Posh and Prejudice by Grace Dent

The divine Shiraz Bailey Wood is back in this hilarious sequel to Diva Without a Cause to enlighten us with her signature brand of madcap humor on her demented, glorious life in the gritty suburbs of London.When sixteen-year-old Shiraz Bailey Wood's year-end test results come in, she's astonished to discover not only that she passed them all, but that she's actually clever! Emboldened by an invite to higher-level classes, Shiraz enrolls in Superchav Academy's "Center of Excellence" to get even brainier. Hanging with goody-two-shoes types in higher-level classes seems like just the ticket to avoid getting stuck forever in her crap hometown. But Shiraz has to figure out for herself: are these posh types really any better than she, or do they just want to stick their noses up at everyone? (Taken from Amazon)

I read this book a really long time ago, so I don't remember it too well. Sorry about that. But I can still write a review about it! The one thing that I like and dislike about these books is that they are set in England and written by an English author. I think it's a good thing because I like learning about different cultures and broadening my horizons. But I hate that I sometimes don't understand the slang and usage of certain words. So that could be a deciding factor when you see this book in the library or bookstore. But the characters, especially Shiraz, are interesting and really funny. Shiraz sometimes comes off as stupid, but she is actually really smart, which I like. Her family is working class, and I like that she is able to leave that behind and continue with her education in the "smart" classes. I think that it's a story many people can relate to and will hopefully inspire people to continue school even if your family doesn't encourage it.

6 out of 10.

Release Date: December 1, 2009

Diary of a Chav by Grace Dent

Shiraz Bailey Wood hates being called a "chav." Don't know what a chav is? Most Americans don't. A chav is an British insult for a working-class person who is obsessed with American hip-hop fashions, such as hoop earrings and hoodie sweatshirts. Shiraz's school is full of these people, earning her school the nickname "Superchav Academy." But Shiraz isn't like them. In this book written like a diary, we get a good look at the working-class life of a Briton, with Shiraz's hilarious commentary.

Diary of a Chav was a very cute book. It's one of those books that you can read in between summer reading because it's light and funny and a very easy read. I really enjoyed reading about the main character Shiraz and all of her antics. My only qualm with this book is that it was written in Great Britain and Shiraz uses a lot of British slang, so I didn't understand everything that was going on. Otherwise the book was very good.

7 out of 10.

Release Date: October 2008