Honest and Unflinching // REVIEW: Editing Emma by Chloe Seager

Title: Editing Emma
Author: Chloe Seager
Publication Date: August 10th 2017
Publisher: Harper Collins
Part of a Series?: No, A Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: Harper Collins India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Amazon UK || The Book Depository || Wordery || Infibeam || Foyles || Waterstones || WHSmith || Kobo || Google Books
Blurb Description: When sixteen-year-old Emma Nash is ‘ghosted’ by the love of her life Leon Naylor, she does what any normal teenage girl would do…Emma spends the summer lurking in her bedroom, avoiding all human contact (and the shower), surrounded by the collection of chewit wrappers she saved from packs Leon gave her, back when he actually acknowledged her existence…
But seeing Leon suddenly ‘In a relationship’ on Facebook with the perfect Anna, spurs Emma into action and she embarks on a mission to make positive changes to her life (or ‘edits,’ if you will) and vows to use the internet for more than obsessively stalking Leon’s activities! Instead, she will use it for good and noble causes like finding someone who will actually be nice to her, and recording her findings for the rest of the world to see (i.e. BFF Steph and her mum) on her new Editing Emma blog.
But Emma soon discovers her ‘habit’ is harder to break than she first thought – turns out she’s not the only one ‘editing’ herself online (thank you Tinder for finding her mum’s profile, age 35, really?) and that life through an Instagram filter isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. But it could be worse, she could have outed her best friend, accidentally chatted up a 12 year old boy and revealed to the world why Leon Naylor is worth no girl’s time or virginity… oh no wait, that’s exactly what happened…

A book about a girl blogging about her life, discussing issues like periods, masturbation, boys and booze like they shouldn’t even be ‘issues’ to talk about? I’d been hoping for a really long time for Editing Emma to be released in India and when I got the opportunity to read and review it for Harper Collins India, I was BEYOND overjoyed!

I finished Editing Emma in a mere two days (or should I say very busy evenings) and while at times, the book frustrated me, I did really like going on this journey with Emma through her blog posts.

Here are my thoughts:

1.       After reading this book from end to end, I can HONESTLY say teenage girls are confusing and I AM A TEENAGE GIRL, so you could tell how confusing it was for me. I really liked Emma – she was honest and spunky and slightly irritating and I spent 330 pages immersed in her innermost thoughts and I came out of them confused.

2.       In fact, even the boys confused me. (WAIT: IF I DON’T GET TEENAGERS, DOES IT MEAN I’VE GROWN PAST TEENAGER-DOM?) They were cute and charming and nice until they were needy and rude and GHOSTED GIRLS FOR NO REASON?

3.       I actually think all the confusion that I’m talking about above just goes to show HOW ACCUTARELY the life of a high-schooler was portrayed. It felt real and it also annoyed me, and I laughed and felt for the characters. ESSENTIALLY, THIS BOOK CAPTURED EVERYTHING YOU FEEL AS A TEENAGER.

4.       I REALLY like that this was told through blog posts. Essentially it was The Princess Diaries, but in the form of a blog and not a diary.

5.       Emma’s sense of humour and sarcasm levels were OFF THE CHARTS, which was what made this book funny. There are resolutions and lists and awkward first text-versations with boys and also not to mention, a beheaded stuffed giraffe. I loved the hilarity of her life and her spin on it.

6.       This book was about growing up and learning to love yourself in a world where nobody will let you. It was about finding your corner and your people and what’s important and it was done through a teenager which I TRULY applaud.

An honest, unflinching and hilarious (if at times eye-roll worthy) coming of age book that should be added to the top of your ever growing TBRs. 4 stars and definitely worth a read!

Chloe SeagerChloe Seager grew up in London with her mum and her much loved cat, Katie. She studied English Literature and Drama at the University of East Anglia where she realised she couldn't act, but did rediscover her love of children's books. 

Children's literature was one of her favourite modules and it made her wonder why grown-ups ever stopped reading them. She now works with YA and kids' books full time. Chloe lives back in East London with her boyfriend and pet fish.

Have you had the chance to read Editing Emma yet? What did you think of it? 
Have you ever had a dairy/ blog/ some form of writing down what went on in your everyday life? How old were you then? 
I hope you guys check out Editing Emma because it's definitely worth the read!

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