I was immediately drawn to the cover of this ‘diary’. It’s bold, it’s colourful, it has plenty of underlying narrative to be looked at. So if a cover draws me in, then yes I’m going there.

Also being a local to me author, I try to get as much support going for these kinds of books and I’ve so far managed to get a good group of girls – no boys as yet – interested, and forming some sort of informal book club based on the hype 🙂 I know they’ve enjoyed my copy so far (and hopefully they’ve bought their own, or mine will be in shreds by the time is gets back to me!)

So what is the book about? Well it is a confessional, really, of a normal teenage girl, who has the usual teenage angsty problems to deal with and the so much larger than life pressure to ‘be cool’. We hear about boyfriends (or dream boyfriends), girlfriends, best friends, delusions, bullying, music, fashion… fashion? It is the 90s/00s so I don’t think fashion comes into it!

I am slightly younger than the author, but so much of this brings back memories, and nostalgia, you will feel like she is looking into your backstory and bringing out bits of you that may be best left there!! Luckily for me, I was pretty tame back when I was a teenager and did nothing remotely interesting or ‘bad’. So although I can relate to a lot of this, I also can live vicariously through some of the more interesting parts 🙂

One to pick up if you are interested in funny, throwback memoirs, if you lived your teenage years through the same period and want a refresher of the time, or perhaps just for those who want an entertaining read.

Goodreads synopsis:

The Diary of a Teenage Dirtbag is an honest and exposing account of the emotional extremes of one girl growing up in Edinburgh during the late 90’s and early 00’s. It captures the turmoil of adolescence in all its excruciating glory.

This book is a real coming of age story. It has all the ingredients of youth: the hopeful naivety, the hedonism, the endless boys, the soul crushing heartache and the never-ending search for that elusive best friend.

The Diary of a Teenage Dirtbag is a collaboration between two very different people, Claire Le Day, just twenty years apart. ‘Teenage Claire’ is drunk and angsty. ‘Adult Claire’ is a level-headed grown-up who may or may not also be drunk as she provides a modern-day commentary for her cringe worthy past.

This book will evoke nostalgia, not only for the era (with its comprehensive soundtrack that defined a generation) but for adolescence itself. It is authentic, heartbreakingly funny and above all else, truly embarrassing.

Happy reading! Let me know if you pick this one up.

Becca