Something I said

by Ben Bailey Smith

For thirteen-year-old Carmichael Taylor, life is one big joke – in a good way. He just can’t understand why no one else seems to find everything as funny as he does.

When Car is filmed stumbling into performing a piece of hilarious stand-up at the school talent show – targeting his family, school and friends – the footage ends up creating international infamy. But with the promise of fame and fortune comes trouble, and it’s up to Car to decide what or who he’s willing to risk to chase his comedy dream.

Genres: Middle Grade, Friendship, Family

360 pages, Paperback

Published June 10, 2021

About the author

Ben Bailey Smith is a U.K.-based rapper (known as Doc Brown), an actor on the British edition of Law & Order and the British kids’ show 4 O’Clock Club, and a stand-up comedian. Now he adds a new facet to his career: children’s-book author. He lives in London.

Reviews

[watermelonreads · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pros: insights about life
Cons: everything else. It was draggy. The main character was unbearable. So many unnecessary details. And lots of rambling that went off tangent many, many times.

Who approved this?!

[Ophelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for work. I look for books that will appeal to non-native English speakers. I loved the funny lines, the witty jokes and the contemporary feel. It wasn't too British or American centric. I love many things about this book, but I am not sure about where the plot went, in other words I think some elements didn't work but it was a good solid book.

[Rui · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have just translated this book into Chinese

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am an avid reader of children’s books for many reasons - the wonderful uninhibited adventure and unique imagination, the humour, the wondrous characters. I was attracted to this one because of reviews highlighting its comedy.
This is the story of Car, (Carmichael). He’s short and ginger and his one talent is his incredible ability with words. Car is king of sarcasm, one liners, the slickest of retorts, comedy that catches even his teachers unawares. But Car doesn’t have a filter and gets himself into deep water.
I enjoyed the comedy, his relationship with his friend Alex and the character of Carmichael but ultimately I felt that this is definitely the territory of children only. I also felt the story was so visual it might be better in a tv script!
With thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

[FeedMyReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carmichael maybe young but it has not stopped him from being known for one thing in particular already, his ability to have a quick comeback at the ready anytime, however, when this leads to Carmichael getting himself in trouble he discovers a video of him doing what he has always done naturally could result in him having a massive change in the direction his life will take but will it be for the better?

This is a well written story that is aimed at young readers and has a strong underlying message around the power of words. The author has delivered a book which works and is an enjoyable read but one which some adult readers may not enjoy just due to the characters ringing true of the age range however this is also what for me makes this work so well for the younger readers out there.

[Rachel Bolton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a triumph! A funny book which at its heart shouts out how important words are ( with some lexical explanations along the way)
13 year old Carmichael, the bane of his parents and teachers’ lives is entered into a school talent-contest as a stand-up comic but teenage angst and anger get in the way and Carmichael finds himself in a situation where he has to decide whether what he thinks he wants is really true .
I really enjoyed this face-paced story. The dialogue is witty ,the character is highly- believable and I loved the idea of” laughing whilst you are learning” as the reader is introduced to the meanings of certain words that occur naturally in the story. This would be a perfect read for middle-grade readers and a great book for a class discussion

[Poetreehugger · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun to get a glimpse into the life of a witty young London teenager with a lively sense of humour as he grapples with teenage issues revolving around self discovery, self awareness, and issues with family, friends and school. I was actually nervous reading about his onstage performance experiences. A good story about facing up to challenges and making difficult choices.

[Hannah O'Donnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Review for Netgalley.*

I initially requested this on the basis that Ben Bailey Smith, or Doc Brown, is a fantastic comedian and rapper, and I was excited to see how his sense of humour translated into a middle-grade novel. I was not disappointed. Car, short for Carmichael, is a bolshy teen who says what he thinks (and this often lands him in trouble!) And when he is given the opportunity to roast his entire school: he takes it. However, when this gleens both fame and infamy, Car has to decide whether he's going to use his power to make people laugh for good or evil. (Though I promise - it's not as dramatic as that in the book.) It's an important message that a lot of comedians have been addressing in their stand up. Are there things you can't or shouldn't make jokes about? What happens when you hurt people's feelings? Does it matter that it was 'just a joke'? Bailey Smith handles this subject without being preachy, without telling the audience what the right or wrong response is, showing empathy for all of his characters, and helping Car understand that whilst he CAN make jokes, sometimes the long term consequences aren't worth the short term.

As far as writing style goes, this is an easy read with a fun colloquial tone to it. From a British comedian, I'd expect nothing less than anecdotes about the 'local' London area, and the comparisons when Car's infamy takes him to New York. Yes, some of the facets of the story - such as the internet sensationalism - are a bit convenient, but I'm not going to let hindsight blind the fact I really enjoyed this. It had a similar voice to Benjamin Dean (of Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow) in the way the protagonist is a young boy who thinks he knows what's going on, but is going to have to learn the truth the hard way.

I actually didn't mind Car, though I know some other reviewers found him irritating. As an Ex-Teacher, I can promise you - this is a pretty accurate description of teenage boys. Heart of gold, head full of stupid ideas. I promise they grow out of it eventually. I thought the depiction of the quiet father interesting; Car learns to respect his dad for his soft patience, rather than insisting his father be more 'traditionally masculine'. It was nice to see a sympathetic father figure, who didn't need to shout or lose his temper to show emotion. (It feels kind of sad to say I don't see much of that in YA usually, so it was a nice change of pace.)

Speaking of pacing, obviously, it's a short middle-grade, so everything seems to happen within a week. It does make it more accessible for reluctant readers, and I said - the voice is cheery and colloquial. Friendly and fun. I'd highly recommend schools get this one in, and maybe it'll encourage some comedians for the next generation.

This is available via Waypoint Books: https://waypointbooks.co.uk/product/s...

[Lisa Friel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, clever and entertaining, another shortlisted book for the Juniper Book Awards I think will be popular.

[Summer Lawless · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main character had a name that I had never heard before and was funnier than anyone I know. Not that good in school though.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

A real mixed bag of a book, but of course I'm not the target audience.

[Roan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this novel! Carmichael's story is written really well and it was so entertaining to read. I loved Car's love for words, jokes and his beautiful character development! This 13 year old boy makes a few big mistakes, but solves them in a unique and heartfelt way. The book started off strong and it got a little boring in the middle, but ended nicely. I found the characters to be well written and their interactions are great! I especially liked Uncle Lan and Malcolm. I also loved the spoken word, "Alone, with Everyone" at the end, it's so lovely and meaningful. I think this book is written for people a little younger than me but I enjoyed it nonetheless!

[Austin Ajit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carmichael Tailor took life as one big joke. He has an annoying brother, problems with every other subject other than English (The only math problem he can do is ‘’me +maths =whyyyyy!).But when his teacher call him to say a spoken word for a school talent show , His entire life fall apart .Will he be able to use his tool(words) to build a sturdy foundation for him to stand on , or will he fall , down the deep hole of misery?
This book was…Pretty good .The ending was a bit mixed up , and I had to read it 3ice to figure it out , but otherwise , the book was pretty good! It has a good plot, story line , characters , and overall was a pleasure to read .