Cover Image: Nice Try, Jane Sinner

Nice Try, Jane Sinner

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Member Reviews

Great, fresh voice and an entertaining book. I'll be purchasing this one for my classroom library! Jane Sinner is a memorable, layered character and the reader roots for her despite everything. I really enjoyed this book and I'll look forward to more from this author.

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This book was well written and the main character, Jane, had a strong voice and backstory. However, the reality TV plot was not as believable or engaging as I would have liked. Maybe this book would go down better with reality TV fans.

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I was sent a copy of this from the publisher. I was very excited for this one. However; I could not get into the writing style and format. This may be due to getting this for my Kindle and having to format it since it was not Kindle friendly. It was hard to follow and I did not like how conversations were listed with headings of the character more than a dialogue.

I may try reading this more on my computer since the formatting may be better. I just could not get into it.

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As always, thank you to the publisher for letting me read Nice Try, Jane Sinner in advance for an honest review.

I first heard of Nice Try, Jane Sinner a while back after hearing one of my favourite BookTubers mention it in one of their videos and I was instantly intrigued by the premise: this girl, expelled from high school, agrees to go to college as long as she can move out of home and then ends up moving into House of Orange, a student-run reality show. I just knew it was something I had to read.

Trigger warnings for depression and suicide, although I wouldn’t say that they are the main focus of the story.

Jane is one of the most refreshing main characters I’ve read in a long time. She’s always believable as a teenager. YA has been one of my favourite genres for as long as I can remember, but one thing that always bothers me is that a lot of the time you can just tell an adult wrote how they thought a teenager would act. I never once thought that with Nice Try, Jane Sinner. She always felt authentic to me. I think Oelke really captured what it’s like to be a teenage girl, struggling with family relationships, your own mental health and your resulting failures or shortcomings. Something I particularly loved about this book was the way it dealt with that “I’m supposed to have my life figured out by now” feeling that I found so overwhelming as a teenager (and still do now as a twenty two year old). For once, I even liked that the story was left open ended regarding what Jane would do next. It worked so well given the context.

I think that the diary/journal format is something that either works or it doesn’t. A lot of the time, it means we don’t get the full story and only get that one character’s perspective. In this case, I think the format only added to the story. I liked that it still felt as though everything was happening in real time. If we’d had more than Jane’s perspective on the story, everything would have been revealed too early and the story wouldn’t have been able to play out in the same way. This being said, the other characters still felt fleshed-out and real. I never felt like I wasn’t given enough information about them. I loved that this was Jane telling her own story, in her own way, on her own terms.

This is also one of the funnier books I’ve read in a while and is consistently funny throughout the book, even while dealing with more serious subjects, which, as someone who may occasionally use humour as a coping mechanism, I could seriously relate to. If you love dry, sarcastic humour then this one is for you.

Nice Try, Jane Sinner is a book I wanted, but didn’t know I needed. I’ve never quite related to a character in the same way I did with Jane. I found myself trying (and failing - this book is addictive!) to slow my reading as I was getting closer to the end and when I did finish, I wanted to go straight back to the start and read it all over again. This is easily one of my favourite books I’ve read this year. I’m going to be thinking about it for some time. I’d highly recommend this to pretty much anyone. I want everyone to read it, so we can all talk about how much we all (hopefully) love it. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for any future releases from Lianne Oelke!

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Nice Try, Jane Sinner is a quirky, fantastic novel. I read a lot of YA and I don't think I've ever encountered such a unique narrator/protagonist who both infuriates readers and makes them fall in love with her. Jane's life is not going as planned. After a recent EVENT Jane is expelled from high school and her only choice to graduate is to enroll in her local community college. In an attempt to figure it all out and move out of her parent's house, she signs up to participate in a reality TV show with a chance to win a car and a college scholarship. As you may imagine, this isn't necessarily a sound plan but Jane weathers the bumps in the road and the unexpected consequences of her actions with humor and a sassy, self-deprecating attitude. The novel is almost entirely told through Jane's journal entries - and the conversations in her head. Ultimately, this is a novel about the challenges of being authentic and the importance of second chances as we figure out who we are and what the future holds. A great read!

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Jane Sinner has a secret–a secret she’s trying to keep from everyone who doesn’t already know her past. Something happens Jane’s senior year of high school to cause her to drop out of school and finish her diploma at the local community college. When Jane begins the online reality show House of Orange, it appears that secret Jane is trying to keep will be exposed. So how well did Jane want it hidden? Told through diary entries, Jane’s voice is loud and snarky. If you liked We Were Liars or Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, you’ll like this.

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Jane Sinner is not your typical main character. She is sassy, and a smart ass, and unapologetically herself. She's been through some tough experiences in her life, but they've helped shape her into the person that she is. I think one of the things that I love most about Jane is that she sticks to what she believes in, and she doesn't let others try to sway her. In the beginning of the book, Jane is faced with the decision of what to do after being kicked out of high school months before graduation. She knows that living at home isn't the best environment for her, because she doesn't have the same views as her parents and doesn't want them to constantly judge her and her actions. So she agrees to go to community college to finish her high school diploma, as long as she can move out of the house. I admire Jane's strength and tenacity.

Jane's story is told through the perspective of her diary, which is such a great format for this book. Seeing as though Jane is a contestant on a student-run reality show similar to Big Brother, being able to know Jane's deepest inner thoughts really allows the reader to get to know her. I've never been a huge fan of reality competition shows, but Big Brother has always been my guilty pleasure, and I loved that Jane Sinner took it's own spin on the show.

Jane's family is extremely religious, and the irony that their last name is Sinner is not lost on me. Being from a family that has religious values that I don't agree with, I was able to understand Jane's struggles with the issue. Jane can't really figure out a way to let her parents know that she doesn't believe in God without them thinking that there's something wrong with her.

Jane is so snarky, and I love it! For most of the novel, I felt like Jane's thoughts mirrored many of my own internal thoughts that I tend to keep to myself. She, however, has no qualms about speaking her mind and letting her thoughts be known. She is blunt and doesn't beat around the bush. I really think that more people should be like Jane Sinner, because the world would be so much less confusing.

The supporting cast of characters is so varied and lively. They are all so well developed, and you can tell that they each have their own motivations behind their actions. I really believe that none of the characters in Nice Try, Jane Sinner are like any others that I've seen before. 

I really don't think I could have asked for any more in this book. I devoured it so fast, and was immensely satisfied. It surprised me in the best ways, and took turns that were entirely unexpected. Jane Sinner is refreshingly unique, and should be at the top of every YA lover's 2018 TBR.

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Nice Try, Jane Sinner is absolutely unputdownable. It's one of the most addicting books that I've read in a long while, and I would definitely recommend this book to most people.

Jane Sinner is snarky, sassy, and frankly not a nice person at all. And I'm here for it.

This book is hilarious and heartbreaking and simply put: special. One moment you'll be laughing your ass off, the next you will be contemplating the meaning of life. It's philosophical and psychological and just wonderful.

I think the strength of this book lies in its hilarity and bluntly honest writing. Sinner's voice is incomparable to any other in YA today. It's something else, really. I loved seeing the world through her eyes, because she is cynical, and selfish, and truly terrible- but you can't help but root for her as she tackles the reality competition that is House of Orange.

I absolutely loved House of Orange because it took all of my favorite reality shows and merged them together in intense glory. I sort of feel this book was written for somebody who enjoys reality shows like I do. I'm competitive as all hell, and so is Jane and I loved her because of it.

There is one plot point I wasn't a fan of- but it served it's purpose. I also didn't realize the different ages all these characters were- makes sense though as Jane goes to a Community College.

I loved, loved, loved Robbie. Oh my god loved him so much. Throughout all of it, I loved him. That boy is a special gem and I will never forget him.

I just loved all of these characters- especially Jane's sister Carol- I loved how their relationship was fleshed out.

I loved the dynamics of religion and how it's important for some characters and not for others. The existentialism is superb- I loved the few of Sinner's assignments we got to read.

Also: Jane's journal (Where this story is told) is so real- I loved reading her inner-turmoil and conversations with her doctor lmao.

Ultimately, I really adored this book, and I cannot wait for more people to get the chance to read this.

Another thing: I want t-shirts that say SINNERS ARE WINNERS

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