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cpliego's review against another edition
4.0
As soon as I read the summary, I knew I wanted to review Happy Birthday to Me. Not only was it something totally different and unique, but it sounded like it was going to be lots of fun. I expected the laugh out loud moments, but not the events that made me tear up a bit. I thought it was going only to be a little mysterious, with the paranormal aspects thrown in here and there, but I was surprised at the heartfelt moments that kept me glued to each page.
Cameron has the perfect life. He's good looking, a star basketball player, has a beautiful girlfriend, and his family has money. His family life is a little less perfect with his father always working and his sister always practicing away on her violin, but Cameron is happy, confident and full of life. One day though, Cameron looks in the mirror and sees a man. Not the 17 year old boy that he is, but an older version of himself. He immediately freaks out and tries to find out what is wrong, but no doctor can tell him of a cure. Instead he must live each day carefully, and as he gets a year older with each passing day, Cameron finally begins to realize what really matters in life and how every moment that you spend with your loved ones is truly special.
Like many others have said before me, I did not like Cameron. At first. He's your ordinary, popular and good-looking jock. He's a jerk with a gorgeous snobby girlfriend and he only worries about his looks and when he'll finally sleep with his girlfriend. I sort read the beginning slowly because I was having hard time connecting with him or anyone else. So when he first started aging, I thought "that's what you get, butthead..." But Cameron starts to change, and as I continued to read, I couldn't help but become a little attached to him and feel sympathetic because of what his condition had him going through.
His family and friends, although at first a little odd in the way they treated Cameron, begin to change as they realize that Cameron isn't getting any younger and that he will quickly become an old man. Although they have a hard time accepting what's happening to him, they must face it and support him in any way they can. I enjoyed how each relationship blossomed as the days went by, and how their love became more apparent as Cameron became older. His changes in personality only helped each relationship grow stronger and that definitely helped in liking him more.
I loved that I didn't know how it would all end, and I must admit that I was a bit surprised with how the story concluded. Actually, I was a lot surprised, and it left me with lots of questions. I know the second book in the trilogy will be released in just a few months, but I cannot wait to read what happens next. The authors writing was great, and the book held a combination of humor and seriousness, that keeps the reader flipping through the pages until the end. I definitely recommend this book to YA and paranormal lovers; this is a fun, unique read that I'm sure many will enjoy.
Cameron has the perfect life. He's good looking, a star basketball player, has a beautiful girlfriend, and his family has money. His family life is a little less perfect with his father always working and his sister always practicing away on her violin, but Cameron is happy, confident and full of life. One day though, Cameron looks in the mirror and sees a man. Not the 17 year old boy that he is, but an older version of himself. He immediately freaks out and tries to find out what is wrong, but no doctor can tell him of a cure. Instead he must live each day carefully, and as he gets a year older with each passing day, Cameron finally begins to realize what really matters in life and how every moment that you spend with your loved ones is truly special.
Like many others have said before me, I did not like Cameron. At first. He's your ordinary, popular and good-looking jock. He's a jerk with a gorgeous snobby girlfriend and he only worries about his looks and when he'll finally sleep with his girlfriend. I sort read the beginning slowly because I was having hard time connecting with him or anyone else. So when he first started aging, I thought "that's what you get, butthead..." But Cameron starts to change, and as I continued to read, I couldn't help but become a little attached to him and feel sympathetic because of what his condition had him going through.
His family and friends, although at first a little odd in the way they treated Cameron, begin to change as they realize that Cameron isn't getting any younger and that he will quickly become an old man. Although they have a hard time accepting what's happening to him, they must face it and support him in any way they can. I enjoyed how each relationship blossomed as the days went by, and how their love became more apparent as Cameron became older. His changes in personality only helped each relationship grow stronger and that definitely helped in liking him more.
I loved that I didn't know how it would all end, and I must admit that I was a bit surprised with how the story concluded. Actually, I was a lot surprised, and it left me with lots of questions. I know the second book in the trilogy will be released in just a few months, but I cannot wait to read what happens next. The authors writing was great, and the book held a combination of humor and seriousness, that keeps the reader flipping through the pages until the end. I definitely recommend this book to YA and paranormal lovers; this is a fun, unique read that I'm sure many will enjoy.
kellybrocklehurst's review against another edition
5.0
Happy Birthday to Me is, in one word, fun. Once I started reading it, I didn't want to put it down.
The characters were awesome. I think my favorite was Wes; I had a little crush on him. Cameron was great. Sometimes I was annoyed with him, especially when he was pining after Charisma, who was clearly not good enough for him, but mostly, I was rooting for things to go his way. I was really able to feel his emotions throughout the novel, especially toward the end. I loved the person he was by the end of the novel.
Speaking of Charisma, I hated her. I love having characters to hate, because it means the author has done his/her job in creating characters I feel passionately about, even if I don't actually like the character. Brian Rowe definitely achieved that with Charisma. I thought I was going to hate Mrs. Gordon, too, and the way she was portrayed as a librarian. I definitely didn't like her, but the librarian portrayal wasn't too bad. It didn't up being as stereotypical as I was afraid it was going to be, once Cameron got to know her better.
Everything about Happy Birthday to Me is awesome: the story, the writing, the characters. I loved every minute of it, and I can't wait to read Happy Birthday to Me Again.
The characters were awesome. I think my favorite was Wes; I had a little crush on him. Cameron was great. Sometimes I was annoyed with him, especially when he was pining after Charisma, who was clearly not good enough for him, but mostly, I was rooting for things to go his way. I was really able to feel his emotions throughout the novel, especially toward the end. I loved the person he was by the end of the novel.
Speaking of Charisma, I hated her. I love having characters to hate, because it means the author has done his/her job in creating characters I feel passionately about, even if I don't actually like the character. Brian Rowe definitely achieved that with Charisma. I thought I was going to hate Mrs. Gordon, too, and the way she was portrayed as a librarian. I definitely didn't like her, but the librarian portrayal wasn't too bad. It didn't up being as stereotypical as I was afraid it was going to be, once Cameron got to know her better.
Everything about Happy Birthday to Me is awesome: the story, the writing, the characters. I loved every minute of it, and I can't wait to read Happy Birthday to Me Again.
kellybrocklehurst's review
5.0
Once again, the characters are awesome. What I really love about the characters is that every character drips with personality, even the minor ones. Cameron's gay aunt and her wife, his grandfather, Wesley, Kimber, Hannah. . . . Every single one of them comes alive on the page, even if they only play small roles in the novel. I especially loved Cameron's grandfather at the Christmas Eve dinner--he cracked me up. For me, he was the perfect, cute little old guy who wanted people to shut up and stop giving speeches so he could eat. I adored him.
I love the humor in this book. It seemed like on almost every page, there was something to laugh at. I think my favorite line was probably, "You know, librarians can be more frisky than you think," just because I'm on my way to becoming a librarian. It made me giggle.
Once again, there were some characters that I loved to hate. I was actually really disappointed with Wes at the beginning--my crush on him was gone. In the end, he redeemed himself. Liesel, on the other hand, was a character I hated throughout the majority of the novel. Even by the end, I didn't like her very much. I didn't have an opinion on her either way in the first book, but in the second, I just couldn't stand her.
Part of the ending was predictable, and part wasn't. I can't wait to see what's going to happen in the third book. It is going to be awesome.
I love the humor in this book. It seemed like on almost every page, there was something to laugh at. I think my favorite line was probably, "You know, librarians can be more frisky than you think," just because I'm on my way to becoming a librarian. It made me giggle.
Once again, there were some characters that I loved to hate. I was actually really disappointed with Wes at the beginning--my crush on him was gone. In the end, he redeemed himself. Liesel, on the other hand, was a character I hated throughout the majority of the novel. Even by the end, I didn't like her very much. I didn't have an opinion on her either way in the first book, but in the second, I just couldn't stand her.
Part of the ending was predictable, and part wasn't. I can't wait to see what's going to happen in the third book. It is going to be awesome.
amburhostyn's review against another edition
5.0
When I first read the blurb for Happy Birthday To Me and read the excerpt on Brian's website, I immediately thought of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Of course, now that I've read it, I can tell everyone that the two, while both involving people who go through some weird aging process, are completely different. But I did I thoroughly enjoy them both. :)
Happy Birthday To Me was funny, it was definitely one of those books that had me laughing like crazy, and I loved that! At the same time, this book also brought me to tears. Now I'm not saying that everyone will cry, I will admit that when I'm reading or watching TV or watching a movie, I can be rather sensitive. I get pretty absorbed into the story. That being said, the fact that this book brought me to tears is a pretty good indication that I thought this book was amazing, after all, you don't get that attached to books that you don't like. :P
Now that you all know that this book had me laughing and crying, I just have to tell you about a little bit about the story in general and a bit about the characters. Cameron, or Cam, is the main character, and he starts aging a year every single day, so in a week he ages 7 years. He goes to the doctor and they don't know what to do about his rare condition, so Cam basically just tries to live as normally as he can and enjoy the time that he has left, after all, if you age a year every day you won't exactly have the longest life span...will you? :(
At the beginning of Happy Birthday To Me, Cam is pretty much a self-centered jerk. He's dating the hottest girl in school, he's the star of the basketball team, and he treats everyone like crap. He does this thing where he goes to restaurants where he tells them that it's his birthday just to get free birthday cake, and of course, he also gets some attention. Even though he was a jerk at first, I thought he was a fantastic character. He was interesting and I couldn't help but be intrigued by his thought processes. As the story continued and Cam started aging, he changed. He became less self-involved and started to actually think about people other than himself. His growth was amazing, and I loved his transformation. He went through some of the craziest scenarios ever, and I laughed all the way through them. That being said, he also went through some heartbreaking moments, and they made me so sad for Cam. I could tell that his character was growing on me by how sad I found his situation, and I just have to give Brian mad props for making me care about his main character so much. I absolutely loved Cam's character by the end of the book, and I can't wait to read more about him in Happy Birthday To Me's sequel, Happy Birthday To Me Again! :D
Happy Birthday To Me was a fantastic book, and I absolutely loved reading it! I encourage everyone to read it, and I hope you love it as much as I did! :D
Happy Birthday To Me was funny, it was definitely one of those books that had me laughing like crazy, and I loved that! At the same time, this book also brought me to tears. Now I'm not saying that everyone will cry, I will admit that when I'm reading or watching TV or watching a movie, I can be rather sensitive. I get pretty absorbed into the story. That being said, the fact that this book brought me to tears is a pretty good indication that I thought this book was amazing, after all, you don't get that attached to books that you don't like. :P
Now that you all know that this book had me laughing and crying, I just have to tell you about a little bit about the story in general and a bit about the characters. Cameron, or Cam, is the main character, and he starts aging a year every single day, so in a week he ages 7 years. He goes to the doctor and they don't know what to do about his rare condition, so Cam basically just tries to live as normally as he can and enjoy the time that he has left, after all, if you age a year every day you won't exactly have the longest life span...will you? :(
At the beginning of Happy Birthday To Me, Cam is pretty much a self-centered jerk. He's dating the hottest girl in school, he's the star of the basketball team, and he treats everyone like crap. He does this thing where he goes to restaurants where he tells them that it's his birthday just to get free birthday cake, and of course, he also gets some attention. Even though he was a jerk at first, I thought he was a fantastic character. He was interesting and I couldn't help but be intrigued by his thought processes. As the story continued and Cam started aging, he changed. He became less self-involved and started to actually think about people other than himself. His growth was amazing, and I loved his transformation. He went through some of the craziest scenarios ever, and I laughed all the way through them. That being said, he also went through some heartbreaking moments, and they made me so sad for Cam. I could tell that his character was growing on me by how sad I found his situation, and I just have to give Brian mad props for making me care about his main character so much. I absolutely loved Cam's character by the end of the book, and I can't wait to read more about him in Happy Birthday To Me's sequel, Happy Birthday To Me Again! :D
Happy Birthday To Me was a fantastic book, and I absolutely loved reading it! I encourage everyone to read it, and I hope you love it as much as I did! :D
bookbriefs's review against another edition
4.0
Wow this book is such a fun journey! It is such a unique concept. It is crazy,sad, sweet, and funny all wrapped up in one. It is the first book in the Birthday trilogy and I am not quite sure what the other two books are going to be like because it seemed to come to a good conclusion, but I am really excited to find out!
The changes that Cameron went through while aging were so funny! I can't even imagine what that must have been like to witness. If I went to school with him, I would be so freaked out! Heck, if I were him I would have been so much more freaked out. I thought he took it pretty well. I mean, how are you supposed to take the news that you are aging an entire year EACH DAY?! Talk about scary.
At first I was excited that Cameron was going to get his just revenge for being such a jerk, but then as the story goes on and I got to know him a little better, I felt so bad for him. He really did change a lot and become a lot more mature. He never really was a jerk before- just immature like most high school guys.
What I loved most about this book was that even while dealing with something as serious as dying, Happy Birthday to Me managed to be really, really funny. I can't even count the times something outrageous happened that had me laughing out loud. This book put me in a good mood. I can't wait to see what the second one is going to be like.
The changes that Cameron went through while aging were so funny! I can't even imagine what that must have been like to witness. If I went to school with him, I would be so freaked out! Heck, if I were him I would have been so much more freaked out. I thought he took it pretty well. I mean, how are you supposed to take the news that you are aging an entire year EACH DAY?! Talk about scary.
At first I was excited that Cameron was going to get his just revenge for being such a jerk, but then as the story goes on and I got to know him a little better, I felt so bad for him. He really did change a lot and become a lot more mature. He never really was a jerk before- just immature like most high school guys.
What I loved most about this book was that even while dealing with something as serious as dying, Happy Birthday to Me managed to be really, really funny. I can't even count the times something outrageous happened that had me laughing out loud. This book put me in a good mood. I can't wait to see what the second one is going to be like.
bookbriefs's review
3.0
Happy Birthday to Me, Again flowed a little bit faster than the first book did for me. Since I was already introduced to the main characters and knew what was going on, I was able to get right into the story. But it is not one of those series where you can just come in in the middle and be able to pick everything up. The concept is a little out there so I would recommend reading all of the books, and not just starting with this one.
The concept of the Birthday trilogy books is a little strange but it is funny! Everyone is still a little shaken up by the close calls in the first book, so Happy Birthday to Me, Again has slightly more somber undertones, but it is still nonetheless entertaining.
The one thing I didn't care for too much was how fast Cameron and Liesel were moving. They get engaged in this book, and they are both so young! Now I get that Cameron had a really close call in the last book, but they are still only 17/18 years old and they have not been going out long at all. I guess this just bugged me, because it bugs me in real life when teens rush into serious things like marriage. But I do like both of them, so it was hard for me to be too annoyed with it. Plus, as we soon find out there is so much that Cameron just doesn't know about Liesel.
I like the Happy Birthday trilogy. They are fun books. Are they the most realistic books in the world? No, but they are original and enjoyable. I think that the third book in the trilogy is going to be the best one! I just started it and something big is happening, and I think I am going to like that one the most. Which is pretty cool, go out with a bang! :)
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