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The Final Weekend: A Stoned Tale
"A tale of indulgence and camaraderie that ultimately proves moving." - Kirkus Reviews
In the last days before the real world, six college friends prepare to take a bow in epic fashion.
After Sunday there’s just Harry, the future business owner; Justin, the medical intern; Trent, the hapless wanderer; and Clarence, soon to don the badge and blues. But now they have years of memories to honor, all packed into one weekend. Will they grow into their new adult roles? Will they go out in style with the girls? Will the four of them even survive the sheer level of debauchery?
Living in an apartment paid for by the Grandma, an ex-hooker turned millionaire, Courtney and Ling-Ling couldn’t be more opposite, yet are completely inseparable. Courtney and Harry have been hooking up for years, neither able to commit, but their imminent separation is about to test that arrangement, and Ling-Ling’s never-ending reciprocated crush on Justin just might become more than that.
Their lives intersect with that of Professor Goodkat, their idolized instructor who never quite “left” college himself. In Goodkat, we find the consequence of getting to live out a hedonist fantasy, and the possibility for change in anyone.
Hilarious, raunchy and uninhibited, "The Final Weekend: A Stoned Tale," captures contemporary society while chronicling the dreams, regrets, perspectives, and future after youth in an unbroken sequence of shockingly touching exploits. No longer armed with the excuse of college stupidity, these friends will go on a journey with higher stakes than a night out has ever had. Because there are things about themselves that blacking out can’t erase.
In the last days before the real world, six college friends prepare to take a bow in epic fashion.
After Sunday there’s just Harry, the future business owner; Justin, the medical intern; Trent, the hapless wanderer; and Clarence, soon to don the badge and blues. But now they have years of memories to honor, all packed into one weekend. Will they grow into their new adult roles? Will they go out in style with the girls? Will the four of them even survive the sheer level of debauchery?
Living in an apartment paid for by the Grandma, an ex-hooker turned millionaire, Courtney and Ling-Ling couldn’t be more opposite, yet are completely inseparable. Courtney and Harry have been hooking up for years, neither able to commit, but their imminent separation is about to test that arrangement, and Ling-Ling’s never-ending reciprocated crush on Justin just might become more than that.
Their lives intersect with that of Professor Goodkat, their idolized instructor who never quite “left” college himself. In Goodkat, we find the consequence of getting to live out a hedonist fantasy, and the possibility for change in anyone.
Hilarious, raunchy and uninhibited, "The Final Weekend: A Stoned Tale," captures contemporary society while chronicling the dreams, regrets, perspectives, and future after youth in an unbroken sequence of shockingly touching exploits. No longer armed with the excuse of college stupidity, these friends will go on a journey with higher stakes than a night out has ever had. Because there are things about themselves that blacking out can’t erase.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 25, 2019
20 people are currently reading
462 people want to read
About the author
Neal Cassidy
2 books66 followersNeal Cassidy is the author of
the final weekend: a stoned tale
and
SCHROEDER
. He was raised in Forest and is a graduate of The Nene School and lives nowhere in particular.
"i am who I am not, but who i wanted to be.."
- Neal Cassidy
"i am who I am not, but who i wanted to be.."
- Neal Cassidy
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
August 1, 2020
The story is fast-paced and unusual. I like the narration but didn't like the depiction of genders. The characters are highly unlikeable, and I don't think if anyone can connect with them. Their whole objective is to get drunk and laid, and at some points, it feels way too much. The last two chapters were intriguing, and I wished that the whole story was like that, but it is not.
For me, this book didn't work. I think that the author stretches the story too much, and it lost its purpose amid sexist characters. It lacks twists and turns and a meaningful end. But I admire Neal Cassidy's efforts in writing such a bold and raw story depicting American youth unfiltered. It is written for a certain age and people for sure. Pick this book only if you're into satire, dark comedy, and erotic works.
Read the detailed review here -https://www.bookscharming.com/2020/07...
For me, this book didn't work. I think that the author stretches the story too much, and it lost its purpose amid sexist characters. It lacks twists and turns and a meaningful end. But I admire Neal Cassidy's efforts in writing such a bold and raw story depicting American youth unfiltered. It is written for a certain age and people for sure. Pick this book only if you're into satire, dark comedy, and erotic works.
Read the detailed review here -https://www.bookscharming.com/2020/07...
August 15, 2020
Thank you to author Neal Cassidy for providing me with a copy of his novel in exchange for this honest review.
This review has been slightly modified from its original format, to see the complete review with pictures please visit https://amanjareads.com/2020/08/14/th...
If you follow my reviews or any of my social medias there are probably a few things you already know about me. First and foremost, I'm a feminist. I am one of those crazy people that believes women are human beings and should be treated as such.
I've made a vow to myself that when a book is what I would consider to be anti-feminist I will tear it apart in the review. This book is anti-feminist. We'll get into that, don't you worry.
But the second thing you might know about me is that I love memes. I love them so much that in addition to scrolling through them constantly on reddit, I make them. For reddit, for my blog, for my instagram, for my friends.
So it was quite offensive to me when this book, The Final Weekend: A Stoned Tale, thought I wouldn't notice when it stole all of its humor from very popular memes.
Does that sound so ridiculous that you don't believe me? Here's a passage from the book:
The main sentence to focus on is, "This is something I do when I go running outside as well. I'll randomly pick a car, race it to a tree, sign, or curb, telling myself that if I don't get there first, I'll die."
It's been a popular theme for memes for quite some time. And this author attempted to pass it off as his own thought. This was not the only time this happened in this book, it happened several times and I guess he just didn't think this meme lord would notice.
Many of you may not think this is quite the same as serious plagiarism but it does fit the bill. He took other people's words and ideas and used them as his own. This is the opposite of creativity.
This alone is enough for me to be very unhappy with this book but there is definitely more.
The "plot" follows a group of young adults on their final weekend before leaving college. The perspectives shift between them as the weekend progresses and they get very high, very drunk, and don't do much of anything besides thinking about getting high, getting drunk, and getting laid.
It's basically what would happen if Richard Linklater made Waking Life about people who watched porn instead of going to Philosophy 101.
All of the characters in this book are losers, and not in a charming way. They are all the reasons I'm glad I'm not 20 anymore. I could almost smell the mix of pot smoke and unwashed laundry coming off the pages.
It's not a time that I romanticize but the author seems to be desperately trying to hold on to a youth that is long gone. Putting himself shirtless on the cover is an obvious grasp at an ego boost that is harder and harder to come by.
I addressed some of my concerns with the author before writing this review and he blew my criticisms off as saying "it's just fiction." Bruh, you're on the cover and the back cover clearly states, "After years of an undiscerning lifestyle, Neal Cassidy decided to put some of his experiences into his first novel, The Final Weekend: A Stoned Tale." So no, it's not just fiction and I do feel justified in projecting the values of the book onto him.
That brings us to the sexism.
Whenever feminist reviewers talk about "the male gaze" I always kind of dismissed it. Male authors are going to have different views and yes men will sometimes ogle pretty ladies. I'm bi, I sometimes ogle pretty ladies too.
However, this book really amps up the male gaze to an unhealthy degree. Every character in the book, including the straight female characters, ogle women at every chance they get. In ways that seem unhealthy and almost dangerous.
When women aren't present to ogle, the men sit around and talk about "hot chicks." When the men are by themselves they watch porn or flip through a hot chick slideshow in their minds. In fact, there is a graphic 4 page description of one of the male characters watching porn, snapchatting with one of his students (ew), and jerking off to completion. 4 pages.
I asked around while I was reading this book because I began to think maybe I am just out of touch with the workings of the cis straight male mind. But I got some confirmation that most adult males do not actually think about sex every seven seconds. Turns out most men are better than that and it's a harmful stereotype.
I also had to ask some questions to my female friends. Cassidy seems to have a dramatic misunderstanding of how adult women think and behave. The biggest offense being that an adult woman, who owns vibrators and dildos, would ever opt to use a cucumber to masturbate. And then leave that cucumber in the shower for her roommate to find. And then regularly pull muscles while masturbating.
Now, I don't want to speak for all women but I can speak for myself and what I've experienced in society. One, sex toys designed for that purpose are going to be cleaner and far more easily used than produce. Two, no decent roommate is leaving any sex toys in communal spaces, that's foul. And three, I don't know what kind of weird solo act this girl was putting on but I've never put myself in a position so uncomfortable I'd be likely to pull a muscle.
In addition to all of these bizarre depictions of women we have a few other offences. The women who are actual characters in the book are the following stereotypes: virgin nerd, total slut, grandma slut, and overbearing girlfriend.
Eventually a foreign size 0 dream girl also gets added into the mix. These aren't real people. And to make it even worse, overbearing girlfriend and foreign size 0 dream girl are never even given names. They are solely identified by the man who takes ownership of them.
The book also mocks heavier girls and even manages to slip the words "midget transvestite stripper" into the mix. C'mon, that was even low for 1990s comedy standards.
I 100% would have not finished this book had it not been given to me by the author for this review. But I am glad I got to the completely unexpected ending which would have worked for me in most other circumstances but not for this book.
*SPOILER*
nearly all of the characters die in a mass shooting at the train station
*END SPOILER*
But I didn't care about any of the characters so I didn't care about that. Also, the heroes of the book were completely unbelievable. The biggest male fantasy of this book is that any of these stoned idiots would be good in a crisis.
Well, I think that brings me to the end of this rant, er uh, review. It's not a good book, I don't know who the audience for it would be, I strongly do not recommend it.
This review has been slightly modified from its original format, to see the complete review with pictures please visit https://amanjareads.com/2020/08/14/th...
If you follow my reviews or any of my social medias there are probably a few things you already know about me. First and foremost, I'm a feminist. I am one of those crazy people that believes women are human beings and should be treated as such.
I've made a vow to myself that when a book is what I would consider to be anti-feminist I will tear it apart in the review. This book is anti-feminist. We'll get into that, don't you worry.
But the second thing you might know about me is that I love memes. I love them so much that in addition to scrolling through them constantly on reddit, I make them. For reddit, for my blog, for my instagram, for my friends.
So it was quite offensive to me when this book, The Final Weekend: A Stoned Tale, thought I wouldn't notice when it stole all of its humor from very popular memes.
Does that sound so ridiculous that you don't believe me? Here's a passage from the book:
The main sentence to focus on is, "This is something I do when I go running outside as well. I'll randomly pick a car, race it to a tree, sign, or curb, telling myself that if I don't get there first, I'll die."
It's been a popular theme for memes for quite some time. And this author attempted to pass it off as his own thought. This was not the only time this happened in this book, it happened several times and I guess he just didn't think this meme lord would notice.
Many of you may not think this is quite the same as serious plagiarism but it does fit the bill. He took other people's words and ideas and used them as his own. This is the opposite of creativity.
This alone is enough for me to be very unhappy with this book but there is definitely more.
The "plot" follows a group of young adults on their final weekend before leaving college. The perspectives shift between them as the weekend progresses and they get very high, very drunk, and don't do much of anything besides thinking about getting high, getting drunk, and getting laid.
It's basically what would happen if Richard Linklater made Waking Life about people who watched porn instead of going to Philosophy 101.
All of the characters in this book are losers, and not in a charming way. They are all the reasons I'm glad I'm not 20 anymore. I could almost smell the mix of pot smoke and unwashed laundry coming off the pages.
It's not a time that I romanticize but the author seems to be desperately trying to hold on to a youth that is long gone. Putting himself shirtless on the cover is an obvious grasp at an ego boost that is harder and harder to come by.
I addressed some of my concerns with the author before writing this review and he blew my criticisms off as saying "it's just fiction." Bruh, you're on the cover and the back cover clearly states, "After years of an undiscerning lifestyle, Neal Cassidy decided to put some of his experiences into his first novel, The Final Weekend: A Stoned Tale." So no, it's not just fiction and I do feel justified in projecting the values of the book onto him.
That brings us to the sexism.
Whenever feminist reviewers talk about "the male gaze" I always kind of dismissed it. Male authors are going to have different views and yes men will sometimes ogle pretty ladies. I'm bi, I sometimes ogle pretty ladies too.
However, this book really amps up the male gaze to an unhealthy degree. Every character in the book, including the straight female characters, ogle women at every chance they get. In ways that seem unhealthy and almost dangerous.
When women aren't present to ogle, the men sit around and talk about "hot chicks." When the men are by themselves they watch porn or flip through a hot chick slideshow in their minds. In fact, there is a graphic 4 page description of one of the male characters watching porn, snapchatting with one of his students (ew), and jerking off to completion. 4 pages.
I asked around while I was reading this book because I began to think maybe I am just out of touch with the workings of the cis straight male mind. But I got some confirmation that most adult males do not actually think about sex every seven seconds. Turns out most men are better than that and it's a harmful stereotype.
I also had to ask some questions to my female friends. Cassidy seems to have a dramatic misunderstanding of how adult women think and behave. The biggest offense being that an adult woman, who owns vibrators and dildos, would ever opt to use a cucumber to masturbate. And then leave that cucumber in the shower for her roommate to find. And then regularly pull muscles while masturbating.
Now, I don't want to speak for all women but I can speak for myself and what I've experienced in society. One, sex toys designed for that purpose are going to be cleaner and far more easily used than produce. Two, no decent roommate is leaving any sex toys in communal spaces, that's foul. And three, I don't know what kind of weird solo act this girl was putting on but I've never put myself in a position so uncomfortable I'd be likely to pull a muscle.
In addition to all of these bizarre depictions of women we have a few other offences. The women who are actual characters in the book are the following stereotypes: virgin nerd, total slut, grandma slut, and overbearing girlfriend.
Eventually a foreign size 0 dream girl also gets added into the mix. These aren't real people. And to make it even worse, overbearing girlfriend and foreign size 0 dream girl are never even given names. They are solely identified by the man who takes ownership of them.
The book also mocks heavier girls and even manages to slip the words "midget transvestite stripper" into the mix. C'mon, that was even low for 1990s comedy standards.
I 100% would have not finished this book had it not been given to me by the author for this review. But I am glad I got to the completely unexpected ending which would have worked for me in most other circumstances but not for this book.
*SPOILER*
nearly all of the characters die in a mass shooting at the train station
*END SPOILER*
But I didn't care about any of the characters so I didn't care about that. Also, the heroes of the book were completely unbelievable. The biggest male fantasy of this book is that any of these stoned idiots would be good in a crisis.
Well, I think that brings me to the end of this rant, er uh, review. It's not a good book, I don't know who the audience for it would be, I strongly do not recommend it.
June 9, 2020
* A copy of the ebook provided by NABC in exchange for an honest review
This was an interesting book. The writing style will either delight you or confuse you but definitely surprise you. I have to admit that I was the latter group of readers. Overall, it is a very messy book, what with past and present storyline, random switch in point of view, and erratic introduction to the characters I was grasping the plotline until the very end.
And just when I thought this is so and so New Adult book, the author choose a memorable way to end it. That changed my opinion of this book and elevated it to a higher level.
It reminded me of a movie Old School or Van Wilder: Party Liaison.
So if you enjoyed those movies you might enjoy this book too or even relate to it.
The storyline follows six college students as they prepare to finish school and enter the actual world. Besides them, one of the interesting characters is their beloved professor Goodkat.
Most of the time I thought the book was just about sex, drugs, and more sex. But the ending kind of brought somewhat of a heavier tone to it.
I am really confused about how to rate this book.
Somewhere between two and three.
This was an interesting book. The writing style will either delight you or confuse you but definitely surprise you. I have to admit that I was the latter group of readers. Overall, it is a very messy book, what with past and present storyline, random switch in point of view, and erratic introduction to the characters I was grasping the plotline until the very end.
And just when I thought this is so and so New Adult book, the author choose a memorable way to end it. That changed my opinion of this book and elevated it to a higher level.
It reminded me of a movie Old School or Van Wilder: Party Liaison.
So if you enjoyed those movies you might enjoy this book too or even relate to it.
The storyline follows six college students as they prepare to finish school and enter the actual world. Besides them, one of the interesting characters is their beloved professor Goodkat.
Most of the time I thought the book was just about sex, drugs, and more sex. But the ending kind of brought somewhat of a heavier tone to it.
I am really confused about how to rate this book.
Somewhere between two and three.
July 24, 2020
The Final Weekend: A Stoned Tale by Neal Cassidy is a coming-of-age story centered around six youngsters who prepare to graduate. Their lives intersect with that of their favorite professors, Goodkat, and what follows thereafter forms the plot of the story.
The book chronicles the contemporary lifestyle and thoughts of the younger generation. It takes into account the final days of the youth before they step into the real world. The conflicting thoughts, the emotional moments, the discontent, and everything representative of growing up is portrayed very well in the book. The book subtly throws sarcasm at the young generation and deals with racism and LGBTQ themes. I believe the diversity of the plot made it both interesting as well as engaging.
With that said, the characters were developed well. However, I didn't end up liking a few of them for their sheer insensitivity. Most of the male characters were sexist and gave away terrible vibes rendering them unlikeable. On another note, I particularly liked the author's writing style. It was fresh and different. The way each chapter chronicles the monologue of one character and then another chapter picks it off from where the first ended, that was really good. To top it all, the flashback scenes brought a more effective touch to the narrative.
The things I didn't like were the crass language and too much of a raunchy narrative. It somehow made me pull myself away from the book, so many times. However, that's the thing, if a light-hearted raunchy story fits well with you, you might give it a shot. Or else, you may give it a pass.
Thank you Neal Cassidy for providing me the review copy.
The book chronicles the contemporary lifestyle and thoughts of the younger generation. It takes into account the final days of the youth before they step into the real world. The conflicting thoughts, the emotional moments, the discontent, and everything representative of growing up is portrayed very well in the book. The book subtly throws sarcasm at the young generation and deals with racism and LGBTQ themes. I believe the diversity of the plot made it both interesting as well as engaging.
With that said, the characters were developed well. However, I didn't end up liking a few of them for their sheer insensitivity. Most of the male characters were sexist and gave away terrible vibes rendering them unlikeable. On another note, I particularly liked the author's writing style. It was fresh and different. The way each chapter chronicles the monologue of one character and then another chapter picks it off from where the first ended, that was really good. To top it all, the flashback scenes brought a more effective touch to the narrative.
The things I didn't like were the crass language and too much of a raunchy narrative. It somehow made me pull myself away from the book, so many times. However, that's the thing, if a light-hearted raunchy story fits well with you, you might give it a shot. Or else, you may give it a pass.
Thank you Neal Cassidy for providing me the review copy.
April 20, 2020
The Final Weekend: A Stoned Tale by Neal Cassidy is a very unique novel with an abstract theme and seemingly vague plotline. I think I might have liked it better if the book had been a bit shorter as the abstractness of the book started to feel somewhat overwhelming after a certain point and I think that it could have been easily avoided by reducing the length of the book. Nonetheless, it's not that I regret reading the book; it was a new kind of coming-of-age story which, I'm certain, would be more appreciated by the younger crowd. The one thing that I really liked about the entire book as the writing. The author showed some exceptional writing skills and had the plot been more refined, the book might have made it in the 3-star category.
If you're looking for a. very unique experience and don't mind reading an abstract story without stern plotting then you might actually like this book.
You can also read this review on www.thereadingbud.com
If you're looking for a. very unique experience and don't mind reading an abstract story without stern plotting then you might actually like this book.
You can also read this review on www.thereadingbud.com
July 17, 2020
This book is meant for readers above 18 years of age.
Six friends decide to have a lot of crazy fun during one weekend before leaving their college days behind and entering the real world. This is a story about what happens during that weekend. There is friendship, lots of partying and sleeping around and some underlying themes like racism, LGBTQ+ rights and bullying. Some parts made me laugh while others were a bit too raunchy for me to digest. The overall vibe of the story is sexually suggestive and it's full of irreverent comedy. If you are the kind of reader who thinks that a joke is just a joke and a story is just a story then you can go for this book. On the other hand, if you get shocked easily then avoid this book.
Six friends decide to have a lot of crazy fun during one weekend before leaving their college days behind and entering the real world. This is a story about what happens during that weekend. There is friendship, lots of partying and sleeping around and some underlying themes like racism, LGBTQ+ rights and bullying. Some parts made me laugh while others were a bit too raunchy for me to digest. The overall vibe of the story is sexually suggestive and it's full of irreverent comedy. If you are the kind of reader who thinks that a joke is just a joke and a story is just a story then you can go for this book. On the other hand, if you get shocked easily then avoid this book.
August 14, 2020
The Final Weekend A Stoned Tale
It is a gripping tale of six friends who are about to enter into a real world. They all gather around for the final weekend where they drink, party, discuss about their lives and various aspects of it in the form of dark comedy. Author has very well kept themes like friendship, racism, LGBTQ etc. These bunch of friends live like there is no tomorrow, completely living in the moment and chilling oblivious to the outer world.
This book takes time to develop each and every character chapter wise and language is so refreshing as well as interesting to read. A lot happens and a lot these people have to go through. Before they enter into the real world, they have to be mature and accountable. The most interesting and new thing this book offered me was that every new chapter starts from the point, where the previous one ended so we don't actually lose the track of things.
Author has extremely focused on "attention to the detail" as he has wonderfully described each and every movement/action/emotions of the characters in this book but with that being said, this book is not for everyone and it didn't work for me either.
It has dark comedy, physical references, objectification and many more such things that are erotic in nature and I have no problem with it but i was looking for some kind of plot or something that can keep me hooked till the end. For almost 50% of the book, these bunch of friends partied and discussed numerous things from here and there which was a let down for me. The story shifts for some better plot when LL and Courtney meet Court's grandma and I was intrigued there so much as there I discovered some deep and meaningful storylines but again the friends were back to partying and getting laid. When the book hits the end, I felt two completely different plots were merged and ended.
It is not a spoiler but book ends when these six friends and Goodkat, the professor of these bunch of friends intersect unexpectedly and witness something unusual and heartbreaking. Redemption hits them. I felt emotional at that point of time and had it been the same touch of emotions in some more chapters, I would have liked this book more.
Author's way of plotting things is commendable and I was looking for some sort of inspiration/emotional touch in this book rather than an ambiguous plot. Had the plot been more clear keeping in mind the general readers, I would have shared a different opinion.
Overall if you think that you don't take sexual jokes personally and for you it will only remain just as a "story", you can definitely try with it and see if it works for you or not.
It is a gripping tale of six friends who are about to enter into a real world. They all gather around for the final weekend where they drink, party, discuss about their lives and various aspects of it in the form of dark comedy. Author has very well kept themes like friendship, racism, LGBTQ etc. These bunch of friends live like there is no tomorrow, completely living in the moment and chilling oblivious to the outer world.
This book takes time to develop each and every character chapter wise and language is so refreshing as well as interesting to read. A lot happens and a lot these people have to go through. Before they enter into the real world, they have to be mature and accountable. The most interesting and new thing this book offered me was that every new chapter starts from the point, where the previous one ended so we don't actually lose the track of things.
Author has extremely focused on "attention to the detail" as he has wonderfully described each and every movement/action/emotions of the characters in this book but with that being said, this book is not for everyone and it didn't work for me either.
It has dark comedy, physical references, objectification and many more such things that are erotic in nature and I have no problem with it but i was looking for some kind of plot or something that can keep me hooked till the end. For almost 50% of the book, these bunch of friends partied and discussed numerous things from here and there which was a let down for me. The story shifts for some better plot when LL and Courtney meet Court's grandma and I was intrigued there so much as there I discovered some deep and meaningful storylines but again the friends were back to partying and getting laid. When the book hits the end, I felt two completely different plots were merged and ended.
It is not a spoiler but book ends when these six friends and Goodkat, the professor of these bunch of friends intersect unexpectedly and witness something unusual and heartbreaking. Redemption hits them. I felt emotional at that point of time and had it been the same touch of emotions in some more chapters, I would have liked this book more.
Author's way of plotting things is commendable and I was looking for some sort of inspiration/emotional touch in this book rather than an ambiguous plot. Had the plot been more clear keeping in mind the general readers, I would have shared a different opinion.
Overall if you think that you don't take sexual jokes personally and for you it will only remain just as a "story", you can definitely try with it and see if it works for you or not.
May 3, 2020
I won the Kindle edition of this book in a Goodreads giveaway and I thank the author and the publisher.
Told in an interesting way using multiple view points, this books is a raw, unflinching, and yes, sometimes raunchy look at the last week of college before a group of young adults venture into the world. I am not sure the world is ready.
If you are sensitive to profanity and sexual exploits, this book is most definitely not for you. If you want to live vicariously through a final week of college and all that entails, then you will love it.
Take a seat, put your feet up, grab a cold one (booze is definitely the drink of choice in this book), and prepare for a wild ride.
Told in an interesting way using multiple view points, this books is a raw, unflinching, and yes, sometimes raunchy look at the last week of college before a group of young adults venture into the world. I am not sure the world is ready.
If you are sensitive to profanity and sexual exploits, this book is most definitely not for you. If you want to live vicariously through a final week of college and all that entails, then you will love it.
Take a seat, put your feet up, grab a cold one (booze is definitely the drink of choice in this book), and prepare for a wild ride.
June 27, 2020
This has been a very weird book for me. If I didn’t have a review copy, I wouldn’t have finished it. If I started a new book, to take a break from this one, I wouldn’t have finished it.
The story was all over the place and maybe it was late at night or maybe I wasn’t in the mood, but I struggled a lot to understand what was happening. There were multiple POVs so I couldn’t connect with any of them, and besides that, none of the characters were likable to me. It seemed that all of them were only thinking about drugs, when to do them, drinking, hangovers and sex.
The only actually shocking thing was the ending. I didn’t expect that to happen! Also, I didn’t find it satisfying. The only character that was partially interesting(to me)and that I felt that evolved a bit had a very unsatisfying ending… After finishing it I don’t know if this was the 1st in a series or it’s a stand alone. I could see how the 2nd book would deal with what happened in the end.
Now, after I talked about how I didn’t like the characters let me tell you a bit about the writing. I didn’t like how the author used sooo many commas and gerunds. The writing didn’t flow for me, I had to keep rereading sentences to make sense of them. I read to relax and none of it was relaxing to me.
Letting out a slight groan, I casually open my eyes, revealing nothing, darkness. Entirely covered by my comforter, sheets, and three or four of the seven pillows on my bed, I reach over and push “stop” on my phone, turning off the alarm. I can hear the air conditioner blasting away and my ceiling fan buzzing on high, and I chuckle a little, thinking of the three speeds my fan seems to have - ‘Very, Very Light Breeze’, ‘Very Light Breeze’, and ‘Hurricane’. Closing my eyes again, I burrow myself deeper into my bed, hugging my body pillow tighter, enjoying the warmth and comfort of my perfect cocoon.
Cassidy, Neal. The Final Weekend (Kindle Locations 83-87).
All in all I don’t know how to categorize it… I see some people have it under humor and new adult and I don’t agree with them. If you don’t mind the sentence syntax that I talked about and the multiple POVs this might work for you. I gave it 2* because I finished it and didn't have major no-nos for me, just small or medium annoying things that all happened in this book.
The story was all over the place and maybe it was late at night or maybe I wasn’t in the mood, but I struggled a lot to understand what was happening. There were multiple POVs so I couldn’t connect with any of them, and besides that, none of the characters were likable to me. It seemed that all of them were only thinking about drugs, when to do them, drinking, hangovers and sex.
The only actually shocking thing was the ending. I didn’t expect that to happen! Also, I didn’t find it satisfying. The only character that was partially interesting(to me)and that I felt that evolved a bit had a very unsatisfying ending… After finishing it I don’t know if this was the 1st in a series or it’s a stand alone. I could see how the 2nd book would deal with what happened in the end.
Now, after I talked about how I didn’t like the characters let me tell you a bit about the writing. I didn’t like how the author used sooo many commas and gerunds. The writing didn’t flow for me, I had to keep rereading sentences to make sense of them. I read to relax and none of it was relaxing to me.
Letting out a slight groan, I casually open my eyes, revealing nothing, darkness. Entirely covered by my comforter, sheets, and three or four of the seven pillows on my bed, I reach over and push “stop” on my phone, turning off the alarm. I can hear the air conditioner blasting away and my ceiling fan buzzing on high, and I chuckle a little, thinking of the three speeds my fan seems to have - ‘Very, Very Light Breeze’, ‘Very Light Breeze’, and ‘Hurricane’. Closing my eyes again, I burrow myself deeper into my bed, hugging my body pillow tighter, enjoying the warmth and comfort of my perfect cocoon.
Cassidy, Neal. The Final Weekend (Kindle Locations 83-87).
All in all I don’t know how to categorize it… I see some people have it under humor and new adult and I don’t agree with them. If you don’t mind the sentence syntax that I talked about and the multiple POVs this might work for you. I gave it 2* because I finished it and didn't have major no-nos for me, just small or medium annoying things that all happened in this book.
July 26, 2020
Hahaha What the fun. Now now, blunts(I didn't count exactly how many times but enough to make me long for one for sure) crossed almost every chapter I read and every monologue played out in such a casual, distinctive vogue that I fancied a stoned weekend for myself and wished I had one too after reading this book.
The sculpt of the book is laid back, focusing on lives of six crazy, impulsive and Sex driven youths with youthful slangs and just a vibe which I have only found in pot flicks. There was a time when I used to watch like 50-80 stoner flicks to just write a listicle on what would be the best flick to watch after a blazing some. Well, this book is a stoners delight and even though I didn't like the laid back writing style in some instances, the sexual gratia did overcome all the objectification. But if you are someone who understands mother green the way I do, I had say, yay to this genre of monologue writing. Liked how the author never lost sight of what he wanted to say by sugar coating anything, in that, the book was raw, full of punch and tantalizing.
A whittling prose with the sprinkles of a rom com, the first hand narrative was well suited and editing never suffered even as the author did force the legion of being too cool to care many a times. But that's the agenda. Right there. This book is not a serious read rather it's the opposite. The stories and thoughts talk about really important issues without being preachy and that's where I loved some of the prose. Most of it felt sundry and variegated, even with so many similar undertones. The tenor lacked the quality of a really good book but it made up in what many lack in this genre- the audacity to be raw, visualizing and breathable. The determination to read a non conclusive and light book was a must for me to enjoy what the author envisioned but unless you enjoy a blunt or two and love sexist memes, you can try to dive in and who knows what you'll like and what you won't.
Just the other day I enjoyed a conversation or two with the author and I told him, we better meet soon someday because I bet it will be an explosion of laughter, memories and yeah, obviously, blunts.
How was college for you or is? For me, it was my breakthrough as a need and a party loving animal. Both. But in phases. Frankly I don't think anyone in college knew what I read or where I was for most of it. I was more into experiences rather than rot learning and am glad. I enjoyed my law school and even though I didn't score that laudable scores many times, I at least smiled a lot as I matched my cussing to Cassidy's. Hahaha
The sculpt of the book is laid back, focusing on lives of six crazy, impulsive and Sex driven youths with youthful slangs and just a vibe which I have only found in pot flicks. There was a time when I used to watch like 50-80 stoner flicks to just write a listicle on what would be the best flick to watch after a blazing some. Well, this book is a stoners delight and even though I didn't like the laid back writing style in some instances, the sexual gratia did overcome all the objectification. But if you are someone who understands mother green the way I do, I had say, yay to this genre of monologue writing. Liked how the author never lost sight of what he wanted to say by sugar coating anything, in that, the book was raw, full of punch and tantalizing.
A whittling prose with the sprinkles of a rom com, the first hand narrative was well suited and editing never suffered even as the author did force the legion of being too cool to care many a times. But that's the agenda. Right there. This book is not a serious read rather it's the opposite. The stories and thoughts talk about really important issues without being preachy and that's where I loved some of the prose. Most of it felt sundry and variegated, even with so many similar undertones. The tenor lacked the quality of a really good book but it made up in what many lack in this genre- the audacity to be raw, visualizing and breathable. The determination to read a non conclusive and light book was a must for me to enjoy what the author envisioned but unless you enjoy a blunt or two and love sexist memes, you can try to dive in and who knows what you'll like and what you won't.
Just the other day I enjoyed a conversation or two with the author and I told him, we better meet soon someday because I bet it will be an explosion of laughter, memories and yeah, obviously, blunts.
How was college for you or is? For me, it was my breakthrough as a need and a party loving animal. Both. But in phases. Frankly I don't think anyone in college knew what I read or where I was for most of it. I was more into experiences rather than rot learning and am glad. I enjoyed my law school and even though I didn't score that laudable scores many times, I at least smiled a lot as I matched my cussing to Cassidy's. Hahaha
September 23, 2022
*I received a free ARC of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
This story takes the form of a step-by-step account of what feels like every minute of the ‘last weekend’ of youth/early adulthood, from the points of view of each of the characters, as they drink, smoke, masturbate, have sex, and generally dick around doing not a lot.
As an example of the level of detail you can expect, the reader gets to experience the whole of Goodkat’s two-hour gym routine in what feels like real-time. At first, I thought this was a really clever concept, following in the footsteps of classics like Mrs Dalloway, Under Milk Wood, or Ulysses but with more modern preoccupations and vices. After a while of it though, I simply found myself bored of all the minutiae and struggled not to skip bits (which, I have to confess, also reminded me of reading Ulysses!).
It didn’t help that the characters were mostly pretty unlikeable too, with the men sexist and sex-obsessed, and the women very stereotypical and two-dimensional. I don’t feel the need to like a character to read about what happens to them, but when there is so little plot too then it becomes hard to care and by the grand finale (when something actually does happen) I was mostly relieved instead of shocked or moved in the way I suspect was intended.
I was reminded a little bit of the Kevin Smith film Clerks, in the examination of the ordinary moments in ordinary (stoned, drunk, horny) lives. But this book, while well-written, has even less plot than that famous ‘film about nothing’ and much shallower characters.
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
This story takes the form of a step-by-step account of what feels like every minute of the ‘last weekend’ of youth/early adulthood, from the points of view of each of the characters, as they drink, smoke, masturbate, have sex, and generally dick around doing not a lot.
As an example of the level of detail you can expect, the reader gets to experience the whole of Goodkat’s two-hour gym routine in what feels like real-time. At first, I thought this was a really clever concept, following in the footsteps of classics like Mrs Dalloway, Under Milk Wood, or Ulysses but with more modern preoccupations and vices. After a while of it though, I simply found myself bored of all the minutiae and struggled not to skip bits (which, I have to confess, also reminded me of reading Ulysses!).
It didn’t help that the characters were mostly pretty unlikeable too, with the men sexist and sex-obsessed, and the women very stereotypical and two-dimensional. I don’t feel the need to like a character to read about what happens to them, but when there is so little plot too then it becomes hard to care and by the grand finale (when something actually does happen) I was mostly relieved instead of shocked or moved in the way I suspect was intended.
I was reminded a little bit of the Kevin Smith film Clerks, in the examination of the ordinary moments in ordinary (stoned, drunk, horny) lives. But this book, while well-written, has even less plot than that famous ‘film about nothing’ and much shallower characters.
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
April 17, 2020
The Review
A well written, humorous and one of a kind read, author Neal Cassidy does an amazing job of defying expectations by telling a wonderful story of friendship, memories and honoring a significant period of one’s life through a series of pranks, partying and alcohol-fueled nostalgia.
The story takes readers through an ever-shifting narrative as the perspective changes between each character throughout the novel, giving readers a chance to really understand and see the motivations and thoughts of each character. By the book’s end, readers are shocked into a more thoughtful, surprising and introspective narrative that makes the reader look back upon the narrative with a new set of eyes, making this a truly remarkable read.
The Verdict
An evenly paced read, author Neal Cassidy’s “The Final Weekend: A Stoned Tale” is a must-read novel that really keeps the reader invested in the story and the characters. Memorable, funny yet impactful, readers will be shocked by the depth of the narrative by the book's end, really telling a tale that speaks to the modern era well. Be sure to grab your copy today.
A well written, humorous and one of a kind read, author Neal Cassidy does an amazing job of defying expectations by telling a wonderful story of friendship, memories and honoring a significant period of one’s life through a series of pranks, partying and alcohol-fueled nostalgia.
The story takes readers through an ever-shifting narrative as the perspective changes between each character throughout the novel, giving readers a chance to really understand and see the motivations and thoughts of each character. By the book’s end, readers are shocked into a more thoughtful, surprising and introspective narrative that makes the reader look back upon the narrative with a new set of eyes, making this a truly remarkable read.
The Verdict
An evenly paced read, author Neal Cassidy’s “The Final Weekend: A Stoned Tale” is a must-read novel that really keeps the reader invested in the story and the characters. Memorable, funny yet impactful, readers will be shocked by the depth of the narrative by the book's end, really telling a tale that speaks to the modern era well. Be sure to grab your copy today.
December 14, 2020
Disclaimer: this novel was sent to me by the author Neal Cassidy in exchange for an honest review.
If you're in your thirties as I am you have probably spent a considerable amount of time remembering your twenties with a mixture of both sweet nostalgia and dread. Every day is singular and there is almost nothing you cannot accomplish, and that's only if you have the foresight to have even considered accomplishing anything at all. Consider waking up and being in your early twenties again, and this is pretty much the mindset you need to have when reading Neal Cassidy's novel of unrestrained debauchery The Final Weekend: A Stoned Tale.
A group of friends are planning their last weekend together before they all disperse after college and go off into the world to pursue their individual lives. Their plan for this weekend is not profound nor highly ambitious, but rather simple: to get as drunk and as stoned as they possibly can whilst reminiscing over the years spent together. It is as simple as that.
Schroeder lives with his girlfriend and sells weed to his friends. His girlfriend is never referred to by name, but only as 'Schroeder's girlfriend' which could initially be seen as problematic, if it wasn't so telling of the nature of this beast that is the novel The Final Weekend. Schroeder is much like every other 'slacker-type' character whose major selling point is that at least he holds some sort of career as a purveyor of things euphoria-inducing. Trent has not so much lost, but tossed more jobs away than seems possible for someone so damn unlikable – it is not the loss of gainful employment that is surprising but rather the fact that he managed to be employed in the first place. Clarence who has been at a police academy will finally be starting his first job as a policeman after this last weekend with his friends, and is mocked incessantly for his choice of profession despite it being clear how proud they all are of the most accomplished member of the group. Justin is the quiet 'good guy', whilst Harry, the instigator of all things 'party' is a charming ladies man, with a penchant for referring to women by their physical attributes. Ling-Ling and Courtney are the only women, and while Ling-Ling is the virgin of the group, Courtney is outrageously open about her sexuality. And then there is Goodkat, or Professor Goodkat to the students whom he either sleeps with or buys narcotics from, whose moral yardstick is frankly non-existent.
The novel takes place over the course of two evenings with this particular group reminiscing over their time spent together whilst consuming as much alcohol and marijuana as they possibly can. The point of view switches between each character as the weekend progresses and the group becomes more and more aware of their own limited time together. Whilst sitting together they make very casual observations about the world around them. None of these observations are particularly profound nor life-changing which I like to interpret as being rather indicative of a generation of twenty-somethings whose identities have been created on a diet of social media and internet gags.
Cassidy's characters are not particularly likeable, but this is perhaps the point. In a world that prides itself on baseless opinions and selfies and Instagram profiles, it is entirely fitting that this particular group of people would appear shallow and flat, and completely naïve and ignorant of what lies around the next corner. In this brief moment in time the reader is the proverbial 'fly on the wall' to the shattered illusions of youth, or at least the potential shattering of a few people whose lives are insignificant to the untrained eye.
This is not to say that the characters and indeed the plot is without sparks of genius as is made obvious in the restaurant scene with Ling-Ling's 'Grandma' who is rude, crude and downright offensive, but so damn likeable. In fact there are loads of encounters with our protagonists that spark both hilarity and morbidity.
Regardless of whether you can relate to the friend's sexual exploits or their skills at manufacturing marijuana joints in the shapes of wild animals, or their combined ability to conjure up pranks and jokes remarkably quickly, this novel is but a brief moment in time that doesn't require too much interpretation. It is what it is. Cassidy has brilliantly put his literary finger on what I can only describe as the 'death-pulse' of a generation that lacks both perspective and any desire to change the world – at least not yet. In the spirit of Irvine Welsh, Douglas Coupland and Brett Easton Ellis, Cassidy and his merry band of degenerates are a refreshing take on contemporary life.
If you're in your thirties as I am you have probably spent a considerable amount of time remembering your twenties with a mixture of both sweet nostalgia and dread. Every day is singular and there is almost nothing you cannot accomplish, and that's only if you have the foresight to have even considered accomplishing anything at all. Consider waking up and being in your early twenties again, and this is pretty much the mindset you need to have when reading Neal Cassidy's novel of unrestrained debauchery The Final Weekend: A Stoned Tale.
A group of friends are planning their last weekend together before they all disperse after college and go off into the world to pursue their individual lives. Their plan for this weekend is not profound nor highly ambitious, but rather simple: to get as drunk and as stoned as they possibly can whilst reminiscing over the years spent together. It is as simple as that.
Schroeder lives with his girlfriend and sells weed to his friends. His girlfriend is never referred to by name, but only as 'Schroeder's girlfriend' which could initially be seen as problematic, if it wasn't so telling of the nature of this beast that is the novel The Final Weekend. Schroeder is much like every other 'slacker-type' character whose major selling point is that at least he holds some sort of career as a purveyor of things euphoria-inducing. Trent has not so much lost, but tossed more jobs away than seems possible for someone so damn unlikable – it is not the loss of gainful employment that is surprising but rather the fact that he managed to be employed in the first place. Clarence who has been at a police academy will finally be starting his first job as a policeman after this last weekend with his friends, and is mocked incessantly for his choice of profession despite it being clear how proud they all are of the most accomplished member of the group. Justin is the quiet 'good guy', whilst Harry, the instigator of all things 'party' is a charming ladies man, with a penchant for referring to women by their physical attributes. Ling-Ling and Courtney are the only women, and while Ling-Ling is the virgin of the group, Courtney is outrageously open about her sexuality. And then there is Goodkat, or Professor Goodkat to the students whom he either sleeps with or buys narcotics from, whose moral yardstick is frankly non-existent.
The novel takes place over the course of two evenings with this particular group reminiscing over their time spent together whilst consuming as much alcohol and marijuana as they possibly can. The point of view switches between each character as the weekend progresses and the group becomes more and more aware of their own limited time together. Whilst sitting together they make very casual observations about the world around them. None of these observations are particularly profound nor life-changing which I like to interpret as being rather indicative of a generation of twenty-somethings whose identities have been created on a diet of social media and internet gags.
Cassidy's characters are not particularly likeable, but this is perhaps the point. In a world that prides itself on baseless opinions and selfies and Instagram profiles, it is entirely fitting that this particular group of people would appear shallow and flat, and completely naïve and ignorant of what lies around the next corner. In this brief moment in time the reader is the proverbial 'fly on the wall' to the shattered illusions of youth, or at least the potential shattering of a few people whose lives are insignificant to the untrained eye.
This is not to say that the characters and indeed the plot is without sparks of genius as is made obvious in the restaurant scene with Ling-Ling's 'Grandma' who is rude, crude and downright offensive, but so damn likeable. In fact there are loads of encounters with our protagonists that spark both hilarity and morbidity.
Regardless of whether you can relate to the friend's sexual exploits or their skills at manufacturing marijuana joints in the shapes of wild animals, or their combined ability to conjure up pranks and jokes remarkably quickly, this novel is but a brief moment in time that doesn't require too much interpretation. It is what it is. Cassidy has brilliantly put his literary finger on what I can only describe as the 'death-pulse' of a generation that lacks both perspective and any desire to change the world – at least not yet. In the spirit of Irvine Welsh, Douglas Coupland and Brett Easton Ellis, Cassidy and his merry band of degenerates are a refreshing take on contemporary life.
January 2, 2021
This is a story about six young adults that just finished college and have to enter the adult world. We follow their P.O.V's and get to know more about whether they are ready to face the working life or not. However, we also get to read Professor Goodkats thoughts who still behaves like a college student himself.
I had some problems getting used to the writing style, which is why I gave it "only" a 3-star rating. Just to clarify some things: 3 stars is still a great rating for me as it means that I enjoyed the story but just had some slight troubles with other things. There are also some jumps in the storyline. Sometimes there are flashbacks, which are in italic so it's easy to make them out. I have to be honest, I found these flashbacks to be unnecessary but again that's only my personal point of view. All the characters were unlikeable in my opinion. I didn't manage to connect with one of them. Constant talks about sex, drug usage, the way they talked and so on just made them really unlikeable. The typical stereotypes of college students. But I suppose that the author wrote them like that on purpose. It is a satire after all. In my eyes, it wouldn't have made much sense if they were likeable. As I'm only having one semester left before graduating I could completely relate with some things mentioned in the book.
Like many other reviewers before me, I found the ending to be surprising as well. I wasn't prepared at all for it. Which is why I strongly suggest all of you to read the book until the very end. You won't be disappointed!
Overall, The Final Weekend is a strange and unique story about college graduates that have to move on to a whole other level of adult life. This is a story that makes you think. If you like satire and comedy books this is probably going to be your thing and I'd highly recommend The Final Weekend to you.
I had some problems getting used to the writing style, which is why I gave it "only" a 3-star rating. Just to clarify some things: 3 stars is still a great rating for me as it means that I enjoyed the story but just had some slight troubles with other things. There are also some jumps in the storyline. Sometimes there are flashbacks, which are in italic so it's easy to make them out. I have to be honest, I found these flashbacks to be unnecessary but again that's only my personal point of view. All the characters were unlikeable in my opinion. I didn't manage to connect with one of them. Constant talks about sex, drug usage, the way they talked and so on just made them really unlikeable. The typical stereotypes of college students. But I suppose that the author wrote them like that on purpose. It is a satire after all. In my eyes, it wouldn't have made much sense if they were likeable. As I'm only having one semester left before graduating I could completely relate with some things mentioned in the book.
Like many other reviewers before me, I found the ending to be surprising as well. I wasn't prepared at all for it. Which is why I strongly suggest all of you to read the book until the very end. You won't be disappointed!
Overall, The Final Weekend is a strange and unique story about college graduates that have to move on to a whole other level of adult life. This is a story that makes you think. If you like satire and comedy books this is probably going to be your thing and I'd highly recommend The Final Weekend to you.
June 10, 2020
This book was a unique one. I say that because, for the most part, it was a pretty average read....until I got to the end. Then it took a shocking turn that I was never expecting in a million years. Which leaves me at a point where I don't know what to rate it.
It had a lot of characters so there were a lot of perspectives to follow and they each had their own quirks to them which was fun. It centered a lot on the use of marijuana which is something I have only dabbled in a bit and am not that familiar with so I couldn't really relate to a lot of what the book was about in that aspect.
I could, however, relate to the ending of school and moving on into your adult life after graduation. So that was alright. I remember being scared for so much change to happen at once and wondering how my bonds with my friends would either flourish or diminish and a lot of the characters shared those same struggles.
I found that I was a bit bored during parts of the book because they just went over the basic day to day things that they did without any real plot devices in there. I will say that it makes sense now that I have completed the book because all this "non build-up" was just the reason why I was caught so off guard by that ending. I turned to my significant other and was speechless when I finished the book because I was trying to process what had just happened.
Overall, I am rating this book right in the middle. The ending is what gave it that rating (otherwise it probably would have been lower) and you will rethink the whole book once you have finished it. I would suggest trying it out just for that factor alone!
It had a lot of characters so there were a lot of perspectives to follow and they each had their own quirks to them which was fun. It centered a lot on the use of marijuana which is something I have only dabbled in a bit and am not that familiar with so I couldn't really relate to a lot of what the book was about in that aspect.
I could, however, relate to the ending of school and moving on into your adult life after graduation. So that was alright. I remember being scared for so much change to happen at once and wondering how my bonds with my friends would either flourish or diminish and a lot of the characters shared those same struggles.
I found that I was a bit bored during parts of the book because they just went over the basic day to day things that they did without any real plot devices in there. I will say that it makes sense now that I have completed the book because all this "non build-up" was just the reason why I was caught so off guard by that ending. I turned to my significant other and was speechless when I finished the book because I was trying to process what had just happened.
Overall, I am rating this book right in the middle. The ending is what gave it that rating (otherwise it probably would have been lower) and you will rethink the whole book once you have finished it. I would suggest trying it out just for that factor alone!
July 21, 2020
I’ll be honest, you definitely need to go into this one with an open mind and be prepared to embark upon a wild ride since it also features lots of satire and sex of course.
The Final Weekend is that weekend when six college friends say goodbye and embark on their final hurrah before they have to enter the real world for good. That being said, don’t look for overly likable or relatable characters here because you won’t be quick to find them.
You’ve got Goodkat the professor who is vain and sleeps with his students. I’ll just leave it at that. Trent has continued his sh*tty attitude, so he finds himself out of a job. Again. Clarence has started a position on law enforcement. Schroeder is a drug dealer. Then you’ve got Ling-Ling, Courtney, and Harry. I’m telling you. It’s a bag of misfits.
So I’ll be honest, there’s partying and definitely plenty of superficial themes. However, if you are able to get through that, what I really gravitated towards the most was the author’s grace when it came to tackling both racism and the prejudice that the LGBTQ+ community faces. These are definitely topics that people try to brush off as jokes when they make problematic comments, and I think the author diligently tries to point that out and not shy away from it.
Overall, don’t be quick to brush this one off with its brash tone. The author’s writing clearly shows the depths he is willing to go to tackle some rather challenging topics even if his fallback is humor.
Thank you to Breakeven Books for blog tour invite and providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
The Final Weekend is that weekend when six college friends say goodbye and embark on their final hurrah before they have to enter the real world for good. That being said, don’t look for overly likable or relatable characters here because you won’t be quick to find them.
You’ve got Goodkat the professor who is vain and sleeps with his students. I’ll just leave it at that. Trent has continued his sh*tty attitude, so he finds himself out of a job. Again. Clarence has started a position on law enforcement. Schroeder is a drug dealer. Then you’ve got Ling-Ling, Courtney, and Harry. I’m telling you. It’s a bag of misfits.
So I’ll be honest, there’s partying and definitely plenty of superficial themes. However, if you are able to get through that, what I really gravitated towards the most was the author’s grace when it came to tackling both racism and the prejudice that the LGBTQ+ community faces. These are definitely topics that people try to brush off as jokes when they make problematic comments, and I think the author diligently tries to point that out and not shy away from it.
Overall, don’t be quick to brush this one off with its brash tone. The author’s writing clearly shows the depths he is willing to go to tackle some rather challenging topics even if his fallback is humor.
Thank you to Breakeven Books for blog tour invite and providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
August 14, 2020
There is something about being young that makes us wild, free, sometimes unethical until we get our life straight.
Neal Cassidy's 'The Final Weekend: A Stoned Tale' is a perfect example of my above saying. A tale of six young spirited lives, who are going to get graduated and enter into the real world. Professor Goodkat has their back and is one of their favourite amongst the college. It's contemporary, coming of age novel that focuses on young mindsets and how easily they get manipulated with freedom, love, overpowering emotions and unstable thoughts.
I don't know, but I love watching or reading about the messed-up younger generation but only in a fictitious way. Such stories open a window of improvement for others.
--
The author is very clear about what he has written in the book. He incepted a wider approach in presenting the story to his readers. Whether he is talking about class, creed or colour or sexism, he has put forth how youngsters, in general, talk about it in their age groups.
I was aware of the harsh and sexist tone of the narration, and therefore I am not judging this book on that basis because this is what its character demands. The characters are evolving, and therefore there will be some scope of having a destroyed personality, and vision of seeing things in an unorthodox manner, which society doesn't accept easily. But I do feel sometimes the harsh narrative puts me off.
--
If you're someone who loves exploring such interlinked stories of young minds or simply wants to get a fictional analysis of it, please read this book.
Neal Cassidy's 'The Final Weekend: A Stoned Tale' is a perfect example of my above saying. A tale of six young spirited lives, who are going to get graduated and enter into the real world. Professor Goodkat has their back and is one of their favourite amongst the college. It's contemporary, coming of age novel that focuses on young mindsets and how easily they get manipulated with freedom, love, overpowering emotions and unstable thoughts.
I don't know, but I love watching or reading about the messed-up younger generation but only in a fictitious way. Such stories open a window of improvement for others.
--
The author is very clear about what he has written in the book. He incepted a wider approach in presenting the story to his readers. Whether he is talking about class, creed or colour or sexism, he has put forth how youngsters, in general, talk about it in their age groups.
I was aware of the harsh and sexist tone of the narration, and therefore I am not judging this book on that basis because this is what its character demands. The characters are evolving, and therefore there will be some scope of having a destroyed personality, and vision of seeing things in an unorthodox manner, which society doesn't accept easily. But I do feel sometimes the harsh narrative puts me off.
--
If you're someone who loves exploring such interlinked stories of young minds or simply wants to get a fictional analysis of it, please read this book.
August 29, 2020
'The Final Weekend: A Stoned Tale' by Neal Cassidy is a book which makes you feel back to the college days of casual approach towards things and an exuberant lifestyle. With varied characters and different behavioral traits to each of the friends, the book is sure to pamper the readers with humour and subtle content which becomes humongous that certainly can be treated as erotic.
The book has many different characters, Goodkart being one of the most obnoxious of them. The fondness of this twisted lifestyle would encourage the readers to engage with the book completely. An astonishing fact would be that the time would run away with curiosity and imagination surmounting the readers to think about what is going to happen next now. College life with its spellbound beauty and luxury could be felt in an instant through the beginning itself with the advent of Trent and suddenly the plot looks humorous and creative simultaneously.
Nonetheless, it has instances of sexually explicit stuff which can obviously be enjoyed and appreciated. The book is bound to give goosebumps with some of the odd ones though.
The book is recommended for those who are interested in casual drama with a lot of turns and twists!
The book has many different characters, Goodkart being one of the most obnoxious of them. The fondness of this twisted lifestyle would encourage the readers to engage with the book completely. An astonishing fact would be that the time would run away with curiosity and imagination surmounting the readers to think about what is going to happen next now. College life with its spellbound beauty and luxury could be felt in an instant through the beginning itself with the advent of Trent and suddenly the plot looks humorous and creative simultaneously.
Nonetheless, it has instances of sexually explicit stuff which can obviously be enjoyed and appreciated. The book is bound to give goosebumps with some of the odd ones though.
The book is recommended for those who are interested in casual drama with a lot of turns and twists!
July 14, 2020
This is shelved as comedy and satire. And it is but also shows the college frat life with sex, partying, the yolo life and more sexual exploits. I had to roll my eyes at the character jokes and laughed at other moments. Such a mix bag for me personally. The title is structured with multiple POV. It jumps between about 5 characters. I liked some better than others but I would never want any of them to be in my live. Character aren't always to be liked but they are spoiled college kids. If profanity and sex isn't for I'd say skip. I read through the book being ace, that's an experience. The writing is solid and readable. It was a slice of life story with an something ending that's unexpected. I'll leave it at that. This book will find an audience
August 6, 2020
Humorous
This book revolves around the life of six college friends surviving in this contemporary world. They are trying their best to fit in, each having their own struggles. The author provides each of the characters a chance to narrate their side of the story so the character traits are best expressed. The description is in details. One thing that I liked is that there are no noticeable typos in the book. The themes of racism and LGBTQ are also covered in the story.
However, the character of Professor Goodkat was not quite liked by me, because of his sexist mindset. Otherwise, the character of Trent was quite funny.
Recommended to everyone who loves contemporary fiction.
This book revolves around the life of six college friends surviving in this contemporary world. They are trying their best to fit in, each having their own struggles. The author provides each of the characters a chance to narrate their side of the story so the character traits are best expressed. The description is in details. One thing that I liked is that there are no noticeable typos in the book. The themes of racism and LGBTQ are also covered in the story.
However, the character of Professor Goodkat was not quite liked by me, because of his sexist mindset. Otherwise, the character of Trent was quite funny.
Recommended to everyone who loves contemporary fiction.
July 17, 2020
This totally didn't end the way I thought I thought it would. I'm a bit shocked but I would read it again and I want more story!
December 11, 2020
The story is quite a roller coaster and is at times almost extravagant hysteric and the suffering becomes difficult to endure even to the readers. However, the author tries to mok the system and finds humor in these sorry situations. A lot of times novels come along that match the times and this book is the perfect narrative of this era’s anxiety, friendship, sex, drugs and love affairs. It almost makes you think how this has now become a norm to youngsters across the world.
This book stands out in so many areas and the character development his simply amazing, not to mention the truly most non unimaginative twist. This book touches upon so many complex emotions and state of mind. The coping mechanism all of us have turned to and the cultural norm that we have accepted for ourselves.
This book helped me understand how experiences and relationships are so fluid and how we have learned to accept realities even if they are not ours better than we did before.
Overall, this book feels honest and real about the characters in an anxious world like ours.
This book was definitely a good read, although lengthy hit all the right chords.
Read more here: https://booksrnb.wixsite.com/home/pos...
This book stands out in so many areas and the character development his simply amazing, not to mention the truly most non unimaginative twist. This book touches upon so many complex emotions and state of mind. The coping mechanism all of us have turned to and the cultural norm that we have accepted for ourselves.
This book helped me understand how experiences and relationships are so fluid and how we have learned to accept realities even if they are not ours better than we did before.
Overall, this book feels honest and real about the characters in an anxious world like ours.
This book was definitely a good read, although lengthy hit all the right chords.
Read more here: https://booksrnb.wixsite.com/home/pos...
March 22, 2021
"The Final Weekend: A Stoned Tale" by Neal Cassidy is about the time in our lives where we must say goodbye to our carefree youth and the people who we spent it with. It’s about a group of college friends who are about to go their separate ways. It’s a unique coming-of-age story.
The book follows a wide range of characters that are very different from each other. Goodkat is a professor, who much like his students, isn’t quite out of the college boy mindset yet. He sleeps with his students and doesn’t remember their names. He is vain and shallow. He is an example of the people who have a hard time letting go of their glory days and dealing with adulthood.
Trent gets fired again and again due to his rude attitude. Clarence just became a cop. Schroeder is a drug dealer. He and his girlfriend have quite a strange relationship. Ling-Ling is a stickler for punctuality, unlike her best friend Courtney who has the coolest grandma ever. She has a crush on her friend Justin, but there’s nothing happening between the two beyond their incessant flirting. Courtney and Harry have been hooking up for years but are unable to commit to each other. Harry has already moved away for his career, and the group spends one last weekend together to have fun and to say goodbye to each other.
It was clear that all the boys desperately wanted to hold on to their youth and the carefree and silly time they had with each other. They were mostly caught up in the casual hookups scenario, but some of them wanted to have deeper connections. There are many flashback scenes from various characters’ memories. It showed how all of them were nostalgic for the good times they had with each other. I really enjoyed the bonding between Ling-Ling and Courtney, especially since they had such different personalities.
I understand that the author was just portraying how young people are, but I found most characters extremely unlikeable. It was hard to feel anything for them. Most of the boys were typical sexist jerks who made immature innuendos.
There are some monotonous descriptions of things that go on for too long. It could’ve been shorter and the plot more solid. The plot is vague even though it does manage to make its point. I found the twist at the end very unnecessary. This is a very light-hearted book, and I liked that, but I would’ve preferred the story to be stronger.
I really enjoyed the author’s writing style. The flashbacks, especially, were really well-written.
This book is a satire on contemporary society. By showing very stereotypical characters, it shows how the people of our generation behave and live. This book will work best for the kind of audience that will relate to it.
Check out my book reviews, recommendations, and other content on Travelling Through Words and my bookstagram!
The book follows a wide range of characters that are very different from each other. Goodkat is a professor, who much like his students, isn’t quite out of the college boy mindset yet. He sleeps with his students and doesn’t remember their names. He is vain and shallow. He is an example of the people who have a hard time letting go of their glory days and dealing with adulthood.
Trent gets fired again and again due to his rude attitude. Clarence just became a cop. Schroeder is a drug dealer. He and his girlfriend have quite a strange relationship. Ling-Ling is a stickler for punctuality, unlike her best friend Courtney who has the coolest grandma ever. She has a crush on her friend Justin, but there’s nothing happening between the two beyond their incessant flirting. Courtney and Harry have been hooking up for years but are unable to commit to each other. Harry has already moved away for his career, and the group spends one last weekend together to have fun and to say goodbye to each other.
It was clear that all the boys desperately wanted to hold on to their youth and the carefree and silly time they had with each other. They were mostly caught up in the casual hookups scenario, but some of them wanted to have deeper connections. There are many flashback scenes from various characters’ memories. It showed how all of them were nostalgic for the good times they had with each other. I really enjoyed the bonding between Ling-Ling and Courtney, especially since they had such different personalities.
I understand that the author was just portraying how young people are, but I found most characters extremely unlikeable. It was hard to feel anything for them. Most of the boys were typical sexist jerks who made immature innuendos.
There are some monotonous descriptions of things that go on for too long. It could’ve been shorter and the plot more solid. The plot is vague even though it does manage to make its point. I found the twist at the end very unnecessary. This is a very light-hearted book, and I liked that, but I would’ve preferred the story to be stronger.
I really enjoyed the author’s writing style. The flashbacks, especially, were really well-written.
This book is a satire on contemporary society. By showing very stereotypical characters, it shows how the people of our generation behave and live. This book will work best for the kind of audience that will relate to it.
Check out my book reviews, recommendations, and other content on Travelling Through Words and my bookstagram!
April 29, 2020
Sex, Alcohol and a lot of Drugs.
The story follows several different groups of individuals who are all interconnected in some way, shape or form. There is the "cool" professor who seems to be a little too into his students; the two roommates, Ling-Ling and Courtney, who just love to get high and among other things, have a great connection with Courtney's sexually-active and "rich" Grandmother; the four roommates, Trent, Clarence, Justin and Harry, who seem to have a love of sex, drugs and alcohol; and everyone's marijuana dealer, Schroeder, and his girlfriend. While there are many flashbacks to events that happen before or between the events in the story, they do well to build or show what and how the different characters came to get along. The story starts out at or around College final exam time and the groups, excluding the professor, are hanging out and having, let us say, lots of fun with the above mentioned three activities/vices, before they go their separate ways. Clarence just got a job as a law enforcement officer and Harry is going to start his new job soon and Trent has quit his most recent job working at a smoothie story. The majority of the story felt like Animal House mixed with American Pie with elements of Cheech and Chong and is told in pieces from the different character's perspectives making each character a protagonist, a narrator, and a supporting character for each other. There were many times where I had to flip back to either the Table of Contents or the "chapter" heading to find out whose perspective I was viewing now, which sometimes gave me a headache. As I said earlier, the vast majority of the characters are college students and spend most of their time smoking African animal sized quantities of marijuana and/or drinking, which seemed like an interesting approach for telling the story. However, I found that how they spent their "final weekend" together seemed a bit too forced like there must have been other things to do. The ending on the other hand, too use a very overused phrase, "took a turn for the worst." I will not spoil what happens, but it is not only dark but very unexpected.
Overall, the story was definitely different from what I have previously read for multiple reasons including the characters' nearly constant need to use and somewhat endless supply of marijuana and alcohol and the aftermaths of the sexual relationships. Further, dividing the story so that each character gets his or her own perspective was entertaining. Again, this story starts out like its title might lead reader to obviously believe, but by the end the reader will become so attached to the characters that it almost seemed disappointing what happened to them.
Do not let my thoughts keep you from reading this book if it is something you might like. I must say that this is not a book you should read aloud to young children or those of a more prudent character and taste in literature...but that is just me. For all of the above mentioned reasons, I give this book 4/5 stars.
**I received this as part of a Goodreads giveaway.
The story follows several different groups of individuals who are all interconnected in some way, shape or form. There is the "cool" professor who seems to be a little too into his students; the two roommates, Ling-Ling and Courtney, who just love to get high and among other things, have a great connection with Courtney's sexually-active and "rich" Grandmother; the four roommates, Trent, Clarence, Justin and Harry, who seem to have a love of sex, drugs and alcohol; and everyone's marijuana dealer, Schroeder, and his girlfriend. While there are many flashbacks to events that happen before or between the events in the story, they do well to build or show what and how the different characters came to get along. The story starts out at or around College final exam time and the groups, excluding the professor, are hanging out and having, let us say, lots of fun with the above mentioned three activities/vices, before they go their separate ways. Clarence just got a job as a law enforcement officer and Harry is going to start his new job soon and Trent has quit his most recent job working at a smoothie story. The majority of the story felt like Animal House mixed with American Pie with elements of Cheech and Chong and is told in pieces from the different character's perspectives making each character a protagonist, a narrator, and a supporting character for each other. There were many times where I had to flip back to either the Table of Contents or the "chapter" heading to find out whose perspective I was viewing now, which sometimes gave me a headache. As I said earlier, the vast majority of the characters are college students and spend most of their time smoking African animal sized quantities of marijuana and/or drinking, which seemed like an interesting approach for telling the story. However, I found that how they spent their "final weekend" together seemed a bit too forced like there must have been other things to do. The ending on the other hand, too use a very overused phrase, "took a turn for the worst." I will not spoil what happens, but it is not only dark but very unexpected.
Overall, the story was definitely different from what I have previously read for multiple reasons including the characters' nearly constant need to use and somewhat endless supply of marijuana and alcohol and the aftermaths of the sexual relationships. Further, dividing the story so that each character gets his or her own perspective was entertaining. Again, this story starts out like its title might lead reader to obviously believe, but by the end the reader will become so attached to the characters that it almost seemed disappointing what happened to them.
Do not let my thoughts keep you from reading this book if it is something you might like. I must say that this is not a book you should read aloud to young children or those of a more prudent character and taste in literature...but that is just me. For all of the above mentioned reasons, I give this book 4/5 stars.
**I received this as part of a Goodreads giveaway.
April 14, 2020
This is one of those books which isn’t really about anything (though, the ending is genuinely staggering). Set over the course of a weekend, it tells, from a multi-person viewpoint, of the everyday lives of a group of young twenty-somethings – and a few peripheral others – who appear to live for nothing but smoking weed, drinking shots and getting laid. Despite its excellent writing, it didn’t really appeal to me; in fact, in the main, I think this book is probably more suited to an audience of twenty-somethings who are interested in smoking weed, drinking shots and getting laid.
Cassidy is a fine writer, and this book is loaded with snappy, witty dialogue and genuine laugh-out-loud moments, along with clever humour, scattered with stand-up one liners. Unfortunately, I do feel that he lets himself down a little, and am certain that he is capable of writing much, much better content. Not so much that there is anything particularly wrong with The Final Weekend…, but it does seem to revel in the lewd and crude. In fact, at about midway, the author seems to make a conscious decision to take that particular quality up a notch, and that’s where it stays for the remainder of the book. High brow this certainly isn’t; if you don’t want to read about dislikeable characters generally being dislikeable, this probably won’t be up your street.
I do get the impression that there are many more strings to Cassidy’s bow, and I do hope that he flexes them in other titles, rather than sticking to the “fun of misguided youth” formula. I have to be honest, whilst I may not have been particularly generous with the star rating, it was actually higher than it would have been, were it not for the quality of this author. His work is flawless; sure, there are a number of misplaced commas, which throw you from the flow a little, but overall I think this work may not be representative of Cassidy in many ways. At the same time, herein are real glimpses of what he can do, and it is very interesting indeed. Perhaps the book is a bit long, especially for one in which the narratives never really seem to have any objective or direction, and the viewpoints all seem to merge into one after a while; I found that later in the book I didn’t really know or care too much who was talking or about what, and was just enjoying some of the humour. At the end, you really see a different side to Cassidy, which genuinely opens your eyes – perhaps that is the side of Cassidy I would be very keen to see a lot more of.
Cassidy is a fine writer, and this book is loaded with snappy, witty dialogue and genuine laugh-out-loud moments, along with clever humour, scattered with stand-up one liners. Unfortunately, I do feel that he lets himself down a little, and am certain that he is capable of writing much, much better content. Not so much that there is anything particularly wrong with The Final Weekend…, but it does seem to revel in the lewd and crude. In fact, at about midway, the author seems to make a conscious decision to take that particular quality up a notch, and that’s where it stays for the remainder of the book. High brow this certainly isn’t; if you don’t want to read about dislikeable characters generally being dislikeable, this probably won’t be up your street.
I do get the impression that there are many more strings to Cassidy’s bow, and I do hope that he flexes them in other titles, rather than sticking to the “fun of misguided youth” formula. I have to be honest, whilst I may not have been particularly generous with the star rating, it was actually higher than it would have been, were it not for the quality of this author. His work is flawless; sure, there are a number of misplaced commas, which throw you from the flow a little, but overall I think this work may not be representative of Cassidy in many ways. At the same time, herein are real glimpses of what he can do, and it is very interesting indeed. Perhaps the book is a bit long, especially for one in which the narratives never really seem to have any objective or direction, and the viewpoints all seem to merge into one after a while; I found that later in the book I didn’t really know or care too much who was talking or about what, and was just enjoying some of the humour. At the end, you really see a different side to Cassidy, which genuinely opens your eyes – perhaps that is the side of Cassidy I would be very keen to see a lot more of.
August 7, 2020
Amazing read
We present to you the Amazon US Bestseller: Humorous Dark Comedy, Fiction Satire and Amazon India Bestseller!
Yes , it's the book ' The Final weekend: A stoned tale ' written by Neal Cassidy . It's an contemporary fiction .
In the last days before the real world, six college friends prepare to take a bow in epic fashion.
After Sunday there's just Harry, the future business owner; Justin, the medical intern; Trent, the hapless wanderer; and Clarence, soon to don the badge and blues. But now they have years of memories to honor, all packed into one weekend. Will they grow into their new adult roles? Will they go out in style with the girls? Will the four of them even survive the sheer level of debauchery?
And to guess , whose lives intersect with that of Professor Goodkat?? their idolized instructor who never quite "left" college himself.
Hilarious, raunchy and uninhibited, this book's stotyline captures contemporary society while chronicling the dreams, regrets, perspectives, and future after youth in an unbroken sequence of shockingly touching exploits. No longer armed with the excuse of college stupidity, these friends will go on a journey with higher stakes than a night out has ever had. Because there are things about themselves that blacking out can't erase.
It's full of comedy , twist , surprises and shocks ! So grab your copy on your own risk , it's too good to read . All the characters are well defined and presented . The world they live and trying to create around them is full of craziness . The language of the book is simple but yes , it do ask full attention of the reader . It's not a children's book , most preferably adults . I found the cover of this book much attractive . The words , the situations, the incidents throughout the book are more than what they seem . It's a deep story . What all this weekend plan brings upon them ??
I recommend this book to all , anyone would enjoy it all .
Grab your copy now!!
We present to you the Amazon US Bestseller: Humorous Dark Comedy, Fiction Satire and Amazon India Bestseller!
Yes , it's the book ' The Final weekend: A stoned tale ' written by Neal Cassidy . It's an contemporary fiction .
In the last days before the real world, six college friends prepare to take a bow in epic fashion.
After Sunday there's just Harry, the future business owner; Justin, the medical intern; Trent, the hapless wanderer; and Clarence, soon to don the badge and blues. But now they have years of memories to honor, all packed into one weekend. Will they grow into their new adult roles? Will they go out in style with the girls? Will the four of them even survive the sheer level of debauchery?
And to guess , whose lives intersect with that of Professor Goodkat?? their idolized instructor who never quite "left" college himself.
Hilarious, raunchy and uninhibited, this book's stotyline captures contemporary society while chronicling the dreams, regrets, perspectives, and future after youth in an unbroken sequence of shockingly touching exploits. No longer armed with the excuse of college stupidity, these friends will go on a journey with higher stakes than a night out has ever had. Because there are things about themselves that blacking out can't erase.
It's full of comedy , twist , surprises and shocks ! So grab your copy on your own risk , it's too good to read . All the characters are well defined and presented . The world they live and trying to create around them is full of craziness . The language of the book is simple but yes , it do ask full attention of the reader . It's not a children's book , most preferably adults . I found the cover of this book much attractive . The words , the situations, the incidents throughout the book are more than what they seem . It's a deep story . What all this weekend plan brings upon them ??
I recommend this book to all , anyone would enjoy it all .
Grab your copy now!!
September 22, 2021
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: The Final Weekend: A Stoned Tale
Author: Neal Cassidy
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 16
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 9/10
Of the 16 readers:
15 would read another book by this author.
15 thought the cover was good or excellent.
16 felt it was easy to follow.
16 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 8 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
16 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
15 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“Although, on the face of it, this is a fun read, it is, in fact, rather deep. I felt it was well-written, the author offering huge depth to his characters.” Male reader, aged 44
“This is the perfect book anybody who has a group of pals who could never grow up. An interesting jolly, often rather amusing. I was fully invested in the characters by the end of the book which is a good sign of a talented author.” Female reader, aged 51
“Often a little shocking - which is possibly why I liked it so much - this follows a group of chums on a crazy weekend. At first, I thought it was going to be a little like a coming-of-age, drinking story; which it was a little. But, as I got to know the characters, I discovered there was much more to them. The ending surprised me which is always a good thing.” Male reader, aged 30
To Sum It Up:
‘An engaging plot, often raw, but always thoroughly compelling. A FINALIST and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: The Final Weekend: A Stoned Tale
Author: Neal Cassidy
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 16
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 9/10
Of the 16 readers:
15 would read another book by this author.
15 thought the cover was good or excellent.
16 felt it was easy to follow.
16 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 8 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
16 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
15 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“Although, on the face of it, this is a fun read, it is, in fact, rather deep. I felt it was well-written, the author offering huge depth to his characters.” Male reader, aged 44
“This is the perfect book anybody who has a group of pals who could never grow up. An interesting jolly, often rather amusing. I was fully invested in the characters by the end of the book which is a good sign of a talented author.” Female reader, aged 51
“Often a little shocking - which is possibly why I liked it so much - this follows a group of chums on a crazy weekend. At first, I thought it was going to be a little like a coming-of-age, drinking story; which it was a little. But, as I got to know the characters, I discovered there was much more to them. The ending surprised me which is always a good thing.” Male reader, aged 30
To Sum It Up:
‘An engaging plot, often raw, but always thoroughly compelling. A FINALIST and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
August 25, 2020
We are often distracted in our teenage or say in our college life rather than being focused. We are so much in found of love, relationship, and most importantly the friends. In our friendship, we sacrifice and we fight for the shake of our friends. Also, there are various bumpers in that time zone but despite that, we come up high and life turns the table. As I quote, I read exactly something like this on the past weekend.
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The book I am talking about is “The Final Weekend: A Stoned Tale by Neal Cassidy”. The story starts with the six boys' so-called friends and their life. They were are chasing their days in joy, cheers, mischief, and adulthood and wines. But who knows in long rin their life are going to be completely changed. They all decided to do something interesting and go on a weekend. There happens a lot of things in life which are filled with twists and turns. Here, we will find scenes that are filled with a mixture of comedy and many other things that are also present inside the book. The story of the book revolves around mainly Justin, Trent, Wanderer, and Clarence and their life is shown here.
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Start from the beginning to the end book is written in an amazing way where the story says about the characters and what changes taken place. Along with it some wonderful twists and turns are also shown. The language of the book is simple to understand. The cover of the book looks good. It is a long read but the things discussed in the book are wonderful to read. It will give about the things that happened in teenage life when they go to start a new life where they have to face a lot of tough things in life.
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I would like to recommend this book to all people out there but make sure you are above 18 or plus.
__
Rate 🌟🌟🌟🌟 / 5
__
The book I am talking about is “The Final Weekend: A Stoned Tale by Neal Cassidy”. The story starts with the six boys' so-called friends and their life. They were are chasing their days in joy, cheers, mischief, and adulthood and wines. But who knows in long rin their life are going to be completely changed. They all decided to do something interesting and go on a weekend. There happens a lot of things in life which are filled with twists and turns. Here, we will find scenes that are filled with a mixture of comedy and many other things that are also present inside the book. The story of the book revolves around mainly Justin, Trent, Wanderer, and Clarence and their life is shown here.
__
Start from the beginning to the end book is written in an amazing way where the story says about the characters and what changes taken place. Along with it some wonderful twists and turns are also shown. The language of the book is simple to understand. The cover of the book looks good. It is a long read but the things discussed in the book are wonderful to read. It will give about the things that happened in teenage life when they go to start a new life where they have to face a lot of tough things in life.
__
I would like to recommend this book to all people out there but make sure you are above 18 or plus.
__
Rate 🌟🌟🌟🌟 / 5
February 23, 2021
What do you get when you combine the movie St. Elmo’s Fire it it was directed by Quentin Tarantino, with a script written by David Mamet and influenced by the movie Reefer Madness? You’d probably get Neal Cassidy’s novel The Final Weekend: A Stoned Weekend.
First, meet six college pals, Clarence the soon to be cop, Trent the screw up, Justin the medical intern, and wannabe business owner Harry.
Rounding out are besties who couldn’t be more different, Courtney and Ling-Ling who lives in an apartment that Courtney’s grandmother pays for (who’s a hooker turned millionaire).
All of these friends are connected by their beloved professors Goodkat who lives in a life of debauchery.
During the weekend these friends party, hook up, have lots of sex, and smoke a lot pot.
Yet, all of them have goals and desires that will propel them into the world of “adulting.” Meanwhile, Goodkat lives in a world of arrested development despite being nearly middle-aged.
As for Grandma? Cassidy could write a novel on her. She’s quite a character with a certain flair with a certain cuss word.
As for the final weekend? You won’t see it coming and when you do you will be thoroughly shocked.
Cassidy is an excellent writer, each chapter is written from each character’s point of view as they explore unrequited love that may blossom into true love, moments utter idiocy, sex romps, secrets, and moments of regret.
This novel is not for those who despise excessive cuss words, drug use, sex scenes and I did notice a few grammar errors. However, I was able to look past them. I hope Cassidy has writes more novels. He’s a literary voice to keep an eye on.
Originally published at The Book Self:
https://thebookselfblog.wordpress.com...
First, meet six college pals, Clarence the soon to be cop, Trent the screw up, Justin the medical intern, and wannabe business owner Harry.
Rounding out are besties who couldn’t be more different, Courtney and Ling-Ling who lives in an apartment that Courtney’s grandmother pays for (who’s a hooker turned millionaire).
All of these friends are connected by their beloved professors Goodkat who lives in a life of debauchery.
During the weekend these friends party, hook up, have lots of sex, and smoke a lot pot.
Yet, all of them have goals and desires that will propel them into the world of “adulting.” Meanwhile, Goodkat lives in a world of arrested development despite being nearly middle-aged.
As for Grandma? Cassidy could write a novel on her. She’s quite a character with a certain flair with a certain cuss word.
As for the final weekend? You won’t see it coming and when you do you will be thoroughly shocked.
Cassidy is an excellent writer, each chapter is written from each character’s point of view as they explore unrequited love that may blossom into true love, moments utter idiocy, sex romps, secrets, and moments of regret.
This novel is not for those who despise excessive cuss words, drug use, sex scenes and I did notice a few grammar errors. However, I was able to look past them. I hope Cassidy has writes more novels. He’s a literary voice to keep an eye on.
Originally published at The Book Self:
https://thebookselfblog.wordpress.com...
August 9, 2020
The Final Weekend: A Stoned Tale
by Neal Cassidy.
.
.
.
ABOUT AUTHOR:- {Neal Cassidy is an American writer who grew up in Forest, Va. An ex-tennis pro, he also spent his winters competing in Big Air & Slopestyle competitions on skis. After many years of an undiscerning lifestyle, he decided to put his experiences into his first novel,}
REVIEW:- "THE FINAL WEEKEND"
=>This novel was so good that it prompted me to write my first review on any website. It was an unexpected joy to read.
=>The writing flowed effortlessly while describing scenes I could vividly see and introducing me to characters I genuinely cared for.
=>Story of the book revolves around mainly Justin, Trent, Wanderer, and Clarence and their life is shown here.
=>Book is quite long filled with twists and turns that come in their life along with some scenes that make the book more interesting to read.
=> Book shows various things that happened there. I like the use of characters that makes the story interesting to read. Start from the beginning to the end book is written in an amazing way where the story says about the characters and what changes taken place.
=> Also, this book might not be for everyone, it's not everyone's cup of tea, so pick only if you are ready for an adventure with the characters, just completely give yourself and trust me it would be fun, at times fun, emotional and filled with a lot of bearable adult stuff.
=>It’s different from the general books we read these days, but it got lost somewhere along the way and ended up being duff. Overall this so good to read my rating to this book is 5/5.
by Neal Cassidy.
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ABOUT AUTHOR:- {Neal Cassidy is an American writer who grew up in Forest, Va. An ex-tennis pro, he also spent his winters competing in Big Air & Slopestyle competitions on skis. After many years of an undiscerning lifestyle, he decided to put his experiences into his first novel,}
REVIEW:- "THE FINAL WEEKEND"
=>This novel was so good that it prompted me to write my first review on any website. It was an unexpected joy to read.
=>The writing flowed effortlessly while describing scenes I could vividly see and introducing me to characters I genuinely cared for.
=>Story of the book revolves around mainly Justin, Trent, Wanderer, and Clarence and their life is shown here.
=>Book is quite long filled with twists and turns that come in their life along with some scenes that make the book more interesting to read.
=> Book shows various things that happened there. I like the use of characters that makes the story interesting to read. Start from the beginning to the end book is written in an amazing way where the story says about the characters and what changes taken place.
=> Also, this book might not be for everyone, it's not everyone's cup of tea, so pick only if you are ready for an adventure with the characters, just completely give yourself and trust me it would be fun, at times fun, emotional and filled with a lot of bearable adult stuff.
=>It’s different from the general books we read these days, but it got lost somewhere along the way and ended up being duff. Overall this so good to read my rating to this book is 5/5.
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