The first book series by British writer Rosie Rushton, also author of similar book series like Best Friends and What a Week. It focuses on a group of teenagers (four girls and a boy) and their parents.
The series comprises of:
- Just Don't Make a Scene, Mum!
- I Think I'll Just Curl Up and Die!
- How Could You Do This To Me, Mum?
- Does Anyone Ever Listen?
These books provide examples of:
- Acquired Situational Narcissism: Jemma, after she discovers her talent for acting. It makes her go from a Shrinking Violet to The Prima Donna.
- All Love Is Unrequited: Much of the plot in early books is: Laura has a crush on Jon, who has a crush on Sumitha, who has crushes on other guys who are wrong for her (although Sumitha used to like Jon back, she loses interest in him after the first book).
- Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: A huge plot point in all the books. The five teenagers are embarrassed by pretty much anything their parents do. Jemma's mum is considered the worst one in the first book.
- Big Sister Bully: Sumitha is terrible to her little brother Sandeep in the third book. She never really apologizes to him either.
- Bollywood Nerd:
- Subverted with Sumitha. She's Indian and a brilliant student, but also outgoing, rebellious, and popular.
- Played straight with Sumitha's brother Sandeep, a shy, smart kid who is picked on by bullies.
- Book Dumb: Jon struggles in school but has a notable artistic talent.
- Bratty Teenage Daughter: All of the main girls have their moments but Laura is the brattiest of them all. Deconstructed, since it's explained that her parents's divorce doesn't justify her behavior.
- Break the Haughty: When one of the girls acts too arrogant, you can expect some form of Laser-Guided Karma.
- Fiery Redhead: Laura has red hair and a very short temper.
- First Girl Wins:
- Laura is the first girl Jon meets in the story, in a Crash-Into Hello way. This makes Laura act entitled to have him, even if Jon prefers her friend Sumitha. But at the end of the third book, Jon realizes Laura is the one he truly loves.
- Subverted with Chelsea and Rob. Chelsea is the first girl who interacts with Rob and develops a crush on him, but he ends up with Jemma.
- Four-Girl Ensemble: Chelsea is the pretty one, Laura is the Deadpan Snarker, Jemma is the naive one (at first), and Sumitha is the smart/admirable one.
- Jerkass: Many characters, but a notable example is Henry, Jon's dad. A strict, angry, obnoxious jerk who is also racist towards Sumitha and her family. He probably mellows out after his accident in the final book.
- Most Writers Are Writers: Laura is an aspiring writer.
- My Beloved Smother: Claire Farrant, Jemma's clingy mum who still treats her like a child.
- The One Guy: The main characters are four girls... and Jon. He's Sumitha and Laura's Love Interest, and also Jemma's neighbour.
- Parents as People: Many chapters are from the point of view of the parents, to make the readers understand even their problems dealing with teenage daughters.
- Soapbox Sadie: Laura becomes a cause girl in the third book, only because she's dating an animal rights activist.
- Third-Option Love Interest: In the second book, both Chelsea and an Alpha Bitch named Mandy are interested in Rob. To everyone's surprise, he picks Jemma.
- Trauma Conga Line: The third book is cruel to Chelsea. Literally everything in her life falls apart (love, school, friends, family), to the point that she breaks into tears several times and even comes close to the Despair Event Horizon. She gets better at the end.
- Unrequited Love Switcheroo: Laura spends the first three books pining over Jon. They finally get together at the end of the third book... but in the fourth book Laura is already tired of him, despite Jon being in love with her.
