My Teenage Dream Ended by Farrah Abraham

Book:  My Teenage Dream Ended 

Author:   Farrah Abraham 

Grade  D+/C- 

Recommended To:  Teen Mom Fans.  

I'm only slightly ashamed to say that I've read this book and that I've seen every single episode of Teem Mom and 16 and Pregnant.   Sometimes I even talk about the Teen Mom cast as thought they are acquaintances .  And, I definitely follow them on Twitter.  So, when I heard Farrah had a book coming out, I was excited for her to reveal some of the background on her relationship with her mother, her dead baby daddy, and her experience with the MTV crew.   I only got one of three.

This book reads like a bunch of teenage journal entries and they are ALL about Farrah's very rocky relationship with Derek, the father of Sophia.  The book reads like a journal because there are details in the book that no one should ever know about another person.  It is chock full of sexual escapades between Farrah and Derek and lots of TMI details that made me cringe.  Plus, the vast majority of the book is about Farrah's life pre-baby.  She doesn't even have Sophia until 80% (Kindle Edition) into the book.

The book is very lite on reflection and introspection and confirmed that Farrah was/is very selfish, out-of-control, and seeks attention.  She has long been one of my least favorite Teem Moms and I wish this book had cataloged some growth and change in Farrah instead of a documentation of how many times she and Derek did it in public.

What I really hoped for were some deets on Farrah's cray relationship with her mother.  That's Farrah speak, peeps.  Farrah's fuse has always been short with her mom and I'm sure it is because of some deep dark childhood secrets.  That's what I wanted to read about!

This is a fairly worthwhile read since MTV didn't get into Farrah's relationship with Derek at all.  She says in the book that she and her parents prevented MTV from filing any of her relationship with Derek, so the book was at least some insight into that debacle.

This book is a solid D+, but it was entertaining enough to warrant a C-.  I totes recommend it if you can have a few drinks beforehand and get past the irritating grammar.  Plus, my expectations were about an F, so this book actually exceeded my expectations.  That's a win, right?

Happy Reading!

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen

Book:  Hoot 


Author:  Carl Hiaasen 


Grade:  A


Recommended to: adults, kids, environmentalists, people who like to laugh. 


This is probably the 10th Carl Hiaasen book that I've read.  It is a young adult/chapter book and it is a Newberry Honor Book, which brought back memories of reading chapter books in elementary school.  Apparently it was also made into a movie in 2006.

This book is about a new-in-town middle schooler who sees a barefoot boy, name: Mullet Fingers,  running away from the bus stop.  He follows the boy and a whole bunch of hilarity ensues when Roy, the new kid, finds out that the new Mother Paula's pancake restaurant is going to be built on a site with endangered burrowing owls.

I really enjoyed this book - to the point of laughing out loud on the Metra.  The main character Roy is extremely well written and very thoughtful and sensitive for a middle schooler.  The other main characters are a little one dimensional, but the book has an overall theme of environmentalism that is beautiful and refreshing.  It is also chock full of humor - if you've read other Hiaasen novels, you know that he often introduces a lot of characters and then puts them in completely ridiculous situations.  This book is written the same way and it is very well done.

Mullet Fingers is a younger Skink (the ex-Florida governor who wears a shower cap and lives in the wilderness) who fights against environmental abuses with outrageous acts of civil disobedience.  For example, he releases cotton mouth moccasins onto the Mother Paula's property, but not before gluing sequins all over their tails.   It is this attention to detail that drives Hiaasen's work above and beyond other works of comedic fiction.

I recommend this book to kids and adults alike.  It has a fabulous message and it is great for two days of laughs.

Happy Readings!