Disclaimer: This is not a review. More like a rant.
I have a confession to make. I totally have no clue what this book is about when I read it. All I know is that it was adapted into a film (of the same title) that premiered in the Sundance Festival last year which starred Shailene Woodley─who is going to play Tris Prior AND Hazel Grace Lancaster for the film adaptations of the nothing-short-of-amazing books of Veronica Roth's Divergent of the Divergent Series and John Green's The Fault In Our Stars─so I immediately included it into this list with the hope that it would be a satisfying read; after all, it wouldn't be made into a film and wouldn't made THE Sundance if the story behind it wasn't, right?
So you could just imagine my utter dismay when I read the book and found out that it was about a guy─who is a teenager and is still in high school, by the way─who likes to distinguish himself as "God's own drunk," and who─for the whole time I kept telling myself to just stick with him because for sure he has a story to tell─couldn't seem to last a day without a flask of 7Up-mixed-with-whiskey in hand (or within reach) and who doesn't have any plans of going college (or anywhere for that matter) AND is probably content with just folding men's shirts for the rest of his alcoholic, hedonistic life. That's Sutter Keely for you.
Now, will you take it against me if I say I didn't finish (I stopped halfway through the book and read the last chapter before I totally ditch it, in hopes that there would be something good coming out of it) reading it? Well, I am sorry to disappoint you but I don't read something I don't believe in and I can't believe the "Sutterman." I don't tolerate his teenage drinking-partying-smoking-pot and glorying in it even if it's just in a book. I mean, a lot of kids can have an access to his story and what is the message it conveys? That life is crappy and effed-up already so let's just go drink, party, smoke and just forget about tomorrow's repercussions but just live in "the spectacular now?" Right. That just won't work for me.
You know I hate giving negative reviews but I can just call things the way I see it. And this is how I see this Tim Tharp's novel: A beautifully-told story. Funny, even. But that's just it. Yes, the story-telling is great, however I can't say the same with the plot and the characters. Sutter is still his alcohol-drinking self in the end as he was in the beginning. No character development, whatsoever. He is particularly happy with his "Spectacular Now" until the very end which is sadly, disappointing. I really kind of rooting for him to define his spectacular now in a different, more sober light but I guess we can only wish happy endings for everybody, right? It's up to us to choose happiness and actually work for it.
Joey
I have a confession to make. I totally have no clue what this book is about when I read it. All I know is that it was adapted into a film (of the same title) that premiered in the Sundance Festival last year which starred Shailene Woodley─who is going to play Tris Prior AND Hazel Grace Lancaster for the film adaptations of the nothing-short-of-amazing books of Veronica Roth's Divergent of the Divergent Series and John Green's The Fault In Our Stars─so I immediately included it into this list with the hope that it would be a satisfying read; after all, it wouldn't be made into a film and wouldn't made THE Sundance if the story behind it wasn't, right?
So you could just imagine my utter dismay when I read the book and found out that it was about a guy─who is a teenager and is still in high school, by the way─who likes to distinguish himself as "God's own drunk," and who─for the whole time I kept telling myself to just stick with him because for sure he has a story to tell─couldn't seem to last a day without a flask of 7Up-mixed-with-whiskey in hand (or within reach) and who doesn't have any plans of going college (or anywhere for that matter) AND is probably content with just folding men's shirts for the rest of his alcoholic, hedonistic life. That's Sutter Keely for you.
Now, will you take it against me if I say I didn't finish (I stopped halfway through the book and read the last chapter before I totally ditch it, in hopes that there would be something good coming out of it) reading it? Well, I am sorry to disappoint you but I don't read something I don't believe in and I can't believe the "Sutterman." I don't tolerate his teenage drinking-partying-smoking-pot and glorying in it even if it's just in a book. I mean, a lot of kids can have an access to his story and what is the message it conveys? That life is crappy and effed-up already so let's just go drink, party, smoke and just forget about tomorrow's repercussions but just live in "the spectacular now?" Right. That just won't work for me.
You know I hate giving negative reviews but I can just call things the way I see it. And this is how I see this Tim Tharp's novel: A beautifully-told story. Funny, even. But that's just it. Yes, the story-telling is great, however I can't say the same with the plot and the characters. Sutter is still his alcohol-drinking self in the end as he was in the beginning. No character development, whatsoever. He is particularly happy with his "Spectacular Now" until the very end which is sadly, disappointing. I really kind of rooting for him to define his spectacular now in a different, more sober light but I guess we can only wish happy endings for everybody, right? It's up to us to choose happiness and actually work for it.
Joey
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