Here I Go Again by Jen Lancaster is an entertaining ride answering the inevitable question what would happen if you could go back and change a moment in time?
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Here I Go Again by Jen Lancaster Book Review

Here I Go Again by Jen Lancaster Book Review

I received this book for free from for review consideration, opinions expressed are 100% my own. This post contains affiliate links as indicated by an asterisk. Purchases from these links provides a small commission to me at no extra cost to you.

Here I Go Again by Jen Lancaster
Published by New American Library
Publication Date: 2013-01-29
Setting: USA-Illinois
Pages: 308
Format: eBook
Indie Bookstores | Amazon
Goodreads
four-half-stars

Entertaining and laugh out loud story about when the mean cheerleader in high school gets a chance to do high school over.

Blurb:

4* – I Really Liked It! Here I Go Again by Jen Lancaster is an entertaining ride answering the inevitable question what would happen if you could go back and change a moment in time?

 

Synopsis from Goodreads:

“Hilarious new fiction from the New York Times bestselling author of Bitter Is the New Black and If You Were Here .

Twenty years after ruling the halls of her suburban Chicago high school, Lissy Ryder doesn’t understand why her glory days ended. Back then, she was worshipped…beloved…feared. Present day, not so much. She’s been pink-slipped from her high-paying job, dumped by her husband, and kicked out of her condo. Now, at thirty-seven, she’s struggling to start a business out of her parents’ garage and sleeping under the hair-band posters in her old bedroom.

Lissy finally realizes karma is the only bitch bigger than she was. Her present is miserable because of her past. But it’s not like she can go back in time and change who she was…or can she?”

 

My Thoughts:

Here I Go Again by Jen Lancaster is an entertaining ride answering the inevitable question what would happen if you could go back and change a moment in time? The “you” in this case is Lissy Ryder, the popular but ruthlessly mean cheerleader in high school. When she goes to her 20 year high school reunion, she expects people to fall at her feet in amazement at how beautiful she still is despite her recent marital and job setbacks.

 

One little problem, all those classmates have no interest in speaking to her and could care less that she’s there. She drinks away the pain, loses her ride with her best friend and wakes up in an old classmate’s apartment.

 

The classmate, Deva, is a spiritual healer and proceeds to spell it out for Lissy. Deva describes each humiliating moment for herself and her classmates and tells Lissy how it made her feel. Lissy realizes how evil she really was and wonders what she can do.

 

Deva gives her a mysterious tonic which ends up transporting Lissy through time and back to fix those humiliating moments. Lissy is proud of the way she handles herself when given the second chance. She changed the way she dealt with her parents and stopped taking her best friend for granted. But when she returns to the present day, she is surprised at what’s become of her classmates, how her family and best friend are impacted and what became of the nice boy next door.

 

This book was very entertaining and I’ve never laughed out loud so much reading a book. Ms. Lancaster gave Lissy a sharp and witty voice and the dialogue is hilarious. I was glad that Lissy got what was coming to her for being so mean. I was glad that she realized the mistakes she made and how her words impacted those around her. I was surprised by how emotional and heartwarming the book became after Lissy came back to present day.

 

If you like chick lit or just need an entertaining read, give this book a try. Ms. Lancaster cleverly reminds us that despite our best or most innocent of intentions, words can hurt and impact another’s life. Think before you speak because Lissy proves that it’s really hard to go back and fix it.

[bctt tweet=”HERE I GO AGAIN by @altgeldshrugged is a hilarious look at fixing high school mistakes 4* #books” username=”momsvictories”]

Funny note:  My middle son, Superstar, was reading over my shoulder and trying to show me what he could read.  He proudly sounded out and told me, “look mommy, there’s the word “ass”!  Ah yes, mother of the year strikes again.  Really?  Of all the words he could read, did he really have to tell me he could read that one?

 

Books Like This You Might Enjoy: 

Andrea from Good Girl Gone Redneck recommended that I should check out Jen’s other books and though “nonfiction”, these were equally  funny!

Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster* – 4*, listen on audiobook (FREE with Audible Trial), hilarious!

Bright Lights, Big Ass by Jen Lancaster* – 3*, listened on audiobook too (FREE with Audible Trial), makes the commute more entertaining!

Snow Angels, Secrets and Christmas Cake by Sue Watson – 4*, a hilarious, heartwarming and delectable read to get us in the Christmas spirit, chick lit

Did you read Here I Go Again? What did you think? If you could go back to high school or moment in time, would you? What would you change?  Have you read any of Jen Lancaster’s funny non-fiction books? Let me know in the comments! I love to hear from you.  Happy reading! 

 

 

 

 

 

About Jen Lancaster

From Goodreads: “Jen Lancaster is the author of her own memoirs including: as Bitter is the New Black, Bright Lights, Big Ass, Such A Pretty Fat, Pretty in Plaid, My Fair Lazy, and the newest: Jeneration X.

She has also dabbled with fiction in her first book, If You Were Here.”

8 Comments

  1. I haven’t read this one, but if it made you laugh out loud like nothing before, I’m totally sold! I’m going right over to Amazon to down load this pronto!!

    The story with you son is SO funny. Hahahaha! Boys!! –Lisa

    1. Well glad you were good with your high school experience. I was extremely shy with boys so never went to a prom. I loved and flourished in the all-girls private school I went to but when we moved right before my senior year, I attended public school…sort of a rude awakening. Coming up on your 10 year reunion? That makes me feel old. We had our 20th and I didn’t go since I really didn’t know people I graduated with well. The ones I wanted to keep in touch with were on good ole Facebook. Always appreciate your comments Rebecca!

  2. I really enjoyed your review. =)

    I think if I could go back and change something in time…it would be my short marriage to someone that I had known in my past..

    1. The good thing about bad relationships is you know what not to look for or fall for in the future.

      Thanks, glad you enjoyed my review. Great chatting with you tonight at Monsterthon!

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