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giveintolove's review against another edition
4.0
I thought I wouldn't like this book because it's similar to The Catcher in the Rye and The Perks of Being a Wallflower but I did. One of the only things that bothered me, though, was the lack of commas.
lisamurphy1212's review against another edition
3.0
I really like Adam Rapp's "voice" - even though, generally speaking, I don't enjoy YA novels - and found this story pretty engaging. That said, the ending was telegraphed in the first chapter and I did not think it was as good as "33 Snowfish".
jemppu's review against another edition
5.0
Truly heartfelt, delightful, and touching.
The narration, in form of letter correspondence, creates an unobscured view between the reader and the characters, bringing worth their distinct and authentic individualities, and giving their voices clear, directly affecting sincerity: their bright-eyed naiveté, their fears, excitement, care and worry, their support of each other and their disappointments, their capacity and the incapacity to connect with one and other... - all laid on the pages in an unadorned and often affably awkward honesty.
Story of humanly flawed relationships, told in a jocular, veristic and poignantly intimate manner. Beautiful!
The narration, in form of letter correspondence, creates an unobscured view between the reader and the characters, bringing worth their distinct and authentic individualities, and giving their voices clear, directly affecting sincerity: their bright-eyed naiveté, their fears, excitement, care and worry, their support of each other and their disappointments, their capacity and the incapacity to connect with one and other... - all laid on the pages in an unadorned and often affably awkward honesty.
Story of humanly flawed relationships, told in a jocular, veristic and poignantly intimate manner. Beautiful!
super_librarian's review against another edition
2.0
Almost fifteen-year-old Jamie, aka "Punkzilla," has gone AWOL from military school and has been living a crime-filled life in Portland. When he learns that one of his older brothers is dying of cancer, Punkzilla decides to embark on a cross-country journey in an attempt to reach Peter ("P" for short)in Memphis before he dies. Punkzilla and P are both estranged from their parents, who cannot accept P's homosexuality or Punkzilla's troubling behavior. (Their overachieving brother Edward is the only one who still lives with their parents.)
Punkzilla and P's strong bond is shown through the letters they write to one another. In fact, the entire novel is written in epistolary style. The letters are not all presented in chronological order, however. Interspersed with the letters Punkzilla is writing to P along his journey are letters from the family that detail his past. At first, this was a little confusing to me until I went back and read the dates on all the letters.
The stream-of-consciousness style annoyed me at times, and I felt like there was a lot of unnecessary stuff thrown in. It really did show what was going on in Punkzilla's head, but I had a hard time getting through it.
This was a Printz honor book, and a lot of people loved it, but it just didn't do anything for me. I didn't really connect with the main character, and I felt like a lot of the details were thrown in just to shock readers.
Punkzilla and P's strong bond is shown through the letters they write to one another. In fact, the entire novel is written in epistolary style. The letters are not all presented in chronological order, however. Interspersed with the letters Punkzilla is writing to P along his journey are letters from the family that detail his past. At first, this was a little confusing to me until I went back and read the dates on all the letters.
The stream-of-consciousness style annoyed me at times, and I felt like there was a lot of unnecessary stuff thrown in. It really did show what was going on in Punkzilla's head, but I had a hard time getting through it.
This was a Printz honor book, and a lot of people loved it, but it just didn't do anything for me. I didn't really connect with the main character, and I felt like a lot of the details were thrown in just to shock readers.
iguana_mama's review against another edition
4.0
Cross-posted at Outlaw Reviews and at Shelf Inflicted
I really enjoyed this story about 14-year-old Jamie’s journey from Oregon to Tennessee to see his dying older brother. Jamie’s story is told in letters – long, honest and revealing letters, mostly to and from his brother Peter. Jamie keeps his letters in a notebook that never leaves his sight, many of which are not mailed. These letters tell of his brief experience in a military academy, his demanding father and unhappy mother, his strait-laced brother, Edward, his petty thievery, drug use, ADD, and the sad, violent, desperate and lonely characters he meets on the way. Peter’s letters tell of his career as a playwright, his artist lover, Jorge, and the disease that is ravaging his body.
This story was kind of sad, darkly humorous, and raw. I wanted to strangle Jamie at times. It drove me nuts that he referred to every woman as a “skeezer”, but I couldn’t help caring about this very troubled young man who was often mistaken for a girl and digs the Dropkick Murphys and wanting him to get to his brother in time.
I really enjoyed this story about 14-year-old Jamie’s journey from Oregon to Tennessee to see his dying older brother. Jamie’s story is told in letters – long, honest and revealing letters, mostly to and from his brother Peter. Jamie keeps his letters in a notebook that never leaves his sight, many of which are not mailed. These letters tell of his brief experience in a military academy, his demanding father and unhappy mother, his strait-laced brother, Edward, his petty thievery, drug use, ADD, and the sad, violent, desperate and lonely characters he meets on the way. Peter’s letters tell of his career as a playwright, his artist lover, Jorge, and the disease that is ravaging his body.
This story was kind of sad, darkly humorous, and raw. I wanted to strangle Jamie at times. It drove me nuts that he referred to every woman as a “skeezer”, but I couldn’t help caring about this very troubled young man who was often mistaken for a girl and digs the Dropkick Murphys and wanting him to get to his brother in time.
“P it’s not like I WANT to look like I do. I wish I could grow some whiskers or have a scar over my eye. I’ve even thought about cutting myself I really have just like an inch-long slit over my right eye or across my cheek because that might help me look more manly or less soft or whatever.”
quietrach's review against another edition
4.0
This is the story of Jamie aka Punkzilla. He is on the road from Portland, where he has been living since running away from military school, to Memphis the see his dying brother. Written as a series of letters, very stream of conscious, and lots of adult themes (drug use, language, sex, etc...). Very heavy, but very good.
smhq089030's review against another edition
4.0
The title of the book grabbed my attention at the library. Its the first book i read from Adam Rapp, who now is on my summer reading list. I can not wait to read his other works ! The letter format was brilliant and so was the narrative which was straight forward and funny. The book left me sad and wanting more from Punkzilla.
stshapiro's review against another edition
3.0
It had its ups and downs. The stream of consciousness writing was good in some parts and distracting in others. It made me pretty sad.
boonana's review against another edition
4.0
Quick read. I liked Jamie and his misadventures. The style of writing was interesting; I felt like I was actually listening to someone speak with the way Rapp didn't include punctuation and made the style sound like everyday conversation. Good book.