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yuniesan's review against another edition
5.0
I didn't know what I was going to think about when I started reading this book.... especially because Cliff is talking directly at you in some parts. In the end I absolutely loved this book, it made me laugh out loud, and made me sad because we hide so much of what is really happening within our own lives while showing the outside world a completely different side of ourselves. With a lot of work the real you comes out, that's what this book is about. At first I thought it was just about a boy growing up, but it turned out that that same boy had already grown up and was just trying to find his place. He has a very diverse set of friends, all who have their own unique personalities, and he even makes you give some characters including himself your own imagining. Everything about this book is what makes it special and something worth reading.
alboyer6's review against another edition
I gave it 62 pgs. I can see how boys could like it but the narrator was unreliable and went off on too many tangents that left me with difficulty keeping focused on the story and I'm not yet sure what the story is.
katscribefever's review against another edition
5.0
This was a fascinating trip into the mind of Cliff, who is on the very cusp of legal adulthood. I read far fewer stories with male protagonists than female, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised to find it pretty much equally relatable. The real charm of the story is that, while Cliff is writing his story, he is also writing about the intention behind specific things he includes in the book during the writing process. It makes for a very impressive novel, and a gripping one. Definitely a stay-awake-until-the-end book. Well worth the sleep deprivation.
apotts's review against another edition
4.0
Great insight into the mind of a teenage bot, this one will definitely surprise you at the end. Hilarious, poignant, and honest (to the point of pain--side-splitting and heart-wrenching) to the core, this one should be on the top of your list.
natwrite's review against another edition
5.0
This book is adorable. I have to give the main character, Cliff, so much cred for acting like a believable human being and also being self-aware to an astonishing degree. I am so fed up with white male YA protagonists who are sexist, who romanticize mental illness, blah blah blah (looking at you, John Green, bitch!) but Cliff is a breath of fresh air just by actively trying not to be those things! He actually catches himself when he obsesses over a girl he doesn't even know and learns to treat and value her as a friend! What a wonderful lesson for a YA novel. Love it. Also, the book is hilarious.
rcaivano's review against another edition
Cliff is a senior in high school who wants nothing more than to win the heart of the girl he loves, who doesn't know he exists. He loves art, and doesn't know what to do with the rest of his life. His unemployed father thinks he's a waste and threatens to throw him out the minute he turns 18. He hopes to go to college and is working two jobs just to try to contribute to the family. When he finally gets the nerve to talk to Jillian, he finds they actually have a lot in common and they like each other. He's a good kid; stands up for what he believes in and supports his friends. This was a very good book, a true coming of age told in an honest voice.
stephee's review against another edition
4.0
Boy becomes man. #3wordbookreview
Funny, self aware and more literary devices than you could shake a stick at.
And some beautiful prose:
Funny, self aware and more literary devices than you could shake a stick at.
And some beautiful prose:
Butch let out a heavy sigh of mock frustration. She worked with sighs the way Van Gogh worked with swirls of raw sienna and Prussian blue.
sara_gabai's review against another edition
4.0
Hard to get through the first chapter. But after that, it is a good book. Recommended for EFL 11th or 12th graders with good English reading skills. Very real life problems of a 12th grade boy.