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starryeved 's review for:
The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik
by David Arnold
"Most people feel stuck in the world, Noah. You're the only one I know who came unstuck."
Very Billy Pilgrim, isn't it? The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik is another quintessential coming-of-age, turning-your-life-around novel about Noah Oakman, who, after being hypnotized at a party, begins noticing details of his life that completely differ from before. His mother's scar, Alan's Marvel-DC feud, Val's photography... Everything's changed.
Classic! A little campy in its attempt to create a realistic but way-too-edgy/quirky teen, but still a decent job nonetheless.
The writing was better than Mosquitoland's, but all the efforts Arnold made towards crafting a moving tale about true friendship and family were cut off by a really disappointing twist. I understand why he did it, because if he didn't then readers would have more concerns about open-endedness and ambiguity, but personally his pinning down of what actually happened was a cheap shot that only served to make all of Noah's growth and progress a big fat nil, even if he barely picked it back up afterwards. I didn't care for the other characters, either, even if they were real (and exaggerated) in their own separate ways.
Overall... mixed feelings. But it's worth a read nonetheless, if you want something feel-good. 2.5 stars.