LS 5623 Advanced Literature for Young Adults

Rennison, Louise. 1999. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging. HarperTempest: New York. ISBN 9780064472272

Georgia has met the Sex God of her dreams! Big problem though, he's dating a girl named Lindsay, who wears thongs. On top of that, her Dad has to move to New Zealand to find a job, her cat Angus eats everything in sight, and it's possible that her three year old sister has peed somewhere in her room. Filled with delightful British-isms that keep us Americans flipping to the glossary in the back, teens will enjoy this light laugh out loud funny novel.

Novels written in the diary format depend entirely on the observations of the diarist for the details of events and other characters in the novel. Georgia's character is quite self involved, and her diary reflects that. Georgia longs to be older and more beautiful, but is still young enough to love the antics of her little sister and unruly cat Angus. The innocence she has when it comes to sexuality reminds the reader just how young she really is. For instance she identifies her crush, Robbie as Sex God through much of her diary, but is confused when a boy dumps her because some other girl "lets him do stuff." What stuff? is what she wonders.

I found it a bit disturbing that she seemed more troubled by the loss of her cat (don't worry, Angus reappears) than by the absence of her father, who's gone to New Zealand to find work, or than by the possibility that her mother could be having an affair in his absence. Perhaps Georgia simply chose not to express her loss or concern on paper? Why would Rennison leave this out?

This book is funny, in a Bridget Jones, look what humiliating situation I've gotten myself into this time kinda way. The crowning moment of funny for me is when Georgia, in an attempt to look older, tries to bleach a streak of hair blond. She leaves the bleach in for too long and her hair actually stiffens and breaks off in front of Sex God. Teens will either absolutely love or hate the British slang words and intermittent french vocabulary thrown around, especially since the french is not defined in the glossary. A 2000 review in VOYA agrees, saying "The only element that might keep this book from flying off the shelf is the preponderance of British slang in Georgia's journal entries and in the conversations among the main characters."  If most parents knew what merde meant, they may protest its frequent use by Georgia.

Overall, a light read that I would give to my reluctant teenage girl readers, ages 7th grade and up.



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