ARC Review: Don't Call Me Baby by Gwendolyn Heasley

This book tackles that question: how much of your life can you share online? And what does privacy mean for a blogger who blogs about not just her life as a mom, but of her daughter's?

Title: Don't Call Me Baby by Gwendolyn Heasley
Release Date: April 22nd 2014
Published by: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher (Thanks Megan!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository
Buy from local bookstores: National Bookstore | Fully Booked

Summary:

All her life, Imogene has been known as the girl on THAT blog.

Imogene's mother has been writing an incredibly embarrassing, and incredibly popular, blog about her since before she was born. Hundreds of thousands of perfect strangers knew when Imogene had her first period. Imogene's crush saw her "before and after" orthodontia photos. But Imogene is fifteen now, and her mother is still blogging about her, in gruesome detail, against her will.

When a mandatory school project compels Imogene to start her own blog, Imogene is reluctant to expose even more of her life online...until she realizes that the project is the opportunity she's been waiting for to tell the truth about her life under the virtual microscope and to define herself for the first time.

There are a few words I can use to summarize this book. Communication, understanding and letting go. Imogene had to put in more effort to connect with her mother and make her listen and listen well to what she has to say. In the book, Imogene used her blog to get back at her mother. In a sense, I can't blame her for what she did, because that's the only way she knew of to get her mother's attention and look at Imogene long and hard and think of how the blog is affecting her. Understanding, and this should come from both sides since Imogene's mom refused to listen to her, and Imogene refused to listen what her mom had to say. They had to understand what blogging means for the both of them, understand what they can and cannot share online and understand what the effects of using social media brings to their family. They had to understand that it's not just "mommylicious" and "babylicious". They had to learn to compromise, see what to let go and when it's time to let go, when it's time to change and try to live in the real world without having social networking invade what's supposed to be private. Because why wait for something online to affect you in real life? And it's not just Imogene, but her whole family as well.

This book reminds me of that trademark Gwendolyn Heasley way of making me hate her characters at the onset and gradually changing my mind as the story progresses. Though this book essentially is about blogging, I could not easily connect with Imogene or her mother at first. They both had their faults and committed mistakes that can't easily be forgiven. I am not a mother, and I couldn't bring myself to sympathize or put myself in Imogene's shoes, but I did feel for her at times. Why would you want to have a whole blog dedicated to you? Have strangers recognize you? Know things about you that people normally wouldn't know? I understand Imogene's desire to break free of the "babylicious" persona and be her own unique self apart from it, though sometimes I think she and her friend Sage, who has a vegan blogger for a mom, takes their "rebellion" too far to the point that they just sound petty, immature and juvenile. But they learned. Oh they did learn their lesson, along with their moms.

What I did like in the story though is amidst all the disaster and chaos both Imogene and Sage's rebellion has created, things happened that made them learn and discover things about themselves on their own. Sure there are misunderstandings and fights, but Imogene discovered what she and her family can do even if her mom doesn't blog, the reasons why her mother was blogging and why she couldn't just let go, that she can just be Imogene and not be babylicious, that she can have crushes too. Sage too, forged her own path. And though it was a little bit sad that they had to find out about these things separately, they both grew to be a little more understanding and kinder.

Dylan is so cute! It's hard to believe that an understanding and kind guy like him exists, but he was (sometimes) the voice of reason for Imogene. Sure there were a lot of awkward moments and their opinions differ from each most of the time, but their moments together, though simple and fleeting, were fun to read of! Imogene's grandmother was so cool, and I liked her father as well, levelheaded and calm even when things start to get ugly.

You don't have a story about blogging and not get blog posts as parts of the book! Don't Call Me Baby was peppered with blog posts that helped shed light and gave more insight to Imogene, her mom, and Sage's feelings, no matter how unpleasant they are. It helped give the characters more depth as well and what ultimately helped to make me like the book just a little bit more. Though I didn't get how the fallout of Sage and Imogene's relationship started and why it seemed to happen out of nowhere, the conflict moved the story forward, though it was abrupt.

Don't Call Me Baby is that kind of heartfelt read that felt a little ordinary and too typical at first that ends up giving you an "awww" moment and making you feel a little bit warm inside. It makes you think of moms and daughters, their relationships, the hit or miss, conflicts which are all part of growing up and being in a family. Gwendolyn Heasley attempts to explain what it's like to blog, how it can affect real life and how social networking can influence relationships in this lighthearted, quick, enjoyable story.

Content (plot, story flow, character):
Days after I finished reading this book, I still can't put my finger on what exactly it is that this book needs more to leave a stronger impression on a reader. I did enjoy the reading experience, but I feel like it needed to have more impact reading wise especially with the theme it tackles. Still a fun, steady read though.

.5
Okay: Liked, but The Goddess demands more!

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
Love the cover!

Review: Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley

See when Corrinne, the protagonist, warned the readers that they would eventually hate her, she wasn't joking. I immediately hated her after reading the first page.

Title: Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley
Pages: 289
Release Date: February 8th 2011
Published by: HarperTeen
Source: Won
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

Meet Corrinne. She's living every girl's dream in New York City—shopping sprees at Barneys, open access to the best clubs and parties, and her own horse at the country club. Her perfect life is perfectly on track. At least it was. . . .

When Corrinne's father is laid off, her world suddenly falls apart. Instead of heading to boarding school, she's stripped of her credit cards and shipped off to the boonies of Texas to live with her grandparents. On her own in a big public school and forced to take a job shoveling manure, Corrinne is determined to get back to the life she's supposed to be living. She doesn't care who she stomps on in the process. But when Corrinne makes an unlikely friend and discovers a total hottie at work, she begins to wonder if her life B.R.—before the recession—was as perfect as it seemed.

If I was remotely related to this kind of girl, or even if I'm not, I am going to wish her dead ten minutes into meeting her. No one will ever be able to stand being in the same company as a girl who mocks everything about her grandparents, treats her mom and dad with almost NO respect, and always want to have her way with everything. Corrinne is beyond spoiled!

However, my feelings for Bubby is different. (weird name though) That first encounter with Corrinne at the party, he was able to say what exactly needs to be said to Corrinne. Just because she's from Manhattan doesn't mean she can act all high and mighty. Bubby's a cute example of a guy from a small town who's destined for greater things in the city. He reminds me a little bit of Luke from Linda Kage's The Stillburrow Crush, but a bit more irritating and outspoken.

As much as I despised Corrinne (I have something against kids who has everything and had the nerve to complain) I do adore the story as a whole. I know that Corrinne's dramatic reaction to everything is a necessary part of the story, but it just gets into my nerves.

I loved reading about Corrinne's transformation, no matter how cliche it is. From being a girl from the city, Corrinne unconsciously and gradually becomes accustomed to life in Texas, and it takes a visit from someone part of her former glamorous life to make her realize that her life "A.R." (after recession), isn't so bad after all. Stripped of all the materialistic things that constantly surrounded her life, Corrinne gradually accepts that things won't be back to the way it was "B.R." (before recession) but the things she's experienced and done in Texas has opened her eyes that she needs to make do of what she has and appreciate the things she took for granted.

Where I Belong's supporting characters are much easier to love than the protagonist herself. Kitsy captures the perfect Texan girl that showed Corrinne that life in a small town is not as bad as it looks. Kitsy, who has big dreams, of going to the city, is the total opposite of Corrinne and she's just what Corrinne needs to wake-up from her Saks filled dreams and superficial wants in life. Waverly is the perfect embodiment of how Corrinne was, and I'm glad that she was able to realize the faults in her personality through Waverly's actions, because Corrinne was like her once.

I can't say that what happened to their family is what they deserved, nobody deserves to be in such a dire situation, but its a blessing in disguise. Corrinne and the rest of her family was able to re-examine how they were living once they hit the lowest points of their lives. She was able to touch roots with a part of her life that she wouldn't even be aware of if she continued to be a pampered, spoiled brat in the city. Corrinne learned that she can be herself and still enjoy living both as a Manhattan and Texan girl. I was touched with how the concept of family was integrated into the story. Corrinne had nothing when she came to Texas, but she HAS a family, not like when she was in Manhattan when she had money, and yet eating lunch together seems like a foreign concept to all of them. That in itself is what made this story good. Also, it touches the theme that is familiar and recent, the Recession, which I know we can all relate to. The ending felt a bit rushed, and I felt like there was not much resolution made in the story, but its a good close for a book.

Where I Belong is filled with lessons we all want to read about once in a while. Recession has been hard for everyone, and Where I Belong, a story about this recession seen through a teenager girl's eyes, is a story part amusing, part funny, and deeply engrossing. Despite my constant dislike of Corrinne, I couldn't help but feel like I was living alongside her. A heartfelt, contemporary novel that you can't help but love, I recommend Where I Belong to contemporary fans who wants a quick, cute read.

My rating

Content (plot, story flow, character):


Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:

Hey, that's a cowboy! I love how vibrant the colors are, and you do get that Texas feeling through all the green you see.