Review: My Lame Life: Queen of the Misfits

My book club picks a lot of different books. We've read middle grade poetic biographies, YA fantasy, adult literary fiction, and non-fiction. One time we picked a book called People I Want to Punch in the Throat by Jen Mann. I laughed so hard at her book, and immediately went and asked her to be my friend on Facebook, which she graciously allowed me to do. Ever since, I have been enjoying her thoughts there and on her blog, and hope to read her other books soon.

My Lame Life: Queen of the Misfits is Mann's first foray into the field of young adult literature. Plum Parrish, our narrator, is about to move from New Jersey to Kansas because of her father's job transfer. She is not excited about the move, but it is a chance for her to start over. In New Jersey, she has two friends, and one of them is her French teacher. Can Plum find her tribe in a new state?

I laughed just as hard at this book as I did at People. Mann has realistically captured the teen experience, from the self-centered way they view the world, to the horrors of gym class and having a "cooler" sibling. I loved the journal format, and the way Plum had a list of people or things that she wanted to punch after each entry. The way that Plum's friendships and relationships with her family change over the course of the novel felt natural too. Additionally, I have a fear of bats, and the scene with Plum, the bat, and her family had me laughing and cringing. If I had a daughter with a bat in her hair, I'm not sure I would immediately jump to help either.

I immediately added to the YA collection at the library I work at. I did receive a free copy of the book from the author in return in for my honest review.