How to Keep a Boy as a Pet - Diane Messidoro

How to Keep a Boy as a Pet – Diane Messidoro


Pages: 338
Publisher: Electric Monkey (Egmont UK)
Release Date: 7th May 2012 
Edition: UK paperback


Can taming a gorgeous boy really be as easy as walking a dog?


‘I refuse to spend my life swooning pointlessly.’
Circe Shaw is on a mission.


‘I must transform into a fabulously sophisticated journalist and discover the amazing scientific truth about boys.’


But life is beyond complicated. Circe has to deal with a poisonous rival, her mum’s annoying ‘just friends’ men and her own Dark Past.


Can Circe’s daring investigation really teach her the facts of love?


Will it help her finally get a boyfriend?


Or will it break her heart...?


Diane Messidoro’s debut is a sweet and funny story with an unexpected emotional depth that surprised me. 


My first impression of How to Keep a Boy as a Pet was that it reminded me of some of the series that I adored when I was a younger teen. Circe is reminiscent of a slightly less insane Georgia Nicolson and a more troubled Jess Jordan from Sue Limb’s Girl series and I instantly warmed to her charming narration. I think that she’s the kind of character that every girl and woman will recognise themselves in. The similarities continued with the mind-bending confusion over boys, some rather cringe-worthy incidents and her complete and utter essence of being a teenage girl. 


One of the things that I loved most about How to Keep a Boy as a Pet was Savvy’s comments on Circe’s blog posts. I would have loved to have a cool, clever and sophisticated mentor-figure when I was fifteen and I think that she’d be good for lots of other girls with their confidence. I also loved how effortlessly Diane Messidoro switched from English to American English – it was brilliantly done and felt very authentic. There was also a rather interesting turn of events that involved Savvy, which I did guess, but was still really effective.


 Along with Circe’s boy drama with the confusing and eternally intriguing Rufus, there was also a healthy dose of mystery that was continually hinted at throughout her blog posts. There was the devastating incident with Portia that wasn’t revealed in its entirety until the very end that had an effect on a lots of what Circe felt and thought of herself and the mystery of what had happened to her dad. That also had a presence for most of the novel and it was a constant burden to Circe until she finally talked it out with somebody who she trusted.


I thoroughly enjoyed Circe’s exploits and I can’t wait to read more from Diane Messidoro.


For my 2012 Contemporary YA Challenge and 2012 Debut Author Challenge


Sophie