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3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
Like a high 4. Something because I liked the movie maybe a little more but it was still great!
Fundamentally depressing. The woman being rescued by the male is so done.
If I could give half stars I probably would have given this book 2 1/2 instead of 3 stars. It was pretty realistic in terms of what people are like in high school and the different types you would run into. I just was not a fan of Sutter and it's hard to read a book when you can't stand the main character/narrator. For lack if a better word he is a douche-bag. He is an alcoholic. He has issues with accepting people may care more for him then just being the life of a party. And by the end he shows no growth even after being with an amazing, multi leveled girl (Aimee) and facing his father. It was actually a let down in the end. There is no way someone wouldn't face some kind of growth with the things Sutter went through. But there was the same old alcoholic, one dimensional, kid. I wanted more from his character. I thought there was going to be a bigger point to his relationship with Aimee too. She was a great character but he pretty much destroys her in the end. Yeah sure he helps her find her voice, but even after admitting he feels deeper for her and wants better for her he treats her like all the others. This book is basically a character based book. Nothing special really happens except for character development. So when that falls short the story just doesn't work that well.
Update: I watched the movie, which was fantastic. It actually made me glad I read the book to have all the information but it gave me the character development I was hoping for that the book totally fell short on. If I take the movie into account with the book i would probably give it 3.5/5 stars altogether.
Update: I watched the movie, which was fantastic. It actually made me glad I read the book to have all the information but it gave me the character development I was hoping for that the book totally fell short on. If I take the movie into account with the book i would probably give it 3.5/5 stars altogether.
This book was published in 2008 right before I graduated from high school and I wish I had known about it then. Even if Sutter isn't completely relatable to everyone, he actually has a lot of traits that can be relatable individually. From the beginning, it almost seems as if he's been pigeon-holed into the "party boy" persona; it's what has come to be expected of him, so he just keeps it going. He's kept it for so long that he's almost never without a whiskey and 7, nor are there many scenes that are without the obligatory shot. It's no surprise he's leaned on this either, between his friends, his family, and his long list of failed romances turned friendships.
Sutter is a Romantic figure (capital for a reason) and even though he lives for the now, I think there's a large part of him that still hopes for the future to turn around however small that hope may be. I knew the book wouldn't end in a Nicholas Sparks fashion, so I debated finishing it quickly, but it couldn't have ended any other way. The characters were all so intuitive at some points that it seemed as though this should have taken place in a college setting (note: not saying one reaches sublime maturity in college, it just comes a lot faster for some when they leave home). The parties didn't make it so much a college-esque setting as did some of the more mature moments from 17 and 18 year olds. Cassidy became one of my favorite characters quickly, and it was no surprise what ended up happening to her and Marcus, especially after he confided in Sutter in a more gentlemanly fashion than I think most 20-year old "men" can handle. My favorite thing about the characters is that Tharp gives them real voices and convictions, because there was nothing more frustrating for me as a teen to have my feelings and thoughts shrugged off simply because I wasn't an adult. I can't decide if I like the characters, the small town setting, or the relatable problems more, but they all round out to make up a fantastic story line for the wandering Sutter Keely.
Sutter is a Romantic figure (capital for a reason) and even though he lives for the now, I think there's a large part of him that still hopes for the future to turn around however small that hope may be. I knew the book wouldn't end in a Nicholas Sparks fashion, so I debated finishing it quickly, but it couldn't have ended any other way. The characters were all so intuitive at some points that it seemed as though this should have taken place in a college setting (note: not saying one reaches sublime maturity in college, it just comes a lot faster for some when they leave home). The parties didn't make it so much a college-esque setting as did some of the more mature moments from 17 and 18 year olds. Cassidy became one of my favorite characters quickly, and it was no surprise what ended up happening to her and Marcus, especially after he confided in Sutter in a more gentlemanly fashion than I think most 20-year old "men" can handle. My favorite thing about the characters is that Tharp gives them real voices and convictions, because there was nothing more frustrating for me as a teen to have my feelings and thoughts shrugged off simply because I wasn't an adult. I can't decide if I like the characters, the small town setting, or the relatable problems more, but they all round out to make up a fantastic story line for the wandering Sutter Keely.
I kept hoping that the plot would pick up towards the end, but it didn't. In fact the ending itslef was highly disappointing.
I thought this book was average. It was kind of cool to read though living in the OKC area and it being based around there. If you want a cute quick read then you will enjoy this book.
I thought this was good, overall. I grew to love Tharp's writing style and Sutter. But Aimee sort of just irritated me as I found her a bit pathetic. Overall not really what I expected this story to be, but I liked it a lot.
The story was written as if Sutter (main character and narrator) is speaking directly to you, which creates an informal environment to the book. I actually enjoyed this writing style because it transported me back to high school and I felt more involved with the characters. I enjoyed the characters enough and was given enough information from Sutter that I felt they were all developed, but I always wanted more from the Narrator and his relationships then he was able to give. The ending left me a bit hanging but that's not always a bad thing.
I’m not really sure why I gave this a 3 and not a 4. It was a well written book. The imagery was spot on. The first person perspective gave such insight to the mind of this young man. I knew young men like this growing up so I feel this book is very realistic. And the end. Well, the end is about as real as it gets. No pretty bows tying up the ending of this story. I have to say, I was pleased that it was predictable. The content and subject matter were rough. Drinking and teens is never a good situation but it happens and this book shows what it does in someone’s life. Sutter is hurting and trying to drown his hurt rather than deal with and along the way his well intentioned idea drags someone else down with him. It happens. It’s real. And I kinda appreciate that someone wrote a book about it.