The Boy with the Thorn in His Side

by Pete Wentz

The Boy with the Thorn in His Side is a 2005 book written by Pete Wentz the bassist and lyricist of the Illinois pop punk band, Fall Out Boy. The book was illustrated by Joe Tesauro and published by Clandestine Industries. The story of the book is influenced by the recurring nightmares Wentz suffered as a child. It is named after the song "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" by The Smiths.

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Music, Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Pop Culture, Childrens

43 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Peter Lewis Kingston "Pete" Wentz III (born June 5, 1979) is an American musician, lyricist and Music video director, most famous for his work with the Chicago-based band Fall Out Boy. In recent years, he has hosted the MTV program FNMTV. Wentz was born Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III, in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. He is the son of Dale Wentz, a high school admissions counselor of Hawaiian and Indian heritage,[citation needed] and Pete Wentz II, a lawyer. He attended New Trier High School and North Shore Country Day School, where he was an all-state soccer player. During his freshman year of high school, he began skipping school regularly and a school counselor convinced his parents to send him to boot camp to straighten him out. During this time, Wentz began writing songs as a way to vent out his frustrations. After graduating from high school in 1997, he attended DePaul University where he studied political science, dropping out one quarter shy of graduation to focus more on music.

Wentz recalled in a Rolling Stone interview that his earliest musical memory was listening to The Foundations' song "Build Me Up Buttercup" in the back of his dad's car.

Reviews

[Zoë · Rating 5 out of 5]

he wrote it better than i ever felt it

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take this to your grave

[Zeila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pete Wentz's first book. It is now rare and its length probably would not be worth the price you would have to pay to own a physical copy- unless, of course, you are a collector. Others can easily find passages online with a few key words and a click of the mouse.

Despite the cartoonish illustrations, The Boy With the Thorn in His Side is far from a child's bedside story. Based on Wentz's recurring nightmare, the dark themes place readers under a hazy state. The monsters of our childhood are reawakened as Wentz weaves metaphors and details into his gloomy story. I have always imagined his mind to be messy and chaotic- full of scattered thoughts- due to his writing. It must be exhausting to have a mind that never quiets down. But perhaps that is the only way to write the way that he does:

"He is the kind of kid who you forget about as soon as you meet him. He is the B-side to your hit single. He is the crust on the bread, the ash on the cigarette. He is every face you have ever forgotten (he is us)... He is the straight to video sequel to your summer hit movie. He is the verse to that song on the radio you have to hum cause you can’t remember the words. You couldn’t break this kid’s heart, he is so far beyond that. This is the kind of kid who blew out the candles on hope all alone for too many birthdays to remember."

I envy the way he writes and wish I could imitate his style. This book is an extension of his lyrics. I loved being able to read his writing in a prose. However, it still had a subtle melodic feeling. The varied sentence structures, the occasional short and incomplete sentences, the vivid imagery all gave the impression of a stream-of-consciousness. I fell in love with the book and wish I could own a copy without dishing so much money out for it. Pete Wentz is no doubt one of my favorite writers.

[Rea Peck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book years ago, when I was around thirteen years of age. It was a perfect story for a kid going into high school, growing up and being unsure of the world around them. I was going through a lot of problems and this book really helped me out. Wentz is a wonderful writer, in all honesty and not from a biased point of view. He spits out these ridiculous metaphors that mean a thousand things all in one. The novella is very simple, easy to follow but there is depth. You can easily find out the facts behind this book, just by reading about Pete Wentz and what he has gone through. You can also lose yourself trying to figure out the personal demons he writes about. It's not the greatest story in the world, nor does it have the greatest art, but in my opinion it's a treat. Especially for any Fall Out Boy fan that may still be out there!

[lauren ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe how long it took me to read this book, but I feel like I decided to read it at exactly the right moment. This is beautiful and haunting and dark and real and I can't even describe in words the way Pete writes, but it's just so spot on. Every single line and metaphor and lyric. It's perfect. I kept re-reading the last page over and over because I'm absolutely in love with it. I can't stop thinking about it. I've been a Fall Out Boy fan for ten years and if I had read this back then it would still probably be imprinted in my brain now. I'm just really glad this exists and that I finally read it. Also, as someone who has suffered with mental illness most of their life I appreciate the message and the genuineness behind it so incredibly much.

[Marbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot, it made me forget everything around me :)
However, I don't recommend buying it. It was such a quick read that I don't think you should waste money on it. If you want to read it, here's a link I found:

http://theboywiththethorninhisside.we...

The chapters/parts are in order on the left side :)

[Jamie Roeske (*Jam and her TBR Jar*) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will never be able to fully express my love for Pete Wentz. Some day I hope to be half the writer this beautiful man is. #falloutboyforever

[Sydney | sydneys.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautifully written story. Still in shock that Pete Wentz, bassist OF MY FAVORITE BAND, wrote a book. It was worthy of every Fall Out Boy song. I read this TWICE.

[Jasmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"He felt homesick for places he had never been. He missed hearts he had never loved."

About a boy who's hopefully no longer visiting this place.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

For anyone who's a fan of Pete Wentz--particularly those familiar with his writings throughout the 2000s--The Boy With the Thorn in His Side is very obviously in his style. It's a bit melodramatic, disjointed, and underedited in parts yet still has a definite sense of charm and creativity. The Boy--a social outcast who deprecates himself perhaps more than anyone else--is prescribed pills by The Doctor that distort his reality. He separates his life between his waking and sleeping existences until the disorientation of this dichotomy blurs and inverts--his old reality becomes the nightmare he escapes from as he plunges into the new world the pills unlock.

I quite like the concept, and the narrative voice is quintessentially Wentz's--one I've always loved. Accompanied by offbeat illustrations, this short story is unique and paradoxically fervent and despondent. It probably would have benefited from a little tightening up on the revision front but I enjoyed it even as is (although I'd recommend going the free reading route unless you're particularly interested in fostering a Pete Wentz-themed collection (which I totally respect and only abstain from due to a limited budget)). (3.5 stars!)

[Mikey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obviously I’m going to be biased about this book. If Pete Wentz didn’t write it I wouldn’t have even know what this weird little story was in the first place, but it’s special to me. I connect with it, and in a way it’s comforting. A lot of people don’t know Pete has written two books especially considering this one is only accessible on ebay and a backwards collection of its pages on tumblr. It’s charming in its own way and I reread it all the time. Sometimes you just have to be the stereotypical teenager for a minute and this wraps up all the ugly parts.

[allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

PETER LEWIS KINGSTON WENTZ THE THIRD WHAT THE HELL??

[Meron Abebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started to actively listen to Fall Out Boy in the middle of 2014, and later that year I found out that Pete had written two books. Obviously, I was beyond excited to read them. I had read "Gray" before this and I absolutely loved the book, and "The Boy With The Thorn in His Side" was no exception. It's a dark story that doesn't make sense at times, but in the end it's worth the read. If you don't know that much about Pete, he was very troubled in his youth and I believe this book is based on a reoccurring nightmare he had. I loved the odd story line and characters he used. It's definitely worth the read!

[Jack Shanks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pete Wentz is talented - from lyrics for Fall Out Boy to his novel "Gray", he definitely has a way with words.
While this book does not have a solid plot, his phrases and descriptions paint a vivid picture of The Boy and his friends. Definitely an enjoyable short story which online took a small portion of an hour to complete. Very well written.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review coming soon.

[Aisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh pete, the things your writing does to me.
Even when written as prose, his writing is poetry.

[Aime'e · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was like reading more lyrics to my favorite songs, and I enjoyed every second. I think I will be reading this again and again. Thanks Pete:)

[Jordan Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pete's writing style is so unique and atmospheric. Perfectly describes the feelings of loneliness, depression, isolation, etc.

[debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my favorite things about fall out boy is that i can listen to the same song for years, and lyrics that never really affected me could suddenly mean everything to me.

this book just felt like i was reading lyrics to a really long fall out boy song and i loved every second of it. some things hit close to home, while other things i didn’t quite understand. maybe i’ll never understand these things, maybe they’ll eventually become crystal clear to me, or maybe the things i thought i understood will change. and i think that’s the beauty of pete’s writing — it’s unpredictable even when you already know the ending.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you read this without knowing what year it came out, you could very easily guess early 2000s Pete Wentz wrote it. This books gives off major From Under the Cork Tree vibes and is also reminiscent of Pete's old blogs. My little teenage self would have absolutely loved this and savored it; my adult self simply wanted to read it for her since the opportunity never presented itself back then. As an adult, I feel disconnected from it, but it did fill me with a bit of nostalgia at least. The story makes no sense, but seeing as it's about mental illness and nightmares, it makes sense that it doesn't make sense. It's not for everyone, but any FOB fan will at least appreciate it.

[AJ ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very sardonic, depressing, and morbid little short story. While Pete mentions very clearly that it is a pointless story (and I agree), I wanted to highlight some of my favourite, and most Wentz moments.

“He felt homesick for places he had never been. He missed hearts he had never loved.”

“He felt like the last bullet in a gun meant for revenge, sealed with a kiss. He felt understood. He felt memorable.”

“He sharpened his flaws and disappointments into daggers.”

“Somehow the dreams and nightmares were like life on the run, and there was nothing chasing him anymore.”


I love you Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III

[Dev · Rating 4 out of 5]

He felt homesick for places he had never been. He missed hearts he had never loved.

That quote gets me every time. I first read this years ago but I guess I never added it on here. As an adult there are parts of it that I'm kind of side-eyeing but the nostalgia factor is too strong to give it anything less than 4 stars. If you loved Fall Out Boy as a teenager you will definitely relate to this story. I wish they would reprint it because I've only ever read the text online and I'd love to see the pictures but I just cannot spend $60+ on a 40 page book :(

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read. I love illustrations and story line.

[Tijana · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING

[Meg]

pete just publish your livejournal entries damn

[dre · Rating 4 out of 5]

like a bullet through a flock of birds(???) this was so good

[★ shelby joestar ★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

pete wentz unmatched as always

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘he felt homesick for places he’d never been. he missed hearts he had never loved.’ the book was short, took about twenty minutes to finish but changed the trajectory of my life

[Brittany G · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a poetic darkness we can all relate to.

[Gisele Putti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Li pelo Pete Wentz, dei nota por ele. E é isso ai.