Monday, April 21, 2014

Review: Don't Call Me Baby by Gwendolyn Heasley

Title: Don't Call Me Baby
Author: Gwendolyn Heasley
Series: Stand Alone
Published By: Harper Teen (April 22, 2014)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Contemporary
My Rating: 3 Stars

Book Description:
All her life, Imogene has been known as the girl on THAT blog.

Imogene's mother has been writing an incredibly embarrassing, and incredibly popular, blog about her since before she was born. Hundreds of thousands of perfect strangers knew when Imogene had her first period. Imogene's crush saw her "before and after" orthodontia photos. But Imogene is fifteen now, and her mother is still blogging about her, in gruesome detail, against her will.

When a mandatory school project compels Imogene to start her own blog, Imogene is reluctant to expose even more of her life online...until she realizes that the project is the opportunity she's been waiting for to tell the truth about her life under the virtual microscope and to define herself for the first time.

Don't Call Me Baby is a sharply observed and irrepressibly charming story about mothers and daughters, best friends and first crushes, and the surface-level identities we show the world online and the truth you can see only in real life.











I picked this one up simply because of all the blogging references and I had a pretty good hunch that this was going to be one of those cutesy perfect in between reads we all need every now and then and that is exactly what I got.

And even though this is a cute fun read it isn't all fluff. It is very much a coming of age story all about personal space, respect, privacy and just plain and simply, growing up and becoming more than just a name or face. 

I loved all the blogging references that only a true die hard blogger probably appreciated or got but it was fun nonetheless to take a look at how blogging can affect other people, as in the blogger's family. Are we putting too much personal stuff out there in the blogsphere and through social media? What is deemed safe and acceptable? Where is that line and how do we really know when we have crossed it?

I actually really liked Imogene and while she didn't always go about doing things and getting her point across to her family about her feelings of her mother's blog and the affect it had on her, she was a very realistic feeling teenager. 

This was a very cute coming of age story and lived up to my expectations of the author. I love these feel good books with sweet messages and I can always count on Heasley to deliver them. 




*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

32 comments:

  1. This sounds like a cute story! I also love a feel good story now and then, and I don't think I've ever read a contemporary that features blogging so prominently in the story. I'm really curious to check this one out now! Great review :-)

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  2. it sounds like an interesting book. I think I saw it somewhere... I would have been really intrigued by the blogging references as well. Thanks for the review!

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  3. Great review! I'll be putting this on my YA contemporary wishlist--sound like a lot of fun ;)

    Jessica @ Rabid Reads

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  4. what an interesting premise for a book, might have to look into it more :)

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  5. I'm in the mood for this kind of cutesy read right now Ali! I'm glad there's some substance to it as well though, and I find the premise about privacy, blogging and social media super interesting (of course). Looking forward to this one!

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    1. Heehe as bloggers it is hard to resist reading something like this.

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  6. Sometimes you're just in the mood for a cute ( not all fluff though) book, and this one sounds like it delivered with its coming of age story. I also love to read books that mention blogging- it so interesting/funny to see what others think of it. Glad you enjoyed this one Ali & great review :)

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    1. It was kind of fun to see how it affected their lives. :)

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  7. The blogging references sound fun and something I'm likely to relate to. I'm very curious about this one and its mixed reviews, too! Glad you liked it! :)

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  8. I like the blog references and I was surprised this had more substance to it. Great review Ali.

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  9. The blogging aspect of this interests me. I'm always careful to keep my family life separate from blogging, though I share somethings it's not at all a focus. I've only heard so-so things about this though so I'm not sure if I'll read it or not.

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  10. I've only seen one other review for this and it wasn't good. I think it sounds interesting though. Sometimes it makes me cringe when I see how much people share online. I'm the opposite though. lol.

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  11. This one sounds like there might be some cringe-inducing scenes! Though, fun. :) Great review, luv.

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  12. I have to admit I am probably "that" mom in the book...well from the description anyway. hehe! I have a family blog and I am sure I divulge way too much information about my kids than they would appreciate, but if I am not embarrassing my kids I am not doing my job right?! hehee! Great review. I think this book sounds like a fun read.

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  13. This sounds fun and I think I would definitely relate to the main character. Great review!

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  14. Only a 3, huh? I really liked her first book and I've liked her others, so I'll definitely be reading this one. I'll have to see if I like it more or less...

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    1. I can't wait to see what you think about it Tressa!

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  15. I like that it has blogging references too. I would probably pick this one up just for that fact alone. I'll have to keep in mind that it isn't all fluff though.

    Glad you liked this one overall :)

    Michelle @ Book Briefs

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  16. I liked the blogging part but I know the mothers actions have giving this book a lot of mixed reviews. Glad you enjoyed it!

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    1. Yeah it was different but I think that also made it pretty realistic too.

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  17. Nice review - This one sounds kind of cute. I didn't download it for review.

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  18. I didn't like this book very much, but it does has few interesting ideas.
    Great review.

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