Jan
(say "Yahn") has decided she's in love with Josh, although she
started out calling him a loser. Hindrances block true love's way:
Her previous crush is chasing her, she can't quite TALK to Josh, he
keeps referring to another girl, and he tries to hook her up with
his loser cousin. Worst of all, is he even remotely interested in
Jan? As she struggles with the basics of romance, her best friend
Rebecca (recently named one of CHIC magazine's New York "IT" Girls)
smoothly hooks up with a gorgeous older man … wouldn't you
just know it?

Jan's hardships don't end with the Josh conundrum. Her parents are
irritating, her butt is enormous, and college application deadlines
are zooming up. To escape from her many tragedies, Jan dreams up
little one-act scenes, usually involving Josh declaring his undying
love for her while her hair looks perfect (for once).

The plot of this book isn't startlingly original, but the delivery
is absolutely priceless. At the beginning of CONFESSIONS OF A NOT
IT GIRL, after laughing approximately ten times a page, I decided
to keep track of my favorite funny bits. By page 18, I had writer's
cramp. Should I mention how Jan, acting out with Josh a scene from
Romeo and Juliet in English class, opens her mouth, puckers her
lips, and waits for a real kiss (Romeo doesn't kiss her)? Or should
it be her struggle to find the perfect outfit to baby-sit Josh's
sibling? "With only forty-nine hours to put together an outfit that
said both 'I am a responsible baby-sitter who will not abandon your
child to pursue pleasures of the flesh' and 'I am a sexual dynamo,'
I headed upstairs to evaluate my options." Or maybe I should go
with Jan's description of her hair: exactly like the Great Pyramid
at Giza. Or...

No. Really. Must. Stop. Now.

I laughed so often and so hard that folks in my reading vicinity
exhibited alarm for my mental health: "Honey? Can I get you
something? Like a drink of water? Or a psychiatrist?" Suffice to
say, this is the funniest book I've read in ages. Totally
enjoyable!

   -