Her best friend, Jas, drags Georgia to the greengrocers, to sneak a peek at her latest heartthrob, Tom. While the two are doing their �boy-stalking,� an older chap, who can only be described as a �Sex God� in Georgia�s vernacular, emerges from the back room. Struck dumb by his beauty, she falls hopelessly in love on the spot. �I swear he was so gorgeous it made you blink and open your mouth like a goldfish. . . I just stood there, looking at the space where SG had been . . .I came out of my trance and hoped I hadn�t been dribbling.� (p. 48, 49) She is committed to making him her own, and the rest of the book is devoted to her plots and ploys toward accomplishing that mission.
The title of the sequel, On the Bright Side, I�m Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God, lets the reader know that Georgia did, indeed, get her man. It is a hollow victory, though, because the SG is not totally comfortable with the world knowing he�s with a girl four years his junior: �Let�s see each other but keep it quiet for a bit.� (p. 3) The two snatch moments of secret bliss until Robbie (SG) spots her acting childishly silly with her friends. He has second thoughts about the relationship, and suggests she would be better matched with someone younger, such as �Dave the Laugh.�
Poor Dave becomes Georgia�s �red herring� and she uses him to make Robbie jealous. It seems to do the trick, and before Georgia wraps up this installment of diary entries, she is once again the girlfriend of a Sex God. Common words are insufficient to express her elation: �Life is fabbity fab fab!!!! Yessssss!!!!!! And triple hahahahahaha-di-haha!!!!� (p. 226) The reader can only wonder what roller coaster ride the next book will bring, and Rennison never fails to disappoint, creating remarkably fresh escapades for Georgia and her mates.
Rennison uses an epistolary format that has proven to hold wide appeal for her young fans. All of the �Confessions of Georgia Nicolson� books flow seamlessly together, with
the first diary entry of a sequel picking up where the preceding book leaves off. The author manages to weave in enough of Georgia�s earlier life that each book can stand independently if read on its own or out of succession.
Every book opens with a background note from Georgia to her American readers, sealed with a kiss. She very thoughtfully includes a glossary at the back of the book so her uniquely British expressions can be deciphered. The dedications in each book are fun to read, as well, growing longer and more detailed with each successive book, eventually filling an entire page with small print.
Readers get to know Georgia, with all her heartwarming vulnerabilities, through her own diary entries. Although she is wickedly funny, she suffers anxiety over the body she is trapped in, with her too big nose and �nunga-nungas� that threaten to grow out of control. �Woke up fighting for breath from a dream about my nose getting bigger and bigger and my breasts getting bigger and bigger. And someone laughing and laughing at me.� (p. 215) The tender love she shows baby sister Libby, her unrequited devotion to Angus, and her constancy to friends who never seem to adequately understand, reveal Georgia�s softer side. This is in counterpoint to her penchant for dreaming up schemes that keep Georgia and her pals embroiled in misadventures. �This realistic portrayal sometimes might
cause the reader to wince. Georgia says and does what she thinks is right, many times without regard to the consequences.� (Voice of Youth Advocates, June 1, 2001)
�In typical teen manner, Georgia lives in her own world; she thinks she is ugly, is convinced that her parents are weird, positively abhors schoolwork, and has a deep desire to be beautiful and older.� (School Library Journal, July 1, 2000) Rennison candidly addresses issues that really matter to teen-age girls. �Will I know how to kiss when the moment comes? Did he see that zit growing inside my nostril? Will my bazoomas get huge like my Mum�s? Can I get my parents to pay for plastic surgery on this nose? Does anyone think I�m pretty besides my mother?� She shows the honest agony that Georgia suffers over these questions, but through a lens softened with humor.
Young readers will identify with Georgia�s feelings, see her weather each disaster, and live to fall in love another day. �This fun romp (On the Bright Side . . .) will give young teenage readers someone to laugh at and cheer for, and should make adults cry for joy . . . at not being 14 anymore.� (Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2001)
School of Library and Information Studies
TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY