The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It

by Lisa Shanahan

Book Overview

IN MY FAMILY, when anyone rides the wave of their emotions, we say they're chucking a birkett. When the emotion drives out all common sense, we say they're chucking a big one. The telltale signs are:... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0440240549
• ISBN13: 9780440240549
• Release Date: November 2008
• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Length: 297 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.2" x 7.9"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Cute but not close to the best

A select few members of Gemma Stone's family are prone to illogical, emotional outbursts--chucking a birkett, as they say. But not Gemma, who views birketts as unseemly and embarrassing, an angry sort of fit to be avoided at all costs. Of course, that's before her life takes a turn for the chaotic, before her crush on a guy who barely knows of her existence, before she auditions for the school play, before the surprising Raven De Head enters her life, and before her sister Debbie's crazy wedding plans. And as Gemma tries to navigate these unpredictably waters, she slowly comes to understand that sometimes, chucking a birkett can actually be a good thing. A cute and sweet coming of age story, The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It was a little technically disappointing but externally enjoyable. From a quick glance, this novel appears original, particularly with the inclusion of birketts and quirky, unusual characters, and romantic, because who doesn't love a guy who can quite Shakespeare like Raven? However, once the layers are peeled away, the reader realizes that the characters are either stereotypical or confusing. Gemma's crush Nick, though perfect on the outside, is predictably a jerk, Debbie fills the role of Bridezilla, and Gemma's soon-to-be-sister-in-law Jack is the classic stiff tomboy beginning to embrace girliness. I didn't complete understand Raven or Gemma because no explanation if given for some of Raven's actions and because I couldn't get a clear sense of who Gemma is. Is she the boy crazy girl who lets her emotions affect her decisions, the open girl who eventually lets Raven in, or the younger sister who doesn't seem to mind much being called the Big Mistake by her sister's friends? Plus, Gemma's supposed best friend Jody is present so infrequently that I often forgot she even existed. Through this story, Shanahan also attempts to address class differences, prejudice, and the positive and negative effects of consumerism but leaves her critiques on these themes largely unfinished; the only evidence of any sort of understanding of those ideas manifests slightly in Gemma though her personally realizations. I enjoyed Gemma's growth in this cute novel, but all the little details could definitely have been improved. Fans of The Curse of Addy McMahon by Katie Davis, The Teashop Girls by Laura Schaefer, Fact of Life #31 by Denise Vega, and A Little Friendly Advice and Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian may also enjoy this novel.

Sweet Book to Read This Year

The Sweet Terrible Glorious Year I Truly Completely Lost It is a humorous book by Lisa Shanahan about a teenage girl named Gemma. Dealing with her older sister getting married to a boy from a military obsessed family, Gemma just needs a break. Little does she know about the crazy year that's ahead of her. It starts with trying out for the school play to grab her crush, Nick's attention. There she befriends the school outcast Raven, who has a family with a lot of problems. Unsure, Gemma struggles her way through choosing friendships, learning about love, and trying to get a standing ovation, all the while learning that you don't need to care what other people think, and that they can't make your life theirs. I really enjoyed this book, and although it's not laugh-out-loud funny, it's still a very amusing read. I really liked how the author portrays Gemma as wanting to be friends with Raven and Nick, yet the two guys dislike each other immensely, and I think it really is like real life in many different ways. Everyone goes through trying something new, or having friendship problems, and this story is a good example of that. One reason I really like this book is because I can really relate to it, in many different ways. I think the theme is that people label other people without giving them a chance. I think that this book has important points, and makes you consider your own behavior towards other people. I highly recommend this book to any preteen or teenage girl!

Glorious Girl

Swans and tempests and camouflage, oh my! The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It (previously titled My Big Birkett) by Lisa Shanahan is a delicious blend of comedy and drama brought to life by a cast of outrageous characters, save one, who is trying her best to remain sane. Years ago, a girl name Debbie dated a boy named Birkett. After Debbie broke up with him, he serenaded her at midnight with twenty original poems based on her name, waking up her entire family and all of her neighbors in the process. Ever since then, whenever anyone in her family gets overly emotional or upset, they say they're "chucking a birkett." Fast forward to the present day, when Debbie announces that she's getting married to Brian, a man she's known for only one month. But this isn't Debbie's story. This is about her younger sister, Gemma, and the sweet, terrible, glorious year in which she blushed, crushed, and survived. At fourteen, Gemma's too old to be a flower girl. Instead of being a maid of honor like her sister's best friends, she's told she'll be wearing a swan costume, complete with webbed feet. That's not the only bird flying into her life. Here comes Raven, one of the infamous De Head boys. All of the De Head kids are named after fowl and have foul reputations. When Gemma tries out for her school's production of The Tempest at the suggestion of a cute classmate, it is Raven's eye she catches. Like Gemma, there's more to this book that meets the eye. An embarrassment of riches, you could say. This is a lovely book. Shanahan balanced funny and serious plotlines very believably, reminding us that life can be sweet one moment and terrible the next - and then sweet again. With humor akin to Susan Juby's Alice series and characters that stick with you like those from novels by Sarah Dessen, this book is truly glorious.

Is Nonsense Always Bad? -- a review by Mindy, age 12

Gemma Stone, age 14, is having trouble coping. Among her list of problems: her sister, Debbie, is getting married to a boy whose family is war obsessed; her major crush is the crush of at least ten other girls; she has auditioned for the school play (despite her fear of public speaking); and the school bad boy, Raven De Head, has taken a special interest in her. Gemma is forced to take action, determined to stop all of this nonsense, but at the end of the day, is nonsense always a bad thing? I enjoyed this book. It had the necessary information in order to keep me interested and engrossed in the characters' lives. The characters, such as Gemma Stone and Raven De Head, are very well developed. So much so that I could feel all of their pain and joy. The less important characters, such as Jody, were hardly developed, though, and I would have liked to get to know some of them slightly more. The plot of this YA book was very engaging. The plot had weak moments, where it was really predictable. One of these moments was the ending. The ending didn't really wrap up the story, although it was cute. It seemed slightly forced, and not really fitting with the main character's personality. The author's writing style accurately reflects the possible mind of a teenager, and is descriptive yet simple to understand. I would recommend this book to young teenagers, and would definitely read it again.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Gemma Stone will be the world's oldest flower girl. A fourteen-year-old flower girl dressed as a giant swan. Since her bridezilla sister is intent on a wedding theme of "animals who mate for life," Gemma will be paired up with a war-crazy tomboy from her sister's family-to-be and forced to waddle down the aisle. As the big day approaches, Gemma occupies her time with the school drama club as she attempts to get close to her crush, Nick. Unfortunately, Gemma finds herself practicing for auditions with the fascinating Raven De Head, of the town's most dysfunctional family. Will Gem be able to look beyond Raven's anger and cynicism and her own prejudices to find a new friend--possibly more? I laughed my way through the first several chapters as I got to know the quirky Stone family. Shanahan created a zany cast of characters, and they all had supporting roles for the protagonist. Gemma delivers in every chapter: loving and sweet, bold and sassy, uncertain and questioning. She struggles to find a balance between her comfortable past and a roller coaster future as she puts childhood behind her and ventures into a new world of personalities and relationships. Raven's family has the most to teach her, though the lesson of how an abusive family can still have a strong bond is a tough one for Gemma to learn. Any book that can make a reader like me both laugh and cry, as this one does, is worth picking up! Reviewed by: Julie M. Prince