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A review by stollhofen
You Killed Wesley Payne by Sean Beaudoin
5.0
Wow! You Killed Wesley Payne will be the book to beat this year. I'm hesitantly naming it my #1 Read for Both Genders in 2011. Excellent!
This is probably my favourite male narrator novel I've ever read, mainly because Dalton was such a relatable and realistic character. His Nancy-Drew-like mindset made you laugh while his passionate and brotherly motivation made you stop and pause. Rarely are male protagonists portrayed with such depth as most authors prefer to write them as the "jock", "cute guy", or "nerd" rather than a complex human like most female characters.
I was hesitant after a few chapters about whether or not this was an MG read because it seemed to mimic the TV show Filmore exactly. Instead Sean Beaudoin was just gearing up for the fast-paced smart chapters following the introduction. Most YA novels about teen suicide are depressing and emotional but instead You Killed Wesley Payne was full of teen romance, police corruption, student snipers, cliques, and car chases. Definitely not your typical YA read.
If you love Mean Girls, West Side Story, Grease, or anything by Jaclyn Moriarty or Agatha Christie this novel was written especially for you. The old-fashioned noir feeling juxtaposition with a modern technological setting in Sean's blatant mockery of adult mystery novels and soap operas will have you laughing for hours. I especially loved how Sean created his own universe with hilarious new slang and cliques.
This is probably my favourite male narrator novel I've ever read, mainly because Dalton was such a relatable and realistic character. His Nancy-Drew-like mindset made you laugh while his passionate and brotherly motivation made you stop and pause. Rarely are male protagonists portrayed with such depth as most authors prefer to write them as the "jock", "cute guy", or "nerd" rather than a complex human like most female characters.
I was hesitant after a few chapters about whether or not this was an MG read because it seemed to mimic the TV show Filmore exactly. Instead Sean Beaudoin was just gearing up for the fast-paced smart chapters following the introduction. Most YA novels about teen suicide are depressing and emotional but instead You Killed Wesley Payne was full of teen romance, police corruption, student snipers, cliques, and car chases. Definitely not your typical YA read.
If you love Mean Girls, West Side Story, Grease, or anything by Jaclyn Moriarty or Agatha Christie this novel was written especially for you. The old-fashioned noir feeling juxtaposition with a modern technological setting in Sean's blatant mockery of adult mystery novels and soap operas will have you laughing for hours. I especially loved how Sean created his own universe with hilarious new slang and cliques.