This book was fine, I had fun with it and liked following our MC. I haven’t read any others from the series and I do think that would have bumped up my rating. Overall it was a pretty fun and good audiobook!

We are back with another Jessica Darling book. This main character is now a senior in high school and allows for reader to take a trip down memory lane.

This book took me awhile to get into which doesn't typically happen for sequels. However, once back in Jessica's world it was addictive.

Sadly, the narration of the book leaves a lot to be desired.

I had read Sloppy Firsts a while ago at my friends suggestion and, if I'm being honest, I had not made any effort to pick up the second book. However, when I saw the book on here I thought I'd give it a shot. I am so glad I did! I liked this book way more than the first one.

Jessica Darling is a bit older, now in her senior year of High School making future plans. Her relationship with Marcus is progressing while they navigate through high school dating and plans for their future.

Anyone who is looking for a lovely, easy read should pick up this book. I immediately went out and read the third book in the series, Charmed Thirds (which was also great). I definitely plan on reading the rest of the series soon too!

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Second Helpings is the second installment in the Jessica Darling series. Just like the previous book, this one was okay as well. Jessica did have her funny moments here and there but this honestly felt like background noise to me. It's easy to listen to but I wasn't overly invested into any person or thing throughout the book.

As for the romance? It was okay but I didn't really care for Jessica being obsessed with losing her virginity. I also thought the whole thing with Marcus seem anti-climactic. Like for some reason, I was just expecting more from him and them. So I was a little disappointed that he didn't really do much and she just kind of welcomed him into her arms.

In the end, I'm glad that I got the opportunity to dive into this one but I think I'm going to hold off diving into the third book.

As NotSo, I’ve missed you.

The second book in the Jessica Darling series is a welcome return to this delightfully madcap series about the perils and pitfalls of high school existence at the dawn of the new millennium.

If you came of age in this era like I did, you’ll appreciate the nostalgic trip down memory lane that this series offers, though Jessica herself and the general feel of the books are pretty timeless.

It took me a while to get into this one, but once I was fully reimmersed in Jessica’s world, I didn’t want to leave. It’s rare to find YA series where the character are relatively normal (if a touch absurd in some cases), and that’s one of my favorite things about this series. It’s far more relatable than tragic or over dramatic, and in YA, that’s a rare bird indeed.

I don’t recommend the audiobook version, unfortunately. This isn’t because the story doesn’t translate well to the format, but because the narrator is…not good. She seems to struggle to vocally differentiate between the characters, and to make up for this she resorts to the dreaded “doing voices” routine that is guaranteed to ruin an audiobook for me. It’s cringey bad and gave me secondhand embarrassment listening to it akin to the same kind I get while watching a bad play. I urge you to buy a print or digital copy instead.

Similar to Sloppy Firsts, we still see the same characters (and angst), but also their lives during senior year as friendships change, puberty hits, and feelings get mixed. There’s also college applications anxiety, more of grandma Gladdie, and Jessica’s sister’s pregnancy.

Given some fallout in the first book, it was interesting to see how much the characters changed yet stayed the same. McCafferty really captured the ever-changing landscape of highschool and relationships as well as anxieties for the future. Some of the relationships were questionable, but progressed well with Jessica’s story. The ending was so wholesome, cute, and made a great coming of age moment!

*Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my copy!

Was unable to listen to this audiobook. Damaged my phone and had to get a new one. When I opened my netgalley app, I was unable to listen.

I received an audiobook version of Second Helping by Megan McCafferty thanks to the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review:
Book two of the series is just as wonderful as book one. I cannot wait to continue with the series. While the others have been released, I am desperately waiting for the audiobook versions because this was done beautifully! I absolutely recommend picking up Sloppy Firsts if you haven't already, and if you have then Second Helpings is a must read.

Jessica Darling only has one year left at Pineville High. But before she heads back to school, she had to decide about summer vacation. Her father wanted her to go to cross country camp and get ready for her final season. But after her injury last semester, Jessica is less than excited about running. So she chose to be Special—Summer Pre-College Enrichment Curriculum and Artistic Learning.

In Jessica’s program, she could spend her days writing and reading with other creative teenagers, and she is very much looking forward to the intellectual exercise. But then it turns out that her roommate is more interested in studying boys than anything else and the other writers are Goth kids wearing black, writing dark poetry, and sneering at her intelligence. But the instructor, Samuel, is hot, and Jessica spends her journal time going back and forth between writing about him and “He Who Will Not Be Named” (Marcus, Flutie, Jessica’s great heart-breaking love from her junior year).

She is mortified when she realizes that she has turned her actual journal into Samuel (she had a fake journal she’d been working on for the assignment), and while she is so embarrassed to find out that he’s gay, just like her major crush Paul Parlipiano, she’s also thrilled when Samuel tells her that she has genuine talent as a writer. And when she bumps into Paul himself at a coffee shop in New York City and he ends up showing her a little bit of his life now that he’s at Columbia, and she falls in love. Jessica doesn’t think that her parents will want her to go to school in the city, but she can’t think of any other school except Columbia.

Once she gets back home to Pineville, New Jersey, and starts off that senior year, Jessica has a plan. She’s going to keep her head down, not get involved again with He Who Will Not Be Named, write editorials for the newspaper again, run cross country, and get into Columbia. But then the school administration won’t let the paper run her acerbic editorials. She decides to quit cross country. And she starts dating Len, her only competition for valedictorian. Len, who became brutally hot over the summer and started a band with none other than Marcus Flutie. And when Jessica goes to visit her grandmother at the nursing home, she finds out that Marcus works there and has become good friends with her grandmother.

But then it’s September 2011, and the World Trade Towers come crashing down, along with Jessica’s dreams of going to school in New York City. She’s applied to other schools, but none of the others feel as right as Columbia, Jessica is torn between following her dreams and playing it safe. And as if that’s not enough to deal with, there is an anonymous emailer sending out class gossip, the book that had been written about Jessica and her group of friends (Bubblegum Bimbos) is being made into a movie, and her very pregnant sister comes to live with them until the baby is born.

Jessica Darling has a lot going on.

But as she goes through her senior year, taking risks and taming her voice, falling in love and getting her heart broken, getting perspective and getting real, Jessica finds that all she really needs is to stay true to herself, and the rest will take care of herself.

Megan McCafferty’s Second Helpings is an entertaining trip through those high school days. Whether you’re still there, wanting a little escape from your own homework or looking back to remember your friends from a few years away, this novel is like the best parts of your high school memories mixed with the knowledge that the cringe-worthy moments belong to someone else.

I listened to this one on audio, and narrator Katie Schorr takes a good book and elevates it to a masterpiece. There are a lot of characters in Jessica’s life, and Katie does a great job finding ways to differentiate them so it’s easy to keep them straight. But more than that, she absolutely nails Jessica’s intelligent snark, her self-aware judgments, and her big-hearted love of life. I read the first book in this series, and that was a great experience, but hearing Schorr read it takes it to an entirely new level.

An early copy of the audio book was provided by Macmillan Audio through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I originally read the first book, Sloppy First, yeeeears ago, I was wonderful to revisit the characters and find out what happened between Jessica and Marcus their final year of high school. My only complaint was the voice used for one of Jessica's friendemies was very frustrating to listen to. I was glad she wasn't in the book more.

essica Darling is one of those heroines who makes you feel uncomfortable with how real she is. She's intelligent and awkward and competitive, and she's also snarky and selfish and prone to snap judgments and assumptions.

When we met her in Sloppy Firsts, she was heartsick over her best friend Hope moving to Nashville. Now, in the second book of the five-part series, she still mourns Hope's absence as she faces her senior year of high school determined to forget Marcus Flutie forgets and get into her school of choice, not that she's sure where that is.

Jessica's conflicts with her parents (particularly her father in this book), her friends, Marcus, and herself come in sharper focus here as Jessica continues to mature and grow. She feels a stronger urge to figure out who she wants to be as she prepares to head to college, something high school seniors will recognize as a common malady. She yearns to both be free of her parents and to have them want to know the real her--if she can nail down who that is herself. She also yearns to both be free of Marcus Flutie and to have him in her life, and his mixed signals certainly don't help her with that.

There are times Jessica is difficult to like, yet you find yourself paradoxically liking her even more. Her faults and flaws make her relatable, even as you want to pull her aside and try to help her. Yet you know that Jessica wouldn't accept your help because she is nothing if not hard-headed.

Few YA characters are as fully developed as Jessica Darling, and I love that about her. I listened to the audiobook of this, and Katie Schorr does a fantastic job with Jessica's voice and those of her friends (particularly Sara). Listening to this book is almost as fabulous as reading it.

A blast from the past! I was so excited to re-read (listen to) a book from my past from an author I loved. If you are like me and want a dip in the nostalgia pool, I couldn't recommend more! Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for a copy of this book for an honest review.

It's the 20th anniversary of the release of Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty, and as such, they entire series is being re-released with new cover art and in audio for the first time. The series is about a girl named Jessica Darling and follows her from 15 to 25.

I first read the series right after the last book was released, Perfect Fifths, in 2009. I remember liking them quite a bit, and I still have them on my bookshelf, but I haven't revisited them in ages.

I was approved to listen to the audiobook of Second Helpings by NetGalley and Macmillan audio. Now, I'm not the kind of person who can just pick up book 2 without reading everything else in chronological order (much to my dismay), so I grabbed a copy of the audiobook for Sloppy Firsts from Scribd (see bottom of post!) to refresh my memory, and I was pleasantly surprised. The afterword to the new edition of the first book talks a lot about the changes that were made in order to have the writing pass muster now. There's less "slut"-shaming and less fatphobia, but it still maintains its early-aughts feel. It's like a perfect time capsule for me personally; these characters are about 3 years younger than I am. I relate.

Here's the thing: Jessica Darling is a self-absorbed asshole. She's judgemental, kind of mean, self-entitled, arrogant, condescending, misogynistic, and shallow.

And it's completely authentic.

I think every teenage girl has to go through the gauntlet of being a complete dick in order to best become a decent person as an adult. There are other books (looking at you, To All the Boys I've Loved Before series) that have detestable characters who everyone seems to love despite them being terrible (seriously, Lara Jean is The Worst), but there's something in the way Jessica Darling is written that implies a self-awareness, at least on the part of the author. I could be giving McCafferty too much credit but I don't think I am.

The books are written in the loose form of journal entries or letters to Hope Weaver, Jessica's best friend who moved across the country before the the first book starts. We never actually hear from Hope until Second Helpings when Jessica re-caps a conversation for her journal.

My conclusion: we are Hope. We are the off-page best friend of our selfish MC as she deals with every boy loving her except the one she really wants (spoiler alert, he's gay), her virginity, staying the smartest girl in class, and figuring out what she wants to do with her life; you know, teenage girl shit. We are going to judge her and want to pick up the phone and ream her out for her decisions as adults, but the point is that in her world, we are in the same boat, and it's a great reminder.

A lot of Jessica's behaviour had me rolling my eyes, but it was often in embarrassment. No 15/16-year-old girl has the knowledge she's being a total jerk to everyone around her until she's like, 25. (The Little Mermaid, anyone?) I. Can. Relate.

You know you're getting old when you re-watch and roll your eyes so hard at Ariel, while when you were watching the movie at 7 you were going, "YES. TELL HIM."

Unfortunately, the re-release of Second Helpings didn't address the bigger issues in the book that were addressed in Sloppy Firsts. There is a LOT of calling girls "bitches and skanks" and "whores" and a whole bunch of fat-shaming of Sarah (who is ostensibly anorexic) while those were edited out of the re-release of book 1. I'd actually completely forgotten about that ~aspect~ of Jessica's character, and since book 1 was tidied up, it was incredibly jarring and inconsistent.

Old-timey Jessica Darling also had a race and homophobia problem, but thankfully those were caught. There will be people who read the books as adults when they came out and hate them; this is fair. I was very young when I read them the first time and still unlearning my shitty social conditioning, so I have a soft spot for them.

I will keep listening to the audiobooks as they're released and will likely not read ahead with the hard copies. I want what I remember to remain pure.

I really really enjoy the narrator, Katie Schorr. I looked and I don't think I've ever listened to her narrate anything before, but she's excellent at capturing the teen girl attitude and vocal sneering without being overwrought, and her portrayal of male characters isn't gross and offensive. The male characters often are though, don't get me wrong. Teenage boys, eugh.

If you remember liking them when they came out, you will like the new editions. If you haven't read them, wait for all of the new editions to be released (ongoing until the end of 2021) rather than finding the old versions to see what's up.

As I mentioned in my review of Sloppy Firsts (which can be found on Goodreads) I have been rereading (or listening to the audiobook of) a bunch of my high school/early college years' favorites. I was thrilled when I learned the Jessica Darling series had been rereleased in audiobook version!

Second Helpings is the second book in the Jessica Darling series and really sets the rest of the series up. What I do remember clearly is Jess being completely relatable, and even with double decades passing by, I still remember how I felt at that age and have the journal entries to back it up. I remember what felt SOOO important at the time, the unknowingness of the repercussions of 9/11 and that nagging guilt of doing the opposite of what your parents want from you. In SH Jess starts to show some real growth as she finishes off her Senior year of high school. She begins to understand that Bridget is more important to her than she realizes. Lastly, Jess's constant battle of love/hate for Marcus Flutie finally comes to a head. The ending of SH doesn't leave the reader on the edge of their seat like SF did but you will still find yourself picking up the third in the series.

As for the audiobook, the same reader/narrator read for both, in my SF review I said, "the reader's tone is matter of fact without being whiny or know-it-all-y which is important given Jessica's vibe throughout the book. Also, diction and clarity was A+, I listen at 2x the speed so this is KEY." The quality of the audioplayer on Netgalley was severely lacking compared to usual audioplayers I use to access audiobooks but I was willing to put up with that fact for this ARC.

In the equally charming sequel to Sloppy Firsts, Jessica Darling is back and chattier than ever. Second Helpings follows Jess as she goes through the dramas of summer camp, senior year, and the looming terrors of college. Jess seems to undergo any and all trials that a senior in high school wants to avoid (class superlatives, team sports, an overbearing mother) as well as pressure from her parents about college.

For a work originally published in the early 2000s, this book stands the test of time. Almost 20 years later, and Jess's struggles (while perhaps a tad more dramatic than real life) are ones that stand the test of time. It was super interesting to see how McCafferty covered the topic of 9/11, especially as Second Helpings was originally published soon after the event. McCafferty notes that she wanted to release the Jessica Darling series that a new generation can relate to, and I, for one, think she did a great job of doing so. The audiobook version of this book is performed super accurately, with the narrator possessing the voice I could imagine Jess having. Overall, this book encapsulates the teenage experience well and made me feel like I was back in high school (without that crazy pressure that accompanies being in high school). This book is perfect for fans of the content and nostalgia of the Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor and the nostalgia and drama of the Sweet Valley High series by Francine Pascal.

Overall rating: 3.5/5 (rounded to 4)

Second Helpings is available for purchase now. Be sure to add it to your Goodreads shelf. Also, be sure to check out Megan McCafferty’s website!
I was lucky enough to be able to listen to this Advanced Reader's Copy through my partnership with NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Listening to this was such a nostalgia trip. I am enjoying this series so much as an adult as I did when I first read as a teenager. I'm so happy they are being rereleased for a new generation.

After reading the rerelease of Sloppy Firsts a few months ago, I knew I would need to read the rest of the Jessica Darling series as the books are released. In Second Helpings, Jessica is in her senior year of high school, still navigating the boy drama and missing her best friend who moved across the country, but also dealing with college applications/decisions and living in a post 9/11 world.

It amazes me to read these books and realize this series started 20 years ago, and so much of the teenage experience hasn’t changed. The angst, the uncertainty, the snakiness - all are things that I felt as a teenager and I would imagine teenagers today still feel. Reading Jessica’s reactions to 9/11 also hit me, I grew up outside of DC so I remember many of those feelings and fears Jessica expressed all too well.

I loved listening to this one on audio and felt the narrator really captured Jessica’s personality!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC!

Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty
Narrated by: Katie Schorr
Publication Date: July 6, 2021
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Description
“Jessica Darling is in her senior year of high school and things can’t seem to get worse: her best friend, Hope, still lives in another state, and the mysterious and oh-so-compelling Marcus Flutie continues to be a distraction she doesn’t need. Not to mention her parents won’t get off her back about choosing a college, and her older sister’s pregnancy is causing quite a bit of drama in the Darling household.”
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Thank you to @netgalley @macmillan.audio @wednesdaybooks for the ALC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts…
Fun. I didn’t read the first book titled “Sloppy First,” but, it didn’t matter. This book worked as a stand-alone. Of course, it’s always good to know more about other characters, as written in the first book, but, it wasn’t a big deal. I really enjoyed the narrator. There were times where it got too whiny and shallow for me, but hey, it was high school. I appreciated the timeline, the clever writing, and the funny moments.

Second Helpings is the second Jessica Darling book and a continuation of the 20th anniversary updated release of this series. Jessica Darling is now in her senior year of high school. Hope is still gone, her other friendships have shifted, and Marcus still seems to be popping up everywhere, despite her best attempts to move on. Jessica continues to try to navigate all of the relationships in her life and is looking forward to finally escaping Pineville (if she can ever decide on a college).

I had the privilege of reading and reviewing an ARC of Sloppy Firsts earlier this year, and was thrilled to find an audiobook of Second Helpings up for review. Second Helpings works incredibly well as an audiobook, and the narrator is a great fit for this book. Jessica Darling still has all of the qualities that I appreciated in Sloppy Firsts: she continues to be brutally honest and full of snark. All of her relationships are still complicated, and throwing a new boyfriend into the mix made this book even more fun to read. The writing style is clever and often just laugh out loud funny (tootie flutie! I can't!). I also liked how the series stayed true to original time period despite the author's edits: calling on landlines because there are no cell phones, dealing with the aftermath of 9/11, to name a few examples. Though parts of the book feel like a not so far off time capsule, many of the themes are still as relevant today as they were then. It's rare that I like a sequel more than the original book, but Second Helpings may just be that book for me. I continue to recommend this series, and look forward to reading what is next for Jessica Darling.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC; this is my honest and voluntary review.

It wasn't for me. I found the protagonist insufferable and just couldn't get into the story.

I thought I'd love it as a I was a teen about the time this book was set, but instead it just felt very superficial and whiny.