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2.98 AVERAGE
2.98 AVERAGE
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Atrocious. Clearly written by a high-schooler who has watched (and half-read) Fight Club too many times and thought "I can totally do that, bro!"
It's clichéd, predictable and eye-rollingly bad. It was recommended to me as a hate-read and it's too bad even for that. Easily one of the worst books I've ever read.
It's clichéd, predictable and eye-rollingly bad. It was recommended to me as a hate-read and it's too bad even for that. Easily one of the worst books I've ever read.
this is so so bad. i took it out the library without reading the authors description, which i kinda wish id done, and it's just shockingly terrible... i know it's a debut novel, but it is truly the most amateur shit ive ever even tried to read. it's like fight club if it was written by a 13 year old boy in his english lessons. the prose is really hard to take seriously and each character is just a list of stereotypes. the female characters in particular are just misogynistic (and racist) caricatures. i was going to try to just hate-read it, but i got as far as i could possibly stomach. god knows how this book has so many 3+ star reviews. awful awful awful
The idea is intriguing. Identity in book form but not subtle enough. If you make it to page 159 the 2nd part of the book is better.
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Preface: I'm not giving this a star rating because I don't think I can fairly give it one. What I will say is this: I enjoyed my time with this book and simultaneously listening to the audio book with it. I don't regret buying it both physically and in audio book form.
Second preface: The soundtrack to this book is nice. Not gonna be everyone's thing but I kinda dug it.
The entire time I was reading this book I couldn't help but think of Legally Blonde. The scene where Callahan has just gotten the pink resume from Elle and is shook to his core:
And LO AND BEHOLD I was right, as stated in his acknowledgements. Bobby Hall is Elle Woods in real life confirmed. And I'm not mad about it. I mean think about it: He ALWAYS does what he sets his mind to, as does Elle. It's something I admire about him the most. He always gives people the benefit of doubt and seems so welcoming to anyone in his life, again, like Elle. Furthermore, he does what he sets out to in an unconventional way. Elle Woods doesn't seem like the type of girl to be a lawyer but she proves herself worthy. How she goes about doing her gig is insane to all of her peers, but she does it anyway because it's true to herself... and that's what matters.
That's basically how I feel about this book, and Bobby for writing it. This book is written in such an unconventional way. The writing style takes a loooong bit to get used to, especially if you're already an avid reader and are used to your own personal tastes. I will admit that I honestly would have dnfd this book rather early on if it wasn't written by him. The style is just not my cup of tea. And the reveals weren't as satisfying as I would have hoped because the foreshadowing is way too on the nose. The absolute absurdity of certain situations drove me mad. At least until I looked at it from the perspective of this is a book that Bobby has written, and suddenly just "knowing" the author on a certain level makes everything make much more enjoyable.
I can't say I would recommend this book to non-fans of Bobby or his Logic/Young Sinatra/Bobby Taratino personas. I, personally, don't think I would have liked this had I not known him. The writing is messy and kind of all over the place. There's way too much focus on description of characters and throwing out names of random celebrities and brands. And I have to agree with some other goodreads reviewers that it just SCREAMED amateurish. Some of the plot doesn't really add up. But despite all this I still had a fun time reading it?? And there was a LOT of good I took from it as well. A lot of great quotes to live by. To be inspired from. The plot, while messy in some regards, IS interesting and entertaining.
This is by no means a masterpiece. But it's definitely not utter garbage either.
Character wise, I enjoyed being in the mind of Flynn. Def a guy you can root for because shit just seems to keep happening to him. The supermarket employees all felt two-dimensional but logistically, this works. Flynn is to wrapped up in his own shenanigans to actually try to get to know anyone as he’s just viewing them as characters for a book.
I'm curious to hear what non-fans will think about this book. And curious as to how
Here's where I go into some mushy territory shit about the "idea" of this book and the bookish community so if you're only in it for the actual contents of the book itself you can stop:
I think the only thing I'm sure of from this is that I am happy this book exists. So many people have been saying that they don't think of themselves much as readers but had to go ahead and give it a shot and pick it up because they know the author. And I think that's legitimately amazing. School does a great job at making reading seem like the worst thing ever and many members of the bookish community are utter snobs towards those who aren't average readers so anything that gets people reading or just trying something new is rad as fuck. Reading is just another form of media consumption, no better or worse than any other form and anyone that tries to tell you differently can shut up.
Even if it's the only book some of them we'll read for another long period of time, this has opened up something in people to encourage them to try some new shit and since I'm coming from the perspective of someone who IS a reader I feel inspired to try other things I never would have really been interested in otherwise. And I think a ton of people will read this and realize that reading doesn't have to be like it is in English class. There is so much to choose from and once you find what you're interested in it's SO. NICE. So to anyone who read this and it has inspired them to keep reading other things (whether it be novel form or not) you are MORE than welcome to be a part of this community. You already are just by having read THIS so don't take people's shit for it and don't let the snobby people in this community rip you out. If you got something from this book that's all that matters.
Second preface: The soundtrack to this book is nice. Not gonna be everyone's thing but I kinda dug it.
The entire time I was reading this book I couldn't help but think of Legally Blonde. The scene where Callahan has just gotten the pink resume from Elle and is shook to his core:
And LO AND BEHOLD I was right, as stated in his acknowledgements.
Spoiler
"After a week of binge-reading novels for the first time in my life in my midtwenties, I sat up and said, I'm gonna write a book."That's basically how I feel about this book, and Bobby for writing it. This book is written in such an unconventional way. The writing style takes a loooong bit to get used to, especially if you're already an avid reader and are used to your own personal tastes. I will admit that I honestly would have dnfd this book rather early on if it wasn't written by him. The style is just not my cup of tea. And the reveals weren't as satisfying as I would have hoped because the foreshadowing is way too on the nose. The absolute absurdity of certain situations drove me mad. At least until I looked at it from the perspective of this is a book that Bobby has written, and suddenly just "knowing" the author on a certain level makes everything make much more enjoyable.
I can't say I would recommend this book to non-fans of Bobby or his Logic/Young Sinatra/Bobby Taratino personas. I, personally, don't think I would have liked this had I not known him. The writing is messy and kind of all over the place. There's way too much focus on description of characters and throwing out names of random celebrities and brands. And I have to agree with some other goodreads reviewers that it just SCREAMED amateurish.
Spoiler
But then again it makes SENSE it's written this way??? Since it's literally a book in a book about someone writing a book and It's suPPOSED to be his first novel etc... you can see my internal dilemma in really rating this properly.This is by no means a masterpiece. But it's definitely not utter garbage either.
Character wise, I enjoyed being in the mind of Flynn. Def a guy you can root for because shit just seems to keep happening to him. The supermarket employees all felt two-dimensional but logistically, this works. Flynn is to wrapped up in his own shenanigans to actually try to get to know anyone as he’s just viewing them as characters for a book.
Spoiler
I thought that his other personalities/visions he was seeing were written well, as again the focus is really about what’s going on with him. I adored the doctor and how mental health care was portrayed.I'm curious to hear what non-fans will think about this book. And curious as to how
Spoiler
people with schizophrenia and the other diagnoses Flynn had will think as well. I suffer from anxiety and depression and could definitely relate to Flynn in a lot of ways from that regard.Here's where I go into some mushy territory shit about the "idea" of this book and the bookish community so if you're only in it for the actual contents of the book itself you can stop:
I think the only thing I'm sure of from this is that I am happy this book exists. So many people have been saying that they don't think of themselves much as readers but had to go ahead and give it a shot and pick it up because they know the author. And I think that's legitimately amazing. School does a great job at making reading seem like the worst thing ever and many members of the bookish community are utter snobs towards those who aren't average readers so anything that gets people reading or just trying something new is rad as fuck. Reading is just another form of media consumption, no better or worse than any other form and anyone that tries to tell you differently can shut up.
Even if it's the only book some of them we'll read for another long period of time, this has opened up something in people to encourage them to try some new shit and since I'm coming from the perspective of someone who IS a reader I feel inspired to try other things I never would have really been interested in otherwise. And I think a ton of people will read this and realize that reading doesn't have to be like it is in English class. There is so much to choose from and once you find what you're interested in it's SO. NICE. So to anyone who read this and it has inspired them to keep reading other things (whether it be novel form or not) you are MORE than welcome to be a part of this community. You already are just by having read THIS so don't take people's shit for it and don't let the snobby people in this community rip you out. If you got something from this book that's all that matters.
A solid first book. Lots of clichés and quite predictable, but I'll read his next book, too.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really about a 3.5
For this book I was really going in thinking that I wouldn’t like it but I actually didn’t mind it. I felt people were pretty harsh on it. It’s not great but I cut it some slack since it was Hall’s 1st book. The overall concept was interesting. Although I did feel it was fairly predictable. The twist came in part two which I was not expecting and actually enjoyed it. If you can get past the subpar writing I think that this book would be alright.
For this book I was really going in thinking that I wouldn’t like it but I actually didn’t mind it. I felt people were pretty harsh on it. It’s not great but I cut it some slack since it was Hall’s 1st book. The overall concept was interesting. Although I did feel it was fairly predictable. The twist came in part two which I was not expecting and actually enjoyed it. If you can get past the subpar writing I think that this book would be alright.