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A review by criticalgayze
The Temperature of Me and You by Brian Zepka
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.
DNF @ 18%
Thank you to Disney-Hyperion for the chance to preview this title for review consideration.
My first qualm with the book was that we start mid-scene, which I will admit I have rarely been a fan of in literature. I think too many writers have studied at the feet of the David Mamet school of writing that in medias res is the best place to start. In plays, this may pay off, but I think it is more off putting in a novel where we are receiving most of our understanding from the interior 0f a character and descriptions.
Then we are hit with dated stereotypes of cheerleaders and gay boys as ditzy airheads who don't achieve well in school because either they are not smart or they do not care. If we are attempting to expand the base of kids who read, I think we should (and mostly have) move past the point where we say certain types of people are not/do not want to be smart.
But what really has led me to the decision to DNF the title is that the book is scattered. I do not see the problem other negative reviews have pointed to that the first half of the book is slow. Instead, I struggle with the fact that this is a propulsive read, but I am 18% in with little understanding of how the rest of the plot will progress. If it were just a novel shrouded in page-turning mystery, that would be fine, but The Temperature of Me and You seems to just be woefully unedited to provide structure and to eliminate the more vapid early narrative choices of a debut author.
Thank you to Disney-Hyperion for the chance to preview this title for review consideration.
My first qualm with the book was that we start mid-scene, which I will admit I have rarely been a fan of in literature. I think too many writers have studied at the feet of the David Mamet school of writing that in medias res is the best place to start. In plays, this may pay off, but I think it is more off putting in a novel where we are receiving most of our understanding from the interior 0f a character and descriptions.
Then we are hit with dated stereotypes of cheerleaders and gay boys as ditzy airheads who don't achieve well in school because either they are not smart or they do not care. If we are attempting to expand the base of kids who read, I think we should (and mostly have) move past the point where we say certain types of people are not/do not want to be smart.
But what really has led me to the decision to DNF the title is that the book is scattered. I do not see the problem other negative reviews have pointed to that the first half of the book is slow. Instead, I struggle with the fact that this is a propulsive read, but I am 18% in with little understanding of how the rest of the plot will progress. If it were just a novel shrouded in page-turning mystery, that would be fine, but The Temperature of Me and You seems to just be woefully unedited to provide structure and to eliminate the more vapid early narrative choices of a debut author.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Car accident, Death of parent, and Homophobia