Book Review - The Meaning of Life & My Not So Simple Life

Title: The Meaning of Life
         My (not so) Simple Life    
     Book 3 & 4 in the Rachel Riley series
Author: Joanna Nadin
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN-13: 978-0192728340  (book 3)
ISBN-13: 978-0192728333  (book 4)

I have decided to do a joint review for these two as each book does 6 months of a year and I didn't think I could write enough about each individually.

Synopsis
Am ready for year of utter LOVE! It is official. I am going out with rock god and part-time meat mincer Justin Statham. Am certain that he is THE ONE and will prove it by having excellent relationship on every level. Oh no. What if he wants me to do it? Have only just got to grips with art of snogging so will need to get help fast. Or at least by 16th birthday. If it happens it needs to be earth-shattering and meaningful as it is, after all, the Meaning of Life. Thank goodness I have definitely found love of my life and am not hung up on Jack any more. Not at all...
Making plan with Scarlet to deal with post-break-up trauma. We are going to channel anger into something positive and have new mission statement: 1. Not to moon about over exes but to embrace single life. 2. To stay away from all men (Sad Ed excepted as he is not actual man. He tried to disagree on this but was outnumbered). 3. To remain true to our friends, forsaking all others. 4. To remember that we alone are responsible for our own happiness. Scarlet is right. Life will be so much easier without the complications of love. It will be utter Simple Life and am completely committed. Am starting tomorrow. 

My Review
I am still hooked on these books, but i still can't think as to why, I just can't stop reading them. I read each of these two in a day and have already got the next one next to me.
The Meaning of Life starts as usual on January 1st, Rachel Riley has shared a midnight kiss with School Hottie Justin and is now officially dating, all her dreams have come true, but she soon learns love is never that simple. I still laughed a lot in this book, her humour is still fast paced and sarcastic, her little brother is quickly becoming my favourite character, he is so smart yet silly and responsible yet rule breaking it's crazy. However I do not like Justin as a character (I already decided who i want Rachel to end up with and it's not him!) Rachel spends a lot of this book debating whether or not she is ready to do 'It' and if Justin really loves her, but she also moans a lot about him not being there for her or thinking about her, but then claiming he is perfect in the next sentence, but I suppose this is what a lot of Teens are like when they have their so called 'first love'. I found myself trying to read this as quick as possible in the hope it would be over and that Rachel would come to her senses.
My (not so) Simple Life starts in July, Justin and Rachel have broken up (YES) and she has now sworn off contact with all boys, and has also found the attraction of Facebook and the power of the 'poke'. I found a lot of her comments about Facebook very funny and her mum's over-reaction for her safety made me laugh out loud. The daily goings on of her life continue with GCSE exams and the pressure of results, her mad family going even crazier including her brother dancing in tights with the hoover (he's ghost busting apparently) LOL. and boys are cropping up everywhere, but she must resist and keep to her pact. I'm still waiting for her to see sense and pick the boy I know is right for her, and really would make any girl happy (if only he was real, damn these books for setting standards we will never be able to find). 
These are great reads for a lazy day, they are quick to get through and don't involve any thought or effort, and are strangely addictive. I am wondering where it is all leading to. Only go two left to read so will finish the series, but they still aren't making me go WOW. oh well, small amusement will do for now. Have to know how it ends now I've invested this much into it.

My Rating
I would give these two books 5/10 each, still not dazzling, and Rachel is a bit whiny, but still amusing. Give it a go if need a quick/light holiday read.