Scan barcode
A review by rach
Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski
3.0
Here are the important lessons I've learned from this book:
1. Be a well-rounded person. Don't just focus on one thing or person, because otherwise, you'll end up all by yourself, sad and bored with no interests or friends. Also, colleges don't like it when you don't have interests.
2. Don't ditch your friends, especially for a guy. Yes, boys are cute and you want to make out with them and be with them all the time, but you are going to need friends to confide in and lean on. Tying yourself to just one person is dangerous.
3. Don't cheat on tests, otherwise, you'll be expelled from school, drop out of your new stoner school, dye your hair pink, and get a tattoo. Also, it's not ethical, and you don't learn anything when you don't do the work.
4. If your cell phone rings, and the person on the other line claims to be you from the future, listen to what she says, but don't necessarily do it. And don't let her bully you, because apparently future you is kinda mean and selfish. But you can learn from her mistakes, so yay!
Of course, these lessons would be more essential were I the actually the target audience of this book: a teenage girl. But as a not-quite-teenager-anymore, there are still some things you can pull away from this: the importance of friends and family, and the essentiality of being your own person and knowing who that person is.
I can't say I particularly enjoyed all of this book. Old Devi (AKA Ivy) was over-bearing, demanding, shrill, and selfish, and couldn't admit that she got herself into the sad, lonely mess she was in. She lucked out the day her phone broke and she could mysteriously call her freshman self. Though she terribly bungled most of her advice to "Frosh", aka young Devi, the essentials came through: friends, family, activities, balance. Young Devi was sweet and caring, if a little too much of a push-over. In the end, it was an entertaining story, and I'm happy things were able to balance out as they "should" be. Brian was adorably persistant in his courting of Devi, and I was relieved when young Devi finally allowed herself to fall in love with him (again? for the first time?).
1. Be a well-rounded person. Don't just focus on one thing or person, because otherwise, you'll end up all by yourself, sad and bored with no interests or friends. Also, colleges don't like it when you don't have interests.
2. Don't ditch your friends, especially for a guy. Yes, boys are cute and you want to make out with them and be with them all the time, but you are going to need friends to confide in and lean on. Tying yourself to just one person is dangerous.
3. Don't cheat on tests, otherwise, you'll be expelled from school, drop out of your new stoner school, dye your hair pink, and get a tattoo. Also, it's not ethical, and you don't learn anything when you don't do the work.
4. If your cell phone rings, and the person on the other line claims to be you from the future, listen to what she says, but don't necessarily do it. And don't let her bully you, because apparently future you is kinda mean and selfish. But you can learn from her mistakes, so yay!
Of course, these lessons would be more essential were I the actually the target audience of this book: a teenage girl. But as a not-quite-teenager-anymore, there are still some things you can pull away from this: the importance of friends and family, and the essentiality of being your own person and knowing who that person is.
I can't say I particularly enjoyed all of this book. Old Devi (AKA Ivy) was over-bearing, demanding, shrill, and selfish, and couldn't admit that she got herself into the sad, lonely mess she was in. She lucked out the day her phone broke and she could mysteriously call her freshman self. Though she terribly bungled most of her advice to "Frosh", aka young Devi, the essentials came through: friends, family, activities, balance. Young Devi was sweet and caring, if a little too much of a push-over. In the end, it was an entertaining story, and I'm happy things were able to balance out as they "should" be. Brian was adorably persistant in his courting of Devi, and I was relieved when young Devi finally allowed herself to fall in love with him (again? for the first time?).