Okay for Now question

I really liked it because it had that Catcher in the Rye feel about it. It had a point, but not really. I could see how maybe people could identify with it on many levels such as loved one returning home or that people aren't always as they appear.

As more and more time passes, I think I am clearly in the liked it group and moving into the loved it group. It was the first non-fluff book I read on my Kindle. It was nice to have a male dominated book that doesn't depend on a sport or fantastical element to move the story.

It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't the best, either. I thought it was quite disorganized and somewhat plotless. It was a tiny bit of To Kill a Mockingbird mixed with Bridge to Terabithia and some of that abstract art stuff. And sadly, it didn't turn out as good as anticipated.

In addition, the ending really annoyed me, as it proved that the entire book was pretty much without a point. If Lil dies from cancer, then Doug has no one, thus ruling out anything remotely resembling hope or love or friendship.

I loved this book. I actually think it as good as, if not better than, Trouble, the other book I've read by Schmidt. I think his writing is amazing.

i just LOVE doug he is so strong

i really really really loved this book! it was great!

I absolutely loved this book! I am hoping some of you can offer your opinion to my lingering question....was it Doug's dad who broke into the deli and the hardware store with Ernie?

I absolutely love the book and yes there is a plot. We are given a setting and each bird represents rising action events, followed by both birds that represent an anti-climatic event and a climatic event----and then we are given a bird or two that leads to the end of the story. Followed by the bird that is truly the resolution. I am a reading teacher and if I covered this book in class, then I would certainly have my students use the different birds to draw out the story map or plot. Not to mention, you can have the students write character sketches over using the different birds as their point of reference. I also noticed that the reader is given truisms along the way regarding characters that lead to great journal entries.