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stephxsu's review
4.0
SPROUT is a hilarious, heartbreaking, and important addition to the world of GLBT literature. Dale Peck’s writing style is fascinating: reading SPROUT is like entering the mind of a highly intellectual and insightful teenage boy. Sprout frequently goes off on linguistic tangents that occasional distract, but more often add to the genuineness of the story.
While the plot moves slowly, I believe this was okay because the book is more like an elaborate character sketch of Sprout. It is not what actually occurs in Sprout’s life that is important, but rather his thought process that gets him to where he ends up at. By the end, you want to live in Sprout’s world, be his friend, have his friends. You want to have conversations with him, console him when he is distraught, advise him when he is being dumb.
SPROUT is a 2009 must-read by a talented author whose insights and wonderful way with words will take him far in the near future. Sprout may say that his book will never be allowed in school libraries, but I hope that that doesn’t deter everyone from picking this book up and learning something from this precocious young man.
While the plot moves slowly, I believe this was okay because the book is more like an elaborate character sketch of Sprout. It is not what actually occurs in Sprout’s life that is important, but rather his thought process that gets him to where he ends up at. By the end, you want to live in Sprout’s world, be his friend, have his friends. You want to have conversations with him, console him when he is distraught, advise him when he is being dumb.
SPROUT is a 2009 must-read by a talented author whose insights and wonderful way with words will take him far in the near future. Sprout may say that his book will never be allowed in school libraries, but I hope that that doesn’t deter everyone from picking this book up and learning something from this precocious young man.
nuscheda's review
3.0
I could have done without the weird Bonnie and Clyde interlude out in the woods, and the ending in the janitor's closet is entirely inconsistent with everything that the main character has been and has felt throughout the whole book. But the beginning is very well-written and well-conceived so he definitely gets credit for that.
lezreadalot's review
4.0
This novel, to be honest, lives up to that cliché: un-put-down-able. I read it over the span of several hours: the narrative was fun, charming, candid and absolutely easy to read. I didn't exactly speed through it, either, because it's that kind of novel that also has passages that you want to spend a little time on, think about, let sink in; both for the linguistic and textual quality. Sprout was such a good, fun, clever narrator and protagonist, and I found myself rooting for him 100%, from the first page. The humour was tempered with honest and commendable handling of the themes of sexuality, death, and abuse.
**SPOILERS**
Things I really enjoyed: Mrs. Miller, the portrayal of the relationship between Sprout and his dad, Sprout's writing. The little stories and vignettes that he wrote for Mrs. Miller felt like that came from him, and not from Peck. Reiterating: he was such a good, real narrator.
Caveats: Ian and Ruthie sort of got dropped by the wayside, which I suppose went hand in hand with Sprout becoming closer to Ty, but the lack of information and closure bothers me. The non-linear narrative, while completely in character for Sprout, got a little tired and a little irritating? And that crucial moment in the closet, where Sprout fails Ty... it came out of nowhere. I really felt like more needed to be done to make it more credible, or sad, or poignant, or whatever Peck was going for.
All in all, it's definitely a book that I'd recommend to anyone, despite my little complaints. Sprout-the-kid, even more than Sprout-the-book, made me laugh and smile, and gave me a lot of things to mull over. Perhaps he'll do the same for you.
**SPOILERS**
Things I really enjoyed: Mrs. Miller, the portrayal of the relationship between Sprout and his dad, Sprout's writing. The little stories and vignettes that he wrote for Mrs. Miller felt like that came from him, and not from Peck. Reiterating: he was such a good, real narrator.
Caveats: Ian and Ruthie sort of got dropped by the wayside, which I suppose went hand in hand with Sprout becoming closer to Ty, but the lack of information and closure bothers me. The non-linear narrative, while completely in character for Sprout, got a little tired and a little irritating? And that crucial moment in the closet, where Sprout fails Ty... it came out of nowhere. I really felt like more needed to be done to make it more credible, or sad, or poignant, or whatever Peck was going for.
All in all, it's definitely a book that I'd recommend to anyone, despite my little complaints. Sprout-the-kid, even more than Sprout-the-book, made me laugh and smile, and gave me a lot of things to mull over. Perhaps he'll do the same for you.
kiersomething's review
4.0
Sprout was a book I picked out as a spur of the moment thing. I was going to get my car fixed, and I needed something to read. So my expectations weren't super high for the book-- which might be why it blew me away.
Sprout's style and way of telling the reader things he wants them to know is hilarious. And even though his life is crazy and so are the things that happen around him, he doesn't let that get in the way of making the reader laugh. Not just at the absurdity of what's happening, but also at Sprout himself.
And don't let my focus on the humor mislead you. Sprout isn't just a laugh, chuckle chuckle, laugh kind of book. The moments of insight are just made even more surprising and real by the cushioning of humor all around. This book was much more than I expected, in humor and thought-provoking moments, and I think it would've blown me away even if I had sat around and thought about buying the book for a few more days, raising my expectations. It's a good book, people.
Sprout's style and way of telling the reader things he wants them to know is hilarious. And even though his life is crazy and so are the things that happen around him, he doesn't let that get in the way of making the reader laugh. Not just at the absurdity of what's happening, but also at Sprout himself.
And don't let my focus on the humor mislead you. Sprout isn't just a laugh, chuckle chuckle, laugh kind of book. The moments of insight are just made even more surprising and real by the cushioning of humor all around. This book was much more than I expected, in humor and thought-provoking moments, and I think it would've blown me away even if I had sat around and thought about buying the book for a few more days, raising my expectations. It's a good book, people.
hexijosh's review
4.0
Hm...where to begin? I thought up some funny responses to this book while reading, but didn't write them down before they crapped out the back of my brain.
Sprout (a.k.a. Daniel) is 16 and growing up in rural Kansas after being transplanted following the death of his mother and his father's descent into alcoholism four years ago. Sound like a hard life? Toss in the fact that he's gay and you've got the American Dream. Also, he has hair as green as a Wicked Witch's titty.
Did I mention the son of an abusive religious fanatic with a dead twin as the love interest? There's a son of a...fuck it, you get the point. (<--inside joke for those who have already read).
So, let's break it down:
You see, Sprout tells his story through a series of journalistic exercises at the prodding of his English teacher, who thinks he's a shoo-in for the state essay writing contest.
And just who is Sprout? The sarcastic kid who's quick with a quip and a lexicographical addiction. See what I did there?
Alright, enough fuck-roundary (copy-written and trademarked). Every other word in this book is an exercise in how to send your audience scrounging for Dictionary.com or, if they're lucky enough to have it on an eReader (I looked, eBook does not exist), hit the "Look Up Word" button. I completely understand Sprout's motivation for using every left-field synonym, but there were times I couldn't help but feel that Dale Peck was running around his room, screaming "Look at how many words *I* know!" while he was banging around on his computer.
Okay, that's harsh(ish). The word addiction is a great bit of characterization, albeit grating on the nerves, but let's be honest, teens could stand to learn a few more these days.
But let's go past that to the meat:
Sprout is a great read, but only once you get to the middle. The first half of the book is really a bunch of vague references to Sprout's life that aren't addressed until much later on, so make a mental note of every eccentricity. Plus, it isn't until the last half that the real love element comes into play and when it does, it's done very well.
And brush up on your pop culture references, kids. One moment you're hit with "Resident Evil" movies and a very unfortunate Terry Schiavo mention that had me making uncomfortable noises accompanied by a bevy of facial expressions. Rectal exams are more comfortable. Of course, the only rectal exams I've ever had were with a...ya know what, skip it.
So here are my major issues:
The dialog gets miffy and unrealistic, especially when talking with Ty (crazy daddy guy). Sometimes it was like reading a conversation between two cardboard cutouts and all the depth that implies. Peck tried, but it fell short of the target.
Whimsy comes into play quite a bit in this book, which makes this little slice of Kansas all the more interesting, but sometimes goes a little too far and leaves the reader going "Yeah, sure. If you say so, Peck."
For those who don't know, this book won the 2009-10 Lambda Literary Award for Best Teen Fiction. Honestly, I was far more blown away by Nick Burd's [b:The Vast Fields of Ordinary|6017769|The Vast Fields of Ordinary|Nick Burd|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255786769s/6017769.jpg|6193128], which was up for the same award.
Now, don't get me wrong. Peck has done a commendable job here in the growing category of Gay Teen Fiction and it is definitely worth the time.
I give the book 4 of 5 because I wasn't particularly blown away by it, nor did I ever stop to think "Wow, I completely feel this character as a person and understand their world." But it is vastly superior to some of the other books I've read recently (see: My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger).
So give it a go. You'll be entertained for a few days at the very least and I think there is something here the reader can take away and apply to their own lives.
Sprout (a.k.a. Daniel) is 16 and growing up in rural Kansas after being transplanted following the death of his mother and his father's descent into alcoholism four years ago. Sound like a hard life? Toss in the fact that he's gay and you've got the American Dream. Also, he has hair as green as a Wicked Witch's titty.
Did I mention the son of an abusive religious fanatic with a dead twin as the love interest? There's a son of a...fuck it, you get the point. (<--inside joke for those who have already read).
So, let's break it down:
You see, Sprout tells his story through a series of journalistic exercises at the prodding of his English teacher, who thinks he's a shoo-in for the state essay writing contest.
And just who is Sprout? The sarcastic kid who's quick with a quip and a lexicographical addiction. See what I did there?
Alright, enough fuck-roundary (copy-written and trademarked). Every other word in this book is an exercise in how to send your audience scrounging for Dictionary.com or, if they're lucky enough to have it on an eReader (I looked, eBook does not exist), hit the "Look Up Word" button. I completely understand Sprout's motivation for using every left-field synonym, but there were times I couldn't help but feel that Dale Peck was running around his room, screaming "Look at how many words *I* know!" while he was banging around on his computer.
Okay, that's harsh(ish). The word addiction is a great bit of characterization, albeit grating on the nerves, but let's be honest, teens could stand to learn a few more these days.
But let's go past that to the meat:
Sprout is a great read, but only once you get to the middle. The first half of the book is really a bunch of vague references to Sprout's life that aren't addressed until much later on, so make a mental note of every eccentricity. Plus, it isn't until the last half that the real love element comes into play and when it does, it's done very well.
And brush up on your pop culture references, kids. One moment you're hit with "Resident Evil" movies and a very unfortunate Terry Schiavo mention that had me making uncomfortable noises accompanied by a bevy of facial expressions. Rectal exams are more comfortable. Of course, the only rectal exams I've ever had were with a...ya know what, skip it.
So here are my major issues:
The dialog gets miffy and unrealistic, especially when talking with Ty (crazy daddy guy). Sometimes it was like reading a conversation between two cardboard cutouts and all the depth that implies. Peck tried, but it fell short of the target.
Whimsy comes into play quite a bit in this book, which makes this little slice of Kansas all the more interesting, but sometimes goes a little too far and leaves the reader going "Yeah, sure. If you say so, Peck."
For those who don't know, this book won the 2009-10 Lambda Literary Award for Best Teen Fiction. Honestly, I was far more blown away by Nick Burd's [b:The Vast Fields of Ordinary|6017769|The Vast Fields of Ordinary|Nick Burd|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255786769s/6017769.jpg|6193128], which was up for the same award.
Now, don't get me wrong. Peck has done a commendable job here in the growing category of Gay Teen Fiction and it is definitely worth the time.
I give the book 4 of 5 because I wasn't particularly blown away by it, nor did I ever stop to think "Wow, I completely feel this character as a person and understand their world." But it is vastly superior to some of the other books I've read recently (see: My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger).
So give it a go. You'll be entertained for a few days at the very least and I think there is something here the reader can take away and apply to their own lives.
saidtheraina's review
4.0
I just loved this book. Sprout's nickname comes from his hair, which he religiously dyes green, with help from his best friend. My favorite thing was the way his dad decorated their property (with upturned stumps, and vines trained all over their trailer). But mostly, I just loved his voice. He was hilarious. I loved the discussion of writing, and the meta-elements where he discusses what he can and can't do in his essay. It keeps surprising me that this is a "spin-off" of sorts of another novel. Sprout is a great character and it's a little hard to believe he wasn't central in other titles. Big fan.
lucca111angel's review
2.0
This book was so… much. It took me almost 2 years to finish because of how much I disliked the MC.
Let’s start with my first complaint- the book has little to nothing in common with it’s description. I was under the impression that this was a gay early 2000’s YA, somewhere along the lines of Geography Club, or some straight to DVD trashy romcom. It literally describes itself as being hilarious, frustrating, and exquisite. Only 1 of those 3 descriptors were accurate, in my opinion.
Here’s the real plot (and try your best to follow along, because every time I ranted to my friends about it, it took about 15 minutes to cover all the random plot lines)-
Daniel Bradford (aka Sprout) has green hair, lives in rural Kansas, and carries his dead moms dictionary with him everywhere for some reason. He has one friend, who he repeatedly calls weird/annoying/ugly, and he’s bullied for being a weird outcast. Allegedly. There’s not really many scenes of him being bullied, besides from one character, Ian, who he’s been sleeping with since they were both 12. Sprout is asked by one of his teachers to enter an essay writing contest, because he is smart apparently, and he spends all summer at her house preparing for this contest. She is possibly an alcoholic, and she attempts to provide him with alcohol. Totally normal! His father is an alcoholic, and is kind of supportive/kind of not, but either way we don’t see too much of him, so it doesn’t matter. School starts, and Sprout meets a boy named Ty. Forget everything else going on in the book, it’s about Ty and Sprout falling in love now! Ty lives in a strict, conservative, abusive household, where he and his siblings are regularly beat by their father. Everybody knows about it, but nobody tries to help them. Except for Sprout, who is now obsessed with him and feels like he has to be the one to save him, to keep him from running away, and also having constant sex with him in some sort of weird serial-killer-type lair in the woods. But then they’re caught at school by his ex-best friend, and Ian’s there too, because apparently those two have been dating since June and now it’s December, and also she’s pregnant? Ty runs away, three weeks pass with no sign of him, Sprout writes the essay of his life which may or may not be the 277pg book I just read.
I hate all of the characters in this book. Sprout is an annoying smartass, Mrs. Miller is a terrible teacher, his dad doesn’t show up enough for me to care, same with Ian and Ruthie. Ty, though. Oh my god. He is like the JROTC kid from my nightmares. I have no idea what Sprout is supposed to see in him, besides the obvious fact that he’s using Ty as a replacement for his mother? I’m not sad that Ty ran away. Get over him, he was too much for you. You are 16. You cannot save him.
I think that this book was well written, there were many scenes that kept me on my toes. But, I think this is an awful representation of love, sex, and friendship, and I would not want any teenager to read this and internalize it. It is not romantic to have your closeted boyfriend point a gun at you. Don’t lick hair dye off of anybody’s body. Even as teenagers, you can be in a healthier relationship than this. I am so disappointed with this book.
Let’s start with my first complaint- the book has little to nothing in common with it’s description. I was under the impression that this was a gay early 2000’s YA, somewhere along the lines of Geography Club, or some straight to DVD trashy romcom. It literally describes itself as being hilarious, frustrating, and exquisite. Only 1 of those 3 descriptors were accurate, in my opinion.
Here’s the real plot (and try your best to follow along, because every time I ranted to my friends about it, it took about 15 minutes to cover all the random plot lines)-
Daniel Bradford (aka Sprout) has green hair, lives in rural Kansas, and carries his dead moms dictionary with him everywhere for some reason. He has one friend, who he repeatedly calls weird/annoying/ugly, and he’s bullied for being a weird outcast. Allegedly. There’s not really many scenes of him being bullied, besides from one character, Ian, who he’s been sleeping with since they were both 12. Sprout is asked by one of his teachers to enter an essay writing contest, because he is smart apparently, and he spends all summer at her house preparing for this contest. She is possibly an alcoholic, and she attempts to provide him with alcohol. Totally normal! His father is an alcoholic, and is kind of supportive/kind of not, but either way we don’t see too much of him, so it doesn’t matter. School starts, and Sprout meets a boy named Ty. Forget everything else going on in the book, it’s about Ty and Sprout falling in love now! Ty lives in a strict, conservative, abusive household, where he and his siblings are regularly beat by their father. Everybody knows about it, but nobody tries to help them. Except for Sprout, who is now obsessed with him and feels like he has to be the one to save him, to keep him from running away, and also having constant sex with him in some sort of weird serial-killer-type lair in the woods. But then they’re caught at school by his ex-best friend, and Ian’s there too, because apparently those two have been dating since June and now it’s December, and also she’s pregnant? Ty runs away, three weeks pass with no sign of him, Sprout writes the essay of his life which may or may not be the 277pg book I just read.
I hate all of the characters in this book. Sprout is an annoying smartass, Mrs. Miller is a terrible teacher, his dad doesn’t show up enough for me to care, same with Ian and Ruthie. Ty, though. Oh my god. He is like the JROTC kid from my nightmares. I have no idea what Sprout is supposed to see in him, besides the obvious fact that he’s using Ty as a replacement for his mother? I’m not sad that Ty ran away. Get over him, he was too much for you. You are 16. You cannot save him.
I think that this book was well written, there were many scenes that kept me on my toes. But, I think this is an awful representation of love, sex, and friendship, and I would not want any teenager to read this and internalize it. It is not romantic to have your closeted boyfriend point a gun at you. Don’t lick hair dye off of anybody’s body. Even as teenagers, you can be in a healthier relationship than this. I am so disappointed with this book.
missprint_'s review
1.0
Sprout Bradford has a secret. Everyone knows it. But no one talks about it. It isn't what you think. His secret has nothing to do with his green hair, his romantic relationships, or even his dysfunctional family life.
All of the characters might know the secret at the center of Sprout (2009) by Dale Peck. But after finishing the novel, I still have no idea.
The premise behind Sprout is rather clever. Preparing to compete in a state essay contest in Kansas the chapters of the story are, for the most part, Sprout's practice essays as presented to his writing coach Mrs. Miller. This conceit gives the novel a very meta quality--Sprout knows that he is writing the story and so do you. But in a weird, jarring way, it works. It makes the story interesting. It seems so clever.
The first part of Sprout was a blast. Peck introduces a bunch of truly screwball characters--all flawed but all somehow likable in spite of it. Or maybe because of it. Sprout's narrations were also funny and witty. Here's a sixteen-year-old boy you'd really love to meet in real life.
Then I got to the halfway point and everything fell apart. A new character was introduced. The writing style changed. Characters that were likable became loathsome. And I was certain that the novel would. Never. End. Because it dragged so much. I can't really explain why, because it would be an epic spoiler, except to say I think what was meant to be the focus of the story was introduced too late. I was ready to read one type of book when the author threw a totally different type at me that I was unprepared to deal with.
Sprout is a boy who keeps himself at a remove. The strongest parts of Sprout come when he is observing his world and describing it. That aspect of the story was lacking in the second half when things verged a bit to closely to the surreal for my tastes.
After breezing through the first half of the novel, and loving it, I was truly disappointed to find the second half not only lagging but also lacking anything in the way of a true resolution at the end. The story was so open-ended that I still don't really know what happened to most of the characters. And then, honestly, what's the point of reading about them?
All of the characters might know the secret at the center of Sprout (2009) by Dale Peck. But after finishing the novel, I still have no idea.
The premise behind Sprout is rather clever. Preparing to compete in a state essay contest in Kansas the chapters of the story are, for the most part, Sprout's practice essays as presented to his writing coach Mrs. Miller. This conceit gives the novel a very meta quality--Sprout knows that he is writing the story and so do you. But in a weird, jarring way, it works. It makes the story interesting. It seems so clever.
The first part of Sprout was a blast. Peck introduces a bunch of truly screwball characters--all flawed but all somehow likable in spite of it. Or maybe because of it. Sprout's narrations were also funny and witty. Here's a sixteen-year-old boy you'd really love to meet in real life.
Then I got to the halfway point and everything fell apart. A new character was introduced. The writing style changed. Characters that were likable became loathsome. And I was certain that the novel would. Never. End. Because it dragged so much. I can't really explain why, because it would be an epic spoiler, except to say I think what was meant to be the focus of the story was introduced too late. I was ready to read one type of book when the author threw a totally different type at me that I was unprepared to deal with.
Sprout is a boy who keeps himself at a remove. The strongest parts of Sprout come when he is observing his world and describing it. That aspect of the story was lacking in the second half when things verged a bit to closely to the surreal for my tastes.
After breezing through the first half of the novel, and loving it, I was truly disappointed to find the second half not only lagging but also lacking anything in the way of a true resolution at the end. The story was so open-ended that I still don't really know what happened to most of the characters. And then, honestly, what's the point of reading about them?
blaarrosir's review
1.0
I didn't like this book at all. The main character, Sprout, was completely uninteresting. The author tried so hard to make him interesting by giving him green hair and his dad weird lawncare quirks, but it just didn't work. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.