A review by ari__s
Skippy Dies by Paul Murray

3.0

I was pleased to find that this book didn't drag on for me. I appreciated the author's efforts to capture the disorganized thinking and behavior of adolescents in even a third person narration, and still managed to keep the narration from becoming cumbersome. Instead, it held that gem quality of being slightly deranged, nonsensical, and deeply heartfelt - all qualities I would expect to find, particularly in such an in-depth and lengthy epic of adolescence. I felt compassion and supreme irritation toward each character uniquely, which is imperative for anyone reading about 14-year-olds (they're SUPPOSED to be annoying; if they're not then it's an unrealistic account). And that this novel wasn't confined to the painful, glorious growth of the youth, but incorporated the failings and successes of the adult characters as well, allowing key players to be multi-dimensional and real, contributed strongly to the overall story arch. I kept describing this book to people as 'Nick Hornby-esque', which I maintain is a fairly accurate comparison.