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Blazed
Jamie uncovers life-changing secrets from his past when he’s sent to live with a father he’s never met in this gritty novel from the author of Exit Here. and Run the Game.
Jamie is invincible when he is high. His anger, his isolation, his mom’s manic mood swings—nothing can shatter his glass castle. But one brutal night upends everything, leaving his mom broken and Jamie betrayed.
Sent to live with a father he’s never met, Jamie is determined to hate the man he blames for his mother’s ruin. And he blocks out the pain with drugs, fierce music, and sweet, sweet Dominique. Except the more time Jamie spends at his dad’s, the more his mother’s scathing stories start to unravel. Who is he supposed to believe? And how much will he have to sacrifice to uncover the truth?
Jamie is invincible when he is high. His anger, his isolation, his mom’s manic mood swings—nothing can shatter his glass castle. But one brutal night upends everything, leaving his mom broken and Jamie betrayed.
Sent to live with a father he’s never met, Jamie is determined to hate the man he blames for his mother’s ruin. And he blocks out the pain with drugs, fierce music, and sweet, sweet Dominique. Except the more time Jamie spends at his dad’s, the more his mother’s scathing stories start to unravel. Who is he supposed to believe? And how much will he have to sacrifice to uncover the truth?
528 pages, Hardcover
First published June 17, 2014
41 people are currently reading
903 people want to read
About the author
Jason Myers
34 books281 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Jason Myers was born in 1980 and raised on a farm ten miles outside of the small town of Dysart, Iowa. After
he graduated high school, he moved to San Francisco where he studied
film at the Academy of Art University. It was there, after taking a
Screenwriting 3 class that he met and studied under the inspiring instructor
and author James Dalessandro. James helped Myers grasp the value of
having great stories within the story and also the value of pacing. He also
taught him how to structure his stories in a way that made the reader feel
invested. Myers then sat down in early 2003 and began working on what
would become the first draft of Exit Here. He signed with literary agent
Gary Heidt and in 2005, at the age of 24, he signed a major publishing
deal with Simon & Schuster. Exit Here would go on to be released in May
of 2007 and thus far the book has sold over 90, 000 copies worldwide.
In 2010, Myers' second book, The Mission, also on Simon & Schuster,
was released worldwide. The book went into its third printing six months
after its release and has already sold nearly 30,000 copies to date. Myers
recently signed a new two book deal with Simon & Schuster. His next book,
Dead End, a Midwestern Gothic back roads chase thriller will be released on
6.14.2011 and his fourth book is set to be released in the Summer of
2012.
Myers continues to reside in San Francisco and writes full-time.
Jason Myers was born in 1980 and raised on a farm ten miles outside of the small town of Dysart, Iowa. After
he graduated high school, he moved to San Francisco where he studied
film at the Academy of Art University. It was there, after taking a
Screenwriting 3 class that he met and studied under the inspiring instructor
and author James Dalessandro. James helped Myers grasp the value of
having great stories within the story and also the value of pacing. He also
taught him how to structure his stories in a way that made the reader feel
invested. Myers then sat down in early 2003 and began working on what
would become the first draft of Exit Here. He signed with literary agent
Gary Heidt and in 2005, at the age of 24, he signed a major publishing
deal with Simon & Schuster. Exit Here would go on to be released in May
of 2007 and thus far the book has sold over 90, 000 copies worldwide.
In 2010, Myers' second book, The Mission, also on Simon & Schuster,
was released worldwide. The book went into its third printing six months
after its release and has already sold nearly 30,000 copies to date. Myers
recently signed a new two book deal with Simon & Schuster. His next book,
Dead End, a Midwestern Gothic back roads chase thriller will be released on
6.14.2011 and his fourth book is set to be released in the Summer of
2012.
Myers continues to reside in San Francisco and writes full-time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
October 4, 2014
Wow. This book just destroyed me. I really don't even have words. Jason Myers really knows how to write a book that just tears your soul apart, but like in a good way.
June 29, 2014
1.5 Stars
If you take away the shitty parents, all of the drugs, the romance and made the protagonist older, have siblings, less talented, and changed the setting, Blazed would pretty much be The Catcher in the Rye. Jaime is told to be this insanely smart and talented person and while he is mostly talented, I don't think he's that intelligent. If anything, he's judgemental and a complete douchebag despite his circumstances. He calls everyone who doesn't listen to indie bands and alternative rock, 'phonies' and 'fakes' (sound familiar?). He discriminates against women, saying that 'we're all just the same. stupid bitches that are out to destroy everything. Cold hearted whores, all of them' (I'm paraphrasing but he says something along the lines." I'm sorry, but I can't believe this book. It's annoying in almost every way and half the book is completely useless.
First off, the writing style is choppy and confusing with nothing properly explained. There aren't enough flashbacks to make the relationship between Jaime and his mother seem realistic and caring. Another problem are the characters and how lacking they are. Sure, they have some cool traits sometimes but for the most part, they're underdeveloped and forgettable with close to no redeeming qualities just like the book itself. Everyone listens only to rap and indie bands, do a shit ton of drugs and then complain about how phony the world is. What's even worse is how Myers sets the world up. San Francisco is a huge place, it's not possible for every character to know and love every single band and every single book that's mentioned here. It's just not.
There is very little that I liked about this book. I spent so much time reading it, I had to find something that made up for the many days that I had lost. The chapters are very short. I also liked the bands that are mentioned, I have found a few new bands that I like. That's all. Nothing else makes this novel a good read.
Blazed was such a wild card for me. I went in excited, the setting is wild and confusing. I would have been fine if it was only the writing that was that way. Unfortunately, it's the whole book and I had very little patience for it but I somehow finished it. I hated it and I don't recommend this book to anyone.
January 30, 2015
This is by far one of the best books I have ever read. Although the language was beyond vulgar and belligerent at best, it was so...raw and truthful. There was no censorship that just grabbed you from beginning to end. From the first sentence, Myers makes you love every character, even though you know you inherently hate them. The writing is so masterful, full of emotionally capturing anecdotes that makes the Protagonist a character that you love to hate to love. His love for his girlfriend after only five days is so pure and true that you can't not admire them.
The only reason the book isn't five stars is because of the ending where . Other than that, it was an excellent book. I would read it over and over again.
The only reason the book isn't five stars is because of the ending where . Other than that, it was an excellent book. I would read it over and over again.
May 17, 2014
This was one of the worst books I've read in awhile. The main character endlessly does Oxy, then describes someone's outfit (everyone wears bandana in some way, shape, or form), then talks about a bunch of indie bands over and over, then says fuck a whole lot as a way to contribute to all of the intelligent conversations he has. All the time. Oh, and he also manages to join a band, has his own following on tumblr that everyone in SF has already heard of, falls in love, and then meet several of his hipster heroes in one week? By the way, he's only 14. And both his mother and father have significant portions of money and are obviously totally connected in the art world. *groan*
I see what the author was trying to do, but this book honestly felt like it was written by teenagers, for teenagers. The author could have done something with this as he covers drug abuse, horrible relationships, and emotional and physical abuse pretty brutally, which I liked. But, he doesn't do anything with it. Hopefully, our teens who actually think for themselves would see beyond all the fabulous bands the authors cites obsessively and see that there is no substance at all, to this book.
P.S. There is even a playlist at the end of the book. Seriously? Do yourself a favor, reader, and skip to pages 526-528 (oh, yes! It goes on for over 500 pages!) and use the playlist if that's what you like.
I see what the author was trying to do, but this book honestly felt like it was written by teenagers, for teenagers. The author could have done something with this as he covers drug abuse, horrible relationships, and emotional and physical abuse pretty brutally, which I liked. But, he doesn't do anything with it. Hopefully, our teens who actually think for themselves would see beyond all the fabulous bands the authors cites obsessively and see that there is no substance at all, to this book.
P.S. There is even a playlist at the end of the book. Seriously? Do yourself a favor, reader, and skip to pages 526-528 (oh, yes! It goes on for over 500 pages!) and use the playlist if that's what you like.
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May 30, 2014I don't use star ratings, so please read my review!
(Description nicked from B&N.com.)
“Jamie is invincible when he is high. His anger, his isolation, his mom’s manic mood swings—nothing can shatter his glass castle. But one brutal night upends everything, leaving his mom broken and Jamie betrayed.
Sent to live with a father he’s never met, Jamie is determined to hate the man he blames for his mother’s ruin. And he blocks out the pain with drugs, fierce music, and sweet, sweet Dominique. Except the more time Jamie spends at his dad’s, the more his mother’s scathing stories start to unravel. Who is he supposed to believe? And how much will he have to sacrifice to uncover the truth?”
Okay, I have no trouble at all with books, young adult or otherwise, that want to ride the rough edge between storytelling and gratuitous controversy. I really don’t. Some of the best books that I’ve read have been the kind that make me slap a hand over my mouth to muffle the instinctive “Oh ****!” that wants to leap out. The thing about Blazed, though, is that it topples right off of that edge and plummets straight into the pit of gratuitousness.
Now don’t get me wrong, there were things about the book that I found intriguing: setting the story in San Francisco; a teen boy attempting to figure out the truth behind his mother’s stories about his father; and possibly the consequences of drug use. But much of what was good about this book was simply buried under a pile of repetitive scenes and conversations. Jaime does drugs constantly, and we see the details of every single instance. The author fanatically describes what everyone is wearing, sometimes going on for half a page. Characters frequently converse about the nature of art and life, but they don’t say anything that the previous several conversations didn’t cover.
I felt really ambivalent about the characters too. I can’t admire them because of their constant drug use and their destructively rebellious behavior, but then again, I can’t really hate them either, because they rarely do anything truly bad to anyone else. It’s like their redeeming qualities and their many flaws kind of cancel each other out and make it difficult to get invested in any of them.
The worst part of this book for me was the strong suspicion that the author is using this book to push an agenda, or at best, push a message. For one thing, there’s the incessant harping on making art, and how if you’re not getting your art (of any kind) out there and using the internet to build a huge following, then you’re a “phony” and not worth anyone’s time. Since I personally believe in art for art’s sake, I found that message kind of offensive. There’s also the message that if you’re not living life on the absolute edge, it’s meaningless. It feels like Myers is trying to justify his characters’ actions.
And then there’s the fact that I’m fairly sure that the author is using this book—and one of the characters—to insult his detractors. After finishing the book, there were a couple of scenes that felt weird to me, so I went and read up a bit on the author. What I found is that many of the negative reviews of his books mention how he takes hundreds of pages to cover just a few days, going into details that are not relevant to the story. I also found that one of his earlier books is mentioned by name in one of his later books, and that some reviewers caught that and criticized it. In Blazed, the character of James Morgan, an author himself, talks about how going into the smallest details of the day is just keeping it real, and also delivers a pointed explanation of why he mentioned one of his book titles in another of his books (just like Myers). As far as I can tell, James Morgan is a self-insert—the initials are even the same—created to be Myers’ mouthpiece, and those parts come across as very deliberately aimed. I could be wrong, but it sure seems like this is the case. Not very classy, in my opinion.
I finished Blazed, but by the end it was a real slog to get through. As far as I can tell, the author has been writing the same book over and over, so maybe he just needs to move on to fresh material. Regardless, this is just not a book I can recommend. There were some little hints of interesting stuff going on, but it’s all smothered in drugged out repetitive actions that drag on for far too long. If you want something edgy, look elsewhere.
This review originally appeared on Owlcat Mountain on April 28, 2014.
(Description nicked from B&N.com.)
“Jamie is invincible when he is high. His anger, his isolation, his mom’s manic mood swings—nothing can shatter his glass castle. But one brutal night upends everything, leaving his mom broken and Jamie betrayed.
Sent to live with a father he’s never met, Jamie is determined to hate the man he blames for his mother’s ruin. And he blocks out the pain with drugs, fierce music, and sweet, sweet Dominique. Except the more time Jamie spends at his dad’s, the more his mother’s scathing stories start to unravel. Who is he supposed to believe? And how much will he have to sacrifice to uncover the truth?”
Okay, I have no trouble at all with books, young adult or otherwise, that want to ride the rough edge between storytelling and gratuitous controversy. I really don’t. Some of the best books that I’ve read have been the kind that make me slap a hand over my mouth to muffle the instinctive “Oh ****!” that wants to leap out. The thing about Blazed, though, is that it topples right off of that edge and plummets straight into the pit of gratuitousness.
Now don’t get me wrong, there were things about the book that I found intriguing: setting the story in San Francisco; a teen boy attempting to figure out the truth behind his mother’s stories about his father; and possibly the consequences of drug use. But much of what was good about this book was simply buried under a pile of repetitive scenes and conversations. Jaime does drugs constantly, and we see the details of every single instance. The author fanatically describes what everyone is wearing, sometimes going on for half a page. Characters frequently converse about the nature of art and life, but they don’t say anything that the previous several conversations didn’t cover.
I felt really ambivalent about the characters too. I can’t admire them because of their constant drug use and their destructively rebellious behavior, but then again, I can’t really hate them either, because they rarely do anything truly bad to anyone else. It’s like their redeeming qualities and their many flaws kind of cancel each other out and make it difficult to get invested in any of them.
The worst part of this book for me was the strong suspicion that the author is using this book to push an agenda, or at best, push a message. For one thing, there’s the incessant harping on making art, and how if you’re not getting your art (of any kind) out there and using the internet to build a huge following, then you’re a “phony” and not worth anyone’s time. Since I personally believe in art for art’s sake, I found that message kind of offensive. There’s also the message that if you’re not living life on the absolute edge, it’s meaningless. It feels like Myers is trying to justify his characters’ actions.
And then there’s the fact that I’m fairly sure that the author is using this book—and one of the characters—to insult his detractors. After finishing the book, there were a couple of scenes that felt weird to me, so I went and read up a bit on the author. What I found is that many of the negative reviews of his books mention how he takes hundreds of pages to cover just a few days, going into details that are not relevant to the story. I also found that one of his earlier books is mentioned by name in one of his later books, and that some reviewers caught that and criticized it. In Blazed, the character of James Morgan, an author himself, talks about how going into the smallest details of the day is just keeping it real, and also delivers a pointed explanation of why he mentioned one of his book titles in another of his books (just like Myers). As far as I can tell, James Morgan is a self-insert—the initials are even the same—created to be Myers’ mouthpiece, and those parts come across as very deliberately aimed. I could be wrong, but it sure seems like this is the case. Not very classy, in my opinion.
I finished Blazed, but by the end it was a real slog to get through. As far as I can tell, the author has been writing the same book over and over, so maybe he just needs to move on to fresh material. Regardless, this is just not a book I can recommend. There were some little hints of interesting stuff going on, but it’s all smothered in drugged out repetitive actions that drag on for far too long. If you want something edgy, look elsewhere.
This review originally appeared on Owlcat Mountain on April 28, 2014.
September 5, 2016
*Spoilers*
I hate to be so negative, but this book was honestly terrible. I just kept hoping it would get better and it just didn't. 500 pages later and nothing but disappointment. I can't believe I actually finished it tbh.
The take-away message for me was: Do a bunch of drugs/oxy and everything will go perfectly! Just keep smoking Oxy and the most unrealistic, fantastic things will happen! You'll meet all of these great people, have nice things, join an awesome band, and it will be great. This is the message the author is feeding teens. Romanticizing drug use and strange sexual encounters between a 14 year old boy and adult women. The relationship between Jaime and every other character mentioned was underdeveloped. I read more about what the characters were wearing than getting to know them on a deeper level mentally and emotionally.
The narrator was just a jerk to basically everyone. It was irritating how Jaime was SOOO smart and talented and attractive. I'm sorry, the narrator was absolutely irritating. Jaime had SO much insight into life and was SO "mature." Vandalizing cars and doing drugs to deal with your problems is not maturity in my eyes. He had absolutely no self-control and was completely unable to regulate his emotions. I know he was a teen and this is a teen novel, but I thought the overall message was awful, the writing was terrible, the characters underdeveloped, and the plot went nowhere.
I don't know...
I have to say SOMETHING positive about my experience reading this. I did like the emphasis on the music. I love music, not necessarily this type of music, but I can appreciate what the author was doing. The playlist at the end was a neat idea. I wouldn't mind if more books did that!
However, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone... it was a truly painful read.
I hate to be so negative, but this book was honestly terrible. I just kept hoping it would get better and it just didn't. 500 pages later and nothing but disappointment. I can't believe I actually finished it tbh.
The take-away message for me was: Do a bunch of drugs/oxy and everything will go perfectly! Just keep smoking Oxy and the most unrealistic, fantastic things will happen! You'll meet all of these great people, have nice things, join an awesome band, and it will be great. This is the message the author is feeding teens. Romanticizing drug use and strange sexual encounters between a 14 year old boy and adult women. The relationship between Jaime and every other character mentioned was underdeveloped. I read more about what the characters were wearing than getting to know them on a deeper level mentally and emotionally.
The narrator was just a jerk to basically everyone. It was irritating how Jaime was SOOO smart and talented and attractive. I'm sorry, the narrator was absolutely irritating. Jaime had SO much insight into life and was SO "mature." Vandalizing cars and doing drugs to deal with your problems is not maturity in my eyes. He had absolutely no self-control and was completely unable to regulate his emotions. I know he was a teen and this is a teen novel, but I thought the overall message was awful, the writing was terrible, the characters underdeveloped, and the plot went nowhere.
I don't know...
I have to say SOMETHING positive about my experience reading this. I did like the emphasis on the music. I love music, not necessarily this type of music, but I can appreciate what the author was doing. The playlist at the end was a neat idea. I wouldn't mind if more books did that!
However, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone... it was a truly painful read.
October 29, 2014
This book was one of the most emotionally explosive books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Every chapter had me biting my nails as to what was going to happen next, and how it would affect the main character. Overall, I have only ever been so emotionally attached, or affected emotionally by a few books, and this book has just joined those ranks. An amazing read, that gets you thinking about the life you have, and how grateful you should be to have your particular life, compared to the life Jaime was given.
June 5, 2014
Original review can be found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...
I received an advanced readers copy of this book from Simon Pulse via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. The expected publication date is June 17, 2014.
Whenever I write a review I always try to list the positives or the things I liked before the negatives but unfortunately there are none to speak of with this book. This book was a huge let down and if I'm being completely honest a big waste of time.
The book is about a 14 year old boy who is hooked on Oxy. I've never taken the drug for even a legit reason but I truly think you would need to in able to enjoy this book. The way the teenagers talk in this book was painful to read. I haven't heard kids who think they are cool (but really aren't) talk like that since the late 80's or early 90's. I began thinking that perhaps I was too old to understand but questioned a few young people about the language and they laughed. They thought I was joking and informed me that nobody talks like that.
The book also glorifies the use of drugs. Here was a young boy who was hooked on drugs but miraculously all these great things kept happening to him. There was no downward spiral with the exception of one altercation. In fact, girls of all ages were throwing themselves at him and telling him how great and perfect he was all the time. Woman in their 20's were telling him that they wanted to have sex with him. He was meeting famous people and the list goes on.
The fact that it described his sexual adventures was just gross. The kid was 14 years old. That would put him in grade 8 or maybe 9 at the most. I am by no means naive and I do understand that some people are having sex at that age but I don't enjoy reading about kids (because that is what he was) doing it.
The book quotes and references numerous songs and bands throughout the entire book and guess what? Every one of them was one of his favourite and he loved them. Add to this the description of what every character was wearing at any given time right down to the shoelaces and my eyes were rolling so much that my family thought I was having a seizure. This book took place over one week and it felt like a year.
I feel bad for writing such an unfavourable review but I had a very strong dislike for it and I have to be honest. There is no character development, the characters are not likeable, there is no resolution, the story goes nowhere and the relationship between Jamie and Dominique is underdeveloped, boring and kind of a joke.
I would not recommend this book to anyone...it was just that bad.
I received an advanced readers copy of this book from Simon Pulse via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. The expected publication date is June 17, 2014.
Whenever I write a review I always try to list the positives or the things I liked before the negatives but unfortunately there are none to speak of with this book. This book was a huge let down and if I'm being completely honest a big waste of time.
The book is about a 14 year old boy who is hooked on Oxy. I've never taken the drug for even a legit reason but I truly think you would need to in able to enjoy this book. The way the teenagers talk in this book was painful to read. I haven't heard kids who think they are cool (but really aren't) talk like that since the late 80's or early 90's. I began thinking that perhaps I was too old to understand but questioned a few young people about the language and they laughed. They thought I was joking and informed me that nobody talks like that.
The book also glorifies the use of drugs. Here was a young boy who was hooked on drugs but miraculously all these great things kept happening to him. There was no downward spiral with the exception of one altercation. In fact, girls of all ages were throwing themselves at him and telling him how great and perfect he was all the time. Woman in their 20's were telling him that they wanted to have sex with him. He was meeting famous people and the list goes on.
The fact that it described his sexual adventures was just gross. The kid was 14 years old. That would put him in grade 8 or maybe 9 at the most. I am by no means naive and I do understand that some people are having sex at that age but I don't enjoy reading about kids (because that is what he was) doing it.
The book quotes and references numerous songs and bands throughout the entire book and guess what? Every one of them was one of his favourite and he loved them. Add to this the description of what every character was wearing at any given time right down to the shoelaces and my eyes were rolling so much that my family thought I was having a seizure. This book took place over one week and it felt like a year.
I feel bad for writing such an unfavourable review but I had a very strong dislike for it and I have to be honest. There is no character development, the characters are not likeable, there is no resolution, the story goes nowhere and the relationship between Jamie and Dominique is underdeveloped, boring and kind of a joke.
I would not recommend this book to anyone...it was just that bad.
November 18, 2015
I don't know how to rate this. 2 or 3 stars since I didn't like most of the things in this book. It probably would have helped if I knew of any of the bands mentioned in this book, since one is mentioned every other sentence which got annoying really fast.
I want to give the author credit for really getting into the mind of 14 year old. I really want to believe Jamie's traits were intentional by the author. Otherwise I hated it. Jamie thinks everyone is phony and a loser if they don't listen to Indie or dress a certain way. He's very judgmental and thinks he knows everything.
The things I hated about this book was how everyone, literally everyone, did drugs. What really annoyed me was when his father showed up in an expensive car and lit a joint right away. Like come on. The way his father was portrayed seemed amazing until the author had to make him a drug user on top of everyone else in this book. His dad's life seemed to good for that.
Also, everyone wore a bandana in some way. One outfit towards the end of the book really annoyed me. It was explained to be really pretty, but then BAM a bandana was tied around her neck. Like what? Why would a girl ruin a cute outfit with that?
The ending was good, but then it got bad. It should've just ended at one point but it seemed the author thought it shouldn't. Although I liked that twist but I still hated the overall ending.
I got attached to Justin, Jamie's father the most. I think that character was probably the best one in the whole book.
I've read all of Jason Myers books which if I remember correctly James Morgan is mentioned in all of them as well as Lamborghini Dreams which is pretty cool.
I want to give the author credit for really getting into the mind of 14 year old. I really want to believe Jamie's traits were intentional by the author. Otherwise I hated it. Jamie thinks everyone is phony and a loser if they don't listen to Indie or dress a certain way. He's very judgmental and thinks he knows everything.
The things I hated about this book was how everyone, literally everyone, did drugs. What really annoyed me was when his father showed up in an expensive car and lit a joint right away. Like come on. The way his father was portrayed seemed amazing until the author had to make him a drug user on top of everyone else in this book. His dad's life seemed to good for that.
Also, everyone wore a bandana in some way. One outfit towards the end of the book really annoyed me. It was explained to be really pretty, but then BAM a bandana was tied around her neck. Like what? Why would a girl ruin a cute outfit with that?
The ending was good, but then it got bad. It should've just ended at one point but it seemed the author thought it shouldn't. Although I liked that twist but I still hated the overall ending.
I got attached to Justin, Jamie's father the most. I think that character was probably the best one in the whole book.
I've read all of Jason Myers books which if I remember correctly James Morgan is mentioned in all of them as well as Lamborghini Dreams which is pretty cool.
May 23, 2015
Let me start by saying I love jason Myers. There are no books as raw, real, and earth shattering as his books. With that being said I'm still a sucker for a happy ending (hence the 4/5 stars) even though I know well not to expect this when I read a book by jason Myers.
I read review after review about how awful his writing is.. The guy says fuck every ten words.. His books are all about drugs.. Blah blah blah. These people live in a god damn fantasy world. THIS IS LIFE. THIS IS REAL. THIS SHIT HAPPENS, and it happens more than those fairy tale love stories that everyone reads and raves about. And WHO CARES that he writes simply instead of using wordy sentences with complicated words. The best part about his writing is he doesn't need that to write a good book.
What an awesome book to bring you to the very core of the cruel world of a young boy that lives his life as most adults have never dreamed. The whole time you think this boy is only 14 years old and he's been through more than most will in their entire life. I won't spoil the book but WOW.
Just a quick screw you to the people that rate jason Myers books low. If you don't like his style, his bluntness, his language, and how he brings you to the core of all evil in this world, DON'T READ HIS BOOKS.
and most of all fucking bravo jason Myers on another beautiful book. I'll always be a fan and always continue to read all you put out because I love that you will go where no other author will, to the truth.
I read review after review about how awful his writing is.. The guy says fuck every ten words.. His books are all about drugs.. Blah blah blah. These people live in a god damn fantasy world. THIS IS LIFE. THIS IS REAL. THIS SHIT HAPPENS, and it happens more than those fairy tale love stories that everyone reads and raves about. And WHO CARES that he writes simply instead of using wordy sentences with complicated words. The best part about his writing is he doesn't need that to write a good book.
What an awesome book to bring you to the very core of the cruel world of a young boy that lives his life as most adults have never dreamed. The whole time you think this boy is only 14 years old and he's been through more than most will in their entire life. I won't spoil the book but WOW.
Just a quick screw you to the people that rate jason Myers books low. If you don't like his style, his bluntness, his language, and how he brings you to the core of all evil in this world, DON'T READ HIS BOOKS.
and most of all fucking bravo jason Myers on another beautiful book. I'll always be a fan and always continue to read all you put out because I love that you will go where no other author will, to the truth.
July 26, 2017
I just feel like sobbing. That raw emotion after watching Requiem for a Dream..when you love something so much but you're heartbroken, confused, but understanding and somewhere there is a glimmer of hope..
I think this is my favorite book by Jason Myers. The characters and relationships interwoven into this book really touched me. I felt something extra towards each of them. Each character has their own demon but they also have something positive to give to the world even if they don't know it.
This book is filled with quotes that will stay with me for a long time.
And I must mention their are several book and music references that made me smile. I will definitely be making a playlist for the book. (Joy Division, Washed Out, New Order, LCD Soundsystem, Beach House, Purity Ring, Talking Heads, Deerhunter...just to name a few!)
I think this is my favorite book by Jason Myers. The characters and relationships interwoven into this book really touched me. I felt something extra towards each of them. Each character has their own demon but they also have something positive to give to the world even if they don't know it.
This book is filled with quotes that will stay with me for a long time.
And I must mention their are several book and music references that made me smile. I will definitely be making a playlist for the book. (Joy Division, Washed Out, New Order, LCD Soundsystem, Beach House, Purity Ring, Talking Heads, Deerhunter...just to name a few!)
August 6, 2014
This book was so GREAT! I didn't want it to end. Jason Myers is an AMAZING author. I love his characters. Jamie's mom was an addict and he struggles with addiction himself. When his mother goes off the deep end, Jamie goes to live w/his dad who he's never met and his mother taught him to hate. However, his life makes a turn for the better in San Fran w/his dad. He meets friends that make him feel like a part of the world, he joins a band, has his first girlfriend, has a family now, has a life. Then it's time for him to go back to his mom and his world changes again....I can't get enough of Jason Myers!!!!!!
February 5, 2017
Yeah, I didn't really like this book. Maybe I would have liked it more if I was a little younger, maybe like early high school aged, like the main character. The ending of the book was better than the beginning, but there were a lot of repetition in the writing style that I didn't like which made it a bit boring. For instance, I wish I had a dollar every time someone was wearing a bandana or that Jaimie's drug use was referred to as "chasing the dragon." So by about half way through the book I was just reading it so that I could finish it and move on to the next book.
June 28, 2014
Predictable and flat story, even flatter characters, poor and sloppy writing, and just overall, a very poorly done book. The ending is terrible, and everything leading up to it doesn't have much to say either. Very disappointing.
dnf
March 17, 2014DNF at 30%
I like my contemporaries gritty, but I also need some kind of light at the end of a the tunnel, or at least a narrator with some redeeming features.
I like my contemporaries gritty, but I also need some kind of light at the end of a the tunnel, or at least a narrator with some redeeming features.
September 16, 2019
SPOILER ALERT
Its sad to see that majority of readers cant seem to connect with Jamie. Jamie doesn't hate women, otherwise he wouldn't be falling in love with them. He has an insane mother with serious substance problems who created this impressionable film for Jamie. It says in the book, that when his mother went on that tangent about how all women are cunts, he was 10. 14 is young, yes, but Jamie is obviously intelligent in many ways. He is a musical prodigy. The referencing of bands and albums was hard to keep up with, but by reading this book, I became addicted to some of the music that was listed. Listening to these songs while reading the book gave me a more broad picture of who Jamie was and why he was so angry. The first page opens up with Jamie being called angry. We knew this from the start. Imagine not knowing your dad and taking care of your addict mother for years and years. This will fuck you up and make you an asshole in fear of getting hurt.
I am a high school senior and maybe that is why this book is so easy for me to connect to, I talked like this when I was 14, and I also got my heart fucking shattered like Jamie. Seeing the way that Jamie talks about everyone being "phony" and "fake", in reality has nothing to do with the fact that they don't listen to bands he likes or dress the same way. Jamie sits on the outside, he has never experienced what its like to have someone dependable or honest and again is afraid of letting people in and ending up hurt. So instead he is negative and acts as if he hates everything. He's lived with his psycho mother his entire life, manipulating him into thinking that she is all he needs. Towards the end of the book, the author LITERALLY portrays this in one of the most obvious ways by describing that dream Jamie had. His mother was willing to commit homicidal suicide with her own son, than let Jamie live his dream life in SF. Even as a dream, when Jamie woke up and his mom was wearing her PJ pants and coat, he knew. Jamie knows the power his mom holds over him. The guilt, and manipulation and fear that piles up on top of this 14 year old making him feel like he's suffocating. His mother is all he has known his entire life. Obviously he is going to believe his moms word over anyone else's. He loves his mom and in this book, the reader can sometimes get caught up in how negative Jamie is and everything he hates, instead of realizing his appreciation towards beauty. Jamie appreciates beautiful fucking things. The views in SF, His mothers smile, The way Dominique laughs, Savannah's confidence. Jamie doesn't see bullshit, he sees everything as raw and real and thats truly amazing. When I was 14 I was no where near as intelligent as Jamie appears to be.
This book is not promoting the use of drugs or alcohol. This book doesn't romanticize substance abuse. Its raw and exposing. It shows the consequences of Jamies addiction that time in the alley where Jamie gets jumped and Dominique leaves him for trying to buy drugs. Not everything about being addicted to drugs is about the feeling and the escaping of reality. It talks about him detoxing, his anxiety over the fact that he only has 8 pills left, or the fact that he's turning out like his mother. Jamie knows his problem and I truly feel like there is a large character development right in the middle of this book. Jamie has Dominique, he believes his father, he has James Morgan and Kristen and is in two fucking rad bands, and realizes that the glass castle is no longer important because there is nothing to escape from. He wants to be able to feel so he ditches the pills and goes through the process of getting clean. As SOON as Jamie steps foot in his mothers house again, you can tell that this wont last. Jamie tried, but in the end he has always been escaping his mother because with his mother comes responsibility that no 14 year old should ever be forced to hold.
This book is truly amazing and I was so heart broken when it came to an end. I read this book so fast because I was eager to figure out what happens next. Its truly a beautiful book and while i agree some of the characters appear flat and underdeveloped, its written in the POV of a 14 year old which is insane. The poetry, and the music and the descriptions of the people and places was amazing. This is one of my favorite books iv'e read so far and I read a book a week.
Its sad to see that majority of readers cant seem to connect with Jamie. Jamie doesn't hate women, otherwise he wouldn't be falling in love with them. He has an insane mother with serious substance problems who created this impressionable film for Jamie. It says in the book, that when his mother went on that tangent about how all women are cunts, he was 10. 14 is young, yes, but Jamie is obviously intelligent in many ways. He is a musical prodigy. The referencing of bands and albums was hard to keep up with, but by reading this book, I became addicted to some of the music that was listed. Listening to these songs while reading the book gave me a more broad picture of who Jamie was and why he was so angry. The first page opens up with Jamie being called angry. We knew this from the start. Imagine not knowing your dad and taking care of your addict mother for years and years. This will fuck you up and make you an asshole in fear of getting hurt.
I am a high school senior and maybe that is why this book is so easy for me to connect to, I talked like this when I was 14, and I also got my heart fucking shattered like Jamie. Seeing the way that Jamie talks about everyone being "phony" and "fake", in reality has nothing to do with the fact that they don't listen to bands he likes or dress the same way. Jamie sits on the outside, he has never experienced what its like to have someone dependable or honest and again is afraid of letting people in and ending up hurt. So instead he is negative and acts as if he hates everything. He's lived with his psycho mother his entire life, manipulating him into thinking that she is all he needs. Towards the end of the book, the author LITERALLY portrays this in one of the most obvious ways by describing that dream Jamie had. His mother was willing to commit homicidal suicide with her own son, than let Jamie live his dream life in SF. Even as a dream, when Jamie woke up and his mom was wearing her PJ pants and coat, he knew. Jamie knows the power his mom holds over him. The guilt, and manipulation and fear that piles up on top of this 14 year old making him feel like he's suffocating. His mother is all he has known his entire life. Obviously he is going to believe his moms word over anyone else's. He loves his mom and in this book, the reader can sometimes get caught up in how negative Jamie is and everything he hates, instead of realizing his appreciation towards beauty. Jamie appreciates beautiful fucking things. The views in SF, His mothers smile, The way Dominique laughs, Savannah's confidence. Jamie doesn't see bullshit, he sees everything as raw and real and thats truly amazing. When I was 14 I was no where near as intelligent as Jamie appears to be.
This book is not promoting the use of drugs or alcohol. This book doesn't romanticize substance abuse. Its raw and exposing. It shows the consequences of Jamies addiction that time in the alley where Jamie gets jumped and Dominique leaves him for trying to buy drugs. Not everything about being addicted to drugs is about the feeling and the escaping of reality. It talks about him detoxing, his anxiety over the fact that he only has 8 pills left, or the fact that he's turning out like his mother. Jamie knows his problem and I truly feel like there is a large character development right in the middle of this book. Jamie has Dominique, he believes his father, he has James Morgan and Kristen and is in two fucking rad bands, and realizes that the glass castle is no longer important because there is nothing to escape from. He wants to be able to feel so he ditches the pills and goes through the process of getting clean. As SOON as Jamie steps foot in his mothers house again, you can tell that this wont last. Jamie tried, but in the end he has always been escaping his mother because with his mother comes responsibility that no 14 year old should ever be forced to hold.
This book is truly amazing and I was so heart broken when it came to an end. I read this book so fast because I was eager to figure out what happens next. Its truly a beautiful book and while i agree some of the characters appear flat and underdeveloped, its written in the POV of a 14 year old which is insane. The poetry, and the music and the descriptions of the people and places was amazing. This is one of my favorite books iv'e read so far and I read a book a week.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2025
📘 Blazed by Jason Myers
⭐ Rating: 4/5 🚬🥀💥
📖 Summary:
Blazed follows Jamie, a 17-year-old drowning in grief, guilt, and self-destruction. After the death of his older brother, Jamie spirals into a haze of drugs, sex, violence, and emotional numbness.
He’s got:
A mother who’s barely present
A relationship with a girl that’s as damaging as it is desperate
A tendency to push everyone away while silently begging to be saved
This isn’t a redemption arc.
It’s a descent into trauma with flickers of vulnerability and just enough light to hurt.
If you liked Go Ask Alice or Crank, this is right in that raw, no-filter lane.
💥 Character Reactions:
🖤 Jamie — Self-aware but emotionally wrecked.
He narrates with brutal honesty — you’ll want to shake him and hug him all at once.
His spiral feels too real, like the kind of pain you don’t fix in one book.
💔 Sunny — The girl he’s in love with, who is just as broken.
Toxic, magnetic, and totally wrong — which is why it feels so real.
Their relationship is a wreck, but that’s the point.
💊 Everyone else?
Background noise in a story that’s loud with inner pain.
🔥 Smut Level:
Graphic. Often emotionally fraught.
Sex here is less about love and more about distraction, power, and survival.
#SmutTags: #PainNotPleasure #SexAsCoping #BluntAndBroken #GriefAndGrit #NoFilterYA #RuinMeAndRun
⚠️ Trigger Warnings:
Drug abuse, alcohol use, underage sex, suicidal thoughts, grief, death of a sibling, domestic instability, toxic relationships, self-destruction, sexual content
🏷️ Tags:
#BlazedByJasonMyers #YAWithoutSugarCoating #GriefInMotion #ToxicLoveStory #DestructiveYouth #PainAndPoetry #RealRawRelentless #DrugHazeDespair #LoveMeWrong #BurnedAndBruised
⭐ Rating: 4/5 🚬🥀💥
📖 Summary:
Blazed follows Jamie, a 17-year-old drowning in grief, guilt, and self-destruction. After the death of his older brother, Jamie spirals into a haze of drugs, sex, violence, and emotional numbness.
He’s got:
A mother who’s barely present
A relationship with a girl that’s as damaging as it is desperate
A tendency to push everyone away while silently begging to be saved
This isn’t a redemption arc.
It’s a descent into trauma with flickers of vulnerability and just enough light to hurt.
If you liked Go Ask Alice or Crank, this is right in that raw, no-filter lane.
💥 Character Reactions:
🖤 Jamie — Self-aware but emotionally wrecked.
He narrates with brutal honesty — you’ll want to shake him and hug him all at once.
His spiral feels too real, like the kind of pain you don’t fix in one book.
💔 Sunny — The girl he’s in love with, who is just as broken.
Toxic, magnetic, and totally wrong — which is why it feels so real.
Their relationship is a wreck, but that’s the point.
💊 Everyone else?
Background noise in a story that’s loud with inner pain.
🔥 Smut Level:
Graphic. Often emotionally fraught.
Sex here is less about love and more about distraction, power, and survival.
#SmutTags: #PainNotPleasure #SexAsCoping #BluntAndBroken #GriefAndGrit #NoFilterYA #RuinMeAndRun
⚠️ Trigger Warnings:
Drug abuse, alcohol use, underage sex, suicidal thoughts, grief, death of a sibling, domestic instability, toxic relationships, self-destruction, sexual content
🏷️ Tags:
#BlazedByJasonMyers #YAWithoutSugarCoating #GriefInMotion #ToxicLoveStory #DestructiveYouth #PainAndPoetry #RealRawRelentless #DrugHazeDespair #LoveMeWrong #BurnedAndBruised
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2019
*SPOILERS*
I've seen plenty of bad reviews of this book but, to say the least, up to the 500th page, I was left breathless. This book grabbed my by the neck and shook me to my core. I absolutely loved reading every second of it. Without living each characters exact experiences, I could still relate to them. From Jamie feeling disconnected from his mother, while his mother lives for the high and becomes suicidal, and Jamie's dad trying his best to connect with his son and just...wow. This book took me in for an entire two weeks. I kept re-reading it until I fully grasped everything, from Jamie's moms suicide to Jamie changing his mind multiple times and finally deciding to stay with his mom back in Joliet. Like any good book does, I was left with questions at the end. I would love for any fans of this book to give me their opinions on these questions :).
1). How does Dominique take Jamie staying in Joliet and what does she do?
2). Does Jamie's mother ever get clean or does she fall back into old habits?
3). Does Jamie spiral back into smoking and taking oxys?
4). Does Jamie get into harder drugs?
5). Finally, how does Jamie continue on with his life? Does he become depressed or does he stay in contact with his dad? What do you think Jamie feels after making the final decision of staying in Joliet?
I've seen plenty of bad reviews of this book but, to say the least, up to the 500th page, I was left breathless. This book grabbed my by the neck and shook me to my core. I absolutely loved reading every second of it. Without living each characters exact experiences, I could still relate to them. From Jamie feeling disconnected from his mother, while his mother lives for the high and becomes suicidal, and Jamie's dad trying his best to connect with his son and just...wow. This book took me in for an entire two weeks. I kept re-reading it until I fully grasped everything, from Jamie's moms suicide to Jamie changing his mind multiple times and finally deciding to stay with his mom back in Joliet. Like any good book does, I was left with questions at the end. I would love for any fans of this book to give me their opinions on these questions :).
1). How does Dominique take Jamie staying in Joliet and what does she do?
2). Does Jamie's mother ever get clean or does she fall back into old habits?
3). Does Jamie spiral back into smoking and taking oxys?
4). Does Jamie get into harder drugs?
5). Finally, how does Jamie continue on with his life? Does he become depressed or does he stay in contact with his dad? What do you think Jamie feels after making the final decision of staying in Joliet?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2020
This is not a book for everyone, not only because of it's dark subject matter but also because of some of its flaws. The character's are all alike. They all happen to listen to the same 10 bands and each be in their own bands which are also all successful. Every girl, regardless of age, is hot for Jaime, and they all put up with his bullshit and somehow say he's nice when he's not. However, I didn't find these things irritating. Suspend some disbelief and they're actually atmospheric.
I read a review that criticized the book/protagonist for being like Catcher in The Rye, but that was precicely why I liked it. In the same way as Holden, Jaime is often an unreliable narrator. But this is because he is the product of his upbringing and the world he was brought into, a theme I personally love. In many ways he is forgiveable because we understand exactly why he is the way he is.
His mother? The fucking worst. We hate her. And yet, she was not all bad. The ambiguity of each character's "goodness" was something I really appreciated.
Honestly, the most unbelievable part for me was that everyone kept saying Tiger Stitches was a good band name.
I read a review that criticized the book/protagonist for being like Catcher in The Rye, but that was precicely why I liked it. In the same way as Holden, Jaime is often an unreliable narrator. But this is because he is the product of his upbringing and the world he was brought into, a theme I personally love. In many ways he is forgiveable because we understand exactly why he is the way he is.
His mother? The fucking worst. We hate her. And yet, she was not all bad. The ambiguity of each character's "goodness" was something I really appreciated.
Honestly, the most unbelievable part for me was that everyone kept saying Tiger Stitches was a good band name.
March 4, 2021
I read this book when I was fourteen but still feel equally attached to it to this day as a nineteen year old. It’s a visceral and uncomfortable read most of the time and the epitome of angst. The protagonist is a total dick who may remind you of your gaslighting indie ex. I think that’s the beauty of Blazed, it’s super bleak a lot of the time but there’s little pockets of beauty such as the fleeting romance and dream chasing. I was angry when I first finished the book but as I grow older I understand why Jamie did what he did. And honestly I respect him a whole lot more. It would have been the easy choice to leave his abusive drug addict mum and stay in San Francisco with his new girlfriend and family. I applaud Jason for going with a brutally realistic ending. Blazed gets a lot of shit and though I can’t say I don’t understand why, I will always love this book and will reread it for many more years to come.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2025
bro wtf was this book. I was tasked with reading this for a book report in high school and this is gotta be one of the most off the wall books i ever read. the main premise is pretty much this stoner teen ends up leaving his abusive mom to move in with his rich dad that left him for years in california. my problem with the book is like everything else. you got scenes where this character is having flash backs of him jacking off to his mom having gay sex when he was like 10. you got him having sex with his step sister and he keeps comparing her to ivonkia trump or how ever you spell her name. just a bunch of really weird stuff. spoiler warning if anybody cares but it ends with him getting hit by a truck. he lives tho. the only reason i'm giving this a 3 instead of a 2 is cause for how f'd up and weird it was it was at least really interesting in a weird way
October 16, 2023
2.75 stars. There were a lot of things I really didn’t like about this book. Sooo many unnecessary details, unrealistic character traits, wayyyy too many bands and songs. Just a lot of bullshit. I will say I liked the story itself I just think a lot could’ve been left out and I would’ve liked it better. I absolutely hated the ending Jaime deserved so much more. Life isn’t fair and I generally didn’t like this book.
June 26, 2017
This book was good for a while, but became very disappointing. There are some interesting themes brought up in the book, they just aren't done the right way. Because of how this book ended, I feel like it glamorized substance abuse more than anything. I won't discredit the few parts that were very moving for me though!
December 24, 2023
Lil dude is 14…why are people older than him trying to sleep with him and why are they giving him drugs and alcohol?!
I am surprised little man hasn’t OD
500+ pages and NO CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
The adults in the books are shitty, the only sane person was Dominique and her family
I am surprised little man hasn’t OD
500+ pages and NO CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
The adults in the books are shitty, the only sane person was Dominique and her family
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2017
I loved this book so much, especially since the ending was a lot different than you would expect.
June 13, 2019
Kept me involved everytime I opened it. But it was far too easy to leave it unopened again when i would set it down.
October 9, 2021
The ending… hurt me so bad
July 15, 2022
Fucking killer. As always.
December 31, 2022
Jason Myers is king. I will for sure be reading all his books. If you like booked that are dark and messed up, this will be for you. Def not lighthearted.
November 29, 2023
Great book. Would recommend. I am excited to read more of Jason Myers's work.
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