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3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
Okay so I initially gave this book 3 stars. It is beautifully written and has some of the most beautiful quotes I have ever read but I was so furious with the main theme/plot. I was so incredibly angry at it and I will tell you why.
Sutter Keely is a cunt.
There I said it. I understand Mr Tharp was trying to a Catcher in the Rye type thing, where a guy who seems like a tool is really decent and kindhearted. But in fact he is just a tool. I feel like the entire book is trying to defend the fact that he dates and has sex with a girl he has no interest in. Not only that but she was sexually assaulted as a child as well. She was literally taken advantage of and then Sutter comes along pretending to be all self righteous, saying how ugly she is and then banging her under the excuse of 'It will help her stand up for herself'
I was happy Aimee got herself out of the town but Sutter made me so angry. I hate him. I honestly hate him because he represents such a shitty type of person. I was kind of hoping Aimee would find out about his intentions and then blow her top and gain a backbone that way. But alas no.
And then with the horrendously open ended conclusion not really being a conclusion, I was just annoyed by this book. I was so excited and it seemed very promising bu Sutter is an asshole and their is no transformation for him, he doesn't become a better person, everyone else in the book does but not him.
FUCK SUTTER. AIMEE WAS TOO GOOD FOR HIM ANYWAY!
Asshole.
Sutter Keely is a cunt.
There I said it. I understand Mr Tharp was trying to a Catcher in the Rye type thing, where a guy who seems like a tool is really decent and kindhearted. But in fact he is just a tool. I feel like the entire book is trying to defend the fact that he dates and has sex with a girl he has no interest in. Not only that but she was sexually assaulted as a child as well. She was literally taken advantage of and then Sutter comes along pretending to be all self righteous, saying how ugly she is and then banging her under the excuse of 'It will help her stand up for herself'
I was happy Aimee got herself out of the town but Sutter made me so angry. I hate him. I honestly hate him because he represents such a shitty type of person. I was kind of hoping Aimee would find out about his intentions and then blow her top and gain a backbone that way. But alas no.
And then with the horrendously open ended conclusion not really being a conclusion, I was just annoyed by this book. I was so excited and it seemed very promising bu Sutter is an asshole and their is no transformation for him, he doesn't become a better person, everyone else in the book does but not him.
FUCK SUTTER. AIMEE WAS TOO GOOD FOR HIM ANYWAY!
Asshole.
I can't wait to read more from Tim Tharp, one of the most authentic YA voices since the heyday of SE Hinton. I also loved Sutter, the protagonist from The Spectacular Now! He reminds me of guys I knew in high school.
I had a lot of problems with this book, I understand being a teenager is messy.. But the extensive drinking and the drinking while driving really rubbed me the wrong way.
All and all, it was a quick easy read. It made me really nervous for my boys teenage years.
All and all, it was a quick easy read. It made me really nervous for my boys teenage years.
Listen, I know people love realistic books. I get it. But I am not one of those people. I see realistic things happen in real life every day. I want escapism! I want to feel like anything can happen! And so, I hated this book. It wasn't just the ending--it was Sutter, and Amy, and how everything played out, I could barely finish listening to it. I almost tore my hair out about two thirds of the way through. If it wasn't for a reading challenge, I most certainly wouldn't have finished it. Man. I have not hated a book like this in a long time. And I know, I know, kudos to Tim Tharp for writing such a "realistic character" with "such relatable flaws" and all that. If he had been a mediocre author, perhaps I wouldn't feel this strongly about it. But it doesn't mean I didn't hate it. So, 1 star.
I listened to this one on audio book, and the narrator was just phenomenal. I loved his portrayal of Sutter, made him sound like people I know in real life. I am not sure I would have finished the book in print, because the narrator is what pulled me into the story at the beginning.
For the first 3 or so discs, I simply enjoyed the story. I realized straight away that Sutter was an alcoholic, obviously. But I figured he'd have a sobering change (I assumed he'd fall in love with Aimee and clean up). Instead, this book started giving me a sick stomach in the last few discs. It almost felt like a dystopian novel, in how you are kept in Sutter's bright world, but you start seeing little things around him that show how bad things have actually gotten. If you believe Sutter, everyone loves him. But then you hear people at the prom making fun of him, and you realize most of it's in his head. You hear Marcus tell him others call Sutter a joke. You hear Cassidy say Suter couldn't tell that she loved him. And it all spirals down to the dad meeting, and I became certain that he was going to kill Aimee in a drunk-driving accident.
That didn't happen either, because this book is so realistic. No cop out issue book. Instead, it was so complex. You truly like Sutter. You see his charm, you wish the best for him. But you see his problem, and you see no easy way out of it. I have never had to deal with loving an alcoholic in my personal life. But after listening to this book, I feel like I have stepped inside a sister/mother role to one. I got a peek into how it must feel to love someone so much, who is headed on such a bad road. I wanted to shake him, I wanted him to sober up and get a life. But that wasn't him. I can't imagine having to deal with the ups and downs of that in real life, and yet, after this book, I see why it isn't so simple just to kick those people to the curb.
Sorry, this turned into way more than a book review. But my point is to explain that while I only gave the book 4 stars - I liked it, but probably won't ever read it again, my main criteria for giving 5 stars - I was blown away by the realism of it.
For the first 3 or so discs, I simply enjoyed the story. I realized straight away that Sutter was an alcoholic, obviously. But I figured he'd have a sobering change (I assumed he'd fall in love with Aimee and clean up). Instead, this book started giving me a sick stomach in the last few discs. It almost felt like a dystopian novel, in how you are kept in Sutter's bright world, but you start seeing little things around him that show how bad things have actually gotten. If you believe Sutter, everyone loves him. But then you hear people at the prom making fun of him, and you realize most of it's in his head. You hear Marcus tell him others call Sutter a joke. You hear Cassidy say Suter couldn't tell that she loved him. And it all spirals down to the dad meeting, and I became certain that he was going to kill Aimee in a drunk-driving accident.
That didn't happen either, because this book is so realistic. No cop out issue book. Instead, it was so complex. You truly like Sutter. You see his charm, you wish the best for him. But you see his problem, and you see no easy way out of it. I have never had to deal with loving an alcoholic in my personal life. But after listening to this book, I feel like I have stepped inside a sister/mother role to one. I got a peek into how it must feel to love someone so much, who is headed on such a bad road. I wanted to shake him, I wanted him to sober up and get a life. But that wasn't him. I can't imagine having to deal with the ups and downs of that in real life, and yet, after this book, I see why it isn't so simple just to kick those people to the curb.
Sorry, this turned into way more than a book review. But my point is to explain that while I only gave the book 4 stars - I liked it, but probably won't ever read it again, my main criteria for giving 5 stars - I was blown away by the realism of it.
Apart from the alcoholism, I could definitely identify with our protagonist. It's a little, very real story and it sucked me right in. The writing was very engaging and Sutter came off as a very intelligent guy, though not in a snobbish/ wunderkind kind of way that is grating.
Yes, the ending is abrupt, but this book is all about Sutter's Spectacular Now (though one would argue of the actual spectacularness of it), so giving it a closed ending (or even worse, an epilogue), would negate everything that Sutter has been about.
On the downside, the story never really tugged at my heartstrings. Because of Sutter's casual attitude, I read the book casually too, even with the impending doom. It might have helped if the relationships were a bit more fleshed out. Everything stayed a bit on the surface, which to me, is a shame, because throughout the story you could see the thin veneer of super positive, fun, everybody loves Sutter being scratched away. I just wish a bit more attention had been given to the other characters, but yeah, I suppose with Sutter neing so utterly self-absorbed, there wasn't much room for that.
Lastly, events described were a bit predictable (the prom, the talk with dad).
Yes, the ending is abrupt, but this book is all about Sutter's Spectacular Now (though one would argue of the actual spectacularness of it), so giving it a closed ending (or even worse, an epilogue), would negate everything that Sutter has been about.
On the downside, the story never really tugged at my heartstrings. Because of Sutter's casual attitude, I read the book casually too, even with the impending doom. It might have helped if the relationships were a bit more fleshed out. Everything stayed a bit on the surface, which to me, is a shame, because throughout the story you could see the thin veneer of super positive, fun, everybody loves Sutter being scratched away. I just wish a bit more attention had been given to the other characters, but yeah, I suppose with Sutter neing so utterly self-absorbed, there wasn't much room for that.
Lastly, events described were a bit predictable (the prom, the talk with dad).
This was a quirky little book, the origin of an indie flick about a teenager living in his own spectacular now. Of all young adult books I've read, this one seems the most realistic. Nobody saved this kid's day or convinced him to change his ways. He just took everything in stride. I can't say I loved this book for that; I really ended up pitying the main character, and his love interest, and the way their story played out. But it was good, too, in a melancholy sort of way. So 3.5 stars seems like a good wrap. A little above average, but not enough to stick with me for longer than a few days.
that ending..... i cant. Even though it was heart breaking, it was the most realistic ending i've ever read. Maybe that's why it has mixed reviews, because of its blinding honesty.
It was alright. I just had slight problems with the main characters and it didn't really make me feel anything.