Reviews

Teen Angst? Naaah . . . by Ned Vizzini

lyonstails's review against another edition

4.0

I wanted to give this five stars, but I thought about the reason and it seemed unfair to mark my opinion on the life of the author after this book was written.

Considering Vizzini's age when he wrote these stories though, this is a book as every bit entertaining as his fiction a few years on.

It reminded me of both the desperation I felt to gain a sense of inclusion in my teenage years, and my striving to believe that the cool kids weren't as cool as they thought they were.

The chronological order of this story was a nice element too, as the reader is able to see the character's actual maturity through the high school years.

amoeller's review against another edition

5.0

Teen Angst? Naaah… is a necessary novel for teens, I think. It’s a collection of short stories/essays that Vizzini wrote when he was in late middle school and all through high school, detailing all those questions we may face as we mature. It discusses all the little things we may be too afraid to acknowledge on our own, in a way that makes us realize that it’s alright. All we need is a little humor to get through the rough stuff. School. Grades. Couples. Sex. Drinking. Drugs. Family. Friends. Everything. Vizzini published a book to let other teens see themselves in him, to see that they are not the only ones. It’s a reassuring piece.

Being a high school-er/teenager myself highly worried about school primarily, this was a breath of fresh air. It made me feel like I wasn’t crazy for being so worried about my grades and college and so on. I felt like this was the male version of myself. I was especially pleased in the essay where Vizzini details his experience spraining his ankle in junior year volleyball. Not because of him getting hurt, but because I had a similar experience in eighth grade basketball. Let’s just say it landed me in the nurse’s for a few hours and then going back and forth between urgent care centers and my doctor’s and an orthopedics’ office. I wound up wearing a boot for several months afterward. I felt like I wasn’t the only dumbass to injure him- or herself in gym class.

These essays having been written by the teenaged Vizzini adds a brutal honesty to the real world. Yeah, shit happens, but we live on, maybe hating a certain thing/person for a while afterwards. But that is life, for ya. It just makes it all feel more real. Like…this is how many teenagers see life. They are overcome with anxiety and deal with problems and all this other stuff. He makes people see the truth in a lighthearted manner that makes the learning experience all the better.

At the end, Vizzini writes:

…Some of my friends questioned the ending. “It just…ends,” they told me. I responded,
"It’s life! Life doesn’t have tidy endings….”

This is where something really just dawned on me. The problems we face, eventually do go away. They might end with a neat little bow, or they might end in havoc and a couple more problems. But they end. Life isn’t very consistent on things and how perfectly they are, but things do give way at one point or another. That concluded statement nailed the coffin shut for me, and gave me a new light on things. I am grateful for this quasi autobiography. It’s helped me realize an abundance of things about myself and others. I do not know how I would have gone forward without reading this. This is a needed book for many people. We all have problems, and I think Vizzini was trying to help us realize that it’s okay to have problems when he agreed to publish his essays. So, all you teens out there, pick up this book, and embrace your differences and your setbacks. We’re all unique beings with different standpoints on everything, but that’s what makes us human. Let these words save you, as they have saved me.

Let this novel’s tidy ending get you ready for all the untidy ones you are going to have.

Thanks for acting like you’re paying attention.

All quotes pulled from the novel, and included bonus content.

Carpe diem.

R.I.P. Ned Vizzini. Let your words forever be cherished.

secretly_a_human's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

pinkpengin's review against another edition

4.0

I really wish Ned Vizzini were still alive. He was a great writer but also the kind of human the world needs more of.

tmatysik's review against another edition

3.0

Lighthearted essays about being a socially awkward teenager in the middle of New York City. Lots of really fun slice-of-life vignettes here, but they never really add up to become something really great. In light of Vizzini's suicide in 2013, some of this is a little hard to read, especially moments where the teenage Vizzini wonders what his future will be like. Still, recommended, especially if you've just finished [b:It's Kind of a Funny Story|248704|It's Kind of a Funny Story|Ned Vizzini|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1396050502s/248704.jpg|240980]. The world's a little worse without more of this man's work.

eqnxautumn's review against another edition

5.0

I love Ned Vizzini's writing, and I always have. I have read all of his young adult books and I have to say. This was just as good of the rest. A must read!

calendric's review against another edition

5.0

This was another one of those formative books from childhood that at the time I read it, perfectly described how I was seeing life, and the world around me. I read this in middle school at the behest of the librarian whom I am growing up to emulate. Vizzini wrote with such talent, sharpness, and clarity and this book touched something deep in angsty Ian's soul.

liv_reads99's review against another edition

funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

-Autobiography/collection of stories from highschool
-I didn’t feel like I needed to keep reading, but light and easy to get through
-

TLDR: Ned is nerdy and awkward, and experiences some very classic, along with unique and fun, high school experiences.

samsterrr's review against another edition

4.0

God I still can't believe that someone so full of life can be dead.
Miss you, Ned.

aimeekessell's review against another edition

4.0

Vizzini's novel about the formative years of being a teenager is a fun and light read. Written as he was a teenager himself, there's something very real and pure about the whole thing. Ned is quirky and smart and he has no idea what he wants out of life but he's there for the experience of it all. Learning that the author did end up committing suicide only after I read this book made the whole experience a little more special. I hope teenagers get the chance to read this as there's no better role model than the teen in these pages. You'll make mistakes growing up, but sometimes, it's part of the process. I hope parents of teenagers also get the chance to read this to remind themselves what the millenial teen may be like--even if it is already slightly different. 4/5