course," Brooke said, hooking her arm through Brick's. "Daddy and I make it a point to stay on top of the latest diet trends."
And so on and so forth. Messy's greatest flaw is its predictability. Sometimes you can tell what's going to happen in a novel just by reading the first 50 pages or so, and this is one of those times. The blurb I've put in this review doesn't talk about the romance so much, but let's just say: there's a boy who doesn't know Max is writing the blog. Ta-da! You already know what happens. Cool, isn't it?
Of course, predictability is a pretty minor issue. If you're looking for a funny beach read, Messy and Spoiled are your books. Megan McCafferty (Sloppy Firsts, Bumped) and Mindy Kaling (Is Everybody Hanging Out Without Me?) probably said it best:
I love the way Heather and Jessica write. They're so funny, and so fashion-y, which is incredibly rare. Ìý- MK
Spoiled is soapy, funny, and full of the Fug Girl's trademark Hollywood snark. I want to read the sequel now. - MM
June 18, 2012
The Short Story? - Get ready for round two of absolute Hollywood hilarity! Cocks and Morgan have done it again, bringing the best of fashion, fame and hollywood glamour together in an epic sequel to Spoiled! Well narrated, fantastic plot and characters that make you laugh - ALOT. Very funny, very cute and cliched in the good way before cliched become a bad thing!
The Long Story? - Messy is perfect for any of you US bloggers looking for a beach read. It's hilarious and it's a novel that isn't meant to be taken seriously.I would call it more of a companion novel than a sequel because while the same characters appear, the plot is definitely continuous. The whole book is a little like a mockery of fame, glamour and Hollywood. It's over the top, exaggerating scandals and fashion passés and the drama queens personalities we associate with famous people. I really enjoyed the plot of the novel, I liked how the authors have incorporated a little of themselves ( the blogging) into the novel. It's very well narrated in third person but that also makes it a little harder to connect with the characters and really dig into the novel. The plot definitely was a win for me.
The characterisation was well-done. We see a lot of character development that wasn't seen in Spoiled. Brooke is definitely a lot nicer and more likeable. She's still got her melodramatic personality but it's Hollywood unless it's over the top right? I liked how Brooke also had a lot of insecurities which made it easier to relate to her. Definitely a very "fun" character. Max, you have to love Max. She is like the ultimate juxtaposition to what you would associate with Hollywood and she's hilarious. She's kind of got the whole typical teenager personalities mixed with a semi-goth wardrobe and a very funny sense of humour. The novel is told in alternative perspectives of Max and Brooke and I think the two main characters complimented each other beautifully.
In a nutshell, Messy is definitely one everyone should check out! I loved every moment of it from the white collar reference to the dancing queen remix. Brooke and Max are fantastic characters that will laugh out loud. Well written, great plot and in case you didn't get the memo already - COMPLETELY HILARIOUS. Two thumbs up for Messy!
The Long Story? - Messy is perfect for any of you US bloggers looking for a beach read. It's hilarious and it's a novel that isn't meant to be taken seriously.I would call it more of a companion novel than a sequel because while the same characters appear, the plot is definitely continuous. The whole book is a little like a mockery of fame, glamour and Hollywood. It's over the top, exaggerating scandals and fashion passés and the drama queens personalities we associate with famous people. I really enjoyed the plot of the novel, I liked how the authors have incorporated a little of themselves ( the blogging) into the novel. It's very well narrated in third person but that also makes it a little harder to connect with the characters and really dig into the novel. The plot definitely was a win for me.
The characterisation was well-done. We see a lot of character development that wasn't seen in Spoiled. Brooke is definitely a lot nicer and more likeable. She's still got her melodramatic personality but it's Hollywood unless it's over the top right? I liked how Brooke also had a lot of insecurities which made it easier to relate to her. Definitely a very "fun" character. Max, you have to love Max. She is like the ultimate juxtaposition to what you would associate with Hollywood and she's hilarious. She's kind of got the whole typical teenager personalities mixed with a semi-goth wardrobe and a very funny sense of humour. The novel is told in alternative perspectives of Max and Brooke and I think the two main characters complimented each other beautifully.
In a nutshell, Messy is definitely one everyone should check out! I loved every moment of it from the white collar reference to the dancing queen remix. Brooke and Max are fantastic characters that will laugh out loud. Well written, great plot and in case you didn't get the memo already - COMPLETELY HILARIOUS. Two thumbs up for Messy!
May 7, 2014
Spoiled by Heather Cocks has a theme that sometimes you need to lose yourself to find yourself. Max McCormick is the daughter of the principal of a school in LA. The school is overrun with crazy hollywood-type people al trying to make a name for themselves. Max's best friend is Molly, a girl who discovered that she was the secret love child of famous actor Brick Berlin in the previous book. Molly's half sister, Brooke, wants to prove to her dad that she can be Hollywood's next it-girl. She devises a plan to start a blog that tells it like it is, but claims that she will have no time to write it herself. Max is an aspiring writer who sees the job description without knowing it is Brooke. When she shows up at the interview, both girls are surprised. Despite her bad history with brooke, Max reluctantly acceptors the job. Brooke gets the part of Nancy Drew is an upcoming film, and is busy all the time. Max is in way over her head writing the blog. Her secret is at risk of being exposed, and Brooke is becoming overly confident.
This book was a lot of fun! There was not a lot of real substance, but I loved how the authors were not afraid to use real things in our culture today. They gave the name of real shows, actors, and products, whereas other others make up stupid names to replace things like "iPod." Max was a pretty well-developed character. She started out as a sarcastic, pessimistic companion to Brooke,but over time they became good friends. Their friendship had lots of ups and downs, but the book had a great ending. I found Brooke to be a really annoying character at times, but I think that was the point. Molly did not have as big a role as she did in the previous book, Spoiled, but I liked her as much in this book as the last. She continues to be out of her depth under the hollywood lights, but has become more comfortable with her new life. This is a good book to read in the summer, as it is not a heavy, difficult book. The main characters are real and likable, and the mean kids have depth too. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of realistic fiction, humor, and pop culture. The only reason I gave this book four out of five stars is because it was by no means a powerful or moving book.
This book was a lot of fun! There was not a lot of real substance, but I loved how the authors were not afraid to use real things in our culture today. They gave the name of real shows, actors, and products, whereas other others make up stupid names to replace things like "iPod." Max was a pretty well-developed character. She started out as a sarcastic, pessimistic companion to Brooke,but over time they became good friends. Their friendship had lots of ups and downs, but the book had a great ending. I found Brooke to be a really annoying character at times, but I think that was the point. Molly did not have as big a role as she did in the previous book, Spoiled, but I liked her as much in this book as the last. She continues to be out of her depth under the hollywood lights, but has become more comfortable with her new life. This is a good book to read in the summer, as it is not a heavy, difficult book. The main characters are real and likable, and the mean kids have depth too. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of realistic fiction, humor, and pop culture. The only reason I gave this book four out of five stars is because it was by no means a powerful or moving book.
September 7, 2016
In my review of the authors' first novel Spoiled, I mentioned that people who enjoy shows like Gossip Girl and read fashion and entertainment news would definitely enjoy it. And that still holds true for Messy, the follow-up novel. Cocks and Morgan skewer Hollywood, celebrities and all its trappings, but it is done with endearment. It is like written candy, so highly addictive and delicious- and it is wonderfully written.
Unlike Spoiled which followed Molly, Messy predominantly follows Max and Brooke. Now, while I kind of wished for more of Molly's perspective, Brooke and Max are crafty, funny, and brash characters. Brooke, daughter of the most famous star in the world, Brick Berlin, wants to become (more) FAMOUS. But Brooke doesn't just want to be famous for famous' sake, she wants to be respected as an actor in her own right. And- perhaps more importantly- she also wants her highly distracted father to pay more attention to her. And what better way to get attention and praise than by writing a pop-culturally savvy blog? Except...Brooke is not much of a writer. So, Brooke enlists the help of Molly's brainy friend Max to ghostwrite her new blog, called Open Brooke. Max has her own reasons for agreeing to work with Brooke: she is cash-strapped and desperate to get into an NYU summer writing program.
With a plot echoing the madcap misunderstandings of Cyrano de Bergerac and dialogue matching the verbal wit of a Megan McCafferty novel, the authors have put together a witty and voguish YA novel. If you've read Spoiled, then I highly recommend following up with Messy. I personally think this book is even tighter and more focused than its predecessor. All around, it is just such fun; perfect summer reading.
Unlike Spoiled which followed Molly, Messy predominantly follows Max and Brooke. Now, while I kind of wished for more of Molly's perspective, Brooke and Max are crafty, funny, and brash characters. Brooke, daughter of the most famous star in the world, Brick Berlin, wants to become (more) FAMOUS. But Brooke doesn't just want to be famous for famous' sake, she wants to be respected as an actor in her own right. And- perhaps more importantly- she also wants her highly distracted father to pay more attention to her. And what better way to get attention and praise than by writing a pop-culturally savvy blog? Except...Brooke is not much of a writer. So, Brooke enlists the help of Molly's brainy friend Max to ghostwrite her new blog, called Open Brooke. Max has her own reasons for agreeing to work with Brooke: she is cash-strapped and desperate to get into an NYU summer writing program.
With a plot echoing the madcap misunderstandings of Cyrano de Bergerac and dialogue matching the verbal wit of a Megan McCafferty novel, the authors have put together a witty and voguish YA novel. If you've read Spoiled, then I highly recommend following up with Messy. I personally think this book is even tighter and more focused than its predecessor. All around, it is just such fun; perfect summer reading.
June 16, 2012
This is more of a companion than a sequel to Spoiled and does not focus on Molly. Instead her best friend, Max, gets most of the spotlight along with her half-sister, Brooke. The two join forces (a bit reluctantly) to create a blog that will launch Brooke’s acting career. Max, who is basically the brains behind the blog, is hired to pose as Brooke and secretly write all of the blog entries. It was a cute, fun read but it also had some depth to it. It really highlights how important it is to children to have parental approval and attention and shows how far Brooke is willing to go to attain both. Despite taking it a little too far, her plan pays off in the end.
I felt that both girls were very real and relatable. I loved how sarcastic Max was. And despite all her snarky comments, it was obvious by the end how much she actually did care about Brooke. As for Brooke, she once again spends most of the book trying to find ways to get the attention of her self-absorbed movie star father. And although I liked Molly from the first book, I really liked that she wasn’t the main focus of this one. It was a different perspective and a nice change.
The cover of my ARC is completely different than the one on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ. I have no idea which is the final, but I have to say that I prefer the ARC version better which is why I chose to include it in this post. I like how each letter is a different make-up item instead of all of them being different items of clothing.
I definitely enjoyed this one more than the first book. And, once again, fans of The Clique and The A-List will definitely enjoy it as well because it has elements of the two and is sort of in between both.
Rating: * * * *
For more reviews go to Best-of-YA.blogspot.com
I felt that both girls were very real and relatable. I loved how sarcastic Max was. And despite all her snarky comments, it was obvious by the end how much she actually did care about Brooke. As for Brooke, she once again spends most of the book trying to find ways to get the attention of her self-absorbed movie star father. And although I liked Molly from the first book, I really liked that she wasn’t the main focus of this one. It was a different perspective and a nice change.
The cover of my ARC is completely different than the one on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ. I have no idea which is the final, but I have to say that I prefer the ARC version better which is why I chose to include it in this post. I like how each letter is a different make-up item instead of all of them being different items of clothing.
I definitely enjoyed this one more than the first book. And, once again, fans of The Clique and The A-List will definitely enjoy it as well because it has elements of the two and is sort of in between both.
Rating: * * * *
For more reviews go to Best-of-YA.blogspot.com
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January 7, 2015 The message that is designated in the book Messy by Heather Cocks is that not everybody is what they seem to be and stereotypical labels that you put on people is far from who they actually are. In 21st century Los Angeles everybody seeks to find fame, and celebrities daughter, Brooke Berlin wants to extend her star power even more by being the author of an infamous blog that hurts celebrities reputations. The Author switches the first person point of view with multiple characters, so there is no one protagonist. Heather and Jessica are the cunning geniuses behind the idea to make a blog. Max is the aspiring writer that hopes to go to NYU. Finally, Brooke is the mischievous and unknown writer to all, of the It Girl blog. All in all, Brooke, that is supposed to be Max's best friend, persuades Max to identify herself as the author of the blog so nobody knows that the real author is actually Brooke. In return, Brooke is paying for Max to go to NYU. However, the perfect plan ends up turning messy (no pun intended.)
By the end of this book, I was completely surprised by the outcome, and that is the biggest appeal to me. It is intriguing because the ending is not expected at all, but at the same time, it all makes sense. Also, the dynamic of each character is so calculated, precise, and detailed that it feels like the reader has known each character for years. This book is proof that the classic airhead could have depth to their personality and that most evil antagonist could have a weak spot. In conclusion, I encourage everybody to read this book. Whether it be the 12 year old boy that likes fantasy or the bookworm that likes non-fiction, everyone will find interest in Messy by Heather Cocks.
By the end of this book, I was completely surprised by the outcome, and that is the biggest appeal to me. It is intriguing because the ending is not expected at all, but at the same time, it all makes sense. Also, the dynamic of each character is so calculated, precise, and detailed that it feels like the reader has known each character for years. This book is proof that the classic airhead could have depth to their personality and that most evil antagonist could have a weak spot. In conclusion, I encourage everybody to read this book. Whether it be the 12 year old boy that likes fantasy or the bookworm that likes non-fiction, everyone will find interest in Messy by Heather Cocks.
November 24, 2015
Only my great love for the Fug Girls would lead me to pick up a book with this kind of plot, but it's a love greatly deserved and justified. This book is silly fluff, but it's fun and I just loved the characters. And who am I to judge, really -- I owned all the Clueless book when I was in middle school.
So the first book in the series -- Spoiled -- is all about Molly, who finds out as her mother is dying that her real father is a famous Hollywood actor named Brick Berlin. So the first book is all culture shock, and finding out where we belong, and learning to get along with Molly's wretched stepsister, Brooke. The second book hardly features Molly, and instead focuses on wretched sister Brooke, and Molly's friend Max (also Molly's boyfriend's sister).
Brooke, who becomes more and more human throughout the course of Spoiled and continues that trend in Messy, has hired Max to ghostwrite her blog. The blog is ostensibly to increase Brooke's visibility in Hollywood, with the ultimate goal of landing her a juicy acting role. Truthfully, it's to make her more visible to her father, who loves her and her sister, but is just barely around. Max, for her part, needs the money so she can pay her way through NYU. The daughter of the school's headmistress, rather than an actor-producer-director, Max gives us the "normal person's" view of this world. She also funny and snarky, and the articles she writes on Brooke's behalf are delightful.
And of course there's a boy, and a band, and some fighting. But it's all funny and fun and the Fug Girls maintain their excellent writing style throughout.
So the first book in the series -- Spoiled -- is all about Molly, who finds out as her mother is dying that her real father is a famous Hollywood actor named Brick Berlin. So the first book is all culture shock, and finding out where we belong, and learning to get along with Molly's wretched stepsister, Brooke. The second book hardly features Molly, and instead focuses on wretched sister Brooke, and Molly's friend Max (also Molly's boyfriend's sister).
Brooke, who becomes more and more human throughout the course of Spoiled and continues that trend in Messy, has hired Max to ghostwrite her blog. The blog is ostensibly to increase Brooke's visibility in Hollywood, with the ultimate goal of landing her a juicy acting role. Truthfully, it's to make her more visible to her father, who loves her and her sister, but is just barely around. Max, for her part, needs the money so she can pay her way through NYU. The daughter of the school's headmistress, rather than an actor-producer-director, Max gives us the "normal person's" view of this world. She also funny and snarky, and the articles she writes on Brooke's behalf are delightful.
And of course there's a boy, and a band, and some fighting. But it's all funny and fun and the Fug Girls maintain their excellent writing style throughout.
September 22, 2013
Brooke and Max were the best parts of Spoiled, and now they're the stars of their very own book. Brooke decides that to take her fame to the next level she needs a blog about her life, but since she doesn't have the time, patience, or wit for one, she hires Max to do it for her. This looks like a recipe for disaster and it is one as two totally different girls suffer a bit of an identity crisis and mix up their personalities, dreams, and the boys they like.
This was a great sequel, in that it wasn't much of a sequel and more like a novel taking place in the same world slightly after the events of and featuring the characters of Spoiled. I like my novels to have a beginning and end, and my favorite series and sequels are ones like this one that aren't so sequel-y.
I loved how different Brooke was in this book than in Spoiled. I thought her character had potential in Spoiled but her actions were so despicable that I just hated her and didn't even try not to. However, she became infinitely more likable in this novel and I was able to put the events of the previous one out of my head because it's a different book.
All in all, I liked Messy a lot more than I liked Spoiled for several reasons, including that it was organized a lot better and had more of an actual plot, and Brick was barely in it. Brick is the kind of character who is funny when he's only in a few scenes here and there but when he's a significant character, like in Spoiled, it can be a bit too much. My one major disappointment was the lack of Molly and Teddy love, but the rest of it was so good that I didn't mind.
This was a great sequel, in that it wasn't much of a sequel and more like a novel taking place in the same world slightly after the events of and featuring the characters of Spoiled. I like my novels to have a beginning and end, and my favorite series and sequels are ones like this one that aren't so sequel-y.
I loved how different Brooke was in this book than in Spoiled. I thought her character had potential in Spoiled but her actions were so despicable that I just hated her and didn't even try not to. However, she became infinitely more likable in this novel and I was able to put the events of the previous one out of my head because it's a different book.
All in all, I liked Messy a lot more than I liked Spoiled for several reasons, including that it was organized a lot better and had more of an actual plot, and Brick was barely in it. Brick is the kind of character who is funny when he's only in a few scenes here and there but when he's a significant character, like in Spoiled, it can be a bit too much. My one major disappointment was the lack of Molly and Teddy love, but the rest of it was so good that I didn't mind.
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