The Something Girl

a lovely sequel!

There were a lot of negative reviews for this and it made me wary of listening to this, but I had a wonderful experience. Is the storyline as good as the first book? Nah, but for me, it didn't need to be. This isn't SERIOUS LITERATURE. This is quirky, fun, zany, sweet fiction. I love the characters, Taylor's writing, and the world of this book so much, I didn't mind that the plot wasn't thick and complicated. I would truly listen to the mundane everyday lives of these characters and this world because I love it so much. Maybe keep your expectations low to enjoy this book? Or don't expect it to be identical to the first book? Anyway, I loved. it!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Best Book Ever

I wish that the Frogmorten Farm Series could keep going! I loved these books so so much! Jodi Taylor has a way of writing that makes you fall in love with the characters and is laugh out loud funny. I want to read her other books for this reason but I absolutely fell in love with this series and want more!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Less charming, more silly

The Nothing Girl was charming in the quirky appeal that Frogmorton had on the reader, but this version has too much silliness for me to enjoy. Russel’s witty conversation in the original sounds much more condescending and their daughter’s presence is very fleeting. Are they the worst parents ever??? Joy seems to have a pretty free range childhood experience, in my opinion.

The ending was almost too silly for me to handle. I actually rolled my eyes a number of times. Performance was strong like the first but the story was rubbish.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Painfully uninteresting

I liked the first book in the series particularly because of how good the narrow is, but this book was just a poor repetition of everything that happened in the nothing girl. there was nothing fresh about it and the heroine's self pity and insecurities became unbearable after a point. The only redeeming quality was the flawless narration by Lucy Price-Lewis.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Loved book one; this one was good but...

Any additional comments?

I was so excited to see a sequel to The Nothing Girl. I loved that book so much and I wanted more of Frogmorton and Russell and Jenny. I even pre-ordered this listen so I wouldn't miss a thing.

The narration was some of the best I've ever listened to. Lucy Price-Lewis was exceptional. She gave us the kinetic nature of Russell, delivered Jenny's stutter without making her seem like a caricature, and still made us believe in talking golden donkeys.

I love that the story picked up after Russell and Jenny were married. The usual suspects were there and there were warm fuzzys all around.

Where I take exception with this listen was in the (SPOILERS) kidnap and subsequent escape. It was so extreme it bordered on slapstick. The conversation between Jenny and Thomas was just too ridiculous (yes, I know she was talking to a golden donkey, but still.) I rolled my eyes so many times during that sequence that I almost hurt myself. And that hospital scene. Why wouldn't they tell the cops the whole story????!!!!!

I have listened to quite a few Jodi Taylor books and I am a definite fan. I liked this book but it was the narration that saved this listen for me.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

NOT as good as the first one Really quite terrible

Any additional comments?

Oh, where to start! The first book in this series, the Nothing Girl, is just beautiful. A magical story full of wonderful characters. This second book in the series is almost crap. I can't even believe Jodi Taylor wrote this herself. And I will never believe she edited it in any way. I'm not sure if it would be such a wrenching betrayal if book numberr one hadn't been so great, but it was, so...

Only the laziest of authors relies on the trope of having your main character not want to tell information, maybe it's not important, maybe the first time I was imagining it, well I guess I'll tell someone, but later, well not quite yet, how about tomorrow I promise, blah, blah, blah. It's only Massively Important, and there is absolutely no reason Whatsoever that it shouldn't be told, but then you couldn't drag one simple thing out for almost an entire book.

Even the Big Thing that happens in the book, never could have happened if a person used any common sense whatsoever, as in, not putting themselves in harms way, when they know someone wants to harm them.

A scene at the end is supposed to be Thomas' big magical moment of good hearted wonderfullness or whatever, yet the wonderfullness was telegraphed in full Many chapters earlier, could have and should have just been resolved right then, and not used as a suppossed beautiful moment that was Not Earned

The continuity errors and lack of editing are horrifying. It's so difficult to review a book without spoilers, so I know this review is scorching without really saying why, but I'm trying not to give specifics. But some examples are, in one chapter, we are told a past incident was told to the police, and a certain person may even be on a small town most wanted list. In another chapter said incident is referred to as something that was hushed up / not reported. In one scene Thomas says "I think they're trying to x y z", then something occurs, then Jenny says "What's happening? Do you think they're trying to x y z?" In another scene Jenny tells us how she and Daniel love it when Russell and Francesca argue, then about two seconds later, Jenny tells us that she and Daniel love it when Russell and Francesca argue. Wtf? I don't take hallucinogens then listen to books, but maybe Jodi Taylor does. At this point anything is possible.

But the worst part is that the beautiful world full of real people and magical animals, all with a tiny bit of quirk but lots of heart, was turned into a slapstick type nothing, played for laughs, with all the feeling sucked right out of it. The Frogmorton Farm characters were a bit not even eccentric but maybe unconventional. Now they form into huge groups of nonsensical type people acting in ways people would never act, there are situations that have no lead in, and Thomas, magical, unique, beautiful Thomas is also played for laughs, and actually kind of annoying, almost a hindrance, and it all comes from this bizarre need to make everyone and everything in the book a farce. She ruined Thomas!

I've never had such an experience where an author created such a lovely place, then totally ruined it in the next book. I'm flabbergasted, and also angry. Like I literally want her to take this book out of print, rewrite it completely, then publish it again. Cannot believe this came out of such an accomplished author.

Ps - poor Tanya only gets two speaking lines, and the narrator flubs them both. The first is read in Russel's voice, and the second is read in a sort of 90% British, 10% German accent, that is nothing like Tanya.
Really just a shoddy enterprise from first draft to recording. I wish we knew why Jodi Taylor seemingly hates us so much to have created such a travesty.

6 of 9 people found this review helpful

I love these books

I'm a big fan of Jodi Taylor's time travel novels. It is rare for me to like something else by the same author as much as I liked the first series. These books are special. Lovely, sweet and warm-hearted. Okay, they are deeply sentimental, but also funny (sometimes laugh-out-loud funny) and joyous. They make me cry every time. I love the animals, the countryside. I love the crazy artists and the dangerous chickens and Thomas, the golden horse. I hope there will be more of them. I also hope the same narrator reads them because she has a wonderful way with the text. You could argue that these are not rational stories, that the behavior of the characters doesn't make sense. Which would be true ... but sometimes, that kind of nit-picking is stupid and pointless. The story works on its own terms. Accept the storyline and everything falls into place.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Excellent, as always.

Like all of Jodi's books, I'm captivated from beginning to end. This one was no exception. It had me rolling with it's humor, crying with it's drama, and wishing I lived on Frogmorton Farm. Lucy did an amazing job narrating, which was no surprise (she also did The Nothing Girl, which had exceptional narration).

I recommend all of Jodi's books to anyone and everyone, but the Nothing Girl and The Something Girl hold a special place in my heart.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

weird laughs and interesting

We picked this book trying to find something for the drives throughout our summer vacation. The hardest part is keeping everyone interested, but listened with hubby and 12 y.o daughter. This is the second book of the series, the first being "The Nothing Girl". Both books are peculiar and have some laughs from awkward statements and weird situations from Jenny being in different situations. We lived the coming into her own story line and the overcoming challenge Jenny went through, while still being realistic. almost like Liminy Snicket for an older crowd. if there is a third book we will definitely listen!

OK, but a little disappointed (spoilers)

I enjoyed the first book, The Nothing Girl, very much and was excited to find this follow-up novel. But I felt the sweetness of Russel and Jenny’s continued story was thrown off by the dark creepy undertones of the maniacal stalker-killer storyline—that piece didn’t work for me; and I was confused at Jenny questioning Russel’s intensions after a year of marriage, and his obvious displays of affection for her and their daughter. It was good to see Jenny standing up for herself and her family, but many other pieces and angles of the story didn’t come together well enough for me to fully enjoy this book.