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casebounder's review against another edition
4.0
This is definitely one for my #gobbledupbooks! A queer YA read that delivers. Typically when I read YA, I feel (possibly unpopular admission here) like I make allowances for cutesy catchphrases and sometimes stilted story points. So when I find a YA novel that I can freely and joyously just... roll around in? I love it. @timfederle's is one of those reads for me.
I stumbled onto this signed copy in Book Culture on Columbus and had to grab it up. The staff there had lovely things to say about Federle, too!
Please recommend to young queer readers and YA enthusiasts!
I stumbled onto this signed copy in Book Culture on Columbus and had to grab it up. The staff there had lovely things to say about Federle, too!
Please recommend to young queer readers and YA enthusiasts!
emleemay's review
3.0
My rating has moved between 4 and 2 stars, then halfway back again. There are definitely good things about [b:The Great American Whatever|25663382|The Great American Whatever|Tim Federle|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1433439493s/25663382.jpg|45486309], but I honestly just want to tell you to read [b:Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda|19547856|Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda|Becky Albertalli|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402915678s/19547856.jpg|27679579] instead. It has all the warm, funny bits but without the self-masturbatory writing style, overdone loss of a loved one, and tedious film trivia.
As I said, though, this is not really a negative review. I really enjoyed some of the humour, especially in the beginning, mostly because the narrator - Quinn - is cynical and sarcastic. His morning negativity is relatable and really funny:
Made me giggle.
And if I'm being honest, I can totally see why this book has gotten so many starred reviews. It's a book with diverse characters, a nice LGBT romance, a nice road to recovery from grief aided by said romance, and a quirky "outsider" protagonist who knows everything about movies. It goes down smooth and easy, while doing absolutely nothing new.
It's almost like the author was working off a checklist: diversity... check. Romance... check. Loss of a family member and subsequent getting on with one's life... check. What does this book actually do that a number of others don't? Where does it stand out? I can't tell you.
At least [b:Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda|19547856|Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda|Becky Albertalli|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402915678s/19547856.jpg|27679579] is just a funny book that doesn't take itself too seriously. This book reminds me of novels like [b:The Fault in Our Stars|11870085|The Fault in Our Stars|John Green|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1360206420s/11870085.jpg|16827462] and [b:Mosquitoland|18718848|Mosquitoland|David Arnold|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402661616s/18718848.jpg|26584442] where everything is so contrived, so deep and meaningful that you can feel the author giving themselves a self-congratulatory pat on the back while writing. I'm amazed that people see these philosophers as the "perfect voices of YA" when I cringe every time I remind myself they're supposed to be teens!
This review sounds really negative, so I'll say once again that this book is fun in parts and I liked the portrayal of a platonic relationship between a gay teen and his straight male friend But books have been doing what this book does a lot over the past few years and, of them all, this isn't even close to being the most memorable.
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As I said, though, this is not really a negative review. I really enjoyed some of the humour, especially in the beginning, mostly because the narrator - Quinn - is cynical and sarcastic. His morning negativity is relatable and really funny:
It actually sounds amazing to dive into the pool right now. A freezing one. Headfirst. In the shallow end.
If I took out my broken AC and cracked the window, I’d have to confront the reality that I might hear, like, birds, or worse: the merry squeals of neighborhood children. And who has the stomach for that kind of unannounced joy at this hour?
Made me giggle.
And if I'm being honest, I can totally see why this book has gotten so many starred reviews. It's a book with diverse characters, a nice LGBT romance, a nice road to recovery from grief aided by said romance, and a quirky "outsider" protagonist who knows everything about movies. It goes down smooth and easy, while doing absolutely nothing new.
It's almost like the author was working off a checklist: diversity... check. Romance... check. Loss of a family member and subsequent getting on with one's life... check. What does this book actually do that a number of others don't? Where does it stand out? I can't tell you.
At least [b:Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda|19547856|Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda|Becky Albertalli|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402915678s/19547856.jpg|27679579] is just a funny book that doesn't take itself too seriously. This book reminds me of novels like [b:The Fault in Our Stars|11870085|The Fault in Our Stars|John Green|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1360206420s/11870085.jpg|16827462] and [b:Mosquitoland|18718848|Mosquitoland|David Arnold|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402661616s/18718848.jpg|26584442] where everything is so contrived, so deep and meaningful that you can feel the author giving themselves a self-congratulatory pat on the back while writing. I'm amazed that people see these philosophers as the "perfect voices of YA" when I cringe every time I remind myself they're supposed to be teens!
This review sounds really negative, so I'll say once again that this book is fun in parts and I liked the portrayal of a platonic relationship between a gay teen and his straight male friend
Spoiler
a little too easy and unexplored, though? I'm not sure. Maybe that's worth having a discussion about sometime.Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube | Store
whineosaur's review
2.0
It's interesting enough and I liked some of the characters, especially Geoff, but Quinn was mostly a pretentious asshole. I mean, once upon a time, weren't we all, but it was irritating to read. Also I'm still pissed off at the way his mother was portrayed: not a SINGLE mention that didn't also involve either food or her weight. I don't care how many times you have the character think about how beautiful she is, it's still a harmful, ridiculous stereotype when fat characters don't have interests beyond junk food. I couldn't buy that he cared about his mom all that much. Or his best friend tbh. Jack Black did a better version of this character in Music & Lyrics.
Also like way to pretend it isn't illegal for a maybe-19-yo to pursue a relationship with a 16-yo lol
Also like way to pretend it isn't illegal for a maybe-19-yo to pursue a relationship with a 16-yo lol
bluebeereads's review
5.0
Quite The Novel Idea ~ Words from the Clouds
4.5 stars
This is Tim Federle's first YA book and it's fantastic. Just wanted to mention that right away. I love Tim Federle's books. I've read two so far (still haven't gotten to Five Six Seven Nate, sorry!) and both I loved. And you know what, I'm going to add this author to my author auto-buy list. There. Now let's talk about this book a bit, shall we?
The writing in this book is perfect for me. I just loved Quinn's voice. There was a lot of humor and I laughed a lot reading this, which I liked. Because this story could have been so depressing and I would've enjoyed it a lot less if it were. I loved the 4th-wall-breaking in the narration. I always love that, because it's funny and reminds me of Deadpool, who is awesome. There are also a few short snippets in screenplay form and I loved that too because it added a lot to the story and Quinn's character. Honestly, there are SO many quotable lines in this book. So go read it because it would be rude to just copy & paste the whole book in my review. Yes, of course I loved the story itself too. Why wouldn't I?
But, like is usually the case for me, it's the characters and their relations that stand out to me. Characters can, for me at least, make or break a story. I need to love them and connect with them and root for them. And I did all of that with the set of characters in this story. I loved Quinn's mom. I loved Geoff, Quinn's best friend. I loved their relationships with Quinn. Quinn and his mom have such a beautiful relationship and it was so nice to read about a teenage boy that genuinly loves his mom. I loved the bromance between Geoff and Quinn. Their friendship is so great and I loved the two of them together.
So yes, I love Quinn. So much so that I'm adding him to my favorite characters list. I love his humor. I love his voice, his love for old movies,... I just love his entire personality and I really felt for him and I wanted to jump into the book and give him a hug. I love how he deals with his sister's death and how realistic it felt. Really, I just want him as my friend. There's a sorta kinda romance with a guy named Amir but I didn't get into that completely. It never felt like a real romance. But that's okay, because the romance was just about the last thing that mattered in this book.
So should you read this book? Hell yes you do. The Great American Whatever is a funny and touching story that contemporary fans absolutely must read.
4.5 stars
This is Tim Federle's first YA book and it's fantastic. Just wanted to mention that right away. I love Tim Federle's books. I've read two so far (still haven't gotten to Five Six Seven Nate, sorry!) and both I loved. And you know what, I'm going to add this author to my author auto-buy list. There. Now let's talk about this book a bit, shall we?
The writing in this book is perfect for me. I just loved Quinn's voice. There was a lot of humor and I laughed a lot reading this, which I liked. Because this story could have been so depressing and I would've enjoyed it a lot less if it were. I loved the 4th-wall-breaking in the narration. I always love that, because it's funny and reminds me of Deadpool, who is awesome. There are also a few short snippets in screenplay form and I loved that too because it added a lot to the story and Quinn's character. Honestly, there are SO many quotable lines in this book. So go read it because it would be rude to just copy & paste the whole book in my review. Yes, of course I loved the story itself too. Why wouldn't I?
But, like is usually the case for me, it's the characters and their relations that stand out to me. Characters can, for me at least, make or break a story. I need to love them and connect with them and root for them. And I did all of that with the set of characters in this story. I loved Quinn's mom. I loved Geoff, Quinn's best friend. I loved their relationships with Quinn. Quinn and his mom have such a beautiful relationship and it was so nice to read about a teenage boy that genuinly loves his mom. I loved the bromance between Geoff and Quinn. Their friendship is so great and I loved the two of them together.
So yes, I love Quinn. So much so that I'm adding him to my favorite characters list. I love his humor. I love his voice, his love for old movies,... I just love his entire personality and I really felt for him and I wanted to jump into the book and give him a hug. I love how he deals with his sister's death and how realistic it felt. Really, I just want him as my friend. There's a sorta kinda romance with a guy named Amir but I didn't get into that completely. It never felt like a real romance. But that's okay, because the romance was just about the last thing that mattered in this book.
So should you read this book? Hell yes you do. The Great American Whatever is a funny and touching story that contemporary fans absolutely must read.
cornmaven's review against another edition
3.0
Remarkable book with one exception. It's a fabulously written coming-of-age centering around Quinn, a teen whose passion is writing movie screenplays, but who must navigate his sister's untimely death from a car wreck (as a result of texting him), his mother's disintegration over her death, and his fear about coming out as gay (even though everyone knows he is).
Loved the writing, loved the typical teen boy approach to life, loved the whole journey Quinn goes through, including refusing to use his cell phone again, among other things. His lifelong friend, Geoff, is amazing and totally loyal. I enjoyed the insertion of Quinn's fantasizing as actual screenplays.
I dropped it down a star because I just did not like part of the portrayal of his relationship with Amir, the college student who flirts with him, and basically takes advantage of Quinn's naivete and innocence. Amir is really a jerk and wants to be controlling. Quinn eventually figures that out, but I thought it irresponsible for Federle to include a sexual encounter between them that did not also include a condom, however realistic it might have been.
Loved the writing, loved the typical teen boy approach to life, loved the whole journey Quinn goes through, including refusing to use his cell phone again, among other things. His lifelong friend, Geoff, is amazing and totally loyal. I enjoyed the insertion of Quinn's fantasizing as actual screenplays.
I dropped it down a star because I just did not like part of the portrayal of his relationship with Amir, the college student who flirts with him, and basically takes advantage of Quinn's naivete and innocence. Amir is really a jerk and wants to be controlling. Quinn eventually figures that out, but I thought it irresponsible for Federle to include a sexual encounter between them that did not also include a condom, however realistic it might have been.
leeskipje's review
3.0
It needed to grow on me. As I read it for the NEWTS readathon, I wanted to finish it, instead of picking another book for the prompt.
And I'm glad I did.
It is not a bad book, but it took some time for me to get passed the selfpity in the book, but it is a well written, fun book that deals with a tragic loss of a sister and how to deal with that.
And I'm glad I did.
It is not a bad book, but it took some time for me to get passed the selfpity in the book, but it is a well written, fun book that deals with a tragic loss of a sister and how to deal with that.
murph_the_serf's review
3.0
A quick and fun read but it felt (especially in the last 2/3) that the author felt a great depth in the work that I just didn't see. Maybe it was more the point that the character was pushing this depth that wasn't there but it was still a fun way to kill some time.
buddy524's review
4.0
A quick read dealing with some heavy topics. The author does a great job of weaving various facets together without being heavy handed. The character seemed original and we are constantly rooting for him. The ending felt a bit rushed and would have been stronger had it been more developed. A great book dealing with grief and coming out in the modern age.
limeminearia's review against another edition
5.0
Awesome ya fiction, Federle's middle grade books were especially strong and he's made the transition to teen fic well. Another example of a really phenomenal performance of an audio book by an author.