Author: Candace Bushnell
Rating: 3/5
Synopsis
Before Carrie Bradshaw hit the big time in the City, she was a regular girl growing up in the suburbs of Connecticut. How did she turn into one of the most-read social observers of our generation?
The Carrie Diaries opens up in Carrie’s senior year of high school. She and her best friends — Walt, Lali, Maggie, and the Mouse — are inseparable, amid the sea of Jens, Jocks and Jets. And then Sebastian Kydd comes into the picture. Sebastian is a bad boy-older, intriguing, and unpredictable. Carrie falls into the relationship that she was always supposed to have in high school-until a friend’s betrayal makes her question everything. With her high school days coming to a close, Carrie will realize it’s finally time to go after everything she ever wanted.
READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. IN THE IMMORTAL WORDS OF RIVER SONG, “SPOILERS!”
I’ve lately started watching The Carrie Diaries on the CW out of pure boredom and Austin Butler. Not to mention, AnnaSophia Robb is completely adorable, like a tiny little doll. I’ve never watched, nor cared, for The Sex and the City, and when I saw this book on sale at Books-A-Million for $4, I went and picked it up. I needed a frilly, normal book after hit-and-miss’ lately with the YA paranormal genre that spent a lightyear worldbuilding and MY HEART STOPPED BECAUSE HE LOOKED AT ME…. WE’RE SOULMATES, THROUGH TIME, THROUGH IT ALL.
The Carrie Diaries follows Carrie Bradshaw during her senior year of high school. She’s exploring the possibility of being a writer, even after her rejection from a summer programme at The New School. After some advice from someone to write what she knows, Carrie joins her lame high school paper in hopes of becoming a better writer.
Carrie also meet Sebastian Kydd, who becomes her boyfriend. Oh, no, he’s definitely not the gorgeous, all-around perfect guy who is her soulmate. After a while, he’s kind of a flake. And a douche. Carrie finds out that he’s cheating on her with one of her best friends, Lali.
From there, Carrie uses her position at The Nutmeg (the school paper) in other to come up with a faux alias, who was a protagonist in one of her early, short stories, Pinky Weatherton. Pinky writes about the students of Castlebury High and calls them out without ever mentioning who they are. The articles reveal Carrie’s opinion of various people at school, and they become very controversial. Carrie sends them to the New School, and this time, she’s accepted.
Flip to the end, and Carrie, spending all of five minutes in the city, has been robbed, which sets up a twist for the end of the novel.
All in all, three stars. It was flimsy, and easy and light to read, exactly what I wanted. It wasn’t the best writing, but then again, isn’t my favorite genre to begin with.
The Writer Diaries 
Sindre
/ March 30, 2013I’ve really wanted to pick this book up for quite a while, and I’ve been a huge fan of Sex & The City. I started The Carrie Diaries this easter and finished the eleventh episode today, and I swear I adore that series I suppose that I love it even more then the original S&TC show! I agree on the main character being cute ❤
I've really been wondering if I should pick that book up, and after your review I feel like I should 😀 What do you think? Is it worth it? How is the book compared to the series? 😀
Anna Powers
/ March 31, 2013It’s very different, the show and books. Lali and Maggie in the books have combined to be Maggie in the show, Carrie only has one sister in show vs two in book, Sebastian sucks in the book whereas hes a nice guy in the show, etc. It’s a decent read if you like S&TC and the CW show though, it’s a series, I think. I’ve only read this first one so I can’t give a valid opinion overall on the entire book series, but from this first, it seems good on account I’ve never watched/read S&TC, just this first book and the show.
Sindre
/ March 31, 2013Okay, 😀
I adore Walter he’s such a cute character 😀 and from your saying I prefer Sebastian (TV) best 😀 I suppose I should pick this book up… Probably be my summer read when the best is light cute books like that 😉 and yes it’s a series… I think there’s only two books so far 😀