Book Review : The Mean Girl Apologies by Stephanie Monahan

The Mean Girl Apologies

by 

Stephanie Monahan

Released:
June 2nd, 2014

Publisher:
Entangled Embrace

Purchase:
Amazon|B&N

Source:
NetGalley

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Synopsis:

You know that catchy song you keep hearing on the radio? It’s about you. 

Natalie Jamison has spent five years trying to forget the girl she was in high school: popular, pretty…and, okay, mean. Now in her twenties and living once again in her small town, she’s right back where she was: following Queen Bee Amber and keeping secrets from her best friend, Sarah.

Secrets like Jack Moreland.

Everyone knows Jack Moreland—his new album, Good Enough, is everywhere. He’s famous. Impossibly handsome. Completely untouchable. But what none of Natalie’s old clique knows is that in high school, Natalie and Jack fell in love. And their secret relationship was incredible, painful—and earth-shattering enough to inspire an entire album.

Facing friends and enemies isn’t easy, but Natalie will go to great lengths to prove she is good enough—to her friends, to herself, and most of all, to the small-town boy turned worldwide heartthrob she never forgot.

Lindy's Thoughts:

The Mean Girl Apologies, by Stephanie Monahan, was a very fast-paced angst filled read.  It is told from the viewpoint of the main character, Natalie, who hears a song being sung on the radio by her first love, Jack.  The song is called, "Not Good Enough," and Natalie knows right away that the song is about her.  The story goes back and forth in time, and tells the story of how Natalie and Jack attended the same high school, got to know each other, fell in love, and how it all ended.  When it goes to the present time, it takes place five years after high school, and follows Jack making the big time in music, his album and the effects it has on Natalie's life.

The story was entertaining, and I really enjoyed learning about Jack and Natalie's love affair.  Jack was a great character.  He was secure in himself, down to earth, and an all around great guy.  Natalie had very low self-esteem.  She had been picked on when she was younger, so when her best friend Sarah, made friends with the popular mean girl, Amber, they became a part of the same crowd.  Natalie knew that Amber wasn't a good person, but she was scared to stand-up to her.  I couldn't stand Amber.  She was a royal b****.

I think The Mean Girl Apologies read more like a young adult story than a New Adult one.  I would have liked to see more romance, and less angst.  I also would have liked to see more interaction between Natalie and Jack in the present time period.  

My favorite aspects of the story were Natalie's best friend Sarah, and good friend Gillian.  They were both very likable characters.  I loved Jack so much!  He made me swoon time and time again, and Natalie really didn't deserve him when they were in high school.  He was pretty patient with her, but in the end, he realized that he needed to be more than her well-hidden secret.  I'm glad to see that she underwent a huge amount of character growth, and I was proud of the person that she became.  The ending was absolutely perfect, and made me very happy!  

My Rating:

I give The Mean Girl Apologies, by Stephanie Monahan 3 Angsty, Reunited Love-Filled Stars!  If you are looking for a fast-paced entertaining read, that will make you feel a vast range of emotions, check this one out!

My Favorite Quote:

"Before he reached the door, he turned back to me.  'All I wanted,' he said, 'was for you to want to be with me more than you were scared of what your friends would think.' "  (eARC, Loc. 1934)

~Jack

Mikki's Review

The Mean Girl Apologies by Stephanie Monahan was an enjoyable reading escape! I could picture every single scene like if I was watching a movie. It was my first time reading a book by Stephanie Monahan and I really loved her writing style. Even if parts of the story were predictable, I still enjoyed every single page!

The popular girl falls for the sweet, adorable guy with a heart of gold. Natalie Jamison is back in Stonebury. Five years ago, Jack Moreland walked out of her life with a piece of her heart. When Jack comes back into her life after all these years, her world his turned upside down. After listening to Jack's songs about their relationship, Natalie is determined to do whatever it takes to redeem herself for the emotional pain that she caused in the past. 

I really liked Natalie and Jack's story. They made me feel all kinds of emotions. On one side we've got Natalie. She was part of the popular crew in high school and memories of the hurtful things she said and did haunt her every day. It really took me a long time to actually start cheering for her. I could not understand why she was still hanging out with her  ''friends'' from high school. The only one I actually liked was Sarah, which was Natalie's best friend. I started cheering for Natalie after she came face-to-face with Jack. You could actually see the change in her from that moment on. She realized her mistakes and she wanted to change her life. Jack! Jack! Jack! OMG!!! He was such an amazing character! His love for Natalie .... AMAZING!!! The lyrics to his songs were beautiful and touching. Natalie made mistakes and she learned from them. It's never too late to change and make the good decisions. And, that's exactly what Natalie did :)

What I enjoyed about this book is that it shifted between past and present. The story was very well developed and kept me turning the pages! I just wish that there would have been more scenes with Natalie and Jack after they reconnected. The supporting characters all brought something interesting to this story. I absolutely loved Gillian, which is Natalie's co-worker and new roommate. She's fun and adorable! Don't even get me started on Amber .... *Virtual B**** slap* I won't miss her .... that's for sure! She was so mean and selfish!

Rating

I give, The Mean Girl Apologies, by Stephanie Monahan 4 sweet, enjoyable stars! I love it when a couple gives love a second chance!

About the Author: 

I grew up in upstate New York and currently live in central Massachusetts. After studying English lit and creative writing in college, I thought I’d write deep and meaningful serious books. Turns out, I’m not so serious. 

33 VALENTINES was published in January 2013. THE MEAN GIRL APOLOGIES will be out on June 2, 2014. I’ve written book reviews for Serendipity Greenwich and The Pulse. I also wrote a lot of my now-husband’s papers in college. 

I have been a mentor at the Betty Curtis Worcester County Young Writers’ Conference at St. John’s High in Shrewsbury, MA for the past two years. 

You can read my story From California, which was chosen as a contest winner by YA author extraordinaire Lauren Oliver. 

I’m a fan of Modern Family, Jensen Ackles, and Margaret Atwood.

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