aomernik's review against another edition
5.0
Still just as terrifying as it was 1.5 years ago. And also amazing.
lazygal's review against another edition
5.0
At first I was really annoyed with the use of the second person singular and the interminable "you"s but after a while I got sucked into the action... or perhaps non-action is a better descriptor.
Kyle (the "you" of the book) is a hoodie. What's a hoodie? They're the disaffected, do-nothing slacker types that inhabit a corner of every school. Kyle's observations about school, his parents and his teachers are pitch perfect ("It makes no sense kicking a kid out of class for not doing his homework." "Your mother is master of the obvious. Most of what she says to you is either stuff you already know or stuff you'd have to be an idiot not to see. Kyle, your rooms a mess.") - sometimes painfully so. By the end of the book, you are Kyle, wondering at what point the choices or non-choices you've made have brought you to, well, all this blood.
There are so few books that speak to this population of teen boys (The Outsiders is one, and I'm having problems thinking of others right now) that it's a Must Have for your collection.
Kyle (the "you" of the book) is a hoodie. What's a hoodie? They're the disaffected, do-nothing slacker types that inhabit a corner of every school. Kyle's observations about school, his parents and his teachers are pitch perfect ("It makes no sense kicking a kid out of class for not doing his homework." "Your mother is master of the obvious. Most of what she says to you is either stuff you already know or stuff you'd have to be an idiot not to see. Kyle, your rooms a mess.") - sometimes painfully so. By the end of the book, you are Kyle, wondering at what point the choices or non-choices you've made have brought you to, well, all this blood.
There are so few books that speak to this population of teen boys (The Outsiders is one, and I'm having problems thinking of others right now) that it's a Must Have for your collection.
readingdolphin's review against another edition
5.0
It was a very fast read and I loved it. The ending was probably the best I've ever read because it stopped right where it needed to and didn't add in everything that happened after which kind of left things to your imagination a bit. The characters were also very interesting and I liked how he told the story about how he got the scar on his hand many different times and each time it was different. I also loved the point of view the author used because it was rather original and made the whole thing a lot more interesting.
rebekaha's review against another edition
2.0
This book was defiantly not what i was expecting. It was in 2nd person which was an interesting style to a book which I liked and it really made you feel like you were in the story more then I feel you would have in this book if it was in 1st person. I'm not really sure if I liked this book or not. I couldn't put it down at times even though I really wasen't that interested in it. Was weird.
books_plan_create's review against another edition
5.0
I don't know exactly what to say about this book. Except that it was quite moving and powerful. I finished it in the airport Thursday afternoon and was blown away. I actually went back to re-read the last 10 pages or so.
Just...wow.
Just...wow.
sngick's review against another edition
3.0
this was a good book that I can't wait to recommend to my reluctant high school readers...but what's with the ending? I hate it when a story just ends. It definitely did not feel like a resolution -- just a plot climax and then nothing.
pamelarope's review against another edition
3.0
Three and a half stars. I didn't know what to make of this book at first, but it reminds me of The Outsiders or Catcher in the Rye a little. I didn't love the ending (frustrating!) but the book as a package was satisfactory.
barbn's review against another edition
3.0
You uses second person omniscient narration to tell the story of Kyle Chase, a high school sophomore who has good intentions but can't seem to make the "right" decision about anything. Kyle is unmotivated and lost. He has a crush on a classmate but can't seem to make anything romantic happen with her. He is smart but uninterested in actually doing any school work. Kyle's life gets more interesting when he meets Zach, a new and mysterious classmate. Kyle gets wrapped up in Zach's world of parties and pranks and begins to believe that Zach is his friend. It isn't until the final chapters that Kyle realizes that Zach has actually entrapped him - and many other "friends" - in a complicated cycle of psychological games and torture.
From the opening lines of this fast-paced novel, the reader knows that something terrible happened in Kyle's past and that his future isn't exactly bright. I kept reading to find out Kyle's fate and was disappointed by an ending that left more questions than answers. I was captivated, especially at first, by the style of narration. I enjoyed the unique perspective and the pace and suspense it added to the book.
You would be a great book for discussion by high school students. It could be paired with other texts with unique narration, about bullying, or about being a modern teenager. Content and language are too mature for middle school students.
From the opening lines of this fast-paced novel, the reader knows that something terrible happened in Kyle's past and that his future isn't exactly bright. I kept reading to find out Kyle's fate and was disappointed by an ending that left more questions than answers. I was captivated, especially at first, by the style of narration. I enjoyed the unique perspective and the pace and suspense it added to the book.
You would be a great book for discussion by high school students. It could be paired with other texts with unique narration, about bullying, or about being a modern teenager. Content and language are too mature for middle school students.
rcaivano's review against another edition
This book was supposed to be one of the best of the year. It was good, a quick read, and continually asks the question - what if? I liked it, and liked that the main character was trying change, but I found the antagonist unbelievable. I don't think anyone in high school has that sort of manipulative power.
jackphoenix's review against another edition
4.0
Far less sharp and shocking than the reviews would have one believe, but the swiftness of the text left little time to dwell on such details.