Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Mini Reviews: Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas and Dancing In My Nuddy-Pants


I'm going to add the majority of the Georgia Nicholson series by Louise Rennison to my Mini Reviews. They are excellent and entertaining books...despite the fact that I have absolutely no clue what mad thing Georgia is going on about the majority of the time...but they are all pretty short (At least until you get up to books 7 and 8 and so on...) and there usually isn't too much happening plot wise so I feel like Mini Reviews will be best so that the reviews don't get repetitive! In this segment I am reviewing four books from the middle of the series. They do contain slight spoilers so beware!
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Title: Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas 
Author: Louise Rennison
Series: Georgia Nicholson #3
Synopsis: The irrepressible heroine of the Michael L. Printz Honor Book "Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging" is back, and funnier than ever Georgia has finally landed Robbie the Sex God, but he's never around, and Georgia's ex, Dave the Laugh, is starting to look quite dreamy. Strangely, so does just about every other guy Georgia meets, even the new French teacher.
My Review:
Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas was another hilarious installment of the Georgia Nicholson saga. It offers comedy, ridiculousness, and a light-hearted absurdity that I have yet to find elsewhere in YA fiction. KOMNN was one of the least plot-centered of the series so far (or at least it seemed like that to me). But despite the lack of real plot there was always something to keep me reading. Of course Georgia's Nungas (Boobs) are subject for a lot of conversation. (Nunga-nunga's are apparently named thus by the boys in Georgia's neighborhood due to the noise they make when a boob is grabbed, pulled taut, and then released to bang and jiggle around on the affronted girl's chest). In addition, this book sees the introduction of types of Horn one may possess. ( I know...to Americans that already sounds dirty...) Having the Horn is code for being a loosey-goose and having multiple crushes on people. One can apparently have the General Horn (having a crush on several people at once) or the Cosmic Horn (having a crush on every attractive member of the opposite sex possible)

As you can tell, Georgie's madness persists in this ridiculous tale. We get to see her juggle two guys, Robbie a.k.a The Sex God, and Dave the Laugh. I am not sure who I like more. Robbie is obviously gorgeous, and he's a singer/guitar player in a band (Hot) but Georgia gets really weird  (weirder than usual) when she's with him and they never really talk. Dave on the other hand can keep Georgia on her toes with his witty verbal barbs and is a class-A snogger. I feel bad for Dave because Georgia uses him to get Robbie jealous, and those of us who read YA frequently know how bad of a choice THAT is. To be honest, it feels like Robbie isn't the one for Georgia. He is really nice, but cares about things in a way that Georgie doesn't. When it comes to being smart, and saving the earth, Georgia doesn't give a crap. That makes her kind of look bad, but she is who she is and won't apologize for it. Still...it makes Robbie seem like he isn't her man...especially when we have Dave the Laugh and his shenanigans to compare.

I really liked the segment when Georgia and her family go to Scotland on holiday. Wherever Georgia goes, she seems to attract the unwanted attention of boys who resemble sea creatures and Scotland is no exception...only she can barely understand them and responds to everything with "Ach-Oye"!  Angus, her irritable cat also has adventures with a Scottish Kitty-kat and has a few run-ins with sheep and things that had me laughing so hard I could barely breath.  The one thing I noticed that was kind of negative is that Georgia seems to be getting kind of mean. She's always been irreverent and kind of ditzy, but now she is outright insulting at times to the point where I am a little irritated by her. I don't like it when my friends are mean to me or to their parents...and I don't like it in my fictional characters I suppose...but overall things are still good in Georgia-a-Go-Go Land...hopefully she will develop a conscious sometime in the future.
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Title: Dancing in My Nuddy-Pants
Author: Louise Rennison
Series: Georgia Nicholson #4
Synopsis: Since Georgia's been dating the yummy scrumboes Sex God, Robbie, her glossy lips are always at the ready, and her "red-bottomosity" is kept under wraps. Along with Naomi the Sex Kitten's new litter (thank you, Angus), Robbie's announcement that his band will be traveling to Hamburger-a-gogo land (Georgia can only hope to go with), and a class trip to France, Georgia is one camper in a state of teenage splendiosity. The small trouble is, Georgia also wonders if Dave the Laugh might still be the guy for her, and when Robbie gives a surprise-ending twist to his travel plans, she gets a "weird feeling of reliefosity" that makes her wonder if she must venture out and bravely use her "red bottom wisely."
My Review:
Dancing in My Nuddy-Pants is book 4 of the series. For those of you not British, Nuddy-Pants happens to mean naked (Nude Pants...get it?) So there are quite a few scenes involving pre-pubescent girls dancing naked in front of their mirrors. My belief is that boys may not want to read this series...they will probably become so freaked out by the ridiculous nature of girls (not that Georgia is really a NORMAL girl...) they will run away and join the priesthood because we are all so barking mad.

Poor, poor Jas. The unintentional Georgia sidekick has to put up with quite a lot from her best friend, especially in this book. The least of which is having her knickers called enormous many, many times throughout the book in front of various people such as professors, boys, and hot french teachers. Jas is a nice person...just not nearly as interesting as Georgia...but you do feel bad cause she seems to be the brunt of all of Georgia's pranks. Part of me thinks it's Georgia's way of dealing with how Jas and Tom have such a strong relationship while She and Robbie (Tom's brother) seem to be growing apart. At times the teasing goes from funny to mean...but for better or worse Jas and Georgia are there for each other. What is Batman without Robin? These two are best friends and it shows in the way that they are there for each other during the hard times, and then violently shoving each other during the easy ones.

Georgia's parents make me laugh a lot (though I kind of get irritated when Georgia is so mean to them...I would KILL to have had parents like Georgia's!) They are the quirky British parents you see in the original Office series, or in the parents and teachers from the UK version of Skins. It makes me wonder. Why are almost all of the parents shown in UK fiction and television completely insane while American parents usually represent an obstacle for the main character to overcome or deceive? Interesting thing to explore perhaps.
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I really love these books. They are light, syrupy sweet, delightfully wicked, and down-right laugh-out-loud funny. To be honest, I try to read them in between long, angsty, or really complicated books because if anything will get you out of a reading rut, it will be this series. You can't help but love Georgia even though she's away laughing on a fast camel half the time...(no...don't ask me what that is...something odd and British I'd wager, but I still have no freaking clue...lol) Honestly though...the pure madness of the books are a hoot and a half, but sometimes I have to re-read something 12 times before I have any clue about what Georgia is saying. Undoubtedly some of that is the British slang, but it's also that Georgie chatters away like a teenager and that's okay...teenagers are fricking nuts people. If you are the kind of reader who NEEDS there to be insightful meaning in your book...this series is not for you. But if you like complete insanity in the form of a barking mad teenager...then Georgia is the girl for you!

1 comment:

  1. Hahahha, great reviews. I love GEORGIA'S STORIES. These books are so hilarious and funny! I swear, and the English slang is so interesting. I love how I have to go back to the little dictionary to look the words up. I agree about the parents, too, but thats how most kids treat their parents regardless.

    :D

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