Diary of a Chav

Last updated
Diary of a Chav
Diary of a Chav.jpeg
UK cover for Trainers V. Tiaras

Trainers V. Tiaras
Slinging the Bling
Too Cool for School
Ibiza Nights
Fame and Fortune
Keeping it Real
Author Grace Dent
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
PublisherHodder Children's Books (UK)
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (US)
Published2007 - 2009
Media typePrint, e-book, audiobook
No. of books6

Diary of a Chav is a young adult series that was written by the English journalist, author, and broadcaster Grace Dent. The series consists of six books that were originally released in the United Kingdom from 2007 to 2009. An attempt to publish the books overseas in the United States was largely unsuccessful and only the first two books, re-titled for American publication, were released.

Contents

Synopsis

The series follows Shiraz Bailey-Wood, a 15-year-old girl growing up in Goodmayes, Essex. At the series' start she's largely content to live her life as an underachiever and cause trouble, but things change after she receives a diary and begins recording the events of her daily life. Soon she begins to want more out of life than the chav lifestyle that she's been experiencing and starts expressing a desire to become a professional writer and publish her own autobiography. This decision does not come without opposition as there are many who believe this to be an unobtainable dream and one that is not suitable for someone like Shiraz, however she continues to persevere despite multiple setbacks and obstacles. In the first book, Trainers V. Tiaras; Shiraz worries that her school Mayflower Comprehensive will still live up to its reputation of being "Superchav Academy" a nickname given to the school by the local newspapers and especially with a stunt that happened during the Christmas assembly which Shiraz was the instigator of; however, that all started to change, once a new English teacher Miss. Bracket arrived and saw potential in Shiraz and was concerned why she would not want to succeed, however Shiraz' world is turned upside down when her best friend Carrie Draper starts fancying a local boy called Bezzie Kelleher and sets a double date for both Bezzie, Carrie and Wesley Barrington Bains II (Bezzie's best friend) and Shiraz, the date did not go to plan as both Bezzie and Carrie dropped off Wesley and Shiraz whilst they go for a drive around Essex, Shiraz is not too sure if she fancies Ron Weasley or not.

Books

  1. Trainers V. Tiaras (2007), (also published under the titles Diary of a Chav and Diva Without a Cause in America)
  2. Slinging the Bling (2007), (also published under the title Posh and Prejudice in America) [1]
  3. Too Cool for School (2008)
  4. The Ibiza Diaries (2008), (later published under the titles Ibiza Nights and Lost in Ibiza) [2]
  5. The Fame Diaries (2008), (later published under the title Fame and Fortune)
  6. Keeping It Real (2009), (also published under the title The Real Diaries)

Reception

Critical reception for the series has been largely positive. [3] [4] [5] Several American media outlets have praised the series while also remarking on its use of British slang, [6] causing the School Library Journal to comment that many Americans would have to consult the books' glossary. [7] YALSA has favorably reviewed the series' first book, stating "Shiraz’s hilarious adventures and misadventures also have a serious side, as she deals with family, stereotypes, and relationships, while trying to figure out just what it is she really wants out of life." [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Pride and Prejudice</i> 1813 novel by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice is an 1813 novel of manners by Jane Austen. The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the protagonist of the book, who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreciate the difference between superficial goodness and actual goodness.

<i>The Diary of a Nobody</i> 1892 comic novel by George and Weeden Grossmith

The Diary of a Nobody is an English comic novel written by the brothers George and Weedon Grossmith, with illustrations by the latter. It originated as an intermittent serial in Punch magazine in 1888–89 and first appeared in book form, with extended text and added illustrations, in 1892. The Diary records the daily events in the lives of a London clerk, Charles Pooter, his wife Carrie, his son William Lupin, and numerous friends and acquaintances over a period of 15 months.

Young adult fiction (YA) is fiction written for readers from 12 to 18 years of age. The term YA was first used regularly in the 1960s in America. The YA category includes most of the genres found in adult fiction, with themes that include friendship, sexuality, drugs and alcohol, and sexual and gender identity. Stories that focus on the challenges of youth may be categorized as problem novels or coming-of-age novels. The boundary between children's and adult literature is flexible, subject to moral and political ideology, and in some cases meaningless.

"Chav", also "charver", "scally" and "roadman" in parts of England, is a British term, usually used in a pejorative way. The term is used to describe an anti-social lower-class youth dressed in sportswear. "Chavette" is a related term referring to female chavs, and the adjectives "chavvy", "chavvish", and "chavtastic" are used to describe things associated with chavs, such as fashion, slang, etc. In other countries like Ireland, "Skanger" is used in a similar manner. In Canada, in the province of British Columbia they're known as "Surrey jacks". In Ontario, the term is "hoodman", an equivalent of the term "roadman" used in England. In Newfoundland, "skeet" is used in a similar way, while in Australia, "eshay" or "adlay" is used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meg Cabot</span> American novelist

Meggin Patricia Cabot is an American novelist. She has written and published over 50 novels of young adult and adult fiction and is best known for her young adult series Princess Diaries, which was later adapted by Walt Disney Pictures into two feature films. Cabot has been the recipient of numerous book awards, including the New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age, the American Library Association Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, the Tennessee Volunteer State TASL Book Award, the Book Sense Pick, the Evergreen Young Adult Book Award, the IRA/CBC Young Adult Choice, and many others. She has also had number-one New York Times bestsellers, and more than 25 million copies of her books are in print across the world.

Svetlana Chmakova is a Russian-Canadian comic book artist. She is best known for Dramacon, an original English-language (OEL) manga spanning three volumes and published in North America by Tokyopop. Her other original work includes Nightschool and Awkward for Yen Press. She has been nominated for an Eisner Award twice. Previously, she created The Adventures of CG for CosmoGIRL! magazine and the webcomic Chasing Rainbows for Girlamatic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Donnelly</span> American writer of young adult fiction

Jennifer Donnelly is an American writer of young adult fiction best known for the historical novel A Northern Light.

Alexandra Flinn is an American writer of novels for young adults. Her books have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller lists and have been translated into over twenty foreign languages. Many of her books have made the American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults lists, as well as Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Many of her novels are modernized versions of classic fairy tales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace Dent</span> English columnist, broadcaster and author

Grace Dent is an English columnist, broadcaster and author. She is a restaurant critic for The Guardian and from 2011 to 2017 wrote a restaurant column for the Evening Standard. She is a regular critic on the BBC's MasterChef UK and has appeared on Channel 4's television series Very British Problems.

<i>Thirteen Reasons Why</i> 2007 novel by Jay Asher

Thirteen Reasons Why is a young adult novel written by Jay Asher in 2007, that follows the story of Hannah Baker, a high school freshman, and the thirteen reasons why she kills herself. Following her death, Hannah leaves behind a series of 7 double-sided cassette tapes detailing the 13 specific people and events that she blames for her demise. Two weeks after her death these cassette tapes are mailed out with directions to pass the tapes on to the next person on the tape. Hannah's life story is conveyed through these tapes, which are narrated by Hannah herself, and through the point of view of Clay, her classmate and the ninth person to receive the tapes. The inspiration behind the main character, Hannah Baker, comes from author Jay Asher's close relative who attempted suicide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E. Lockhart</span> American writer

Emily Jenkins, who sometimes uses the pen name E. Lockhart, is an American writer of children's picture books, young-adult novels, and adult fiction. She is known best for the Ruby Oliver quartet, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, and We Were Liars.

<i>The Carrie Diaries</i>

The Carrie Diaries is a young adult novel, the first in a series of the same name by American author Candace Bushnell. The series is a prequel to Bushnell's 1997 collection Sex and the City, and follows the character of Carrie Bradshaw during her senior year of high school during the early 1980s and part of her life in New York City working as a writer. The Los Angeles Times described it as "[a]n addictive, ingenious origin story."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Renée Russell</span> American author

Rachel Renée Russell is an American author of the children's book series Dork Diaries and its spin-off The Misadventures of Max Crumbly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ally Condie</span> American novelist

Allyson Braithwaite Condie is an author of young adult and middle grade fiction. Her novel Matched was a #1 New York Times and international bestseller, and spent over a year on the New York Times Bestseller List. The sequels are also New York Times bestsellers. Matched was chosen as one of YALSA's 2011 Teens' Top Ten and named as one of Publishers Weekly's Best Children's Books of 2010. All three books are available in 30+ languages.

<i>The Carrie Diaries</i> (TV series) 2013 American teen comedy-drama television series

The Carrie Diaries is an American teen comedy-drama television series that aired for two seasons on The CW from January 14, 2013, to January 31, 2014. It is a prequel to the HBO television series Sex and the City and based on the 2010 book of the same name by Candace Bushnell. The first season focuses on Carrie Bradshaw during her junior year of high school in 1984 as she explores life in New York City while interning at a law firm office, and also secretly working at a magazine company, while the second season focuses more on her expanding life in the city as well as the lives of her friends and boyfriend.

<i>The Bluford Series</i> Series of young adult novels

The Bluford Series is a widely read collection of contemporary American young adult novels set in the fictional inner-city high school of Bluford High in Southern California. Bluford is named for Guion "Guy" Bluford, the first African-American astronaut. The series was created and published by Townsend Press and was co-distributed by Scholastic. As part of an effort to promote reading in underfunded school districts, Townsend Press originally made the Bluford Series available to schools for a dollar each. As of 2018, over 11 million Bluford Series novels were in print.

<i>We Were Liars</i> Young adult novel by E. Lockhart

We Were Liars is a 2014 psychological horror young-adult novel by E. Lockhart. The novel has received critical acclaim and won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Young Adult Fiction. It was also listed as an ALA Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults for 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suzy K Quinn</span>

Suzy K. Quinn is a British author, writing chiefly in the romance genre. She is both a published and self-published author, and wrote the Bad Mother's Diary series. The Bad Mother's Diary is a romantic comedy series.

Nina LaCour is an American author, primarily known for writing young adult literature with queer, romantic story lines. Her novel We Are Okay won the Printz Award in 2017.

References

  1. "Posh and Prejudice (review)". Horn Book Guide. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  2. "Shiraz The Ibiza Diaries by Grace Dent (review)". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  3. "Diary of a Chav (review)". Booklist. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  4. "Diary of a Chav (review)". School Library Journal. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  5. "Diary of a Chav (review)". Horn Book Guide. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  6. "Diary of a Chav (review)". Commonsensemedia. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  7. "Posh and Prejudice (review)". School Library Journal. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  8. Bush, Erin. "The Best Books You're Not Reading: British Invasion Edition". YALSA. Retrieved 17 June 2015.