Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth is a heart-tugging, coming of age novel that deals with alcohol addiction, loneliness, unexpected love and the deep bonds that go hand in hand with true friendship.
Aideen has a ton of problems that will take a lifetime to fix. But here’s the tricky part—she really doesn’t know how to solve any of them. When Aideen accidently walks in on “know-it-all” Meabh Kowalski while she is having an embarrassing meltdown in the girls’ bathroom, she realizes that she can help Meabh with her problem. Meabh wants to run away from her hectic schedule because she has way too many extracurricular activities to do. Aideen decides to help her out by pushing her down the stairs.
Is there a problem? Nope, everything is just fine and dandy now. Thanks to her sprained ankle, Meabh has more free time to pursue the things that really matter to her. Aideen and Meabh assumed that their little scheme went unnoticed. But when another student finds out about Aideen’s “good deed”, her problem solving skills are suddenly in high demand among her peers. Pretty soon, Aideen’s monotonous semester is filled with traded favors, hare-brained shenanigans and an unplanned, budding romance.
Can Aideen solve any of her problems without ruining her own life in the process?
Pros And My Favourite Parts
I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve fallen arse over tit in love with Ciara Smyth’s hilarious writing style. If I had to relive my teenage years, I would definitely want to hang out with Aideen because I know that we would never have a dull moment between us. I couldn’t stop laughing at Aideen’s entertaining wisecracks and I truly enjoyed tagging along with Aideen, Meabh and Kavi while they were caught up with pulling off mischievous schemes in order to help other students solve their problems. This phenomenal author went above and beyond to create relatable, endearing and well fleshed out characters who were trying their best to deal with their emotional baggage and painful family issues.
Cons And Heads Up
There were a few scenes that portrayed child neglect and alcohol abuse and those scenes could be triggers for some readers.
The Conclusion
This is an unforgettable coming of age novel that has a lot of humorous moments and priceless life lessons embedded within it. I was totally hooked on this story after I read the first paragraph so I’ll just give you some words of advice: Make sure that your schedule is clear before you open this book and have your favorite snacks nearby. Don’t read this story right before bedtime because you might end up pulling the longest reading marathon of your life.
Excerpt from Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth
“I am not going to do this. Get out of my way.”
“Nope.” She blocked the stairwell with both arms.
“This isn’t going to work. I’ll just go watch TV on my phone,” I said, gesturing to the benches that lined the balcony. “You can’t stay there forever. And Ms. Devlin is going to come looking for you any minute now.”
For a second it seemed as though she was going to fight back. And then her whole body just collapsed. Her shoulders drooped, her head flopped forward, and her knees buckled. Silent tears sprang out of her eyes. How could one person cry so much?
“Please,” she said. She grabbed the front of my jumper and pulled me so close I could smell her breath. It was still pepperminty from brushing her teeth that morning. No pre-class coffee for Meabh. She probably thought coffee was a gateway drug to cocaine.
“I know you think I’m losing my mind, but this is the only way I can get what I need. I’ll owe you one. Anything you want. I will tutor you for the rest of the year!”
I frowned. That didn’t sound like a reward.
This wasn’t normal-person behavior. Her parents were obviously way too hard on her. If I inspected her timetable closer, I’d probably find three minutes for peeing twice a day. Meabh irritated the life out of everyone, but the girl had rubbed all her own eyelashes out, for Christ’s sake. If I didn’t do this, she would keep trying to do everything on that timetable and the election on top of that. Then she really would lose it and I would know there was something I could have done.
Something absolutely bizarre and possibly illegal? Were you allowed to injure someone if they asked you to?
“Fine.”
Her whole body perked up.
“Really?”
“Yes,” I said, not quite believing I was saying it. “I guess I can push you down the stairs. But don’t hold it against me if I enjoy it. Or if you injure something you don’t want to injure. I cannot be held responsible if your brains leak out your head or something.”
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 9780062957160
Publisher: HarperTeen
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