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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
This book gets better as you get into it. Worth reading beyond the cliches until the story grabs you.
A daring to be different theatre geek in a garage band, Bret is constantly at odds with his recovering alcoholic father, a natural mechanic with a strong work ethic, and the school’s star athlete Hitchings, a meathead bully whose jibes--and jabs--go unnoticed by most teachers.
Use of first person present tense novel catapults the reader directly into 16-year-old Bret’s head. The voice is clear and strong; Bret is fast-talking and quick-thinking, a trait that gets him both out of trouble, and in it, like when he calls the football coach (who is, ironically, the junior year English teacher attempting to introduce a poetry unit) an “asset, all right.”
In addition to juggling family, school, an ushering job, and drama club, a goth girl hottie crushes right back, before crushing his heart to pieces. Bret’s consumption and betrayal by this girl rings all too true, but when we (and he) get a glimpse into her purple diary and innermost thoughts, she becomes a bit too one-dimensional. Overall, the writing is very clever, such as “Alex mostly avoids the problems I have swimming upstream against the high school gene pool” and philosophy from his wiser elders: his dad’s constant query of “Who told you that you can have what you want?” and his mother’s answer to what you call a wish when you get past age forty: “A regret.” Other gems: use of the term jockarchy, coined from a Nirvana song about the ruling athletic caste, and Bret’s graffitied adulation to Kylie that he “lives” her (instead of loves her; a Chaka Khan allusion?) as an indication of the depth of his feelings and commitment. Peppered with analogies, Jones is careful to keep to cult status references like wrestling, Monty Python, and Austin Powers that teens will be able to relate to with little explanation. Bret’s two best friends, Alex and Sean, are wonderfully characterized through dialogue and action as well as asides from Bret in a scene where the three boys are girl-watching (and rating) outside the local movie theatre. Teens are true in this novel, which means sexuality and language are as real as their cruelty, passions, and dreams.
Jones successfully blends three major plots: the father/son conflict, the Bret/Kylie romance plot, and student rights plot, by building a scenario in which the protagonist finally speaks out against the ongoing harassment, and gets to see who supports him when the going gets really tough. Bret’s growth is well-paced, believable and satisfying.
The Nailed title is an apt analogy (although, the readers get the “nail that sticks out the furthest is the one that gets hammered hardest” analogy pounded over their heads) in more ways than one. This sophomore novel really showcases the maturing of YA guru Patrick Jones’ writing – he ‘nailed’ it!
Use of first person present tense novel catapults the reader directly into 16-year-old Bret’s head. The voice is clear and strong; Bret is fast-talking and quick-thinking, a trait that gets him both out of trouble, and in it, like when he calls the football coach (who is, ironically, the junior year English teacher attempting to introduce a poetry unit) an “asset, all right.”
In addition to juggling family, school, an ushering job, and drama club, a goth girl hottie crushes right back, before crushing his heart to pieces. Bret’s consumption and betrayal by this girl rings all too true, but when we (and he) get a glimpse into her purple diary and innermost thoughts, she becomes a bit too one-dimensional. Overall, the writing is very clever, such as “Alex mostly avoids the problems I have swimming upstream against the high school gene pool” and philosophy from his wiser elders: his dad’s constant query of “Who told you that you can have what you want?” and his mother’s answer to what you call a wish when you get past age forty: “A regret.” Other gems: use of the term jockarchy, coined from a Nirvana song about the ruling athletic caste, and Bret’s graffitied adulation to Kylie that he “lives” her (instead of loves her; a Chaka Khan allusion?) as an indication of the depth of his feelings and commitment. Peppered with analogies, Jones is careful to keep to cult status references like wrestling, Monty Python, and Austin Powers that teens will be able to relate to with little explanation. Bret’s two best friends, Alex and Sean, are wonderfully characterized through dialogue and action as well as asides from Bret in a scene where the three boys are girl-watching (and rating) outside the local movie theatre. Teens are true in this novel, which means sexuality and language are as real as their cruelty, passions, and dreams.
Jones successfully blends three major plots: the father/son conflict, the Bret/Kylie romance plot, and student rights plot, by building a scenario in which the protagonist finally speaks out against the ongoing harassment, and gets to see who supports him when the going gets really tough. Bret’s growth is well-paced, believable and satisfying.
The Nailed title is an apt analogy (although, the readers get the “nail that sticks out the furthest is the one that gets hammered hardest” analogy pounded over their heads) in more ways than one. This sophomore novel really showcases the maturing of YA guru Patrick Jones’ writing – he ‘nailed’ it!
I just discovered Patrick Jones and really like what I've read. This book is about a teenage boy, Bret, who just doesn't fit the norm in his high school or his family. His dad doesn't understand him and he gets harassed by the jock crowd at school. Fortunately he has two good friends and his girlfriend to rely on - except when he finds his girlfriend with one of those friends and the other refuses to take sides. Bret comes to understand that the nail that sticks out the most gets hit the hardest, but that he doesn't have to sit back and take it.
I read "Chasing Tail Lights", also by Jones, a few weeks ago and absolutely loved it, so i ran to the library and checked out a few more of his YA novels. This one... eh. It just didn't hit home with me. Brett wasn't very likable. I couldn't stand him... and it's hard to like a book when you despise the protagonist and narrator.
I actually thought this was a pretty good story. I like that it didn't sugar coat anything ~ some of it was just rough and real.
I'd say it tells a raw life of Bret Hendricks where he isn't exactly like the popular guy at his school, had a perfect family and a perfect girlfriend. He's passionate in theater and loves rocking with his band. It really transported me back in the 80s, ya know what I'm sayin'?
Not impressed. The main draw of this book was, for me at least, that it took place in a town about 20 miles from me. The "jockarchy" viewpoint was relatable, as was Bret's passion for theater. I enjoyed the plot, but the characters blurred into one another--they were all one-sided and bland.
It was also just poorly written in general. There were multiple punctuation and grammar mistakes that were sometimes hard to read past. In addition to these annoying errors, there was virtually no descriptive language. When reading a book, I want to be shown, not told.
Overall, this was a book that had potential, but it was written by the wrong author.
It was also just poorly written in general. There were multiple punctuation and grammar mistakes that were sometimes hard to read past. In addition to these annoying errors, there was virtually no descriptive language. When reading a book, I want to be shown, not told.
Overall, this was a book that had potential, but it was written by the wrong author.
This isn't a book that I really expected to like. It seems very different from my normal reads but I really really enjoyed it. Maybe it was identifying with the "I really don't fit in" world of high school. Who knows.
I also got to hear Patrick Jones speak at the 2006 ALAN conference and he was great. Made me like the book even more.
I also got to hear Patrick Jones speak at the 2006 ALAN conference and he was great. Made me like the book even more.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
fast-paced