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Dented Cans
A family secret is revealed during an ill-fated--yet hilarious--trip to Disney World.Sixteen-year-old Hannah Sampson knows her family is not what you would call normal. Her father compulsively buys dented cans and has a particular fondness for cans without labels, which are extremely discounted because their contents are a mystery. Her mother takes countless pictures of her family and then glues them down into the pages of her scrapbooks, but does not allow anyone to look at them. Ryan, Hannah's mischievous fourteen-year-old brother, is headed straight for the remedial track at the local community college, if he's lucky. Ben, her eight-year-old brother, is a walking sound effects machine, who prefers to communicate with noises rather than words. While Hannah is focused on escaping her working-class Connecticut suburb, she also finds herself being tugged back home as she worries about her brother Ben.Hannah's parents inflict one last family vacation on the Sampson children, a trip that goes comically wrong almost from the get-go. Hannah is forced to confront her family's past in Disney World, of all places, when an emotional argument prompts her parents to disclose a secret they have been keeping from the children for sixteen years. Ultimately, she must decide whether to leave her hometown and not look back, or to focus on helping her family.
152 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 2, 2012
33 people are currently reading
854 people want to read
About the author
Heather Walsh
3 books43 followersHeather Walsh grew up in North Haven, CT. She received a B.A. in English at Mary Washington College.
She lives in Brookline, MA with her husband, her two children, and her dog.
She lives in Brookline, MA with her husband, her two children, and her dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
March 15, 2017
This was a Kindle freebie and I downloaded it after I read that it had a family trip to Disney World with mixed results. I fondly remember a family road trip to Disney World and was, perhaps, hoping to catch a wave and re-live my own experience. I also have a penchant for child narrators. This can be tricky to make sound authentic but when done with success, I feel like I'm experiencing a bit of seeing the world through a child's eyes, which is unique and refreshing (and often quite amusing.)
This was a quick and relaxing read. There isn't a whole lot of substance to the story, but this is a decent effort from the author and I would read her again. I actually think that as she writes more, her ideas will become better and more sharply defined. The writing isn't bad and I did feel like the female teenager did sound like a teenager. Even if I cannot totally recommend the story in good conscience, I can recommend that the author is someone to keep one's eye on.
This was a quick and relaxing read. There isn't a whole lot of substance to the story, but this is a decent effort from the author and I would read her again. I actually think that as she writes more, her ideas will become better and more sharply defined. The writing isn't bad and I did feel like the female teenager did sound like a teenager. Even if I cannot totally recommend the story in good conscience, I can recommend that the author is someone to keep one's eye on.
June 24, 2013
This is another one of those books where I finish it and think, "Did I read something different from everyone else who rated this 4 and 5 stars?"
I thought it was well written, it's just that the story itself did nothing for me.
Hannah Sampson, the narrator of our story, is 15 turning 16, the eldest child in her family, and seems so full of herself in regards to her intelligence that she comes across as a snooty know-it-all. She frequently makes comments about other's intelligence, even mentioning at one point, "...I had decided a few years back, when I actually took some time to think about the matter, that Mom might be fairly intelligent. I think I'd put it at about a 50% chance of being true." Wow. I mean, WOW. If Hannah didn't have a soft spot for her youngest brother, Ben, and didn't actually interact with him in a nice, loving way, she would be entirely unlikeable to me because I just can't even with statements that are dripping with that kind of thick, gooey condescension.
Ryan, Hannah's just younger than her brother, is kind of your typical 14 year old boy. He doesn't care about school, he doesn't want to do homework, and really, he'd just prefer to watch TV or play video games. He's just kind of there for me throughout much of the book.
Ben, Hannah's youngest brother, is 8, extremely quiet, makes sound effect noises rather than speaking in most cases, and is just sort of off. He's an intriguing character. Unfortunately, that's all we ever learn about him. Given, the main reason we don't learn more is because the narrator doesn't know more about his situation since he's never been tested by any professionals to see what his deal is. It was made such a big deal by the author and everyone else though, that I thought we might learn something about his condition.
Hannah's parents are odd in their own ways. Her mother takes pictures of all their family outings, even if it's just to their grandmother's house for a birthday party. All the photos she takes are put in scrapbooks which seem to never be seen by the Sampson children or anyone else. Her father is a rock collector and dented can enthusiast. He goes to the grocery store and buys the dented and unmarked cans of food for drastically reduced prices because they're cheap.
The parents decide to take their kids to Disney World, much to Hannah and Ryan's dismay - because they've been there before. They attempt to change their parents' minds before they leave and constantly rag on the trip and that their parents pack lunches and make the five of them stay in one room to save money. Maybe it's because I grew up in a large family where family vacations were few and far between and my parents did similar money saving things, but I thought the way these two kids acted was horrible. They were rude and inconsiderate and completely ungrateful. Yes, I get that you don't want to go to something so "infantile" (Hannah's word, not mine) as Disney World, but good grief! You can't be a little appreciative that your parents are even taking you on a trip? That is a crap ton of money they're spending and you're vomiting all over it. I just completely disliked their attitudes, which in turn made me dislike them.
Then, on their last day of vacation, Mom drops a bombshell after a family blowout (Roughly around the 90% mark in the book). You'd think it would be in regards to Ben's condition or something about their cousin, Eddie, who no one speaks of, but no. It's something that comes from way over in left field and they've inexplicably been keeping it a secret for 16 years. I honestly don't know why it was a huge secret.
Ultimately, I just wasn't fond of this book. The synopsis starts out with "A family secret is revealed during an ill-fated—yet hilarious—trip to Disney World," but I found nothing remotely hilarious or even mildly chuckle-inducing to this book.
I thought it was well written, it's just that the story itself did nothing for me.
Hannah Sampson, the narrator of our story, is 15 turning 16, the eldest child in her family, and seems so full of herself in regards to her intelligence that she comes across as a snooty know-it-all. She frequently makes comments about other's intelligence, even mentioning at one point, "...I had decided a few years back, when I actually took some time to think about the matter, that Mom might be fairly intelligent. I think I'd put it at about a 50% chance of being true." Wow. I mean, WOW. If Hannah didn't have a soft spot for her youngest brother, Ben, and didn't actually interact with him in a nice, loving way, she would be entirely unlikeable to me because I just can't even with statements that are dripping with that kind of thick, gooey condescension.
Ryan, Hannah's just younger than her brother, is kind of your typical 14 year old boy. He doesn't care about school, he doesn't want to do homework, and really, he'd just prefer to watch TV or play video games. He's just kind of there for me throughout much of the book.
Ben, Hannah's youngest brother, is 8, extremely quiet, makes sound effect noises rather than speaking in most cases, and is just sort of off. He's an intriguing character. Unfortunately, that's all we ever learn about him. Given, the main reason we don't learn more is because the narrator doesn't know more about his situation since he's never been tested by any professionals to see what his deal is. It was made such a big deal by the author and everyone else though, that I thought we might learn something about his condition.
Hannah's parents are odd in their own ways. Her mother takes pictures of all their family outings, even if it's just to their grandmother's house for a birthday party. All the photos she takes are put in scrapbooks which seem to never be seen by the Sampson children or anyone else. Her father is a rock collector and dented can enthusiast. He goes to the grocery store and buys the dented and unmarked cans of food for drastically reduced prices because they're cheap.
The parents decide to take their kids to Disney World, much to Hannah and Ryan's dismay - because they've been there before. They attempt to change their parents' minds before they leave and constantly rag on the trip and that their parents pack lunches and make the five of them stay in one room to save money. Maybe it's because I grew up in a large family where family vacations were few and far between and my parents did similar money saving things, but I thought the way these two kids acted was horrible. They were rude and inconsiderate and completely ungrateful. Yes, I get that you don't want to go to something so "infantile" (Hannah's word, not mine) as Disney World, but good grief! You can't be a little appreciative that your parents are even taking you on a trip? That is a crap ton of money they're spending and you're vomiting all over it. I just completely disliked their attitudes, which in turn made me dislike them.
Then, on their last day of vacation, Mom drops a bombshell after a family blowout (Roughly around the 90% mark in the book). You'd think it would be in regards to Ben's condition or something about their cousin, Eddie, who no one speaks of, but no. It's something that comes from way over in left field and they've inexplicably been keeping it a secret for 16 years. I honestly don't know why it was a huge secret.
Ultimately, I just wasn't fond of this book. The synopsis starts out with "A family secret is revealed during an ill-fated—yet hilarious—trip to Disney World," but I found nothing remotely hilarious or even mildly chuckle-inducing to this book.
February 27, 2013
I have to be honest. Going into this book, I did not think I was going to like it as well as I did. I was pre-warned that it was not a book centered on romance. The premise still sounded interesting, however, so I decided to give it a try. This book.... was awesome. I absolutely love Hannah and her family. She is a sixteen year old girl and the story is told from her viewpoint and in her voice. She is so sarcastic and whip- smart. I love that in a female character. Sarcasm is my favorite form of communication, so I love it in my books. But it is not an overdone hateful type of sarcasm. It is witty and her brother does it too. They are just too much. While this is not really a happy -go- lucky type of story, I still found myself enjoying it like it was. Her family is going through problems- all of them. She is embarrassed by her quirky and strange family and wants to get the hell out of dodge as soon as she can. College. Far away. She is extremely studious and all she really thinks about is college and escaping her nightmare of a small town existence. But sometimes you have to look beyond yourself and your own problems.
I am going to name the characters that pop into my head(in order from least favorite to favorite) and words that pop into my head to describe them
Aunt Lydia- Evil. Cold. Horrible. COW (lol)
That uncle guy.. what was his name.. started with a F?- who? (lol)
Mom- quirky. scrapbook (i know, not descriptive)
Dad- quirky. cheap. sweet. rocks (not descriptive.. but hey. lol)
Ryan- witty. lazy. awesome. restless. trouble.
Hannah- funny. nerdy. witty. passive. SAT (again, I know)
Ben- favorite. youngest. cute. "vrrooooom" (I did it again!). troubled. sweetheart
My favorite aspect of this book? Well, I just overall loved the writing. I mean the book flowed really well and the characters were individual and I felt like an excellent job was done to make them stand out on their own in the story even when Hannah is still the main character. I really love how this was written and I hope the author is busy writing more since this is her debut novel. I really had not expected to like it as much as I did. I really didn't, but it was great. Not only was there no grammatical errors that I picked up on, but I learned SAT words from Hannah while I was reading. haha. That is another part I loved- how the author incorporated SAT words and put them in the story. They were ridiculous words that are rarely used in everyday conversations, but they just fit right into the story. This is largely due to how Hannah introduces them. She is trying to learn them so she is relating them to her everyday circumstances and making them fun. (I get this because that is how I learn words. I make silly correlations and am better able to remember them come test time). Now.. the only thing that could have possible made this book better? romance. lol. I know, I'm hopeless. ;)
Anything that did not really come across well?
huh. well I guess the end may have seemed like it had a smidge less flow than the rest of the book. But there was a few things going on there that could have affected that.
I am going to name the characters that pop into my head(in order from least favorite to favorite) and words that pop into my head to describe them
Aunt Lydia- Evil. Cold. Horrible. COW (lol)
That uncle guy.. what was his name.. started with a F?- who? (lol)
Mom- quirky. scrapbook (i know, not descriptive)
Dad- quirky. cheap. sweet. rocks (not descriptive.. but hey. lol)
Ryan- witty. lazy. awesome. restless. trouble.
Hannah- funny. nerdy. witty. passive. SAT (again, I know)
Ben- favorite. youngest. cute. "vrrooooom" (I did it again!). troubled. sweetheart
My favorite aspect of this book? Well, I just overall loved the writing. I mean the book flowed really well and the characters were individual and I felt like an excellent job was done to make them stand out on their own in the story even when Hannah is still the main character. I really love how this was written and I hope the author is busy writing more since this is her debut novel. I really had not expected to like it as much as I did. I really didn't, but it was great. Not only was there no grammatical errors that I picked up on, but I learned SAT words from Hannah while I was reading. haha. That is another part I loved- how the author incorporated SAT words and put them in the story. They were ridiculous words that are rarely used in everyday conversations, but they just fit right into the story. This is largely due to how Hannah introduces them. She is trying to learn them so she is relating them to her everyday circumstances and making them fun. (I get this because that is how I learn words. I make silly correlations and am better able to remember them come test time). Now.. the only thing that could have possible made this book better? romance. lol. I know, I'm hopeless. ;)
Anything that did not really come across well?
huh. well I guess the end may have seemed like it had a smidge less flow than the rest of the book. But there was a few things going on there that could have affected that.
June 26, 2017
I would like to thank Heather Walsh for giving me this book in exchange for a review.
Dented Cans is about the dysfunctions of the Sampson family. At the start, Hannah is a 15 year old teenager saving up to buy a car so she can move away from North Prospect as soon as possible. She gets good grades, and studies SAT words. This is her story. Then we have her brother Ryan. He is the typical 14 year old boy. He enjoys video games, and barely skimming by in school. Ben is the youngest at 8 years old. He doesn't talk much, loves his He-Man toy, and is babied by the parentals. Then of course there is the dad, John. He is the most interesting. He only buys dented canned food so he can get it discounted. And if can found is dented with no label it is even better. He fixes everything with duct tape, and is obsessed with germs. Their house is a dust free clutter zone. He is an infamous penny pincher. And mom, Sue, seems to avoid any confrontation, and has many headaches. She is also an obsessive picture taker. You understand more about her in the end.
This book starts with the plan of a trip to Disney World in October. This was a fun adventure to read about. Their luggage is held together with duct tape, which I found hilarious. Also one of my favorite parts is when Hannah wakes up at the hotel to find her parents performing their infamous assembly line for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and baggies that fold over, not zip. "No matter how many times I'd seen it, I couldn't help but be slightly mesmerized by the whole process."(loc 278 on ibooks) Hannah cracked me up with her sarcastic, dry sense of humor.
In the end, during the family vacation, a big secret is revealed that helps you understand the family's quirkiness. This makes the book all come together. It helps you understand why the mom is always taking pictures, why the dad has taken up his few obsessions, and why Ben's problems have been avoided.
This book is a story of a family with issues. It is not a romance. And it deals with some real issues when all is said and done. I found it an enjoyable change from what I usually read. There are some great messages in the end, and we realize no family is perfect. Great quick read!
Dented Cans is about the dysfunctions of the Sampson family. At the start, Hannah is a 15 year old teenager saving up to buy a car so she can move away from North Prospect as soon as possible. She gets good grades, and studies SAT words. This is her story. Then we have her brother Ryan. He is the typical 14 year old boy. He enjoys video games, and barely skimming by in school. Ben is the youngest at 8 years old. He doesn't talk much, loves his He-Man toy, and is babied by the parentals. Then of course there is the dad, John. He is the most interesting. He only buys dented canned food so he can get it discounted. And if can found is dented with no label it is even better. He fixes everything with duct tape, and is obsessed with germs. Their house is a dust free clutter zone. He is an infamous penny pincher. And mom, Sue, seems to avoid any confrontation, and has many headaches. She is also an obsessive picture taker. You understand more about her in the end.
This book starts with the plan of a trip to Disney World in October. This was a fun adventure to read about. Their luggage is held together with duct tape, which I found hilarious. Also one of my favorite parts is when Hannah wakes up at the hotel to find her parents performing their infamous assembly line for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and baggies that fold over, not zip. "No matter how many times I'd seen it, I couldn't help but be slightly mesmerized by the whole process."(loc 278 on ibooks) Hannah cracked me up with her sarcastic, dry sense of humor.
In the end, during the family vacation, a big secret is revealed that helps you understand the family's quirkiness. This makes the book all come together. It helps you understand why the mom is always taking pictures, why the dad has taken up his few obsessions, and why Ben's problems have been avoided.
This book is a story of a family with issues. It is not a romance. And it deals with some real issues when all is said and done. I found it an enjoyable change from what I usually read. There are some great messages in the end, and we realize no family is perfect. Great quick read!
January 1, 2013
My last book I'll read for 2012 and just in the nick of time)
This is a very sarcastic but very real portrait of family. They aren't perfect, in fact they are a little off. And it doesn't seem like they know how to talk to each other.
The children are bright but, wow, they are saucy. I like that. My family of 2 girls and I have a lot of fun at the table sassing Dad and having fun.
But this family has a secret that many of them don't know. There are many secrets in this family, but one is finally revealed on a family vacation the kids weren't too excited to go on anyone.
I like Hannah. I think she is a very real main character in a pretty quirky family.
This is a very sarcastic but very real portrait of family. They aren't perfect, in fact they are a little off. And it doesn't seem like they know how to talk to each other.
The children are bright but, wow, they are saucy. I like that. My family of 2 girls and I have a lot of fun at the table sassing Dad and having fun.
But this family has a secret that many of them don't know. There are many secrets in this family, but one is finally revealed on a family vacation the kids weren't too excited to go on anyone.
I like Hannah. I think she is a very real main character in a pretty quirky family.
April 5, 2015
Hannah, 16-going-on-60, dissects her dysfunctional family with great insight and gravitas
May 14, 2013
(Source: I received a digital copy of his book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to author Heather Walsh.)
16-year-old Hannah’s priorities are: 1. Get good grades, 2. Buy a car, and 3. Get into a good university as far away from her nutty family as possible.
The eldest of 3, Hannah has to put up with a lot. Her Dad has hundreds of dented cans (some unlabelled) stored in the basement, her mother buys powdered milk because it’s so much cheaper (even if it tastes horrible), 14-year-old Ryan just moans and doesn’t keep his grades up, and 8-year-old Ben hardly ever talks, makes strange noises all the time (the motorcycle being a particular favourite), and will only eat chicken nuggets.
When her family announces that they will be vacationing at Disney World again this year, both Hannah and Ryan try to change their minds, but unfortunately find themselves going to Disney World anyway.
How will Dad continue his penny-pinching ways while they are on holiday though? And what family secret is about to be revealed?
This was an interesting insight into the Sampson family’s life, and reminded me a lot of family vacations that we took when I was younger, it did lack a little for a solid plotline though.
Hannah was a likeable and witty protagonist. Her observations about her family, and other people were spot-on and often quite funny, and I liked how she took the time to try and draw her youngest brother out of his shell a little, while everyone else was happy to just baby him. She was desperate to get away from her family though strangely, and was already looking at colleges, even though she was only 16.
The storyline was okay, and I totally got why Hannah and Ryan didn’t want to go to Disney world again, especially considering that they were 16 and 14. I did think that going to Disney World was a little strange for this penny-picking, dented can buying, thrifty family though. I would have expected them to go camping, or not go on holiday at all for that matter, so going to Disney World seemed a little out of character.
This book was literally like stepping into someone else’s family for a while, and seeing what the dynamics of a different family are like. The arguments of where they were going, and what they were doing each day whilst on holiday reminded me very much of what family holidays were like for me as a teenager, which was a bit of a blast from the past!
That’s what this story was like though – an insight into family life, and therefore there wasn’t really all that much of a plot, it was more like 14 days in the life of the Sampson family, than an actual story with a beginning, middle and end.
The family secret that was revealed at the end came completely out of the blue, and I didn’t really see why it suddenly came out, or what significance it really held. I wasn’t really sure what reaction the parents were expecting from the kids at all, so it was a little odd, and the revelation didn’t really stir any feelings from me either.
Overall; a YA story about family, with a witty protagonist, but could maybe have benefitted from a bit more of a solid storyline.
6.5 out of 10.
16-year-old Hannah’s priorities are: 1. Get good grades, 2. Buy a car, and 3. Get into a good university as far away from her nutty family as possible.
The eldest of 3, Hannah has to put up with a lot. Her Dad has hundreds of dented cans (some unlabelled) stored in the basement, her mother buys powdered milk because it’s so much cheaper (even if it tastes horrible), 14-year-old Ryan just moans and doesn’t keep his grades up, and 8-year-old Ben hardly ever talks, makes strange noises all the time (the motorcycle being a particular favourite), and will only eat chicken nuggets.
When her family announces that they will be vacationing at Disney World again this year, both Hannah and Ryan try to change their minds, but unfortunately find themselves going to Disney World anyway.
How will Dad continue his penny-pinching ways while they are on holiday though? And what family secret is about to be revealed?
This was an interesting insight into the Sampson family’s life, and reminded me a lot of family vacations that we took when I was younger, it did lack a little for a solid plotline though.
Hannah was a likeable and witty protagonist. Her observations about her family, and other people were spot-on and often quite funny, and I liked how she took the time to try and draw her youngest brother out of his shell a little, while everyone else was happy to just baby him. She was desperate to get away from her family though strangely, and was already looking at colleges, even though she was only 16.
The storyline was okay, and I totally got why Hannah and Ryan didn’t want to go to Disney world again, especially considering that they were 16 and 14. I did think that going to Disney World was a little strange for this penny-picking, dented can buying, thrifty family though. I would have expected them to go camping, or not go on holiday at all for that matter, so going to Disney World seemed a little out of character.
This book was literally like stepping into someone else’s family for a while, and seeing what the dynamics of a different family are like. The arguments of where they were going, and what they were doing each day whilst on holiday reminded me very much of what family holidays were like for me as a teenager, which was a bit of a blast from the past!
That’s what this story was like though – an insight into family life, and therefore there wasn’t really all that much of a plot, it was more like 14 days in the life of the Sampson family, than an actual story with a beginning, middle and end.
The family secret that was revealed at the end came completely out of the blue, and I didn’t really see why it suddenly came out, or what significance it really held. I wasn’t really sure what reaction the parents were expecting from the kids at all, so it was a little odd, and the revelation didn’t really stir any feelings from me either.
Overall; a YA story about family, with a witty protagonist, but could maybe have benefitted from a bit more of a solid storyline.
6.5 out of 10.
April 15, 2013
"Unlike all these fools in my class,
I didn't expect high school to be this
incredible, mind-blowing experience.
High school was like purgatory.
You just had to wait it out
until you got to the real deal."
--Heather Walsh, Dented Cans
So initially upon being asked to review this I was very excited because, hello?! family trip to Disney World? Love it! Unfortunately this book just didn't get along with my Disney ideals. I am all about snarky, opinionated, and very observant characters but I didn't really get Hannah...or any of the characters. I felt very detached from them and could never really grasp the point of view they were coming from. Hannah was extremely pessimistic to the point of really irritating me. I can be extremely cynical myself but as much as that is a part of my personality, I have such a soft spot for all things Disney and happily ever after. Hannah rags on Disney's consumerism and lack of magic the entire trip. So personally because of my own interests, I was unable to identify with this character. I just really didn't understand where all her anger came from.
She wasn't all bad though, she had very great points as a character. She is a fantastic advocate for her strange but completely endearing younger brother Ben. She was the only one who stood up for this boy who was babied by the rest of his family. That was another thing that didn't really add up to me. This boy was 8 years old and barely spoke. It was constant white elephant in the room. Not to mention the family's other odd habits. The father's obsession with buying dented cans, the mother's constant and secretive scrapbooking. The synopsis leads us to believe a huge family secret is about to be uncovered, yet we don't get this revelation until the very end...and it still doesn't really explain anything. Things just didn't add up to me.
Each character at times has their high points and I found myself taking each character's side at one point or another but overall they were all equally obstinate and stuck in their ways. I can appreciate the viewpoint of a family that isn't perfect, that has flaws, that is not cookie cutter and I like that. But these people could not see the good in front of them. The constant bickering abut the negative aspects of Disney World really broke my heart to be honest. While everything is overpriced and yes, I agree that the fact that Africa is not represented in EPCOT is a totally disgusting oversight, like the parents said, not everybody's families get to go to Disney World. A vacation like that is a blessing and needs to be recognized as such.
The writing of this book was good, don't get me wrong. It just wasn't for me. I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy the sarcastic observations about life, family and all things Disney but unfortunately this book and I didn't see eye to eye.
January 10, 2013
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I've got to say before I write this review that I didn't really like this book. It just wasn't for me.
My biggest overall problem with Dented Cans was that I just couldn't identify with the main character, Hannah. She worries about everything. She worries about college, she worries about the SAT's, she worries about her little brothers...she just worries TOO much.
She also really wants to get away from her hometown. She wants to leave so much, so quickly. She's SIXTEEN years old, and she's planning about which college she's going to. I simply don't understand her mindset at all. I can't imagine leaving my hometown-- in some weird way, this is where I belong. My heart is just rooted here, way out in the boondocks. So I don't get why she wants to leave so badly, because I've never been a city kind of girl.
Another issue that I had was the quirks. They're all that the book is about. About how weird and quirky Hannah's family is...but I don't get why. It didn't add to the story-- it just confused me. It appears to be such a big deal, but I don't understand.
Hannah doesn't appear to have any friends, and her interactions with her family are awful. I would have liked to have seen more character development in her family-- and more interaction. It was to the point that simply nothing any of those people could have done would have surprised me-- and I didn't like that. I just didn't know the characters well enough to predict their actions.
For instance, a huge piece of information was revealed near the end-- I assume that it's what the book was building up to. But it all just fell flat, because I honestly didn't care about the characters that much. And why all of the build-up? In the grand scheme of things, all that build up got us nowhere.
All in all, Dented Cans really wasn't for me-- but it might be for you!
Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.
I've got to say before I write this review that I didn't really like this book. It just wasn't for me.
My biggest overall problem with Dented Cans was that I just couldn't identify with the main character, Hannah. She worries about everything. She worries about college, she worries about the SAT's, she worries about her little brothers...she just worries TOO much.
She also really wants to get away from her hometown. She wants to leave so much, so quickly. She's SIXTEEN years old, and she's planning about which college she's going to. I simply don't understand her mindset at all. I can't imagine leaving my hometown-- in some weird way, this is where I belong. My heart is just rooted here, way out in the boondocks. So I don't get why she wants to leave so badly, because I've never been a city kind of girl.
Another issue that I had was the quirks. They're all that the book is about. About how weird and quirky Hannah's family is...but I don't get why. It didn't add to the story-- it just confused me. It appears to be such a big deal, but I don't understand.
Hannah doesn't appear to have any friends, and her interactions with her family are awful. I would have liked to have seen more character development in her family-- and more interaction. It was to the point that simply nothing any of those people could have done would have surprised me-- and I didn't like that. I just didn't know the characters well enough to predict their actions.
For instance, a huge piece of information was revealed near the end-- I assume that it's what the book was building up to. But it all just fell flat, because I honestly didn't care about the characters that much. And why all of the build-up? In the grand scheme of things, all that build up got us nowhere.
All in all, Dented Cans really wasn't for me-- but it might be for you!
May 9, 2013
I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This book was not for me. I found it to be very long for its 150 pages and I couldn't wait to be done reading it. I just didn't see any point to the story. It just followed around a very weird family that was trying to pretend they were normal and were failing at it. I found that the family didn't really so anything, they drug the children to Disneyworld even though they didn't want to go. I found that crazy because who wouldn't want to go to Disneyworld. There was one giant secret that some members of the family were hiding, which I also found very strange that no one had found out the secret before hand. I did appreciate that this is a teens story of how their life was unfair, but I just didn't enjoy the way that it was done.
I could not relate with any of the characters. I found Hannah to be a "goody, goody" who did whatever her parents wanted. She never talked back or acted out. She was more concerned with her grads and what university's to go to, then having any friends or going out and doing high school activities. Even her brothers didn't have any friends or would never go anywhere other then school. They were just strange people all around.
Although I wasn't a fan of this book others might enjoy it. I would recommend this book to those who like reading contemporary novels and they can form their own opinion about this book. If the chance arose, I would still read other books by this author, I just didn't enjoy this one.
This book was not for me. I found it to be very long for its 150 pages and I couldn't wait to be done reading it. I just didn't see any point to the story. It just followed around a very weird family that was trying to pretend they were normal and were failing at it. I found that the family didn't really so anything, they drug the children to Disneyworld even though they didn't want to go. I found that crazy because who wouldn't want to go to Disneyworld. There was one giant secret that some members of the family were hiding, which I also found very strange that no one had found out the secret before hand. I did appreciate that this is a teens story of how their life was unfair, but I just didn't enjoy the way that it was done.
I could not relate with any of the characters. I found Hannah to be a "goody, goody" who did whatever her parents wanted. She never talked back or acted out. She was more concerned with her grads and what university's to go to, then having any friends or going out and doing high school activities. Even her brothers didn't have any friends or would never go anywhere other then school. They were just strange people all around.
Although I wasn't a fan of this book others might enjoy it. I would recommend this book to those who like reading contemporary novels and they can form their own opinion about this book. If the chance arose, I would still read other books by this author, I just didn't enjoy this one.
January 19, 2013
Dented Cans was a quick and easy read but I wanted more to happen. The blurb refers to a big family secret that gets revealed during a miserable vacation to Disney World but that doesn't happen until the end of the book. The rest of the story just kind of breezed by with nothing to engage me. I think just about everyone I know can claim a dysfunctional family but the Sampsons really do have family drama and I think more could have been done earlier in the book to show why Hannah can't wait to get out of her small town.
Also there were little hints of more drama that never got fleshed out. I was left wondering about why her parents were so secretive about where they met. Why was Aunt Lydia staring at Ben so sadly. What really happened to cousin Eddie and where is he now? Why doesn't her Mom let anyone see the scrapbooks? Was something really wrong with Ben or are the sounds his way of coping? Overall this was a pretty good read but I feel it could have been so much more.
I recommend this one for anyone who loves dysfunctional family drama.
Also there were little hints of more drama that never got fleshed out. I was left wondering about why her parents were so secretive about where they met. Why was Aunt Lydia staring at Ben so sadly. What really happened to cousin Eddie and where is he now? Why doesn't her Mom let anyone see the scrapbooks? Was something really wrong with Ben or are the sounds his way of coping? Overall this was a pretty good read but I feel it could have been so much more.
I recommend this one for anyone who loves dysfunctional family drama.
April 8, 2014
I received this book in a give-away in exchange for an honest review. The writing flows easily and the author, who clearly has writing talent, took care to carefully edit. The story is told from the point of view of 16 year-old Hannah, who has two younger brothers, a mother who has frequent headaches and a scrapbook obsession, and a father who collects rocks and hoards dented cans. While each character has quirky behavior, the lack of specific enough detail in action and dialogue made it difficult to visualize and connect to them. These were all potentially interesting and sympathetic characters and more showing instead of telling would help the reader to get to know them better and connect emotionally. I enjoyed Hannah's sense of humor, but without that character connection it felt like there was not much at stake, even when the family secret is revealed near the end of the book.
January 19, 2013
Dented Cans really surprised me. I felt after the first few pages, it may be a little slow for my liking, but it really picked up and was just amazing. I think this story has so much moral stuffing inside that you cannot put it down without being taught valuable life lessons.
I absolutely LOVED Hannah and her crazy family especially the Dad. This lets us all know that having a crazy family is really normal! All families have dysfunctional parts to them! You will be glad you picked this up and I am looking forward to more of Heather's work!
I absolutely LOVED Hannah and her crazy family especially the Dad. This lets us all know that having a crazy family is really normal! All families have dysfunctional parts to them! You will be glad you picked this up and I am looking forward to more of Heather's work!
January 19, 2013
This was a fast paced novel- it only took me a day to read it. I thought the author captured the voice of a 16 yr. old well. At first I wished the other characters had been fleshed out more but it is Hannah's story so I got over that. I found it to be an accurate portrayal of a dysfunctional family and applauded Hannah's decision- that sometimes you have to help yourself first in order to help others. A nice coming of age tale.
I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
May 26, 2018
Dented Cans in a dysfunctional family
I bought this book by accident on Kindle. Told from the point of view of the sixteen year old daughter, the story of the dysfunctional Samson family is a quick read while you wait for something to happen. The parents think they are doing a nice thing for their children by taking them on a trip to Disney World. The vacation the older children did not want to go on brings out the worst in all of them until a family secret is revealed. Why the parents kept this secret from their teenaged children is a mystery to me. I’d like my money back.
I bought this book by accident on Kindle. Told from the point of view of the sixteen year old daughter, the story of the dysfunctional Samson family is a quick read while you wait for something to happen. The parents think they are doing a nice thing for their children by taking them on a trip to Disney World. The vacation the older children did not want to go on brings out the worst in all of them until a family secret is revealed. Why the parents kept this secret from their teenaged children is a mystery to me. I’d like my money back.
August 18, 2018
Funny, poignant
This tale of a dysfunctional family made me laugh out loud and also weep. Ms Walsh captures the idiosyncrasies of the Sampson family in a way that makes one wonder about her own family. A good read .
This tale of a dysfunctional family made me laugh out loud and also weep. Ms Walsh captures the idiosyncrasies of the Sampson family in a way that makes one wonder about her own family. A good read .
March 22, 2013
This was what I now understood. This was the Hannah Creed. 1) You were responsible for what happened to yourself, and 2) you had to take care of yourself first before you could help anyone else.
“Dented cans” è arrivato nella lista delle cose da leggere direttamente per mezzo della sua autrice che mi ha inviato il romanzo per avere una mia recensione. Sono sincera, in questo caso non sono stata particolarmente accurata nella lettura della trama, e quando ho capito che era un ya mi ero detta che valeva la pena dargli una chance. Sono dispiaciuta perché ha giaciuto a lungo nei meandri delle cose da leggere, ma effettivamente non mi ha particolarmente colpito. È interessante ed istruttivo, ma risulta poco incisivo.
Hannah Sampson vive in un piccolo paese di provincia a North Prospect insieme ai genitori e ai fratelli Ryan e Ben. Il libro inizia con Hannah che sta per compiere 16 anni e vuole comprare una macchina per scappare dalla cittadina , ma il fulcro del libro è il viaggio che la sua famiglia compie per andare a Disney world in Florida, per farla vedere a Ben, il fratello più piccolo. Mentre lei è sempre più scocciata dalla situazione, capirà che c’è un motivo per tutto e dovrà imparare a convivere con sé stessa e la sua famiglia.
La Walsh vuole scrivere una riflessione e un libro di formazione, uno di quei libri al cui centro c’è un viaggio di crescita personale e di raggiungimento di certi obiettivi. Hannah è una ragazzina che ha molti sogni e aspira a scappare da una famiglia che sembra soffocarla. Improvvisamente gli anni di scuola superiore sembrano non passare mai, ed essendo la maggiore si sente responsabile anche per i suoi fratelli. Ma sostanzialmente non si rende conto di quello che succede davvero nella sua famiglia, spesso la si ritrova a lamentarsi della sua famiglia, della suo essere rinchiusa in un paese pieno di pregiudizi e di chiusura mentale. Intelligente, studiosa Hannah cerca di trovare le risorse sufficienti per sfuggire al senso di oppressione che sente. Ma il viaggio verso la Florida con la sua famiglia le aprirà gli occhi. La madre non prende mai una decisione e si affida al padre in tutto, e il padre tiene la famiglia sotto la sua ala protettrice. La casa è una specie di mausoleo conservato nel suo stato di ordine e precisione fino allo sfinimento. Ma la vera chicca è la presenza di scaffali e scaffali pieni di lattine, alcune ammaccate (ecco il Dented Cans del titolo) che il padre colleziona, in particolar modo quelle che non hanno un etichetta. Risparmiatore, a volte proprio tirchio, deve comunque mandare avanti una famiglia di cinque persone.
I fratelli invece alternano fasi di vicinanza, rispetto e complicità ad altre in cui semplicemente si ignorano in un vago senso di fastidio. Ryan soffre la classica sindrome del mezzano, il fratello di mezzo che spesso viene lasciato a sé stesso. Con le sue bravate e il suo essere sempre polemico. Ryan cerca di catturare l’attenzione come può, mentre sta crescendo e deve fare i conti con l’essere un ragazzino in piena tempesta ormonale. Ben, il piccolo di casa è timido e impacciato, conosce una manciata di parole e si esprime con i suoni, rimanendo affascinato da particolari imprevisti, che nessuno avrebbe mai immaginato. Hannah è molto preoccupata per lui e cerca di incoraggiarlo in tutti modi, provando anche a far capire ai genitori che devono fare qualcosa in prima persona.
Una famiglia con problemi più o meno gravi, piena di manie e fisse, di slanci inaspettati e banalità che si riscontrano in tutte le famiglie. Come scriveva Tolstoj “Ogni famiglia felice è felice allo stesso modo. Ogni famiglia infelice è infelice a modo suo.”
Il particolare da non dimenticare? Un insegna per un posto perfetto dove scattare una foto.
Questa è una storia familiare, raccontata in prima persona da Hannah che sta crescendo e cercando di vivere al meglio in un paese soffocante di provincia, assicurandosi di migliorare la sua educazione e le chance di farcela. Una famiglia che lotta per non perdersi, per rimanere unita, anche con un viaggio che sembra inadatto per la loro età, ma che si rivelerà un momento di condivisione e di apertura, come nessuno di loro si sarebbe mai immaginato prima di partire.
Buona lettura guys!
Ringrazio immensamente Heather Walsh per avermi concesso l’opportunità di leggere questa storia in cambio della mia onesta opinione.
Recensione anche sul mio blog:
http://pleaseanotherbook.tumblr.com/p...
“Dented cans” è arrivato nella lista delle cose da leggere direttamente per mezzo della sua autrice che mi ha inviato il romanzo per avere una mia recensione. Sono sincera, in questo caso non sono stata particolarmente accurata nella lettura della trama, e quando ho capito che era un ya mi ero detta che valeva la pena dargli una chance. Sono dispiaciuta perché ha giaciuto a lungo nei meandri delle cose da leggere, ma effettivamente non mi ha particolarmente colpito. È interessante ed istruttivo, ma risulta poco incisivo.
Hannah Sampson vive in un piccolo paese di provincia a North Prospect insieme ai genitori e ai fratelli Ryan e Ben. Il libro inizia con Hannah che sta per compiere 16 anni e vuole comprare una macchina per scappare dalla cittadina , ma il fulcro del libro è il viaggio che la sua famiglia compie per andare a Disney world in Florida, per farla vedere a Ben, il fratello più piccolo. Mentre lei è sempre più scocciata dalla situazione, capirà che c’è un motivo per tutto e dovrà imparare a convivere con sé stessa e la sua famiglia.
La Walsh vuole scrivere una riflessione e un libro di formazione, uno di quei libri al cui centro c’è un viaggio di crescita personale e di raggiungimento di certi obiettivi. Hannah è una ragazzina che ha molti sogni e aspira a scappare da una famiglia che sembra soffocarla. Improvvisamente gli anni di scuola superiore sembrano non passare mai, ed essendo la maggiore si sente responsabile anche per i suoi fratelli. Ma sostanzialmente non si rende conto di quello che succede davvero nella sua famiglia, spesso la si ritrova a lamentarsi della sua famiglia, della suo essere rinchiusa in un paese pieno di pregiudizi e di chiusura mentale. Intelligente, studiosa Hannah cerca di trovare le risorse sufficienti per sfuggire al senso di oppressione che sente. Ma il viaggio verso la Florida con la sua famiglia le aprirà gli occhi. La madre non prende mai una decisione e si affida al padre in tutto, e il padre tiene la famiglia sotto la sua ala protettrice. La casa è una specie di mausoleo conservato nel suo stato di ordine e precisione fino allo sfinimento. Ma la vera chicca è la presenza di scaffali e scaffali pieni di lattine, alcune ammaccate (ecco il Dented Cans del titolo) che il padre colleziona, in particolar modo quelle che non hanno un etichetta. Risparmiatore, a volte proprio tirchio, deve comunque mandare avanti una famiglia di cinque persone.
I fratelli invece alternano fasi di vicinanza, rispetto e complicità ad altre in cui semplicemente si ignorano in un vago senso di fastidio. Ryan soffre la classica sindrome del mezzano, il fratello di mezzo che spesso viene lasciato a sé stesso. Con le sue bravate e il suo essere sempre polemico. Ryan cerca di catturare l’attenzione come può, mentre sta crescendo e deve fare i conti con l’essere un ragazzino in piena tempesta ormonale. Ben, il piccolo di casa è timido e impacciato, conosce una manciata di parole e si esprime con i suoni, rimanendo affascinato da particolari imprevisti, che nessuno avrebbe mai immaginato. Hannah è molto preoccupata per lui e cerca di incoraggiarlo in tutti modi, provando anche a far capire ai genitori che devono fare qualcosa in prima persona.
Una famiglia con problemi più o meno gravi, piena di manie e fisse, di slanci inaspettati e banalità che si riscontrano in tutte le famiglie. Come scriveva Tolstoj “Ogni famiglia felice è felice allo stesso modo. Ogni famiglia infelice è infelice a modo suo.”
Il particolare da non dimenticare? Un insegna per un posto perfetto dove scattare una foto.
Questa è una storia familiare, raccontata in prima persona da Hannah che sta crescendo e cercando di vivere al meglio in un paese soffocante di provincia, assicurandosi di migliorare la sua educazione e le chance di farcela. Una famiglia che lotta per non perdersi, per rimanere unita, anche con un viaggio che sembra inadatto per la loro età, ma che si rivelerà un momento di condivisione e di apertura, come nessuno di loro si sarebbe mai immaginato prima di partire.
Buona lettura guys!
Ringrazio immensamente Heather Walsh per avermi concesso l’opportunità di leggere questa storia in cambio della mia onesta opinione.
Recensione anche sul mio blog:
http://pleaseanotherbook.tumblr.com/p...
February 3, 2014
This is one of those books where I’m on again, off again. I wanted to love it, I really did, especially after reading The Drake Equation, also by Heather Walsh, but I just couldn’t.
The beginning was great. I thought that the first chapter was a great hook. It really captured my attention and had me itching to find out more. However, as the book went on, it also started to go off rails, for me, and I found it hard to stick with it. The first half of the novel I could live with, for the most part. The MC was witty and sacastic at times, while at other times she complained about life way too much, but it wasn’t bad. I loved the character developement and the details that showed us the little quirks within her family. In all honestly, this novel probably depicted my family pretty well, which was interesting, and yet because of that I somehow found it just that much more irritating.
Hannah seems like this sarcastic teenager ready to get out of the tiny city she’s been trapped in since birth. I can’t blame her, in all honesty, ’cause that’s what I wanted to do, and I didn’t even live in a small city. I identified with her in that aspect. However, as the novel goes on, her hauty attitude and constant complaints grated on my nerves. She was just so ungrateful for everything her family’s given her. So what if they’re a little weird and argumentative? At one point, she implies that her mom has little to no brain in her head, doubting that her mother had a shred of intelligence. That was just rude beyond reason and absolutely disrespectful. Then, her parents plan this whole trip to Disney World and she acts like the experience was the worst thing that has ever happened to her. I just went to Disney last summer, and I’m 19. I loved it and I also know how much it cost my parents to get us all there. This girl was so focused on herself that she didn’t even care about anything else.While I’m usually okay with pessimistic characters, Hannah was so down in the dumps all the time that reading this book brought me down. It made me angry, and while I like being moved my books, I don’t want to become angrier, than I already am in real life, because of a book.
The one ray of sunshine throughout the novel was Ben. He was the cutest little thing, and Hannah gained a little bit of my respect just by the way she took care of him. She was always including him in games, and making sure he was okay with everything going on. She was also more confident in him than his parents were. I honestly don’t have much to say about it (because I liked him, and I can criticize a lot better than I can praise…), but he was probably the biggest reason that I kept reading the book.
Something else that stuck me at an odd angle, was that this giant secret that’s hinted at in the first chapter and then here and there throughout the book, was totally random. Sure, it explained a fair amount, but it also left me with giant black holes that I couldn’t fill. What happened to him? What was wrong with him? Those were my two biggest questions (if you read the book you’ll know what I mean). She could’ve added those little tibits in at the end and I would’ve been a lot more satisfied. Alas, the end was quite rushed, and not that informative, to be quite honest.
Overall, it wasn’t a bad book, but I definitely wasn’t satisfied with what I got. That being said, take my opinion with a grain of salt ’cause honestly, it might’ve been the parallels between my family and Hannah’s that just about drove me insane. Well, written, just not amazingly executed.
Plot: 2/5
Characters: 3/5
World Building: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Cover: 4/5
Overall: 3/5
GoodReads: 3.36/5
eBook provided by the auhor in exchange for an honest review.
-review by Between Printed Pages
The beginning was great. I thought that the first chapter was a great hook. It really captured my attention and had me itching to find out more. However, as the book went on, it also started to go off rails, for me, and I found it hard to stick with it. The first half of the novel I could live with, for the most part. The MC was witty and sacastic at times, while at other times she complained about life way too much, but it wasn’t bad. I loved the character developement and the details that showed us the little quirks within her family. In all honestly, this novel probably depicted my family pretty well, which was interesting, and yet because of that I somehow found it just that much more irritating.
Hannah seems like this sarcastic teenager ready to get out of the tiny city she’s been trapped in since birth. I can’t blame her, in all honesty, ’cause that’s what I wanted to do, and I didn’t even live in a small city. I identified with her in that aspect. However, as the novel goes on, her hauty attitude and constant complaints grated on my nerves. She was just so ungrateful for everything her family’s given her. So what if they’re a little weird and argumentative? At one point, she implies that her mom has little to no brain in her head, doubting that her mother had a shred of intelligence. That was just rude beyond reason and absolutely disrespectful. Then, her parents plan this whole trip to Disney World and she acts like the experience was the worst thing that has ever happened to her. I just went to Disney last summer, and I’m 19. I loved it and I also know how much it cost my parents to get us all there. This girl was so focused on herself that she didn’t even care about anything else.While I’m usually okay with pessimistic characters, Hannah was so down in the dumps all the time that reading this book brought me down. It made me angry, and while I like being moved my books, I don’t want to become angrier, than I already am in real life, because of a book.
The one ray of sunshine throughout the novel was Ben. He was the cutest little thing, and Hannah gained a little bit of my respect just by the way she took care of him. She was always including him in games, and making sure he was okay with everything going on. She was also more confident in him than his parents were. I honestly don’t have much to say about it (because I liked him, and I can criticize a lot better than I can praise…), but he was probably the biggest reason that I kept reading the book.
Something else that stuck me at an odd angle, was that this giant secret that’s hinted at in the first chapter and then here and there throughout the book, was totally random. Sure, it explained a fair amount, but it also left me with giant black holes that I couldn’t fill. What happened to him? What was wrong with him? Those were my two biggest questions (if you read the book you’ll know what I mean). She could’ve added those little tibits in at the end and I would’ve been a lot more satisfied. Alas, the end was quite rushed, and not that informative, to be quite honest.
Overall, it wasn’t a bad book, but I definitely wasn’t satisfied with what I got. That being said, take my opinion with a grain of salt ’cause honestly, it might’ve been the parallels between my family and Hannah’s that just about drove me insane. Well, written, just not amazingly executed.
Plot: 2/5
Characters: 3/5
World Building: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Cover: 4/5
Overall: 3/5
GoodReads: 3.36/5
eBook provided by the auhor in exchange for an honest review.
-review by Between Printed Pages
March 16, 2013
Well, I don't think I want to go to Disney World anymore.
I'm trying to read genres I wouldn't normally read. I tend to stay in the fantasy/YA genre and I would really like to branch out. So, I read Dented Cans. I can't say I'm disappointed. I really enjoyed this book. I loved the humorous and sarcastic tone that Hannah, our narrator, gave us. At some point or other, every teenager just wants to get out of the house and have their parents leave them alone and get off their back for once. That's what Hannah keeps reminding herself. That eventually, she will be out of her dead beat town, and off on her own in college.
What kid doesn't want to go to Disney World? I thought that was supposed to be a child's dream. I guess when you're 16 the magic fades? All I know is that after hearing the descriptions of most of these rides, Disney World is further down on my list of places to eventually go. Perhaps it was because the parents made everyone go on all the boring rides so it wouldn't scare young Ben. Even though he's eight and clearly past the stage where everything scares the shit out of him. I just think that everyone is making too much of a fuss. I get that the parents are being way too pushy and overprotective, but can't Hannah and Ryan suck it up and enjoy the vacation? Maybe it's because I've never had that "family vacation" experience. Maybe I'd feel differently.
This family certainly is...erm...special. I don't just mean collecting dented, unlabeled cans because they're cheap. I mean the entire family we meet. Personally, I would have loved to learn more about this Cousin Eddie that everyone is so elusive on. Then again, this family is elusive with everything. They won't explain many of the questions Hannah asks and in turn the reader wonders about. I'm also curious as to what's up with Ben. We know something isn't quite right with him, but never learn what. I thought that was going to be the "big secret" we were supposed to learn about. Instead we got something completely different and caught me as off guard as it did the characters. Truthfully, it was a bit of a letdown for me. With all that build up, I expected something bigger, or maybe more relevant. Maybe some more insight into Ryan. Something to explain why the extended family is so rude to the Sampson kids.
I still really enjoyed this book and didn't want to put it down. The writing was beautiful and the voice was sarcastic and funny, but still serious when it needed to be. It was believable. A real family having real problems. Sure, the big secret was a bit of a letdown for me, but sometimes so is life, so I'm completely okay with that. This was a step into the real world of fiction writing for me and I enjoyed every bit of it.
I'm trying to read genres I wouldn't normally read. I tend to stay in the fantasy/YA genre and I would really like to branch out. So, I read Dented Cans. I can't say I'm disappointed. I really enjoyed this book. I loved the humorous and sarcastic tone that Hannah, our narrator, gave us. At some point or other, every teenager just wants to get out of the house and have their parents leave them alone and get off their back for once. That's what Hannah keeps reminding herself. That eventually, she will be out of her dead beat town, and off on her own in college.
What kid doesn't want to go to Disney World? I thought that was supposed to be a child's dream. I guess when you're 16 the magic fades? All I know is that after hearing the descriptions of most of these rides, Disney World is further down on my list of places to eventually go. Perhaps it was because the parents made everyone go on all the boring rides so it wouldn't scare young Ben. Even though he's eight and clearly past the stage where everything scares the shit out of him. I just think that everyone is making too much of a fuss. I get that the parents are being way too pushy and overprotective, but can't Hannah and Ryan suck it up and enjoy the vacation? Maybe it's because I've never had that "family vacation" experience. Maybe I'd feel differently.
This family certainly is...erm...special. I don't just mean collecting dented, unlabeled cans because they're cheap. I mean the entire family we meet. Personally, I would have loved to learn more about this Cousin Eddie that everyone is so elusive on. Then again, this family is elusive with everything. They won't explain many of the questions Hannah asks and in turn the reader wonders about. I'm also curious as to what's up with Ben. We know something isn't quite right with him, but never learn what. I thought that was going to be the "big secret" we were supposed to learn about. Instead we got something completely different and caught me as off guard as it did the characters. Truthfully, it was a bit of a letdown for me. With all that build up, I expected something bigger, or maybe more relevant. Maybe some more insight into Ryan. Something to explain why the extended family is so rude to the Sampson kids.
I still really enjoyed this book and didn't want to put it down. The writing was beautiful and the voice was sarcastic and funny, but still serious when it needed to be. It was believable. A real family having real problems. Sure, the big secret was a bit of a letdown for me, but sometimes so is life, so I'm completely okay with that. This was a step into the real world of fiction writing for me and I enjoyed every bit of it.
March 27, 2013
DENTED CANS is about a girl named Hannah, who lives in a small town with her dysfunctional family. Her family IS quite weird. Her father enjoys scavenging the clearance section of supermarkets for dented cans because they are cheaper than regular price. Her mother collects pictures of the family, spends time creating a scrapbook to put them in, and them doesn't let anyone look at the book. Her oldest, younger brother, Ryan, doesn't care at all about school. At all. While her youngest brother, Ben, prefers to make sound effects than to speak words. Their parents decide to take them on a vacation to Disney World. Oh, what could go wrong?
I thought Heather Walsh did a fantastic job in writing this book. I really enjoyed reading it and found it difficult to stop. Her characters were pretty well developed and interesting to read about. The pacing was nice, it wasn't too slow, or too fast, and the plot was centered more around the family, and the way they are different from everyone else.
I really enjoyed reading about all the characters in DENTED CANS. Especially, Hannah. I could really relate to Hannah and how she felt. She's 16, and thinking about college and getting out of her small town, tired of being tied down by her parents and weird brothers. Her parents aren't exactly normal. Her dad collects dented cans and her mom has a scrap-booking privacy problem. They are always bothering her about the way she treats her brothers and they usually make her do things to help them. Like the trip to Disney for example. Hannah doesn't really want to go, neither does Ryan. But her parents insist on going for Ben's sake. And then at Disney, she can't go the all the rides she wants to because her parents put her in charge of taking Ben on the rides he wants to go on. It reminded me about my family, a bit. My parents are always doing things in his favor. And they usually guilt trap me into doing it too. I also loved Hannah's sarcasm. It was witty and often got interesting reactions. Besides Hannah, the rest of her family also provided some type of comic relief.
The whole novel is basically about Hannah coming of age. About her understanding what makes being an adult different from being a teen. That adults carry and lot more responsibilities and understanding about the world. That adults often see the bigger picture compared to the teens who usually are focused on one thing. In DENTED CANS you can kind of see her transition mentally from thinking like a teen to an adult. She goes from rebellious about the family trip to understanding why it was important.
NOTE: I received this book from the author for free. This in no way effected my review.
Originally posted on Icy Cold Reads.
I thought Heather Walsh did a fantastic job in writing this book. I really enjoyed reading it and found it difficult to stop. Her characters were pretty well developed and interesting to read about. The pacing was nice, it wasn't too slow, or too fast, and the plot was centered more around the family, and the way they are different from everyone else.
I really enjoyed reading about all the characters in DENTED CANS. Especially, Hannah. I could really relate to Hannah and how she felt. She's 16, and thinking about college and getting out of her small town, tired of being tied down by her parents and weird brothers. Her parents aren't exactly normal. Her dad collects dented cans and her mom has a scrap-booking privacy problem. They are always bothering her about the way she treats her brothers and they usually make her do things to help them. Like the trip to Disney for example. Hannah doesn't really want to go, neither does Ryan. But her parents insist on going for Ben's sake. And then at Disney, she can't go the all the rides she wants to because her parents put her in charge of taking Ben on the rides he wants to go on. It reminded me about my family, a bit. My parents are always doing things in his favor. And they usually guilt trap me into doing it too. I also loved Hannah's sarcasm. It was witty and often got interesting reactions. Besides Hannah, the rest of her family also provided some type of comic relief.
The whole novel is basically about Hannah coming of age. About her understanding what makes being an adult different from being a teen. That adults carry and lot more responsibilities and understanding about the world. That adults often see the bigger picture compared to the teens who usually are focused on one thing. In DENTED CANS you can kind of see her transition mentally from thinking like a teen to an adult. She goes from rebellious about the family trip to understanding why it was important.
NOTE: I received this book from the author for free. This in no way effected my review.
Originally posted on Icy Cold Reads.
February 1, 2013
Dented Cans
By Heather Walsh
Hannah Simpson, age 16 going on 93, is trying to survive her family. She’s wise beyond her years and has an uncanny knack for seeing humor where most would see, well, just another abnormal and dysfunctional family. Her father has a strange habit of buying un-labeled, dented cans at the local grocery which is perhaps the star metaphor of this witty coming-of-age novel.
Though lean on words, there’s a lot here to sink your Young Adult teeth into. From the angst of a child stepping into womanhood all the way to embracing the crazy reality of heading off to college—Hannah has her views and isn’t shy sharing them. All of them. Her interior thoughts are what propel the story forward. That and her flair for making fun of her brother Ryan while protecting her autistic little brother, Ben. One of the obvious things to me was that author Walsh gets kids and how they poke at the world, trying to find their place, while driving their parents a bit bonkers.
Here, Hannah realizes that her brother, Ryan, never reads a single assigned book and yet manages to land C’s.
“He had devised his own way to play the game—if nothing else at least he understood that the game existed. No doubt that was how he had managed to avoid reading any books and still earn C’s. This was probably his boilerplate essay that could be used for any novel. Just plug in the names. But Ryan could obviously write, so his teachers couldn’t fail him. It was easy to simply pass. You just had to sprinkle some myriads and consequently into the essay and presto, a C.”
Then there was the trip to Disneyland. Its here that we learn of a past tragedy that has haunted Hannah’s parents and been kept from her and her brothers for too long. Though I felt something of this magnitude may have been more effective had it been revealed earlier on, its wallop left me reeling.
“What I realized that day in English class was true: No family’s perfect. I should get that made into a bumper sticker, slap it on my Civic. You never know, it might help someone in NO Prospect to see those words. The truth. There was no thing as normal. Everyone had their problems, and thinking you could be perfect if you only tried hard enough wasn’t just wrong or stupid. It was dangerous.”
As this new information sinks in, the entire family shifts and re-shapes. Hannah steps fully into adulthood and more than ever sees what lies ahead with the clarity only the truth can provide. In the end, we come to realize that Hannah is all of us. That the one thing you think may push you away is what draws us together—family.
By Heather Walsh
Hannah Simpson, age 16 going on 93, is trying to survive her family. She’s wise beyond her years and has an uncanny knack for seeing humor where most would see, well, just another abnormal and dysfunctional family. Her father has a strange habit of buying un-labeled, dented cans at the local grocery which is perhaps the star metaphor of this witty coming-of-age novel.
Though lean on words, there’s a lot here to sink your Young Adult teeth into. From the angst of a child stepping into womanhood all the way to embracing the crazy reality of heading off to college—Hannah has her views and isn’t shy sharing them. All of them. Her interior thoughts are what propel the story forward. That and her flair for making fun of her brother Ryan while protecting her autistic little brother, Ben. One of the obvious things to me was that author Walsh gets kids and how they poke at the world, trying to find their place, while driving their parents a bit bonkers.
Here, Hannah realizes that her brother, Ryan, never reads a single assigned book and yet manages to land C’s.
“He had devised his own way to play the game—if nothing else at least he understood that the game existed. No doubt that was how he had managed to avoid reading any books and still earn C’s. This was probably his boilerplate essay that could be used for any novel. Just plug in the names. But Ryan could obviously write, so his teachers couldn’t fail him. It was easy to simply pass. You just had to sprinkle some myriads and consequently into the essay and presto, a C.”
Then there was the trip to Disneyland. Its here that we learn of a past tragedy that has haunted Hannah’s parents and been kept from her and her brothers for too long. Though I felt something of this magnitude may have been more effective had it been revealed earlier on, its wallop left me reeling.
“What I realized that day in English class was true: No family’s perfect. I should get that made into a bumper sticker, slap it on my Civic. You never know, it might help someone in NO Prospect to see those words. The truth. There was no thing as normal. Everyone had their problems, and thinking you could be perfect if you only tried hard enough wasn’t just wrong or stupid. It was dangerous.”
As this new information sinks in, the entire family shifts and re-shapes. Hannah steps fully into adulthood and more than ever sees what lies ahead with the clarity only the truth can provide. In the end, we come to realize that Hannah is all of us. That the one thing you think may push you away is what draws us together—family.
June 23, 2013
I received this novel for review quite a while ago and added it to my long list. Only just got to it. It's very short at just 95 pages and so a quick read.
Hannah wants to leave her small town and go to a good university, if she can afford it. Her parents are quite tight with money, her dad's hobby is to buy dented cans from the supermarket as they get marked down and he particularly likes ones that have lost their labels. He likes the mystery.
But not everything is happy in the family, her brother Ryan is barely scraping good grades at school, her youngest brother Ben tends to communicate mainly through noises and her mum keeps getting headaches. Her parents never seem to want to talk about anything serious and Hannah wants more from life and for her family.
I liked the basic set up of the book, the family come to life and I could picture them in their cluttered yet organised house, all of them living together but not really communicating.
Hannah is a great character when she is with her brothers, especially Ben, she tries hard to get him to come out of his shell and the moments between them are touching, but when she's on her own I found her a bit whiney and quite ungrateful. Yes the things her parents do are frustrating and would irritate me too, but it's not like she does much to try and change the situation.
Then the family go on holiday to Disneyworld. This in itself seems out of character as they are supposed to be very careful with money, quite restrictive with spending, so why would they suddenly pay that much for a holiday none of them really wanted to go on. And that annoyed me too, I was 23 when I first went to Disneyland in Paris, it was my first and so far only holiday, and I had the time of my life. I would love to go to Disneyworld in America, it's my dream, I just can't afford it. So maybe these characters had a lot of 'issues' and 'things they would rather to do', but they were so ungrateful and really rather rude about the whole trip. Everything was boring and pointless and childish. I wanted to shake them all and tell them to snap out of it and enjoy what they've got. I would do anything to go there. The ungratefulness frustrated me, I wanted to bang their heads together.
The 'family secret' wasn't anything like what I was expecting. I expected the mum to have some sort of illness that caused all these headaches, but they weren't really explained. The actual revelation was totally out of the blue.
For a short story/novel it was quite a good read but I didn't really connect with any of the characters, apart from Ben, he was a sweetheart and I could almost sympathise with Ryan.
Just not really my sort of read.
Hannah wants to leave her small town and go to a good university, if she can afford it. Her parents are quite tight with money, her dad's hobby is to buy dented cans from the supermarket as they get marked down and he particularly likes ones that have lost their labels. He likes the mystery.
But not everything is happy in the family, her brother Ryan is barely scraping good grades at school, her youngest brother Ben tends to communicate mainly through noises and her mum keeps getting headaches. Her parents never seem to want to talk about anything serious and Hannah wants more from life and for her family.
I liked the basic set up of the book, the family come to life and I could picture them in their cluttered yet organised house, all of them living together but not really communicating.
Hannah is a great character when she is with her brothers, especially Ben, she tries hard to get him to come out of his shell and the moments between them are touching, but when she's on her own I found her a bit whiney and quite ungrateful. Yes the things her parents do are frustrating and would irritate me too, but it's not like she does much to try and change the situation.
Then the family go on holiday to Disneyworld. This in itself seems out of character as they are supposed to be very careful with money, quite restrictive with spending, so why would they suddenly pay that much for a holiday none of them really wanted to go on. And that annoyed me too, I was 23 when I first went to Disneyland in Paris, it was my first and so far only holiday, and I had the time of my life. I would love to go to Disneyworld in America, it's my dream, I just can't afford it. So maybe these characters had a lot of 'issues' and 'things they would rather to do', but they were so ungrateful and really rather rude about the whole trip. Everything was boring and pointless and childish. I wanted to shake them all and tell them to snap out of it and enjoy what they've got. I would do anything to go there. The ungratefulness frustrated me, I wanted to bang their heads together.
The 'family secret' wasn't anything like what I was expecting. I expected the mum to have some sort of illness that caused all these headaches, but they weren't really explained. The actual revelation was totally out of the blue.
For a short story/novel it was quite a good read but I didn't really connect with any of the characters, apart from Ben, he was a sweetheart and I could almost sympathise with Ryan.
Just not really my sort of read.
April 6, 2013
You know how sometimes a great book comes along that on putting alongside all the review copies you have read up to that point, seems, most incredibly, even greater. Last year, it may have been The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap that did that for me. This year, it is Dented Cans. It would be rather unfair and would count as cheating to go back and slightly reduce the ratings of all the books I've reviewed (I only rate review copies, the idea of giving books stars bothers me, but that's another issue.) So, instead I'm going to give this book six stars (out of five... yes, that was a joke.) Dented Cans has left me in complete awe.
I could easily identify with Hannah. For one, she has a habit of going off on tangents and tends to ramble. That may be a problem for some readers, but she seemed quite sensible to me. Hannah seems much older than she is, too thoughtful, always worrying, responsible, while still being quirky and ready, even at the most uncanniest of times, for a laugh! Most writers tend to make kids seem more childish than they ought to be at that age, but Heather hasn't made that mistake with Hannah. She adds a sort of dry humour, which adds a dash of bright colour to the otherwise darker story.
All the characters in this book might as well be real people with read problems, just trying to find their place in this world. The family that Heather has created is so fleshed out, Ryan and Hannah, Mom and Dad and even the ones that are only referred. The book really made me think and the thoughts revolved around in my mind for a long time. You could say the book is about family secrets, or the fact that there is a lot more to people than you see on the outside. Every person has some story hidden deep under, that makes them into what they are, makes them do the things they do and we may not always be quite able to understand it. But we ought to respect it.
It seemed like such an odd book, with the strange title and the cover that gives it the appearance of a non-fiction about dented cans. You don't have any girls in huge gowns with fancy hair and painted faces on the cover, though it seems to be so 'in' these days. The book, quite like its cover, is like nothing I've already come across. If you're one of those readers, who steer clear of self-published books, this little novel might just change your mind.
I could easily identify with Hannah. For one, she has a habit of going off on tangents and tends to ramble. That may be a problem for some readers, but she seemed quite sensible to me. Hannah seems much older than she is, too thoughtful, always worrying, responsible, while still being quirky and ready, even at the most uncanniest of times, for a laugh! Most writers tend to make kids seem more childish than they ought to be at that age, but Heather hasn't made that mistake with Hannah. She adds a sort of dry humour, which adds a dash of bright colour to the otherwise darker story.
All the characters in this book might as well be real people with read problems, just trying to find their place in this world. The family that Heather has created is so fleshed out, Ryan and Hannah, Mom and Dad and even the ones that are only referred. The book really made me think and the thoughts revolved around in my mind for a long time. You could say the book is about family secrets, or the fact that there is a lot more to people than you see on the outside. Every person has some story hidden deep under, that makes them into what they are, makes them do the things they do and we may not always be quite able to understand it. But we ought to respect it.
It seemed like such an odd book, with the strange title and the cover that gives it the appearance of a non-fiction about dented cans. You don't have any girls in huge gowns with fancy hair and painted faces on the cover, though it seems to be so 'in' these days. The book, quite like its cover, is like nothing I've already come across. If you're one of those readers, who steer clear of self-published books, this little novel might just change your mind.
May 22, 2013
The story of one family's life with a frugal father. The Sampson family is known for their cheapness. The father loves to buy dented and unlabeled cans at discount prices. Sixteen year old Hannah knows her family is not normal. She can't wait for the day she can get away. Her fourteen year old brother, Ryan, is on the fast track to nowhere getting by by doing the bare minimum. Her eight-year-old brother, Ben, prefers to talk in sound effects and eat only chicken nuggets.
The major part of the story takes place in Disney World. None of the siblings want to go, but their father makes them enjoy a vacation in October in this Orlando hot spot. The entire time they are there they argue over what to eat (the peanut butter sandwiches their parents made each morning), what to ride, and what to do. What the kids do not know is the secret their parents have been holding all their lives.
I found the narrator, Hannah, to be a major brat. All she does is complain. She complains about her father being frugal and buying dented cans (which is something to complain about). When their house is being fumigated for termites she complains about having to share a room with her brother. She complains about going to Disney World for the second time. She complains about having to watch a Disney movie on the plane ride to Orlando. What she should be thankful for is that her cheap father decide to shell out money for the headphones. She complains that going to Disney World is the worst thing in the world. Um no. My gosh, what an ungrateful little brat.
She complains about the dumbest things, in my opinion. She complains about five people in their party being troublesome for the Disney World employees working the rides. Give me a break! I come from a family of five and we've never encountered trouble or anxiousness when dividing up the family for rides. She calls the Magic Kingdom infantile.
I was ready to give this book a low rating when the ending came along. It is surprising to say the least. It did change my feelings on wanting to smack Hannah for being so negative about Disney World, but it did provide me with some feelings of sympathy.
I read this book as a review request via the Kindle app on my laptop. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review in any way.
The major part of the story takes place in Disney World. None of the siblings want to go, but their father makes them enjoy a vacation in October in this Orlando hot spot. The entire time they are there they argue over what to eat (the peanut butter sandwiches their parents made each morning), what to ride, and what to do. What the kids do not know is the secret their parents have been holding all their lives.
I found the narrator, Hannah, to be a major brat. All she does is complain. She complains about her father being frugal and buying dented cans (which is something to complain about). When their house is being fumigated for termites she complains about having to share a room with her brother. She complains about going to Disney World for the second time. She complains about having to watch a Disney movie on the plane ride to Orlando. What she should be thankful for is that her cheap father decide to shell out money for the headphones. She complains that going to Disney World is the worst thing in the world. Um no. My gosh, what an ungrateful little brat.
She complains about the dumbest things, in my opinion. She complains about five people in their party being troublesome for the Disney World employees working the rides. Give me a break! I come from a family of five and we've never encountered trouble or anxiousness when dividing up the family for rides. She calls the Magic Kingdom infantile.
I was ready to give this book a low rating when the ending came along. It is surprising to say the least. It did change my feelings on wanting to smack Hannah for being so negative about Disney World, but it did provide me with some feelings of sympathy.
I read this book as a review request via the Kindle app on my laptop. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review in any way.
February 11, 2013
Disney World is a place where dreams come true, but for the Sampson family in Heather Walsh’s short novel, Dented Cans, it’s a place of comic mishaps and strange, dark secrets.
Told in the first-person by the oldest child, the precocious Hannah, Dented Cans is a portrait of a dysfunctional family headed by passive parents who refuse to confront their secrets. Dad collects dented cans, especially ones without labels, which he can buy at a deep discount. Mom takes photos at every opportunity, but buries them in scrapbooks that never get opened.
When the reader meets young Hannah, she is saving her money to buy a second-hand car, her ticket out of the dull suburban life in North Prospect, Connecticut, which she shortens to, “No Prospect.” Her younger brother, Ryan, is a typical 14-year-old slacker, a sharp-tongued boy with no interest in academics. The youngest, Ben, is eight years old. He suffers from a severe disability that makes him prone to communicates by making sounds. Hannah is the only family member who makes any attempt to understand and engage Ben.
Walsh makes effective use of the dented cans and never-opened scrapbooks as symbols of what ails the Sampsons. The juxtaposition of Disney World and the delusional world of Hannah’s parents underscores the story’s theme.
The strongest aspect of Dented Cans is the voice of Hannah. A prescient, wise-cracking teen-ager, Hannah carries the story with witty, piercing observations about her odd family. She engages the reader right away and we root for her to get to the bottom of the reasons behind the family’s bizarre behavior. She is reminiscent of the unnamed teen-aged main character in JoAnn Beard’s brilliant debut novel, In Zanesville.
Despite the oddness of the Sampsons, Walsh draws them in a way that makes the reader sympathize with this family. Hannah yearns to break free of her family, but worries about what her departure would do to Ben.
Walsh writes with great insight into the dynamics of the family. One cannot help but think that there is a little bit of the Sampsons in each of our families.
Told in the first-person by the oldest child, the precocious Hannah, Dented Cans is a portrait of a dysfunctional family headed by passive parents who refuse to confront their secrets. Dad collects dented cans, especially ones without labels, which he can buy at a deep discount. Mom takes photos at every opportunity, but buries them in scrapbooks that never get opened.
When the reader meets young Hannah, she is saving her money to buy a second-hand car, her ticket out of the dull suburban life in North Prospect, Connecticut, which she shortens to, “No Prospect.” Her younger brother, Ryan, is a typical 14-year-old slacker, a sharp-tongued boy with no interest in academics. The youngest, Ben, is eight years old. He suffers from a severe disability that makes him prone to communicates by making sounds. Hannah is the only family member who makes any attempt to understand and engage Ben.
Walsh makes effective use of the dented cans and never-opened scrapbooks as symbols of what ails the Sampsons. The juxtaposition of Disney World and the delusional world of Hannah’s parents underscores the story’s theme.
The strongest aspect of Dented Cans is the voice of Hannah. A prescient, wise-cracking teen-ager, Hannah carries the story with witty, piercing observations about her odd family. She engages the reader right away and we root for her to get to the bottom of the reasons behind the family’s bizarre behavior. She is reminiscent of the unnamed teen-aged main character in JoAnn Beard’s brilliant debut novel, In Zanesville.
Despite the oddness of the Sampsons, Walsh draws them in a way that makes the reader sympathize with this family. Hannah yearns to break free of her family, but worries about what her departure would do to Ben.
Walsh writes with great insight into the dynamics of the family. One cannot help but think that there is a little bit of the Sampsons in each of our families.
February 17, 2013
Check this review out at our blog!
Such an odd title, but I enjoyed it. But for most of the novel, Hannah, the main character, seems to be rambling. The events in the book keep jumping around it's hard to tell what Hannah wants us to know. Maybe she wants us to know everything or maybe she just wanted to make her case that her parents deserve the weirdest-parents-of-the-century award.
Her parent are definitely odd balls, but for most of the novel they didn't seem like parents to me. First off the way they treated their children. It was like the mom and the dad never stood up for their kids. Second, why were they so against Hannah getting a car? She was going to pay for it herself. It all worked out in the end, but still. And when Hannah asked if she could buy a car, the mom was all like "I have a headache" seriously? A headache just from one question? Third, I thought they were suppose to be poor, so why did they splurge on a trip to Disney? I get that their youngest child, Ben, is special needs, but they don't need another trip to Disney. Shouldn't they be saving for their children's college funds or their retirement fund or something? Parents in YA novels just piss me off... In the end, the parents kind of redeemed themselves... Kinda.
Rant about YA novel parents aside, I really liked how Dented Cans talked about typical problems a teen might experience such as meaningless sibling quarrels, wanting to get out of your small town, and trying to get your parents to understand you.
The ending was unexpected... I really liked how this novel was about family. It's really refreshing compared to the dozen upon dozens of YA contemporary novels about people coming from broken homes trying to find love in this harsh, harsh world. There's nothing wrong with those novels, I love those novels, but it's nice to have variety in your reading.
Note: This was definitely the most out there book I read in terms of characters. Dented cans? Who would have thought?
Jenny @ YA Novelties
Such an odd title, but I enjoyed it. But for most of the novel, Hannah, the main character, seems to be rambling. The events in the book keep jumping around it's hard to tell what Hannah wants us to know. Maybe she wants us to know everything or maybe she just wanted to make her case that her parents deserve the weirdest-parents-of-the-century award.
Her parent are definitely odd balls, but for most of the novel they didn't seem like parents to me. First off the way they treated their children. It was like the mom and the dad never stood up for their kids. Second, why were they so against Hannah getting a car? She was going to pay for it herself. It all worked out in the end, but still. And when Hannah asked if she could buy a car, the mom was all like "I have a headache" seriously? A headache just from one question? Third, I thought they were suppose to be poor, so why did they splurge on a trip to Disney? I get that their youngest child, Ben, is special needs, but they don't need another trip to Disney. Shouldn't they be saving for their children's college funds or their retirement fund or something? Parents in YA novels just piss me off... In the end, the parents kind of redeemed themselves... Kinda.
Rant about YA novel parents aside, I really liked how Dented Cans talked about typical problems a teen might experience such as meaningless sibling quarrels, wanting to get out of your small town, and trying to get your parents to understand you.
The ending was unexpected... I really liked how this novel was about family. It's really refreshing compared to the dozen upon dozens of YA contemporary novels about people coming from broken homes trying to find love in this harsh, harsh world. There's nothing wrong with those novels, I love those novels, but it's nice to have variety in your reading.
Note: This was definitely the most out there book I read in terms of characters. Dented cans? Who would have thought?
Jenny @ YA Novelties
June 1, 2013
I read this straight though. That means, I didn't want to stop before I got to the huge family secret. I liked the characters, which made the reading go fast. The main girl is not perfect and brilliant, not too obsessed with boys and not recklessly I-gotta-get-outta-here. Her younger brother is definitely ADD a bit, but smart, and has figured out a way to skate through high school at an early age. The youngest brother is adorable, and with an autistic brother-in-law, the author doesn't say so but there characteristics of autism (but I'm not an expert).
The family isn't poor, but doesn't have gobs of money. The extended family is slightly bigoted, definitely conservative, which understandably irks Hannah. It's part of why she's itching to break out of the town and get out of the confines of a small town mentality.
So, the parents. Dad's not Wonder-Dad, and Mom's not Suzy Homemaker. Fine. Mom has headaches. Could it be cancer, some other medical problem? Does she hate having kids? Why is Dad suffering through life in a tiny town where being an accountant cannot be very profitable? Even with three kids (and not more), I can forgive the frugality of the Dented Can Surprise game.
What I did not understand was (no spoiler) the horrible secret that hovered over the parents' existence didn't seem to warrant such secrecy and tension and germophobia and borderline hoarding. It seemed to me like it didn't balance. It's not like they were in witness protection or anything; yes it was tragic, but... ?
I feel I was also let down at the end, that there wasn't more follow-up. Hannah's decision to leave her family in the dust? The pivotal vacation argument may have changed things, but you didn't really see the fallout. It don't see a space for a sequel. I think it would be really hard to weave one out of the few loose ends that are left.
To sum up: I liked the characters, the writing, the voice of the daughter, and the fallibility of the people, but I felt let down with the wrap-up at the end.
P.S. What is up with the Disney World hate? Sheesh! There are plenty of age-appropriate rides. The Magic Kingdom is MAGIC, thankyouverymuch.
The family isn't poor, but doesn't have gobs of money. The extended family is slightly bigoted, definitely conservative, which understandably irks Hannah. It's part of why she's itching to break out of the town and get out of the confines of a small town mentality.
So, the parents. Dad's not Wonder-Dad, and Mom's not Suzy Homemaker. Fine. Mom has headaches. Could it be cancer, some other medical problem? Does she hate having kids? Why is Dad suffering through life in a tiny town where being an accountant cannot be very profitable? Even with three kids (and not more), I can forgive the frugality of the Dented Can Surprise game.
What I did not understand was (no spoiler) the horrible secret that hovered over the parents' existence didn't seem to warrant such secrecy and tension and germophobia and borderline hoarding. It seemed to me like it didn't balance. It's not like they were in witness protection or anything; yes it was tragic, but... ?
I feel I was also let down at the end, that there wasn't more follow-up. Hannah's decision to leave her family in the dust? The pivotal vacation argument may have changed things, but you didn't really see the fallout. It don't see a space for a sequel. I think it would be really hard to weave one out of the few loose ends that are left.
To sum up: I liked the characters, the writing, the voice of the daughter, and the fallibility of the people, but I felt let down with the wrap-up at the end.
P.S. What is up with the Disney World hate? Sheesh! There are plenty of age-appropriate rides. The Magic Kingdom is MAGIC, thankyouverymuch.
November 19, 2013
Here’s a nice young adult read for teens who, more than anything, want a normal family with normal parents and normal relationships.
Hannah Sampson is a high school junior who’s in a hurry to escape her family and their blue-collar town of North Prospect, Connecticut. Nothing can keep her from wanting to leave. Her quirky parents are borderline hoarders. Her mother fills scrapbooks with pictures and packs them away in the basement. Her father can’t pass up a bargain on dented cans from the supermarket and has loaded them up on their basement shelves.
If that isn’t enough, things have changed with her fourteen-year-old brother, Ryan. And little brother Ben barely speaks, preferring instead to communicate with sound effects. What else is there to do but study hard and find a college that’s far away from this group? The months pass slowly and a vacation to Disney World brings everything to a head when Hannah’s parents reveal a family secret.
I liked this story, written from Hannah’s point of view, because it gives a pretty good look into family dynamics. What seems like a weird family turns out to be similar to the way many families communicate, and don’t communicate, with each other.
I think Walsh is best at describing the sibling dynamic, which can be both combative and affectionate. Hannah and Ryan are both nice to Ben and they share that protective nature. And the three band together in defiance of their parents, particularly in Disney World. She also touches on how kids have to break the family rules in order to gain independence, particularly with Ben at the water park. I also think Walsh does a good job showing how Hannah’s parents react to Ryan and Hannah as they assert themselves.
Some readers may be frustrated with Hannah’s opinions, which are strong and intolerant, but I think that shows how kids can exaggerate their points of view to deal with their frustration. And once Hannah understands her family better, we grow to understand Hannah.
All-in-all, this is a fast, enjoyable read, with a serious message that’s delivered in light humor.
Hannah Sampson is a high school junior who’s in a hurry to escape her family and their blue-collar town of North Prospect, Connecticut. Nothing can keep her from wanting to leave. Her quirky parents are borderline hoarders. Her mother fills scrapbooks with pictures and packs them away in the basement. Her father can’t pass up a bargain on dented cans from the supermarket and has loaded them up on their basement shelves.
If that isn’t enough, things have changed with her fourteen-year-old brother, Ryan. And little brother Ben barely speaks, preferring instead to communicate with sound effects. What else is there to do but study hard and find a college that’s far away from this group? The months pass slowly and a vacation to Disney World brings everything to a head when Hannah’s parents reveal a family secret.
I liked this story, written from Hannah’s point of view, because it gives a pretty good look into family dynamics. What seems like a weird family turns out to be similar to the way many families communicate, and don’t communicate, with each other.
I think Walsh is best at describing the sibling dynamic, which can be both combative and affectionate. Hannah and Ryan are both nice to Ben and they share that protective nature. And the three band together in defiance of their parents, particularly in Disney World. She also touches on how kids have to break the family rules in order to gain independence, particularly with Ben at the water park. I also think Walsh does a good job showing how Hannah’s parents react to Ryan and Hannah as they assert themselves.
Some readers may be frustrated with Hannah’s opinions, which are strong and intolerant, but I think that shows how kids can exaggerate their points of view to deal with their frustration. And once Hannah understands her family better, we grow to understand Hannah.
All-in-all, this is a fast, enjoyable read, with a serious message that’s delivered in light humor.
August 22, 2013
Hannah wants to escape. Like most teenagers, she's ready to strike out on her own. Her parents odd behavior and distance are really starting to weigh her down. The dented cans her father is obsessed with buying have become a symbol for their broken family.
Hannah wishes things were different. Frustrated and unsure how to make a difference, she decides to focus on her baby brother. She fears her parents have put blinders on to his real needs. Then her younger brother, Ryan, starts acting out more and more. When their parents announce a trip to Disney World, none of the kids are excited. The trip only serves to highlight Ryan's shenanigans, Ben's issues, and Hannah's frustrations.
As someone who loves to read character-driven stories, I connected with the very real portrayal of a family who has lost their way. Hannah is caring and wants her family to be closer, but she doesn't know how to fix it. Instead of being overly dramatic, she seems to have a real sense of the kind of adult she wants to become. It would have been easy to write her as a shallow, selfish teenage girl with no other thoughts other than herself and getting out.
I only wish the family secret, an excellent one that could have provided a lot of juicy story, had not been revealed so late in the book. I truly believe with another 100 pages of drama based on this secret this would be a 4.5 star read because the writing is excellent and the characters are well-developed.
Take a chance on Dented Cans. It's a quick read, and the author does an excellent job crafting a family of characters to care about and root for.
Rating: 3.5 stars (but worthy of rounding up)
Note: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. A positive review was not guaranteed or requested; the opinions expressed are my own.
Hannah wishes things were different. Frustrated and unsure how to make a difference, she decides to focus on her baby brother. She fears her parents have put blinders on to his real needs. Then her younger brother, Ryan, starts acting out more and more. When their parents announce a trip to Disney World, none of the kids are excited. The trip only serves to highlight Ryan's shenanigans, Ben's issues, and Hannah's frustrations.
As someone who loves to read character-driven stories, I connected with the very real portrayal of a family who has lost their way. Hannah is caring and wants her family to be closer, but she doesn't know how to fix it. Instead of being overly dramatic, she seems to have a real sense of the kind of adult she wants to become. It would have been easy to write her as a shallow, selfish teenage girl with no other thoughts other than herself and getting out.
I only wish the family secret, an excellent one that could have provided a lot of juicy story, had not been revealed so late in the book. I truly believe with another 100 pages of drama based on this secret this would be a 4.5 star read because the writing is excellent and the characters are well-developed.
Take a chance on Dented Cans. It's a quick read, and the author does an excellent job crafting a family of characters to care about and root for.
Rating: 3.5 stars (but worthy of rounding up)
Note: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. A positive review was not guaranteed or requested; the opinions expressed are my own.
February 5, 2013
First and foremost, I would like to thank the author, Heather Walsh, for giving me an e-copy of "Dented Cans," in exchange for an honest review! :)
When I started this book, I was taken in by the characters and the different characteristics they possessed. Most readers could also identify with Hannah easily, she's a teenager who is worried about how much college is going to cost, how much studying she has to do, and paying for a car of course!
She is a normal teen planning for her life ahead; and from what I know, Hannah is shy and does not speak out a lot. But she is normal, and she also has a normal, but "wacky" family. And what family doesn't have their occasional family secrets? Well it wasn't until a horrible family vacation to Disneyland that Hannah decided that enough was enough and finally spoke her mind. This is toward the end and the big secret is revealed! And you don't expect the quiet ones to talk, and when they do, it's sometimes shocking!
But I felt proud that Hannah did find the courage to find her voice! Although, there were some loose ends that weren't really tied at the end (for me), and even though we found out the secret at the end, I was hoping for more of a solid plot, and not a lot of detail of the characters.
Although, the things I loved about this book was how it portrayed a family and the real life problems that might occur (i.e college troubles etc), the fact that her Dad collects Dented Cans (lol), and how readers can relate to the characters! I really enjoyed reading this book and I would definitely share this book with others! I also look forward to more books written by heather Walsh!
You can find this review on Amazon as well :) http://www.amazon.com/review/R3CVI10Y...
When I started this book, I was taken in by the characters and the different characteristics they possessed. Most readers could also identify with Hannah easily, she's a teenager who is worried about how much college is going to cost, how much studying she has to do, and paying for a car of course!
She is a normal teen planning for her life ahead; and from what I know, Hannah is shy and does not speak out a lot. But she is normal, and she also has a normal, but "wacky" family. And what family doesn't have their occasional family secrets? Well it wasn't until a horrible family vacation to Disneyland that Hannah decided that enough was enough and finally spoke her mind. This is toward the end and the big secret is revealed! And you don't expect the quiet ones to talk, and when they do, it's sometimes shocking!
But I felt proud that Hannah did find the courage to find her voice! Although, there were some loose ends that weren't really tied at the end (for me), and even though we found out the secret at the end, I was hoping for more of a solid plot, and not a lot of detail of the characters.
Although, the things I loved about this book was how it portrayed a family and the real life problems that might occur (i.e college troubles etc), the fact that her Dad collects Dented Cans (lol), and how readers can relate to the characters! I really enjoyed reading this book and I would definitely share this book with others! I also look forward to more books written by heather Walsh!
You can find this review on Amazon as well :) http://www.amazon.com/review/R3CVI10Y...
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