Customer Reviews

How to Ruin My Teenage Life

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Amy Nelson-Barak is back and better, and maybe a little crazier, than ever!

When we last left Amy, she had traveled all the way to Israel for her summer vacation with her dad, arriving with very low expectations, only to come back with a whole new appreciation for her religion and culture. Now, Amy is back in Chicago, living with her mother in the suburbs and her mother's new husband.

After her trip to Israel, Amy feels like a totally new person. She's beginning to embrace her religion and her father, she has her very own dog, Mutt, and a non-boyfriend, Avi, who is unfortunately in military training back in Israel. Unfortunately, this new Amy still has her drama and fair share of problems.

Like how her mother just dropped the bomb that she and her husband, who by the way isn't too fond of dogs, are going to have a baby. Then there's that new guy in her building, Nathan, who for some unknown reason totally hates Amy and only sees her as this superficial Barbie. If only Amy didn't have this weird attraction toward him. Her friend, Jess, is having major problems with her new boyfriend, who is also Amy's ex-boyfriend, and her dad is becoming too wrapped up in his work, making it seem like he will be lonely forever.

But can Amy deal with all of these problems without causing even more trouble? Or will her attempts at resolving these issues spiral out of control, making it worse for her relationship with a certain non-boyfriend who just might show up to surprise her?

Sequels do not usually live up to the first book, but HOW TO RUIN MY TEENAGE LIFE certainly did. You just can't help but fall in love with Amy and laugh at her crazy attempts to solve her problems. Her relationship with her father is absolutely adorable, one that anyone would want to have, and the way she embraces her religion just makes us think how we should be proud of ours, as well. Exercising your mouth muscles is a must before reading this novel, since there will be a smile on your face throughout the entire book. Fans of the first book (How to Ruin a Summer Vacation) will not be disappointed with this wonderful follow-up.

Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

I'm feeling a little tired today. Why? Because I reading HOW TO RUIN MY TEENAGE LIFE by Simone Elkeles. This book mesmerized me and kept me turning the pages well into the wee hours of the morning.

Rarely a sequel lives up to the first book. HOW TO RUIN MY TEENAGE LIFE far surpasses in wit, humour, and charm.

Amy is back in the United States after spending her summer in Israel. Being home presents a new set of problems and challenges. Her mother is pregnant with her new husband's baby while her father refuses to go on even one date and Amy worries he will never find true love. Her relationship with her non-boyfriend Avi, who is stuck in Israel for military training, confuses her, and her best friend Jess is having guy problems of her own. Not to mention her constantly farting dog who impregnates the neighbour's prized puppy.

Amy's relationship with her father is one of my favourite parts of this book. Their dialogue flows much more easily and even though Amy signs him up for an online dating service without his permission, they seem closer than ever. Her dad even shows his over-protective side when her non-boyfriend Avi, shows up to surprise her.

But how will Avi react when he hears that she kissed Nathan?

Being a person who wants to fix everything, Amy is always trying to figure out how she can make her life better, but at the same time makes everything worse. Will she learn that it's okay that her life isn't perfect?

HOW TO RUIN MY TEENAGE LIFE is filled with awkward moments that will make you laugh. You won't be able to put this one down, not even to sleep!

I really enjoyed 'How to Ruing a Summer Vacation,' but I LOVED this sequel. I was laughing so hard during the walkie-talkie incident that my family made me stop reading and explain.

Amy's voice is wonderful. She's so crazy and fun that I look forward to turning the page to find out what happens next. (And it is never predictable.) I enjoyed the new characters that were brought in and was so glad when Avi came back into the picture. (for a while there I was getting worried.)

Anyways, I highly recommend this book. I couldn't put it down.

Okay, not gonna lie, I didn't have very good expectations for this book because I read the first about 2 years ago and wasn't sure I liked it. But, I read this and literally laughed out loud to the point of tears. This book is AWESOME. If you don't think you'll like it, you will. I don't usually write reviews, but after I finished this (with a giant smile of my face) I knew I had to share my feelings.. That sounds weird but, yeah. Read it! You won't regret it!

This book was in excellent condition. We could not find it anywhere but Amazon. My 11 year old was so excited when it arrived, she could not read it fast enough!!

As the second book of the Ruined series, How to Ruin My Teenage Life, proved to be just as fantastic as the first one. In this book, Amy finds herself screwing up just about every situation she is put into. Whether it is issues with family, friends, or her dog mutt, Amy's life seems to be spiraling out of control. Family issues in Amy's life seem to be more complicated now than ever. She isn't to fond of her new stepfather (or the fact that he impregnated her mother), and Amy is constantly worried about her dad's social life. It seems that her mom is moving on pretty well, and it upsets Amy to see her dad still single. In true Amy fashion, she tries to set her dad up on a few dates but fails miserably. When it comes to issues with friends, nobody does it better than Amy and her best friend, Jessica. The two seem to be more like sisters. They always know what to do when the other is in a sticky situation. Jessica struggles with the breakup of her and Mitch, so Amy tries her hardest to help make things better for her friend (but you guessed it, she fails miserably). Perhaps, one of her biggest mistakes (or not so much of a mistake depending on your point of view) is kissing the new, secretive, nerdy guy, Nathan, in front of the whole school. It wasn't technically her fault that everyone witnessed it, but nonetheless Amy still has to deal with all of the consequences. All of this is going on while she is juggling her relationship with her "non-boyfriend," Avi. That is right; Amy and Avi are still technically "together" even though he is in the Israeli army thousands of miles away. All of Amy's shenanigans start to get a lot more complicated when Avi makes a surprise visit to Chicago. Their relationship is put to the ultimate test as Amy chooses just who her heart belongs to. Amy's somewhat-ruined-teenage life makes for an excellent read!

Amy's boyfriend Avi makes a surprise visit to see Amy in America. Amy thinks she might be falling for another guy and Avi gets upset when she lies to him about her relationship with this new guy, Nathan. Avi leaves to stay with another friend, upset that he and Amy are over. Amy realizes she only loves Avi, so she "kidnaps" him from his friend's house. Avi has been in the Israeli army for the past 8 months since they have been together and has gotten really muscular. Amy is still the feminine, glamour girl, so it is funny how he lets her kidnap him. There is no way that she really could have pulled this off.

Excerpt:

At lunch I pay for the salad bar, then search for Mitch. I'm going to find my old boyfriend and give him a piece of my mind. Jessica told me not to. She wants me to leave him alone but I can't.
"Barbie," a male voice says from behind me. I whip around. Of course it's Nathan. Nobody else would have the nerve to call me Barbie. Without saying another word, he pulls me close and starts kissing me. I mean really kissing me. To the point where I drop my food tray and don't even care I've just made a mess on the floor and on my shoes with a mixture of lettuce and vegetables and Thousand Island dressing. Nathan's soft, inviting lips are open to mine and just when I'm about to pull back and yell at him, he snakes his hand around my waist and pulls me closer.
My brain is telling me to pull away even though my lips are as involved as Nathan's are right now. I grab onto Nathan's biceps and attempt to push him away, but he's too strong and I'm not as determined as I want to be.

This is the incident that Avi finds out about and which Amy has lied about. A lot of the book is about misunderstandings and awkward situations that are funny and entertaining. This is a great summer read.

Would I/Did I buy it? Yes
Would I read it again? Yes
Would I recommend it to friends? Yes

I read this directly after finishing the first in the series, How to Ruin a Summer Vacation. This one was kind of slow in the beginning but, in the end, it lived up to my expectation. I especially liked how it was longer than the first, so I felt like I got more out of the reading experience. Some new and interesting characters are introduced and other already existing characters, like Amy's dad Ron, are further developed. I'd have to say the moments between Ron and Amy are my favorite. The romance in it was entertaining but I still feel as though aspects of it are kind of shallow. I won't say who the guy is, but Simone Elkeles always makes a big deal out of his muscles and sexy accent. Isn't there more to a guy than being a chick lit god?

So once again Simone Elkeles did it! I simply loved this book; You can find love, trouble,sometimes sadness, but always lots of laughter with Amy and the rest of the characters. I can wait to get my hands on the third book of the "How to ruin series" and actually ALL of her books!

A great spin-off from "How to Ruin My Summer Vacation," this book is another enjoyable page-turner from talented author Simone Elkeles. My sister, who has a disability, enjoys these books for the stories' humor, escapades, and realistic scenarios. Thanks, Ms. Elkeles!