Possibly the least self-aware author ever ? - Rated 
Anonymous wrote the column from which the book is drawn as a means of coping with the stresses and strains of bringing up three gorgeous, bright, funny, exasperating London teenagers. Or, she wrote it to distract herself from her inability to cope with the rigours of living with three foul-mouthed, disturbed, violent, abusive drug-taking reprobates. Take your pick. I have a 15 year-old daughter and some experience of living with someone who is suffering from mental disorders (not my daughter) and I have to say, the three teenagers struck me as deranged and Anonymous on the verge of a breakdown.
How The Guardian didn't see fit to step in as the dreadful story unfolded week by week is beyond me.
This is a seriously worrying book if it is even half-way true as it illustrates the fiction that it is only the deprived who fail to exhibit adequate parenting skills. The frequency with which these awful people lie, swear at their parents, break promises, steal and squander their considerable talents is very depresssing.
My daughter got hold of it and read it before I did. I asked her whether she thought the portrayal of the kids was realistic. Let's face it, she is certainly no angel herself at times.
"I know people like that", she said, "None of them are my friends though".
I wanted to know what she thought of the book overall.
"The adults are rubbish parents", she said.
Well, quite.
A little maddening for an actual teenager to read. - Rated 
Apparently, this column was recently discontinued due to the kids involved having found out and confronted their mother on why their lives where being plashed across the guardian's family supplement on a weekly basis, without their knowledge.
So... fair enough, it stopped - but I do wonder whether it's really okay anyway? After all, everyone recognises how irrational, irritating, embarrassing and occasionally downright insane people can be as teenagers.
I guess if I apply some infuriating teenage logic to the subject, I would ask; Is it okay go go breaking in to peoples houses and stealing the clothes they never wear until you get caught? (maybe because someone wonders what the hell happened to their flares)
But then again, I thought it was pretty entertaining and occasionally insightful throughout.
Don't let your teenager read this book - Rated
My teenager is an avid reader and I encouraged her to give this book to her Dad for his birthday as a sort of joke because we have 3 teenage children and we thought they were pretty bad - she read the book first WHAT A MISTAKE. We thought she was difficult but the teenagers in this book are the worst - they swear dreadfully, take drugs, steal etc and their mother is a total wimp- my daughter is now convinced she is an angel and our lives are now even more fraught with rebelliousness
"the most darling little bird you ever saw" - Rated 
I have avidly read and looked forward to the Living with Teenagers column every week in the Guardian's Family section and kept wishing it would be published. Here it is at last!
Every piece is a well-written, sometimes funny or touching look at modern life with modern teenagers. The mother narrator can be infuriating, selfish and wrong and often you find yourself on the teenagers' side thinking, 'Woman! Get a grip!' but you soon become endeared to the whole family. These three young people (pseudonyms Becca, Jack and Ed) are wonderfully funny, rude, argumentative, searching, loving....and actually more balanced and well-rounded than the mother often gives them credit for.
It is a light-hearted and engrossing insight into the rewards and heartaches of living with teenagers. Whether you're one yourself, have the hair-pulling job of bringing one up or will do in the future, this book will have you laughing out loud and may perhaps prepare you for what's ahead. A great buy.
Enjoyable - Rated
I enjoyed the guardian columns and so believe that the transition to book form was a great idea. Although you can be critical of the writers parenting skills it is still one of the most enjoyable reads this year, in our modern "big brother" "reality t.v" culture books with insights into other peoples lives are becoming more successful, just as this one has.
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