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Huge
Life hasn’t been easy for Eugene “Huge” Smalls.
Sure, his IQ is off the charts, but that doesn’t help much when you’re growing up in the 1980s in a dreary New Jersey town where your bad reputation precedes you, the public school system’s written you off as a lost cause, and even your own family seems out to get you.
But it’s not all bad. Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett have taught Huge everything he needs to know about being a hard-boiled detective . . . and he’s just been hired to solve his first case.
What he doesn’t realize is that his search for the truth will change everything for him.
Sure, his IQ is off the charts, but that doesn’t help much when you’re growing up in the 1980s in a dreary New Jersey town where your bad reputation precedes you, the public school system’s written you off as a lost cause, and even your own family seems out to get you.
But it’s not all bad. Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett have taught Huge everything he needs to know about being a hard-boiled detective . . . and he’s just been hired to solve his first case.
What he doesn’t realize is that his search for the truth will change everything for him.
305 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
24 people are currently reading
337 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
July 21, 2009
If I took the time, I'm sure I could think up a kitbag of cheap shots to hurl at Huge. Instead, all I have to offer is this soiled hanky of a Goodreads "review."
After I (somehow) finished reading this novel, I sat in my rumbling and uncomfortable bus seat, fuming, shaking a mental fist (like a regular fist but made of mind mist) at the rotten world and its many injustices, injustices like the publishing of Huge: A Novel.
Uh, oh cripes, I'm dizzy with upset and my mouth tastes like sick. There are so many wrong things about this novel, not least of which is it's many unnecessary lists. Every other page has a long and useless inventory of clothing or set dressing of some kind. That would be fine if I were playing an Infocom game, where I'd need to know what the furniture was like so I could search it for treasure or clues. But otherwise it's a tad tiresome. Here's a sample from page 234: "I caught a quick glimpse of the wood decking at the back of the house with it's crepe paper decorations, citronella candles, patio chairs and lounges, umbrella-ed tables with plastic plates, cups, and napkins on them, the trash can for the keg, one for the wine coolers, and one for the trash. . ." Again on page 236: "I hated Razor and kids like him, bullies and babies and everyone like that; I hated the kids at the party, kids at school, teachers, counselors, coaches, cops, priests, principals, and mall security;" It goes on. I just turned to two random pages, by the way. There's plenty more of that scintillating stuff, believe me. And for the record, the first list is noted by the main character as he's running at full speed.
Now here are some worries I won't bother to cite, unless someone wants to call me out on them, that is:
Fuerst likes to explain what's happening even while it's happening. He's cuckoo for Action Verbs! He freaking loves anachronisms and caricature and cliche. He takes to cliche like a hog takes to mud. And that's something else he goes gaga for: colorful, folksy analogies, like "hotter than a cookout in hell." (It's meant to be an homage to Raymond Chandler, but it is not. Oh god, it is so not.) Most everything else he does, most every word he writes, is just off somehow. He likes to "slow down the narrative" for us, to make every second seem like an hour so that we, lucky readers, can savor his words. He wallows in nostalgia, the nostalgia of the 1980's, that carefree and innocent time. Aw, jeepers, there is just nothing good about this book. It angers me. It is an affront. And it will probably be a big hit.
One last note, and then I'll go back to my cave. In the acknowledgments, Fuerst thanks a certain Markus "the Hammer" Hoffmann "for all his patience and toil, all the edits, critiques, suggestions, reading and rereading, late-night phone conversations, drinks, football matches, and friendship." First, let me speculate that Mr. Hoffmann got his nickname after hitting his own thumb with a hammer. And next, let me say that he should have spent less time on "drinks" and "football matches" (Matches? Is he talking about soccer?) and more, much, much more time, a helluva lotta time with the "reading" and the "rereading" and especially the "edits." In other words, he should have done his job and edited this book out of existance. It is an insult to us all.
And it will probably be a big hit.
After I (somehow) finished reading this novel, I sat in my rumbling and uncomfortable bus seat, fuming, shaking a mental fist (like a regular fist but made of mind mist) at the rotten world and its many injustices, injustices like the publishing of Huge: A Novel.
Uh, oh cripes, I'm dizzy with upset and my mouth tastes like sick. There are so many wrong things about this novel, not least of which is it's many unnecessary lists. Every other page has a long and useless inventory of clothing or set dressing of some kind. That would be fine if I were playing an Infocom game, where I'd need to know what the furniture was like so I could search it for treasure or clues. But otherwise it's a tad tiresome. Here's a sample from page 234: "I caught a quick glimpse of the wood decking at the back of the house with it's crepe paper decorations, citronella candles, patio chairs and lounges, umbrella-ed tables with plastic plates, cups, and napkins on them, the trash can for the keg, one for the wine coolers, and one for the trash. . ." Again on page 236: "I hated Razor and kids like him, bullies and babies and everyone like that; I hated the kids at the party, kids at school, teachers, counselors, coaches, cops, priests, principals, and mall security;" It goes on. I just turned to two random pages, by the way. There's plenty more of that scintillating stuff, believe me. And for the record, the first list is noted by the main character as he's running at full speed.
Now here are some worries I won't bother to cite, unless someone wants to call me out on them, that is:
Fuerst likes to explain what's happening even while it's happening. He's cuckoo for Action Verbs! He freaking loves anachronisms and caricature and cliche. He takes to cliche like a hog takes to mud. And that's something else he goes gaga for: colorful, folksy analogies, like "hotter than a cookout in hell." (It's meant to be an homage to Raymond Chandler, but it is not. Oh god, it is so not.) Most everything else he does, most every word he writes, is just off somehow. He likes to "slow down the narrative" for us, to make every second seem like an hour so that we, lucky readers, can savor his words. He wallows in nostalgia, the nostalgia of the 1980's, that carefree and innocent time. Aw, jeepers, there is just nothing good about this book. It angers me. It is an affront. And it will probably be a big hit.
One last note, and then I'll go back to my cave. In the acknowledgments, Fuerst thanks a certain Markus "the Hammer" Hoffmann "for all his patience and toil, all the edits, critiques, suggestions, reading and rereading, late-night phone conversations, drinks, football matches, and friendship." First, let me speculate that Mr. Hoffmann got his nickname after hitting his own thumb with a hammer. And next, let me say that he should have spent less time on "drinks" and "football matches" (Matches? Is he talking about soccer?) and more, much, much more time, a helluva lotta time with the "reading" and the "rereading" and especially the "edits." In other words, he should have done his job and edited this book out of existance. It is an insult to us all.
And it will probably be a big hit.
November 13, 2009
Oh, James Fuerst, how you have wronged me!
The character of Genie (aka "Huge") had such potential. A 12-year-old with a filthy mouth, a violent streak, and a checkered past who also happens to love detective novels, is unabashedly "friends" with a stuffed turtle named Thrash, and is fiercely protective of his senile grandmother -- really, what's not to love?
Oh, right. I forgot to mention that he also has some sort of creepy relationship with his sister in which it's okay for them to see each other naked and speak quasi-affectionately about each other's private parts. And in seeking to save the aforementioned sister from the claws of a local hood, he manages to a) get a hand job from the girl of his dreams (beautifully written, I might add), and b) take down his archnemesis with a header to the crotch.
Yeah, this one went downhill fast. I kept waiting for Genie -- and Fuerst -- to redeem themselves. Didn't happen. Surprised? No. (And really, how could I be? The voice of reason at the climax of the novel had the vocabulary of Crush the Sea Turtle from Finding Nemo.) But disappointed? Definitely.
The character of Genie (aka "Huge") had such potential. A 12-year-old with a filthy mouth, a violent streak, and a checkered past who also happens to love detective novels, is unabashedly "friends" with a stuffed turtle named Thrash, and is fiercely protective of his senile grandmother -- really, what's not to love?
Oh, right. I forgot to mention that he also has some sort of creepy relationship with his sister in which it's okay for them to see each other naked and speak quasi-affectionately about each other's private parts. And in seeking to save the aforementioned sister from the claws of a local hood, he manages to a) get a hand job from the girl of his dreams (beautifully written, I might add), and b) take down his archnemesis with a header to the crotch.
Yeah, this one went downhill fast. I kept waiting for Genie -- and Fuerst -- to redeem themselves. Didn't happen. Surprised? No. (And really, how could I be? The voice of reason at the climax of the novel had the vocabulary of Crush the Sea Turtle from Finding Nemo.) But disappointed? Definitely.
July 15, 2009
*spoilers*
There's so much to love in this book, and it's hard to really say a lot without more *SPOILERS*, so be forewarned. There's the swift pace; the evocation of NJ in the '80s (Manhunt in the mall? there's the best of my junior high experience in 4 words); the unraveling detective plot; the humor (see Thrash; see the final "look out"; and every single reminder that our hero isn't just twelve, isn't just not a professional detective, but also, in fact, a real child, who isn't allowed to use the stove unsupervised); some wonderful women characters (Neecey, Mom, Toots) whom Fuerst develops as complex individuals to a degree far beyond the aims (or abilities?) of many novelists male or female. Huge is so much more than a detective story, so much more than a coming of age, and yet, while honoring (and subverting, which is another form of honoring) the conventions of both genres, it seeks to do more: it is profoundly concerned with the problems of how to conduct one's life for the good of oneself and for the good of others, and of how to reconcile the two. Thus, the really beautiful moments like the art class freakout, the introduction of Thrash into Huge's life, the early morning mother-son conversation, Toots during Huge's suspension from school, the McDonald's breakfast and Huge's realization that girls carry baggage too (another thing that many novelists won't or can't do), and the concluding paragraphs.
There's so much to love in this book, and it's hard to really say a lot without more *SPOILERS*, so be forewarned. There's the swift pace; the evocation of NJ in the '80s (Manhunt in the mall? there's the best of my junior high experience in 4 words); the unraveling detective plot; the humor (see Thrash; see the final "look out"; and every single reminder that our hero isn't just twelve, isn't just not a professional detective, but also, in fact, a real child, who isn't allowed to use the stove unsupervised); some wonderful women characters (Neecey, Mom, Toots) whom Fuerst develops as complex individuals to a degree far beyond the aims (or abilities?) of many novelists male or female. Huge is so much more than a detective story, so much more than a coming of age, and yet, while honoring (and subverting, which is another form of honoring) the conventions of both genres, it seeks to do more: it is profoundly concerned with the problems of how to conduct one's life for the good of oneself and for the good of others, and of how to reconcile the two. Thus, the really beautiful moments like the art class freakout, the introduction of Thrash into Huge's life, the early morning mother-son conversation, Toots during Huge's suspension from school, the McDonald's breakfast and Huge's realization that girls carry baggage too (another thing that many novelists won't or can't do), and the concluding paragraphs.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2009
Has the world gotten to a place where one should assume a book is full of profanity and vulgarity unless told otherwise? This was the third such book in a month I selected based on blurbs that hinted at nothing of the sort. I thought I would be safe with a pre-teen coming of age story that prominently features a stuffed frog, but apparently this is a pre-teen coming of age story for adults only. At least, I wouldn't be comfortable letting my children read this, as I wasn't even comfortable myself. I'm not sure how big the target demographic is.
That being said, the title character was well-developed and well-written. The author did an excellent job of capturing the feel of a highly intelligent person with hardly any real world experience. The detective part of the story was fun and unique. One doesn't often see a detective hero who jumps to conclusions and can't control his temper. The change in the character as the book progressed was also handled very well.
As is often the case when the main character is so well done, the supporting characters fell by the wayside a bit. Darren's dialog, especially, was a little over the top. The female characters were portrayed chauvinistically, although one could argue that may be appropriate from the point of view of a young angst-ridden boy.
If the profanity and some sexual situations don't bother you, the book is worth a read. As it stands, I won't be recommending this one to anyone I know.
That being said, the title character was well-developed and well-written. The author did an excellent job of capturing the feel of a highly intelligent person with hardly any real world experience. The detective part of the story was fun and unique. One doesn't often see a detective hero who jumps to conclusions and can't control his temper. The change in the character as the book progressed was also handled very well.
As is often the case when the main character is so well done, the supporting characters fell by the wayside a bit. Darren's dialog, especially, was a little over the top. The female characters were portrayed chauvinistically, although one could argue that may be appropriate from the point of view of a young angst-ridden boy.
If the profanity and some sexual situations don't bother you, the book is worth a read. As it stands, I won't be recommending this one to anyone I know.
January 25, 2010
As I began this book, it seemed to resemble the literary lovechild of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime" and "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao." But I was mistaken, and I was not disappointed by what the book delivered.
The story is told with a serious dose of humor and irony, and the family dynamics are pretty believable. Huge seems to accept things in life towards the end of the book that he wouldn't have accepted at the book's beginning, which shows his growth and maturity; at the end of the day, this is a coming-of-coming-of-age story, because it ends right where the traditional coming-of-age story begins, when the boy begins his first real relationship with a girl.
One of the the best qualities of this book was the way it blended the many different genres that are all present at the same time: mystery, teen angst, and honest characterization of a time/place that are clearly important for the person telling the story (both the protagonist and the writer) are all present at the same time, playing off each other and adding value to each of the characteristics.
I would definitely recommend this book. While I wouldn't say it is one of the best books of the year, I really did enjoy it and was rooting for Huge by the end of the book.
The story is told with a serious dose of humor and irony, and the family dynamics are pretty believable. Huge seems to accept things in life towards the end of the book that he wouldn't have accepted at the book's beginning, which shows his growth and maturity; at the end of the day, this is a coming-of-coming-of-age story, because it ends right where the traditional coming-of-age story begins, when the boy begins his first real relationship with a girl.
One of the the best qualities of this book was the way it blended the many different genres that are all present at the same time: mystery, teen angst, and honest characterization of a time/place that are clearly important for the person telling the story (both the protagonist and the writer) are all present at the same time, playing off each other and adding value to each of the characteristics.
I would definitely recommend this book. While I wouldn't say it is one of the best books of the year, I really did enjoy it and was rooting for Huge by the end of the book.
December 29, 2018
I'm kind of a sucker for coming-of-age stories written for adults, and this debut fits the bill. Set on the New Jersey shore in 1980-something, we follow 12-year-old Huge (aka Genie, aka Eugene) for a few weeks over the summer between 6th and 7th grade. Thanks to his severe anger management problems, he's got a well-deserved reputation as the meanest (not to mention smallest) kid in his peer group, However, he's also the smartest -- a combination that leads to his utter isolation and hilarious but sad friendship with a stuffed turtle.
Huge finds solace of a sort in classic detective novels pushed on him by his grandmother, and as a result, his first-person narration, and some of his speech, is heavily influenced by noir lingo pioneered by writers like Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. (His pseudo-gumshoe patter gets old pretty quick and I found my eyes gliding over much of it as the book went on.) The role of the outcast but noble private eye so appeals to him, that when a real-life mystery presents itself, he leaps at the chance to play detective. And thus he embarks on the case of the defaced retirement home sign.
As he works the case, we learn more and more about what makes him tick, and how his paranoia further isolates him from others. He's a disturbed little boy, and there's a great deal of tension generated by the question of whether he'll get worse, or be able to get his head straight on his own. As with many underage fictional narrators, he often sounds a good deal more perceptive than his years. Nonetheless, the story does a very nice job of exploring the explosive combination of raging hormones and undeveloped impulse control that can arise in adolescent boys. There's a nice subplot involving a love interest, some decent '80s nostalgia stuff (including a supporting character who speaks in a kind of super-charged Spicoli slangese), and, like the best '80s films, the climax takes place at a party.
Note: This book is just the latest manifestation of a mini-trend in storytelling -- the underage noir. Other examples include the 2004-07 TV series Veronica Mars, the excellent 2006 film Brick, and the 2008 film The Assassination of a High School President.
Huge finds solace of a sort in classic detective novels pushed on him by his grandmother, and as a result, his first-person narration, and some of his speech, is heavily influenced by noir lingo pioneered by writers like Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. (His pseudo-gumshoe patter gets old pretty quick and I found my eyes gliding over much of it as the book went on.) The role of the outcast but noble private eye so appeals to him, that when a real-life mystery presents itself, he leaps at the chance to play detective. And thus he embarks on the case of the defaced retirement home sign.
As he works the case, we learn more and more about what makes him tick, and how his paranoia further isolates him from others. He's a disturbed little boy, and there's a great deal of tension generated by the question of whether he'll get worse, or be able to get his head straight on his own. As with many underage fictional narrators, he often sounds a good deal more perceptive than his years. Nonetheless, the story does a very nice job of exploring the explosive combination of raging hormones and undeveloped impulse control that can arise in adolescent boys. There's a nice subplot involving a love interest, some decent '80s nostalgia stuff (including a supporting character who speaks in a kind of super-charged Spicoli slangese), and, like the best '80s films, the climax takes place at a party.
Note: This book is just the latest manifestation of a mini-trend in storytelling -- the underage noir. Other examples include the 2004-07 TV series Veronica Mars, the excellent 2006 film Brick, and the 2008 film The Assassination of a High School President.
February 16, 2020
3.5 Entertaining audio book for adults, but with a kid narrator. Genie Smalls is stuck in the summer between 6th and 7th grade. He is IQ brilliant, but troubled with rage and behavioral issues that give him a hard time socially, not to mention his name and his size (small) and the fact that he doesn't have a Dad (he walked out) and his single mom and older sister Nicey (short for Denise) are raising him - though supportively. His beloved Grandma Tootsie is in a nursing home and his only friend is a stuffed Ninja Turtle he calls Crash. Genie (who has begun calling himself Huge) fancies himself a detective, which his Grandma encourages and he is currently trying to solve a case of property vandalism at the nursing home. He is the most foul-mouthed 12 year old I've encountered, but also kind of endearing in that he thinks things through (sometimes too much) and really has a fierce love and loyalty for these women in his life. The story takes place in a Jersey shore suburb in the 80s, and the references to that era are almost worth the read alone: Steak-ums, Jams shorts, and the iconic banana seat bike. The cruiser, as Huge calls it, is his main transport around town and he covers a lot of ground in his detective work, but what he learns is greater than whodunnit: he figures out the girl he likes (Staci) likes him back, his mom and sister and Grandma are his greatest supporters, he can learn to control his impulses and anger, and he can have a fresh start when he starts Jr. High in the Fall. Kind of like a junior Holden Caulfield, Huge has a journey with important episodes along the way - he gets roughed up, he has moments of triumph at a high school party, he learns compassion and shades of gray, he fights with his own anxiety and insecurity and he emerges toward growing up.
February 25, 2017
I really wanted to finish this book, since the start of it was very intriguing. Love "Huge" and the premise of the story. However, it just went downhill from there. Who is the audience for this book? I was confused. Huge is a kid with an adult hard-boiled detective brain. The dialogue is very witty and too detailed for someone who doesn't do well in school. The cursing is probably how kids talk today, but it distracted me somehow, and I curse all the time! I couldn't recommend the book to young kids, and I couldn't recommend it to older folks. I guess it's one of those books that doesn't fit in a genre.
Perhaps I'll finish it some day, but I kind of lost interest.
Perhaps I'll finish it some day, but I kind of lost interest.
November 2, 2017
I picked up this book from a libary and almost didn't read it, but I'm really glad I did. It's a coming of age book with a lot of adult language. Fuerst does a good job of putting us into the mind of a crazy pre-pubescent 12 year old, who makes a lot of bad decisions that keep the tension high and the reader curious. Recommend.
January 13, 2025
Latchkey kid energy, kid wanting to be a detective, and angry kid who just doesn't understand a world that doesn't understand him. This checks off some of my favorite tropes, and I think it was a fun read. The early relationship with his sister feels off, but overall I really had a good time with it.
March 4, 2018
Who was this book written for? A coming of age book that might be a young adult tale, but with enough swearing to make the school librarian blush. It’s never easy to be a middle schooler, so why did I read this?
April 3, 2018
Kid’s 80s summer adventure caper told in the voice of hard boiled detective novel. Also touching coming of age story.
April 9, 2019
Started. Skimmed. Bailed. Could not connect with characters. Read Freak the Mighty instead is my recommendation
September 19, 2021
I think about this book all of the time. It’s a wonderfully written story that never gets old and one that I always return to. 10/10
November 23, 2024
Great coming of age story from the perspective of an “almost 13” year old black boy from the 90s with, imo, serious ADHD issues. Good read, just not my cup of tea
December 28, 2025
a fun book
August 4, 2009
I liked this book, and I appreciated how the narrator--Eugene "Genie/Huge" Smalls--thinks he has everything figured out, and his take is as sordid and rotten as anything he's read in a hard-boiled detective novel, but then realizes he doesn't know anything. But there seemed to be an awful lot of loose threads, like those on a pair of cut-off jeans, that dangle noticeably and threaten to unravel and render the cut-offs unwearable. First, there's Thrash, Eugene's stuffed animal "partner" who in introduced so that he seems like a human being but then is revealed somewhat cleverly (I guess, although it was half clever and half confusing) to be a large, embarassing frog. Sometimes he seems to goad Eugene into doing things he maybe shouldn't, and sometimes he talks Eugene down from doing other things--until the final mission where Eugene leaves him home. So is Thrash Eugene's dark side, his conscience, or a large, embarassing stuffed frog? Maybe all three? I felt like this wasn't decided--but maybe that's the point, that Eugene doesn't know what Thrash is supposed to be. Then, there's Eugene's older sister Neecy. She appears to be loyal and protective in some scenes, but then she appears to be double-crossing and back-stabbing in other scenes. Of course, this is probably due again to Eugene's different takes on things, but add her apparent desire to expose her beautiful, young naked body (not to mention her friend's) to her brother, and I really don't know how to understand her. Then, there are two antagonists, Razor and Tommy, who begin as two separate individuals but midway through onlyseem to differ in the size of their biceps--but then, a later confession from another character works to distinguish them again. And that scene with the later confession--well, let's just say that Eugene's dreams come true (and then his heart is immediately broken) in a scene that seemed a little too sudden, too rushed, too unbelievable. It all seemed a little too tidy until it all became a little too messy. Finally, some of the 80s references were a little too easy (if it's already been talked to death on I Love the 80s, then no one needs to hear about it again) and a little too off, like when Eugene says he wasn't "on the jazz like Hannibal from The A-Team." Maybe it's me, but I don't ever remember thinking that George Peppard's character ever seemed "on the jazz." But the book is funny, and I guess it's supposed to be about a confusing time in life, and it is, as Booklist describes, a whodunit which turns into a "search for self and sense in a world," so some of the loose ends might be appropriate.
July 10, 2016
First of all, I feel like this novel is a bit mis-characterized. It didn’t feel like a YA novel to me (and I do read YA). Instead, it felt like a coming-of-age story with a 12 year old protagonist that is written for adults. Which is perfectly fine! Just not what I expected.
The tone of the novel was a *little* bit overdone. Huge (Eugene) is very brash, very angry, and not quite as tough or mature as he thinks he is. It took me a while to convince myself that his speech/actions/thoughts/etc were realistic, but since I am neither an extra-intelligent 12 year old boy, nor have I spoken with one in a few years, they’re probably not that far off.
Once you get past all that, what you have is a story about a kid who is lonely. His sister won’t hang out with him anymore, his grandmother is becoming senile, his mom works all the time, and the few kids who used to be his friends are no longer allowed to associate with him, since he has a bit of an anger management problem. His solace is found in his stuffed frog, Thrash (a pretty blatant symbolic manifestation of his suppressed rage) and in the classic noir detective novels that his grandmother thrust upon him during his 3 month suspension. Thanks to those novels, he is prone to finding mysteries in the mundane and making more out of situations than what is really there. In the end, this story is about Huge finding his place, and realizing that life doesn’t have to be him against the world.
He really did grow on me, and one particular passage struck me as a perfect illustration of Huge.
"If I ever got out of this, I’d start a new, top-secret journal, which I’d keep in a booby-trapped safe, and I’d compile my own list of pointers or rules that other detectives never told you. And my first rule would be: If you were going out to the woods in homemade ninja shorts after a day of hard rain, you *always* had to wear underwear, just in case you fell on your butt, because having to deal with swamp ass for the rest of the night totally sucked. That was a solid first principle — Keep your ass dry — and I wish I’d thought of it earlier because it didn’t do me a damn bit of good now."
So if you like coming of age stories about brash, over-the-top, slightly damaged boys, don’t be afraid to pick up this book. And keep your ass dry.
The tone of the novel was a *little* bit overdone. Huge (Eugene) is very brash, very angry, and not quite as tough or mature as he thinks he is. It took me a while to convince myself that his speech/actions/thoughts/etc were realistic, but since I am neither an extra-intelligent 12 year old boy, nor have I spoken with one in a few years, they’re probably not that far off.
Once you get past all that, what you have is a story about a kid who is lonely. His sister won’t hang out with him anymore, his grandmother is becoming senile, his mom works all the time, and the few kids who used to be his friends are no longer allowed to associate with him, since he has a bit of an anger management problem. His solace is found in his stuffed frog, Thrash (a pretty blatant symbolic manifestation of his suppressed rage) and in the classic noir detective novels that his grandmother thrust upon him during his 3 month suspension. Thanks to those novels, he is prone to finding mysteries in the mundane and making more out of situations than what is really there. In the end, this story is about Huge finding his place, and realizing that life doesn’t have to be him against the world.
He really did grow on me, and one particular passage struck me as a perfect illustration of Huge.
"If I ever got out of this, I’d start a new, top-secret journal, which I’d keep in a booby-trapped safe, and I’d compile my own list of pointers or rules that other detectives never told you. And my first rule would be: If you were going out to the woods in homemade ninja shorts after a day of hard rain, you *always* had to wear underwear, just in case you fell on your butt, because having to deal with swamp ass for the rest of the night totally sucked. That was a solid first principle — Keep your ass dry — and I wish I’d thought of it earlier because it didn’t do me a damn bit of good now."
So if you like coming of age stories about brash, over-the-top, slightly damaged boys, don’t be afraid to pick up this book. And keep your ass dry.
January 27, 2010
This book is amazing - but not in a good way. It revolves around a foul-mouthed 12-year-old wannabe detective named Huge, who's hired by his grandma to investigate the mystery of who tagged the sign at her retirement home. The mystery is fun enough, though the resolution to it is underwhelming, and most of the book plodded along awkwardly.
I have absolutely no idea who is the target audience of this book. It's shelved with adult fiction but the main character is 12, and the text is WILDLY inappropriate for the typical crowd that reads about 12 year olds. Actually, I think most people in general would find parts of it wildly inappropriate. Not that I'd recommend this book to anyone, but if I wanted to... who would I even recommend it to?
So many scenes were awkward and uncomfortable, Huge wasn't very believable as a 12 year old, and the writing, although occasionally witty enough to make me smile, did not tell an interesting or realistic enough story to hold my attention. And, certain scenes left me going "ick". Never a good sign. Lots of characters were introduced and scenes were shown without purpose, and much of the book, while purporting to be about the mystery holding the story together, felt completely gratuitous. The more I read, the less I liked, as the bit of charm in the beginning faded away and was replaced by awkwardness and ridiculousness.
I can't believe I actually finished this (though, to be fair, I skimmed a lot of it after a while). I was interested in the mystery, and the funny lines in the beginning that I remembered made me curious enough to read on, but overall, I didn't enjoy it much. And, like I said before, the resolution to the mystery was a let down. Ho hum. Now, to move on to another book and purge the squicky scenes from this book from my mind!!!
I have absolutely no idea who is the target audience of this book. It's shelved with adult fiction but the main character is 12, and the text is WILDLY inappropriate for the typical crowd that reads about 12 year olds. Actually, I think most people in general would find parts of it wildly inappropriate. Not that I'd recommend this book to anyone, but if I wanted to... who would I even recommend it to?
So many scenes were awkward and uncomfortable, Huge wasn't very believable as a 12 year old, and the writing, although occasionally witty enough to make me smile, did not tell an interesting or realistic enough story to hold my attention. And, certain scenes left me going "ick". Never a good sign. Lots of characters were introduced and scenes were shown without purpose, and much of the book, while purporting to be about the mystery holding the story together, felt completely gratuitous. The more I read, the less I liked, as the bit of charm in the beginning faded away and was replaced by awkwardness and ridiculousness.
I can't believe I actually finished this (though, to be fair, I skimmed a lot of it after a while). I was interested in the mystery, and the funny lines in the beginning that I remembered made me curious enough to read on, but overall, I didn't enjoy it much. And, like I said before, the resolution to the mystery was a let down. Ho hum. Now, to move on to another book and purge the squicky scenes from this book from my mind!!!
August 2, 2011
Excellent first novel by James Fuerst. A great coming of age story that instantly gets into your head and infects you with the voice of Eugene "Huge" Smalls who channels the identities of the classic noir detectives of yore like Marlow and Spade. In fact from the opening paragraph it is hard not to hear the narrator's voice as that of one of the classic black and white movie voiceovers from the 50's. The story was a good mix of those classic detective stories and Mark Haddon's "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" which for those of you that haven't read it is also a detective story featuring a young boy with a rare glimpse into living life with Asperger's Syndrome. In this case, our hero, Huge, is a 12-year old genius who bottles everything up inside and explodes out of control when it all boils to the top. In and out of therapy, with a best friend who is a stuffed frog, Thrash, who is the only person he can talk to, we get a rare glimpse into the mind of a child with a different disorder, but with similar results. We follow Huge working to solve the case of the perpetrator who painted his Grandma's retirement home sign to say Retarted rather than retirement. Along the way we watch Huge stretch and grow, with set-back after set-back and a host of hilarious characters like Grannie, his client and dementia ridden grandmother, Staci, the girl who thinks everything is okay, Darren, his sister Neecy's stoner boyfriend, or Razor, the middle school bully who lacks brain and control. All of these elements combine to keep you laughing all of the way to the last page. Highly recommend this one to anyone that likes dark humor, mystery, coming-of-age stories, or wants a sneak peak into the mind of mixed-up big-hearted kid and the day to day struggles of life stuck in your head.
May 14, 2010
Very unique. The protagonist is 12 years old, but this book is not for kids.
"Huge" (he really wishes everyone would stop calling him Genie) is going to enter 7th grade and the world of Junior High in the fall, but he's entering with two big strikes against him.
First, he has a really bad temper. A destroy-the-classroom, terrify-the-students, can't-be-left-home-alone temper. This temper has led him to have one heck of a reputation.
Second, he's smart. The kind of book smart that leads kids and teachers to resent him, but doesn't let him figure out what to do about it.
The latter is enough to endear the character to me. The fact that he goes to visit his grandmother in the nursing home didn't hurt either. His grandmother has encouraged a love of detective fiction in him, and now she wants to hire him to track down who vandalized the retirement home sign.
The book is primarily a coming of age novel, with some preteen adventure thrown in. It's funny at times, touching at others.
Now, there's one thing I have to mention, because it bothered me. Remember when I said this book wasn't for kids? Everything I've said so far could make a great book, readable by tweens/early teens and adults as well.
Unfortunately, this book dwells way too much on the sex life of a not yet teenager: his experience with his exhibitionist sister (who's portrayed as the normal one in the family); and his experience with a girl his age who's been taken advantage of by an older boy, and who wants to demonstrate what she's learned.
It's part of his story, which is an unusual one. I just didn't (personally) find it necessary.
"Huge" (he really wishes everyone would stop calling him Genie) is going to enter 7th grade and the world of Junior High in the fall, but he's entering with two big strikes against him.
First, he has a really bad temper. A destroy-the-classroom, terrify-the-students, can't-be-left-home-alone temper. This temper has led him to have one heck of a reputation.
Second, he's smart. The kind of book smart that leads kids and teachers to resent him, but doesn't let him figure out what to do about it.
The latter is enough to endear the character to me. The fact that he goes to visit his grandmother in the nursing home didn't hurt either. His grandmother has encouraged a love of detective fiction in him, and now she wants to hire him to track down who vandalized the retirement home sign.
The book is primarily a coming of age novel, with some preteen adventure thrown in. It's funny at times, touching at others.
Now, there's one thing I have to mention, because it bothered me. Remember when I said this book wasn't for kids? Everything I've said so far could make a great book, readable by tweens/early teens and adults as well.
Unfortunately, this book dwells way too much on the sex life of a not yet teenager: his experience with his exhibitionist sister (who's portrayed as the normal one in the family); and his experience with a girl his age who's been taken advantage of by an older boy, and who wants to demonstrate what she's learned.
It's part of his story, which is an unusual one. I just didn't (personally) find it necessary.
August 19, 2015
Twelve-year old Eugene Smalls is the smallest kid in 6th grade. Everyone still calls him Genie but he'd rather be known now as Eug (sounds like "Huge"). He's also the meanest and angriest kid in 6th grade. He reads Sam Spade detective stories, and when the sign outside his grandmother's retirement home is defaced, he sets out to find the culprit.
The book starts out sounding like an old-fashioned noir detective story. But while that's pretty clever it doesn't last long. Unfortunately, however, the extremely foul and vulgar language lasts from beginning to end. Not only that, but sexual situations abound. He hides in his sister's closet to watch her friend undress - at his sister's urging, no less - because 'he should keep doing it until he doesn't feel bad about it anymore.' At the end he has a sexual encounter with another 12 year-old.
And it's unfortunate because in some ways Fuerst manages to portray some aspects of adolescence in the 80s fairly well. But his characters are usually the most degenerate and wasted caricatures plucked from a John Hughes movie - they're all aimless, frequently stoned, and having sex - and it's not even very funny. And I don't buy the argument in several reviews that "that's just how kids are nowadays." My 15 year old son quit reading it after only a few chapters, thoroughly disgusted with it. Although it looks like a book for kids - and the description makes it *sound* like a kids book - this is NOT a book for kids. It's not for me, either.
The book starts out sounding like an old-fashioned noir detective story. But while that's pretty clever it doesn't last long. Unfortunately, however, the extremely foul and vulgar language lasts from beginning to end. Not only that, but sexual situations abound. He hides in his sister's closet to watch her friend undress - at his sister's urging, no less - because 'he should keep doing it until he doesn't feel bad about it anymore.' At the end he has a sexual encounter with another 12 year-old.
And it's unfortunate because in some ways Fuerst manages to portray some aspects of adolescence in the 80s fairly well. But his characters are usually the most degenerate and wasted caricatures plucked from a John Hughes movie - they're all aimless, frequently stoned, and having sex - and it's not even very funny. And I don't buy the argument in several reviews that "that's just how kids are nowadays." My 15 year old son quit reading it after only a few chapters, thoroughly disgusted with it. Although it looks like a book for kids - and the description makes it *sound* like a kids book - this is NOT a book for kids. It's not for me, either.
March 3, 2010
It took awhile for me to get into this book, but when I did I really enjoyed it and found it hard to put down. The setting is a NJ shore town in the 1980's. "Huge" Smalls is an impulsive, angry, lonely, smart-alecky, highly intelligent yet naive 6th grader with few friends. He is the smallest boy in his grade, confides in a stuffed frog (Thrash) at the recommendation of his school counselor, gets into fights easily, adores his aging grandmother and doesn't quite realize how much love and support he actually has from his mother and older sister. As Huge tries to solve a local mystery (ala his hero, Philip Marlowe) he learns about friendship, first love, family ties and the interdependence of people. The narrative voice is memorable -- funny, crude, brash, defensive and rather sex-obsessed. I could easily picture a little kid with a big mouth and an even bigger swagger (but Huge sounds to me much more like an 8th grader than a 6th grader).
This adult book has been marketed as a YA book as well. Is it? Yes and no. 8th graders and up would relate to Huge - especially anyone who perceives him/herself as an outsider and/or has issues with anger or impulsivity. The humor is very engaging. BUT, Huge's vocabulary is laced with profanity and many of the predicaments he finds himself in are overtly sexual in nature (although at the level of things adolescent boys would be concerned about). Definitely best for high school kids - maybe mature 8th graders.
This adult book has been marketed as a YA book as well. Is it? Yes and no. 8th graders and up would relate to Huge - especially anyone who perceives him/herself as an outsider and/or has issues with anger or impulsivity. The humor is very engaging. BUT, Huge's vocabulary is laced with profanity and many of the predicaments he finds himself in are overtly sexual in nature (although at the level of things adolescent boys would be concerned about). Definitely best for high school kids - maybe mature 8th graders.
June 16, 2013
Eugene “Huge” Smalls doesn’t have much going for him. He’s middle schooler whose reputation as a violent troublemaker precedes him. His teachers have written him off and even his family seems to be working against him. Except for his dear grandmother, who supported him through his tribulations and introduced him to important role models that helped shape who he is today: Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade, and of course, Sherlock Holmes. So, you may have guessed it…this is a coming-of-age, mystery novel. Set in 1980s, suburban New Jersey, Huge finds himself in the midst of investigating a mystery that seems to be getting him into more trouble than it’s worth. Just as he is getting to the bottom of it, he must decide between solving the mystery and losing his precious, teenage freedom.
Fuerst creates a credible and witty character in Huge. He taps into the volatile and impulsive psyche of a lonely, middle school outcast. Huge’s character has a distinct hard-boiled detective feel as does the tone of the novel. A black comedy and mystery with a twist, Huge explores friendship, love, family ties, and interdependence. Laugh out loud humor, a memorable protagonist, and the evocative imagery in this whodunit will engage most readers. Not one of the best books I’ve ever read, but would definitely suggest it and it’s a great summer read!
**Warning: This book contains mature themes and profanity. Suggested for readers in high school and up.**
Fuerst creates a credible and witty character in Huge. He taps into the volatile and impulsive psyche of a lonely, middle school outcast. Huge’s character has a distinct hard-boiled detective feel as does the tone of the novel. A black comedy and mystery with a twist, Huge explores friendship, love, family ties, and interdependence. Laugh out loud humor, a memorable protagonist, and the evocative imagery in this whodunit will engage most readers. Not one of the best books I’ve ever read, but would definitely suggest it and it’s a great summer read!
**Warning: This book contains mature themes and profanity. Suggested for readers in high school and up.**
September 18, 2010
My thoughts:
ARRRGGGG! I really tried to get into this book. I really tried to like Eugene "Huge" Smalls. Okay, he's twelve. He's being raised by a single mom who works two jobs. He drives around a cruiser that he built himself out of spare parts from a junk yard and he has a stuffed frog, named Thrash as a side kick.
What I could'nt get past was that this kid has MAJOR anger issues and is a HUGE bully.
Page 66
Sure, Thrash was pretty sick, but his schemes for revenge didn't always work out like they were suppose to. Like that time Keith Montgomery was shooting spitballs at me on the cafeteria, I pretended to ignore him at first, then I circled behind him real casual, as if I were leaving, and then swung my lunch tray with both hands and whacked him in the back of the head as hard as I could. But Keith's head didn't go flying off like Thrash said it would; the light weight plastic just made a loud thunk against his skull and I got two weeks detention.
I tried to understand Eugene but I found and his mouth unlikeable. I struggled to finish the book and would have a hard time recommending it to anyone. Also be warned that there is a scene where Eugene is involved with some very heavy petting with another twelve year old.
Glad to be done with it and moving on.
ARRRGGGG! I really tried to get into this book. I really tried to like Eugene "Huge" Smalls. Okay, he's twelve. He's being raised by a single mom who works two jobs. He drives around a cruiser that he built himself out of spare parts from a junk yard and he has a stuffed frog, named Thrash as a side kick.
What I could'nt get past was that this kid has MAJOR anger issues and is a HUGE bully.
Page 66
Sure, Thrash was pretty sick, but his schemes for revenge didn't always work out like they were suppose to. Like that time Keith Montgomery was shooting spitballs at me on the cafeteria, I pretended to ignore him at first, then I circled behind him real casual, as if I were leaving, and then swung my lunch tray with both hands and whacked him in the back of the head as hard as I could. But Keith's head didn't go flying off like Thrash said it would; the light weight plastic just made a loud thunk against his skull and I got two weeks detention.
I tried to understand Eugene but I found and his mouth unlikeable. I struggled to finish the book and would have a hard time recommending it to anyone. Also be warned that there is a scene where Eugene is involved with some very heavy petting with another twelve year old.
Glad to be done with it and moving on.
October 11, 2009
Meet Eugene "Huge" Smalls. He is one tough 12 year old who talk to a stuffed frog, loves a good ole detective story and will stop at nothing to solve the case....
Written for adults from the POV of "Huge", we are throw back into the 1980's, where every young kid/teen overuses the word like and graffiti and tagging are THE way to make a mark (and a name for oneself) in the world....
While I had a tough time believing the voice Fuerst gave "Huge" at first - entirely too grown up and littered with curse words I would KILL my 12 year old son for were I to hear him use them - I had to remind myself that most of the novel was "Huge's" internal babble, and it was also taking place in a city in NJ. My childhood was slightly less ambitious!
I quickly found myself following "Huge" around on his Crusier, chasing clues for the case of the mispelled graffiti on his grandmothers nursing home sign for a whopping $10 bucks, rooting for him to uncover the bad guy and give him a what-for, Smalls style!
Written for adults from the POV of "Huge", we are throw back into the 1980's, where every young kid/teen overuses the word like and graffiti and tagging are THE way to make a mark (and a name for oneself) in the world....
While I had a tough time believing the voice Fuerst gave "Huge" at first - entirely too grown up and littered with curse words I would KILL my 12 year old son for were I to hear him use them - I had to remind myself that most of the novel was "Huge's" internal babble, and it was also taking place in a city in NJ. My childhood was slightly less ambitious!
I quickly found myself following "Huge" around on his Crusier, chasing clues for the case of the mispelled graffiti on his grandmothers nursing home sign for a whopping $10 bucks, rooting for him to uncover the bad guy and give him a what-for, Smalls style!
December 31, 2009
Fuerst, James W. Huge: A Novel. Unabridged. 8CDs. 10.5 Hours. Blackstone Audio, Inc. ISBN: 978-1-4417-2314-7. $100.00. F
12yo hard boiled detective wannabe Eugene "Huge" Smalls with his only friend and sidekick "Thrash" (a stuffed turtle), is hired by his possibly senile grandmother to investigate the vandalism of her retirement home's sign. A hilarious, nostalgic journey back to 1980's Jersey 'burbs, complete with jersey girl hairdo's, neon clothes, converse shoes and lots of gratuitous cussing. Eugene learns how to be Huge in this coming of age tale, even if he doesn't entirely learn how to be a detective.
Read by Audie winner Jeff Woodman who invokes a 'Stand by Me' like feel to the already noir story and altogether brings "huge" life to the narration. A rhinestone in the rough of a novel and an author to keep an eye on. Recommended to fans of Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger and Shut Up, Ugly by Jack Pendarvis.
-Terry Ann Lawler - Phoenix Public Library, AZ.
12yo hard boiled detective wannabe Eugene "Huge" Smalls with his only friend and sidekick "Thrash" (a stuffed turtle), is hired by his possibly senile grandmother to investigate the vandalism of her retirement home's sign. A hilarious, nostalgic journey back to 1980's Jersey 'burbs, complete with jersey girl hairdo's, neon clothes, converse shoes and lots of gratuitous cussing. Eugene learns how to be Huge in this coming of age tale, even if he doesn't entirely learn how to be a detective.
Read by Audie winner Jeff Woodman who invokes a 'Stand by Me' like feel to the already noir story and altogether brings "huge" life to the narration. A rhinestone in the rough of a novel and an author to keep an eye on. Recommended to fans of Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger and Shut Up, Ugly by Jack Pendarvis.
-Terry Ann Lawler - Phoenix Public Library, AZ.
November 9, 2019
This was the last choice pick for January's book club meeting, and honestly, I am a bit relieved that it lost the vote. I don't know that it would have generated much conversation for our group. It felt a bit overly written with two distracting similes on the very first page. Fuerst's use of metaphors throughout was just as distracting. It just felt like the author was trying too hard and ultimately missed the mark. The "mystery" was not mysterious and the time era wasn't very well done either. There were few clear indications of the 1980s and if you didn't want the era to play a role, why bother to set it then? It had a few funny moments, but most of the characters felt unreal and some of the biggest questions that the plot raised went unanswered. Really, my favorite part of the whole book was probably its shiny cover. It reminded me a little bit of The Boy Detective Fails, albeit a bit less odd, but still strangely off the mark with its heavy styling and unbelievable narrator.
October 5, 2009
A nice little book about a wildly disturbed 12-year old boy with an anger problem.
I didn't like the last two pages of the ending (no spoilers) and the protagonist thinks like characters in Dawson's Creek talk - verbosely and way above their age level. Indeed many of the events of the book strike me as a little age-askew. Another off-note is the year of the setting - I might have missed it, but it doesn't seem like 2009 to me (lack of video games, DVD, computers etc) and harkens to simpler times (the Cruiser bike) while still seeming to have a few modernistic splashes of psychology and peer pressure...
The book starts with a Marlowe/noir feel and sort of loses it as you get more into the main character, but it's a natural progression.
Most noticeable, this is my first Overdrive ebook for the Seattle Public Library on my eReader (the other books I borrowed are waaay to long to read just now) and made for excellent vacation on/off reading.
I didn't like the last two pages of the ending (no spoilers) and the protagonist thinks like characters in Dawson's Creek talk - verbosely and way above their age level. Indeed many of the events of the book strike me as a little age-askew. Another off-note is the year of the setting - I might have missed it, but it doesn't seem like 2009 to me (lack of video games, DVD, computers etc) and harkens to simpler times (the Cruiser bike) while still seeming to have a few modernistic splashes of psychology and peer pressure...
The book starts with a Marlowe/noir feel and sort of loses it as you get more into the main character, but it's a natural progression.
Most noticeable, this is my first Overdrive ebook for the Seattle Public Library on my eReader (the other books I borrowed are waaay to long to read just now) and made for excellent vacation on/off reading.
January 10, 2010
The main character in this book, Eugene "Huge" Smalls is a genius. He also has serious anger issues. One day Genie goes to visit his grandmother and someone has changed the sign from retirement home, to retarded home. His grandmother knows he likes detective books, so she gives him some money and tells him to figure out who did it, and report back to her. So Genie goes and figures out who did it. Somewhere in there he decided his sister was a slut, and adicted to drugs and a bunch of other crap.
Genie's main internal conflict is trying not to bunch everyone he sees. Honestly, the boys insane. He got left back for knocking his art teacher out with one punch.
I would rate this book a three out of five because I really don't like misteries. Plus the way they talked didn't make a lot of sense. But it really was suspensful. Also Genie kept getting everything so completely, mind numbingly, wrong that it was funny.
Genie's main internal conflict is trying not to bunch everyone he sees. Honestly, the boys insane. He got left back for knocking his art teacher out with one punch.
I would rate this book a three out of five because I really don't like misteries. Plus the way they talked didn't make a lot of sense. But it really was suspensful. Also Genie kept getting everything so completely, mind numbingly, wrong that it was funny.
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