whorriorr's review against another edition
4.0
This was a good book however it didn't feel like a full story. You didn't get to know any of the characters besides the main one- but at least I liked him a lot. There just should have been more to it- more on his relationship with Beth and his Step Father, more about how Larry's website actually caught on, more about his daily life before and after he was outed as Larry. Other than that it was a nice quick read.
catpingu's review against another edition
5.0
So this book isn't exactly all about religion. Actually, it's the complete opposite! There is hardly any mention of Catholicism or Christianity, which (I think) makes it perfect for people of all cultures to read.
Most epicly awesome, the main character, Josh Swenson, leads an ultra-secret internet life. Known as Larry, who writes his own "Gospel", Josh Swenson is an ultra-famous-ultra-popular mystery-man who haunts the Internet.
When people start asking him who he really is in real life, Josh drops little abstract hints as to who he is, in the form of seemingly "random" pictures. He never expects to be finally found out. Especially by
As Josh's life starts to fall apart because people find out he is Larry, Josh makes the decision to lead only one life;
I eagerly wait for my chance to get my hands on a copy of the sequel.
Most epicly awesome, the main character, Josh Swenson, leads an ultra-secret internet life. Known as Larry, who writes his own "Gospel", Josh Swenson is an ultra-famous-ultra-popular mystery-man who haunts the Internet.
When people start asking him who he really is in real life, Josh drops little abstract hints as to who he is, in the form of seemingly "random" pictures. He never expects to be finally found out. Especially by
Spoiler
an old lady at a festival he attended with some friends!As Josh's life starts to fall apart because people find out he is Larry, Josh makes the decision to lead only one life;
Spoiler
he destroys his site, "The Gospel According to Larry", and practically disappears into thin air.I eagerly wait for my chance to get my hands on a copy of the sequel.
lydiaewinters's review against another edition
2.0
I thought this book had an interesting concept, but ultimately what ruined it for me was Josh/Larry. The epitome of self absorption, I started rolling my eyes almost immediately.
Don’t get me wrong, I agree with many of the ideas this “genius” teenage boy puts forth. They’re hardly novel, innovative, or original. They aren’t even written very well. But when you’ve wanted to punch a character so many times in so many pages I feel that says something. (I did take some of my aggression out on a large spider that happened to wander by while I was reading)
I just can’t get over what a self centered jerk this kid is. And the sheer hypocrisy of slamming consumerism while giggling to himself in delight when people start essentially making MERCHANDISE about his alter ego???
Josh/Larry thinks his dead mother was perfect, but she clearly never taught him basic kindness and how to treat human beings decently. He uses his blog to try and manipulate his best friend into going out with him, because he doesn’t like her boyfriend. (Don’t even get me started on Beth, who is dating the guy purely because he’s popular and is nauseated by the smell of meat on his breath.) And the way he treats/speaks about his stepfather’s girlfriend is reprehensible. So she likes to collect Humpty Dumpty stuff, it makes her happy. It’s the only fact we ever learn about her yet the book implies she’s some kind of drooling troglodyte based on that one fact.
Larry talking to his dead mother at Bloomingdales? That’s equal parts creepy and just sad. He clearly needs some serious therapy, and I’m not talking about poor Ms Phillips, who Josh/Larry is intensely cruel to and only sorta feels bad about it afterwards.
This book was written in 2002 which has made it dated due to the discussions of specific brands and computer terms. I wonder if the author knew that several years later the internet would be filled with self righteous and self absorbed idiots like Larry?
As an added note: the Bible verses were pointless, and fairly sacrilegious, especially since Josh/Larry actually COMPARES HIMSELF TO JESUS at the end. If he were the messiah I’d want off of this world.
Don’t get me wrong, I agree with many of the ideas this “genius” teenage boy puts forth. They’re hardly novel, innovative, or original. They aren’t even written very well. But when you’ve wanted to punch a character so many times in so many pages I feel that says something. (I did take some of my aggression out on a large spider that happened to wander by while I was reading)
I just can’t get over what a self centered jerk this kid is. And the sheer hypocrisy of slamming consumerism while giggling to himself in delight when people start essentially making MERCHANDISE about his alter ego???
Josh/Larry thinks his dead mother was perfect, but she clearly never taught him basic kindness and how to treat human beings decently. He uses his blog to try and manipulate his best friend into going out with him, because he doesn’t like her boyfriend. (Don’t even get me started on Beth, who is dating the guy purely because he’s popular and is nauseated by the smell of meat on his breath.) And the way he treats/speaks about his stepfather’s girlfriend is reprehensible. So she likes to collect Humpty Dumpty stuff, it makes her happy. It’s the only fact we ever learn about her yet the book implies she’s some kind of drooling troglodyte based on that one fact.
Larry talking to his dead mother at Bloomingdales? That’s equal parts creepy and just sad. He clearly needs some serious therapy, and I’m not talking about poor Ms Phillips, who Josh/Larry is intensely cruel to and only sorta feels bad about it afterwards.
This book was written in 2002 which has made it dated due to the discussions of specific brands and computer terms. I wonder if the author knew that several years later the internet would be filled with self righteous and self absorbed idiots like Larry?
As an added note: the Bible verses were pointless, and fairly sacrilegious, especially since Josh/Larry actually COMPARES HIMSELF TO JESUS at the end. If he were the messiah I’d want off of this world.
olaprade100's review against another edition
4.0
One of those books that just fuels the nerd brain! I'm not sure i liked Josh as a person, but I completely understood his brain and his reasoning. His 'sermons' didn't strike me as something that would gather the hype, but that is the only star it missed out on.
genericgeekgirl's review against another edition
1.0
Oh my god we get it!! Teens these days spend too much time worshiping celebrities! I am so sure our main characters researched all the charity work these (as he practically puts it) "big brothers" do, and that he's contributed SO much to our society with his whiney blog! I am so done with the so-called heroes of children and YA novels being self-rightous babies who place themselves above popular culture by letting themselves be defined by it!
katescholastica's review against another edition
3.0
Odd to read as a sort of homage to early internet blogging and the political culture of millennials, but it ages well as a YA novel.
deadearbuds's review against another edition
4.0
This book was honestly too short. Every time I picked it up I was instantly pulled in. I loved Josh as a character; however, I would've enjoyed some more depth from the others. Of course, it's hard to write that when the story is in the first person.
abigailbat's review against another edition
4.0
Josh and his best friend (and secret love interest) Beth are obsessed with a mysterious online prophet who calls himself Larry. Little does Beth know that Josh is the mastermind behind the website. When "Larry" explodes in popularity, Josh will find that making a difference in the world isn't as easy as he'd thought.
I really, really enjoyed this audiobook. It's expertly narrated by an actor who sounds a little bit like John Green (*swoon*). If it hadn't been a bit overproduced (didn't need those sound effects) and if Janet Tashjian was a more talented narrator for the prologue and epilogue (apologies, Janet; you're a wonderful author, but stay away from the mic), it would have been near perfect. Highly recommended for Nerdfighters everywhere. Just keep listening through the prologue. I swear it gets better quickly.
I really, really enjoyed this audiobook. It's expertly narrated by an actor who sounds a little bit like John Green (*swoon*). If it hadn't been a bit overproduced (didn't need those sound effects) and if Janet Tashjian was a more talented narrator for the prologue and epilogue (apologies, Janet; you're a wonderful author, but stay away from the mic), it would have been near perfect. Highly recommended for Nerdfighters everywhere. Just keep listening through the prologue. I swear it gets better quickly.