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Anything You Want
Expect a bundle of joy—er, trouble—in this hilarious, heartwarming story from the award-winning author of Stupid Fast Geoff Herbach
Taco's mom always said, "Today is the best day of your life, and tomorrow will be even better." That was hard to believe the day she died of cancer and when Taco's dad had to move up north for work, but he sure did believe it when Maggie Corrigan agreed to go with him to junior prom. Taco loves Maggie- even more than the tacos that earned him his nickname. And she loves him right back.
Except all that love? It gets Maggie pregnant. Everyone else may be freaking out, but Taco can't wait to have a real family again. He just has to figure out what it means to be a dad and how to pass calculus. And then there's getting Maggie's parents to like him. Because it would be so much easier for them to be together if he didn't have to climb the side of the Corrigans' house to see her...
Taco's mom always said, "Today is the best day of your life, and tomorrow will be even better." That was hard to believe the day she died of cancer and when Taco's dad had to move up north for work, but he sure did believe it when Maggie Corrigan agreed to go with him to junior prom. Taco loves Maggie- even more than the tacos that earned him his nickname. And she loves him right back.
Except all that love? It gets Maggie pregnant. Everyone else may be freaking out, but Taco can't wait to have a real family again. He just has to figure out what it means to be a dad and how to pass calculus. And then there's getting Maggie's parents to like him. Because it would be so much easier for them to be together if he didn't have to climb the side of the Corrigans' house to see her...
320 pages, Paperback
First published May 3, 2016
14 people are currently reading
465 people want to read
About the author
Geoff Herbach
19 books226 followersI am the author of the YA title, Stupid Fast (June 2011 from Sourcebooks Fire). I also wrote The Miracle Letters of T. Rimberg, a Novel from Three Rivers Press. When I'm not writing books, I'm writing for Radio Happy Hour or developing ridiculous musical bits.
When I'm not writing, I'm teaching writing at Minnesota State, Mankato, which means I write a lot of comments about writing on student writing.
Writing a lot of writing and reading about writing and writing on reading.
When I'm not writing, I'm teaching writing at Minnesota State, Mankato, which means I write a lot of comments about writing on student writing.
Writing a lot of writing and reading about writing and writing on reading.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
March 7, 2016
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Fire and NetGalley.)
“You do it. You and Maggie Corrigan do it all the time. Again and again and again,” he said.
“Right. We like to celebrate out love.” I said.
“Jesus Christ, Taco. Is she on birth control?” he asked.
“No.” I laughed. “Why would she be?” As I tend to be delusional but not totally stupid, I began to think.
“Oh shit. Are you using condoms?” he asked.
“No. We’re not serious about it, okay? We’re just having fun.”
This was a YA story about a boy who gets his girlfriend pregnant.
Taco was a bit of an odd character, he was just happy all the time, and totally clueless too. I thought it really bad that he didn’t even consider contraception when he started having sex with his girlfriend, and thought that they wouldn’t get pregnant because they were ‘doing it recreationally’.
The storyline in this was about Taco’s girlfriend Maggie getting pregnant, and how wonderful he thought this was. He had no idea how much babies cost, or how he was going to continue going to school with a child to support or anything, and literally saw everything through rose-tinted glasses. He tried to get a job, and talked about Maggie moving in with him to raise the baby, but considering that his brother had had to quit school to provide for him, his ideas were really short-sighted.
The ending to this was quite realistic thankfully!
6 out of 10
“You do it. You and Maggie Corrigan do it all the time. Again and again and again,” he said.
“Right. We like to celebrate out love.” I said.
“Jesus Christ, Taco. Is she on birth control?” he asked.
“No.” I laughed. “Why would she be?” As I tend to be delusional but not totally stupid, I began to think.
“Oh shit. Are you using condoms?” he asked.
“No. We’re not serious about it, okay? We’re just having fun.”
This was a YA story about a boy who gets his girlfriend pregnant.
Taco was a bit of an odd character, he was just happy all the time, and totally clueless too. I thought it really bad that he didn’t even consider contraception when he started having sex with his girlfriend, and thought that they wouldn’t get pregnant because they were ‘doing it recreationally’.
The storyline in this was about Taco’s girlfriend Maggie getting pregnant, and how wonderful he thought this was. He had no idea how much babies cost, or how he was going to continue going to school with a child to support or anything, and literally saw everything through rose-tinted glasses. He tried to get a job, and talked about Maggie moving in with him to raise the baby, but considering that his brother had had to quit school to provide for him, his ideas were really short-sighted.
The ending to this was quite realistic thankfully!
6 out of 10
July 18, 2016
I enjoyed this book. I initially agreed with some other reviewers who say that Taco was too naive to be believable but once I accepted him and his personality it didn't bother me. However, if you've ever read any Junie B. Jones stories, this guy is the male high school equivalent of Junie B. I love Junie B. so I tended to like Taco. Also at the end of the book you really understood why he was the way he was.
The book was told through the eyes of Taco so you didn't know Maggie really well but she did seem truthfully written as a 16 year old girl who winds up pregnant. Taco grew and learned over the course of the book and that is one of the main requisites of a successful literary character. Taco tries so hard and loves so much, he broke my heart.
The book was told through the eyes of Taco so you didn't know Maggie really well but she did seem truthfully written as a 16 year old girl who winds up pregnant. Taco grew and learned over the course of the book and that is one of the main requisites of a successful literary character. Taco tries so hard and loves so much, he broke my heart.
May 20, 2016
I’m going to put it right out there. I really disliked “Anything You Want.” Had it not been for the ending this would be a one star review.
Taco, our main character, is dealing with the loss of his mom, an absent dad, an alcoholic brother, and now an unexpected pregnancy with his girlfriend. Now, I actually read the author defending Taco as an incurable optimist. My dislike for Taco is not due to that, or the fact that he’s not the smartest item on the menu, but because the way he is written is absolutely annoying. There can’t be someone that clueless and still function in life. I was legitimately concerned he was unable to even consent to sex. He’s naive to the point that you wonder if he was raised away from society, including magazines and television. The slang he used grated on my last nerve.
I’m going to stop myself there. Suffice it to say, I can’t recommend “Anything You Want” to anyone.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Taco, our main character, is dealing with the loss of his mom, an absent dad, an alcoholic brother, and now an unexpected pregnancy with his girlfriend. Now, I actually read the author defending Taco as an incurable optimist. My dislike for Taco is not due to that, or the fact that he’s not the smartest item on the menu, but because the way he is written is absolutely annoying. There can’t be someone that clueless and still function in life. I was legitimately concerned he was unable to even consent to sex. He’s naive to the point that you wonder if he was raised away from society, including magazines and television. The slang he used grated on my last nerve.
I’m going to stop myself there. Suffice it to say, I can’t recommend “Anything You Want” to anyone.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 13, 2016
This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
Anything You Want is a strange little story where the narration reads like a stream of consciousness from Taco's point of view.
Taco is the kind of youth that seems too naive and simple-minded to function fully in the real world. My 14-year-old boy is much more mature and critical than Taco was! And the fast pace where Taco shared every single thought going through his mind at the time was exhausting! If I had been in a room with Taco, I think I would have asked him to shut up after a couple of minutes, that's how his word-debit (not to say word-womit) affected me! And don't even get me started on his girlfriend, Maggie! At the start of Anything You Want, they were freshmen, and then, juniors for the rest of the story. And they had had some kind of sex-ed, because Taco recalled some of it once it was way too late.
Anything You Want is not a romance, far from it! And while there are a lot of things that annoyed me, there were some important subjects that were touched as well. Like, safe sex, absent parents, death of a parent, alcoholism, responsibility, staying positive in the face of adversity, working hard at school, living with consequences of our choices and actions. Which is definitely a lot to cover in 320 pages of fast-paced thought process, right? And that is the main reason I didn't really enjoy the story very much. The narrative voice was grating, and I found Taco to be way too dis-connected from what was happening around him. At the same time, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him! His mom had died the year before, his dad moved away for work reasons, and Taco and his older brother Darius were left to fend for themselves in a new house.
Not much made a lot of sense in Anything You Want, at least not for the first 80% of the story. When Taco finally started looking at his life and how to move forward seriously, and with help from on of the fe responsible adults in is surroundings, I felt like the story did have some merit after all. And I think that maybe younger teens might enjoy Taco and his incessant babbling about 'doing it' and how he's a 'Maggie-junkie' and so on. However, to reach the target audience, the cover might have to be changed, because I don't know many teen boys who'd pick up a book with this one...
We stood in the hall at school, leaned up against her locker as a bunch of freshmen, a total wad of screaming monkeys, ran by on their way to gym.
So things were crap, and I began to lose the pep in my cucumber. I was seriously beginning to think my mom was wrong about everything, and maybe life really is terrible like Darius always says.
Anything You Want is a strange little story where the narration reads like a stream of consciousness from Taco's point of view.
Taco is the kind of youth that seems too naive and simple-minded to function fully in the real world. My 14-year-old boy is much more mature and critical than Taco was! And the fast pace where Taco shared every single thought going through his mind at the time was exhausting! If I had been in a room with Taco, I think I would have asked him to shut up after a couple of minutes, that's how his word-debit (not to say word-womit) affected me! And don't even get me started on his girlfriend, Maggie! At the start of Anything You Want, they were freshmen, and then, juniors for the rest of the story. And they had had some kind of sex-ed, because Taco recalled some of it once it was way too late.
Anything You Want is not a romance, far from it! And while there are a lot of things that annoyed me, there were some important subjects that were touched as well. Like, safe sex, absent parents, death of a parent, alcoholism, responsibility, staying positive in the face of adversity, working hard at school, living with consequences of our choices and actions. Which is definitely a lot to cover in 320 pages of fast-paced thought process, right? And that is the main reason I didn't really enjoy the story very much. The narrative voice was grating, and I found Taco to be way too dis-connected from what was happening around him. At the same time, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him! His mom had died the year before, his dad moved away for work reasons, and Taco and his older brother Darius were left to fend for themselves in a new house.
Not much made a lot of sense in Anything You Want, at least not for the first 80% of the story. When Taco finally started looking at his life and how to move forward seriously, and with help from on of the fe responsible adults in is surroundings, I felt like the story did have some merit after all. And I think that maybe younger teens might enjoy Taco and his incessant babbling about 'doing it' and how he's a 'Maggie-junkie' and so on. However, to reach the target audience, the cover might have to be changed, because I don't know many teen boys who'd pick up a book with this one...
We stood in the hall at school, leaned up against her locker as a bunch of freshmen, a total wad of screaming monkeys, ran by on their way to gym.
So things were crap, and I began to lose the pep in my cucumber. I was seriously beginning to think my mom was wrong about everything, and maybe life really is terrible like Darius always says.
May 4, 2016
2.5 Stars
To be honest, I think I am so not the target audience of this book.
I have a feeling that this would be much more liked by guys than by girls.
I am not a girly girl and in fact I love dude books quite often. I simply quite often used to think that's such a dude thing to say.
I mean Taco is your happy go lucky teen- who behaves as horny and stupid as many teens do. Half the time he was behaving like an utter child most of the time he was totally ignorate. I actually think alot of teens are a bit like - well they think they really grown up but actually are really not, and sadly plenty of them are totally irresponsible.
I don't particularly mind him, but I just couldn't relate.
I also couldn't relate to the humor half the time.
Which brings me to the marketing of this. I really think it is misleading.
Actually: Very misleading. I kinda expected something funny, cute & fluffy- it was not that.
I'm not sure what the cover has to do with the book?
I would love to know what guys think of this!
To be honest, I think I am so not the target audience of this book.
I have a feeling that this would be much more liked by guys than by girls.
I am not a girly girl and in fact I love dude books quite often. I simply quite often used to think that's such a dude thing to say.
I mean Taco is your happy go lucky teen- who behaves as horny and stupid as many teens do. Half the time he was behaving like an utter child most of the time he was totally ignorate. I actually think alot of teens are a bit like - well they think they really grown up but actually are really not, and sadly plenty of them are totally irresponsible.
I don't particularly mind him, but I just couldn't relate.
I also couldn't relate to the humor half the time.
Which brings me to the marketing of this. I really think it is misleading.
Actually: Very misleading. I kinda expected something funny, cute & fluffy- it was not that.
I'm not sure what the cover has to do with the book?
I would love to know what guys think of this!
May 10, 2016
What would happen if Napoleon Dynamite had a child?
Dingus, life just ain't fair for Taco. Ever since his mom died from cancer, his dad took off leaving him in the care of his older brother Darius, who is an alcoholic. But before you think that this is a sad story -- I must warn you -- Taco is an extremely positive person. He has problems with the law, works nights, volunteers on the weekend, goes to school and is dealing with a pregnancy (he had no idea she could get pregnant unless they did it with that intention at heart) Can all these responsibilities turn Taco from teen to adult before the baby comes?
My first impression was to criticize Taco, I mean, which 17 year-old doesn't know about sex ed these days? But then I found that many underprivileged or religious towns don't teach it. Taco doesn't act like he's computer savvy, his innocence and naivety shines through the pages, his family is absent -- it makes perfect sense that he didn't know.
All in all, I just wish the author hadn't thrown problem after problem on Taco. It would have allowed the story to breathe, and for his girlfriend's character to be more developed.
Dingus, life just ain't fair for Taco. Ever since his mom died from cancer, his dad took off leaving him in the care of his older brother Darius, who is an alcoholic. But before you think that this is a sad story -- I must warn you -- Taco is an extremely positive person. He has problems with the law, works nights, volunteers on the weekend, goes to school and is dealing with a pregnancy (he had no idea she could get pregnant unless they did it with that intention at heart) Can all these responsibilities turn Taco from teen to adult before the baby comes?
My first impression was to criticize Taco, I mean, which 17 year-old doesn't know about sex ed these days? But then I found that many underprivileged or religious towns don't teach it. Taco doesn't act like he's computer savvy, his innocence and naivety shines through the pages, his family is absent -- it makes perfect sense that he didn't know.
All in all, I just wish the author hadn't thrown problem after problem on Taco. It would have allowed the story to breathe, and for his girlfriend's character to be more developed.
January 26, 2016
Anything you want by Geoff Herbach. I read an advanced readers copy. The advanced readers copy was tilted Knocked. My English teacher went to the NCTE conference and bought a copy. This book was amazing and a life lesson. Some parts were dumb and childish. Maggie and Taco are a freshmen couple. They are faced with a decision to raise a child or not.
I really liked that the author said that they were only freshmen so humans can learn a lesson. Also that it is interesting. The things I didn't like was that majority of the book was about their decision on the baby. The childish thing was that Taco knew that Maggie was pregnant before she figured it out. Teens should read this book.
I really liked that the author said that they were only freshmen so humans can learn a lesson. Also that it is interesting. The things I didn't like was that majority of the book was about their decision on the baby. The childish thing was that Taco knew that Maggie was pregnant before she figured it out. Teens should read this book.
August 25, 2017
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
I received an e-ARC of this book from Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Critically
Plot – 3.5 out of 5 stars
I found the plot of this book to be really quick to read but it kind of turned me off in the beginning. It’s filled with drama and craziness and a lot of different deep themes. There’s teen pregnancy, abandonment, death, alcoholism, mental health and how people deal with grief. It’s very day to day driven but it packs a punch where it matters most.
Writing Style – 3 out of 5 stars
It’s a narrative driven kind of writing style. The writing style is reflected as the main character’s voice, his thoughts and feelings expressed directly to the reader as in a form of a diary. It threw me off a bit too because of the way the characters thinks. He’s very young and immature and naive. However, it’s very simple, fast paced and quick to read so it was easy to finish.
Characters – 3.5 out of 5 stars
If you don’t know already, my favorite kinds of books are the ones that are character driven, they are the ones that usually end up making my favorites list. While I didn’t exactly like the main character in the beginning, Taco began to grow on me. He’s really naive and delusional in many ways, he has a distorted view of the world and not many people seem to notice that. But he’s also very sweet and resilient and strong and has such a positive outlook on life that most people can’t help but be enamored by him, just like me. It took me awhile to connect with him because he annoyed me so much so quickly but he has the kind of charisma that you can’t help but be captured by. However, my biggest problem was with the side characters. Some of them I felt were strange and had no real point of being part of the plot while others got on my last nerve and made me hate them to the depths of my being. Yet there’s a constant theme of damage and vulnerability and “not quite right” kind of personalities that still made them all interesting to read about.
Emotionally
I received an e-ARC of this book from Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Critically
Plot – 3.5 out of 5 stars
I found the plot of this book to be really quick to read but it kind of turned me off in the beginning. It’s filled with drama and craziness and a lot of different deep themes. There’s teen pregnancy, abandonment, death, alcoholism, mental health and how people deal with grief. It’s very day to day driven but it packs a punch where it matters most.
Writing Style – 3 out of 5 stars
It’s a narrative driven kind of writing style. The writing style is reflected as the main character’s voice, his thoughts and feelings expressed directly to the reader as in a form of a diary. It threw me off a bit too because of the way the characters thinks. He’s very young and immature and naive. However, it’s very simple, fast paced and quick to read so it was easy to finish.
Characters – 3.5 out of 5 stars
If you don’t know already, my favorite kinds of books are the ones that are character driven, they are the ones that usually end up making my favorites list. While I didn’t exactly like the main character in the beginning, Taco began to grow on me. He’s really naive and delusional in many ways, he has a distorted view of the world and not many people seem to notice that. But he’s also very sweet and resilient and strong and has such a positive outlook on life that most people can’t help but be enamored by him, just like me. It took me awhile to connect with him because he annoyed me so much so quickly but he has the kind of charisma that you can’t help but be captured by. However, my biggest problem was with the side characters. Some of them I felt were strange and had no real point of being part of the plot while others got on my last nerve and made me hate them to the depths of my being. Yet there’s a constant theme of damage and vulnerability and “not quite right” kind of personalities that still made them all interesting to read about.
Emotionally
July 30, 2017
Seriously, this is the hardest review I had ever made. And I really don’t know where to start. So this book review might just be so random and just turn our to be a rant.
The story is told on Taco’s point of view. So Taco, our main character - who loves to say “dingus” almost all the time - is head over heels with Maggie Corrigan. Taco, invited Maggie to be his date on their upcoming prom and Maggie said yes and that’s where it all started. Maggie and Taco became officially together.
The story is about teenage pregnancy. And how two completely different mad, broken and lost teenagers got up from this situation.
At the very first page of the story – where Taco asked Maggie to be his prom date – our main character already completely and totally annoyed the hell out of me. The language this book has is just so irritating.
The immaturity of our main character here is so on the effing highest level. The annoyance it gives is soaring high.
I almost hated this book. I almost DNFed it. But fortunately after a very very long wait, I saw a reason why not to. I saw a slight potential, not on the book but on Taco. In ANYTHING YOU WANT, I saw an immature teenage boy - who accidentally got his impulsive girlfriend pregnant - grow up. I saw how Taco worked very very very hard every day just to have enough money not just for him and his brother Darius but also for Maggie and their baby. I saw him eagerly want to build his own happy family. I saw him fell a couple of times and got up courageously. I saw him appreciate things. I saw him learn how to reject and accept things that we cannot change in life. And I saw the overly-positive William “Taco” Keller broke down, cry, and surrender. I saw how grown up he became. And that’s what I like in this book. It showed me how great life is, that everything will always get better.. someday.
The whole story is not totally a trash because if it did, of course I wouldn’t even bother to write a review of it instead. It is my first time to read a book that talks about teenage pregnancy so I felt like I must finish it, and so I did. And I felt a kind of relieved and happy at the decision that I made. At least, it already made sense at the end. The ending was not really bad and honestly, I can’t feel any dislike about how the book has ended. To be honest, how the story has ended was so shocking. You wouldn’t really expect it.
Even though this book is written in the most possible annoying way I had ever seen, it still has something to show us in the end. And I honestly never thought that this book will make my heart ache at some point. I really adore people that as strong as Tacco. The book thought me how accurate this line “there is always a rainbow after the rain” is. Never lose hope. With the help of good people who loves you, everything will get better.
I am so proud that I fought the urge of DNF-ing this book. I’m happy that I finished it despite of so many reviews that discouraged me. And I am really glad that William “Taco” Keller made a good and right decision too.
The story is told on Taco’s point of view. So Taco, our main character - who loves to say “dingus” almost all the time - is head over heels with Maggie Corrigan. Taco, invited Maggie to be his date on their upcoming prom and Maggie said yes and that’s where it all started. Maggie and Taco became officially together.
The story is about teenage pregnancy. And how two completely different mad, broken and lost teenagers got up from this situation.
At the very first page of the story – where Taco asked Maggie to be his prom date – our main character already completely and totally annoyed the hell out of me. The language this book has is just so irritating.
The immaturity of our main character here is so on the effing highest level. The annoyance it gives is soaring high.
I almost hated this book. I almost DNFed it. But fortunately after a very very long wait, I saw a reason why not to. I saw a slight potential, not on the book but on Taco. In ANYTHING YOU WANT, I saw an immature teenage boy - who accidentally got his impulsive girlfriend pregnant - grow up. I saw how Taco worked very very very hard every day just to have enough money not just for him and his brother Darius but also for Maggie and their baby. I saw him eagerly want to build his own happy family. I saw him fell a couple of times and got up courageously. I saw him appreciate things. I saw him learn how to reject and accept things that we cannot change in life. And I saw the overly-positive William “Taco” Keller broke down, cry, and surrender. I saw how grown up he became. And that’s what I like in this book. It showed me how great life is, that everything will always get better.. someday.
“ In the end, maybe that is what a best day looks like? Making hard decisions so that the people you love are okay? ”
The whole story is not totally a trash because if it did, of course I wouldn’t even bother to write a review of it instead. It is my first time to read a book that talks about teenage pregnancy so I felt like I must finish it, and so I did. And I felt a kind of relieved and happy at the decision that I made. At least, it already made sense at the end. The ending was not really bad and honestly, I can’t feel any dislike about how the book has ended. To be honest, how the story has ended was so shocking. You wouldn’t really expect it.
Even though this book is written in the most possible annoying way I had ever seen, it still has something to show us in the end. And I honestly never thought that this book will make my heart ache at some point. I really adore people that as strong as Tacco. The book thought me how accurate this line “there is always a rainbow after the rain” is. Never lose hope. With the help of good people who loves you, everything will get better.
I am so proud that I fought the urge of DNF-ing this book. I’m happy that I finished it despite of so many reviews that discouraged me. And I am really glad that William “Taco” Keller made a good and right decision too.
June 20, 2016
Five stars*
Here's the thing. This is Geoff Herbach. I've only read one of Geoff's other YA book so far, but that was enough for me to know that Geoff has a distinct voice. He writes like a teenage guy who may not be the most intelligent thing in the world but has a humacious heart (and a whole lot of things going on that he has no control over). If you don't like Geoff's voice, you probably won't like AYW. (Check out his other books. Read a first chapter online. See if his thing is your sort of thing, too, before assuming he's not going to sound like a guy.)
Personally, I LOVE Geoff's voice. I love how real his books are. I love how you think the narrator is just telling you all of this random stuff (and sometimes you're like, "Okay, TMI...") but the storyline slowly unravels and you begin to understand WHY the characters are doing the dumb stuff they are. I love how even if you think some of them are crazy, or you don't trust them, you suddenly find yourself starting to ROOT for them because they're not just two-dimensional, obnoxious characters, they're REAL. They're the kind of characters you'd want to get to know in real life because they'd bring a smile to your face. They're your friend's brother. Your neighbor across the street. That kid your daughter hangs out with once in a while who seems sweet (but secretly, you feel sorry for them and wish you could just give 'em a big 'ol hug).
Anything You Want is a book about a guy who has lost a lot and has to keep on keeping on, regardless; then does something dumb and has to figure out how to solve a problem that is quite unsolvable. He has had no choice but to grow up, and grow up he does. BUT. His mother has died, his dad is a jerk, his brother's out of control, he's still in high school--and he ACTS LIKE A TEENAGE BOY. (Not some perfect AP student, let's not get all hipster/perfect student/stereotypical here--Taco is just a kid trying to get by the best he knows how with what he's got.) How many teen pregnancies are there? (A lot.) How many times did one or both sexes end up assuming it somehow just wouldn't happen to them? (A lot.) This is not new. This is not surprising. This is, a lot of times, life.
Is Taco naive? YES. Is he probably a little too into Maggie and her sensuous ways? YES. But the kid is young and doing what he can figure out what to do. He's not mature. (He wants to be, of course.) He's flailing around trying to make something of everything and he's doing a dang good job of it, if you ask me. It's his personality; it's the way Geoff wrote him.
And I love him for it. This book isn't just a random character who is a bit naive and ends up a dad way before he planned to. It's a book about love, and growing up, and learning to let go of the things holding you back and being willing to say, "Yeah, this seems like a shitty decision at the moment, and boy have I made a lot of those, but in the big, grand scheme of things, this is the mature way to go." It's about being considerate of others. It's about family.
Like I said, I love Geoff's voice. I love who Taco refers to throughout the entire book. I will read anything Herbach because he is honest and writes real people and brings a whole different voice to the YA table. He writes what people think all the time, and are often too afraid to voice. And honestly, in the world of YA, I think it's pertinent that characters like his come alive. There's a target of readers not often hit (nor necessarily huge in their overall demographic) who would likely read much more often if they were exposed to Geoff's handiwork. YAY for Anything You Want.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Here's the thing. This is Geoff Herbach. I've only read one of Geoff's other YA book so far, but that was enough for me to know that Geoff has a distinct voice. He writes like a teenage guy who may not be the most intelligent thing in the world but has a humacious heart (and a whole lot of things going on that he has no control over). If you don't like Geoff's voice, you probably won't like AYW. (Check out his other books. Read a first chapter online. See if his thing is your sort of thing, too, before assuming he's not going to sound like a guy.)
Personally, I LOVE Geoff's voice. I love how real his books are. I love how you think the narrator is just telling you all of this random stuff (and sometimes you're like, "Okay, TMI...") but the storyline slowly unravels and you begin to understand WHY the characters are doing the dumb stuff they are. I love how even if you think some of them are crazy, or you don't trust them, you suddenly find yourself starting to ROOT for them because they're not just two-dimensional, obnoxious characters, they're REAL. They're the kind of characters you'd want to get to know in real life because they'd bring a smile to your face. They're your friend's brother. Your neighbor across the street. That kid your daughter hangs out with once in a while who seems sweet (but secretly, you feel sorry for them and wish you could just give 'em a big 'ol hug).
Anything You Want is a book about a guy who has lost a lot and has to keep on keeping on, regardless; then does something dumb and has to figure out how to solve a problem that is quite unsolvable. He has had no choice but to grow up, and grow up he does. BUT. His mother has died, his dad is a jerk, his brother's out of control, he's still in high school--and he ACTS LIKE A TEENAGE BOY. (Not some perfect AP student, let's not get all hipster/perfect student/stereotypical here--Taco is just a kid trying to get by the best he knows how with what he's got.) How many teen pregnancies are there? (A lot.) How many times did one or both sexes end up assuming it somehow just wouldn't happen to them? (A lot.) This is not new. This is not surprising. This is, a lot of times, life.
Is Taco naive? YES. Is he probably a little too into Maggie and her sensuous ways? YES. But the kid is young and doing what he can figure out what to do. He's not mature. (He wants to be, of course.) He's flailing around trying to make something of everything and he's doing a dang good job of it, if you ask me. It's his personality; it's the way Geoff wrote him.
And I love him for it. This book isn't just a random character who is a bit naive and ends up a dad way before he planned to. It's a book about love, and growing up, and learning to let go of the things holding you back and being willing to say, "Yeah, this seems like a shitty decision at the moment, and boy have I made a lot of those, but in the big, grand scheme of things, this is the mature way to go." It's about being considerate of others. It's about family.
Like I said, I love Geoff's voice. I love who Taco refers to throughout the entire book. I will read anything Herbach because he is honest and writes real people and brings a whole different voice to the YA table. He writes what people think all the time, and are often too afraid to voice. And honestly, in the world of YA, I think it's pertinent that characters like his come alive. There's a target of readers not often hit (nor necessarily huge in their overall demographic) who would likely read much more often if they were exposed to Geoff's handiwork. YAY for Anything You Want.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
April 3, 2022
Actual Rating: 2.5/5
Anything You Want was not what I expected at all. It's a strange book and I did come close to DNF'ing it, but I'm so glad I didn't. It's a very quick, fun read centred around Taco, a boy who finds out his girlfriend is pregnant and also seems to have no luck at all.
For a good portion of Anything You Want, I just did not get Taco at all. I can't make up my mind whether he is naive, overly optimistic or (excuse my language) just plain fucking stupid! Therefore, I've kind of decided he's all three. He just cannot get his priorities straight whatsoever and this really annoyed me. He does not act his age at all and is actually immensely immature. However, he has been through a lot in the past few years and this has in a way enabled him to get away with so much. But, by the end of the book, he is almost, but not quite, a completely different person. The character development is amazing. He matures so much and really gets his head straight. And I sort of liked him by the end.
I really felt sorry for Taco's brother, Darius. He's been left to look after Taco yet he still has his own problems himself and can't handle everything. Their dad really is awful for leaving them in such a situation that is in effect poverty. I'm glad the story ended the way it did for both boys and they get the support they deserve.
Maggie, Taco's girlfriend, is another character who I just couldn't comprehend. She is just so unpredictable that you never know what she will say or do next. And she is just so immature. Taco and Maggie together are just a recipe for disaster.
Anything You Want is told from Taco's perspective. It's as unpredictable as it could get with Taco's impulsive decisions and the narrative occasionally veering off on a tangent. However, the ending is probably perfect and, although it is bittersweet, I don't think it could have gone any better for Taco. he actually begins to show some logic by the end so perhaps he isn't as stupid as he makes out. Not all plot points are tied up, but it still finishes neatly with the hope that Taco is on the up.
Far from being my favourite book, Anything You Want is an interesting and unique read. I think I'd recommend it to younger teens though as they might appreciate the humorous side of the story more. I'm not sure if I will read more by Geoff Herbach, but never say never.
I received a copy of Anything You Want via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This review and many more can be found at My Expanding Bookshelf.
Anything You Want was not what I expected at all. It's a strange book and I did come close to DNF'ing it, but I'm so glad I didn't. It's a very quick, fun read centred around Taco, a boy who finds out his girlfriend is pregnant and also seems to have no luck at all.
For a good portion of Anything You Want, I just did not get Taco at all. I can't make up my mind whether he is naive, overly optimistic or (excuse my language) just plain fucking stupid! Therefore, I've kind of decided he's all three. He just cannot get his priorities straight whatsoever and this really annoyed me. He does not act his age at all and is actually immensely immature. However, he has been through a lot in the past few years and this has in a way enabled him to get away with so much. But, by the end of the book, he is almost, but not quite, a completely different person. The character development is amazing. He matures so much and really gets his head straight. And I sort of liked him by the end.
I really felt sorry for Taco's brother, Darius. He's been left to look after Taco yet he still has his own problems himself and can't handle everything. Their dad really is awful for leaving them in such a situation that is in effect poverty. I'm glad the story ended the way it did for both boys and they get the support they deserve.
Maggie, Taco's girlfriend, is another character who I just couldn't comprehend. She is just so unpredictable that you never know what she will say or do next. And she is just so immature. Taco and Maggie together are just a recipe for disaster.
Anything You Want is told from Taco's perspective. It's as unpredictable as it could get with Taco's impulsive decisions and the narrative occasionally veering off on a tangent. However, the ending is probably perfect and, although it is bittersweet, I don't think it could have gone any better for Taco. he actually begins to show some logic by the end so perhaps he isn't as stupid as he makes out. Not all plot points are tied up, but it still finishes neatly with the hope that Taco is on the up.
Far from being my favourite book, Anything You Want is an interesting and unique read. I think I'd recommend it to younger teens though as they might appreciate the humorous side of the story more. I'm not sure if I will read more by Geoff Herbach, but never say never.
I received a copy of Anything You Want via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This review and many more can be found at My Expanding Bookshelf.
January 29, 2016
Oh Taco, Taco! How I ached for you! Your unrelenting optimism made me wince and want to adopt you!
May 8, 2016
View this review and more others on Let's Say It's a Blog.
*Digital ARC was received from publisher through Netgalley*
Rating: 3.5/5
I had such a long complicated journey with this book during the past two weeks.
The blurb promises a story of how a barely-17 years old boy working on to be a bright student, promising drama actor, and… perfect dad, all at once. It does sound totally unlikely. Except this is Taco Keller we’re talking about. Taco―as he earned the nickname ever since forever―might be the most positive human living ever existed in the entire galaxy. And it is supposed to be a very good thing if Taco isn’t also kind of dumb at times because when those two things collided, it creates something called delusional. I don’t know how to best describe what I felt about Taco because I swear during the first half of the book I wanted so much to kick his character out of the book (when clearly he’s the main character…). I just couldn’t connect with his way of thinking. It’s not helping that the author made Taco the only narrator in the story and decided it’s okay for him to sound very immature and irrational most of the time…
Taco had this belief that partly responsible of his overly-positive attitude. His mom once said before she died, “Today is the best day of your life. So is tomorrow and the next day and the next day and the next. No matter what happens, every day you have is the best day of your life.” Unlike his brother or even his father, Taco believed in this saying very much. Even when his home life was a mess, with a father (running) away to work in the Mine leaving him with only his brother whose drinking problem was as hopeless as his job to support their little family of two, Taco still believed in the good in everything. Then he fell in love with this girl named Maggie and I had to bear a few pages of Taco telling me that they kept―and I quote― ‘celebrating love’ until we reached the obvious outcome of all that: unexpected teen pregnancy. With a baby on its way, Taco officially added quite a few messed-up things on the list of his family messed-up life because instead of running away from the responsibility, he embraced his upcoming title of becoming a dad. I felt like reading a big joke of a character with a weird nickname and even weirder mind when Taco with all the train-wreck around him still believed in trying his best of doing impossible things with positive attitude because what? Every day is the best day of your life, no matter how ugly things already were. Kill me.
I blamed the absence of responsible adult was the main cause of Taco character became somehow ‘uncontrollable’. Because as much as I disliked him, Taco was the most genuine character I ever knew. I suspected that Taco had been raised by his mother’s overflowed love. Seeing how her first son grew into an angry boy, she tried to shower Taco with so much love so he could grow into a loving boy. He did though, but before Taco got a chance to step into a real world with real problems his mother had died first. Taco had his lesson on how to act positive anytime but no one left to teach him how to act rational at times.
The things were just getting messier each page and I almost gave up finishing the book. But then again, I’m all against DNFing books. Nothing personal, but I think it seems unfair to stop reading certain books because of some (or most) part pissed you off causing you to judge the whole story negatively without bothering to finish it to prove it yourself.
I literally cheered inside when I read the line above. I was like, ‘God, finally this boy has a connection working on his brain cell’. But it’s not until a character named Nussbaum came out that thing starts looking up.
I started to enjoy Geoff’s humor through Taco. Maybe it’s partly because I finally got it why Taco adopted such unbearably uncommon character like that.
I laughed a lot at that silly yet serious statement of Taco!
I also kind of loved it when Taco worked real hard on his impossible dreams. I even ached witnessing how selfless he was.
Yes, Taco was dumb, so dumb even but all he knows is how to do the right thing. Even if it was irrational thing to do. Even if it hurt him.
I started to feel real bad for Taco. I was so mad at his sorry father and his drunken brother and literally everyone who only knows how to tell him to stop his gut rather than explaining why he should stop in the first place.
I liked how Geoff wrapped the story up. I liked that in the end it was Taco himself who came to the final decision on how to fix all his messes. I really didn’t expect for this book to make me cry, yet it did. I was teary-eyed and my heart felt like it was broken into pieces reading the letters Taco wrote to Maggie and their kid. His sincere was crystal clear there; you just want to cry no matter how much you said you hate Taco before.
Anything You Want and me clearly had a rough start but we eventually became buddies in the end. I practically had to put my Kindle down several times during the first half of the book because I barely tolerated Taco’s behavior. I’m glad I didn’t give up halfway or else, I might not be able to write down this review.
Just so you know, this barely is a romance piece. More like a story of how a clueless young boy tries to figure out his life –which is a total bundle of mess- when there’s no one to turn to yet there’s people who depends on you. Hopefully there’s more people who’s on board with me to finish this book till the end because trust me, when you’re patient enough you’ll find out what a gem this book actually is.
*Digital ARC was received from publisher through Netgalley*
Rating: 3.5/5
I had such a long complicated journey with this book during the past two weeks.
The blurb promises a story of how a barely-17 years old boy working on to be a bright student, promising drama actor, and… perfect dad, all at once. It does sound totally unlikely. Except this is Taco Keller we’re talking about. Taco―as he earned the nickname ever since forever―might be the most positive human living ever existed in the entire galaxy. And it is supposed to be a very good thing if Taco isn’t also kind of dumb at times because when those two things collided, it creates something called delusional. I don’t know how to best describe what I felt about Taco because I swear during the first half of the book I wanted so much to kick his character out of the book (when clearly he’s the main character…). I just couldn’t connect with his way of thinking. It’s not helping that the author made Taco the only narrator in the story and decided it’s okay for him to sound very immature and irrational most of the time…
Taco had this belief that partly responsible of his overly-positive attitude. His mom once said before she died, “Today is the best day of your life. So is tomorrow and the next day and the next day and the next. No matter what happens, every day you have is the best day of your life.” Unlike his brother or even his father, Taco believed in this saying very much. Even when his home life was a mess, with a father (running) away to work in the Mine leaving him with only his brother whose drinking problem was as hopeless as his job to support their little family of two, Taco still believed in the good in everything. Then he fell in love with this girl named Maggie and I had to bear a few pages of Taco telling me that they kept―and I quote― ‘celebrating love’ until we reached the obvious outcome of all that: unexpected teen pregnancy. With a baby on its way, Taco officially added quite a few messed-up things on the list of his family messed-up life because instead of running away from the responsibility, he embraced his upcoming title of becoming a dad. I felt like reading a big joke of a character with a weird nickname and even weirder mind when Taco with all the train-wreck around him still believed in trying his best of doing impossible things with positive attitude because what? Every day is the best day of your life, no matter how ugly things already were. Kill me.
I blamed the absence of responsible adult was the main cause of Taco character became somehow ‘uncontrollable’. Because as much as I disliked him, Taco was the most genuine character I ever knew. I suspected that Taco had been raised by his mother’s overflowed love. Seeing how her first son grew into an angry boy, she tried to shower Taco with so much love so he could grow into a loving boy. He did though, but before Taco got a chance to step into a real world with real problems his mother had died first. Taco had his lesson on how to act positive anytime but no one left to teach him how to act rational at times.
The things were just getting messier each page and I almost gave up finishing the book. But then again, I’m all against DNFing books. Nothing personal, but I think it seems unfair to stop reading certain books because of some (or most) part pissed you off causing you to judge the whole story negatively without bothering to finish it to prove it yourself.
‘In retrospect, I believe I was overthinking. This overthinking caused larger crisis.’ ―chapter XI
I literally cheered inside when I read the line above. I was like, ‘God, finally this boy has a connection working on his brain cell’. But it’s not until a character named Nussbaum came out that thing starts looking up.
I started to enjoy Geoff’s humor through Taco. Maybe it’s partly because I finally got it why Taco adopted such unbearably uncommon character like that.
‘Never let anyone tell you your butt is not important. Your butt is very, very important to general motility’ ―chapter XVII
I laughed a lot at that silly yet serious statement of Taco!
I also kind of loved it when Taco worked real hard on his impossible dreams. I even ached witnessing how selfless he was.
“So you want to get a job and work here and go to school and be a musical munchkin and be a dad?”
“Yes,” I said. ―chapter XXII
Yes, Taco was dumb, so dumb even but all he knows is how to do the right thing. Even if it was irrational thing to do. Even if it hurt him.
‘How can your muscles feel sad? They can. That’s why I laid so still after Mom died. Because even though I couldn’t cry, my muscles were so sad, they didn’t want to move. Liquid sadness had pooled in them.’ ―chapter XXVII
I started to feel real bad for Taco. I was so mad at his sorry father and his drunken brother and literally everyone who only knows how to tell him to stop his gut rather than explaining why he should stop in the first place.
“I know I can be a dumb kid. But I’m growing up,” I said. ―chapter XXXII
I liked how Geoff wrapped the story up. I liked that in the end it was Taco himself who came to the final decision on how to fix all his messes. I really didn’t expect for this book to make me cry, yet it did. I was teary-eyed and my heart felt like it was broken into pieces reading the letters Taco wrote to Maggie and their kid. His sincere was crystal clear there; you just want to cry no matter how much you said you hate Taco before.
Anything You Want and me clearly had a rough start but we eventually became buddies in the end. I practically had to put my Kindle down several times during the first half of the book because I barely tolerated Taco’s behavior. I’m glad I didn’t give up halfway or else, I might not be able to write down this review.
Just so you know, this barely is a romance piece. More like a story of how a clueless young boy tries to figure out his life –which is a total bundle of mess- when there’s no one to turn to yet there’s people who depends on you. Hopefully there’s more people who’s on board with me to finish this book till the end because trust me, when you’re patient enough you’ll find out what a gem this book actually is.
‘In the end, maybe that is what a best day looks like? Making hard decisions so that the people you love are okay?’ ―chapter XXXI
April 20, 2016
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Did you ever read one of those books that just made you MAD while reading it? I'm not even talking a little mad here, I am talking full on furious for 85% of the book. Yeah, I was furious with Taco for most of the book, I swear I yelled at him a million times and then somehow I became slightly less angry with him. It was a roller coaster for sure.
Let's talk about the things in this book that had me ranting:
Taco's dad
OMG, seriously Taco's dad was the WORST. Taco's mom had died of cancer, so his 21 year old brother was "taking care" of him (please note I use that phrase very loosely). The dad had taken a job out of town and MOVED AWAY. Yeah, the dad basically moved out and let his sons just fend for themselves. He didn't even send that much money to help. Taco's brother, Darius, was an alcoholic with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Their mom had made Darius promise to take care of Taco so he dropped out of school and got a job. He did his best, but man his alcoholism was BAD. The dad dropped in occasionally, for holidays and when his sons were in trouble. Great guy. Then when Maggie got pregnant, he was furious with Taco because he had told him not to have girls in the house. Seriously?? HE WASN'T THERE!!! He disappears and then gets pissed off when his sixteen year old son had sex in the home. What did he think would happen?? At one point, he says that he is tired of cleaning up Taco and Darius's messes. REALLY?? Given all that, I can kind of understand Taco's desperate need for a family.
Taco's stupidity
Ahhhh, I HATED him for 85% of the book! I swear, the author tried to convey that he was an eternal optimist (because of what his mom said before she died), but he just came off as a clueless idiot who made AWFUL decisions. He climbed the trellis outside Maggie's house to see her ALL THE TIME. When his dad threatened him and told him never to do it again, did he listen? Nope. When they put an alarm on the trellis that scared him so badly he fell and broke his tailbone, did THAT stop him? Nope. HE FREAKING DID IT AGAIN!
And I get that teenagers can be stupid and clueless about sex, but holy crap, I couldn't take the stupidity. First, he has sex with his girlfriend all the time and no one even thinks about birth control. Then, when Maggie starts getting achy boobs and is moody, he assumes she is possessed by a ghost. Then, he starts trying to calculate her due date (without knowing anything about her cycle) and concludes she must have gotten pregnant before they had sex, so this must be a miracle baby. THEN, he asked her if it was legal to have sex with a pregnant girl. AHHHH, the stupidity DID NOT STOP.
Here's another thing: when she gets pregnant, Taco is an idiot and wants a family, which means he is happy about the baby. Like I said, I can kind of understand why he wanted a baby so badly, but his execution left something to be desired. He makes a plan to get a job, then promptly forgets about said plan and decides to join the school musical instead, which means committing himself to months of rehearsal time. Yeah, that makes sense.
Taco's eternal optimism
I swear there was something wrong with him. I get being an optimist, but he took it to extreme. Brother gets arrested for DUI and sentenced to prison? No problem. Dad makes him feel like crap? He's just having a bad day? Girlfriend is pregnant? I'll be an amazing father. I just wanted to slap him a little. He is the most delusional character that I have seen in a long time. It also drove me crazy that he never even asked Maggie what SHE wanted to do. He said they could get married and have the baby and when she said she wanted to go to college and do dance, he said, "Great. Good for you." Yeah, because you can totally do college and dance and raise a baby.
So what did I like?
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT! By the end of the book, Taco grew up and became more realistic about everything. I won't spoil the ending, but I thought everything with the baby wrapped up in a realistic way.
Would I recommend this one? NO! Even though the ending satisfied me and I may have teared up a bit, there was just too much stupidity.
Did you ever read one of those books that just made you MAD while reading it? I'm not even talking a little mad here, I am talking full on furious for 85% of the book. Yeah, I was furious with Taco for most of the book, I swear I yelled at him a million times and then somehow I became slightly less angry with him. It was a roller coaster for sure.
Let's talk about the things in this book that had me ranting:
Taco's dad
OMG, seriously Taco's dad was the WORST. Taco's mom had died of cancer, so his 21 year old brother was "taking care" of him (please note I use that phrase very loosely). The dad had taken a job out of town and MOVED AWAY. Yeah, the dad basically moved out and let his sons just fend for themselves. He didn't even send that much money to help. Taco's brother, Darius, was an alcoholic with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Their mom had made Darius promise to take care of Taco so he dropped out of school and got a job. He did his best, but man his alcoholism was BAD. The dad dropped in occasionally, for holidays and when his sons were in trouble. Great guy. Then when Maggie got pregnant, he was furious with Taco because he had told him not to have girls in the house. Seriously?? HE WASN'T THERE!!! He disappears and then gets pissed off when his sixteen year old son had sex in the home. What did he think would happen?? At one point, he says that he is tired of cleaning up Taco and Darius's messes. REALLY?? Given all that, I can kind of understand Taco's desperate need for a family.
Taco's stupidity
Ahhhh, I HATED him for 85% of the book! I swear, the author tried to convey that he was an eternal optimist (because of what his mom said before she died), but he just came off as a clueless idiot who made AWFUL decisions. He climbed the trellis outside Maggie's house to see her ALL THE TIME. When his dad threatened him and told him never to do it again, did he listen? Nope. When they put an alarm on the trellis that scared him so badly he fell and broke his tailbone, did THAT stop him? Nope. HE FREAKING DID IT AGAIN!
And I get that teenagers can be stupid and clueless about sex, but holy crap, I couldn't take the stupidity. First, he has sex with his girlfriend all the time and no one even thinks about birth control. Then, when Maggie starts getting achy boobs and is moody, he assumes she is possessed by a ghost. Then, he starts trying to calculate her due date (without knowing anything about her cycle) and concludes she must have gotten pregnant before they had sex, so this must be a miracle baby. THEN, he asked her if it was legal to have sex with a pregnant girl. AHHHH, the stupidity DID NOT STOP.
Here's another thing: when she gets pregnant, Taco is an idiot and wants a family, which means he is happy about the baby. Like I said, I can kind of understand why he wanted a baby so badly, but his execution left something to be desired. He makes a plan to get a job, then promptly forgets about said plan and decides to join the school musical instead, which means committing himself to months of rehearsal time. Yeah, that makes sense.
Taco's eternal optimism
I swear there was something wrong with him. I get being an optimist, but he took it to extreme. Brother gets arrested for DUI and sentenced to prison? No problem. Dad makes him feel like crap? He's just having a bad day? Girlfriend is pregnant? I'll be an amazing father. I just wanted to slap him a little. He is the most delusional character that I have seen in a long time. It also drove me crazy that he never even asked Maggie what SHE wanted to do. He said they could get married and have the baby and when she said she wanted to go to college and do dance, he said, "Great. Good for you." Yeah, because you can totally do college and dance and raise a baby.
So what did I like?
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT! By the end of the book, Taco grew up and became more realistic about everything. I won't spoil the ending, but I thought everything with the baby wrapped up in a realistic way.
Would I recommend this one? NO! Even though the ending satisfied me and I may have teared up a bit, there was just too much stupidity.
May 24, 2016
Original review: The Daydreaming Bookworm
*I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
*2.5 stars!*
William “Taco” Keller is an easy going fella who is head over heels in love with Maggie Corrigan. They are inseparable, even though Maggie’s parents disapprove of their relationship. But things get crazy when Taco learns that Maggie is pregnant. Now Taco has to figure out a way to provide for his new family while keeping up with school and staying out of trouble. Sometimes adulthood happens faster than you think.
I wasn’t too sure what to expect when I started Anything You Want, but I was really excited that this YA was told from a male’s POV since it’s my favorite to read from. Right from the first page, I was laughing out loud because Taco was getting himself into all sorts of trouble. But unfortunately, I wasn’t laughing for too long. I had a number of issues with this book and it felt like I was pulling teeth in order to finish it.
This book deals with a number of themes like, loss of a parent, parental abandonment, alcoholism, and unplanned pregnancies. With such a number of heavy topics being tackled, I wasn’t expecting this book to be so comical and I think that was a bit of a turnoff for me. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that Taco and Maggie didn’t think, NOT ONCE, to use contraceptives…I mean…
The comical tone coupled with the dramatic scenarios were OVERKILL for me. It didn’t help that Taco was such an EXTREMELY OPTIMISTIC character. This may be a personal problem, but I have an aversion to optimistic people. Reading from Taco’s POV was not easy because his “everything will work out fine” way of thinking annoyed the hell out of me. I really wanted to know how he managed to keep his cool when all hell was breaking lose around him!
The secondary characters were unbelievably selfish and some of their actions made me want to rage. Taco’s dad is a Grade A douche and Taco’s brother is no better. They are both too blinded by their own selfish needs that they don’t see the trouble Taco is getting into until it’s too late. Seriously, this shit could’ve been avoided if someone took the time to give Taco the talk about the birds and the bees. I also didn’t like Maggie. She was speaking one thing, but her actions were saying another and I just could not deal with her indecisiveness.
I didn’t completely hate this book. I did like Taco’s development throughout the book. It took a really long time, but eventually he learned that being a responsible adult sometimes means having to make tough decisions, even if the decision made is not the one you want. The ending was great and I supported Taco’s decision 100%. Honestly, the ending was the saving grace for me because if it ended differently, I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it.
If your looking for a quick, funny read with extremely optimistic characters I would recommend checking out this book. But if your like me and have an aversion to optimistic people, STAY FAR AWAY!
*I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
*2.5 stars!*
William “Taco” Keller is an easy going fella who is head over heels in love with Maggie Corrigan. They are inseparable, even though Maggie’s parents disapprove of their relationship. But things get crazy when Taco learns that Maggie is pregnant. Now Taco has to figure out a way to provide for his new family while keeping up with school and staying out of trouble. Sometimes adulthood happens faster than you think.
I wasn’t too sure what to expect when I started Anything You Want, but I was really excited that this YA was told from a male’s POV since it’s my favorite to read from. Right from the first page, I was laughing out loud because Taco was getting himself into all sorts of trouble. But unfortunately, I wasn’t laughing for too long. I had a number of issues with this book and it felt like I was pulling teeth in order to finish it.
This book deals with a number of themes like, loss of a parent, parental abandonment, alcoholism, and unplanned pregnancies. With such a number of heavy topics being tackled, I wasn’t expecting this book to be so comical and I think that was a bit of a turnoff for me. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that Taco and Maggie didn’t think, NOT ONCE, to use contraceptives…I mean…
The comical tone coupled with the dramatic scenarios were OVERKILL for me. It didn’t help that Taco was such an EXTREMELY OPTIMISTIC character. This may be a personal problem, but I have an aversion to optimistic people. Reading from Taco’s POV was not easy because his “everything will work out fine” way of thinking annoyed the hell out of me. I really wanted to know how he managed to keep his cool when all hell was breaking lose around him!
The secondary characters were unbelievably selfish and some of their actions made me want to rage. Taco’s dad is a Grade A douche and Taco’s brother is no better. They are both too blinded by their own selfish needs that they don’t see the trouble Taco is getting into until it’s too late. Seriously, this shit could’ve been avoided if someone took the time to give Taco the talk about the birds and the bees. I also didn’t like Maggie. She was speaking one thing, but her actions were saying another and I just could not deal with her indecisiveness.
I didn’t completely hate this book. I did like Taco’s development throughout the book. It took a really long time, but eventually he learned that being a responsible adult sometimes means having to make tough decisions, even if the decision made is not the one you want. The ending was great and I supported Taco’s decision 100%. Honestly, the ending was the saving grace for me because if it ended differently, I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it.
If your looking for a quick, funny read with extremely optimistic characters I would recommend checking out this book. But if your like me and have an aversion to optimistic people, STAY FAR AWAY!
February 24, 2016
*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher (Sourcebooks Fire) via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
DNF @ 53%
Admittedly, I requested this book because of its lovely cover and interesting premise. The cover reminds me of Morgan Matson's books. Since this book is a YA Contemporary with 320 pages, I thought I'll probably just fly through it but oh boy, I was wrong. Anything You Want, titled "Knocked" on my kindle, is a YA Contemporary Fiction that's remarkably underwhelming with a shortsighted, boring narrator. This book deals with Unplanned Pregnancies, Alcoholism, Parental Neglect, Unexpected Adult Responsibilities and UNREALISTIC OPTIMISM.
ANYTHING YOU WANT is not a book you would WANT to read. Taco Keller, our inordinately positive 16 year old narrator, don't take anything seriously. This is a 320 page book, more than half of these pages have been spent on Maggie and Taco engaging in multiple sexual intercourse but none of them was able to think about possible pregnancy or anything related to Birth Control - a ludicrous scenario that's hard to imagine. Both of the characters were markedly immature throughout the book and used optimism the wrong way. Taco was so obsessed with Maggie simply because she's stereotypically beautiful and smexy (an active member of Cheerleading Team) and he's willing to do anything she wants, thus the title. He's willing to take any bait for Maggie because he thinks they're in love with each other.
Taco was not mawkishly sentimental for one but I was sure as hell he's ridiculously naive it's not even funny. He used words like "dingus" and "little friend" (monthly period) multiple times in the book and he thought his girlfriend was possessed by a ghost because of her erratic mood. Are you serious? He didn't even realize that his actions will have some considerable consequence. I think his character was "supposed" to be quirky, silly and entertaining but it turned out hysterically annoying most of the time. I wasn't invested enough with the characters and the narration to continue further with the story. I haven't read any book written by Geoff Herbach but I've heard his book, Stupid Fast, is an award-winning book: Abraham Lincoln Award Nominee (2014), Cybils Award for Young Adult Fiction (2011), Wisconsin Library Association Outstanding Book Award (2012).
*Thank you Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for the advanced copy.
Review also posted here: Utopian Boulevard
DNF @ 53%
Admittedly, I requested this book because of its lovely cover and interesting premise. The cover reminds me of Morgan Matson's books. Since this book is a YA Contemporary with 320 pages, I thought I'll probably just fly through it but oh boy, I was wrong. Anything You Want, titled "Knocked" on my kindle, is a YA Contemporary Fiction that's remarkably underwhelming with a shortsighted, boring narrator. This book deals with Unplanned Pregnancies, Alcoholism, Parental Neglect, Unexpected Adult Responsibilities and UNREALISTIC OPTIMISM.
Taco loves Maggie-even more than the tacos that earned him his nickname. And she loves him right back. Except, all that love? It gets Maggie pregnant.
ANYTHING YOU WANT is not a book you would WANT to read. Taco Keller, our inordinately positive 16 year old narrator, don't take anything seriously. This is a 320 page book, more than half of these pages have been spent on Maggie and Taco engaging in multiple sexual intercourse but none of them was able to think about possible pregnancy or anything related to Birth Control - a ludicrous scenario that's hard to imagine. Both of the characters were markedly immature throughout the book and used optimism the wrong way. Taco was so obsessed with Maggie simply because she's stereotypically beautiful and smexy (an active member of Cheerleading Team) and he's willing to do anything she wants, thus the title. He's willing to take any bait for Maggie because he thinks they're in love with each other.
Taco was not mawkishly sentimental for one but I was sure as hell he's ridiculously naive it's not even funny. He used words like "dingus" and "little friend" (monthly period) multiple times in the book and he thought his girlfriend was possessed by a ghost because of her erratic mood. Are you serious? He didn't even realize that his actions will have some considerable consequence. I think his character was "supposed" to be quirky, silly and entertaining but it turned out hysterically annoying most of the time. I wasn't invested enough with the characters and the narration to continue further with the story. I haven't read any book written by Geoff Herbach but I've heard his book, Stupid Fast, is an award-winning book: Abraham Lincoln Award Nominee (2014), Cybils Award for Young Adult Fiction (2011), Wisconsin Library Association Outstanding Book Award (2012).
*Thank you Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for the advanced copy.
Review also posted here: Utopian Boulevard
April 23, 2016
I hardly ever start and finish a book in a day, but I picked up this arc yesterday at TLA and, having enjoyed Geoff's other books, I really wanted to see what was up with Taco, especially given the conflicting reviews I'd browsed. I couldn't put it down. Now I am not this book's target demographic, by any means, I am in my forties and have two teenagers of my own (one more Taco-y than the other). So, as a mom, I wish that Taco & his girlfriend hadn't had all that blissfully clueless, unprotected sex and end up pregnant, but we do realize this happens ALL THE TIME, do we not? I also wish that his mom hadn't died, or his father checked out or his brother was a drunk. But all these things are his reality, and they make for such compelling obstacles for young Taco to overcome. In my opinion, the maturity of Taco through the book rings true. It's not like he has his whole life figured out by the end, but it's growth in the right direction. I also love how he's so happy, in part to honor his mom's memory, but he's also genuinely a happy person (which was really nice to read and a departure from many YA angsty characters, am I right?) I love how he is able to remain optimistic through the novel, even as he comes to grips with his own harsh reality. I can imagine teens relating to Taco and seeing themselves in his struggles, and that's what a good YA novel does. Plus it's FUNNY! And I love the Reinstein connection from the STUPID FAST books. I do hope the publisher takes that line about him being bored off the cover before the final printing ... it doesn't make sense! But other than that, this is a book that teens will love (and maybe a few forty-something mom types too ;).
March 8, 2016
If you did not finish this book, you did yourself a disservice. The few chapters at the end had me in tears - good tears but it was hard seeing two teenagers having to grow up so fast. Their sudden growth was a little brutal after all of the positivity and impulsiveness in the preceding pages.
Let me go back. Taco is relentlessly upbeat. I mean, RE-LENT-LESS-LY. As the story goes on, he explains why and how it is a coping mechanism and what happens when he acknowledges that life isn't roses wall to wall.
Yes, the use of "dingus" so often is rather annoying. However, at the end, it becomes crystal clear who "dingus" is and it is fulfilling. (I still think it could have been used less often.)
The actual story - the actual plot - is beautiful. Boy finds love (and sex), girl winds up pregnant because neither kid understands safe sex (a real possibility when you talk to high school Family and Consumer Science teachers about what kids think BEFORE they take a class), and the resulting decision making that needs to happen. This is also about the personal growth of Taco - overcoming a tragic past and a distorted present to reach a promising future.
This book won't be everyone's cup of tea. However, the 5 teenagers I read it with actually enjoyed the book immensely. One student said, "There's so much negativity in the world. Even though it was funny and kind of unrealistic, it was nice to see someone with so much hope and positivity."
Let me go back. Taco is relentlessly upbeat. I mean, RE-LENT-LESS-LY. As the story goes on, he explains why and how it is a coping mechanism and what happens when he acknowledges that life isn't roses wall to wall.
Yes, the use of "dingus" so often is rather annoying. However, at the end, it becomes crystal clear who "dingus" is and it is fulfilling. (I still think it could have been used less often.)
The actual story - the actual plot - is beautiful. Boy finds love (and sex), girl winds up pregnant because neither kid understands safe sex (a real possibility when you talk to high school Family and Consumer Science teachers about what kids think BEFORE they take a class), and the resulting decision making that needs to happen. This is also about the personal growth of Taco - overcoming a tragic past and a distorted present to reach a promising future.
This book won't be everyone's cup of tea. However, the 5 teenagers I read it with actually enjoyed the book immensely. One student said, "There's so much negativity in the world. Even though it was funny and kind of unrealistic, it was nice to see someone with so much hope and positivity."
March 12, 2016
*this reviewer doesn't generally assign star ratings but is changing her rules for this one book because she loves it so hard and believes it is misunderstood. You may read author Geoff Herbach's note if you are curious as to more about this, here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...*
I really loved this book -- and more importantly its main character Taco Keller -- so hard, and give it ALL THE STARS. I am a huge fan of Herbach's voice as a writer, and this is my favorite of all his YA books to date.
I laughed out loud continuously through the early raucous, exhilarating pages, and Herbach's quirky humor continues throughout, even though the story intensifies and the well-meaning but wildly immature and ill-prepared Taco gets himself into an untenable "grown up" situation, one way too serious to handle almost alone, for the average teenage kid.
I rooted hard, as Taco plows forward, trying to do the right thing, and to handle his too-adult decisions with an impossibly cheerful and optimistic spirit for the sake of his brother and his mom.
An important book for teens. Funny and real and so, so good.
I really loved this book -- and more importantly its main character Taco Keller -- so hard, and give it ALL THE STARS. I am a huge fan of Herbach's voice as a writer, and this is my favorite of all his YA books to date.
I laughed out loud continuously through the early raucous, exhilarating pages, and Herbach's quirky humor continues throughout, even though the story intensifies and the well-meaning but wildly immature and ill-prepared Taco gets himself into an untenable "grown up" situation, one way too serious to handle almost alone, for the average teenage kid.
I rooted hard, as Taco plows forward, trying to do the right thing, and to handle his too-adult decisions with an impossibly cheerful and optimistic spirit for the sake of his brother and his mom.
An important book for teens. Funny and real and so, so good.
April 25, 2016
Anything You Want
is a contemporary YA standalone.
Anything You Want mainly revolves around Taco getting Maggie, his girlfriend, pregnant. I don't know what to say...
Taco is such a weird character to read. He was clueless throughout the majority of the novel and let me feeling that his mindset was definitely younger than his real age. He, nor Maggie, did not consider putting on a condom or even getting on birth control (really, anything would have done the trick people). This let me feeling even more withdrawn from the novel.
Then Taco is suddenly "excited" (*eye roll*) about the fact that Maggie is pregnant. He didn't seem to grasp that babies cost money, lots of money. Formula, diapers, education, clothing, ext.
I just never found myself getting into the novel. It felt both ridiculous (specifically Taco's POV) and disappointing. Even now as I write this review, I do not believe I will pick this novel up again. Ever.
ARC was kindly provided by publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
For this review and more, check out: http://amalialock.blogspot.ca
Anything You Want mainly revolves around Taco getting Maggie, his girlfriend, pregnant. I don't know what to say...
Taco is such a weird character to read. He was clueless throughout the majority of the novel and let me feeling that his mindset was definitely younger than his real age. He, nor Maggie, did not consider putting on a condom or even getting on birth control (really, anything would have done the trick people). This let me feeling even more withdrawn from the novel.
Then Taco is suddenly "excited" (*eye roll*) about the fact that Maggie is pregnant. He didn't seem to grasp that babies cost money, lots of money. Formula, diapers, education, clothing, ext.
I just never found myself getting into the novel. It felt both ridiculous (specifically Taco's POV) and disappointing. Even now as I write this review, I do not believe I will pick this novel up again. Ever.
ARC was kindly provided by publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
For this review and more, check out: http://amalialock.blogspot.ca
May 2, 2016
(1.5 stars)
I’m not really sure how I feel about this book. It was ok, but didn’t grab me. And to be honest I’m not a fan of Taco. He seemed oblivious to the world. I really couldn’t understand him. He drove me bonkers.
Taco, is a high schooler and has been love with Maggie for quite some time. Like any normal teenager they decided to do something, without exactly thinking of the consequences. He gets himself into so much trouble. It’s gotta be difficult to live without his mother and his father. Who really isn’t a father at all. And Darius his brother isn’t that great either.
It seemed that they all had their own personal issues. Taco is an over thinker and he did it constantly. I don’t know why, but dingus popped up like everywhere in the book. It just came so repetitive. It almost felt like Taco was writing in a Journal at times. Wasn’t sure if that was how it was suppose to be done. Unless, I totally missed something along the way.
But I did make through to the end. It had it’s good parts. He was trying to keep the optimism alive. Overall, for me it was just ok....Lissa
http://www.boundlessbookreviews.com
https://www.facebook.com/BBReviews
I’m not really sure how I feel about this book. It was ok, but didn’t grab me. And to be honest I’m not a fan of Taco. He seemed oblivious to the world. I really couldn’t understand him. He drove me bonkers.
Taco, is a high schooler and has been love with Maggie for quite some time. Like any normal teenager they decided to do something, without exactly thinking of the consequences. He gets himself into so much trouble. It’s gotta be difficult to live without his mother and his father. Who really isn’t a father at all. And Darius his brother isn’t that great either.
It seemed that they all had their own personal issues. Taco is an over thinker and he did it constantly. I don’t know why, but dingus popped up like everywhere in the book. It just came so repetitive. It almost felt like Taco was writing in a Journal at times. Wasn’t sure if that was how it was suppose to be done. Unless, I totally missed something along the way.
But I did make through to the end. It had it’s good parts. He was trying to keep the optimism alive. Overall, for me it was just ok....Lissa
http://www.boundlessbookreviews.com
https://www.facebook.com/BBReviews
May 20, 2016
Source: I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for a honest review from the publisher, via Netgalley, with thanks to both!
Cost: Free
Title: Anything You Want
Author: Geoff Herbach
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Overall Rating: 4 stars
This book is very close to being a favourite. Simply because I think Geoff Herbach has a genius and comedic writing style, and I love that in my YA almost as much as I love angst. This book pairs angst and comedy with such a difficult topic like teenage pregnancy so well, and it hits you hard when it's a sad moment, but you can read it without feeling like there's an impending doom coming. I think that this book was building up to an end as bittersweet as it was. Part of me wanted everything to work out well for Taco and Maggie and their potential family, but although that wasn't the case, we did get to see them get the best ending they could get without being together.
I would highly recommend this book.
Cost: Free
Title: Anything You Want
Author: Geoff Herbach
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Overall Rating: 4 stars
This book is very close to being a favourite. Simply because I think Geoff Herbach has a genius and comedic writing style, and I love that in my YA almost as much as I love angst. This book pairs angst and comedy with such a difficult topic like teenage pregnancy so well, and it hits you hard when it's a sad moment, but you can read it without feeling like there's an impending doom coming. I think that this book was building up to an end as bittersweet as it was. Part of me wanted everything to work out well for Taco and Maggie and their potential family, but although that wasn't the case, we did get to see them get the best ending they could get without being together.
I would highly recommend this book.
May 8, 2018
BRO THIS BOOK IS SO DUMB BUT I LOVED IT SO MUCH! LIKE AS I WAS READING IT, I WAS AWARE OF HOW DUMB IT WAS, BUT I WAS ADDICTED! It's like super entertaining in a childish rubbish kind of way. It was so dumb that I wanted to know what would happen, so I couldn't stop reading it. It was just so funny, and light-hearted, it was a good mind-numbing book to read as a break from school work. I got through it super fast, and I hate to admit but I really enjoyed it thoroughly. It's about this guy, who calls himself Taco, whose super dumb. I'm talking denser than a brick. But he's cute and he has good intentions so I let it slide. He has a girlfriend named Maggie who, arguably, is also kind of dumb. So they love each other, they hang out all the time, they do it a lot, don't use birth control pills or protection, and eventually Maggie gets knocked up. They decide to keep the baby because Taco's mom died, and his father kind of works on a truck up North, so this is Taco's idea of starting another family and having a happy life. Maggie is sad, worried, moody. Her parents hate Taco, but they feel bad for him. Maggie and Taco pretend they aren't dating so people think that Maggie is keeping the baby out of her own will. Taco gets a job, volunteers at a lawyers office, and is trying to get his life together for his upcoming family. He even goes to birthing classes. Maggie's parents want Maggie to give the baby up for adoption because they are so young, but Taco refuses to. They are trying to make it all work, and in between, Taco and Maggie keep reminding each other about how much they love each other. It's kind of stupid and superficial, but by the end of the book they mature up and the ending isn't dumb but instead is realistic, which redeemed the book. I dont know why I liked it so much, but I really did.
July 10, 2018
*Review copy received from publisher
A rather strange but oddly compelling story of a very naive stumbling through life.
The cover is very misleading.
A rather strange but oddly compelling story of a very naive stumbling through life.
The cover is very misleading.
February 25, 2016
.5 - DNF.
I've been trying to read this book since the 5th of December.
It's driving me out of my ever dingus-loving mind.
I don't even know WTF I read. I really don't.
I don't know what kind of drug Geoff is on, but it has definitely started rotting his brain. I think Taco was supposed to be some kind of manic-pixie dream boy, but that's definitely not what he is.
What Taco is, is dumber than a post. Like, too stupid to live, dumb. I don't like throwing stuff like that around. I really don't. Everyone is a different kind of smart.
Except Taco.
First, it didn't even dawn on Taco that sex=baby. In my opinion, if you are old enough to want/have sex, you understand this principle (weather you care or not, is another story.) But I feel like someone as immature as Taco wouldn't desire a relationship like this.
I can't even guys.
Taco is ridiculously happy that his girlfriend is pregnant. I get that you can turn something unexpected into something good, but he's beyond overjoyed and seems to not care about any one else's feelings. Not even Maggie, who is in fact, the actually pregnant girl.
Let's start with this quote:
"I was so hopped up about all of this I couldn't sleep for like five hours. I pressed my dolphin face int Maggie's hair and pretended that we were all dolphins -me, Maggie and our baby - and we swam and jumped super high behind a boat full of tourists in FLorida. The tourists were just screaming and applauding about how high my family and I could jump. I could do dolphin backflips too."
W.T.F. ?
He goes on and on about his bruised coccyx, his dead mother, half delirious quotes, and every other paragraph is sprinkled with the interjection - Dingus.
He thinks their baby was conceived via immaculate conception, and doesn't understand why she's still focused on wanting to be on a college dance team, dingus.
At the same time, he's trying to figure out how to balance his law internship (to keep himself from prison) and, dingus, his desire to be in his school musical production of The Wizard of Oz.
Wut?
Ok, so 52% in I couldn't take it anymore.
I skipped to the last chapter, dingus.
I couldn't even really pay attention to it so I skipped to the last five pages or so.
The story really does seem to have a back bone someplace. It really could have been a beautiful story of a not-so-put-together teenager, in way over his head, dingus.
The last five pages had immense the sorrow woven through it. It had a yearning it in that I wished I could have properly enjoyed.
But I didn't, dingus. It was just to freakin annoying. Any of that sweet, longing and pain woven throughout the novel, was completely blown to oblivion buy his novel-long childish thoughts an behaviors.
And his attitude/thoughts don't change. Not even at the end. At the very end, he decides to start a punk clarinet-keyboard singing band, and they are going on tour for two years. Really?
WTF?
It tainted/soured any kind of emotional feeling I have for this novel, dingus. You see how annoying that word is every paragraph?!
Also, I'm sorry. On an unrelated note, the boy on the front cover looks like a young Nicolas Cage. Every time I see the darn cover. I think of Cage. Also, This gif:
Ugh. Skip it. Target missed, big time.
I've been trying to read this book since the 5th of December.
It's driving me out of my ever dingus-loving mind.
I don't even know WTF I read. I really don't.
I don't know what kind of drug Geoff is on, but it has definitely started rotting his brain. I think Taco was supposed to be some kind of manic-pixie dream boy, but that's definitely not what he is.
What Taco is, is dumber than a post. Like, too stupid to live, dumb. I don't like throwing stuff like that around. I really don't. Everyone is a different kind of smart.
Except Taco.
First, it didn't even dawn on Taco that sex=baby. In my opinion, if you are old enough to want/have sex, you understand this principle (weather you care or not, is another story.) But I feel like someone as immature as Taco wouldn't desire a relationship like this.
I can't even guys.
Taco is ridiculously happy that his girlfriend is pregnant. I get that you can turn something unexpected into something good, but he's beyond overjoyed and seems to not care about any one else's feelings. Not even Maggie, who is in fact, the actually pregnant girl.
Let's start with this quote:
"I was so hopped up about all of this I couldn't sleep for like five hours. I pressed my dolphin face int Maggie's hair and pretended that we were all dolphins -me, Maggie and our baby - and we swam and jumped super high behind a boat full of tourists in FLorida. The tourists were just screaming and applauding about how high my family and I could jump. I could do dolphin backflips too."
W.T.F. ?
He goes on and on about his bruised coccyx, his dead mother, half delirious quotes, and every other paragraph is sprinkled with the interjection - Dingus.
He thinks their baby was conceived via immaculate conception, and doesn't understand why she's still focused on wanting to be on a college dance team, dingus.
At the same time, he's trying to figure out how to balance his law internship (to keep himself from prison) and, dingus, his desire to be in his school musical production of The Wizard of Oz.
Wut?
Ok, so 52% in I couldn't take it anymore.
I skipped to the last chapter, dingus.
I couldn't even really pay attention to it so I skipped to the last five pages or so.
The story really does seem to have a back bone someplace. It really could have been a beautiful story of a not-so-put-together teenager, in way over his head, dingus.
The last five pages had immense the sorrow woven through it. It had a yearning it in that I wished I could have properly enjoyed.
But I didn't, dingus. It was just to freakin annoying. Any of that sweet, longing and pain woven throughout the novel, was completely blown to oblivion buy his novel-long childish thoughts an behaviors.
And his attitude/thoughts don't change. Not even at the end. At the very end, he decides to start a punk clarinet-keyboard singing band, and they are going on tour for two years. Really?
WTF?
It tainted/soured any kind of emotional feeling I have for this novel, dingus. You see how annoying that word is every paragraph?!
Also, I'm sorry. On an unrelated note, the boy on the front cover looks like a young Nicolas Cage. Every time I see the darn cover. I think of Cage. Also, This gif:
Ugh. Skip it. Target missed, big time.
April 8, 2018
*I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and this has in no way affected the contents of this review.*
DNF at 12% and a whopping total of 0 stars. This book was annoying as heck. I'm not against positivity or anything but Taco (Yep, he is literally named Taco.) was so happy about everything. His dog could have died and he probably would have been like "Yay! He'll watch over me now and yada yada yada *insert peppy things here*!"
Besides the overly and unnecessary amount of positivity, there some awfully dumb quotes that were just that - dumb.
"You're the best. You're the greatest ever." "I know. That's how I feel about you. So we should do it," Maggie said.
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. Just because you think someone is great doesn't mean that that means you should have sex. STOP PUTTING SEX IN YA AND STOP GIVING THEM DUMB REASONS TO TELL OTHERS WHY THEY SHOULD!!!!!!!!!!
"And we did! It kind of hurt Maggie, which made me worried but she said she was okay. Then we fell asleep. Then - wait for it - we did it again! It was great! I couldn't wait for my butt to heal so I could actually move while we were doing it! I mean, so great! Oh my God, I love Maggie. I'm a junkie for her for real!"
See what I mean about being too peppy? And this is just a big 'ol blob of TMI soup.
"The world is filled with magic. I went over to the couch, and fell on my face because it was so crazy. Our love made Maggie pregnant when we were both still virgins. That's a miracle. That's destiny. Our child will be destiny's child. I pictured our baby traveling to poor countries and sharing cash and vaccines and comic books with all the needy children."
The end.
DNF at 12% and a whopping total of 0 stars. This book was annoying as heck. I'm not against positivity or anything but Taco (Yep, he is literally named Taco.) was so happy about everything. His dog could have died and he probably would have been like "Yay! He'll watch over me now and yada yada yada *insert peppy things here*!"
Besides the overly and unnecessary amount of positivity, there some awfully dumb quotes that were just that - dumb.
"You're the best. You're the greatest ever." "I know. That's how I feel about you. So we should do it," Maggie said.
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. Just because you think someone is great doesn't mean that that means you should have sex. STOP PUTTING SEX IN YA AND STOP GIVING THEM DUMB REASONS TO TELL OTHERS WHY THEY SHOULD!!!!!!!!!!
"And we did! It kind of hurt Maggie, which made me worried but she said she was okay. Then we fell asleep. Then - wait for it - we did it again! It was great! I couldn't wait for my butt to heal so I could actually move while we were doing it! I mean, so great! Oh my God, I love Maggie. I'm a junkie for her for real!"
See what I mean about being too peppy? And this is just a big 'ol blob of TMI soup.
"The world is filled with magic. I went over to the couch, and fell on my face because it was so crazy. Our love made Maggie pregnant when we were both still virgins. That's a miracle. That's destiny. Our child will be destiny's child. I pictured our baby traveling to poor countries and sharing cash and vaccines and comic books with all the needy children."
The end.
May 3, 2016
Have you guys heard of the Geronimo Stilton series? I read it as a child and this book sounds just like that. Mind you, this is supposed to be a young adult novel. Reading this book, I realized that I have a huge problem - I am incapable of not finishing a book, even when I want to throw it already. I'm glad that I read this to the end though, because the character had major growth.
Taco is a junior high school student who tells himself that every day is the best day. So when his girlfriend Maggie became pregnant with their baby, he viewed this incident with a lot of enthusiasm and "responsibility." But because of the lack of parental supervision, more shit goes down the drain and Taco is forced to rethink everything.
Despite being a junior, Taco sure does sound like a grade school kid. The way adults treat him also hints at him being a kid, but he isn't a kid anymore. The way he sees the world, how he doesn't have a clue about some things, is just so unrealistic for his age. At first I thought that Taco must have some form of mental disability, but when I checked the synopsis, there was no mention of anything. Also, where I expected a funny book, what I got is a book that is trying too hard to sound funny. To add to that, the word "dingus" is used several times every few pages.
Although Taco did take responsibility in the end while managing to sound like his actual age for a few pages, that still was not enough to salvage this book for me. After all, that tone just didn't fly for me throughout the book. Overall, I just didn't get what I thought I would get from this book.
Taco is a junior high school student who tells himself that every day is the best day. So when his girlfriend Maggie became pregnant with their baby, he viewed this incident with a lot of enthusiasm and "responsibility." But because of the lack of parental supervision, more shit goes down the drain and Taco is forced to rethink everything.
Despite being a junior, Taco sure does sound like a grade school kid. The way adults treat him also hints at him being a kid, but he isn't a kid anymore. The way he sees the world, how he doesn't have a clue about some things, is just so unrealistic for his age. At first I thought that Taco must have some form of mental disability, but when I checked the synopsis, there was no mention of anything. Also, where I expected a funny book, what I got is a book that is trying too hard to sound funny. To add to that, the word "dingus" is used several times every few pages.
Although Taco did take responsibility in the end while managing to sound like his actual age for a few pages, that still was not enough to salvage this book for me. After all, that tone just didn't fly for me throughout the book. Overall, I just didn't get what I thought I would get from this book.
March 13, 2016
How can you not fall in love with Taco? When you think of the life that he has had, it's no wonder he tries to hide his emotions through his optimism! No, this is not a boy meets girl, typical young love romance book. This is one that tells the story of what may be many typical teens. If you love quirky characters that make you smile throughout the book, yet have you crying at the end, this is for you! If you like books that deal with real life situations that many teens go through every day, then this one is for you! I was in love with Taco at the very beginning and all that he's had against him just made me want him to win in the end. I understand his reason for eternal faith that today will be the best day ever! If you can understand his perspective and why he does the things he does, how can you not love a teen trying as hard as he does?
I've enjoyed all of Herbach's book but this one seemed to pull more at my heart and grabbed my attention from the beginning. Get your hands on this one when it comes out, go in with an open heart and open mind and enjoy it, dingus!
I've enjoyed all of Herbach's book but this one seemed to pull more at my heart and grabbed my attention from the beginning. Get your hands on this one when it comes out, go in with an open heart and open mind and enjoy it, dingus!
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January 1, 2016Thank you to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
DNF @ 31%, so I won't be rating this one.
This synopsis pulled me in so hard that I bypassed everything else I had to read for this book. Sadly, it just didn't work. Taco was a young man (boy, really) who lived with his head in the clouds and didn't seem to take anything seriously. Birth control never occurred to Taco though he and Maggie had sex multiple times, and that was hard for me to swallow. I mean, I can definitely imagine a 16 year old boy getting so caught up or not having anything on hand and acting irresponsibly. But to not have birth control cross his mind at all after all the times they'd had sex was just ridiculous. And Maggie - she's devastated when she finds out she's pregnant because she dreams of being on the dancing team in college. Why didn't she make sure they used some sort of protection? I just felt like the portrayal here was way off, and I wasn't interested enough in the characters to finish the story.
DNF @ 31%, so I won't be rating this one.
This synopsis pulled me in so hard that I bypassed everything else I had to read for this book. Sadly, it just didn't work. Taco was a young man (boy, really) who lived with his head in the clouds and didn't seem to take anything seriously. Birth control never occurred to Taco though he and Maggie had sex multiple times, and that was hard for me to swallow. I mean, I can definitely imagine a 16 year old boy getting so caught up or not having anything on hand and acting irresponsibly. But to not have birth control cross his mind at all after all the times they'd had sex was just ridiculous. And Maggie - she's devastated when she finds out she's pregnant because she dreams of being on the dancing team in college. Why didn't she make sure they used some sort of protection? I just felt like the portrayal here was way off, and I wasn't interested enough in the characters to finish the story.
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August 30, 2017When you read that a main character's name is Taco, you know you're in for an unexpected journey. That is exactly what I got when I started Anything You Want.
Taco is probably the happiest person on the planet. No matter how bad the circumstances, his mom dying, dad going away for work, getting his butt broken (Yes, he broke his butt), or even getting his girlfriend pregnant, his outlook was a happy one.
Read Full Review @ Lazy Book Lovers
Taco is probably the happiest person on the planet. No matter how bad the circumstances, his mom dying, dad going away for work, getting his butt broken (Yes, he broke his butt), or even getting his girlfriend pregnant, his outlook was a happy one.
Read Full Review @ Lazy Book Lovers
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