What I Like About Me

A wonderful book about acceptance in all forms - body acceptance, self-esteem, relationships, family, friendships. I hope we hear more from Jenna Guilluaume!

This is the authors American debut novel so I was cautiously optimistic about it. This is a charming YA novel that features a plus-sized protagonist. It’s written as a series of Discovery Journal entities - it immediately made me think of this as a teenage Bridget Jones. I found it relatable and loved that it focused on friendship, confidence and self-love more than the romance side of things.

ARC provided by #NetGalley in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.

What I Like About Me is told through the journal entries of Maisie Martin over the course of her family vacation, a journal she doesn't want to write in because it is required for school. She narrates in a quirky, humorous manner while keeping a realistic teenage tone. It really felt like getting a glimpse of a teenage girl's diary. 

Maisie is on vacation at the beach with her mother; her father was unable to come because of work. Based on early journal entries, she and her mother have a slightly strained relationship—not one broken beyond repair, but a relationship stretched thin by the nature of being a parent and a teenage child. Also along for the ride is Anna, Maisie's best friend who just went through a breakup. Later, Maisie's sister Eva and Eva's girlfriend Bess join them.

Maisie's journal entries, which include things she discovered about life or herself (it's called a discovery journal, after all), detail what she did each day of the vacation, and they also shed light on her concerns. She is worried that her parents might get a divorce because they haven't been talking much and her dad has often been unreachable. She doesn't really know what to do about her feelings for Beamer and their blossoming relationship. She has second thoughts about the pageant. She feels like she and Anna are drifting apart. She doesn't  know how to interact with her sister because of a falling out they had a few years ago, in which they were going to enter the pageant together but Eva entered by herself because she didn't think Maisie could win. 

There were many times when this book made me cringe, painfully embarrassed on behalf of Maisie—in the best possible way. The angst and dramatic writing and the way she describes them are exactly how I wrote/talked when I was a teenager, and though it is still cringe-inducing even in a fictional setting, the way Maisie writes is incredibly realistic.

What I Like About Me was a fantastic and sweet book about what it's like to be a teenager who struggles with body image. Maisie's journey of coming to love herself is inspiring and, like her writing, relatable. The main theme of self-love is perfectly complemented by side themes of friendship, sisterly love, and honesty (with yourself and others). Her highs and lows and every moment along the way had me rooting for her.

A bit of a warning: this is a YA book and there is a good bit of swearing. It's typical teenage stuff, but it could definitely be a bit too much for younger readers. Also, while I personally relate to the diary (or rather, the way it's written), I could easily see where it would quickly wear on some people's nerves. Maisie is sarcastic and dramatic and angsty, and if that's not what you're expecting from the book, it could get old very quickly. Maisie also has very low opinion  of herself and puts herself down, including body shaming comments.

Easy 5 stars, and a book I'll be buying for my 16-year-old sister named Maisy!

Wow. Just wow. I literally read this book in one and a half sittings (had a flight connection thus the half..). This book is about Maisie who is a teen going through teen stuff - body images, family issues, relationship woes. All the things every teen goes through in her/his lifetime. This book is absolutely remarkable and reminds people that you are your harshest critic, who cares what others think about you and it’s important to love who you are. Although this book deals with a lot (a LOT!), it’s never overwhelming or too much. As I mentioned, I could barely put this book down and would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

What I Like about Me by Jenna Guillaume is one of the funniest books I have read in a while. I literally laughed out loud (okay...I actually snorted some too) while reading it. My students kept looking at me funny, but I didn't care, I had to keep reading. The book is actually a journal (discovery journal) sixteen-year-old Maisie Martin has been assigned to do for school while heading to her annual winter family vacation in Australia, which is more like our summer vacations here with the beach, sunbathing, boardwalks, and lots of friends. Every year her favorite part of vacation is seeing her oh-so-hot childhood friend and crush Sebastian, and he just keeps getting hotter. Her best friend Anna just had the worst breakup so to cheer her up, she brings her along. The problem? Anna is "perfect", and Maisie is a self-described fat girl with fairly low self-esteem. That leaves Maisie stuck with Sebastian's pain-in-the-rear bff Beamer...not exactly the vacation she was looking forward to. Add to that the obvious tension between her parents (her dad didn't even bother going on the family vacation!), her perfect pageant-queen, semi-professional dancer sister she isn't speaking to, and just the whole idea of being a fat teen on the beach, this vacation is not ideal. So what does Maisie do? Enter the biggest pageant around. Why not? Her sister did it and so can she, maybe.
The complete honesty in this book is what made me love it. Yes, sometimes it's cheesy (and Guillaume owns it), but it's mostly embarrassing, awkward, and full of feels. Just the way teens are. Overall, Maisie learns to love herself the way she is while realizing no one is perfect. I can't wait to get this in my library. #WhatILikeAboutMe #JennaGuillaume #NetGalley Release date: April 1st, 2020