5 stars!!!!!I was in the middle of a book that was boring me to death so I set it aside and started reorganizing my bookshelves and happened to find this paperback (back when it still had the cute red popsicle cover). I read it about seven years ago when I was still in high school and it made such a big impact on me it was one of the first books I cried over. Maybe it was nostalgia playing a hand, but I felt compelled to open this book again and the page I bookmarked pointed at the quote above, and immediately, I fell right back into the story like seven years hadn’t passed by at all. A little sad, a little happy, and a whole lot of introspective, this is a book that perfectly captured the ups and downs of adolescence and what I'm willing to bet every 12-year old girl can relate to in some way, shape or form. There’s nothing preachy about the story, just a clear, fresh, and genuine portrayal of what it’s like for a little girl to grow up while facing normal struggles ranging from popularity to boys to family life. Meet Annemarie Wilcox, fondly dubbed by her mama as ‘Shug’ (short for Sugar). She’s not particularly beautiful, totally flat-chested, has a sprinkle of freckles, and what do you know, has a gigantic crush on the boy next door and lifelong best mate, Mark. This is a 12-year old girl who is the epitome of the word ordinary, yet it is that very quality that makes her extraordinary. Her childlike innocence, her inquisitive nature, and her curiosity for the unknown are things that I’m sure most of us in our younger years can relate to, or at least I definitely can. Her thoughts are pretty deep, and when pitted against her young age, the weight of her words just feel extra heavy and stirred up all these feelings in my heart.For Shug, her biggest worry is how much her life is going to change now that she’s entering junior high. All of a sudden, appearances start to matter more, popularity becomes the law, and your business becomes everybody else’s business. Shug navigates through it all in a true pre-teen fashion and as I read every triumph, every heartbreak of hers I felt, because in a way, it reminded me of myself a decade ago. It’s amazing how the author’s writing strikes hard and fast, and goes straight for the heart. Sometimes less is more and the writing in this book reiterates that sentiment and how simplicity is beautiful. Many pivotal parts of the story were bittersweet (okay, a little more sweet than bitter) to read and one scene in particular – it’s always this same scene – made me weep, not because it’s tragic or anything but because I needed to let out all the emotion that built up by that point.I started this book thinking it’d be a quick trip down memory lane and a nice break from pure romance but what I got was a heart full of emotion and a big book hangover. At first glance, it may look like any other YA book, but the more I read the more I realized I was holding a priceless gem in my hands. And the ending of this book!!! It made me squeal like a little girl. Too cute, too precious, and too special for words really.This is a book that’s suitable for all ages, and a must-read for everyone. Who knows? Shug just might touch your heart too ;)Shug is a YA fiction standalone, and is unrelated to this author’s other books. Romance is a secondary element. I would love to see this on the big screen. Just sayin'.
The narration of this novel is so deceptively mature that I'm not sure if it's written for nostalgic adults or grown-up children. The story is about Annemarie Wilcox and her life as she shifts from summer into her seventh grade year. But don't be fooled! This isn't a light and fluffy coming-of-age novel. This book has some crazy depth. Annemarie, also known as Shug, is dealing with all of the horrible territory that comes with the age of twelve. She has a crush on her best friend, who is a guy, and who barely sees her as anything other than a partner for bike rides. She is suffering the fringe treatment from girls her own age--not completely left out but not really included either. She's too tall, too outspoken, and doesn't even own a two-piece suit. All of these are strikes against her.Underneath the typical strife of seventh grade, Shug has a layer of home troubles too. Her sister is distant. Her mother is aloof and a drunk. Her father rarely comes home and when he does, he only stays long enough to fight with his wife. One of Shug's best Thanksgiving dinners was a patch-up meal from KFC when her mom forgot to cook the turkey.The actual subject matter of Shug isn't what sets it apart from fellow modern coming-of-age novels. What makes this novel different is the way it's told. When I was in senior English in high school, my teacher had us listen to "Wonderful" by Everclear in order to teach how to tell a story without actually telling the story. It's a more powerful story in the end if it's told by describing actions and implying the end message instead of outright stating what that message is meant to be.Shug is all about that, right down to the last period after the last word on the last page. You don't know how bad her home life is until maybe a third of the way through the book, because she mentions little things or she'll bring up a specific event here and there. It isn't until you've collected maybe a third of the pieces that the puzzle even starts to look like a family of ducks, right? So, in that aspect... Jenny Han took home the gold. Very beautifully done.My only problem, aside from the fact that this story broke my heart a little (and sort of made me remember lots of parts of middle school that I really wish I could forget), is that sometimes it was hard for me to tell if I could appreciate this book when I was Shug's age. I really can't tell the audience for which this was written and sometimes Shug seemed a little too wise. It is in character for her to be wiser than her years, considering the home life she has, but every once in a while... her words seemed too old, even for her. And a lot of the references made, like when Shug's friend Elaine dresses as Daisy from The Great Gatsby on Halloween, aren't ones I would expect a middle-grader to understand. So this is a lot of what confused me about the audience. But then again, maybe these things just make Shug a novel for all ages.I think Shug is a character with which many can identify. Readers will love her from start to finish, and some of us may even know a Shug of our own. Her story is bittersweet and worth the read.
What do You think about Shug (2006)?
Annemarie Wilcox, known to her family as Shug, is 12 years old, tall, flat-chested, and nowhere near the type of girl she wants to be. Shug also believes that, now that she's twelve, she's at the perfect age to receive her first kiss, and she knows just who she wants to give it to her--her best friend, Mark Findley. The only problem is that Mark doesn't have a romantic interest in Shug. For Mark, the perfect girl is Celia, Shug's beautiful, popular older sister.Thus begins the summer of Shug's twelfth year. She begins to see everyone in her life in a totally different way, and she's not so sure that she likes what she sees: her mother -- an alcoholic; her dad, a businessman who frequently travels and seldom comes home; and Celia, who seemed to have the perfect life, is changing right before Shug's eyes.It is easy to get caught up in the life of Annemarie and her family, in her friendships and heartbreaks, in her internal struggle to be liked and loved for who she is.
—Lynne
In Shug by Jenny Han, Annemarie Wilcox must deal with her alcoholic mother, her first love, and all of the trials and tribulations that come with seventh grade. Annemarie has just realized that she likes her best friend Mark. No, like, like likes him. And with everyone pairing off around her, Annemarie is determined to not be the only one left out. But, as Annemarie strives to get her man, she unintentionally gets swept into a whirlwind of drama that she must now claw her way out of. Along the way, Annemarie learns things about life, love, and even herself that will have middle schoolers clamoring toward this book. Okay, yes, I'm not exactly part of this novel's target audience. Regardless, I found this book rather juvenile and a bit slow. Annemarie was one of the most singularly horrible characters that I have ever had the misfortune of meeting. Her actions were irrational, she was extremely selfish (so much so that Annemarie's best friend acknowledged it), and it felt as though Jenny Han was trying much too hard to relate to her readers through Annemarie. Other characters weren't nearly as bad, but they were nothing exceptional. The plot was actually okay, but as I said before, it seemed to move a bit slow. Overall, this book was a bit of a disappointment, especially coming from Jenny Han. Even so, I understand that this was Han's debut novel and I cannot express how glad I am that her writing style has evolved.
—Erin
Annemarie, or “Shug” (nicknamed after singer and force of nature in The Color Purple) is twelve, entering seventh grade, and everything she thought she knew is about to change. First she finds herself attracted to her best guy friend, Mark, and now her feelings and his new friends are driving them apart. She wants him to like her – to feel about her the way she feels about him – but it’s like she’s invisible. And everything is difficult with her girlfriends – there are all of these different soc
—Arminzerella
