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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
Zeer vermakelijk verhaal over een 15 jarige geek ergens in een suf Engels provinciestadje die alles veels te veel overdenkt en een mening heeft hoe het hoort, die op een avond de moed heeft verzameld om een klasgenootje (v) te gaan zoenen, en dan vervolgens door zijn beste vriendje (m) wordt gezoend. Maar misschien herken is net iets teveel karaktertrekjes in Noah ;-) Goede titel ook, overigens.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Noah may be a bit of an idiot (affectionate) but he is also 15, confused, sad, scared and is unbelievably autistic-coded (and I won't be convinced otherwise).
I really wanted to like this book much more than I did. I felt like I was waiting for this journey of self-discovery to happen which never did, and I frankly found Noah to oblivious and weirdly judgemental without any redeeming charm. I was disappointed at how other people were characterised - especially Noah’s mum, who frankly seemed like a laugh at times! - BUT I was able to put this down to having an unreliable narrator. A lot of the B plot felt over the top and unrealistic, but often in a humorous way, which I don’t mind too much. Noah’s decisions were often rash/stupid which didn’t help this, but that’s something I’d expect from an almost 16-year-old! (I haven’t read YA in quite a few years, so that probably doesn’t help.)
I mainly wish his relationship with Harry had been explored FAR more than it was, but more that he’d questioned his sexuality in a way he never actually did. He never questioned his reactions to people - he constantly describes male characters in terms of their attractiveness, but not female characters - and insists he’s attracted to women the entire way through without really questioning this? Because this doesn’t happen, it means the final few pages are very shocking; he’s sitting at Nan’s hospital bed with Harry, and suddenly decides he wants them to be boyfriends? Without even being comfortable in possibly being attracted to men? (I don’t think there was any acknowledgment he’s attracted to men at all).
As I said, I wanted to like this more than I did. A lot of the characters seemed really cool, especially because I took the whole thing to suffer (in my eyes) from unreliable narrator syndrome, and Noah was fairly consistently characterised the whole way through. It’s just a shame that character was wholly oblivious and weirdly judgemental!
(also, just in case anyone’s interested, he’s really weird about americanisms and consistently points this out. with one of them, he accuses of his mum using the americanised ‘jail’ instead of the anglicised ‘prison’. if you’re equally annoyed by how weirdly judgemental he is, it may bring you peace to know that ‘jail’ is NOT an americanism, and a brief read of Shakespeare will prove that - I seem to remember a ‘gaol’ in Winter’s Tale, and that’s just an archaic spelling of ‘jail’)
I mainly wish his relationship with Harry had been explored FAR more than it was, but more that he’d questioned his sexuality in a way he never actually did. He never questioned his reactions to people - he constantly describes male characters in terms of their attractiveness, but not female characters - and insists he’s attracted to women the entire way through without really questioning this? Because this doesn’t happen, it means the final few pages are very shocking; he’s sitting at Nan’s hospital bed with Harry, and suddenly decides he wants them to be boyfriends? Without even being comfortable in possibly being attracted to men? (I don’t think there was any acknowledgment he’s attracted to men at all).
As I said, I wanted to like this more than I did. A lot of the characters seemed really cool, especially because I took the whole thing to suffer (in my eyes) from unreliable narrator syndrome, and Noah was fairly consistently characterised the whole way through. It’s just a shame that character was wholly oblivious and weirdly judgemental!
(also, just in case anyone’s interested, he’s really weird about americanisms and consistently points this out. with one of them, he accuses of his mum using the americanised ‘jail’ instead of the anglicised ‘prison’. if you’re equally annoyed by how weirdly judgemental he is, it may bring you peace to know that ‘jail’ is NOT an americanism, and a brief read of Shakespeare will prove that - I seem to remember a ‘gaol’ in Winter’s Tale, and that’s just an archaic spelling of ‘jail’)
the writing wasn't for me and also I think I am just not the right target audience
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn't think I was going to end up liking this book so much, but after a few chapters I started to love it.
The book is pure British comedic chaos, and I'm not surprised not everyone enjoys it.
For me, Noah is a great character, and I laughed at every bow chicka wah wah, not gonna lie 🤣
The book is pure British comedic chaos, and I'm not surprised not everyone enjoys it.
For me, Noah is a great character, and I laughed at every bow chicka wah wah, not gonna lie 🤣
"Noah Can't Even" by Simon James Green is a sweet and funny read if you enjoy YA M/M romance novels.
The book is surprisingly honest in its depiction of a few very serious issues, such as internalized homophobia, child neglect, bullying, child criminal exploitation, and general hormone-fuelled teenage craziness. I must say I'm amazed at the author's bravery because it's not often you can find such a true-to-life representation of what being 15 really feels like: too many books out there prefer to gloss over the awkwardness; on the contrary, "Noah Can't Even" embraces the awkwardness and squeezes lots and lots of laughs out of it.
I would have enjoyed it even more if it weren't for the one tasteless scene where Noah's bullies "rewrite" the Lord's prayer to pick on and insult Noah. That little bit of blasphemy is completely gratuitous and out of place and I could have done without it.
The book is surprisingly honest in its depiction of a few very serious issues, such as internalized homophobia, child neglect, bullying, child criminal exploitation, and general hormone-fuelled teenage craziness. I must say I'm amazed at the author's bravery because it's not often you can find such a true-to-life representation of what being 15 really feels like: too many books out there prefer to gloss over the awkwardness; on the contrary, "Noah Can't Even" embraces the awkwardness and squeezes lots and lots of laughs out of it.
I would have enjoyed it even more if it weren't for the one tasteless scene where Noah's bullies "rewrite" the Lord's prayer to pick on and insult Noah. That little bit of blasphemy is completely gratuitous and out of place and I could have done without it.