Novel Review - Angus, Thongs and Full-frontal Snogging: confessions of Georgia Nicholson - TWU LS 5623-20 - SU 2012

Rennison, William and Bryan Louis. Angus, Thongs and Full-frontal Snogging: confessions of Georgia Nicholson. New York, Harper Tempest, 1999. Print. ISBN 978-0-06-447227-2, 234 p. What kind of life could Georgia possibly have with crazy parents, a too-big nose, friends who think you disappear when hot boys come around and an odd but loving little sister who keeps peeing in the corner of her room? If you add in Angus, here near wildcat-sized feline counterpart you get a crazy life indeed. Follow her through her misadventures, kissing lessons, heartthrobs and heartbreaks as her journal gives you the play by play of her quintessential British teenage life. Rennison takes us through the life of Georgia Nicholson, a British teen who uses so much slang we need an English-to-English dictionary to understand “nuddy-pants,” “snogging” “poxy.” Her life seems teenage typical. “God I hate my parents! Me stupid?? They’re so stupid. She wishes I was still Libby’s age so she could dress me in ridiculous hats and earflaps and ducks on. God, God, God!!!” (pg. 20). While some teenagers might enjoy it, it can come off as a bit over-the-top stereotypical. Young Georgia thinks of nothing substantial at all. There isn’t a single thought that goes through her head that isn’t about boys, fashion, kissing, farting in assembly or trying to find, or hide from, her newest boy obsession. Even when her father moves away to New Zealand for work and her mother appears to be having an affair with the contractor hired to redo her living room, she gives as little care to that as she would to a fly buzzing around her head. It is unfortunate that Georgia couldn’t have been written with more substance. While many teenagers are into sex, fashion and fitting in, they also feel real feelings, are concerned over their parents, want to be successful in life and actually have more than one vapid thought in their head. Renniston leaves her protagonist sorely lacking in this area. The one redeeming quality of Georgia, though, is the sweet relationship she maintains with her little sister. Whether the girl is slapping her in the face, putting oatmeal on her big sister’s cheeks or peeing in Georgia’s bed there is always love, compassion and caring for the little girl. Libby may be a mess but Georgia handles her with kid gloves and would do anything for her. That is the one element of the book that gives it a smattering of realism and makes it feel as if Georgia could actually have real human emotions that don’t revolve around girly-girl silliness and boys. While I had to force myself through the first fifty pages I am glad I finished the text. It is a fluffy read and while I wouldn’t recommend it for YA readers wanting something of substance, it could certainly be fun for a light read. Think of it as a Harlequin romance book for teenagers! Rennison, William and Bryan Louis. Angus, Thongs and Full-frontal Snogging: confessions of Georgia Nicholson. New York, Harper Tempest, 1999. Print.