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bookwyrm76's review against another edition
5.0
This British import might sound like a stock novel if you just look at the quick summary. Boy is bullied, ends up dead, his friends are working through their grief and trying to understand what happened. But if you pass up the experience of reading this book you'll be missing some laugh out loud moments of teen boys doing what they do best; getting into trouble, hanging out, and being friends.
Blake, Kenny, and Sim have all been friends with Ross for years. Kenny since they were tots, Sim since primary, and Blake since he and his mom moved into town years ago. So when Ross is killed in a car accident and some of the people who made his last weeks alive miserable show up at his funeral, the three of them decide to take revenge and to give Ross the funeral he deserved. The one they think he'd have wanted.
This kicks off an insane weekend where the boys bond with each other, fight with each other, break friendship and strengthen it. By the end, the three friends learn that they didn't know everything they thought they did when the whole thing started and that though they understand a lot, there is just as much they won't understand any time soon. The ending is a bit abrupt, but it also suits the story in an odd way.
This book isn't a serious dramatic lesson on bullying. It isn't a funny road trip book. It somehow manages to be both and neither at the same time. Expect to laugh out loud at some of the images, or maybe that's just my twisted sense of humor. Expect it to make you think when the guys joking suddenly turns into some fairly philosophical discussions of friendship, death, and afterlife.
Blake, Kenny, and Sim have all been friends with Ross for years. Kenny since they were tots, Sim since primary, and Blake since he and his mom moved into town years ago. So when Ross is killed in a car accident and some of the people who made his last weeks alive miserable show up at his funeral, the three of them decide to take revenge and to give Ross the funeral he deserved. The one they think he'd have wanted.
This kicks off an insane weekend where the boys bond with each other, fight with each other, break friendship and strengthen it. By the end, the three friends learn that they didn't know everything they thought they did when the whole thing started and that though they understand a lot, there is just as much they won't understand any time soon. The ending is a bit abrupt, but it also suits the story in an odd way.
This book isn't a serious dramatic lesson on bullying. It isn't a funny road trip book. It somehow manages to be both and neither at the same time. Expect to laugh out loud at some of the images, or maybe that's just my twisted sense of humor. Expect it to make you think when the guys joking suddenly turns into some fairly philosophical discussions of friendship, death, and afterlife.
reader4evr's review against another edition
3.0
This had been in my TBR pile for a long time and I'm glad that I finally got around the reading it. It wasn't great but I still enjoyed it. One thing that I enjoyed about the story was that it started right away and although you get the background information about the story and the characters, the author didn't drag it out and had me wanting to get through the first part of the story.
I thought all of the boys were really realistic and they were pretty courageous wanting to go on this trip even though they weren't telling family members or they had never been there before.
At the end of the story I figured out more of the actual story that the boys weren't sharing with each other would come out.
I think boys will like this book but some of the British slang might confuse them.
I thought all of the boys were really realistic and they were pretty courageous wanting to go on this trip even though they weren't telling family members or they had never been there before.
At the end of the story I figured out more of the actual story that the boys weren't sharing with each other would come out.
I think boys will like this book but some of the British slang might confuse them.
hikool101's review against another edition
4.0
I love road trip stories that center around a group of friends, especially when they're touching like this. It was fun and genuinely moving. The more I think about this book, the more I like it. I can actually see myself re-reading it in the future, and re-reading is just something I don't do (since there are tons of books I want to read and I'd rather spend my time on something new I might love). 8/10
jwinchell's review against another edition
3.0
I read the first 80 pages and then I skimmed the rest--read a few chapters in the middle and the last 2. This book tackles important subjects that aren't enough talked about in society, much less by teen guys: grief, vulnerability, opening up about difficult emotions. I was amused by the English-isms: the boys kept cursing "Christ-on-a-bike!" and not answering their "mobile" and getting "shittered." The prose was speedy and engaging, but I found that I mixed all 3 boys up and I didn't care enough about each of their struggles--much less the entire journey they were on. Perhaps Gray doesn't have experience with actual human ashes: they are heavy, and they aren't exactly "ash." These errors made the journey unrealistic and hard to believe.
aoosterwyk's review against another edition
3.0
Three boys are struggling with grief and feelings of responsibility for their best friend's death. They decide to give him a proper send-off by stealing his ashes and hopping a train to Ross (the friend's name). On the way they have life changing adventures and realize life is not black and white.
bupdaddy's review against another edition
4.0
This book accomplishes a lot. First, It's a coming-of-age/loss-of-innocence story, wherein three 15-year-old friends take the ashes of their recently dead fourth friend on a journey they all need. Second, it's a book that reminds you that no matter what happens on a road trip, road trips are always worth it. Third, it's sickly funny.
Before I go on, I need to say I won this book in the goodreads 'giveaways' program.
So, yeah, these three mates (that's British for 'friends') take their mate's (friend's) ashes. Take them. Out of the dead guy's sister's hands. Because they're angry that the funeral was just what a bunch of people who didn't care particularly for their friend made it. And they book for Scotland. They figure what they're doing is illegal, but don't quite know what crime it is. Things don't go smoothly, of course - otherwise you wouldn't have a book, would you? - and they find themselves off course, without money, hungry, and more interested in the girls on the train than the coming storm and their shelterless evening awaiting.
Some of what you know is going to happen toward the end happens, but it has to happen, because some of it was pretty much inevitable. That's not the point, though, is it? It's the journey, after all.
Road trips are always worth it.
By the way, I'm a modern, enlightened dad, and want to make sure everybody's kids but my own are exposed to the most vile stuff imaginable, but be aware that the language in this book is like real fifteen year old boys talk, when adults aren't around. There's plenty of sex slang and meaningless curse words throughout. It's YA, but definitely for the older members of that demographic.
Before I go on, I need to say I won this book in the goodreads 'giveaways' program.
So, yeah, these three mates (that's British for 'friends') take their mate's (friend's) ashes. Take them. Out of the dead guy's sister's hands. Because they're angry that the funeral was just what a bunch of people who didn't care particularly for their friend made it. And they book for Scotland. They figure what they're doing is illegal, but don't quite know what crime it is. Things don't go smoothly, of course - otherwise you wouldn't have a book, would you? - and they find themselves off course, without money, hungry, and more interested in the girls on the train than the coming storm and their shelterless evening awaiting.
Some of what you know is going to happen toward the end happens, but it has to happen, because some of it was pretty much inevitable. That's not the point, though, is it? It's the journey, after all.
Road trips are always worth it.
By the way, I'm a modern, enlightened dad, and want to make sure everybody's kids but my own are exposed to the most vile stuff imaginable, but be aware that the language in this book is like real fifteen year old boys talk, when adults aren't around. There's plenty of sex slang and meaningless curse words throughout. It's YA, but definitely for the older members of that demographic.
simonrtaylor's review against another edition
4.0
For some reason, I expected this to be a story about middle-aged blokes. Maybe I just didn't think a 15-year-old would be dying. So this wasn't what I expected, but I enjoyed it. A thoroughly entertaining exploration of male friendship, I do wish it had gone just a little deeper. The character arcs took a while to develop and then screeched to a halt.
jennifermreads's review against another edition
A good story of three boys who truly feel that their friend did not get the funeral he deserved but a funeral filled with fakes, folks who didn’t care about him when he was alive. Their journey across England into Scotland is full of adventure and a true test of their friendship. The discover
Spoiler
that each of them may have had a hand in pushing Ross to the suicide it was found he really did commit.emily_ober's review against another edition
4.0
Ostrich Boys is one of the books where the characters are relatable with real flaws and struggles that everyone deal with. It felt very natural and the story was easy to connect with, even though it was set in England. Dealing with the death of someone you cared about is something that anyone can sympathize with. Wanting to be sure that the person is remembered and his or her life is celebrated in the best way possible is a very real desire.
While stealing someone’s ashes and making this a highly secretive mission wouldn’t be the best way to go about it, the idea of fulfilling one of Ross’s wishes (to visit the town that shared his name) displays how much they cared for their friend and what the grief was doing to them. Over the course of the trip, the three friends start to learn more about the circumstances leading up to Ross’s death and the trip begins to take on a whole new meaning.
I thought that this book was a really fun read. The characters were compelling, each with their own little quirk. Sim could name any collective noun that you threw at him and Ross like to write and create stories that sometimes reflected what was happening in his personal life as a way to put the problems out in the open. Throughout their journey, the three begin to understand more about their friendship and they each have personal revelations about themselves which added to the depth of the story.
The reason I picked up this book was not only the bright yellow cover caught my eye, but the title had me curious. I took AP English in high school, so I remember having to seek out symbolism and the deeper meaning within books. Whenever I find a book that I am able to spot different literary devices, it makes the book even better and the title Ostrich Boys has one of those deeper meanings that you start to understand as you read the book. Since English has always been my favorite subject, I really enjoy finding books that I can analyze and draw out more meaning from it.
To sum up, this is a fun read that also will compel the literature critic. The characters are well rounded and the story is rich and captivating. I may not be a fifteen year old boy from Cleethorpes, England, but Ostrich Boys is one of those books that I devoured and enjoyed every minute of the journey it took me through.
While stealing someone’s ashes and making this a highly secretive mission wouldn’t be the best way to go about it, the idea of fulfilling one of Ross’s wishes (to visit the town that shared his name) displays how much they cared for their friend and what the grief was doing to them. Over the course of the trip, the three friends start to learn more about the circumstances leading up to Ross’s death and the trip begins to take on a whole new meaning.
I thought that this book was a really fun read. The characters were compelling, each with their own little quirk. Sim could name any collective noun that you threw at him and Ross like to write and create stories that sometimes reflected what was happening in his personal life as a way to put the problems out in the open. Throughout their journey, the three begin to understand more about their friendship and they each have personal revelations about themselves which added to the depth of the story.
The reason I picked up this book was not only the bright yellow cover caught my eye, but the title had me curious. I took AP English in high school, so I remember having to seek out symbolism and the deeper meaning within books. Whenever I find a book that I am able to spot different literary devices, it makes the book even better and the title Ostrich Boys has one of those deeper meanings that you start to understand as you read the book. Since English has always been my favorite subject, I really enjoy finding books that I can analyze and draw out more meaning from it.
To sum up, this is a fun read that also will compel the literature critic. The characters are well rounded and the story is rich and captivating. I may not be a fifteen year old boy from Cleethorpes, England, but Ostrich Boys is one of those books that I devoured and enjoyed every minute of the journey it took me through.
elleneam's review against another edition
4.0
A book that reminded me of Catcher in the Rye, this is the story of three friends who steal their other friend, Ross' ashes and try to get to Ross (in Scotland), a place where Ross said he always wanted to go. However, the journey is very eventful, and full of numerous challenges, and gives the boys a chance to try and contemplate their friend's death. At first I found this book a bit slow, but I really got into it by the end, and I thought that this book tackled really big issues in an interesting and meaningful way.