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3.26 AVERAGE
3.26 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Funny how I feel roughly the same about the book as the musical. The Squip is a much stronger character and interacts more believably with Jeremy in this: their interactions MAKE the book. It still has that cringy high school aura and is so plainly written from the perspective of a man at points it’s laughable. I appreciate it for making me thank god for every day I’m further away from high school. I’d like to read more from Ned Vizzini, I just don’t think this is his strongest work.
Content Warnings
Minor: Self harm
3.5 stars - This short and interesting realistic fiction YA read has a unique premise, and it may perhaps ring more true to teenage boys than it does with me. However, I read it because I was interested in learning more about the musical. This will be one I will push in book talks in the fall, with the caveat that there's definitely some mature themes throughout. However, it may be nice to pair it with some pictures from the show. Overall, I think it's worth the read because Ned Vizzini is a staple in the YA world, and it has an interesting premise fairly well executed. A BIG bonus is that the audiobook was wonderful. Jesse Eisenberg's performance was absolutely wonderful, and for the Squip they alter his voice to deepen it into a more "computer-like" sound. If you have the Hoopla app, you can get it on there.
This book teaches you to treat people like shit, do drugs, steal from your parents, and suck on infected nipples.
A teen dork gets a computer in his head that tells him what to do and how to be cool. Kind of like “Upgrade” without the body control or “Venom” without the symbiote. The computer is a huge asshole, which is pretty much what I expected. Its only purpose is to get our hero to climb the social ladder, with no regard for the little people or whose feelings get hurt along the way. You’ve seen this in sitcoms all the time. It’s like “pick-up artistry for kids”.
All girls are sluts, all guys are horndogs, all adults are useless. Even the dad calls everything “gay”. Aren’t we passed that already? I can’t believe this book got so many awards for being “realistic teen fiction”. There are way more parties and drugs than there should be. All this book does is encourage the “I have to dress the way everyone does, I have to talk the way everyone does” groupthink mentality that turns everyone into Abercrombie zombies.
The worst part is the ending. I can’t talk about it without spoiling so stop reading this paragraph. The computer advises him to break character in the middle of the play, a play that’s been going on since the beginning of the novel, and announce his love for this girl he’s been pining for all the time (basically the high school equivalent of a marriage proposal). Also this takes place a day after two students were burned in a house fire. And the computer thinks it’s a good idea to, at this exact time, announce himself to everyone in the audience and take all the attention away from grief for the burn victims, the people who’ve been working on the play, the audience who came to see it, and make it all about him. It’s the dumbest plot point I ever saw. No one in their right mind would advise that kind of move. ELIZA has more intelligence than that.
I don’t think the author hates women, but he doesn’t know how to write women. All he knows is what he thought women were in high school, or what is gleaned from “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Sixteen Candles“. Checkout “Booksmart” for a better example of nerds trying to party that isn’t so misogynistic. This is what we talk about when we say “the author’s responsibility”.
A teen dork gets a computer in his head that tells him what to do and how to be cool. Kind of like “Upgrade” without the body control or “Venom” without the symbiote. The computer is a huge asshole, which is pretty much what I expected. Its only purpose is to get our hero to climb the social ladder, with no regard for the little people or whose feelings get hurt along the way. You’ve seen this in sitcoms all the time. It’s like “pick-up artistry for kids”.
All girls are sluts, all guys are horndogs, all adults are useless. Even the dad calls everything “gay”. Aren’t we passed that already? I can’t believe this book got so many awards for being “realistic teen fiction”. There are way more parties and drugs than there should be. All this book does is encourage the “I have to dress the way everyone does, I have to talk the way everyone does” groupthink mentality that turns everyone into Abercrombie zombies.
The worst part is the ending. I can’t talk about it without spoiling so stop reading this paragraph. The computer advises him to break character in the middle of the play, a play that’s been going on since the beginning of the novel, and announce his love for this girl he’s been pining for all the time (basically the high school equivalent of a marriage proposal). Also this takes place a day after two students were burned in a house fire. And the computer thinks it’s a good idea to, at this exact time, announce himself to everyone in the audience and take all the attention away from grief for the burn victims, the people who’ve been working on the play, the audience who came to see it, and make it all about him. It’s the dumbest plot point I ever saw. No one in their right mind would advise that kind of move. ELIZA has more intelligence than that.
I don’t think the author hates women, but he doesn’t know how to write women. All he knows is what he thought women were in high school, or what is gleaned from “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Sixteen Candles“. Checkout “Booksmart” for a better example of nerds trying to party that isn’t so misogynistic. This is what we talk about when we say “the author’s responsibility”.
Somewhere between a 2.5-3 I wanted to like it much more than I actually did.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I would have DNF this book if I was not reading it for a book club. I understand it was written in 2004 and the tone is going to be different. But the excessive amount of slurs were disgusting!
All characters are fundamentally flawed in this book and that is what makes it brilliant. Jeremy will do anything to make himself Cool and get the girl he likes. That takes him on a journey of acceptance and self reflection. Great read.
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Going into this, I had my doubts because this isn’t the type of book I usually read. I’m not used to the pov being a male, I’m also unfamiliar with much of science fiction.
Anyway, this book actually taught me a really really good message. Don’t get hung up on what you look like to get some girl or boy. It won’t help you in the long run. I think so many people should read this book because it truly was so true. Like now that everyone has social media, they can cheat on tests or even look up the answers.
My only complaint about this book was that it sort of felt like nothing ever happened. Iykyk…
Anyway, this book actually taught me a really really good message. Don’t get hung up on what you look like to get some girl or boy. It won’t help you in the long run. I think so many people should read this book because it truly was so true. Like now that everyone has social media, they can cheat on tests or even look up the answers.
My only complaint about this book was that it sort of felt like nothing ever happened. Iykyk…