Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging
by Louise Rennison
Summary
Louise Rennison captures a year in the life of British teen Georgia Nicolson in this hilarious journal-style novel. Georgia chronicles the happenings of her everyday life - from the antics of her cat, Angus (who is part Scottish wildcat) to her lessons in snogging (that’s Brit speak for kissing, for all you Americans) - and leaves no detail out. She shares her dealings with frustrating parents, boy-obsessed friends, and school teachers who get mad when she laughs at their unintentional double entendres. She learns a few lessons and provides many laughs as she makes her way through the year, and readers get to experience it all right alongside her.
Worth staying up past bedtime?
I can’t remember the last time I laughed out loud so much while reading a book. I loved Georgia’s dry humor and unashamed questions and observations of her life and the lives of those around her. She’s something of a Bridget Jones for teens, and asks all the questions and has all the thoughts that any girl her age can relate to.
This book has received some challenges regarding its content, and while I can’t find anything specific about what was being challenged, I’m guessing it’s Georgia’s use of a French swear word (which is never defined, so readers who don’t know French must do their own research) and her talk about snogging boys and wondering what else they want to do with girls. In my opinion, her words are far from offensive, and her thoughts are completely normal and relatable. This book would be a fun and worthwhile addition to any library’s young adult collection.
Reviews
In a spectacular YA debut (Rennison is a comedy writer and columnist), the author creates a winning protagonist in the persona of 14-year-old Georgia Nicolson, whose wry observations and self-deprecating humor covers everything from prudish parents and bed-wetting three-year-old siblings to errant cat behavior and kissing (aka snogging) lessons. Teens will discover that nothing is sacred here (e.g., "Talking of breasts, I'm worried that I may end up like the rest of the women in my family, with just the one bust, like a sort of shelf affair"). Rennison exquisitely captures the fine art of the adolescent ability to turn chaos into stand-up comedy. For instance, when Georgia's father finds a new job in New Zealand, the teen says she's already formed her opinion of the country based on the TV show Neighbours; when her mother says, "Well, that's set in Australia," Georgia thinks, "What is this, a family crisis or a geography test?" Written as diary entries, the novel flouts the conceit, as when Georgia reports on a tennis match that she's playing concurrently ("I fall to my knees like McEnroe and the crowd is going mad"). - Publisher’s Weekly
In the library
This is definitely a book that girls will enjoy, and it would be well-suited for a reading group or book club. Georgia uses plenty of British slang, so have the students compare the American words to the British (the American version of the book has a British slang dictionary at the back that would be conducive to this).
Georgia shares a lot her personal embarrassments, such as how she attended a costume party dressed as a stuffed olive. If the group is comfortable with each other, ask them to share an embarrassing story that they now find funny. Use the book as a way of showing girls that embarrassing things happen to EVERYONE, and it’s okay to laugh about it.
SLIS 5420
Module 15
Dec. 7-13
