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oddsocksagain's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
It was fine. It's a cute idea and I'm sure the time it was produced was a more influence piece but it doesn't stand up and is cringeworthy in places. I don't think I understood at least half the conversations due to the abstract nature, the content or the reactions of the characters. It felt like a pretentious art piece that everyone pretends to have deeper meaning and layers but ultimately is a fine story
mgagermeier's review against another edition
4.0
This had a writing style that took a while to get used to, as it reads more like a stream of conciousness than anything else. It has a really interesting plot where Sam and Ed, two men who have happily had a relationship without children, suddenly find themselves with the son of Sam's brother's recently deceased ex. The only thing is, the boy is more flamboyant than they are and they don't know how to handle him. It lays out the trials and tribulations of suddenly finding yourself with an 11 year old and having to be a parent, even when you don't want to. This book will definitely put you through your emotional paces from laughing out loud to crying to everything in between.
sparkleboymatty's review against another edition
2.0
I liked the last two chapters, but everything before that was kind of painful. I don't think Ed was the best choice as narrator for this tale. I think at times it was trying to be funny, but kind of fell flat. At least there was a happy ending.
tangleroot_eli's review against another edition
Hoo boy. A surprisingly mean-spirited "comedy" about a rich, cisgay white couple who become the unexpected guardians of a gender nonconforming AMAB child and spend a couple hundred pages being deeply embarrassed by his "antics" and trying to force him to "man up."
mirk's review against another edition
5.0
A really lovely little piece of a book. I was struggling to find something that would set this August and this proved to be the ticket. I've seen the movie made from it - it was on Movie Central last month - and it didn't manage to catch the tone of the book, but I still enjoyed it.
enoughgaiety's review against another edition
2.0
This is probably shameful to admit, but I enjoy the movie more. (Like, a lot more.)
walterhpdx's review against another edition
4.0
For one of the first times ever, I have to say that the movie is better than the book. Let me explain.
I picked up Breakfast With Scot after reading a review of the book on a GLBT bookstore's website. I'm a huge fan of the movie, so I figure I'd love the book as well. And I did, just not as much as the movie... First of all, the book is written in first person. I, personally, am not that much of a fan of first-person written works. When it comes to fanfiction, I'll skip it altogether. But I gave the book a chance.
The book deviates from the movie in several ways, all of which are pretty enjoyable. The deeper delving into how Scot came to live with Sam and Ed, the more loathing section about Billy (Sam's brother), and more of an interaction between Ed and Scot. It was pretty fun to read - I may be a slow reader, but I read the whole book in less than 24 hours, using only my free time (plane ride, reading before bedtime, etc).
That said, I honestly think the movie has more heart. But I'm still glad that I read this.
I picked up Breakfast With Scot after reading a review of the book on a GLBT bookstore's website. I'm a huge fan of the movie, so I figure I'd love the book as well. And I did, just not as much as the movie... First of all, the book is written in first person. I, personally, am not that much of a fan of first-person written works. When it comes to fanfiction, I'll skip it altogether. But I gave the book a chance.
The book deviates from the movie in several ways, all of which are pretty enjoyable. The deeper delving into how Scot came to live with Sam and Ed, the more loathing section about Billy (Sam's brother), and more of an interaction between Ed and Scot. It was pretty fun to read - I may be a slow reader, but I read the whole book in less than 24 hours, using only my free time (plane ride, reading before bedtime, etc).
That said, I honestly think the movie has more heart. But I'm still glad that I read this.
apostrophen's review
4.0
A gay couple who are fairly up there on the "normal" scale suddenly inherit a nephew who is, to put it mildly, a little on the other end of the scale. With long difficult discussions on what a "sissy" is, and why makeup might not be a good idea at school, and bouts with crabs and decoupage, and frozen cats, and all the rest, this tale quickly grabs your heart even as you wince along with the primary voice in the tale, who is trying really hard not to find young Scot embarrassing (and often failing, even as he feels bad about it).
At a time when my own family just got rocked, it was nice to read a story where - ultimately - things are triumphant. Not horns blaring, angels dancing triumphant, but everyday, 'we made it one more week' triumphant, which is more helpful and useful in the first place.
Thanks, Annulla, and I apologize for the huge delay in digging this one out for a read, it needed the right time (which, as they say, is now).
At a time when my own family just got rocked, it was nice to read a story where - ultimately - things are triumphant. Not horns blaring, angels dancing triumphant, but everyday, 'we made it one more week' triumphant, which is more helpful and useful in the first place.
Thanks, Annulla, and I apologize for the huge delay in digging this one out for a read, it needed the right time (which, as they say, is now).
nikkibd4033's review
4.0
I was surprised to like this book as much as I did. The prose was fantastic, though I found the characters somewhat difficult to get in to.
The thing I loved best was that it was a truly honest take on parenting. Parenting is scary enough, and I can't imagine being thrown into it unexpectedly to an eleven year old with some issues from his mother's drug use and suicide. Sam and Ed make some mistakes, and they're painfully aware of their mistakes. Constantly trying to improve your game, but never feeling you're doing quite a good enough job....that's pretty much what parenting has been for me.
For what it's worth, I really loved the movie, despite its low quality.
The thing I loved best was that it was a truly honest take on parenting. Parenting is scary enough, and I can't imagine being thrown into it unexpectedly to an eleven year old with some issues from his mother's drug use and suicide. Sam and Ed make some mistakes, and they're painfully aware of their mistakes. Constantly trying to improve your game, but never feeling you're doing quite a good enough job....that's pretty much what parenting has been for me.
For what it's worth, I really loved the movie, despite its low quality.
athenalindia's review
2.0
If this book were a painting, there would be large greyed-out spaces on the canvas, filled with the absence of something. And I don't mean this in an admiring sense of artistic integrity. I mean it as a comment on someone who just can't be arsed to finish the damn work. Because of this, and what really did feel like quite a lot of transphobia, this isn't a book I would rush to recommend to anyone. And these two things compounded each other, making it neither a perceptive look into parenting a difficult child, or a commentary on, well, just about anything. Instead, it's a story about a bunch of people who really come off as jerks.
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
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