Diary Of A Chav: 1: Trainers v Tiaras: Book 1

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You'd never expect a person to act this way or treat their children the way this woman does, but I felt like her character served a purpose. Entertaining with lots of English slang that really did require the glossary at the back of the book, at times!

Complete with an index of Shiraz' slang, you can be sure this isn't the last you'll hear from Miss Wood (if only because several sequels are already available in the UK). I'd liken this book to Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson--I'd like to think that Ashley, the streetwise hero of that book, and Shiraz would have a blast together.As an American reader, I was somewhat confused by the unfamiliar British slang and put off by the poor grammar, although I assume the lingo is part of “keeping it real. Several American media outlets have praised the series while also remarking on its use of British slang, [6] causing the School Library Journal to comment that many Americans would have to consult the books' glossary. She is a presenter on The Culture Show on BBC2 and has recently interviewed Mitchell and Webb and the cast of Gavin and Stacey.

Admittedly I like me some man candy in YA, but if the romance in this book would've been fully formed I think it would've been detrimental to the book. At the same time, though, I was kind of disappointed there was no real statement made about these ideas, unless they speak for themselves; for example, Shiraz’s mom think the way to live a comfortable life is to marry a rich man, not to get an education and a good job, and while Shiraz does seem to want to continue with her schooling, nothing further is said on the matter.

But Shiraz BW will not give up - she's going to finish what she started, even if she does keep looking out of the crappy flat window to see if there's a Banana Yellow Golf parked up front. Now, I wasn’t THAT chavvy when I was at school (even though my brother might say different – the nerd! Diva without a Cause is enjoyable enough and may be liked by fans of the more gritty Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert and The Brothers Torres by Coert Voorhees. It's back to Goodmayes and the cast and characters of the very first Diary of a Chav (Trainers V Tiaras) for this 6th diary from Shiraz, for whom life is about to get just a little bit darker.

The slang will be an impediment for some readers, but there's an equally funny glossary in the back. The feminist within me is disgusted and Shiraz’s own sister’s feminist opinions to nothing to negate that. There were only a few things that I found funny about it, and the rest of the time the book kind of just dragged on.

The only reason I actually didn't just stop and not finish it was because I was bored on my vacation and had nothing else to do. But it balances nicely on the fine line between satire and a genuine story that cares about its characters. For those of you that absolutely can not wait, you can get your hands on this and more in the series from Great Britain. Best friend Carrie is of a like-mind and so, armed with text books and pencil cases, the intrepid pair set forth into the heady world of academia.