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kaikai1618's review
3.7 stars? How was this kinda bad that it was then really good? This book was enjoyable for me. It actually made me laugh, snorting at the ridiculousness of some stuff in this book.
It's so weird because sometimes Noah was so dumb to the point where at multiple times I just dropped my kindle because it was so stupid.
But also other times the idiotic stuff that he said is what made me laugh! I was at a sleepover reading this, and it was amusing and funny so I was reading until 5am. Time flew by and I was snorting involuntary in the silence. It's like oh well this doesn't seem that great, but it still worked and not many books make me laugh so??? I have no idea what to think because maybe what I would have changed is the stuff that I think was a little too far in how much a human can mess up with what they say, but humans are weird this could totally be happening somewhere.
But if you don't find it enjoyable that something is kinda dumb or far fetched this book may not be for you. Because it made me laugh and it was interesting and charming somehow so I stayed, but I can see why people would really not like this book.
I mean it gets to the point where I've reached my embarrassment empathy capacity because he gets himself into these situations where you just go AGHHHHH and get this cringing feeling because it's just so embarrassing.
I'm not sure if this book was overdoing it or not.
I feel like it's the kind of thing where it's so bad that it's good. Because the situations were major face palms with how Noah handled everything. It was so frustrating but then it was just so hilarious while being horrible.
But this book has been a real fun book to read and has probably been one of the books that made me laugh the most. The cringy moments were very purposeful so I STILL DONT KNOW.
Wait I have to mention the grandma. The grandma is one of my favorite characters. She was hilarious just the way she spoke and used teen language was so amazing.
I mean I actually like this book more than most of Winger. Everyone loves Winger and it's so weird because I didn't enjoy the narrative as much as I wanted to. It was still a good book but sometimes the vulgar language just got in the way and wasn't enjoyable for me. This author used a lot of cussing and what would be considered vulgar language but in this book it was pulled off so well. It added to the humor in the story and I think it was also the innocence of Noah who knew what this stuff was, but was had no experience with it. It happens a lot but was just still so enjoyable.
(SPOILER COMMENT-- so here's the thing though. Noah is smart. He's geeky and VERY sociallY awkward but even though he does really dumb stuff all the time, his dad was asking for all this stuff, and Noah knew that his dad was doing stuff just like him when he lies. In some books the son or daughter would think nothing is wrong and that their parent is finally home when they are so obviously being scammed. Noah knew and didn't completely fall for it. Not very smart...I don't know about that because even if he has good grades he still hid his das in the shed, was an idiotic asshole when it came to Harry( though understandably), and thought Josh Lewis was a good friend when he just WASN'T and we all knew that.
(STILL SPOILER)
Things I would have changed but I'm sill not sure if this would have made me laugh less:
-Certain things not being so over the top, but still ridiculous cause that's part of the book's charm.
-More Harry because he was amazing and we didn't get to see too much of him. If we have a crazy narrator, we need the more normal and stable characters to balance everything out. We have Noah's crazy thoughts and when Harry is around at least we have someone normal and the situation is more mellow before it blows up in Noah's face again from his drama.
- the end was good for this book, but the way that Noah had suddenly come to terms with liking Harry--okay that's fine--but when he said he loved him....I'm not so sure about that.)
END OF SPOILER
So from this review you should probably get. A very conflicting book that is charmingly ridiculous but light hearted and not for everyone but can capture your heart.
It's so weird because sometimes Noah was so dumb to the point where at multiple times I just dropped my kindle because it was so stupid.
But also other times the idiotic stuff that he said is what made me laugh! I was at a sleepover reading this, and it was amusing and funny so I was reading until 5am. Time flew by and I was snorting involuntary in the silence. It's like oh well this doesn't seem that great, but it still worked and not many books make me laugh so??? I have no idea what to think because maybe what I would have changed is the stuff that I think was a little too far in how much a human can mess up with what they say, but humans are weird this could totally be happening somewhere.
But if you don't find it enjoyable that something is kinda dumb or far fetched this book may not be for you. Because it made me laugh and it was interesting and charming somehow so I stayed, but I can see why people would really not like this book.
I mean it gets to the point where I've reached my embarrassment empathy capacity because he gets himself into these situations where you just go AGHHHHH and get this cringing feeling because it's just so embarrassing.
I'm not sure if this book was overdoing it or not.
I feel like it's the kind of thing where it's so bad that it's good. Because the situations were major face palms with how Noah handled everything. It was so frustrating but then it was just so hilarious while being horrible.
But this book has been a real fun book to read and has probably been one of the books that made me laugh the most. The cringy moments were very purposeful so I STILL DONT KNOW.
Wait I have to mention the grandma. The grandma is one of my favorite characters. She was hilarious just the way she spoke and used teen language was so amazing.
I mean I actually like this book more than most of Winger. Everyone loves Winger and it's so weird because I didn't enjoy the narrative as much as I wanted to. It was still a good book but sometimes the vulgar language just got in the way and wasn't enjoyable for me. This author used a lot of cussing and what would be considered vulgar language but in this book it was pulled off so well. It added to the humor in the story and I think it was also the innocence of Noah who knew what this stuff was, but was had no experience with it. It happens a lot but was just still so enjoyable.
(SPOILER COMMENT-- so here's the thing though. Noah is smart. He's geeky and VERY sociallY awkward but even though he does really dumb stuff all the time, his dad was asking for all this stuff, and Noah knew that his dad was doing stuff just like him when he lies. In some books the son or daughter would think nothing is wrong and that their parent is finally home when they are so obviously being scammed. Noah knew and didn't completely fall for it. Not very smart...I don't know about that because even if he has good grades he still hid his das in the shed, was an idiotic asshole when it came to Harry( though understandably), and thought Josh Lewis was a good friend when he just WASN'T and we all knew that.
(STILL SPOILER)
Things I would have changed but I'm sill not sure if this would have made me laugh less:
-Certain things not being so over the top, but still ridiculous cause that's part of the book's charm.
-More Harry because he was amazing and we didn't get to see too much of him. If we have a crazy narrator, we need the more normal and stable characters to balance everything out. We have Noah's crazy thoughts and when Harry is around at least we have someone normal and the situation is more mellow before it blows up in Noah's face again from his drama.
- the end was good for this book, but the way that Noah had suddenly come to terms with liking Harry--okay that's fine--but when he said he loved him....I'm not so sure about that.)
END OF SPOILER
So from this review you should probably get. A very conflicting book that is charmingly ridiculous but light hearted and not for everyone but can capture your heart.
apinkcloudsummer's review
1.0
I really, really, really hate saying rude things about a novel where I know the author put a lot of their love into... but in all honesty it wasn't good.
I should've stopped at the first chapter, Noah did not seem like a 15 year old, I mean he fucking drank alcohol but acted like he was 9. I thought at some point he would mature but he never really did.
There was so much going on, i mean sometimes a lot of interesting events happening pulls you in more, but this was just too much. The story was all over the place. I just kept reading because of Harry, he was just the only one who felt like they could actually be a real person. Even Connor! Who basically had two lines in this book!
I should've stopped at the first chapter, Noah did not seem like a 15 year old, I mean he fucking drank alcohol but acted like he was 9. I thought at some point he would mature but he never really did.
There was so much going on, i mean sometimes a lot of interesting events happening pulls you in more, but this was just too much. The story was all over the place. I just kept reading because of Harry, he was just the only one who felt like they could actually be a real person. Even Connor! Who basically had two lines in this book!
drakoulis's review
5.0
A hilarious and wholesome book, that will make you smile all the time!
Noah is a disaster gay (in denial), a geeky teenager who has to deal with an irresponsible mother and come to terms with himself.
Harry is an absolute cinnamon roll and their relatiosnhip with its ups and downs and all the ridiculousness is adorable!
Noah is a disaster gay (in denial), a geeky teenager who has to deal with an irresponsible mother and come to terms with himself.
Harry is an absolute cinnamon roll and their relatiosnhip with its ups and downs and all the ridiculousness is adorable!
bethanychristou's review
4.0
Being a teenager is confusing enough as it is – but poor Noah has it worse than most. He already stands out at school with a missing dad, and a mum who does an embarrassing Beyoncé tribute act. But now his sexuality is put under question when his best friend Harry suddenly kisses him.
Noah is the most awkward, cringe-worthy character I’ve ever encountered. He can’t help but dig himself into a hole by completely misjudging social situations and people’s intentions – all while spouting the most hilarious dialogue. If it were real life, I’d probably be watching through my fingers in a kind of mortified horror.
Simon James Green has really nailed the whole panicky, over-dramatic, insecure teenage ‘voice’. The tone of the book is comical, but also has its heart-warming moments. Sometimes the situations became so ridiculous and OTT that they were borderline unbelievable. Overall it made for an entertaining read.
Noah is the most awkward, cringe-worthy character I’ve ever encountered. He can’t help but dig himself into a hole by completely misjudging social situations and people’s intentions – all while spouting the most hilarious dialogue. If it were real life, I’d probably be watching through my fingers in a kind of mortified horror.
Simon James Green has really nailed the whole panicky, over-dramatic, insecure teenage ‘voice’. The tone of the book is comical, but also has its heart-warming moments. Sometimes the situations became so ridiculous and OTT that they were borderline unbelievable. Overall it made for an entertaining read.
achilleanshelves's review
3.0
Noah Can't Even by Simon James Green is a young-adult contemporary novel told from the third-person POV of Noah Grimes a fifteen-year-old who literally never has anything good happen to him. It follows Noah as he navigates familial issues, bullies at school and his best-friend Harry coming out to him as gay.
Noah is extremely annoying as a central voice. Rather than awkward, he comes across as obnoxious and self-centred and never once thinks about the feelings of other characters. This book is marketed as Noah navigating his sexuality after Harry kisses him, however, the majority of the book is just Noah voicing his internalised homophobia and not confronting any of his feelings until he forced to do so.
However, this book, in all its ridiculousness, is exactly the kind of read I needed during this period of self-isolation and I am grateful to it for that. I will be reading the sequel, for sure.
Noah is extremely annoying as a central voice. Rather than awkward, he comes across as obnoxious and self-centred and never once thinks about the feelings of other characters. This book is marketed as Noah navigating his sexuality after Harry kisses him, however, the majority of the book is just Noah voicing his internalised homophobia and not confronting any of his feelings until he forced to do so.
However, this book, in all its ridiculousness, is exactly the kind of read I needed during this period of self-isolation and I am grateful to it for that. I will be reading the sequel, for sure.
pewterwolf's review
4.0
Review Taken From The Pewter Wolf
I have to make a quick statement before I go any further: I don't like cringe. You know what I mean: those moments that make you cringe. Like watching a TV talent show and having someone on who believes that they really have talent in that field but they don't. Or watching a hidden camera prank show and one of the hosts having to do something as a punishment (not all but a few). Yeah, I can't do cringe well. This is why I haven't (nor probably will never) watch The Inbetweeners. If I can make it through an episode of X Factor or that episode of Friends that make me want to claw my ears off, how am I going to survive The Inbetweeners?!
I state this now because this book has moments of cringe in it. I mean, the cover is a clue (the cover is ace, by the way!) Well, for me, it has moments of cringe. Where I would have to put the book down and leave it alone for a few moment while I go "WHY?!" at it. This isn't a bad thing but still...
Anyway, now I have that out of the way, let me chat about this book. Now, since I first heard of this book back in January at Scholastic's Blogger Event, I have been quite keen to read this. It sounded like fun. I sensed there might be moments I will dislike or go "Well, this is very Hollyoaks for my tastes, but it looks like a laugh". So, of course, when it appear in my letterbox due to Scholastic sending me a copy, I jumped at it without much thought.
Noah is having a bad few years. His dad's disappeared. His mum is a total embarrassment. His gran is suffering from dementia and isn't always there. He has only real friend - Harry. School's hell. But life might be on the up when he strikes up a friendship with Sophie and she invites him and Harry to a party. This is perfect, right?
But the party takes a turn when Harry kisses Noah. What does that mean? From there, things just keep going downhill.
I have to admit this, I am writing this a good week after I have finished this and posting this a few days later so my memory of this book is shot (this is why I write these posts within 24 hours after finishing the book)!
And while I did cringe OH SO MANY TIMES and wanted to grab Noah and shake some sense into him, I did enjoy it. I wouldn't say it was a fun read for me as, at times, it reminded me a little too much of me in my teens. Maybe this is why Noah grated on me at times - because he did things that I could have easily done myself in my youth (though, never to the extreme Noah did!).
At times, this did feel very Hollyoaks. I know some of you guys like Hollyoaks so that's not a bad thing. But at times, was a little overwhelmed with some of the stories that was thrown at Noah. Or maybe it was how Noah reacted to them that felt overwhelming.
I feel like am being mean about this book. I did like this book! Honest! I like Noah's Gran - possibly my fave character, truth be told. She gives Noah a lot of good advice and gave the book an edge of humour (I nearly choked on my cup of tea when reading one section, which was lovely and tender, Gran shouts the word "HERPES!"). And I like Harry and Sophie. They're characters I wanted to spend more time with and hopefully, we do in the next book. Plus, I liked the last 100 or so pages. It tied everything up nicely but gave character development to Noah and this helped me warm to him HUGELY! Plus, these 100 pages give room and new ideas for the sequel (yes, there is a sequel).
Now, not everyone is going to like this. This isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. This coming-of-age/coming out story is madcap, awkward, cringey, yet oddly charming. And I kinda want the sequel. If, for no other reason, just to shout "Just kiss, you morons!" at certain unnamed characters...
I have to make a quick statement before I go any further: I don't like cringe. You know what I mean: those moments that make you cringe. Like watching a TV talent show and having someone on who believes that they really have talent in that field but they don't. Or watching a hidden camera prank show and one of the hosts having to do something as a punishment (not all but a few). Yeah, I can't do cringe well. This is why I haven't (nor probably will never) watch The Inbetweeners. If I can make it through an episode of X Factor or that episode of Friends that make me want to claw my ears off, how am I going to survive The Inbetweeners?!
I state this now because this book has moments of cringe in it. I mean, the cover is a clue (the cover is ace, by the way!) Well, for me, it has moments of cringe. Where I would have to put the book down and leave it alone for a few moment while I go "WHY?!" at it. This isn't a bad thing but still...
Anyway, now I have that out of the way, let me chat about this book. Now, since I first heard of this book back in January at Scholastic's Blogger Event, I have been quite keen to read this. It sounded like fun. I sensed there might be moments I will dislike or go "Well, this is very Hollyoaks for my tastes, but it looks like a laugh". So, of course, when it appear in my letterbox due to Scholastic sending me a copy, I jumped at it without much thought.
Noah is having a bad few years. His dad's disappeared. His mum is a total embarrassment. His gran is suffering from dementia and isn't always there. He has only real friend - Harry. School's hell. But life might be on the up when he strikes up a friendship with Sophie and she invites him and Harry to a party. This is perfect, right?
But the party takes a turn when Harry kisses Noah. What does that mean? From there, things just keep going downhill.
I have to admit this, I am writing this a good week after I have finished this and posting this a few days later so my memory of this book is shot (this is why I write these posts within 24 hours after finishing the book)!
And while I did cringe OH SO MANY TIMES and wanted to grab Noah and shake some sense into him, I did enjoy it. I wouldn't say it was a fun read for me as, at times, it reminded me a little too much of me in my teens. Maybe this is why Noah grated on me at times - because he did things that I could have easily done myself in my youth (though, never to the extreme Noah did!).
At times, this did feel very Hollyoaks. I know some of you guys like Hollyoaks so that's not a bad thing. But at times, was a little overwhelmed with some of the stories that was thrown at Noah. Or maybe it was how Noah reacted to them that felt overwhelming.
I feel like am being mean about this book. I did like this book! Honest! I like Noah's Gran - possibly my fave character, truth be told. She gives Noah a lot of good advice and gave the book an edge of humour (I nearly choked on my cup of tea when reading one section, which was lovely and tender, Gran shouts the word "HERPES!"). And I like Harry and Sophie. They're characters I wanted to spend more time with and hopefully, we do in the next book. Plus, I liked the last 100 or so pages. It tied everything up nicely but gave character development to Noah and this helped me warm to him HUGELY! Plus, these 100 pages give room and new ideas for the sequel (yes, there is a sequel).
Now, not everyone is going to like this. This isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. This coming-of-age/coming out story is madcap, awkward, cringey, yet oddly charming. And I kinda want the sequel. If, for no other reason, just to shout "Just kiss, you morons!" at certain unnamed characters...
ellyrarg's review
3.0
I’ve read better gay teen stories (mostly H/D fanfic) which perhaps did not help with this book. Noah was a proper annoying shit, and his parents made really awful parenting decisions (if my kid told me to hide in a shed, I would not do it!). Still, it got better when the plot started moving. The escapist gran was by far the best bit!
pmali's review
4.0
The power went out at my house after a big snow storm so I was stuck without my phone or tv for a while, which led to me deciding to pick up this book. I set up a little reading area with plenty of candle lighting and plowed through the story. There were some weird plot points that didn’t make any sense at all and even the main character notices but no one else does. Noah had a very familiar type of voice. Like I surely know a boy like that, but it also seemed semi recycled. His archetype is commonplace in ya lit, the nerdy boy who doesn’t realize he’s cute and has to learn to deal with that and the problems with his family at the same time. (That is a way too general way of describing it, but it makes sense in my head)
Overall, I liked it. Didn’t seem like something I’d push on all my friends to read, but would recommend if asked. 4/5
Overall, I liked it. Didn’t seem like something I’d push on all my friends to read, but would recommend if asked. 4/5
marley's review
This was an... interesting read. I must admit, the writing suited the main character, but I'm not sure whether that's a good thing. It was certainly light hearted, though there were some not-so lighthearted bits that seemed to clash.