jayrinehart's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
reoptic's review against another edition
1.0
The whole time I read this book I was like look at this creepy weirdo who definitely thinks he deserves women. But I kept reading because the book claimed to have a twist. Turns out the twist is that the main character that from page one seemed like a creepy weirdo who definitely thinks he deserves women was in fact a creepy weirdo who definitely thinks he deserves women. What a twist! Like maybe this is a twist for boys who think doing the things David does is normal, but I feel like any woman reading this book can sense in the first chapter that he's going to do everything he does in this book.
It definitely doesn't help that the whole book is written from the point of view of David, and the author puts in tons of little things that make it seem like we're supposed to be on David's side. Sara took her tampon out guys, she's crying wolf! Veronica got him kicked out of Harvard and he has to go to community college. Isn't that awful of her? The author gives no condemnation from any characters about the things David does. We get one scene where one of his friends is like we can't hang out with you anymore, but like I'll secretly hang out with you still.
What kind of message does all that send after a whole book of the author glorifying David's behavior? Every single character in his life enables him and not once does the author straight up say this is bad. Would it really break character to have a single character call David out? Would it really be too hard to have a short message from the author decrying the whole system that let David get away with it? Apparently it was, and instead the author wrote a book that young men can read and think David was right, he shouldn't have been punished, this is okay, with no one to teach them otherwise.
It definitely doesn't help that the whole book is written from the point of view of David, and the author puts in tons of little things that make it seem like we're supposed to be on David's side. Sara took her tampon out guys, she's crying wolf! Veronica got him kicked out of Harvard and he has to go to community college. Isn't that awful of her? The author gives no condemnation from any characters about the things David does. We get one scene where one of his friends is like we can't hang out with you anymore, but like I'll secretly hang out with you still.
What kind of message does all that send after a whole book of the author glorifying David's behavior? Every single character in his life enables him and not once does the author straight up say this is bad. Would it really break character to have a single character call David out? Would it really be too hard to have a short message from the author decrying the whole system that let David get away with it? Apparently it was, and instead the author wrote a book that young men can read and think David was right, he shouldn't have been punished, this is okay, with no one to teach them otherwise.
mlbobb12's review
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
alexinvelvet's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
tomhill's review against another edition
3.0
3.5--Nearly twelve years ago now, I was a college freshman at a large public university. About three hours from home or from anyone I knew, I felt alternately isolated, homesick, out of my depth, but also somewhat thrilled at the prospect of being on my own. I would only stay at this school for a semester before returning home and eventually graduating from a different public university, at which I had a much more social and enjoyable experience. Being a nostalgic person, I still sometimes look back on these dreamy, lonely days with some fondness, even though I was often unhappy. Freshman year I was taking a course called Introduction to Mass Communication (I think it was called), in a lecture hall nestled in the corner of campus, just off the quad. In this class, there was a beautiful red-headed girl who often wore sun dresses, and who, nearly everyday after class would smoke cigarettes on a cement bench on the quad. She seemed mysterious, ethereal, and perhaps in my mind I imagined her as that rather toxic male-created trope: the manic pixie dream girl. I imagined introducing myself to her one day, offering to light her cigarette, sitting and smoking alongside her, etc., etc. Well, I never did. But I noticed her then and I remember her now. I mention all this because if you have ever noticed an alluring stranger, you have an entry point into this story. Where this story diverges from mine, and from most others' is the obsession and reprehensibile behavior of its protagonist. Loner features an extremely well-crafted unreliable narrator whose attraction to his dorm mate Veronica seems at first, briefly, normal, but quickly devolves into something chilling, unhealthy, wrong. At no point does Wayne present this notion as romantic, or the narrator David as misunderstood or sympathetic. The novel is fairly unflinching in its portrayal of a toxic male attitude (there's also, undeniably, some mental illness involved). It's also very readable. It makes excellent points. But in a way it reminded me of My Dark Vanessa, another novel with stomach-churning, amoral behavior. That too was very effective in making its point and illuminating a dark mind, a larger societal problem. But as a novel, both this and My Dark Vanessa lack any real literary beauty or moral ambiguiety, or reason beyond the immediate points they are making. And I'm not saying that every novel needs all those things, or that this book is unworthy without them. It's not. If you can stomach it, this is worth reading, well-written and propulsive. Maybe it's simply that this is not a book I would ever read again. It's not a world I will want or need to return to, and that counts for something.
sjj169's review against another edition
3.0
I feel like such a loser. I hate when publishers compare books to another book, this book doesn't even do that. I did it. I read the blurb and was hoping for some of that Joe magic from [b:You|20821614|You (You, #1)|Caroline Kepnes|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1411958102s/20821614.jpg|39913517]. I'm very ashamed of myself.
Not. I love that creepy stalker.
David Federman is the main character in this book, and we see it from his point of view. He comes to Harvard after leaving his highschool (where no one knew who he was) with high hopes of finding his "tribe." He wants to fit in and then he sees her. Veronica Morgan Wells. He knows that they should be together and that she is most likely his ticket to all he wants in his life.
The thing is...David annoyed the ever loving crap out of me.
Carla joined us and talked about Freshman Week activities, but all I could think about, running in a loop, was Veronica Morgan Wells, Veronica Morgan Wells, Veronica Morgan Wells. The quadrisyllable that halves its beats at the middle name, dividing again at its pluralized terminus of subterranean depths. The percussively alert c drowsily succumbing to the dozing s.
He "talks" like that most of the time, especially in the beginning of the book. I know you as a reader are not supposed to side with the weirdo stalker...but dang. I just wanted to face punch him. My teeth were being grinded at an alarming rate. There is just no way in the world that I could picture this loser inserting himself into any clique.
He has a habit (that of course he thinks is a talent) of transposing names and words into being backwards. If you think that's going to annoy you..be prepared. It happens a lot.
Then the mentions of Harvard. I hope this books gets a dollar every time that place is mentioned...because annoying as fuck is what it was. I KNEW THEY WERE AT HARVARD.
So to get close to his "you" he starts inserting himself into outskirts of her life. Like by pretending to be into her room-mate....This guy is a total turd-head. But he thinks he is the smartest person ever.
After awhile the book did kind of grow on me. I ended up turning pages pretty fast to see how in the heck it would wrap up.
I probably need to put a call into a therapist for my weird addiction to these types of books.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.
I usually highlight another reviewer's review in this space but no one has reviewed this book yet. Someone needs to go and read this so I can check my weirdness compared to them.
Not. I love that creepy stalker.
David Federman is the main character in this book, and we see it from his point of view. He comes to Harvard after leaving his highschool (where no one knew who he was) with high hopes of finding his "tribe." He wants to fit in and then he sees her. Veronica Morgan Wells. He knows that they should be together and that she is most likely his ticket to all he wants in his life.
The thing is...David annoyed the ever loving crap out of me.
Carla joined us and talked about Freshman Week activities, but all I could think about, running in a loop, was Veronica Morgan Wells, Veronica Morgan Wells, Veronica Morgan Wells. The quadrisyllable that halves its beats at the middle name, dividing again at its pluralized terminus of subterranean depths. The percussively alert c drowsily succumbing to the dozing s.
He "talks" like that most of the time, especially in the beginning of the book. I know you as a reader are not supposed to side with the weirdo stalker...but dang. I just wanted to face punch him. My teeth were being grinded at an alarming rate. There is just no way in the world that I could picture this loser inserting himself into any clique.
He has a habit (that of course he thinks is a talent) of transposing names and words into being backwards. If you think that's going to annoy you..be prepared. It happens a lot.
Then the mentions of Harvard. I hope this books gets a dollar every time that place is mentioned...because annoying as fuck is what it was. I KNEW THEY WERE AT HARVARD.
So to get close to his "you" he starts inserting himself into outskirts of her life. Like by pretending to be into her room-mate.
Spoiler
Who's virginity he takes.After awhile the book did kind of grow on me. I ended up turning pages pretty fast to see how in the heck it would wrap up.
Spoiler
Totally lame ending for the build up by the wayI probably need to put a call into a therapist for my weird addiction to these types of books.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.
I usually highlight another reviewer's review in this space but no one has reviewed this book yet. Someone needs to go and read this so I can check my weirdness compared to them.
missamandamae's review against another edition
4.0
Holy cow. I have an affinity for "first year at college" stories - I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe, for instance, had a big effect on me when I first read it. I thought this one would be similar, and it was in many respects, but what really got to me was how main character David's behavior at first teeters on the inappropriate line that many of us deal with in college (that we grow out of), and then his thinking takes a dive that leads to his fall. This is no John Green-type story of the kinda quirky male character falling for the Manic Pixie Dream Girl of sorts who needs some saving. No, this is definitely more sinister. And I totally got sucked in. Makes you want to look out for any college freshman you know, to keep their heads in a good place. Mothers, don't let your babies grow up to be Harvard freshmen.
etakloknok's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
moonbeammckenna's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
eeeeUUUGHGHHWWWWEEEEEEE this book made me feel disgusting inside.
it blew boy parts and my year of rest and relaxation out of the water in terms of unreliable narrator
the similarities to Caroline Kepnes' book You are uncanny, though in my opinion this book was much better at exploring the main character as a narcissist, and also class, status, gender politics, and desire.
the one thing is with both of Wayne's books so far, I was able to piece together A Point, a reason he wrote the book, a piece of his little writer's soul in the main character, and I couldn't quite grasp that in this one. there are suggestions scattered around the pages (aforementioned class, gender politics, etc) and I am almost certain I missed it because I was too busy being repulsed by David Federman. I suppose the sake of exploring the brain of someone repulsive would be reason enough, for the mirror this book holds up can't -- and shouldn't -- be ignored.
nevertheless it was wonderfully written and I kinda loved it.
Please check trigger warnings, loves.
it blew boy parts and my year of rest and relaxation out of the water in terms of unreliable narrator
the similarities to Caroline Kepnes' book You are uncanny, though in my opinion this book was much better at exploring the main character as a narcissist, and also class, status, gender politics, and desire.
the one thing is with both of Wayne's books so far, I was able to piece together A Point, a reason he wrote the book, a piece of his little writer's soul in the main character, and I couldn't quite grasp that in this one. there are suggestions scattered around the pages (aforementioned class, gender politics, etc) and I am almost certain I missed it because I was too busy being repulsed by David Federman. I suppose the sake of exploring the brain of someone repulsive would be reason enough, for the mirror this book holds up can't -- and shouldn't -- be ignored.
nevertheless it was wonderfully written and I kinda loved it.
Please check trigger warnings, loves.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual violence