Young adult fiction is my secret vice. I admit it! Every now and then there's nothing better than a re-read of a childhood favorite, or, as in the case of Sloppy Firsts, the discovery of something new and wonderful. Quite truthfully, I expected Sloppy Firsts to be nothing more than a pleasant romp. I was surprised to find that though the book was immensely easy to read, it was also thoughtful and substantive. Ms. McCafferty manages to touch on so many of the universal strains and pains of adolescence; it seems like one would be hard pressed to find a woman or girl who can't in some small (or large!) way relate to the misunderstood Jessica Darling. If I had to criticize the book in any way, it would perhaps be that it's _too_ perceptive and well-written. As the novel is written as excerpts from Jessica's diary, it's a bit of a stretch to believe that a high-school sophomore would be quite so eloquent and insightful. That tiny little peeve aside, I highly recommend Sloppy Firsts to anyone who has ever been a teenage girl.