I am loving this series. I've said before that YA needs more heroines like Georgia Nicholson, who is like a British version of Regina George (Mean Girls) and Cher (Clueless). She's a girl who is extremely self-centered and even delusional, but she's confident, loyal, kind, and owns her damn sexuality. If you follow this series, this book shows that our little Georgia is growing up. She's maturing (though slowly) and is able to recognize that her various feelings and is also starting to ascertain what she wants and doesn't want. There's a particular moment near the end of the book in which she realizes that while she likes Dave the Laugh, she pines for Masimo. Not wanting to be just another girl who fawns all over the Italian lead singer, she tells Masimo that she wants to be his girlfriend in a monogamous relationship. There are grown women who wouldn't be able (or willing) to do that.Of course there's the zany silliness that comes with a Georgia Nicolson book. Georgia, her family, and her best friend Jas travel to Memphis. The locals are enchanted by their British accents, but the Southern hospitality baffles Georgia and her clan. "What do they want from us?" she asks.A particularly hilarious (yet bizarre) scene is one in which the ace gang tries to help Georgia with snogging (kissing) practice. Rosie dresses up with a boy, complete with a banana down her pants (!!), and demands that Georgia kiss the back of her leg. At 6:30 pm Georgia refuses, saying, "not a snowball's chance in hell", but by 6:45 Georgia is "on my knees snogging the back of Rosie's leg whilst the ace gang watches me. Why am I doing this? Rosie was shouting instructions."On to another bit...I won't hide this under spoilers because I am not revealing a plot twist or anything, but I think I'll mention it. At one point while feeling miserable, Georgia talks about suicide. As someone who has dealt with this in real life, I was worried I'd be offended, but I wasn't, not at all. The truth is that Georgia is a melodramatic character, and teenagers are notorious for abusing hyperbole and jumping to conclusions. She didn't actually want to end her life, and she actually is pretty damn amusing in her self-pity. When things look up, she declares, "I luuuuuuuuuuuurve life!" and moves on (unsurprisingly, and thankfully). Georgia's love life is chaotic, and I know who I'd like to see her with Dave the Laugh!, but I have a feeling that might take a while. That's fine with me - I'm enjoying taking that journey with her.I'll leave you with a quote from the girl herself, one I hope to use in real life: "I have a bath to fill and a bottle of gin to buy."
