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Not quite sure if I missed something while reading or if the writing is a little muddled, but somewhere around 2/3 of the way through this book I felt as though it had unraveled a bit.
Strong start, though, and compelling until that point.
Strong start, though, and compelling until that point.
I thought that ultimately, this book would make sense - that I would finish it and things would become clearer. Not so much!
The author does an amazing job of capturing the stream of consciousness of a paranoid schizophrenic, but still, I wouldn't recommend this book. Although, maybe language is more important to you than plot. If that's the case, you may enjoy it!
The author does an amazing job of capturing the stream of consciousness of a paranoid schizophrenic, but still, I wouldn't recommend this book. Although, maybe language is more important to you than plot. If that's the case, you may enjoy it!
Engrossing read that starts to spiral into all kinds of crazy at the end -- not that that's a bad thing. I'll have to reread it again at some point in order to fully comprehend the ending. I've read a lot of reviews that call Lowboy a modern day [b:The Catcher in the Rye|5107|The Catcher in the Rye|J.D. Salinger|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165517671s/5107.jpg|3036731], but I think it has more in common with [b:The Butcher Boy|82965|The Butcher Boy|Patrick McCabe|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171033867s/82965.jpg|80103].
A 16-year-old paranoid schizophrenic escapes from an institution and rides the New York City subway system on a mission to save the world from global warming by getting laid. I will not mention the obvious comparison everyone else is making. It's a pretty brilliant premise that is executed without needless exposition. One of the blurbs on the back of my copy referred to the novel having the pace of a thriller, and it does, while still respecting the reader's intellect.
I seem to be in the minority but I really disliked this book. It was fascinating until about mid-point; I stopped being as impressed with the writer's portrayal of a schizophrenic's perspective and more annoyed with the way the plot was forced along. It seemed as though all of the characters acted in irrational ways just to make the plot work. No way would a police detective take a distraught parent on the search for her missing son. Nor would he miss important pieces of information about the family. And the whole story line with the girlfriend? Absolutely ridiculous and unbelievable.
I also found the writing tiresome after a few chapters. I agree with other reviewers that certain passages were beautiful, but that the overall effect felt like a screenplay.
Nothing redeeming about this one except for some understanding into the perception of a paranoid schizophrenic's mind. I'd recommend it for that reason only.
I also found the writing tiresome after a few chapters. I agree with other reviewers that certain passages were beautiful, but that the overall effect felt like a screenplay.
Nothing redeeming about this one except for some understanding into the perception of a paranoid schizophrenic's mind. I'd recommend it for that reason only.
An accurate depiction of paranoid schizophrenia? Not sure. Riveting? Definitely.
DNF. Pretentious and annoying. Disjointed and does not add a thing to the understanding of mental illness in teens. Couldn't care less about the characters.
The descriptions of Will's visions during his decompensations were visually impressive and really gripping. I didn't find that to be true for the story with the cop and his mother though, and the ending was a let down. As a result, I felt let down by those aspects of the story.