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The Hottest State
When William meets Sarah at a bar appropriately called the Bitter End, he is a few months short of his twenty-first birthday and about to act in his first movie. He is so used to getting what he wants that he has never been able to care too deeply for anyone. But all of that is about to change. And it is Sarah--bold and shy, seductive and skittish--who will become William's undoing and his salvation.
William's affair with Sarah will take him from a tenement on the Lower East Side to a hotel room in Paris, from a flip proposal of marriage to the extremities of outraged need and the wisdom that comes only to true survivors. Anyone who reads The Hottest State will encounter a writer who can charm, dazzle, and break the heart in a single paragraph.
William's affair with Sarah will take him from a tenement on the Lower East Side to a hotel room in Paris, from a flip proposal of marriage to the extremities of outraged need and the wisdom that comes only to true survivors. Anyone who reads The Hottest State will encounter a writer who can charm, dazzle, and break the heart in a single paragraph.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
40 people are currently reading
2217 people want to read
About the author
Ethan Hawke
42 books1,232 followersEthan Green Hawke is an American actor, author, and film director. He made his film debut in Explorers (1985), before making a breakthrough performance in Dead Poets Society (1989). Hawke starred alongside Julie Delpy in Richard Linklater's Before trilogy from 1995 to 2013. Hawke received two nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Training Day (2001) and Boyhood (2014) and two for Best Adapted Screenplay for co-writing Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013). Other notable roles include in Reality Bites (1994), Gattaca (1997), Great Expectations (1998), Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007), Maggie's Plan (2015), First Reformed (2017), The Black Phone (2021), and The Northman (2022).
Hawke directed the narrative films Chelsea Walls (2001), The Hottest State (2006), and Blaze (2018) as well as the documentary Seymour: An Introduction (2014). He created, co-wrote and starred as John Brown in the Showtime limited series The Good Lord Bird (2018), and directed the HBO Max documentary series The Last Movie Stars (2022). He starred in the Marvel television miniseries Moon Knight (2022) as Arthur Harrow.
In addition to his film work, Hawke has appeared in many theater productions. He made his Broadway debut in 1992 in Anton Chekhov's The Seagull, and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play in 2007 for his performance in Tom Stoppard's The Coast of Utopia. In 2010, Hawke directed Sam Shepard's A Lie of the Mind, for which he received a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Director of a Play. In 2018, he starred in the Roundabout Theater Company's revival of Sam Shepard's play True West.
He has received numerous nominations including a total of four Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award.
Hawke directed the narrative films Chelsea Walls (2001), The Hottest State (2006), and Blaze (2018) as well as the documentary Seymour: An Introduction (2014). He created, co-wrote and starred as John Brown in the Showtime limited series The Good Lord Bird (2018), and directed the HBO Max documentary series The Last Movie Stars (2022). He starred in the Marvel television miniseries Moon Knight (2022) as Arthur Harrow.
In addition to his film work, Hawke has appeared in many theater productions. He made his Broadway debut in 1992 in Anton Chekhov's The Seagull, and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play in 2007 for his performance in Tom Stoppard's The Coast of Utopia. In 2010, Hawke directed Sam Shepard's A Lie of the Mind, for which he received a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Director of a Play. In 2018, he starred in the Roundabout Theater Company's revival of Sam Shepard's play True West.
He has received numerous nominations including a total of four Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 367 reviews
July 1, 2008
I've read another of Ethan Hawke and thought he was good. So when I saw this book in the free box I couldn't just pass it up laughing that an actor actually thinks he can write too(like I could at a Mel Gibson or Bruce Willis novel). Quite contrary, Hawke has a writing voice that is simple, direct, and sometimes ingenious. Check out one of his character's resolutions: "I want to never waste energy degrading someone else. Also, I want to try not see life as a competition. If I can do these two things, as well as keep myself from being checked into an alcoholic rehabilitation center, then I figure I'll be A-OK" (182).
This book reads like a good satisfying meal. It's a romance written from a budding hopeless romantic's perspective. Perfect in length and depth. A good page turner.
This book reads like a good satisfying meal. It's a romance written from a budding hopeless romantic's perspective. Perfect in length and depth. A good page turner.
October 15, 2007
An incredibly visceral, raw wound of a book, perfectly detailing everyone's experience of obsessive, passionate love that ends badly.
'I loved that stupid girl so much', he says. If you can't identify with that statement on some level, you have no heart...
A great debut from a promising author, who has far surpassed expectations as an actor/writer/artist.
A quick read that's very easy to pick up again, even if it has the effect of giving you an ear to ear grin at the start and ending with you feeling like you've been gutted.
An incredible, emotional experience.
'I loved that stupid girl so much', he says. If you can't identify with that statement on some level, you have no heart...
A great debut from a promising author, who has far surpassed expectations as an actor/writer/artist.
A quick read that's very easy to pick up again, even if it has the effect of giving you an ear to ear grin at the start and ending with you feeling like you've been gutted.
An incredible, emotional experience.
July 1, 2016
Ironically I picked up The Hottest State because I thought to myself: "I haven't read any male authors lately. I'm looking to get a masculine perspective on something for a change of pace." So I start to read, and I realize "Oh, shit. This is Ethan Hawke. He has emotions and shit."
The main character falls messily in love with a mysterious curvy girl who has serious boundary inconsistencies. Readers are led to empathize a little tiny bit with the protagonist's love interests, but mostly we're stuck in the protagonist's potential narcissism.
I'm glad it was a quick read.
My favorite part is some poetry the boy wrote when he was seven years old:
The cowboy rides
Through desert by desert
Traveling by horses
He gets dirty
Like a rag buried in the sand
And he dies full of age
and bullets
A hat is shaped in lots of different ways
A big bump in the middle
And flat on the sides
And nothing like a jacket.
Fort Worth is the hottest state I know
My dad lives there
My grandma too
Most every grandparent
except a few
It's so cute! I want to give the boy hugs! (But the grownup not so much.)
The main character falls messily in love with a mysterious curvy girl who has serious boundary inconsistencies. Readers are led to empathize a little tiny bit with the protagonist's love interests, but mostly we're stuck in the protagonist's potential narcissism.
I'm glad it was a quick read.
My favorite part is some poetry the boy wrote when he was seven years old:
The cowboy rides
Through desert by desert
Traveling by horses
He gets dirty
Like a rag buried in the sand
And he dies full of age
and bullets
A hat is shaped in lots of different ways
A big bump in the middle
And flat on the sides
And nothing like a jacket.
Fort Worth is the hottest state I know
My dad lives there
My grandma too
Most every grandparent
except a few
It's so cute! I want to give the boy hugs! (But the grownup not so much.)
June 13, 2018
I think it's fucked up how characters like William in The Hottest State will sometimes be considered passionate or tortured when really, when you look at all of the information laid before you, you can see that they are just manipulative, neglectful and abusive.
This book is basically about a boy, who thinks he's a man, whine and complain as the girl he likes dares not to like him back. How dare she, right? How can she even think it? He's all charm and swagger, is he not? So how can he overcome this? Call her a bitch for not wanting to hang out with him. Make her feel small for not wanting to have sex with him. Think, multiple times, about raping her for his own sordid pleasure. Actually attempt to rape her. Succeed in raping her. Smash, break, throw and destroy things in a fit of childish rage when she finally frees herself from him. Stalk and harass her to show her what she's lost. Then finally he believes he's better than she is and can continue his life. Brilliant, Mr. Hawke. Brilliant. You deserve a Pulitzer. 1/5
Worst. Book. Ever.
This book is basically about a boy, who thinks he's a man, whine and complain as the girl he likes dares not to like him back. How dare she, right? How can she even think it? He's all charm and swagger, is he not? So how can he overcome this? Call her a bitch for not wanting to hang out with him. Make her feel small for not wanting to have sex with him. Think, multiple times, about raping her for his own sordid pleasure. Actually attempt to rape her. Succeed in raping her. Smash, break, throw and destroy things in a fit of childish rage when she finally frees herself from him. Stalk and harass her to show her what she's lost. Then finally he believes he's better than she is and can continue his life. Brilliant, Mr. Hawke. Brilliant. You deserve a Pulitzer. 1/5
Worst. Book. Ever.
October 12, 2010
OMG YOU GUYS did you know that Ethan Hawke wrote a novel? Two novels, actually. And now you know all that you need to know about this book.
January 22, 2024
“Avevo vent'anni, e prima di compierne ventuno avrei avuto il cuore spezzato.”
E questa è la storia di quel cuore che si spezza, questa è la storia di un amore. Quello dei vent’anni, appunto. Appassionato, assoluto, devastante. La scrive il talentuoso Ethan Hawke: è il suo esordio nella narrativa e lui di anni ne ha proprio ventuno.
William e Sarah si incontrano a New York, entrambi in fuga da una famiglia disfunzionale sprofondata in una qualche periferia americana. Lui ha appena cominciato a fare l’attore, lei è aspirante cantante. Il nome del locale in cui si incontrano, Bitter End, annuncia già quale sarà il loro destino.
La loro storia è anche il paradigma dell’amore giovane, quello che nutre, infiamma, mette le ali ai sogni e con la stessa forza poi li sparpaglia gettandoli via. Quello che brucia l’anima più di ogni altra cosa quando poi finisce.
La forza di questo racconto sta nella sua freschezza e insieme nella sua intensità.
Come scrive Hawke nella prefazione:
”Gran parte dei libri sulla gioventù sono immersi in un’atmosfera di nostalgia. Questo no. Questo è il libro che parla di cosa significa compiere ventun anni, scritto da un ragazzo che aveva ventun anni davvero. Qui stanno la sua follia e la sua potenza.”
Quindici anni dopo Hawke stesso lo trasformò in un (bel) film.
E questa è la storia di quel cuore che si spezza, questa è la storia di un amore. Quello dei vent’anni, appunto. Appassionato, assoluto, devastante. La scrive il talentuoso Ethan Hawke: è il suo esordio nella narrativa e lui di anni ne ha proprio ventuno.
William e Sarah si incontrano a New York, entrambi in fuga da una famiglia disfunzionale sprofondata in una qualche periferia americana. Lui ha appena cominciato a fare l’attore, lei è aspirante cantante. Il nome del locale in cui si incontrano, Bitter End, annuncia già quale sarà il loro destino.
La loro storia è anche il paradigma dell’amore giovane, quello che nutre, infiamma, mette le ali ai sogni e con la stessa forza poi li sparpaglia gettandoli via. Quello che brucia l’anima più di ogni altra cosa quando poi finisce.
La forza di questo racconto sta nella sua freschezza e insieme nella sua intensità.
Come scrive Hawke nella prefazione:
”Gran parte dei libri sulla gioventù sono immersi in un’atmosfera di nostalgia. Questo no. Questo è il libro che parla di cosa significa compiere ventun anni, scritto da un ragazzo che aveva ventun anni davvero. Qui stanno la sua follia e la sua potenza.”
Quindici anni dopo Hawke stesso lo trasformò in un (bel) film.
May 11, 2020
It has sentimental value, what can I say? The book me and hubs were both reading when we met. And when we came to question each other about reading tastes, we both bashfully announced that we were reading A TOTALLY AMAZING BOOK, which we were a bit shy to talk about.
Yeah, same book. This book.
It's still pretty amazing.
Yeah, same book. This book.
It's still pretty amazing.
July 13, 2022
Easy to read but soooo misogynistic and male gaze-y it was actually painful. Every character is insufferable and every other line of dialogue was an eye roll. The narrator is the epitome of toxic masculinity but it’s excusable bc he misses his dad AWWW :( bitch grow up. BAD IDEA.
October 19, 2020
This one surprised me. It had been sitting on my shelf for years and years and when I finally took it down, it hit me in the way Fante hit me when I first read him. Hawke is the real deal, a writer. I have not read much fiction for years, but this one startled me awake. It hums and vibrate with the energy of a young man on the edge. The words sing and zing and tumble all around you. Yeah, this book.
January 12, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. Ethan Hawke's writing is fantastic. It flows so smoothly and effortlessly that you want to read it straight through; which is what I almost did. The story was realistic and captured my attention right away. I look forward to reading more books by Ethan Hawke.
November 15, 2009
I read this such a long time ago, when it first came out. It's a novella, not a novel, per se. The characters felt familiar and the angst of William loving someone who didn't even know if she "liked" him half the time much less "loved" him gave the piece an honest vibe.
However, the lack of details throughout left me frustrated. Sarah is a nanny yet never seems to work, though she still manages to afford a New York apartment. William is an actor. He's successful enough to make a living at it, yet never mentions rehearsing, auditioning, directors, other actors, or the hassles of trying to get ahead in what is surely a difficult industry.
Sketchy details continue when William gets a part in an "independent movie" which is shooting in Europe. He never mentions what the part is, and for whatever baffling reason, Sarah doesn't bother asking. When he trades in his first-class ticket for two coach tickets so Sarah can go with him, I was ready to finally bond with them, and believe in their relationship. I was thinking of them tackling Europe together, across an ocean with only each other to cling to. They aren't well-traveled characters but for some reason meet the rush of their new and exciting surroundings with ho-hum attitudes. Shouldn't at least one of them want to have fun? Go sightseeing? Get swept away? It's as if nothing but the back and forth of maybe-I-like-you-or-maybe-I-don't mattered to either of them. I know it was a catalyst for William coming to terms with his father later on, but Sarah comes off as a manipulative child rather than sympathetic.
I did like William's relationship with his mother. That twinge of loneliness and spending Thanksgiving in "another" house, with "another" of his mother's boyfriends, when there had been so many of them sort of broke my heart. Kudos for that.
However, the lack of details throughout left me frustrated. Sarah is a nanny yet never seems to work, though she still manages to afford a New York apartment. William is an actor. He's successful enough to make a living at it, yet never mentions rehearsing, auditioning, directors, other actors, or the hassles of trying to get ahead in what is surely a difficult industry.
Sketchy details continue when William gets a part in an "independent movie" which is shooting in Europe. He never mentions what the part is, and for whatever baffling reason, Sarah doesn't bother asking. When he trades in his first-class ticket for two coach tickets so Sarah can go with him, I was ready to finally bond with them, and believe in their relationship. I was thinking of them tackling Europe together, across an ocean with only each other to cling to. They aren't well-traveled characters but for some reason meet the rush of their new and exciting surroundings with ho-hum attitudes. Shouldn't at least one of them want to have fun? Go sightseeing? Get swept away? It's as if nothing but the back and forth of maybe-I-like-you-or-maybe-I-don't mattered to either of them. I know it was a catalyst for William coming to terms with his father later on, but Sarah comes off as a manipulative child rather than sympathetic.
I did like William's relationship with his mother. That twinge of loneliness and spending Thanksgiving in "another" house, with "another" of his mother's boyfriends, when there had been so many of them sort of broke my heart. Kudos for that.
June 29, 2020
I think Hawke needs to stick to acting.
Ho-hum. Another young man with boiling testosterone, who beds anyone in sight--of course, the one he falls for is a little "different." Yeah, right. I would dump him, too.
Ho-hum. Another young man with boiling testosterone, who beds anyone in sight--of course, the one he falls for is a little "different." Yeah, right. I would dump him, too.
Want to read
January 26, 2008Apparently this book doesn't actually exist in print...anywhere. But if it happens to show up, I might read it.
July 25, 2009
What a bizarre book. I did read it in around 1 day - couldn't put it down. But in the end I felt like it had been a waste of time. This book is basically about a guy who falls in love and then the girl dumps him and he takes it badly, but the whole time it seems like it's gonna be more - which is why I couldn't put it down. For awhile I thought William was in the midst of a psychotic break - hearing voices, erratic, violent behavior, strange physical manifestations like having to pee 20 times in an hour. But then he just recovers and gets over the girl with no explanation for all that. Then I thought maybe he was figuring out he was gay - nope. I wasn't sympathetic to his character or the girl who was supposedly so fabulous. And so many things didn't hang together - like Sarah grew up in CT, lived in Seattle, then moved to NY, but had never been on a plane? Yet she has a passport ready to go when he invites her to France? And she invites him to visit her preschool classroom and asks him to take a little girl to the bathroom then lie down with her while she falls asleep at naptime? Excuse me? That's a preschool whose days are numbered...
Can't believe they turned this into a movie.
Can't believe they turned this into a movie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 12, 2022
Dieses Buch habe ich schon einmal gelesen, vor langer, langer Zeit. Jetzt habe ich es in einem
Bücherschrank gefunden und es war wie „nach Hause kommen“, einige Sätze und Passagen hatte ich noch im Kopf.
Eine Liebesgeschichte über das erste, richtige Verliebtsein und die Tragik des Scheiterns. Aus nostalgischen Gründen habe ich jeden einzelnen Satz von Ethan Hawke genossen und bin „Hin und weg“! Ich werde definitiv weitere Werke des Schriftstellers/Schauspielers lesen!
Bücherschrank gefunden und es war wie „nach Hause kommen“, einige Sätze und Passagen hatte ich noch im Kopf.
Eine Liebesgeschichte über das erste, richtige Verliebtsein und die Tragik des Scheiterns. Aus nostalgischen Gründen habe ich jeden einzelnen Satz von Ethan Hawke genossen und bin „Hin und weg“! Ich werde definitiv weitere Werke des Schriftstellers/Schauspielers lesen!
December 13, 2017
temo che il problema più grosso di questo "amore giovane" ("the hottest state": probabilmente il fatto che sia stato scritto da un attore ha portato automaticamente allo stravolgimento del titolo, come si usa fare per i film) si chiama "mercoledì delle ceneri": perchè dopo aver letto un libro così ci speri che il resto della produzione del buon ethan sia allo stesso livello.
non è così, purtroppo: ma il risultato non è da buttare via, anzi.
c'è un aria da film giovanile metà anni '90 (guarda caso quando il libro uscì), tra storie sentimentali destinate al fallimento, famiglie sparse per l'america, vita da bohemien...manca giusto la colonna sonora, magari qualche gruppo indie rock minore, qualche cover di classiconi anni '70 e l'inevitabile ballata acustica (perfetta per l'ultima scena tra i bambini, direi).
lo rovina parecchio questa sensazione di deja-vu, ma al tempo stesso parecchie cose funzionano, e anche se i personaggi non sono esattamente simpaticissimi le vicende appassionano.
insomma: tutto bene per un paio d'ore di lettura che assolutamente non si rimpiangono, ma guai a chiedergli di più. proprio come a quei film giovanili anni '90 di cui sopra...
non è così, purtroppo: ma il risultato non è da buttare via, anzi.
c'è un aria da film giovanile metà anni '90 (guarda caso quando il libro uscì), tra storie sentimentali destinate al fallimento, famiglie sparse per l'america, vita da bohemien...manca giusto la colonna sonora, magari qualche gruppo indie rock minore, qualche cover di classiconi anni '70 e l'inevitabile ballata acustica (perfetta per l'ultima scena tra i bambini, direi).
lo rovina parecchio questa sensazione di deja-vu, ma al tempo stesso parecchie cose funzionano, e anche se i personaggi non sono esattamente simpaticissimi le vicende appassionano.
insomma: tutto bene per un paio d'ore di lettura che assolutamente non si rimpiangono, ma guai a chiedergli di più. proprio come a quei film giovanili anni '90 di cui sopra...
October 10, 2021
This was not a good read. There probably will be spoilers in this review.
This was basically r/niceguy the novel. The main character is so incredibly unlikeable. William is sex-obsessed, oblivious, selfish, and misogynistic. He only likes women for what they can give him, for what they look like and their sexual appeal. He is also aggressive and violent. He literally knocks over Sarah’s refrigerator when she breaks up with him. Like ?? For what? When he is upset, he destroys things. There are multiple occasions he thinks about physical violence towards Sarah and Samantha.
There are occasions of sexual assault that the book wants me to think is romantic, like when Sarah was asleep. Can William only get off when girls are sleeping??
William also stalks Sarah. He wants to “get the last word” or “show his strength”. He yells things outside her window after she’s made it clear she needs space from him. So weird. It totally reminded me of r/niceguys because despite all this, William and his mother refer to him as a “great” or “nice” guy. William blames everything on Sarah.
There was also a really weird sequence of gay panic that William was having, which would have been more understanding if William actually ended up being gay or something. Then, this obsession with the F-word and being “manly” would make a bit more sense. Even his weird anger and hostility towards outwardly LGBT people could be explained away as internal homophobia. But, nope. We have William’s downhill spiral and then it’s never really brought up again. Add homophobic to William’s list of undesirable traits.
William didn’t really go through any character development by the end of the story. He is still rather selfish and he still sees women as objects. I don’t understand what the point of this story was. If William did all of this awful stuff then changed, then yeah, I would understand why that stuff was in the book. But, from what I read, William doesn’t change.
I have had this book on my book shelf for years and wanted something quick to read—I would not recommend this book for anyone, unless you’re a guy wanting to know how exactly not to behave.
This was basically r/niceguy the novel. The main character is so incredibly unlikeable. William is sex-obsessed, oblivious, selfish, and misogynistic. He only likes women for what they can give him, for what they look like and their sexual appeal. He is also aggressive and violent. He literally knocks over Sarah’s refrigerator when she breaks up with him. Like ?? For what? When he is upset, he destroys things. There are multiple occasions he thinks about physical violence towards Sarah and Samantha.
There are occasions of sexual assault that the book wants me to think is romantic, like when Sarah was asleep. Can William only get off when girls are sleeping??
William also stalks Sarah. He wants to “get the last word” or “show his strength”. He yells things outside her window after she’s made it clear she needs space from him. So weird. It totally reminded me of r/niceguys because despite all this, William and his mother refer to him as a “great” or “nice” guy. William blames everything on Sarah.
There was also a really weird sequence of gay panic that William was having, which would have been more understanding if William actually ended up being gay or something. Then, this obsession with the F-word and being “manly” would make a bit more sense. Even his weird anger and hostility towards outwardly LGBT people could be explained away as internal homophobia. But, nope. We have William’s downhill spiral and then it’s never really brought up again. Add homophobic to William’s list of undesirable traits.
William didn’t really go through any character development by the end of the story. He is still rather selfish and he still sees women as objects. I don’t understand what the point of this story was. If William did all of this awful stuff then changed, then yeah, I would understand why that stuff was in the book. But, from what I read, William doesn’t change.
I have had this book on my book shelf for years and wanted something quick to read—I would not recommend this book for anyone, unless you’re a guy wanting to know how exactly not to behave.
August 12, 2010
Ethan Hawke will break your heart. The Hottest State chronicles one year in the life of young, dashing William Harding: aspiring actor and charming lover. When he first meets Sarah, a girl unlike any he's ever seen, he knows from the beginning that he's a goner. She's beautiful. She's elusive. Every little thing she does strikes William greatly. The passion the two share, the chemistry; it's all so surreal, that even he can't believe it. He knows right then and there, that she is the one, that she's the one that he'll love forever, but little does he realize that though she may be the pursuit of his pleasure, he is just a twenty-year-old fool in love, and by time he's twenty-one, he'll just be a broken-hearted man. The way Hawke captures your interest in enthralling. He makes you become William Harding. I by all means, am not a helpless twenty-year-old boy in love, but throughout reading the book, I really felt like I was. All of William's movements and thoughts, I could relate with. It was so eerie. When William cried, I felt like crying, and when he got psychotic over his breakup with Sarah, I could feel the pain tugging inside of him. There's this one funny scene where he throws furniture around, and it's not funny like "haha!", but funny because, it's a scene where it should have been a turning point. I should have said "Wow, this William is nuts". But I didn't say that. Instead, I found myself cheering him on, because as crazy as he was, the emotion that was seeping throughout all of it, was so legitimate. This novel was by far one of them most entertaining novels I've ever read, and not only because I feel like it's something straight out of my own past, or future, for that matter. Ethan Hawke will make you laugh, and he'll make you love William's story, but in the tragic end, Ethan Hawke will break your heart.
January 5, 2023
I'm glad I read Hawke's latest book, A Bright Ray of Darkness, before I read this one, or I would've had more hard feelings for his debut. It's really admirable to see how much he's grown between the young, vulnerable artist he was at my age and the older, venerable artist he is now. There's too much of a young man's severely delicate masculinity and obsessive selfishness in this for me to have enjoyed most of it, especially personally knowing a terrible abundance of young men like the main character (and dating a few). Obviously, Hawke is a boobs guy, because breasts are mentioned in just about every non-childhood-related excerpt as well as many times in Bright Ray, which. Had me rolling my eyes a few times.
But there are similarities with Bright Ray that kept me reading--which was *very* quickly for my normal pace, I devoured this novel in 4 days. Hawke's writing voice/perspective is just so genuine and sharp; the meaning he sees in everyday details that people overlook is something compelling. Even though I didn't enjoy his debut, I appreciate having read it.
But there are similarities with Bright Ray that kept me reading--which was *very* quickly for my normal pace, I devoured this novel in 4 days. Hawke's writing voice/perspective is just so genuine and sharp; the meaning he sees in everyday details that people overlook is something compelling. Even though I didn't enjoy his debut, I appreciate having read it.
September 10, 2019
Bless his heart; he tried.
Read
July 12, 2020Took a long break after the first third of the book, and then read the rest on one day. I love the way he writes dialogue, it seems as though you’re standing right next to the people talking. The story itself was a bit weird, but somehow still very enjoyable.
January 29, 2023
Anyone with enough dedication could’ve written this. Maybe that’s why I kind of enjoyed it.
November 25, 2012
Surprise, surprise, surprise. Ethan Hawke can write, well. His debut novel perfectly captures the essence of being young and in love and then the pain of breakup. I felt deeply those little moments of first falling in love, the uncertainty and self doubt as you wonder what is it about me that she sees. Am I good enough, are we good enough. The story changes dramatically as their relationship turns. When Samantha decides that she isn't really ready for a relationship, Will's reaction is unhealthy, to say the least. The tragedy of youth is that Will doesn't have the life experience to strip away the personal feelings about him from her feelings about where she is as an individual.
I cared about William and Sarah like I haven't cared about characters in a while. They've both loved and lost, their home lives were disastrous, but they both are alive, but in differing ways which is why I felt drawn in. As the story progresses and it becomes more of Will's story and less of theirs, we see more of how his past affects his ability to rationally approach relationships.
There are many perfect moments of dialogue. Between William and Sarah, in the short scene with them and Sarah's elderly mother, with William and his friends. Hawke has a great ear and puts it to good use here.
This is not a criticism of Hawke, but there is an easy connection between The hottest state and Reality Bites. Not the stories, but the character would fit well at a party together. Both works have a heavy Gen-X feel to them.
I picked this up on a whim almost entirely because I like Hawke, particularly the 90s indie and theatre actor version. I'm glad I did look forward to reading more.
I cared about William and Sarah like I haven't cared about characters in a while. They've both loved and lost, their home lives were disastrous, but they both are alive, but in differing ways which is why I felt drawn in. As the story progresses and it becomes more of Will's story and less of theirs, we see more of how his past affects his ability to rationally approach relationships.
There are many perfect moments of dialogue. Between William and Sarah, in the short scene with them and Sarah's elderly mother, with William and his friends. Hawke has a great ear and puts it to good use here.
This is not a criticism of Hawke, but there is an easy connection between The hottest state and Reality Bites. Not the stories, but the character would fit well at a party together. Both works have a heavy Gen-X feel to them.
I picked this up on a whim almost entirely because I like Hawke, particularly the 90s indie and theatre actor version. I'm glad I did look forward to reading more.
January 28, 2020
The story is about a 20-year-old actor (William) who falls in love with Sarah. Sarah is a upcoming singer and the story takes place in New York. William meets Sarah at a bar and watched her perform where he immediately feel in love. He is a few months away twenty-first birthday and about to act in his first movie. He is so used to getting what he wants that he has never been able to care too deeply for anyone. But that all changes when he meets Sarah and decides to move in with her. Sarah and William went from living in a tenement on the Lower East Side to a flight and hotel room in Paris. The novel explores obsession, heart break, decision making and ultimately, William's uncontrollable breakdown after being rejected by Sarah. William questions his own masculinity as part of this rejection and to stop himself from falling apart falls back on his friends, his divorced parents and his high school sweetheart. If you've seen some of Hawke's films like "Before Midnight" or "tape" then you'll also enjoy his novel. This book was a film before it was made into a novel and was just as successful as the film with a rating of 4.5 stars on the Washington Post. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in drama or coming of age books.
April 11, 2021
Ethan hawke is a romantic man. I know very little about him but I feel like I know this? I am a huge fan of his work, especially Juliet, Naked which isn’t even if most well-known. His voice just oozes romance and to read a book by him, I only heard it through his voice. I imagined him as William. He’s all I could picture. He actually writes so beautifully. I truly wondered if these were his real thoughts? I always like male authors for some insight into a mans mind and peaking into Ethans mind was a beautiful thing. Strange but beautiful. This book really ensured me that men are bad with their feelings. I feel like they can’t help it? Emotions freak them out. William couldn’t handle rejection well but a lot of it had to do with his Daddy issues. I felt bad for him. I don’t think I like Sarah. She would never allow herself to feel but I do agree the relationship became pretty toxic so it was good they ended it. Ethan Hawke has much more depth than I’d ever imagined.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2022
Admittedly I read this to feed my Ethan Hawke obsession, as someone who loves his movies I was interested to see what his writing was like. I found his writing to be surprisingly good for an actor. I was hoping this book would be like the Before trilogy that he starred in and although I could definitely see some similarities this had a darker, less hopeful tone to it.
We follow William who falls in love with Sarah and we begin to see how all consuming first love can be and all the complicated feelings that come with it. I found William to be a hopeless romantic but also deeply narcissistic, I’m not sure if he was meant to be that way but that’s how I viewed him throughout most of the book. The relationship between the two characters wasn’t healthy despite how much William romanticised Sarah which made it feel like a true, relatable romance story.
I am looking forward to reading more by Ethan Hawke!
We follow William who falls in love with Sarah and we begin to see how all consuming first love can be and all the complicated feelings that come with it. I found William to be a hopeless romantic but also deeply narcissistic, I’m not sure if he was meant to be that way but that’s how I viewed him throughout most of the book. The relationship between the two characters wasn’t healthy despite how much William romanticised Sarah which made it feel like a true, relatable romance story.
I am looking forward to reading more by Ethan Hawke!
June 25, 2013
I'd been kind of surprised when I saw Hawke's name on books in the bookstore and had intended to check his writing out, but just never got around to it before now. I'd heard some bad things about his writing and wasn't sure what to think. As I do sooner or later most times in this situation, I looked for myself. After all, Hawke thanks Fred Leebron in the acknowledgements in this one, so I figured there had to be some good here. Having finished, I do have to say that Hawke is a better writer than I'd heard people say. This one isn't going on my all time favorite list or anything, and I think there are some spots here and there that seem a little bit cliché or awkward, but for the most part this is some pretty decent writing. I'm even considering checking out Hawke's other book, if that means anything.
January 1, 2012
When I saw this book at the library I picked it up, wondering if this Ethan Hawke was the actor... It was. So, I decided to read the book, just for fun and since I admire him as an actor I wanted to see if he was a terrible writer. Well, guess what, he is all but that. I was surprised about how much I loved this book. His writing is articulate and direct and while it is not difficult to read it is very interesting.
The Hottest State is a book that just completely holds your attention from the beginning until the end. It portrays beautifully what is that crazy, reckless young love. It makes you hope for the couple, makes you laugh, cry and go through the complete emotional range while reading it.
Great read.
The Hottest State is a book that just completely holds your attention from the beginning until the end. It portrays beautifully what is that crazy, reckless young love. It makes you hope for the couple, makes you laugh, cry and go through the complete emotional range while reading it.
Great read.
September 18, 2007
I bought this the day it came out... just because of the author... the cutie pie greasy haired lead guy in Reality Bites.
I read this book twice within a month of having it. and have reread it multiple times since.
Its one of those cute, heartbreaking, poor guy sort of quick reads.... I wanted to be the girl that broke this kids heart. I wanted to be the girl he pined for. I wanted to be the girl that picked up the pieces and put him all back together again.The girl that he treated like shit so i could treat him like shit back. Its everything a relationship-gone-bad-gone-good-gone-bad should be.
If you havent read it, you really must.....
I read this book twice within a month of having it. and have reread it multiple times since.
Its one of those cute, heartbreaking, poor guy sort of quick reads.... I wanted to be the girl that broke this kids heart. I wanted to be the girl he pined for. I wanted to be the girl that picked up the pieces and put him all back together again.The girl that he treated like shit so i could treat him like shit back. Its everything a relationship-gone-bad-gone-good-gone-bad should be.
If you havent read it, you really must.....
August 17, 2024
I was impressed by the transparency of a young Hawke's writing ability, allowing nastier parts of his budding romantic life to slip into this quasi autobiography. He would later go on to cheat on worldie Uma Thurman, which he writes about in the sequel of this book, also obviously memoir-like. I've looked up to Hawke majority of my life, thinking of him as a paragon of artistry, and knowing that he was probably once a doomed lover reciting soliloquies and destroying his apartment, troubled and scared, fatherless and bitter, I have a renewed interest in him, peeling back a layer that reveals something so much more interesting -- an adult perspective on a childhood hero.
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