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3.28 AVERAGE
3.28 AVERAGE
I read this book because it was recommended for fans of [b:Trouble|18138917|Trouble|Non Pratt|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1380372541s/18138917.jpg|25482435] and so I was very eager to pick this up, and the similarities are there, except instead of a likeable and kind love interest Lobsters gives you a jerk.
The reason this book got four stars is Hannah, I loved her and honestly after a while I began skimming Sam's bits just so I could get more of Hannah, I would love to read another book that is just entirely about her life. She is deeply flawed but she's grows as a person over the course of the book, and the people in her life, like her grandmother, are funny and there weren't nearly enough scenes with them.
Sam is one of the reasons this book didn't get five stars. Sam basically conforms to that 'nice-guy' trope; he felt entitled to Hannah, she couldn't even talk to another guy without him getting his knickers in a knot also, all she did was talk to Pax, he then went off to make out with Panda because he was jealous, what's going to happen the next time he get's jealous? . The way he described women was sexist and stupid, he was constantly saying how attractive women couldn't also be smart (stupidly he always said 'except Hannah', even he couldn't stick to his word). He's a character I'd never want to meet in real life.
The main issue I had with this book is that it didn't go in the direction I wanted it to, but it went in the direction I expected and therefore made for a very predictable and unexciting ending. From the blurb you can tell Hannah and Sam will get together, and the fact they end up together is beyond ridiculous to me, he is such a sorry excuse for a love interest and doesn't deserve a person like Hannah. I was hoping this book would take a turn and Hannah would realise that the guy she met at the party was actually an over-protective jerk and get rid of him, and then get together with someone like Caspar, meanwhile Sam would be sat alone drinking hot Ribena and crying (like 500 days of Summer) .
The writing for this was solid, it moved along at a great pace and I managed to finish it in one sitting because I just wanted to see what happened, this was so close to being a five star book, the ending just ruined it for me. I don't think I'll be reading more from them in the future though, unless they figure out how to create better male love interests.
The reason this book got four stars is Hannah, I loved her and honestly after a while I began skimming Sam's bits just so I could get more of Hannah, I would love to read another book that is just entirely about her life. She is deeply flawed but she's grows as a person over the course of the book, and the people in her life, like her grandmother, are funny and there weren't nearly enough scenes with them.
Sam is one of the reasons this book didn't get five stars. Sam basically conforms to that 'nice-guy' trope; he felt entitled to Hannah, she couldn't even talk to another guy without him getting his knickers in a knot
The main issue I had with this book is that it didn't go in the direction I wanted it to, but it went in the direction I expected and therefore made for a very predictable and unexciting ending.
The writing for this was solid, it moved along at a great pace and I managed to finish it in one sitting because I just wanted to see what happened, this was so close to being a five star book, the ending just ruined it for me. I don't think I'll be reading more from them in the future though, unless they figure out how to create better male love interests.
Honestly I hated this book, it was a complete awkward love story because there WASN’T a love story!
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
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
Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.
I was recommended Lobsters by Tom Ellen & Lucy Ivison for Sex in Teen Lit Month II by an ex-colleague who claimed it was not only perfect for this event, but also hilariously funny. Turns out she was right on both counts!
After their first meeting - a ten minute conversation at a party - Sam and Hannah realise they have never had a similar conversation, felt so comfortable and at ease, with a member of the opposite sex. There is an instant connection, sparks fly. The beginning of a beautiful romance? Wrong. The beginning of awkward encounters and crossed-wires stemmed from insecurity, inexperience and doubt.
Lobsters has got to be the funniest - and most honest - novel I read last year! The humour isn't just down to the authors' ability to write funny situations and come up with hilarious dialogue, but also from how real it is. The tagline on the book says, "A socially awkward love story," and it couldn't be more true! The situations Sam and Hannah find themselves in are unbelievably awkward, but it was being able to relate to that awkwardness, remembering what that was like when I was their age, that made it so funny to me. This is a book that lives up to that saying, "It's funny because it's true."
This isn't just the case for the romance side of the story, but also for the sexual aspects of the story. Both Sam and Hannah are virgins, and have only the slightest clue what they're supposed to do when presented with girl's/boy's naked body. They're not completely inexperienced, they have gone up to certain points - different for each - with other people, but further than that? It's a mystery to them both. The book opens with Hannah deciding that tonight, at her best mate Stella's party, she would finally have sex with Freddie, a boy she'd been seeing. But only because she wants to get it out of the way. She's not even sure what constitutes as losing your viriginty.
Sam is the only one out of his group of friends who is still a virgin, and is feeling the pressure to keep up. Plus his best mate Robin is telling him he can't go to uni a virgin. But he's never really had much luck with girls. Lobsters is awesome because we get to see a guy being a virgin - not something we see all that often in YA. Again, it's the awkwardness of it all that makes it so funny. Sam's sexual encounters in the book bring a lot of humour, because of his inexperience but wanting to seem more experienced than he is. Because a guy being a virgin is just not macho. As well as being funny, it's also kind of sad.
There are lots of other reasons why Lobsters is hilarious. Some might consider it to be a little crude, but I'd say it's more realistic. This is what girls and guys - separately - talk about, and this is also what they do. Lobsters is so funny, but it's also a really sweet and touching story, and a reminder that no-one has it all figured out. Something I think teens could do with reminding of more often. I'll definitely be reading anything Ellen & Ivison write next! Lobsters was one of my favourite novels of 2014!
Thank you to Chicken House for the review copy.
I was recommended Lobsters by Tom Ellen & Lucy Ivison for Sex in Teen Lit Month II by an ex-colleague who claimed it was not only perfect for this event, but also hilariously funny. Turns out she was right on both counts!
After their first meeting - a ten minute conversation at a party - Sam and Hannah realise they have never had a similar conversation, felt so comfortable and at ease, with a member of the opposite sex. There is an instant connection, sparks fly. The beginning of a beautiful romance? Wrong. The beginning of awkward encounters and crossed-wires stemmed from insecurity, inexperience and doubt.
Lobsters has got to be the funniest - and most honest - novel I read last year! The humour isn't just down to the authors' ability to write funny situations and come up with hilarious dialogue, but also from how real it is. The tagline on the book says, "A socially awkward love story," and it couldn't be more true! The situations Sam and Hannah find themselves in are unbelievably awkward, but it was being able to relate to that awkwardness, remembering what that was like when I was their age, that made it so funny to me. This is a book that lives up to that saying, "It's funny because it's true."
This isn't just the case for the romance side of the story, but also for the sexual aspects of the story. Both Sam and Hannah are virgins, and have only the slightest clue what they're supposed to do when presented with girl's/boy's naked body. They're not completely inexperienced, they have gone up to certain points - different for each - with other people, but further than that? It's a mystery to them both. The book opens with Hannah deciding that tonight, at her best mate Stella's party, she would finally have sex with Freddie, a boy she'd been seeing. But only because she wants to get it out of the way. She's not even sure what constitutes as losing your viriginty.
'Like, what is losing your virginity anyway? When your hymen breaks? But that can happen horse riding or doing gymnastics, or even swimming apparently. I could have lost my virginity to Acton Municipal Pool, for all I know. If it's just the hymen thing, then hat about gay people? It must be the act of someone else being inside you; after all, boys lose their virginity and nothing breaks. So maybe it's a mystical, intangible thing? Like the Holy Spirit.' (p5)
Sam is the only one out of his group of friends who is still a virgin, and is feeling the pressure to keep up. Plus his best mate Robin is telling him he can't go to uni a virgin. But he's never really had much luck with girls. Lobsters is awesome because we get to see a guy being a virgin - not something we see all that often in YA. Again, it's the awkwardness of it all that makes it so funny. Sam's sexual encounters in the book bring a lot of humour, because of his inexperience but wanting to seem more experienced than he is. Because a guy being a virgin is just not macho. As well as being funny, it's also kind of sad.
There are lots of other reasons why Lobsters is hilarious. Some might consider it to be a little crude, but I'd say it's more realistic. This is what girls and guys - separately - talk about, and this is also what they do. Lobsters is so funny, but it's also a really sweet and touching story, and a reminder that no-one has it all figured out. Something I think teens could do with reminding of more often. I'll definitely be reading anything Ellen & Ivison write next! Lobsters was one of my favourite novels of 2014!
Thank you to Chicken House for the review copy.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Read the Full Review of this book: www.duckiereads.tumblr.com (Live July 1st)
Thanks to FirstInLineReaders for this ARC from YALLWEST 2016! (The publisher’s kindness in no way reflects my opinions on this book)
I’m not going to lie:
I detest this book.
Twenty pages in I wanted to DNF and call it a day. And I would have if I was not on a bus to a day at school with no other accessible book to read. So I pushed through and continued reading until I read the last word.
At first I was intrigued by this book. I thought since the authors dated in real life, we’d get an interesting romance that was funny, realistic, and awkward, but still a bit humorous. However, now that I’ve finished, I’m left feeling…underwhelmed.
What I like about this book is that it really has two distinct voices. Sam’s chapter sounded like Sam, and Hannah sounding like Hannah. Honestly, I think books with alternative points of views only work with two authors involved. What I didn’t like about the alternating chapters is how repetitive everything was. Hannah would summarize what happened, then Sam would, then repeat over and over. It became redundant.
I couldn’t stand Hannah! I thought she was immature and annoying. For once, I found myself enjoying the guys’ chapters more than the girl. I loved the dynamic of friendship between Sam and his friends, Robin and Chris. Actually, I would prefer if Robin was the main character of this story. He was really funny and I thought his Harry Potter obsession was cute. Bottom line, Sam, Robin, and Chris actually sounded like real teenage boys. Hannah and her friends gave me a headache. I don’t understand why Hannah would be friends with Stella if she’s such a terrible person. Stella treated Hannah badly the entire length of the novel (Stella steals her guy, tells Hannah’s secrets, and encourages a friend to cheat on her boyfriend). Their friendship was just a mess and it wasn’t very realistic.
I also can’t stand when characters lie for no reason. You know what I’m talking about? Like if the character just spoke up and told the truth, the whole issue could be resolved in five seconds and the story would be over. Hannah did that. She lied for no reason which caused me to pull out my hair.
There wasn’t much of a plot to this novel. It sort of just wandered aimlessly. And the writing style was so/so. It was okay but nothing special.
Seeing that the American title of this book is “A Totally Awkward Love Story” I thought there’d be, you know, romance within the pages. Hannah and Sam have a ten minute conversation in the bathroom with each other, and then they’re basically soulmates. However, unnecessary lying and childish misunderstandings keep them apart for most of the novel. Towards the end they kept playing petty games with each other and I really couldn’t tolerate that.
This was a funny book but one you can definitely pass. It was sort of like a Skins knockoff.
What I like about this book is that it really has two distinct voices. Sam’s chapter sounded like Sam, and Hannah sounding like Hannah. Honestly, I think books with alternative points of views only work with two authors involved. What I didn’t like about the alternating chapters is how repetitive everything was. Hannah would summarize what happened, then Sam would, then repeat over and over. It became redundant.
I couldn’t stand Hannah! I thought she was immature and annoying. For once, I found myself enjoying the guys’ chapters more than the girl. I loved the dynamic of friendship between Sam and his friends, Robin and Chris. Actually, I would prefer if Robin was the main character of this story. He was really funny and I thought his Harry Potter obsession was cute. Bottom line, Sam, Robin, and Chris actually sounded like real teenage boys. Hannah and her friends gave me a headache. I don’t understand why Hannah would be friends with Stella if she’s such a terrible person. Stella treated Hannah badly the entire length of the novel (Stella steals her guy, tells Hannah’s secrets, and encourages a friend to cheat on her boyfriend). Their friendship was just a mess and it wasn’t very realistic.
I also can’t stand when characters lie for no reason. You know what I’m talking about? Like if the character just spoke up and told the truth, the whole issue could be resolved in five seconds and the story would be over. Hannah did that. She lied for no reason which caused me to pull out my hair.
There wasn’t much of a plot to this novel. It sort of just wandered aimlessly. And the writing style was so/so. It was okay but nothing special.
Seeing that the American title of this book is “A Totally Awkward Love Story” I thought there’d be, you know, romance within the pages. Hannah and Sam have a ten minute conversation in the bathroom with each other, and then they’re basically soulmates. However, unnecessary lying and childish misunderstandings keep them apart for most of the novel. Towards the end they kept playing petty games with each other and I really couldn’t tolerate that.
This was a funny book but one you can definitely pass. It was sort of like a Skins knockoff.
I thought this was a refreshing read because of the complete and utter honesty that was portrayed. Everyone seems to build up losing their virginity as something to be magical and special, but this book called that BS and proceeded to create a great story out of it where it was okay that their first times were not perfect. Because when is anything perfect? Only four stars because some of the relationships bothered me and I wish some relationships had been explored more. Maybe there were too many characters? It was a great summer read.
