Dead Kennedys

by Scott Reardon

Heartbreaking, savagely funny—and a middle finger to modern pieties—Dead Kennedys is a book of dissent. It’s the story of John Kennedy, 17-year-old member of the famous Kennedy family, who after a shattering tragedy goes on a reckless binge through Washington DC he may not survive.

In his third novel, Scott Reardon presents a modern outcast—unfiltered, broken by life and at the point of no return.

Genres: Fiction

197 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 7, 2021

About the author

Scott Reardon is the author of The Dark Continent and The Prometheus Man, which was published in 2017 by Little Brown. He has written and directed two feature films, Our Pet Kat and Dakota Bastard. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and three children.

Reviews

[Monica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well I'm as finished with this book as I ever will be! Next time, when I read multiple reviews that say "don't bother", I will take that advice!

[Alex Nonymous · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Dead Kennedys in exchange for an honest review.

While I know a lot of people who will really enjoy the beyond-envelope pushing narration here, I can't lie and pretend it didn't counteract a lot of the good Dead Kennedys did. I get that Jonny isn't supposed to be a likable character and it does lend itself to a lot of really interesting storytelling potential, but for every thing I found and loved, there was another two things that made me want to stop reading.

[Emi Yoshida · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was intrigued by this title and cover, didn't know if it related to the Kennedy political dynasty or the punk genre. Turns out it's a bit of a mishmash, about a political family (narrator Johnny Kennedy's father is a US senator) and written in a hardcore bombastic style focused on the salacious and sordid, evocative of the alienation at the core of punk's ethos. It reminded me a bit of Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho which was also all about identification and alienation. While Scott Reardon may write with a bit more humor, Johnny Kennedy's misogyny, racism, violence and uncontrollable hatred is a challenge to wallow through.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway and had no idea what to expect. Initially I was put off by its crudeness thinking it was unnecessary. As I read on, I decided that, as a teenage boy, John was probably more typical in his words, thoughts, and actions than we would like to admit. There was a lot not to like about him, and yet by the end of the book I came to like him a lot. He stood for something. He gave up a lot as he wrestled with the fallout from his brother’s mental illness and began to come to terms with his own mental health. Being a teenager is not easy, and I wish more people would acknowledge how brutal it is for many teens. So much needs to change in our culture.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Kennedy is close to his older brother Joe. The Kennedy family is at dinner when Joe yells at his father and storms off to get his belongings and leaves. Joe never comes back home. John ends up searching for Joe and finally finds him in a low-rent apartment. Joe is down in spirits. John is so disappointed as Joe’s place smells and filthy. He stays the night due to his falling asleep. John wakes up wondering what he can do to help him. Joe doesn’t seem so down and agrees to go out. The day ends up in the park playing with a crazy looking ball with an illustration of Pegasus on it. They have a fantastic day that John doesn’t want to end. Returning to Joe’s apartment, Joe closes the door on John. Why? What will John do?

The novel is fiction which I suspect people may forget as there are Kennedy “devotee will read this and forget it’s fiction. There is a multitude of bad language and profanity. I don’t necessarily think the author needed to use it. I did enjoy seeing the happy relationship that John had with Joe. I also felt the heartache of John over the loss he felt. The novel describes relationships between brothers and the family. It’s a reminder that no family is perfect. Even though there are parts of the book I wasn’t crazy about, it’s a good novel to read.

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

[Lou Jacobs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately Scott Reardon's third book does not hit a home run like his two previous Prometheus Man novels.
Some reviewer's have compared this to J.D. Salinger ... however although it covers some of the same themes of the Catcher In The Rye ... it certainly does not have the same panache. If your looking for a book about the political misadventures of the famous Kennedy Clan ... this is not it! In a similar, but misguided attempt, the themes of teenage angst and alienation, along with the superficiality of our society are explored through the eyes of a despicable, sarcastic, and misogynistic eyes of seventeen year-old John Kennedy, His bipolar brother is killed while trying to intervene on a mugging. In his post-traumatic response, he leaves boarding school and goes on a purposeless bender in Washington, D.C. .... over drinking and picking fights with anyone in his path. He displays obnoxious behavior without purpose and wreaks havoc and leaves a path of destruction. If anything, this unlikeable character undergoes dysfunction and disintegration without a relevant catharsis. I doubt this book will become a beacon for teenage rebellion.
Thanks to NetGalley and Aspen Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.
( at readersremain.com )

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is hard to put a label on this book. It is at one time a very strange trip inside the mind of a young aristocrat and an epistle to the decline of a once golden family in American politics. John Kennedy, not THE John Kennedy but a descendent, stumbles through life attempting to make sense of his brothers suicide. He is a rebel in the classic sense of the word. He is not a likeable individual. I found his disdain for women, and some men, somewhat distasteful. He is a user, plain and simple.
What I did like was John's unbridled cynicism. He expressed thoughts, and often verbalized them, that I personally would have liked to have used in my own situations. He has a generous helping of snarkiness that I found strangely refreshing.
Dead Kennedys is not everyone's cup of java. You'll either love it or hate it. Be that as it may, I found it worthy of my time.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

“You know how sometimes there’s this line everybody knows about but you? And when you cross it, everyone turns on you? I cross that line frequently, but I still live in terror of it.”

Dead Kennedys by Scott Reardon: His brother, recently diagnosed bipolar, disappears from home and is killed intervening on behalf of a mugging victim. During semester exams, John signs out of his private boarding school and goes on a solo, unsupervised romp through DC underage drinking in bars, picking fights with a taxi driver, breaking into his brother’s old apartment and generally wandering in his grief and lack of ambition. John is offensive, misogynistic and racist. He’s intentionally unlikeable. He doesn’t even like himself. He’s too sarcastic, too arrogant, too deliberately aloof to be likeable. The world handed him every opportunity, every responsibility that goes with that opportunity and he couldn’t carry the weight. His reaction is to run, hide and self destruct, spectacularly.

If you are looking for a narrative around the Kennedy family, you will be disappointed. If you are looking for an abrasive, sometimes funny read that feels like The Dead Kennedy’s performing live, this is a good pickup. If you like books that talk about male genitalia, potenitial sex a lot, and angrily, aggressively criticise everything about society, you will like this. While I wasn’t the target audience, I can see people connecting with John’s angry, off putting behavior. His self defense is to be so abrasive no one will interact with him. He intentionally becomes so offensive everyone has no choice but to hate him. This libartes him from their judgment of him and his brother at the core where it really matters. Ultimately, I saw slivers of honest kindness that allowed for sympathy and opened the way for a satisfying character arc.

Thanks to #netgalley for the opportunity to preview this book .

[JoyReaderGirl1 · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Dead Kennedys” by Scott Reardon is a provocative novel that delves into the life of a character, John Kennedy, a supposed 17-year-old member of the “famous” Kennedy family.

However, Readon’s dark, so-called, “humorous” reflections on contemporary societal and familial challenges, I find neither funny nor satirical.

I find that his character, John, is portrayed as a modern pariah, outcast, and outlaw who is unfiltered and broken by his circumstances in life.

As a result this antihero becomes a psycho on the roam who makes the story a difficult read at best.

JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Scott Reardon, and Publisher Aspen Press and for this advanced readers copy for review.

[Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

I want to thank NetGalley and Aspen Press for a copy of Dead Kennedys for an honest review. I honestly don't know where to begin. This book is supposed to be for teens and young adults. Not in my opinion. I'm not a prude, but I wouldn't recommend this book for teens or any adult that has a few brain cells. 

[judy · Rating 1 out of 5]

i *wanted* to like this book as i'd enjoyed The Dark Continent but it's hard to reconcile that it is the same author.

while TDC was full of plot, DK had barely a plot at all, just a lot of inner monologue from a privileged, disaffected boy from a political family.

imagine Catcher in the Rye but with an absurdly onanistic, improbably articulate, & impractically profane holden.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was interesting. I felt bad for the kid. We all want the world to make sense, but it didn’t give you a free ride when it gets confusing. Being a teenager is hard enough but throw in being a Kennedy and in the public eye, everything is so much harder.

I recommend this book if you can see past money and fame into the dark corners.

[Denice Langley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for a "different" story and this one is definitely DIFFERENT. It has some good parts, some not so good parts and some that I'm not sure what they were supposed to be. So, while it's not the book I was looking for, it does make me curious about Scott Reardon's other titles.

[Carol & Russell]

It was hard to put down.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unique read

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing to read about the dysfuntion. Sad to think about the mental illness not being addressed or handled well. It was an easy read, but not one I need to ever revisit.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are a young adult male who loves vulgar sexual humor with characters who have a terrible spoiled personality, this book is for you!

This was an interesting read since I wasn't exactly sure on what I was reading. I thought this book was supposed to be loosely based the Kennedy family, but I don't think that is the case since I couldn't find these family members. So I was a little confused for most of the book.

I had such a hard time with the MC John. He was given all the opportunities in the world, but he squandered it all. I understand money does not buy happiness, but he was so ungrateful for every opportunity he was given. Instead of growing up and taking his final exams, he ran away and decided to pick fights with everyone he met. He acted like a miserable entitled rich kid.

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!