What do you think?
Rate this book
Two Parties, One Tux, and a Very Short Film about The Grapes of Wrath
Mitchell Wells may not survive eleventh grade. He really only has one friend, his best friend, David. His normally decent grade point average is in limbo due to a slightly violent, somewhat inappropriate claymation film. And girls . . . well, does hanging out with his sister count?
When David tells Mitchell he's gay, Mitchell's okay with it—but it still seems to change things. Since David's not out to anyone else, the guys agree to be set up with prom dates. Then, one of the most popular girls in school decides she must date Mitchell, and he's gone from zero to two girlfriends in sixty seconds.
From his pending English grade, to his floundering friendship, to his love life—the one thing that's taken a bizarre turn for the better—Mitchell is so confused, he'll be lucky if he lasts another week in high school! And then there's the prom . . .
With a wickedly funny voice and a colorful cast of characters, Steven Goldman has written a novel for every reader—even those who like high school!
When David tells Mitchell he's gay, Mitchell's okay with it—but it still seems to change things. Since David's not out to anyone else, the guys agree to be set up with prom dates. Then, one of the most popular girls in school decides she must date Mitchell, and he's gone from zero to two girlfriends in sixty seconds.
From his pending English grade, to his floundering friendship, to his love life—the one thing that's taken a bizarre turn for the better—Mitchell is so confused, he'll be lucky if he lasts another week in high school! And then there's the prom . . .
With a wickedly funny voice and a colorful cast of characters, Steven Goldman has written a novel for every reader—even those who like high school!
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 14, 2008
10 people are currently reading
710 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
November 13, 2009
It is hard to be a school librarian. Teens want books that are real, but parents tend to freak out about things that are too real. I have never been challenged about a book on the library shelves, and I don't want to be. Sooner or later, it will happen, though. If it does, I hope it isn't about this book which is an okay book, but far from phenomenal. It isn't a book that deserves to be read, but it is somewhat funny. So the problem is that I have it on the shelf, waiting for some kid to read it, discover the chapter called "The Masturbation Chapter," freak out, show it to all his friends, take it home, leave it laying around and let a parent - who is loving and maybe too protective - find it. And then the crap hits the fan and I am being questioned about a book that just isn't that great to begin with! I paid 16.99 for the dang book and my library budget is not that great. So what do I do? It isn't easy to be a school librarian. There are lots of things to consider. I didn't even mention the homosexuality in the book, either...
June 3, 2012
Mitchell Wells is a pretty typical teenage guy with pretty typical teenage guy problems – he’s average-looking, girls don’t really notice him, and he can’t make himself write his English paper. It’s supposed to be on The Grapes of Wrath, but Mitchell hasn’t finished the book, so he decides to turn in the Claymation film he created for another class (which, his best friend David informs him *could* be spun off as an interpretation of the religious themes in Steinbeck’s work). This lands him in a whole heap of trouble with the school administration, which receives a complaint from some parents. Meanwhile, David has come out to him, his sister is trying to set him up with some girl he barely knows (to take to the prom), and Danielle (the girl he’s been pining for these many years) just broke up with her boyfriend. Does Mitchell have an in?
Although this takes a little while to build, the hilarity quotient rises as Mitchell’s life spins out of control. He’s basically flying by the seat of his pants until the very end where he finally figures out what it is that he wants and how to get it. I am so glad I was never a teenage boy, if Mitchell’s experiences are anything to go by – the humiliation, embarrassment, and awkwardness are enough to do anyone in.
Although this takes a little while to build, the hilarity quotient rises as Mitchell’s life spins out of control. He’s basically flying by the seat of his pants until the very end where he finally figures out what it is that he wants and how to get it. I am so glad I was never a teenage boy, if Mitchell’s experiences are anything to go by – the humiliation, embarrassment, and awkwardness are enough to do anyone in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2020
The author expressed the mentality of boys perfectly..or at least how I would think boys think. Very frank dialogues with one another and all in agreement about the physical desirableness of the opposite sex and wanting/thinking about sex. Some parts were funny, some didn't have any where to go. The issue of homosexuality is left up in the air.
January 15, 2009
A thoroughly mediocre read that was plodding and a little ham handed about the way it handled some things. If you're looking for a *safe* book with GLBT themes I guess this one might do.
December 26, 2012
I struggled through this one :(
February 22, 2009
Mitchell Wells is sort of an everyman sort of character. He does well in his classes and enjoys hanging out with is best friend David. At the same time, they fall somewhere in the middle to the social ladder at school so while not being part of the "in crowd," they are also not picked on by most people.
Mitchell is entering a school year that is going to be filled with ups and downs. It all starts when his best friend David comes out to him one day at lunch. He actually is not bothered by the fact, but he is also not sure if things are supposed to change in their relationship ... if at all.
Then, he and David get an opportunity in film class to make a really fun claymation video. It works out so nicely, that Mitchell decides to turn it in as a substitute for the short paper he was supposed to write on The Grapes of Wrath. The topic is actually the Biblical themes in the book. On the bright side, it seems to be universally enjoyed, but trouble pops up when the parents of one student complain that the film is offensive to their religion.
The prom is also weighing down on Mitchell. His younger sister and her friends have come up with an interesting plan to use David and Mitchell to take them to the prom so they can go. This plan gets a little bit more challenging when David starts to date the popular girl that he had a crush on for ages.
The book is an hysterical read. Mostly this is due to Goldman doing a great job of capturing what it is like to be an average teen boy. There is no shortage of social stumbling as David is torn between doing what he wants, not necessarily being able to speak his mind because he doesn't want to hurt any feelings, and navigating the challenges of school, which take on both the academic and social forms.
While the book does not focus on a single major issue that is faced by the narrator, it does a great job of just allowing the characters to live through the troublesome times of junior year in high school for boys. It reminded me a lot of a male version of the Georgia Nicolson series or The Princess Diaries, except that it is told from a guy's perspective.
Even though the book touches on romance and David's coming out, I can really see a lot of guys picking this one up. It is really captures the way so many average guys think.
Mitchell is entering a school year that is going to be filled with ups and downs. It all starts when his best friend David comes out to him one day at lunch. He actually is not bothered by the fact, but he is also not sure if things are supposed to change in their relationship ... if at all.
Then, he and David get an opportunity in film class to make a really fun claymation video. It works out so nicely, that Mitchell decides to turn it in as a substitute for the short paper he was supposed to write on The Grapes of Wrath. The topic is actually the Biblical themes in the book. On the bright side, it seems to be universally enjoyed, but trouble pops up when the parents of one student complain that the film is offensive to their religion.
The prom is also weighing down on Mitchell. His younger sister and her friends have come up with an interesting plan to use David and Mitchell to take them to the prom so they can go. This plan gets a little bit more challenging when David starts to date the popular girl that he had a crush on for ages.
The book is an hysterical read. Mostly this is due to Goldman doing a great job of capturing what it is like to be an average teen boy. There is no shortage of social stumbling as David is torn between doing what he wants, not necessarily being able to speak his mind because he doesn't want to hurt any feelings, and navigating the challenges of school, which take on both the academic and social forms.
While the book does not focus on a single major issue that is faced by the narrator, it does a great job of just allowing the characters to live through the troublesome times of junior year in high school for boys. It reminded me a lot of a male version of the Georgia Nicolson series or The Princess Diaries, except that it is told from a guy's perspective.
Even though the book touches on romance and David's coming out, I can really see a lot of guys picking this one up. It is really captures the way so many average guys think.
December 6, 2015
This was a thoroughly enjoyable book! (I had lowered expectations because both the title and cover make it look very middle-grade/younger YA, which really isn't my cup of tea, but I'd enjoyed the middle-grade The Swap earlier this week, so I gave this a go as well.)
The story follows seventeen-year-old Mitchell Wells in his junior year of high school. After years of unpopularity, a ho-hum existence, and zero attention from the ladies, he's prepared for more of the same but there are a few big changes coming his way: first, his friend David comes out to him, then Mitchell makes a silly little movie that gets him into an inordinate amount of trouble in school, and he somehow has more than one girl expressing interest in going to prom with him. If all this sounds like pretty typical material for a YA coming-of-age novel, that's because it is. The area where this book - and Goldman - really shine is the writing and Mitchell's voice. I thought this book was hilarious: witty dialogue, humorous observations, and outrageous but-so-believable-they-could-happen-to-you (in your nightmares) situations.
Oh, and my favorite aspect of the book was definitely how true this was to the way I remember high school; people and situations are awkward, rumors abound, and there's tons and tons of homework. (Srsly, so tired of YA where all everyone does is worry about the boy/girl of their dreams - Mitchell spends a lot of time worrying about schoolwork - and Goldman even makes that interesting!) In most reviews, I usually have a little list of things that bugged me in the book (even in ones I enjoyed), but I can't think of a single thing for this book. Really good.
The story follows seventeen-year-old Mitchell Wells in his junior year of high school. After years of unpopularity, a ho-hum existence, and zero attention from the ladies, he's prepared for more of the same but there are a few big changes coming his way: first, his friend David comes out to him, then Mitchell makes a silly little movie that gets him into an inordinate amount of trouble in school, and he somehow has more than one girl expressing interest in going to prom with him. If all this sounds like pretty typical material for a YA coming-of-age novel, that's because it is. The area where this book - and Goldman - really shine is the writing and Mitchell's voice. I thought this book was hilarious: witty dialogue, humorous observations, and outrageous but-so-believable-they-could-happen-to-you (in your nightmares) situations.
Oh, and my favorite aspect of the book was definitely how true this was to the way I remember high school; people and situations are awkward, rumors abound, and there's tons and tons of homework. (Srsly, so tired of YA where all everyone does is worry about the boy/girl of their dreams - Mitchell spends a lot of time worrying about schoolwork - and Goldman even makes that interesting!) In most reviews, I usually have a little list of things that bugged me in the book (even in ones I enjoyed), but I can't think of a single thing for this book. Really good.
April 3, 2012
Most this is a book about nothing too different or strange from any other book about kids struggling to navigate through high school.
Michell is an average teenager who does his homework, worries about girls and has a best friend David. And then David tells Michell he's gay and though Michell's cool about it, he's not exactly sure if that changes anything or not.
Michell doesn't spurn his friendship with David nor is he totally comfortable. I appreciated his struggle and found it to be the most interesting thing about the book. I also loved how Michell and David go about resolving this newest development in their friendship just like all their issues (class projects, dates for prom, dealing with their annoying friend Louis, etc.) in their own awkward way.
My favorite character was David--deadpan characters usually are. But since the book is in first person from Michell's perspective and most the time Michell doesn't really know what's going on, it was hard for me to understand how David was feeling because he was so deadpan.
I also liked the Grapes of Wrath bashing--I could not get through that book either in high school.
A do have a complaint about the author starting every new section in a chapter with a title. I found it distracting and disrupted my reading groove (...if that makes any sense.)
Michell is an average teenager who does his homework, worries about girls and has a best friend David. And then David tells Michell he's gay and though Michell's cool about it, he's not exactly sure if that changes anything or not.
Michell doesn't spurn his friendship with David nor is he totally comfortable. I appreciated his struggle and found it to be the most interesting thing about the book. I also loved how Michell and David go about resolving this newest development in their friendship just like all their issues (class projects, dates for prom, dealing with their annoying friend Louis, etc.) in their own awkward way.
My favorite character was David--deadpan characters usually are. But since the book is in first person from Michell's perspective and most the time Michell doesn't really know what's going on, it was hard for me to understand how David was feeling because he was so deadpan.
I also liked the Grapes of Wrath bashing--I could not get through that book either in high school.
A do have a complaint about the author starting every new section in a chapter with a title. I found it distracting and disrupted my reading groove (...if that makes any sense.)
April 21, 2009
This is the second book I've picked up from an impressive list of the best YA books of 2008 put together by an awesome librarian.
This was definitely a "fluffy" read; not a lot of intellectual content, but a great choice for anyone looking for a light, hilarious book.
The book timidly deals with a gay teenager coming out in high school. The author only goes so far as to have him come out to his best friend, (it happens in the first couple chapters of the book, so not much of a spoiler). The gay teen happens to be on the varsity baseball team and perhaps his team realizing that he was gay would have been a more provocative storyline, but that wasn't really the focus of the book.
Some of the teenage jargon is "adult" grade, (I now know what a "bearded clam" is), but laugh-out-loud funny, nonetheless. It's really a coming of age story of the narrator, dealing with some of his relationships with his friends and some trouble he gets in at school, but nothing that really leaves your mind blown.
I would like to have this on my classroom shelf as a solid recommendation for any male reader, although it might be a tough sell for reluctant readers, as it is just over 300 pages long.
This was definitely a "fluffy" read; not a lot of intellectual content, but a great choice for anyone looking for a light, hilarious book.
The book timidly deals with a gay teenager coming out in high school. The author only goes so far as to have him come out to his best friend, (it happens in the first couple chapters of the book, so not much of a spoiler). The gay teen happens to be on the varsity baseball team and perhaps his team realizing that he was gay would have been a more provocative storyline, but that wasn't really the focus of the book.
Some of the teenage jargon is "adult" grade, (I now know what a "bearded clam" is), but laugh-out-loud funny, nonetheless. It's really a coming of age story of the narrator, dealing with some of his relationships with his friends and some trouble he gets in at school, but nothing that really leaves your mind blown.
I would like to have this on my classroom shelf as a solid recommendation for any male reader, although it might be a tough sell for reluctant readers, as it is just over 300 pages long.
March 9, 2010
I LOVED this book! Not only was the writing just exquisite, but the story line was wonderful. Goldman got a lot right with his character of a 17 year old boy trying to make sense of his world. His sort of calm, detached observation of his life I think was spot on. Every character was complex. The image he has of his parents was dead on; the sibling relationship was dead on.
My favorite quotes:"Mom lives for these moments when she gets to hear about our lives." Any mother with a high schooler is nodding her head right about now. Those moments are few and far between, and you treasure them when they reveal themselves.
"I have a sudden awful vision of the world as just a much bigger version of high school, where adults have to worry about being popular and whether someone in charge has it in for them." Is this not often true in life? I think so.
I especially liked the friendship between David and Mitchell, how it ebbed and flowed, how it changed dramatically when David came out to Mitchell. The wise-cracking jerk-like Louis actually has a strong streak of compassion in him. And the prom, well, how it ends up being not such a magical night for a lot of people - how true, how true.
Just a fabulous book. I look forward to more form Goldman.
My favorite quotes:"Mom lives for these moments when she gets to hear about our lives." Any mother with a high schooler is nodding her head right about now. Those moments are few and far between, and you treasure them when they reveal themselves.
"I have a sudden awful vision of the world as just a much bigger version of high school, where adults have to worry about being popular and whether someone in charge has it in for them." Is this not often true in life? I think so.
I especially liked the friendship between David and Mitchell, how it ebbed and flowed, how it changed dramatically when David came out to Mitchell. The wise-cracking jerk-like Louis actually has a strong streak of compassion in him. And the prom, well, how it ends up being not such a magical night for a lot of people - how true, how true.
Just a fabulous book. I look forward to more form Goldman.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2009
Hilarious and poignant, this book provides a humorous look at high school adolescence. When Mitchell's best friend, David, reveals himself to be gay during lunch period, Mitchell begins questioning his own sexuality through side-splitting tests. He also creates a disastrous claymation film about "The Grapes of Wrath" to get out of writing an English paper and somehow winds up taking the most popular girl to the prom.
Goldman understands the psyche of a male high school student very well. At times emotionally mature but also obsessed with the little things that make you feel high school is the most important thing in the world, Mitchell's take on the world is hilarious and truthful. I found myself cackling throughout the prom scene and believing the craziness every step of the way.
On a more serious note, Mitchell's changing relationship with David is handled beautifully and realistically. A great book to give to any teenager!
Goldman understands the psyche of a male high school student very well. At times emotionally mature but also obsessed with the little things that make you feel high school is the most important thing in the world, Mitchell's take on the world is hilarious and truthful. I found myself cackling throughout the prom scene and believing the craziness every step of the way.
On a more serious note, Mitchell's changing relationship with David is handled beautifully and realistically. A great book to give to any teenager!
August 1, 2011
This book was good and worth the time spent reading it, but I didn't really connect with any of the characters. The plot was also mildly boring. This is probably because I was mostly interested in the claymation aspect of the story which wasn't a central part of the plot.
August 11, 2017
Have you ever had a friend tell you a secret that you didn’t know how to deal with? Mitch is a good, if quiet, high school student who enjoys making random claymation films. His best friend, David, is a baseball player who drags Mitch to parties because it’s good for him. When David revels to Mitch that he is gay, Mitch doesn’t quite know what to do. No one else knows David’s secret. Should he act like nothing has changed? Has anything changed? If they go to the movies, and David pays, is it a date? On top of all this, Mitch is getting into trouble for one of his claymation films (he re-interprets The Grapes of Wrath with nude clay actors), the hottest girl in school is suddenly interested in making out with him, and his sister’s best friend is wondering why David, her prom date, doesn’t seem that interested in her. Mitch sure has a lot to figure out!
May 15, 2014
This was one of those books where it was really fun, but looking back, you're not sure why. The main character was a pushover who was unsure about everything. The best character was the dry best friend. The book would have been much more fun if Mitchell had a backbone.
I think the most interesting and realistic part of the book was where David told Mitchell he was gay and Mitchell wasn't totally ok with it. He told David he was ok, but then went home and questioned his own sexuality and if he really was ok with David being gay.
I really liked the female cast of characters and Carrie and M.C. were fabulous. They really rounded out the non-verbal communication between Mitchell and David.
Overall, a pretty good, pretty funny read that left me wanting to jump into the book to give Mitchell some backbone.
I think the most interesting and realistic part of the book was where David told Mitchell he was gay and Mitchell wasn't totally ok with it. He told David he was ok, but then went home and questioned his own sexuality and if he really was ok with David being gay.
I really liked the female cast of characters and Carrie and M.C. were fabulous. They really rounded out the non-verbal communication between Mitchell and David.
Overall, a pretty good, pretty funny read that left me wanting to jump into the book to give Mitchell some backbone.
July 6, 2009
Mitchell is your average high school geek. He's a pretty decent guy, not too popular, but not a social outcast. He has one friend: David. Then David tells him that he is gay. And Mitchell doesn't really care, except it does make things seem different. Not a lot different, just awkward and a little weird. Meanwhile, Mitchell doesn't want to read The Grapes of Wrath. So, instead, he makes a little claymation film that almost has something to do with the book. Which causes a controversy with some of the more religious parents and leads to Mitchell having several run-ins with the rotten assistant principal. And a sudden, mysterious relationship with one of the hottest girls in school. The night of the prom, everything comes undone...for everyone.
July 29, 2013
It always shocks me when I read a five star book and then come over here and discover not everyone else loved it as much as I did. This happens to me a lot, though, so if you're trying to write a bestseller, I wouldn't count on my opinion.
I absolutely adored this book! It was so funny from the start. There are quite a few characters in it and yet they are easy to keep track of and are well developed and interesting (except Mariel, I'm not sure why she was there, but I just realized that right now, so it's not like she bugged me or anything). Anyway, just very funny, and so fun to read a guy's POV. Read bits aloud to my husband who cracked up every time.
Highly recommended! Will look for more by this author.
I absolutely adored this book! It was so funny from the start. There are quite a few characters in it and yet they are easy to keep track of and are well developed and interesting (except Mariel, I'm not sure why she was there, but I just realized that right now, so it's not like she bugged me or anything). Anyway, just very funny, and so fun to read a guy's POV. Read bits aloud to my husband who cracked up every time.
Highly recommended! Will look for more by this author.
October 24, 2017
Can't say I really enjoyed this. Was able to finish this in one day, but it was very slow moving. It felt like the characters were coming to terms with so many things, but in a way that I felt was inaccessible to me as a reader. Some of the characters were likeable enough, although I felt some of the female characters were necessarily grating (which is an issue I feel like I'm starting to notice a lot in YA literature). Also, for the story hinging on David's revelation to Mitchell, it sort of felt that David's character wasn't all that important. I feel like he could have been removed from the book and the story was the same. In the end, I felt like the characters showed growth, but I didn't really feel like I was a part of that.
March 3, 2009
This is a book that I wanted to read as soon as I heard the title but since I am only reading for the middle school list, I waited until now to get it but I read it over the weekend and enjoyed it, as expected although it almost got a bit bogged down during the final section at the prom (the description of how this high school boy uses the toilet in such a way that he urinated on the pants of his white tuxedo was...odd.) Reading this book made me laugh out loud and share what I was reading with my friend who was visiting. The section about the two friends learning to make the Claymation films and using the Grapes of Wrath as a film subject was excellent.
May 21, 2009
Well-written, good characters. HS junior Mitchell is a bit of a hapless shlemiel but a good guy. He and his best friend David communicate through some kind of guy osmosis, but when David mentions that he's gay, the wordless comfort between them gets awkward as they try to navigate actual verbal language. The supporting cast of bossy younger sister Carrie, her best friend M.C., jackass HS acquaintance Louis, and some teacher and parent peripherals come alive with believable details. Mitchell seems angsty and bewildered a lot as the world just kind of happens to him, which made me exasperated with him. The author's language is smart, precise, and often very funny.
September 30, 2010
5 stars. Teen. What an authentic voice. Mitchell Wells is having an interesting junior year in high school. His best friend, okay, his only friend, David has just come out of the closet. But only to Mitchell. Mitchell has yet to kiss a girl but he KNOWS he's heterosexual, right? He cannot bring himself to read the b-o-r-i-n-g Grapes of Wrath for Honors English so barely skims it and makes a claymation short film in place of the required essay. Unfortunately, the manure hits the fan over that. And then there's prom. This is such a true-to-life prom I thought I was having a flashback. Just found out this is getting raves on YALSA and deservedly so. Highly recommended.
March 24, 2011
This is about a 17 year old named michalle. He is a Junior and he doesn't really fit in. He has one friend, his best friend David. They know everything about each other. They decide to take a film class, they acually liked it and really started to get into it. Michalle had a essay on the book grapes of wrath..that he didn't do. So he turned in his crude nothing to do movie instead of an essay. That worked well. David tells Michalle that he is gay and things just start to get awkward between them, and Michalle has recently been dating the girl of his dreams. So far I enjoy this because it is sorta funny and enjoyable
April 20, 2011
This book made me squirm a bit, in a good way. It’s a romantic comedy, and 17-year-old Mitchell Wells has a very warped sense of the romantic. He spends a significant amount of time trying to convince himself and those around him that he’s just an extreme nerd/dork, not gay. Mitchell certainly isn’t gay, but his best friend David is, and there’s a lot of squirm-worthy nerd/dork/gay tension in that dynamic.
Thank goodness Goldman’s comic timing is near-perfect. Every chapter made me laugh. Most of them made me think a few times as well. Goldman has even inspired me to find out what “Pib and Pog” is. It’s almost more culture than I can deal with in one sitting.
Thank goodness Goldman’s comic timing is near-perfect. Every chapter made me laugh. Most of them made me think a few times as well. Goldman has even inspired me to find out what “Pib and Pog” is. It’s almost more culture than I can deal with in one sitting.
February 14, 2016
I loved this. Mitchell is a really honest character. I felt like he's someone i would have wanted to hang out with when I was in high school. Loved the way the story went in regards to his friendship with his best friend David once David comes out to him.
The romance elements of the book was interesting. It didn't go where I expected it to exactly. I liked that a lot. I feel like a lot of the characters go on an interesting journey in this book. Even Mitchell's sister isn't as shallow as she seems. I think.
The story was pretty typical but was really nice. I feel like the chapters flew by because I was enjoying them so much.
The romance elements of the book was interesting. It didn't go where I expected it to exactly. I liked that a lot. I feel like a lot of the characters go on an interesting journey in this book. Even Mitchell's sister isn't as shallow as she seems. I think.
The story was pretty typical but was really nice. I feel like the chapters flew by because I was enjoying them so much.
September 3, 2017
David: Are you seriously giving this book an advocacy four?
Me: Well yes, it helps normalize things.
So ... is this a great book? No. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Do I think that it’s an awkwardly titled book that was not presented with the best of covers? Oh oh oh it doesn’t even have a colon and it’s fourteen words long!
But the book’s a little slim. Slim on details. Like the character arcs sometimes resolve off the page, between the paragraphs. And I fill in what happened based on personal experience. Life Pro Tip: If you are writing somebody a love letter, use pen. It gives your words more weight, a sense of permanence, and so forth.
Me: Well yes, it helps normalize things.
So ... is this a great book? No. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Do I think that it’s an awkwardly titled book that was not presented with the best of covers? Oh oh oh it doesn’t even have a colon and it’s fourteen words long!
But the book’s a little slim. Slim on details. Like the character arcs sometimes resolve off the page, between the paragraphs. And I fill in what happened based on personal experience. Life Pro Tip: If you are writing somebody a love letter, use pen. It gives your words more weight, a sense of permanence, and so forth.
February 19, 2009
An understated but entertaining story about a high school loser figuring himself out. The novel focuses on the strained friendship between protagonist Mitchell and his best friend David. It's refreshing to see a gay-best-friend story wherein the problem is not the friend's homosexuality, but rather the guylike inability to clearly communicate. The funny dialogue and wry tone will appeal to guy readers, but for me, it was Mitchell's inner narrative--forever agonizing about details both minute and mundane--that really give the book it's flavor.
May 3, 2009
I had a hard time getting into this book, but once I got into it (about 100 pages in) I couldn't put it down until I finished it. The main character, Mitch, is a normal and funny, nerdy high schooler whose love life matches most people's, I would say. Then his best friend David tells him he's gay and everything changes - or does it?
While, this book may be considered a "light" read because it is fluffy at times, I many times thought the author spoke volumes through his characters with their subtleties - such as a glance here or a thought there.
While, this book may be considered a "light" read because it is fluffy at times, I many times thought the author spoke volumes through his characters with their subtleties - such as a glance here or a thought there.
October 14, 2009
This was a cute narrative about a high school junior, his gay best friend and several other people that are part of their life. There wasn't really a plot to follow through to the end of the book. It seemed more like him telling us parts of his life that all somehow seem to connect. I still enjoyed the story and there were parts that were very funny--one of them was that he peed on his pants during prom--you'll have to read it for the humorous description. Another funny thread throughout the book was his mother's cooking (or lack thereof).
November 9, 2009
Eleventh grade has been tough on Mitchell. How is it that he’s been friends with David for the past eight months without knowing that David’s gay? Mitchell’s cool with it, but since David’s not totally out of the closet yet, the guys agree to be set up with prom dates. Then the most popular chick in school decides she wants to go to prom with Mitchell and he suddenly is faced with where to put his hands during a make-out sesh. Plus, his English grade may suffer because of an almost pornographic claymation film that he turned in. Hilarious, LOL action to be had for all.
September 12, 2016
Reading this book felt a lot like a blurb from the summary....something about being stuck in limbo? That's what this was like for me, being stuck in limbo.
Typically when I read something I either love it or hate it, there is no middle ground. Reading this I felt nothing. There's nothing "bad" or "wrong" (I do not feel okay using either of those words in reference to novel but it's 3am and my brain's not up to snuff at this moment) but there was nothing that especially stood out to me. It just...was.
Typically when I read something I either love it or hate it, there is no middle ground. Reading this I felt nothing. There's nothing "bad" or "wrong" (I do not feel okay using either of those words in reference to novel but it's 3am and my brain's not up to snuff at this moment) but there was nothing that especially stood out to me. It just...was.
June 21, 2009
A solid 3.5.
This was pretty funny, and I think Goldman captures the voice of a nerdy 17-year-old boy really well. The story's not brilliant and I *HATE* the cover (my husband scoffed at my suggestion of his reading it) but otherwise, it's got some really funny moments. I think that this one is all about Mitch's development as a character. The threads -- the two parties, the one tux, and the film -- all tie together very nicely in the end without being too well-wrapped.
This was pretty funny, and I think Goldman captures the voice of a nerdy 17-year-old boy really well. The story's not brilliant and I *HATE* the cover (my husband scoffed at my suggestion of his reading it) but otherwise, it's got some really funny moments. I think that this one is all about Mitch's development as a character. The threads -- the two parties, the one tux, and the film -- all tie together very nicely in the end without being too well-wrapped.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews