Rating: 
Summary: Twice as Nice
Review: Sloppy Firsts was effing ingenious and Second Helpings does not disappoint. Jess continues to mature, but does not lose her sardoic sense of humor and sharp sense of observation. In this book, she finally finds love and has her heart broken. Definitely one of the best teen diary novels of all time.
Rating:
Summary: better than the first
Review: Like an 80's movie with a brain, this book is funny, clever, and so very true. Bless McCafferty for presenting the high school experience with humor *and* dignity. Reading her books makes me almost wish I could go back and delighted that I never have to.
Rating:
Summary: Great Seconds!
Review: After Sloppy Firsts, Second Helpings picks up the story at the beginning of the following school year, at which point Jessica and Marcus haven't talked since New Year's Eve. Almost against her will, Marcus is slowly dragged back into her life. At first, Marcus tries to get his best friend to go out with Jessica and he succeeds in doing so. In truth, he's in love with Jessica, and only wants her to be happy. It takes Jessica most of the story to realize what Marcus feels, what she herself feels and the reality of things around her. Second Helpings is a story of realization, friendship and growing up. It's a tightly woven story and while it's significantly longer than Sloppy Firsts, the two stories merge together well. In short, it's a fine novel and improves upon Sloppy Firsts. A definite winner! Also highly recommended: The Bell Jar by Plath, The Losers' Club by Richard Perez
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: This sequel to the highly acclaimed "Sloppy Firsts" was in some ways better, some ways worse than the first. As has been said in other reviews, it starts out slow, not nearly as captivating as the first one had been. Though her re-aquantince with paul parlipiano "crush to end all crushes, gay man of her dreams" was interesting, it didn't have quite the appeal of an awkward Marcus Flutie incident. I found the Gladdie scenes boring at first but later understood thier importance. When she does come back to school, that's when I became addicted again. It was those parts I found myself rereading again and again after i finished the book. Marcus becomes more of an enigma at school as they start contact with eachother again, Jess develops a relationship with the hilarious Len Levy, and she finds herself caught up in a series of rumors being spread about her and those around her in "Pineville Low." I was amused time after time by Jessica's favorite phrases that differed some from the first book, like "har dee har har" among others. After a while though her repetitiveness did get a little old. At the end I felt the author wrapped it up to quickly, there was much more room for dragging on. Overall a fantastic book, the characters so relateable that it seems as if you know them. It is a perfect example of a teenage diary, no matter how many mistakes. For this reason i find her "genius" status a little puzzling, since she seemed no more or less intelligent than the average teen. I still give it 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: 1 of the best teen books I have read lately...
Review: Teen angst books are usually not my thing. They are usually all about the same thing, sound the same way, with the same problems but with a different cover. This is not the same. This is a true teenager, living in a solid middle class family that has trivial problems that ALL teenagers deal with at one point in their lives or another. Sure, there is some romance. But the book is not completely centered on her obsession with one boy. The story is about her trials and tribulations that she goes through trying to deal with losing her best friend, loving a guy that isn't good for her (or so she thinks), being an outcast brainiac and a virgin who is convinced that she will die a virgin in a society where your brain is nothing, looks and status are everything and most everyone is sleeping around being hobags.
There are some misconceptions in the book (most of the popular girls are hobags and complete ditzes) and some non-politically correct issues (ie- anorexia and sex before marriage) that are taken very lightly. There is some language. But all in all, this book is the representation of what real teenagers are like, insecurities, quirky relatives and all.
If you like anything by Sarah Dessen, I recommend this book. You will much enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: fantasticly better than the first
Review: This was a great read. I found it much more fun and exciting and suspensful than the first. The first was definetly a must-read before reading Second Helpings, because I was at times a bit clueless on when she was refering tot he past, becuase I had forgotten parts of the first book, which I read less than a year ago!
Rating: 
Summary: Solid "Second"
Review: Jessica Darling has shredded her diary, in which she recorded the traumatic, bizarre year in "Sloppy Firsts." Now her latest source of venting is "Second Helpings," the sequel to Megan McCafferty's hit teen novel. Like its predecessor, it succeeds where most teen books fail -- it's funny and entertaining. Jessica is attending SPECIAL, a summer camp for the brilliant and talented, and rapidly learns that SPECIAL is as full of loons and freaks as her high school. She encounters Paul Parlipiano ("gay man of my dreams"), is given advice on her writing (she accidently turns in her diary as homework), considers going to Columbia, and writes to Hope. A lot. Things get sticky when Jessica gets back. First, 9/11 threatens to throw a monkey wrench in her plans for Columbia. Marcus, the guy she almost slept with last year, is acting weird -- and she can't tell if he still likes her; her sister is pregnant; the girls encounter Hy again at a book-signing; the newly-gorgeous Len Levy becomes Jessica's boyfriend, until his lack of personality makes things hard; Jessica takes Ecstacy and regrets it in the morning; and worst of all, an anonymous person is sending out "Pineville Low" emails full of shock-gossip. At first it seems like "Second Helpings" is slipping a bit. The first fifty or so pages seem less funny, a little more over the top, and less cohesive. But things snap together when Jessica gets back to her home turf, with her insane family and creepy classmates. If anything, the latter part of the book is tighter than "Sloppy Firsts" was, with many of Jessica's loose threads being tied up neatly but not improbably. (Her grandmother and Hy's book among them) As in the first book, McCafferty knows how to make things wry, sardonic and delightfully overwrought through Jessica's eyes. But in the last chapters, she also shows an ability to write tender, loving, sweet stuff with a minimum of cynicism, and make it sweetly sexy without being vulgar. And the Pineville Low emails are a stroke of genius; McCafferty kept me guessing all through the book who the writer of those emails was. Jessica has matured but not gotten any less confused or prone to embarrassments. Marcus, more than before, is a weirdly attractive enigma wrapped in a mystery. Bridget and Pepe serve as a nice support system for Jessica, while Sara, Scotty and Manda all continue as annoyances. Len Levy, a cameo in the first book, appears in all his distinct lack-of-glory. Those tired of the more typical teen novels may enjoy "Second Helpings." This may the second helping, but it sounds like Jessica has plenty left.
Rating:
Summary: Almost as good as the first
Review: In the sequel to Sloppy Firsts we find Jessica Darling agonizing over both her future and her love life. Jessica finally decides to move on from what happened with Marcus and begins dating her academic rival, Len Levy. But Jessica's feelings for Marcus aren't as buried as she'd like them to be, which doesn't bode well for her and Lens' relationship. Meanwhile, Jessica is determined to make the right choice for college so she isn't miserable for the next four years as well. She has her heart set on Columbia but after the 9/11 attacks she has second thoughts about attending a school in New York. I liked this book almost as much as the first one which is to say I liked it a whole darn lot. I was happy that the book continued to be realistic instead of descending into teen romance mush. I was satisfied with the ending and it seemed pretty final but I still can't help but want to read about Jessica's college exploits. Anyway, fans of the first book will be happy with this one.
Rating:
Summary: Up For Seconds!
Review: If you were someone like me who loved Megan McCafferty's original novel to this series "Sloppy Firsts" you won't be let down by her follow up novel. "Second Helpings" is a refreshing, sinical yet hillarious novel painting a picture of what high school is really like today, by its' lovable protagonist Jessica Darling. Jessica is a fresh, witty new take on the modern day heroin whose journal McCafferty uses to tell the story of modern day life in suburbia. She is like you as a teenager, only witty and impressively bright. Begin this book and you will be sure to come out changed.
Rating:
Summary: I wish i could give it a million stars!!!!!!!
Review: this book was purly amazing, the author is a genius, she brought out the rebel in the main characher, and she told the perfect love story, in a creative fasion. This book is the companion to Sloppy firsts, a brilliant piece of work as well (but you have to read the first to understand this one) Jessica Darling is going through a rough spot per say, she can never do anything right in her mind, she hates her friends and is depressed about hope moving away(hope is her best friend in the world) she is a afrais about what hope things so she is used to playing things safe a steady, wow she gets a awake up call, when she meets marcus, and they are perfect nothing could change my mind about, well........... i can't give away the ending but it is worth your time, parts can be semi-boring but they all come together and make the perfect story, i hope the author(megan) never stops writting, she had defined the perfect ending, which involved true love from beginning to end.
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