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Badd by Tim Tharp
Ceejay has never been pretty or popular, but she knows who she she's younger sister to Bobby, the most charming bad boy in town. Bobby's a bit wild, but with his big heart and sense of fun, everybody loves him. And nobody understands Ceejay like Bobby.Now, Ceejay can't wait for Bobby to return home from his tour in Iraq. But then he turns up unannounced and seems to be avoiding his family. And he's so different. His wild streak has become reckless. His sense of fun has become desperate. And seeing this, Ceejay's own tough shell begins to crack. How can she believe in being strong when her hero is broken?As she tries to get Bobby back, Ceejay begins to reexamine her family, her community, and everyone in her life. What she finds is that true strength is not quite what she thought it was.
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First published January 1, 2011
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About the author
Tim Tharp
10 books341 followersTim Tharp lives in Oklahoma where he writes novels and teaches in the Humanities Department at Rose State College. In addition to earning a B.A. from the University of Oklahoma and an M.F.A. from Brown University, Tim Tharp has been a factory hand, construction laborer, psychiatric aid, long-distance hitchhiker, and record store clerk. His first novel, Falling Dark (Milkweed Press), was awarded the Milkweed National Fiction Prize. Knights of the Hill Country (Knopf Books for Young Readers) is his first novel for young adults and was named to the American Library Association's Best Books of 2007 list. Tim's new YA novel, The Spectacular Now, (Knopf Books, Nov. 2008) was a finalist for the 2008 National Book Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
July 20, 2017
Badd is really really good, so goooood. Did I mention I love Tim Tharp's novels? I love him as much as Ragnar loves Athelstan. Welllll, not that much haha, but still pretty damn close. This has a whole new meaning to it now means something else, taken to another level, to be sure.
I mean, who does small town life better than him? Who makes you uncomfortable like this precisely because you identify so much with his characters, they remind you of someone you know in your life. Maybe even you. They make you real.
In this book, he wrote from the opposite gender's view point. One of my fav literary devices of all time.
Tim Tharp is a fine novelist, one of my favorites for sure. He certainly has a knack for putting a human face to all those who live just on the fringes of literary consciousness, making the unwanted human again, limning the disfranchised, making their cause sympathetic and ultimately endearing them to us. Which is just fine. From time to time, we need that reminder. We do.
Like the great Harry Bosch says, everyone matters or no one does.
Don't hold off reading Tharp too much, don't make that mistake. Read his books as soon as you can.
Don't resist :)
February 13, 2011
Tim Tharp is hands down the best writer of small town lower middle class existence (i.e. white trash) of any author for any age group. He particularly excels in the "my life peaked in high school" kind of small town existence. Here is another entry in the genre......this time told from a girl's point of view.
Unlike his first two books, this one did have *some* flaws......his secondary characters are brilliant as usual but at times the book felt a little crowded. And the ending is a bit pat. Still I will always rush to read anything he writes.
Unlike his first two books, this one did have *some* flaws......his secondary characters are brilliant as usual but at times the book felt a little crowded. And the ending is a bit pat. Still I will always rush to read anything he writes.
December 28, 2011
Reviewed at: http://www.teachmentortexts.com/2012/...
Summary: Ceejay never cared if she fit in anywhere because she was the younger sister of Bobby- a charming, bad boy who was her hero. She always knew she fit there. But then when Bobby returns home from fighting in Iraq, he is different. The connection between them is gone and Ceejay feels lost. The old Bobby has to be somewhere inside of this new Bobby and she is going to get him back to normal.
What I Think: This book is an interesting one as it deals with a bunch of topics that are not normally found in young adult literature. First, I loved that this book was set in a rural setting filled with blue collar families. I feel that it is a population that is not often represented in stories. This book is also a female coming of age story. Often coming of age stories have male protagonists, so it is nice to see one where the female main character grows up and finds her voice. When you begin the novel, Ceejay sounds so young and more selfish than her 16 years. By the end, Ceejay has become her own woman. Her emotional journey through hope, loss, death, acceptance, valiance all lead to a much stronger of a character.
Another interesting aspect of the book is the portrayal of post-traumatic stress disorder. Many times war stories are told before and during the war and then the affects are forgotten, but every soldier that returns brings some of that war back with them and it affects others more. Bobby represents many a young soldier out there that went to fight in a war way too young and saw things no one should have to see and did things that no one should have to do. It really puts everything into perspective.
Summary: Ceejay never cared if she fit in anywhere because she was the younger sister of Bobby- a charming, bad boy who was her hero. She always knew she fit there. But then when Bobby returns home from fighting in Iraq, he is different. The connection between them is gone and Ceejay feels lost. The old Bobby has to be somewhere inside of this new Bobby and she is going to get him back to normal.
What I Think: This book is an interesting one as it deals with a bunch of topics that are not normally found in young adult literature. First, I loved that this book was set in a rural setting filled with blue collar families. I feel that it is a population that is not often represented in stories. This book is also a female coming of age story. Often coming of age stories have male protagonists, so it is nice to see one where the female main character grows up and finds her voice. When you begin the novel, Ceejay sounds so young and more selfish than her 16 years. By the end, Ceejay has become her own woman. Her emotional journey through hope, loss, death, acceptance, valiance all lead to a much stronger of a character.
Another interesting aspect of the book is the portrayal of post-traumatic stress disorder. Many times war stories are told before and during the war and then the affects are forgotten, but every soldier that returns brings some of that war back with them and it affects others more. Bobby represents many a young soldier out there that went to fight in a war way too young and saw things no one should have to see and did things that no one should have to do. It really puts everything into perspective.
April 23, 2016
I think it's interesting how little of our fiction directly relates to America's wars in the middle east. They've been going on for a decade and a half now, and they've had a profound effect on the families of the soldiers who have left to fight, not to mention the soldiers themselves. So it's kind odd that there's almost no fiction about it. Sure, there are books with anti-imperialist and anti-war messages that likely wouldn't have been made if not for the war, like The Hunger Games, but I can't think of much that directly relates to the wars. So it's pretty unusual, especially for a YA novel, that this book focuses on the relative of a veteran with PTSD. I can think of a couple other books with a similar premise - The Impossible Knife of Memory and If I Lie come to mind. But this book came out before either of those. That alone gave me reason to think this book would work, along with the fact that I enjoyed The Spectacular Now. But, I was surprised to find, this book just doesn't work as well as any of the books I named earlier. This isn't an awful book or anything, but this is easily the weakest book about a relative of a veteran I've read, and if you're a fan of The Spectacular Now, you're likely to be disappointed.
Much like The Spectacular Now, most of this book's problems can be attributed to one very big mistake that Tharp makes. There, it was the fact that Tharp told us too much early on in the book - he revealed all the subtleties to Sutter's characterization in the very beginning of the book, essentially ending his character arc before it began. Here, the problem is that there are just too many characters. This isn't a very long book - only around 300 pages - but the size of the cast rivals books twice its size. Tharp attempts to develop every single minor character, and he gives many of them some sort of character arc. The result is overwhelming, unfocused, and incoherent. The ultimate core of this book is Ceejay's relationship with her brother Bobby, who just came back from the war in Iraq with PTSD. But there are around a half dozen subplots - from Ceejay's grandmother having cancer, to the beginnings of a romance with her friend Pratchett, to Bobby helping an aging hippie work on a bizarre sculpture - that this central focus just doesn't get as much development as it should. None of the subplots feel complete either. Ceejay's romance with Pratchett felt completely undeveloped and out of the blue when it arose. There was nothing that naturally led to it, because Tharp just didn't have time to build it up. Likewise, while Tharp tries to develop all of the side characters, it doesn't always work. Thillman is the most obvious example - he's such a cartoonish villain that he literally gloats about his petty revenge like the Joker.
The writing really does get cheesy at times because of this. And it's frustrating, because Tharp clearly does have a strong vision for this book - I can so clearly see the character-oriented, gritty book that Tharp wanted to write. But moments that should've been powerful end up being reduced to cliches. This is particularly noteworthy in the scenes with Chuck, one of Bobby's friends. He is a well-developed character, and he does have a potentially compelling arc, focused on taking responsibility for his actions and taking care of the kid he's estranged from. But there's just no room for him in this overstuffed book. So his arc is essentially reduced to a couple of scenes, and his change of heart happens because Ceejay essentially takes him aside and tells him to stop being such a dick. It's cheap, it's kind of cheesy, and most importantly, there's no reason for it to be here. Really, if you cut about half of these subplots, I could see this being a very good book, something like a grittier version of The Impossible Knife of Memory. But as it is, there's just too much going on for that to work.
That said, Tharp is still a very talented writer, and a lot of his promise shows through. Ceejay is a compelling protagonist, for the most part. I can tell that Tharp isn't very accustomed to writing about women, and he has a little trouble towards the beginning making Ceejay tough without cheap girl power moments. But he recovers after around 100 pages or so, and once he does, she's quite well-written. She has a much more distinct character arc than Sutter does in The Spectacular Now. It mostly involves her making shallow prejudgments of how the world works, but it's far more subtle and bearable than that description implies. Her voice is also very well-established. Tharp has a talent for writing voices that sound like teenagers, without over-reliance on cheesy slang. Bobby was a well-written character as well. I don't think his PTSD was established as subtly as Tharp seems to think it was, but it's still established well. He felt real to me.
This book does have its strengths. There were a lot of scenes I enjoyed, and while writing this review, I was afraid at times I was being too hard on it. But the fact is, this book's structure just doesn't work on a basic level. Both this and The Spectacular Now had a ton of potential that just isn't quite being met. I haven't read any of Tharp's other books yet, and I suspect that somewhere, there's a real masterpiece that I'm going to consider one of my very favorite books. But I haven't found it yet.
This review can also be found on my blog.
Much like The Spectacular Now, most of this book's problems can be attributed to one very big mistake that Tharp makes. There, it was the fact that Tharp told us too much early on in the book - he revealed all the subtleties to Sutter's characterization in the very beginning of the book, essentially ending his character arc before it began. Here, the problem is that there are just too many characters. This isn't a very long book - only around 300 pages - but the size of the cast rivals books twice its size. Tharp attempts to develop every single minor character, and he gives many of them some sort of character arc. The result is overwhelming, unfocused, and incoherent. The ultimate core of this book is Ceejay's relationship with her brother Bobby, who just came back from the war in Iraq with PTSD. But there are around a half dozen subplots - from Ceejay's grandmother having cancer, to the beginnings of a romance with her friend Pratchett, to Bobby helping an aging hippie work on a bizarre sculpture - that this central focus just doesn't get as much development as it should. None of the subplots feel complete either. Ceejay's romance with Pratchett felt completely undeveloped and out of the blue when it arose. There was nothing that naturally led to it, because Tharp just didn't have time to build it up. Likewise, while Tharp tries to develop all of the side characters, it doesn't always work. Thillman is the most obvious example - he's such a cartoonish villain that he literally gloats about his petty revenge like the Joker.
The writing really does get cheesy at times because of this. And it's frustrating, because Tharp clearly does have a strong vision for this book - I can so clearly see the character-oriented, gritty book that Tharp wanted to write. But moments that should've been powerful end up being reduced to cliches. This is particularly noteworthy in the scenes with Chuck, one of Bobby's friends. He is a well-developed character, and he does have a potentially compelling arc, focused on taking responsibility for his actions and taking care of the kid he's estranged from. But there's just no room for him in this overstuffed book. So his arc is essentially reduced to a couple of scenes, and his change of heart happens because Ceejay essentially takes him aside and tells him to stop being such a dick. It's cheap, it's kind of cheesy, and most importantly, there's no reason for it to be here. Really, if you cut about half of these subplots, I could see this being a very good book, something like a grittier version of The Impossible Knife of Memory. But as it is, there's just too much going on for that to work.
That said, Tharp is still a very talented writer, and a lot of his promise shows through. Ceejay is a compelling protagonist, for the most part. I can tell that Tharp isn't very accustomed to writing about women, and he has a little trouble towards the beginning making Ceejay tough without cheap girl power moments. But he recovers after around 100 pages or so, and once he does, she's quite well-written. She has a much more distinct character arc than Sutter does in The Spectacular Now. It mostly involves her making shallow prejudgments of how the world works, but it's far more subtle and bearable than that description implies. Her voice is also very well-established. Tharp has a talent for writing voices that sound like teenagers, without over-reliance on cheesy slang. Bobby was a well-written character as well. I don't think his PTSD was established as subtly as Tharp seems to think it was, but it's still established well. He felt real to me.
This book does have its strengths. There were a lot of scenes I enjoyed, and while writing this review, I was afraid at times I was being too hard on it. But the fact is, this book's structure just doesn't work on a basic level. Both this and The Spectacular Now had a ton of potential that just isn't quite being met. I haven't read any of Tharp's other books yet, and I suspect that somewhere, there's a real masterpiece that I'm going to consider one of my very favorite books. But I haven't found it yet.
This review can also be found on my blog.
April 4, 2017
Badd by Tim Tharp is a book about the life of a teenage girl in a small town.I believe this book is well wrote and goes into genres such as comedy and drama.
Badd follows a teenage girl named ceejay and her life after her older brother bobby comes home from iraq and isn't the same.Ceejay trys to reconnect with her brother but faces immediate frustration from how distant her brother is and is in constant conflict with her parents on how to handle the situation.She gets very frustaded when ever she fails to reconnect with bobby.There is much foreshadowing used when booby is in a scene.There is a good amount of imagery when ever something is described.It is also a little ridiculous when it comes to how fast they can find bobby after he hides away.Also the heavy use of drugs and alcohol is not very pleasing in my taste.
All in all this book was wrote very well and provided a combination of drama and comedy.Anyone who likes drama books would be very interested in this book.
Badd follows a teenage girl named ceejay and her life after her older brother bobby comes home from iraq and isn't the same.Ceejay trys to reconnect with her brother but faces immediate frustration from how distant her brother is and is in constant conflict with her parents on how to handle the situation.She gets very frustaded when ever she fails to reconnect with bobby.There is much foreshadowing used when booby is in a scene.There is a good amount of imagery when ever something is described.It is also a little ridiculous when it comes to how fast they can find bobby after he hides away.Also the heavy use of drugs and alcohol is not very pleasing in my taste.
All in all this book was wrote very well and provided a combination of drama and comedy.Anyone who likes drama books would be very interested in this book.
June 6, 2011
If I could through myself
Set your spirit free
I'd lead your heart away
See you break, break away
Into the light
And to the day.
Bad by U2
This is a harrowing tale of a small town girl trapped in a big time way. Ceejay's brother returns from Iraq a month early, and Ceejay soon finds out why. For her whole life, she has idolized her brother and thinks of him as the worlds greatest person. When he returns a different person, Ceejay is left to try and figure out what has gone wrong.
One of the things I thought was great about this was the way Tim Tharp portrayed Ceejay in the book. The story is told from the first person POV of Ceejay and is worded marvelously. As a high school teacher, I can relate very much to the way Tharp had Ceejay sound: like the 15 year old girl she was. He included statements that started with, "Like, you know?" and gave Ceejay the perfect voice of a teenage girl. He also did an immaculate job of portraying just how much Ceejay worshiped her brother and felt he could do no wrong.
The tale is a tough one in the fact that Ceejay's brother, Bobby, is struggling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and is struggling mightily with assimilating back into the world he once ruled. This would be a great book for kids with family members in the Armed Forces and others who are trying to understand the stresses these men and women face on a daily basis. This is a coming-of-age story that makes readers wanting more like it and an answer to a serious question: Why?
Set your spirit free
I'd lead your heart away
See you break, break away
Into the light
And to the day.
Bad by U2
This is a harrowing tale of a small town girl trapped in a big time way. Ceejay's brother returns from Iraq a month early, and Ceejay soon finds out why. For her whole life, she has idolized her brother and thinks of him as the worlds greatest person. When he returns a different person, Ceejay is left to try and figure out what has gone wrong.
One of the things I thought was great about this was the way Tim Tharp portrayed Ceejay in the book. The story is told from the first person POV of Ceejay and is worded marvelously. As a high school teacher, I can relate very much to the way Tharp had Ceejay sound: like the 15 year old girl she was. He included statements that started with, "Like, you know?" and gave Ceejay the perfect voice of a teenage girl. He also did an immaculate job of portraying just how much Ceejay worshiped her brother and felt he could do no wrong.
The tale is a tough one in the fact that Ceejay's brother, Bobby, is struggling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and is struggling mightily with assimilating back into the world he once ruled. This would be a great book for kids with family members in the Armed Forces and others who are trying to understand the stresses these men and women face on a daily basis. This is a coming-of-age story that makes readers wanting more like it and an answer to a serious question: Why?
March 4, 2016
REVIEW FOR BADD BY TIM THARP
Badd, a story about the effects of the war in Iraq and the people who witness this, both overseas and close to him, is a heartfelt and beautiful story, with an innate sense of good storytelling and enrapturing style. Ceejay, a girl who takes after her older brother, Bobby, is desperate to have her brother back when he comes to visit his family again after a respite from the war- but when he does reappear, Ceejay is disheartened to discover that he isn't the same 'badd' boy as he once was when he lived in Ceejay's small town. Her whole life, Ceejay has known who she is because her brother knew what he was- so if her brother's gone, who is Ceejay? Desperate to find an answer, and regain the brother she once knew, she embarks on multiple adventures with her brother and the friends she has always known and friends that she has just discovered, and Ceejay is surprised to find that things aren't always what they appear to be. With laugh-out-loud humor, a hilarious romance, and a beautiful message at heart, Badd, although it starts out slow, gradually livens up into a memorable book that should be read over again and again.
Badd, a story about the effects of the war in Iraq and the people who witness this, both overseas and close to him, is a heartfelt and beautiful story, with an innate sense of good storytelling and enrapturing style. Ceejay, a girl who takes after her older brother, Bobby, is desperate to have her brother back when he comes to visit his family again after a respite from the war- but when he does reappear, Ceejay is disheartened to discover that he isn't the same 'badd' boy as he once was when he lived in Ceejay's small town. Her whole life, Ceejay has known who she is because her brother knew what he was- so if her brother's gone, who is Ceejay? Desperate to find an answer, and regain the brother she once knew, she embarks on multiple adventures with her brother and the friends she has always known and friends that she has just discovered, and Ceejay is surprised to find that things aren't always what they appear to be. With laugh-out-loud humor, a hilarious romance, and a beautiful message at heart, Badd, although it starts out slow, gradually livens up into a memorable book that should be read over again and again.
March 12, 2011
Yet another example of Tharp's ability to craft immediately relatable reads that remain distinctly his own. This is a very good book -- I just liked "The Spectacular Now" so much more (cuz it was fun too).
February 29, 2012
This is the first contemporary YA book dealing with the war in Iraq and PTSD that I felt was worth my time. Good read by an Oklahoma author.
September 8, 2022
Ceejay is excited that her brother Bobby is coming home from the Iraq war. She has always known herself as Bobby's little sister but what happens when who you base yourself on changes in ways you don't understand. Ceejay grows to learn who she is as she adapts to the new normal of Bobby's return and their small town's reaction to him. This story is interesting and reads quickly.
March 5, 2018
Charming heartwarming PTSD veterans story
This is a simple story of family, ,community and finding your own way out of crisis. The weitimg is colloquial but I cared about the characters.
This is a simple story of family, ,community and finding your own way out of crisis. The weitimg is colloquial but I cared about the characters.
August 5, 2011
Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
Ceejay has always been close to her older brother. It's been them against the rest of the world, or at least the rest of their family. Unfortunately, when Bobby's mischievous ways lead to the point of a joyride in a stolen car, a choice must be made. Their parents chose the military over jail for their errant son.
With the exception of leave time, it's been years since Ceejay and Bobby have been together. He is expected home soon, and Ceejay can't wait to pick up where they left off. Surely after returning from Iraq, Bobby will be ready to party and enjoy his time with now sixteen-year-old Ceejay.
The summer starts with Ceejay's parents announcing that she will be working for her Uncle Jimmy. She'll be slapping paint on whatever project he assigns, but that's better than the job her little sister, Lacy, gets. Lacy will be living with their grandmother several hours away. She'll be taking care of the ungrateful woman while she undergoes chemotherapy. At least, while working for Uncle Jimmy, Ceejay will be at home and able to hang out with Bobby when he gets back.
Ceejay is shocked when she sees someone that looks like Bobby cruising by with an old flame. It takes some investigation, but she learns that he has returned from Iraq early but hasn't seen fit to show up and greet his family. When Ceejay discovers where he is staying, she confronts him and discovers that something about him has changed.
Bobby's first meeting with family is filled with tension, and a BBQ party planned in his honor turns to chaos when he announces that he was asked to leave the military and earned only a general discharge. Ceejay doesn't care about that. She is just frustrated that he is choosing to hang out and live with Captain Crazy, an old Vietnam protester who lives on a nearby, rundown farm. When a friend suggests that Bobby may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Ceejay is quick to defend her brother and deny the possibility, but as time passes, she realizes there might be some truth to the suggestion.
Tim Tharp, author of THE SPECTACULAR NOW, has used his unique talent to create a novel focused on a topic becoming increasingly more common as our soldiers return from war in the Middle East. Families like Ceejay's are facing the return of sons and daughters who aren't the sons and daughters they remember. By including the Vietnam issue, Tharp lets his young readers know this is not the first war to have a profound effect on soldiers and the families left behind. I appreciated the depth of character development and the depiction of the varied emotional impact caused by Bobby's return, as well as the other problems faced by this typical American family.
Ceejay has always been close to her older brother. It's been them against the rest of the world, or at least the rest of their family. Unfortunately, when Bobby's mischievous ways lead to the point of a joyride in a stolen car, a choice must be made. Their parents chose the military over jail for their errant son.
With the exception of leave time, it's been years since Ceejay and Bobby have been together. He is expected home soon, and Ceejay can't wait to pick up where they left off. Surely after returning from Iraq, Bobby will be ready to party and enjoy his time with now sixteen-year-old Ceejay.
The summer starts with Ceejay's parents announcing that she will be working for her Uncle Jimmy. She'll be slapping paint on whatever project he assigns, but that's better than the job her little sister, Lacy, gets. Lacy will be living with their grandmother several hours away. She'll be taking care of the ungrateful woman while she undergoes chemotherapy. At least, while working for Uncle Jimmy, Ceejay will be at home and able to hang out with Bobby when he gets back.
Ceejay is shocked when she sees someone that looks like Bobby cruising by with an old flame. It takes some investigation, but she learns that he has returned from Iraq early but hasn't seen fit to show up and greet his family. When Ceejay discovers where he is staying, she confronts him and discovers that something about him has changed.
Bobby's first meeting with family is filled with tension, and a BBQ party planned in his honor turns to chaos when he announces that he was asked to leave the military and earned only a general discharge. Ceejay doesn't care about that. She is just frustrated that he is choosing to hang out and live with Captain Crazy, an old Vietnam protester who lives on a nearby, rundown farm. When a friend suggests that Bobby may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Ceejay is quick to defend her brother and deny the possibility, but as time passes, she realizes there might be some truth to the suggestion.
Tim Tharp, author of THE SPECTACULAR NOW, has used his unique talent to create a novel focused on a topic becoming increasingly more common as our soldiers return from war in the Middle East. Families like Ceejay's are facing the return of sons and daughters who aren't the sons and daughters they remember. By including the Vietnam issue, Tharp lets his young readers know this is not the first war to have a profound effect on soldiers and the families left behind. I appreciated the depth of character development and the depiction of the varied emotional impact caused by Bobby's return, as well as the other problems faced by this typical American family.
May 29, 2015
A guy they call Captain Crazy is protesting about the war. CeeJay is livid because her brother has been in Iraq. The police take him down to the station once again.
Back in the day Bobby got in trouble for stealing a car and having weed. He was given the option of jail or joining the army. CeeJay is angry at her parents for never fighting for him and thinking the military would be the best thing for him when a war is going on.
She goes to a party and sees her crush Tillman all over a girl that looks like a meth addict. Then her friend Gillis tries to have sex with her and she head butts him and gets out of the car. She thinks she sees her brother Bobby riding around in a car with an ex gfs sister.
Gillis calls her the next day and tells her that he heard that Bobby was staying w an old friend from HS named Chuck. They go over and he denies it but acts very funny. They see an army duffel bag. They stake out a hotel Mona is at but never see who she is with while cheating on her husband.
Bobby shows up in her room in the middle of the night and tells her not to tell anyone he's back and to meet him at Chucks tomorrow.
She goes and finds him high on drugs and chokes his friend bc he doesn't want to talk about the war. They kick him out and he goes with CeeJay and Chuck to captain Crazy's. The captain is talking about weird things and Bobby is agreeing with all he says. He's drunk and finally tells CeeJay she is his best sister and he will leave it up to her with what and when to tell the parents.
His parents throw a party where he freaks out bc of the barbecue smell. He tells them he was kicked out of the army for having drugs. His dad kicks them out of the house. Soon later they all go to visit her grandmother with cancer. Ceejays dad admits how much he loves Bobby and supports him.
Mr White (aka Padgett), the kid who hangs out with Captain Crazy and now CeeJay tells her he thinks her brother has PTSD. She thought he was going to ask her out.
The captain freaks out one day and crashes the plane they have been building together. His brother puts him in an old person home and they all go to bust him out bc of the poor treatment. Bobby's best friend died in Iraq because of PTSD and he wants to live with the captain and help him in a way that he couldn't with his friend. That happens and the captain is doing much better. The book ends with bobby flying the plane.
Back in the day Bobby got in trouble for stealing a car and having weed. He was given the option of jail or joining the army. CeeJay is angry at her parents for never fighting for him and thinking the military would be the best thing for him when a war is going on.
She goes to a party and sees her crush Tillman all over a girl that looks like a meth addict. Then her friend Gillis tries to have sex with her and she head butts him and gets out of the car. She thinks she sees her brother Bobby riding around in a car with an ex gfs sister.
Gillis calls her the next day and tells her that he heard that Bobby was staying w an old friend from HS named Chuck. They go over and he denies it but acts very funny. They see an army duffel bag. They stake out a hotel Mona is at but never see who she is with while cheating on her husband.
Bobby shows up in her room in the middle of the night and tells her not to tell anyone he's back and to meet him at Chucks tomorrow.
She goes and finds him high on drugs and chokes his friend bc he doesn't want to talk about the war. They kick him out and he goes with CeeJay and Chuck to captain Crazy's. The captain is talking about weird things and Bobby is agreeing with all he says. He's drunk and finally tells CeeJay she is his best sister and he will leave it up to her with what and when to tell the parents.
His parents throw a party where he freaks out bc of the barbecue smell. He tells them he was kicked out of the army for having drugs. His dad kicks them out of the house. Soon later they all go to visit her grandmother with cancer. Ceejays dad admits how much he loves Bobby and supports him.
Mr White (aka Padgett), the kid who hangs out with Captain Crazy and now CeeJay tells her he thinks her brother has PTSD. She thought he was going to ask her out.
The captain freaks out one day and crashes the plane they have been building together. His brother puts him in an old person home and they all go to bust him out bc of the poor treatment. Bobby's best friend died in Iraq because of PTSD and he wants to live with the captain and help him in a way that he couldn't with his friend. That happens and the captain is doing much better. The book ends with bobby flying the plane.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2014
Ceejay McDermott has always worshipped her big brother Bobby, idolizing his recklessness and daring sense of fun. Bobby is b-a-d-d in every sense of the word, and Ceejay is proud that she takes after him. The fun is soon over when Bobby gets into a little too much trouble and finds himself enlisted in the army to avoid jail time.
Ceejay can’t wait for her hero to come home from Iraq to rejoin the family, but their reunion isn’t quite what she had in mind. For reasons kept secret by her brother, Bobby is home early and he’s not the same boy he once was. His charisma and good nature have vanished somewhere overseas. Now, increasingly self-destructive and angry, Bobby is heavily drinking and using drugs heavily, fighting, and choosing to spend his time with a mentally disabled war protester instead of his own beloved little sister.
Her brother’s stressful homecoming has Ceejay doubting everything she thought she knew about herself. Now it’s up to her to take charge and get her family back on track, even as Bobby is trying to push them all away. What happens when our heroes aren’t the people we think they are? How can Ceejay save Bobby from himself? Who is she without her role model? A dark and suspenseful look at trauma, family, and shattered expectations, Tim Tharp’s Badd is gritty, heartfelt, and realistic and will appeal to mature readers.
This review originally appeared on abookandahug.com
Ceejay can’t wait for her hero to come home from Iraq to rejoin the family, but their reunion isn’t quite what she had in mind. For reasons kept secret by her brother, Bobby is home early and he’s not the same boy he once was. His charisma and good nature have vanished somewhere overseas. Now, increasingly self-destructive and angry, Bobby is heavily drinking and using drugs heavily, fighting, and choosing to spend his time with a mentally disabled war protester instead of his own beloved little sister.
Her brother’s stressful homecoming has Ceejay doubting everything she thought she knew about herself. Now it’s up to her to take charge and get her family back on track, even as Bobby is trying to push them all away. What happens when our heroes aren’t the people we think they are? How can Ceejay save Bobby from himself? Who is she without her role model? A dark and suspenseful look at trauma, family, and shattered expectations, Tim Tharp’s Badd is gritty, heartfelt, and realistic and will appeal to mature readers.
This review originally appeared on abookandahug.com
May 6, 2011
Ceejay has always been close with her older brother Bobby. He is charismatic, smooth and wild at heart. When he gets caught stealing a car, Bobby has to decide between jail and the army. Bobby has been serving in Iraq, and Ceejay misses him terribly. She is both stunned and thrilled when Bobby comes back to town early unannounced. But something isn’t quite right, his behavior is moody, and he’s not acting like himself. He doesn’t want to associate with the family, and is heavily drinking and doing dangerous drugs. There is an old, hippie musician in town named Captain Crazy. He is known for his crazy art sculptures and erratic behavior. Ceejay sees him protesting the war, and she gets very defensive about her brother and his tour of duty. But when Bobby and Captain Crazy strike up an unlikely friendship, Ceejay tries her best to support him. Each family member has their own way to deal with his lingering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Tharp also wrote “The Spectacular Now”, which was a National Book Award Finalist. This is a powerful account of a family dealing with war in current times. It’s well crafted and the characters are realistic and believable. There are lots of drugs and sex references, but the main character Ceejay is pretty level headed and has disapproving perspective on those behaviors.
March 19, 2012
Ceejay McDermott lives in Knowles, IA and not much goes on in her small town. She idolizes her older brother Bobby because he is B-A-D-D, BADD (she never explains why there is an extra d), and so is she. She has always felt he was the only one in the family who understood her but he is not around right now. He had a wild streak that got him arrested for drugs and the plea deal included enlisting in the army. He was sent to Iraq and Ceejay discovers he came back earlier than he should have. She wonders why he is not coming to the house and seems to be avoiding her. As the story unfolds, it is clear that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, but Ceejay seems to never have heard of it and is at a loss as to how to help. The requisite new, quirky boy in town, whom she and her friends refer to as Mr. White because he always wears white, suggests that maybe that is what is wrong with Bobby and their fledgling friendship hits a rocky patch. The author throws in a bunch of other contemporary problems including a grandmother with cancer, a potentially rocky marriage threatened by the town hussy, Captain Crazy, sibling issues, and a Vietnam vet who factors into the solution to Bobby’s problems. The character development is strong and the subplots add depth but the resolution is a bit too pat.
August 9, 2011
So I'm actually not so sure about this book. It had a good story - focusing on a young girl named Ceejay who is forced to come to the realization that her brother, Bobby (who just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq), isn't the same guy he used to be. At some points, the story is touching and painful - especially if you know someone who's been in the army in the last 10 years. But at the same time, this book is a little past its time. I feel like the world, myself included, is so desensitized to all the effects of war (there are movies, books, tv shows, even plays focusing on PTSD), that this book seems to be something that's "been done" before. So it's not necesarily the author's fault that this book is not a favorite of mine, it just happens to be the topic.
But here are my final thoughts:
What I liked: the relationship between Bobby & Ceejay, which will remind everyone about the admiration they had for their big brother. I also like the idea of a "misfit revolution" - boy, do we need one of those!
What I disliked: The side story with Grandma. I don't really feel it was needed. Or if it were there just to make Ceejay grow as a character, than I feel like it could've been done better.
Maria @GoodChoiceReading.com
But here are my final thoughts:
What I liked: the relationship between Bobby & Ceejay, which will remind everyone about the admiration they had for their big brother. I also like the idea of a "misfit revolution" - boy, do we need one of those!
What I disliked: The side story with Grandma. I don't really feel it was needed. Or if it were there just to make Ceejay grow as a character, than I feel like it could've been done better.
Maria @GoodChoiceReading.com
January 16, 2017
SPOILER ALERT in this review
In the novel BADD it is based on a small town family that has a son that is into drugs and is a bad kid. He gets shipped off to the military for two years. He got discharged for the use of drugs and he had to come home. Bobby suffered PTSD and lost his best friend and only had one thing to look forward too upon his return. Captain crazy was who bobby looked up to. These too were making an angelica and it was a flying machine but the question was would it fly? Ceejay was bobby's sister and she loved her brother so much but after the war he changed and she and him never jointed back together. Until the end where they became best buds. This story was a very good read!
The story was very good read because of the details. It went real deep in visualization. It was also really good because it shows that no matter how bad it gets there is all ways something to look forward too. This story was badd because it was titled with paintball and there was only one paintball chapter so it really throws you off. I would recommend this book to people who like family stories because it really highlights on family and it can be easily related too.
In the novel BADD it is based on a small town family that has a son that is into drugs and is a bad kid. He gets shipped off to the military for two years. He got discharged for the use of drugs and he had to come home. Bobby suffered PTSD and lost his best friend and only had one thing to look forward too upon his return. Captain crazy was who bobby looked up to. These too were making an angelica and it was a flying machine but the question was would it fly? Ceejay was bobby's sister and she loved her brother so much but after the war he changed and she and him never jointed back together. Until the end where they became best buds. This story was a very good read!
The story was very good read because of the details. It went real deep in visualization. It was also really good because it shows that no matter how bad it gets there is all ways something to look forward too. This story was badd because it was titled with paintball and there was only one paintball chapter so it really throws you off. I would recommend this book to people who like family stories because it really highlights on family and it can be easily related too.
April 23, 2014
I didn't have high expectations for this book, and thank God for that. It wasn't great, it wasn't terrible. It was OK.
Ceejay was the main problem I had with this book. Trouble is, she's the protagonist. Ceejay goes around beating up people and yet she can be so stupidly sensitive. I suppose it boils down to insecurity, but still, it's annoying. While I admire her for sticking by Bobby and never giving up on him, there were times where I hated her. In particular, the bit where she storms out because she's mad at Mr. White (aka Padgett) for a really stupid reason. She's such a wishy-washy character, especially as a narrator — at times, I felt like she was all talk and no action.
Although I thought the characters were generally pretty weak, I have to say that I like the plot. There are some really sad bits in the book that got me thinking about the effect war has on soldiers. You really get to understand Bobby's character and why he changed so much. And the captain's story was so sad — I'm glad Ceejay and Bobby rescued him! Both him and Bobby deserve a happy ending.
Ceejay was the main problem I had with this book. Trouble is, she's the protagonist. Ceejay goes around beating up people and yet she can be so stupidly sensitive. I suppose it boils down to insecurity, but still, it's annoying. While I admire her for sticking by Bobby and never giving up on him, there were times where I hated her. In particular, the bit where she storms out because she's mad at Mr. White (aka Padgett) for a really stupid reason. She's such a wishy-washy character, especially as a narrator — at times, I felt like she was all talk and no action.
Although I thought the characters were generally pretty weak, I have to say that I like the plot. There are some really sad bits in the book that got me thinking about the effect war has on soldiers. You really get to understand Bobby's character and why he changed so much. And the captain's story was so sad — I'm glad Ceejay and Bobby rescued him! Both him and Bobby deserve a happy ending.
January 17, 2016
This book is not like others, in that it is good due the writing and characters (although those are excellent.) It's a good book because it exists. Tell me one book that is written about PTSD and the social stigma attached. This book does this, and it does it well. It covers this controversial topic in a sensitive realistic way. The characters show all different sides of PTSD, and it truly tugs at your heartstrings. Ceejay's desperate attempts to bring Bobby back are especially affecting. Bobby's behavior rips you apart. Some plot points were not pulled through all the way. Yet I admire this book and it is definitely worth the read, for educational and entertainment purposes.
March 28, 2011
Another great novel from Tim Tharp about great insight into the life of a teenager whose brother returns from war in Iraq. When CJ learns that her brother Bobby is back earlier than expected, she hopes that her family will be able to return to normal. Not only has family grown and changed, Bobby is not the same, and CJ has a tough transition before coming to realize that although things change, family is family.
The ending was a little neat, but I really enjoyed it.
The ending was a little neat, but I really enjoyed it.
July 2, 2011
Started this ages ago and couldn't get into it for the longest time. Main character Ceejay is so very unlikable at the beginning of the book, a real tough girl whose older brother is away fighting in the Middle East. Then she finds out he's home unexpectedly early, but acting differently (PTSD). Through her developing relationship with her brother and a couple of other misfits in town, she grows up and learns life lessons. Pretty darn good.
March 11, 2016
Loved the way Tim narrated the hurts of the soldiers. They should be recognized and what they've been through is worth people's time. We should all accept the way soldiers are and do our best to prevent more from becoming them.
I also love the way Tim writes about family. It's extremely real and convincing. The way Lacy grew up so fast and the way Bobby backed away from his family when they can't understand him feel true.
I also love the way Tim writes about family. It's extremely real and convincing. The way Lacy grew up so fast and the way Bobby backed away from his family when they can't understand him feel true.
July 9, 2011
I had trouble getting into the book, but by the end I was really engaged with these characters. Interesting to see the literature that is growing out of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I especially liked how CJ's brother was able to relate to the town's mentally ill person. Raised some thought-provoking questions.
July 28, 2011
A colorful caste of characters: A strong teen female protagonist. Her brother_ a returning vet from Iraqi war suffering from PTSD. Small town life. All revolving around the antics, wisdom, prophecies, and bizarre yard sculptures of a schizophrenic man whose own brother died in Viet Nam and how he is the catalyst for positive change.
March 12, 2012
it was ok.
update 3/2012 - since my son is 90% sure he is joining the Marines in 2 years, I think I'll be reading some military lit in the future, for what it's worth.
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9/2011
This one is going back to the to-read pile.
I really like the story so far, but I'm soooo burned out from reading. I will tackle this again ...
update 3/2012 - since my son is 90% sure he is joining the Marines in 2 years, I think I'll be reading some military lit in the future, for what it's worth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
9/2011
This one is going back to the to-read pile.
I really like the story so far, but I'm soooo burned out from reading. I will tackle this again ...
September 16, 2012
It just...was? Not bad, not memorable, not new territory, but given a slight edge with the Captain Crazy storyline and worth a read-through. Ceejay got less hostile and horrible as it went on, that helped.
November 26, 2013
The narrator's voice is overpowering, but consistent.
The events are predictable.
The setting is gritty, small-town, which I adore (reference my love for Tawni O'Dell's books).
The resolution is unsatisfying.
The writer's talent is clear, but I much prefer The Spectacular Now.
The events are predictable.
The setting is gritty, small-town, which I adore (reference my love for Tawni O'Dell's books).
The resolution is unsatisfying.
The writer's talent is clear, but I much prefer The Spectacular Now.
September 16, 2011
See review at www.nocturnereads.com
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