Tuesday 3 May 2011

Della Says OMG! by Keris Stainton


Pages - 269

Published by Orchard Books in 2010

Book kindly lent to me by Raimy over at Readaraptor

' Is that what you're wearing?' Maddy asks me.
I look down - jeans, boots, a white vest, a red shirt unbuttoned.'Yeah. Why?'
'It's not very...'She screws her face up. 'Sexy?'
'Sexy?' I look down again. I can see down the vest to my non-existent boobs. 'I wasn't trying to be sexy.''
'And it shows.' Maddy opens my wardrobe and starts flicking through the clothes; it doesn't take long, i've never been that interested in fashion.


Della has been in love with Dan since her first day at school. As she begins to move closer to him, can she cope with the revelations. Someone has stolen her diary and is intent on letting the people closest too her know her intimate secrets.  As she moves closer to Dan, she worries that he might move further away with every secret revealed. Can Della discover the true identity of the diary thief before her embarrasment reaches a new level.

Oh Keris! Sometimes I feel like you stepped into a time travelling machine and sent it hurtling into my teenage years, only to bring back segments of it to put in your books! Keris Stainton is excellent at portraying the teenagers that I remember. Not the abusive ones I seem to come into contact with today, but the lustful, hormone crazed ones of my youth.

This book does have some sexual references in it which personally had me sniggering like a teenager and transported me back to my secondary school classroom to listen to similar conversations. Keris has used phrases I haven't heard in many years!

I loved the humour within this book and the conversational style of writing. Keris is excellent at writing about real life and creating believable situations.

The characters are interesting and real.  Della struggles with her blossoming relationship and finds herself looking at a different person in the mirror to the one she believed she was. Any teenager can sympathise with the struggle over how they look during their teenage years; the change from ugly duckling to a swan as the gorkiness of growing up catches up with your body, levelling out the changes. I love Dan and applaud Keris for creating yet another gorgeous male hottie.

Della's parents are very liberal and laid back; the type I hope to be as my children reach their teenage years. They are not phased by the teenager tantrums and romances and treat Della and her sister with maturity.

The book had a surprise ending for me, as I would never have suspected the real diary thief to be that person.

This was a really enjoyable quick read, which allowed me to relive a little of my past for a few wonderful hours.

16 comments:

  1. Great review, As a mother of four...yes four,(sometimes I try to block it out...lol) teenaged daughters at the moment, I am also very liberal and (most of the time) laied back. I have this book in mind for one of them. Thanks so much :D

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  2. Yay! I love that you loved it too! Totally agree that Keris gets the characters so right. I really loved Dan. He was awesome! :D x

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  3. Wonderful review, Vivienne. Made me long for my teen years, oh the feeling of being a teenager madly in love.

    I want to be that kind of parent for my two young ones as well. I hope they'll be reminiscent of myself as a teenager. I went out and had fun but I always told my parents where I went and who I was with + they knew all my friends. That saves parents and kids a lot of unnecessary quarreling I think.

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  4. Luisa - thank you!

    Animewookie - thank you. I cant wait to hear what your daughter thinks of the book.

    Raimy - thanks Raimy for lending it to me.

    Ladybug - totally. I can't stand all the arguing and definitely want to be involved in my daughter's lives.

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  5. This sounds like me as a teenager too. Ha! Teenagers are so different these days ... woah, I'm getting old. :P Really liked your review - I really want to read this now. :D

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  6. I am glad this book took you back :D Sounds good, and fun, and I am sure I would see myself there too

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  7. I haven't heard of this before but it sounds great. Yet another one to add to the wishlist.

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  8. Vivienne, this book sounds terrific due to your review!

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  9. Terrific review, Viv! This book sounds cute.

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  10. This does sound good. I have to warn you that it's harder to be that laid back parent than it appears!

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  11. I may have to get this for my eldest - she's floundering a bit where I think she's growing out of Jaqueline Wilson (though doesn't want to admit it) and isn't sure where to move on to next. I think she'd love this!

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  12. sounds like a great one, and I like that it brought back happy memories.
    nice review!

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  13. love reading YA, especially when the author really captures the YA voice authentically! from your review, sounds like keris has it down!loving the blog layout, by the way! very fresh and pretty. :)

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  14. Thanks for the fab review, Viv, and for the lovely comments, everyone! :)

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