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emdoux's review against another edition
3.0
I love Andrew Smith. I really love his books. This one didn't do it for me -- it didn't have that typical Smith grab of feels of nerves or upset stomach. This isn't to say it didn't HAVE feels, or gross me out, or have scenes where I wanted to scream for the characters. It just didn't grab me the way Smith's books usually do.
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
This was so gratuitous I almost quit. But seeing it continues to get rave reviews and be heralded as literary genius, I kept going.
My take away was that men are horrific beings. The only thing I wanted was to actually see Mrs. Nussbaum's book become reality.
Also, no female main character would ever get away with a story like this, and neither would any female author.
My take away was that men are horrific beings. The only thing I wanted was to actually see Mrs. Nussbaum's book become reality.
Also, no female main character would ever get away with a story like this, and neither would any female author.
diegorivera's review against another edition
5.0
Another nonsense story by Andrew Smith. It was really funny and entertaining. Not his best work, but all the connections and twists were really good that made me enjoyed so much this book.
You get all the feels with this book and I really got attached to the three main characters, especially with Ariel.
I have to say that this is not as funny as Winger, Stand Off, and A Hundred Sideways Miles, but it is really worth to try. For me it is better than Grasshopper Jungle.
A weird, but amazing story about a lot of things that cannot be really summarized, that together they create an interesting story that leaves readers a powerful mesaage about your own will.
This guy is definitely my favorite author.
You get all the feels with this book and I really got attached to the three main characters, especially with Ariel.
I have to say that this is not as funny as Winger, Stand Off, and A Hundred Sideways Miles, but it is really worth to try. For me it is better than Grasshopper Jungle.
A weird, but amazing story about a lot of things that cannot be really summarized, that together they create an interesting story that leaves readers a powerful mesaage about your own will.
This guy is definitely my favorite author.
britterization's review
4.0
I thought it was great! I think I liked Grasshopper Jungle a teensy bit better, hence the four stars. I would describe this book as:
Slaughterhouse 5 + Little Bee + a smattering of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. If that sounds like a weird combo, well, yea. It is. I went from giggling like a schoolperson (boys giggle too) to being hardcore sad/depressed in the span of a few pages. LOTS of triggers in this one - did you see that I referenced Little Bee? Ariel is a refugee, and some REALLY dark stuff happens to him. Like, really dark. REALLY DARK.
Also, I don't think Andrew Smith has a lady problem (because this is an issue, apparently?). He doesn't write about ladies, and that's ok. Not all books need to be about ladies. I mean, most of this is set at an all-boys camp, which doesn't leave a lot of room for the ladies. The one lady in the book is nefarious and awesome.
Anyway, if you liked Grasshopper Jungle, you'll like this one. 4 stars.
Slaughterhouse 5 + Little Bee + a smattering of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. If that sounds like a weird combo, well, yea. It is. I went from giggling like a schoolperson (boys giggle too) to being hardcore sad/depressed in the span of a few pages. LOTS of triggers in this one - did you see that I referenced Little Bee? Ariel is a refugee, and some REALLY dark stuff happens to him. Like, really dark. REALLY DARK.
Also, I don't think Andrew Smith has a lady problem (because this is an issue, apparently?). He doesn't write about ladies, and that's ok. Not all books need to be about ladies. I mean, most of this is set at an all-boys camp, which doesn't leave a lot of room for the ladies. The one lady in the book is nefarious and awesome.
Anyway, if you liked Grasshopper Jungle, you'll like this one. 4 stars.
gskben's review against another edition
5.0
so weird but amazing, love the writing style. The badass story that will give you all the different kind of emotions.
goatsrsexy's review against another edition
5.0
This was fantastic, unexpectedly so. The reviews made me to expect something a lot less coherent then it was. This was great story with a good mix of laughs and sincerity.
nerdyher's review against another edition
3.0
This book was... weird. I was not expecting the amount of science fiction-- or differing P.O.V.s-- in this book, but it was overall intriguing. The eureka moment I had at the middle-end when things started coming together was definitely worth it; I certainly won't be forgetting this book anytime soon.
chwaters's review against another edition
4.0
Ariel's first life was lived somewhere in the Middle East. He had the distinction of being the only survivor in his village when the rebel forces clashed with the military. His path leads him first to a refugee camp and later to a foster home in America. Ariel's new life is with a family in Sunday, West Virginia. His new father works for a large biotech firm and had found a way of bringing animals back from extinction as evidenced by the family pet: a bionic crow suffering from severe depression named Alex. Ariel and his new brother Max are sent off to a summer camp run by the company their father works for. It probably wouldn't be so bad if the camp was a normal one. Instead it is a camp designed for technology-addicted teenaged boys, an affliction that affects neither Ariel nor Max. Needless to say, the camp is less than idyllic.
In the meantime, a man named Leonard is slowly making his way across America in a beat-up U-Haul. Leonard suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and consequently finds himself doing the bidding of a voice belonging to Joseph Stalin (his more destructive urges are kept more or less in check by another voice known only as 3-60). Leonard has also managed to get his hands on some nuclear material and has constructed a bomb, which rides cross-country with him in the back of the van. Since being around unstable nuclear material isn't particularly good for one's health, Leonard is, quite literally, falling apart.
In between these two narratives are the journals from an ill-fated 19th century Arctic excursion aboard the ship Alex Crow. They tried to find passage through the North before becoming trapped by ice. It doesn't go well.
All three of these seemingly disparate narratives manage to fit together in Andrew Smith's newest novel, which, in all honesty, is not the least bit surprising after reading last year's excellent and unusual Grasshopper Jungle. Not only is this one completely unpredictable, it's utterly hilarious. It easily captures the tone and character of teenage boys, for better and for worse. The writing is reminiscent of one of my all-time favorite authors, Kurt Vonnegut, which only makes it better in my opinion. My only criticism is that the biotech angle is so similar to that in Grasshopper Jungle that it feels almost derivative. The stakes here aren't quite as grave in this one either. Still, plenty of food for thought and a thoroughly engaging read.
In the meantime, a man named Leonard is slowly making his way across America in a beat-up U-Haul. Leonard suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and consequently finds himself doing the bidding of a voice belonging to Joseph Stalin (his more destructive urges are kept more or less in check by another voice known only as 3-60). Leonard has also managed to get his hands on some nuclear material and has constructed a bomb, which rides cross-country with him in the back of the van. Since being around unstable nuclear material isn't particularly good for one's health, Leonard is, quite literally, falling apart.
In between these two narratives are the journals from an ill-fated 19th century Arctic excursion aboard the ship Alex Crow. They tried to find passage through the North before becoming trapped by ice. It doesn't go well.
All three of these seemingly disparate narratives manage to fit together in Andrew Smith's newest novel, which, in all honesty, is not the least bit surprising after reading last year's excellent and unusual Grasshopper Jungle. Not only is this one completely unpredictable, it's utterly hilarious. It easily captures the tone and character of teenage boys, for better and for worse. The writing is reminiscent of one of my all-time favorite authors, Kurt Vonnegut, which only makes it better in my opinion. My only criticism is that the biotech angle is so similar to that in Grasshopper Jungle that it feels almost derivative. The stakes here aren't quite as grave in this one either. Still, plenty of food for thought and a thoroughly engaging read.
zarlynsnook's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
First of all I just want to say that I'm proud of myself for finally reading and finishing this book in one go!ha! I got this from a huge book sale way back in 2019 and I soon I got home, I decided that this wasn't a book for me. It was left and dusted on my shelf since. After almost three years and here we are.
This book is weird..like good weird. I like it. Maybe if I forced myself to read this book 3 years ago, I wouldn't have finished it. But now after what happened from 2020 onwards, this book made perfect sense to me. So if you ever happen to have this book on your shelf unread or your tbr list, this is your sign to pick it up and read it.
This book is weird..like good weird. I like it. Maybe if I forced myself to read this book 3 years ago, I wouldn't have finished it. But now after what happened from 2020 onwards, this book made perfect sense to me. So if you ever happen to have this book on your shelf unread or your tbr list, this is your sign to pick it up and read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Stalking and Vomit
jinya's review against another edition
4.0
Well, that was a nice, quiet story about friendship, science experiments with questionable ethics gone awry, and at least a hundred euphemisms for masturbation. Not bad. And almost as quirky as Grasshopper Jungle.