The Every Boy

by Dana Adam Shapiro

A former senior editor at Spin magazine offers a debut novel about a teenager who dies under suspicious circumstances and leaves behind a strange journal filled with bleak but humorous musings on life, as well as a father who must sift through these recollections in search of answers. 17,500 first printing.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Coming Of Age

211 pages, Hardcover

First published July 6, 2005

Reviews

[Joshua · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amy Sedaris and Tom Perotta both call it “quirky” on the dust jacket. Why didn’t that give me pause? Probably because Perotta also contends that Shapiro is truly ‘Salingeresque’ among a passel of posers. Please. This is an amusing read, but far from the profound exploration of teenage longing-for-experience-and-belonging it aims to be. Henry Every (the titular ‘Every boy,' and see what he did there? see the cleverness?) strikes off on his own after his parents’ divorce and has a Chelsea Hotel experience with a one-handed bohemian temptress, before realizing the right girl was back home the whole time. After his accidental death/martyrdom (by setting his father’s pet jellyfish free, he was metaphorically setting his father free from his obsessive guilt over driving him and his mother away, see?), his father and mother learn to love each other again. Neither seems to miss him much, which is just one of the character-motivation problems with this novel. Plenty of pathos — no less than four teen suicides, not counting the death of the title character — but the payoff is Chuck-E-Cheese-cheap.

[kylajaclyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

“This is not a book to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.” -Dorothy Parker

[Chris - Quarter Press Editor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books where the trees are definitely better than the forrest.

Don't get me wrong, I loved this book. In fact, I didn't want to stop reading every time I picked it up, but as a whole, it left a few things wanting for me. However, the individual moments and insights that permeate this book outshine any of its shortcomings. You still feel rewarded at the last page, but just not in that "This was a fantastic story" sort of way, more a "I loved so much of this... even if there were some problems" kinda feeling. (If that makes any sense...)

Along with that, I've never both loved and hated a POV as much as I did in this. Omnscience is such a hard POV to pull off, and--honestly--I don't think Shaprio does pull it off, and many times I wondered why it wasn't simply through the lens of it's main character, Henry. Still, like the pieces, in the end, I couldn't see this having been written any other way, as the minor characters become so much more rich and fun than they might have been otherwise. Perhaps some authors might call this lazy writing, as it takes that much more work to make a character colorful when you don't get into his or her head, but I loved the mini-backgrounds and dips into all of the characters that inhabit this novel. They're wonderful and horrible and complex people, and by the end, I loved almost every single one of them.

It's definitely not a book for everyone, but for those that enjoy moments over a "whole"--or at least don't mind it when that happens--then you'll love this book. It's beautifully written, all sorts of darkly hilarious, and heartbreaking in the best kind of way.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read this in about 2 sittings. just when i thought i could no longer read a book. maybe the problem is i'd been trying to read autobiographies. maybe that's just not my thing. kind of like how right now i'm supposed to be watching Citizen Kane... well, the real problem is i'm addicted to the internet.

anyway. i found some of the dialogue and characterizations a little unrealistic, but maybe that's because i don't accurately remember being a teenager. i was not as witty and interesting a person as these people, certainly not as cognitively and emotionally advanced as the protagonist, who i do love. that's okay. the book has not only made me want to journal more, it has made me question what sort of book i ultimately want/need to write. i know i want to write a better book than this, but this book has a lot going for it. i liked the characters and the structure and the tone. but, a bit like Juno, the excessive and improbable wit rang a little bit false and annoying at times. is this symptomatic of contemporary writers? a move away from the grit and cynicism to pop-pink irony and cleverness? there's something shallow about these sentiments. about leaning too heavily on poetry in one's prose, as i tend to. even in a good, sweet spirit like this book had... it just leaves me wondering, what is that something more? what is lacking? whe.re does greatness come from?

i think maybe some of us spoiled children are simply trying to compensate for a lack of experience. we have beautiful minds, but they are soft.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henry is a wonderful kid. It's impossible not to grow attached to him despite the fact that you know - from the back cover, from the very first page - that he's dead. Shapiro does a wonderful job of bringing Henry to life through his journals, his parents, and his actions. Henry, like any other fifteen-year-old, is emotional, quick to fall in love, quirky and loveable. He meticulously details his life in a journal written on graph paper, which his parents find after his death. Although one of Henry's worries is about not being unique enough - about not belonging to a minority group - Shapiro easily demonstrates his unique personality and shows that everyone is special and different in some way.

Though the book stays mostly lighthearted and comic, I was surprised by how the last few pages affected me. I knew Henry's death was coming, but I wasn't prepared for it. It really is a book that manages to make you quietly fall in love with the characters, every single one of them, and you don't even realize it's happening till it's done.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This deceptively simple story explores the development and definition of identity through the experiences of the Every family. Henry Every has died at fifteen and his father, Harlan, has begun obsessively reading his son's copious and quirky journals (written and color-coded on graph paper because "diaries are for girls"). His mother returns from her self-exile in the Netherlands after leaving her family five years previous.

Harlan studies Cnidarians, going so far as to construct a huge aquarium in the house for his floating jellies. They have no brains. Hannah studies ants, regularly attending conventions for fellow ant lovers. Her totem animals are highly intelligent in many ways, their brains bigger than any other animal in proportion to their bodies, but relatively useless outside the group. Henry attempts to alchemize these two viewpoints as he grows up during the 1980s.

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I had a really hard time getting into this book. It was pretty much just talking about a teenage boys quite odd life. But the farther I read the more I got pulled in and finally by the end I was dying to know what happened. And when I found out what did happen I was quite amazed.

[Yuri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Having been a teacher of teenagers for years, I think the author's description of their inner turmoil, goals and the dialogues are spot on. One of the best YA books I have ever read.
Sad, funny, insightful... you go through so many emotions while reading it.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

I forgot that this is a YA book. I'm definitely not the demographic for it and I definitely will judge it much too harshly.

The Every Boy has the potential to be entertaining, but the author tries so hard to be quirky that it ends up being awful. I appreciate how the author challenged himself by killing off the protagonist, Henry, on the first page. The story is surprisingly fast-paced and unpredictable, although this isn't an entirely good thing—the novel is made up of wacky plot points that dangle a sense of meaning in front of the reader's face, only to be snatched away as Shapiro leads us on another superficial adventure. The narrative style is somewhat unique, switching between Henry's entries in his "ledger" (because diaries are for girls), and a look into his parents' lives after his death.

I think what bothered me the most about this novel is that there is nothing "normal" (or believable) about it. Such as: a character is killed by a moose in a freak hiking accident; a teen commits a double murder/suicide using a 19th century book of poisons; meetings with a group of body-modders, including a voluntary double-amputee; an angsty art kid named Mope Pope who commits suicide because he didn't come up with the Hello Kitty surprise 16th birthday party for his girlfriend...and this is only scratching the surface.

Perhaps the most ridiculous part of all is Henry's whirlwind romance with the mysterious Benna, a spoiled teen who lives in a hotel in NYC. Apparently he can just fuck off and visit her without either of his parents noticing...I guess it helps that they're divorced, and his dad is too obsessed with his jellyfish aquarium, while his mom is living in Norway and working on her gardens and ant farms. It doesn't take long for our hero to become disillusioned and return home to his empty existence, although I admit that the ending/his death isn't what I expected.

While I was reading, I highlighted a number of passages that made me roll my eyes at the sheer artificiality of the writing. I couldn't shake the feeling that this book was meant to be a shitty, mid-2000s Michael Cera movie.

"Must you whistle all the time?" said Miss Booey as Henry strolled the hall, hands in his pockets, Vince Guaraldi's "Red Baron" coruscating off his lips. He had taken to strolling in his thirteenth year, assuming the air of a retiree, referring to himself as an "old soul." He dressed comfortably, often in cruisewear—sun hats, sandals, drawstring pants—and began crossing his legs as he sat in class. he watched game shows, at herring, drank borscht, called girls "dames," pinched his peers' cheeks, sat down while he peed, even once tried wearing Depends, but the convenience wasn't worth it

(p. 34)

But before taking aim, Henry felt he needed to work out his own answers to the essay question [Who are you?]. The metaphysical topic struck a chord and he found himself starting at the Precambrian era and sifting through four and a half billion years worth of being, contemplating cranial capacity, pondering the earlobe, tracing back his belly button, double checking his thumbs and toes. Henry was always cloud about matters of the self. He didn't trust mirrors. On registration forms, under ethnic background, he'd always check "Other." At night he'd lie awake and ask Hello? He'd always felt faulty, incomplete—as if his insides didn't match his outsides.

(p.38)

Benna, benchmark, benighted, beneficial, benediction, benevolence, benefactress. . . This girl was named correctly. This girl's good. I was drunk as hell, but the moment's crystal clear, polished, preserved. She makes me feel flowery. Corny. Like a poet. She's the marshmallow in a bag of charcoal. The branch in the rapids that saves me. She came to my room, dressed as Death, carrying a few extra pillows. "Wanna have breakfast tomorrow?" In the morning there was proof. The phone rang. "Hungry?" she said.

I was starving. I was starving and I was jealous of the phone receiver, so close to her mouth.

(p.125-26)

[Shelley · Rating 1 out of 5]

What attracted me to the book was the cover; it's pretty. Then I read the title of the book, The Every Boy. What was that supposed to mean? I'm so glad I bought it from a second hand store, because I would had been annoyed dishing out the $19.99 it originally cost.

I couldn't get into the story. It was just so over the top, disturbing, weird,and I wasn't unable to relate to any of the characters. I didn't want to pick the book up. It's only 211 pages, and it took me 4 days to read it.

The Every Boy is 15 year old Henry Every. We find out on the first page he dies. He keeps a journal his father, not birth father, finds and reads it. As like most parents of teenagers, he knew nothing of his ? son's? life - what goes on in his head, his friends, etc. Henry's parents aren't parents & it says so in the story. They are separated for 5 years, but when he dies, they start living together again. His father keeps a jellyfish, his mother keeps ants. Henry likes a girl who has one hand. He goes to this gathering where people have purposely removed their body parts, one being, a young man who paid his Doctor $10,0000 to remove his lower legs. Another guy who purposely put his arm in freezing ice water to get gangrene, and have it removed.
.
The story was so bizarre, it didn't hold my interest, except for when I learned:

"jellies were here before the dinosaurs, that they were 96 per cent water, heartless, spineless, and brainless, and that they kill more people annually than snakes or sharks. He knew that male jellies release sperm through their mouths, the bioluminescent Comb jelly glows blue in the dark, and that the Upside-down jelloy grows its own food (algae) in its belly. He'd been told that the tentacles of the Lion's Mne can drag up to 200 feet, and that despite its tiny size, the Inkandji is perhaps the most dangerous, much more so than the dreaded Portuguese man of war (which, technically isn't even a jellyfish)."

And

"honey ants store extra nectar in their bellies, and if one of their friends is hungry, they'll throw up into their mouth."

This book became a film with Plan B Entertainment directed by the author. Duh!

[Kit · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Every Boy was written by an author that thinks they're much more clever than they really are. The omniscient narration could have succeeded if it was attempted by an author willing to write in any voice other than a condescending artiste. The titular Henry Every, his father, his friends and enemies, they all walk, talk, and act in the same vaguely quirky way. The same pompous, beat you over the head, sickly-sweet sentimentality drips from every characters' words. The author gestures at a funny incident in lieu of writing anything funny, the author implies some philosophical slant without writing anything philosophical.

[Amber]

DNF 10 pages in.

The hook sounded interesting, but I intensely dislike the narration style. And frankly, I just don't care to read a book about a father who didn't understand his dead son. Both father and son sounded kinda like dicks. I get that the book supposedly takes place in the 80s and "times were different" but that's not enough justification.

[Felix · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books that feel like nonsense but can have one sentence that makes you stare at a wall for a while.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Che sorpresa!
Intenso ed emozionante, finito in un sorso.
Intelligente.
Peccato solo (la personalissima percezione del)l'assurdità dell'età del protagonista. Detto da un'ingenua provincialotta.
Ma... Quanto vi ho rivisto Amabili resti?

[A · Rating 2 out of 5]

Less of a review, more of personal reflection, as there is not enough space in the private notes section.

I've read this book three times. I read it again this time because I reserve five stars for books that, for lack of a better phrase, change my life — the books that make me think for days afterward, that make me cry as I finish them because I don't want them to be over, that are so utterly perfect that I'm obsessed with them and the people who live inside of them.

I read this book at ages 12, 18, and now, 23. Even when I re-read it five years ago, my emotions were palpable and nearly the same as when I read it for the first time. Upon the first read, it was exciting (Is this what high school would be like? Is this how my first boyfriend would be?); then, relatable (i.e. the power of your first love). I have noticed how things have changed lately, as if I am belatedly exiting adolescence and its emotional highs. I wondered if books could ever affect me the way that they did then, when everything was so new and raw. I still don't know the answer to that. I had a feeling that some of the books that I haven't revisited in a while would not have that emotional pull for me today.

I re-read this book to figure out if it still merited five stars for me. It was such a quick, fun read and I loved re-discovering long-forgotten details about the characters and the plot. I don't know that it delighted me with each page, as my favorite books do, although it was easy and enjoyable to read.

I don't know that it's a five-star book to me anymore — I don't know that I will recommend it to others as such — but maybe I'll leave that up for nostalgia.

[Mari · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Every Boy and Henry Every left me scratching my head. I am stuck between really liking this book and not liking it at all. I think it had a lot of promise, but ultimately fell short in a few key areas. At first, I had a hard time tracking the story line. Some of the book is a present-tense narration of Henry's world (read: mom and dad's lives, mom and dad discovering Henry through his journal), some of it is a past-tense narration of Henry's life, and some of it is his journal. The typeface changes for his journal entries, but it was difficult to keep up with the narration. Eventually, they all meet up, but getting there took (too much) focus.

Henry Every is quirky and endearing and so are most of the characters. At some point, their quirks took over, and they became too "unrelatable" and too unbelievable. Henry's mother is absent, Henry's father is obsessed with jellyfish and later ants (really!?), several teenagers in the community die unexpectedly, Henry just leaves his home for NYC for what seems like several months, his friend lives unsupervised in a hotel...the oddities just keep coming.

The book is well-written and sometimes reminded me of John Irving's writing, although Irving's stories are much better. The book was an attempt (I think) at a tale of profound human relationships and the intertwining of lives, but ultimately became too weird and unbelievable to pull it off.

I didn't dislike the book all together. It was interesting, but I'm not sure I would recommend it to many people.

[Meghan Schuyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started off really enjoying this book, but over time I found it to be trying a bit too hard to be quirky, and something about it didn't sit right with me/was sort of unsettling. Aside from these factors, the chronology of it was rather confusing since it kept switching POV's and time periods, and some events confused me as well (the cow??). Overall, I would disagree with the claim on the cover that it is "Salingeresque," as I did not really place the two together. I don't really think authors should be compared anyway, they should be valued for their individualties, not what makes them similar to other authors. Anyway, this book was overall alright. I enjoyed it enough, but the ending really frustrated me (the way Henry died + Hannah never telling Harlan that Henry wasn't actually his son), and Mr. Shapiro kind of left some loose ends (Papi/Lulu, how did Jorden react to Henry's death, whatever happened to Benna etc.) Also, for some odd reason although Henry and his peers were supposed to be teens for the majority of the novel, I couldn't help but picture them all as eight year-olds the entire time for some reason which was slightly off-setting, especially when they were having sex. Despite all of this, there was something simultaneously tragically compelling and pointlessly frustrating about reading a 200 page novel about a character who you know is going to die. If for nothing else, I would urge you to read the book for that factor and the unique and charming character of Henry Every.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dont normally write much in my reviews. Feel I may have underrated this book. The writing is actually very good. Plot strand excellent. There is something in the execution that makes the narrative "jerky" like a hand held camera. Apart from this, the novel is a quirky tale of Henry who we learn very early, is dead. Novel uses flashbacks extensively accompanied by journal entries to fill gaps in Henry's life. Very poignant with traditional themes but innovatively explored such as mortality, life and death, the injustice of the death of youth vs the longetivity of parents, marital bliss, the inability or ability of animals to register familiarity with humans versus humans desire to feel an attachmen to animals. And I could go on. The High School English teacher part of me says to the librarian, buy this book but I feel not many will read it. Magic realism fans will get more out of this than lovers of other genres. Still nonplussed. Is it a great read or did the minor flaws in structure blur my view? I must admit that i read this in fits and starts due to work demands. Think I will revisit this book to test my judgement. To summarise, if you are a fan of magic realism, DEFINITELY read it... for others, only if you like quirky characters such as the dad who is totally immersed in his interest in jellyfish (?) or the one handed Benna and the list goes on.

[Zefyr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suburban straight white American boy angsting about his lack of otherness. I knew this going into the book, and wanted to see where Shapiro took it. He goes into a fair bit of different people's efforts at self-exploration and identity building, from Henry's father's efforts training jellyfish to recognize him, to his grandmother's Cuban housekeeper intent upon 'whitening' herself, to a group of people bonding over their varying levels of self-editing plastic surgery, including gender- and ethnic-trait-modifying surgeries and major amputations, to Henry's eventual appropriation of one of the other characters as a part of his identity. The book's second plot-—a love story between Henry's separated parents—-is charming, and the complex issues in the book are raised simply enough (and the book's a quick enough read) that it could make for a good piece to provoke discussions around identity formation, gender, and race, but the book itself doesn't take the ideas very far so much as repeat that they are there.

[Linh Hoang · Rating 5 out of 5]

The protagonist, Henry Every, is not the average teenage boy. Henry has a very unique perspective on life and that partly comes from his odd family. However, we do not get to go from day to day with Henry because in the beginning of the novel, Henry dies a mysterious death. All that's left from Henry is his journal that he kept, recapping almost every important moment in his life.

I believe that the main message that Dana Adam Shapiro wants the read to see is that you should form your own perspectives about life. You shouldn't let others dictate what you think and see in life. Henry is an example of someone who is a freethinker because some of his opinions are very abstract but he stays by them.

I loved reading this book, it's a very emotional book but not in a tragic way. I can relate to Henry and some of the troubles he went through, especially with his family. I really like the type of character Henry was, he was weird but endearing at the same time.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

It been a while since I've read the book, but I was astounded by the story. The author also created the documentary 'Murderball' which came out at the same time and completely overshadowed a wonderful book. While short in length the story is deeply rich and complex. A father is learning about his dead son by reading his (the son's) diary. Believable events, strange occurences, and a powerful ending. I've shared the book with several people whom all gave favorable reviews. There is but frustrating note we all share- without spoiling the story...there is a certain event and character that occurs around the midpoint of the story, but the author never follows up on the event or character and leaves one wanting for a resolution. Shame on Shapiro for missing a great opportunity to add even more to the story.

[Lindsey Erickson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really just didn't enjoy this book. Throughout the first half I was never that interested to pick it up to read it again. Then the second half got very weird. Too many details about things that I would have rather not known, and in some parts disturbing. Ick. Just not for me. Plus, I was confused by a LOT...his parents don't seem to miss him? He was 15 and just left the house, no conflict, no searching for him by his father? Four teenagers tragically die and all are from the same town? Why the obsession with jelly fish which then became ants? Why would I want to know about the sex acts of these 15 year-olds? His father is not really his father and doesn't seem to care? Or did he ever actually find out? And finally everything with his Grandma...???

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has become one of my favorite books now. I believe this book sneaks up on you in a way. You don't realize how attached you become to the characters until you are half way through the book and think "Wow, when did I start to feel such emotion while reading this book?" You really do go through life with the characters. Shapiro did an excellent job letting you into the minds of the characters in the book, almost as if they have become actual people who are living and breathing. The main character, Henry Every, is truly a hidden gem in a world that doesn't recognize his importance. He is the star of the show, but the humblest star you will meet. Truly a great read and very mind opening.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

The somewhat light-hearted story of the days just before and after the death of a fifteen year old kid, mostly as discovered by his father reading through his 2,000+ page, color coded journal. Has some clever moments, but no real revelations. His realistic (for me at least) portrayal of the strangeness of early high-school life and relationships, and some of the funnier, quirkier bits made it worth the short read.

You can read the first several pages here.

[Lonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know where I heard about this book and I'm not sure why I picked it up. The premise, a coming of age novel about a precocious young man, is hardly revelatory, but there is a very sweet and genuine quality given to the characters that drove the novel for me. I recommend this boot to anyone looking for a short read that, despite the tragedy disclosed in the first few pages, will leave the reader buoyed by the hopefulness of it's characters and the clarity of it's albeit small, but taut and tidy vision.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perks of Being a Wallflower fans- this is your next book. This book is one of those wonderful coming of age stories with a sad twist and a beautiful outlook on life. It captures perfectly the uniqueness we all want to possess and makes you happy for your quirks.
One of my favorites here, it was such a good read. Simple, but profound with lots of room for interpretation and development in which the book completely stepped up to.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grabbed this one from the library because it looked fascinating - the (hinted suicide) death of a teen boy as seen through his personal writings, read by his father after the fact. And while I did really, really, really like the boy, I did NOT like or connect with any of the other characters in the book, and as such, the plot suffered. However, there were moments in the boy's voice/writings that seemed genuine and insightful, and for that alone, I ranked the story a 3 star read.

[Jeni · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover had a review comparing this to The Catcher in the Rye, which Im not sure I would have made the comparison if not seeing that review before reading it. It had the journalistic first-person narrative for a majority of the book, and it gave me a tumultuous feeling while reading it. Overall I think it was a great book and would definitely recommend it; strong characters and keep-your-interest storyline.

[Holly Cagney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not completely sure how to put into words how I feel about this book, as I just finished it. I will say that I love Henry Every. He takes life head-on, and I devoured his words. This book, to me, is about identity, and it was clear that Henry was trying to figure out his own, as we're many other characters. It's a good read for someone who's okay with being dragged out of their comfort zone and into darker places.

[Michaelann · Rating 4 out of 5]

author made the documentary Murderball

I read an interview on powells.com in which sherman alexie claims that th eprotagonist in "the every boy" is not every boy. but still and amazing read...one gets caught up in the story, the emotional connections of family and first loves and even though you know he dies at the end it is so tragic. shakespearean almost. wonderful.