I had very high hopes for this book. I've never seen the Broadway show, but I still anticipated it to be edgy and cynical and entertaining.

Instead, I thought it was dull and scattered and... dare I say, basic. I hate labeling something that's associated with Alana Morisette as basic, but there it is: this book is basic.

If you are going to have the focus of the book be on this one party and the ensuing aftermath, give us more of the poor girl whose life has been turned upside down by it! I felt like I was reading two different books: the Jo and Frankie love story, and then the Bella story. And I wanted more of Bella's story; she was such a one note character.

And the writing was pretty basic, too. Show, don't tell. You're not giving young adults enough credit here. They can make inferences.

Didn't see the musical but loved the album. Great background stories. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

This is my first book adaptation of a musical that I’ve read. As someone who loves musicals, this was a musical that had gone under my radar somehow but after reading this book, I’m really interested in listening to the music to hear how it works with Alanis’s songs, especially as I grew up with her music.

The story itself was one I enjoyed. It was relevant to today and I liked that it didn’t just gloss over the hard subjects covered in the storyline. Even when someone tried to make amends, it wasn’t just a quick “okay everything is better now.” It felt more real and like seeing a slice of life into the small town.

I think teenagers and adults will enjoy this book, and it can be used to open up the lines of communication about subjects that parents may not know how to address or talk about with their kids. It’s not easy to have those conversations, but as the book teaches us, we don’t always know what’s going on with someone, and we may have more in common than we think.

Jagged Little Pill was the first CD I ever bought and I'm surprised I didn't wear it out playing it so much on my discman in 6th grade.  Last summer I finally got the chance to see Alanis live on her Jagged Little Pill Anniversary tour.  I've yet to see the broadway show, so when I saw there was a novel based on the musical, I had to read it.

I went in to reading this book having 0 idea about what the musical plot was - just very much so knowing the album. (There were a few easter eggs of lyrics here and there, I noticed.)  Turns out it is about a family - Frankie is adopted and her brother Nick and their parents as well as some of the kids that they go to school with.

Each of them is dealing with their own struggles and trying to overcome them in a town in Connecticut that likes to keep all their troubles secret.  Some of them end up coming to light and the story details how they all deal with them and help each other deal with them.

This was a pretty quick read but I really enjoyed it and am hoping all the more that I'll get a chance to see the musical in the near future!

I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

Wow, I’m not old! You’re old. Talk about a blast from the past. Being the 90’s teen that I was, I picked this based on the cover, the title and obviously Alanis. For anyone that was a teen girl in the 90’s, just the words “Jagged Little Pill” feels Ike the symbol of that teen angst. This is a quick read that makes me wish I could go see the broadway play now!

Slight trigger warning…

I was first interested in reading this book because Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette is one of my favorite albums of all time. I enjoyed the recognition of some of her lyrics throughout the book, and other fans of Alanis may feel the same. The book intertwines the lives of several friends and how what they do and say effects each other. This includes the aftermath of a sexual assualt. Everyone has their own struggles, but most of them are mature and find time to defend each other, which I think is what every high school kid wants in their life.

I loved The album Jagged Little Pill when it came out, it was THE album, so when I heard a Broadway show was opening, I was very excited. And then Covid happened so me seeing it on Broadway hasn’t happened… yet!
When I saw there was a novelization available, I was very intrigued. This was a quick read and full of all of the angst I would expect from something associated with Alanis. There are some good storylines and some great topics discussed.
I’m sure once I am able to see the show, the 2 things will blend wonderfully!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest opinion.

What an enjoyable read! I love Alanis Morisette and have been dying to see the show on Broadway. Although a book can’t really compete with a musical performance, this definitely was a good alternative to the show… guess I’ll need to get tickets to the show now! While it deals with some mature themes, this book could be good for some of my HS students.

My students love musicals, I have played Alanis Morrissette for them and they had some choice words that made me feel old. I do hope they enjoy this book because I definitely did!

As a fan of the Jagged Little Pill musical, which I was able to see twice on Broadway, I was very much looking forward to reading this book. While reading this book, I tried to focus on what this book had compared to the musical, what it didn't have, and how it fared entirely as a standalone book for readers who have not seen the original musical.

The novelization of Jagged Little Pill penned by Eric Smith is a great example of what a YA book should be, and I found that it excellently depicted the voices of all five main characters that rotated throughout the book—Jo, Frankie, Nick, Phoenix, and Bella. Jagged Little Pill is a tricky story, because it takes on a plethora of social issues, but it is all done with the correct pacing, and the most intense of it was handled very well.

I think that Jagged Little Pill will be able to resonate with readers in the way that it treates the idea of a perfect family that is really just hiding all of their faults. The Healys start off as a family that brags to other families about how well their children are doing, and how successful their parents are, but over the course of the book, all of that quickly falls apart.

Aside from issues within the family, Jagged Little Pill also tackles issues such as infidelity and sexual assault. While I don't believe the former was handled well, I was pleasantly surprised to see how well the latter was done. I am not a sexual assault survivor myself, but I have read a lot of articles and first-hand experiences of it, and to me, Bella's experience in the book was portrayed in a very realistic and evocative manner. I was able to get a glimpse of the same frustration that she felt, and that only helped in my overall experience of the book.

As for how good of a novelization this was, I think that fans of the musical should be excited for this book, as it gives more characterization to Nick, Bella, and most especially Phoenix, who weren't given that much prominence in the musical. Those said three characters were more fleshed out, given qualities and backstories that were never present in the musical, and all of the new additions seemed very appropriate to their characters. Even Jo, who could be counted as a main character of the musical, was given more backstory in the novelization.

The added bonus of more characterization helped shape the story of Jagged Little Pill into something more cohesive, which I found lacking in the original musical. So even though this features no songs, and only song references, I believe that it is on par with the original musical just for excelling in what the musical could not.

Collectively, Jagged Little Pill is about how humanity is stronger as one, and it is about understanding that your family and friends have a large impact on the person you are today. It's about accepting help and being honest with your loved ones, even if it means exposing your deepest vulnerabilities. It's about how even though the world might be cruel, it won't be as intimidating if you only join forces with others, and there is never any power in pretending to be someone you're not.