The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell

Released April 23, 2011
Fiction/Young Adult
$18.99 or $9.99 (Kindle) www.amazon.com


The prequel to "Summer and the City" and "Sex and the City". The story introduces you to Carrie Bradshaw during her senior year of highschool. The story navigates through Carrie's first serious relationship, Sebastian Kydd. It also covers a whole year of her drama-filled friendships.
Candace Bushnell writes at a very fast pace- so this is a really quick read. I'm sure some of this is because it was written for the "Young Adult" population and/or those with short attention spans.
I would love to elaborate more on this story but Bushnell has written such a quick narrative that the plot I described above pretty much covers everything. The book has no depth. Ignore the book flap-that was creative writing meant to get you to purchase the book. With that in mind, I have decided to review this book in two ways. One for the SATC fans (those who love the HBO series) and all others.
Let's start with "all others". If this is your first introduction to Carrie Bradshaw you find out that her mother died when she was very young. She was devastated. I think. Her father struggled with rasising three young daughters who were full of life while he was full of analysis. I think. Carrie's sisters were unruly and the youngest had issues....yep...I think. That is the whole problem with the book. Every plot point thrown at you is never really developed; just kind of mentioned. I really disliked most of the characters because I wasn't invested in them.
Moving on to the SATC fans. Read this only if you feel like you are incomplete and can't call yourself a true fan unless you are able to say "Yea-I read the books". Read this if you really want to feel like a super authorative person on all things SATC and want to be able to gloat to your non-reading SATC friends.
Be prepared. If you are expecting to learn about the pre-New York Carrie Bradshaw- good luck with that. In this book there is no high fashion, Louboutins-lovin Bradshaw. No Carrie who even knows what any of the above is (gasp!). No Samantha, no Miranda, no Charlotte. One thing does hold true to the HBO series. Carrie  has aspirations to be a writer. Unfortunately for me, I hated Carrie in this book. Too whiney and lacking in self-confidence. She didn't stand up for herself and was always taking shit from people who were supposed to be her friends since kindergarten?! As if!
Finally, the fact that this book is labeled "Young Adult" bugs me as well. Now before you decide to start pulling this book off the library shelves and burning pages- let me clairify. I support the first amendment. I just want parents to read this book before they let their 10 or 12 year olds read this book. There is no graphic sex or violence. However, Carrie does spend most of the book bemoaning her virginity and how she can't seem to get laid. Her friends can't seem to stop getting laid. The book also touches on abortion and homosexuality. I'm just saying don't let the "Young Adult" label lure  you into believing that every book in this category is appropriate for YOUR child.
Do I recommend it: Sure. It's a quick, easy summer read if you are bored and have read all of your favorite author's books.
But: Don't read it if you are hoping for Sex and the City type stuff.  And SPOILER ALERT: On the very last page of this book...you meet one of the other SATC girls. That was the best part of the whole book!