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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
This started out pretty solid for me, but in the end it was too long and VERY predictable. Plus the whole Mean Girls (movie) adaptation didn't sit well because I'm not sure that was really meant to be. Or at least it didn't feel that way. It was also clear that this was written from the author's personal experiences and so maybe it should have been a memoir, because it didn't feel different enough to be fiction. Not that I know the author and his story all that well, it just felt that way. In the end though, I loved it was a male POV, loved Maddie, and I liked how his faults in the end weren't all of a sudden fixed and he got the girl.
Also this really bothered me which is shouldn't have, but who were the twins parents? At one point it said they had a dad (son in law to Maddie's father) and then a couple of chapters later their parents were a lesbian couple. I don't know why it did bother me so much, especially since the twins were insignificant to the plot and characters, but kind of threw me off.
Also this really bothered me which is shouldn't have, but who were the twins parents? At one point it said they had a dad (son in law to Maddie's father) and then a couple of chapters later their parents were a lesbian couple. I don't know why it did bother me so much, especially since the twins were insignificant to the plot and characters, but kind of threw me off.
A great book for kids who don’t feel like they fit in or are facing a change.
AUTHORS
QUERY: Is [a:Ben Philippe|7271643|Ben Philippe|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1595194264p2/7271643.jpg] OK?
DATA: Two novels that contain daydreams of skinning someone alive.
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS:
1. Ben, are you OK?
2. Are you OK, Ben?
3. I just want to make sure you're OK.
jokes aside, i'm loving this so far. philippe crafts characters that are flawed, fun to read, and relentlessly themselves, and i've laughed out loud at least a half-dozen times. a+
QUERY: Is [a:Ben Philippe|7271643|Ben Philippe|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1595194264p2/7271643.jpg] OK?
DATA: Two novels that contain daydreams of skinning someone alive.
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS:
1. Ben, are you OK?
2. Are you OK, Ben?
3. I just want to make sure you're OK.
jokes aside, i'm loving this so far. philippe crafts characters that are flawed, fun to read, and relentlessly themselves, and i've laughed out loud at least a half-dozen times. a+
This book was so funny & entertaining. Def thought it took me wayy longer than 8 days to read but ig I read it semi-faster than I had thought. Anyway, I like all the characters (except Patrick he.. is definitely a guy). Ngl I am sad that the friendships/relationships between Norris & Aarti & Maddie turned sour at the end :( I rlly liked their friendships/kinda relationships. I guess that made high school friendships/relationships realistic: literally anything can mess them up, & for good. Which was also the whole point of the ending so. I do wish that more French was used. I liked it in the beginning when he talked in French to the counselor lady I thought it was entertaining & I could put my somewhat knowledge of French to use LOL I did like that he’s a fellow Canadian 😎 & he’s also a fellow “can’t swallow pills so has to chew them” guy which is vv comforting for my pill chewing 😋 I also wish that there were more Canadian jokes. There were a few, but I wanted more 💔
I LITERALLY WANTED TO SOB WHEN NORRIS’S MOM WAS SCREAMING AT HIM WHEN HE WAS DRUNK ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE COULD’VE BEEN ONE OF THE BLACK PEOPLE DEAD ON TV 😭
I LITERALLY WANTED TO SOB WHEN NORRIS’S MOM WAS SCREAMING AT HIM WHEN HE WAS DRUNK ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE COULD’VE BEEN ONE OF THE BLACK PEOPLE DEAD ON TV 😭
I certainly enjoyed the writing and the spirit of the book. I can't say I got super invested or anything, but it was a good read. Not really laugh-out-loud funny like I was expected to believe, although as a frequently sarcastic and snarky person I certainly liked the back and forth. I think part of the reason I couldn't get into it might have been that it just brought up my own memories of high school (mostly the negative ones). However, special shout-out to Philippe for writing the only acknowledgements that I have ever actually read all the way through.
This was such a funny book. Being a Canadian teenager, it was relatable. The sarcasm was my kind of humor. I am a huge fan of realistic endings, which this has. Maddie was my favorite character, she was so kindhearted. She only ever thought of others and she took care of her family and friends all the time. The family dynamics between Norris and his Mom was so nice, she was so understanding of the fact that they did just move to a new country and Norris was upset. I even liked the dynamic between Norris and his Dad who is a new Father and lives in a different city with a new family but despite that they still got along and had a big relationship breakthrough that really warmed my heart.
3.5 Stars. Books like this one are the prime reason why Goodreads needs 1/2 stars! I wanted to love this, but I ended up just tolerating the main character and just liking the book. Would I read a sequel to find out what happens senior year, sure! Overall, this book was just okay to me.
Trigger warnings: Suicide and police brutality. Overall I found this work to be engaging and provide a thoughtful insight into the main character Norris’ experience as a Black Canadian teenager moving to Texas. Norris is a flawed but engaging character who utilized humor and sarcasm as armor instead of being vulnerable. Norris is critical of others, always speaks his mind, and often chooses to believe he is better than other people. By building connections with a host of unlikely friends and potential romantic interests he learns a lot about himself and learns how to think about other people’s feelings and how his actions impact others. Overall I found the book to note a lot of important topics but only scratch the surface, and found the ending to be bittersweet.