"So what's your role on the stage of life?" She asked. "The hopeless romantic, I guess. To Shakespeare that means tragedy."

First Paragraph: 

"The girl lay lifeless in his arms, nineteen and full of innocence. He wept, brushing strands of brown hair away from her once-sparkling eyes; eyes that had offered him hope when he was feeling down, eyes that narrowed with sarcasm whenever his ego was getting the better of him. It wasn't her time. She'd done nothing to deserve this. A heavy sadness rippled through his body, and only desperate pleas escaped his trembling lips."

  Amazon /Amazon.co.uk

All American Addict by Jason Cunningham is a story about William.

PLOT

The prologue puts us near the end of the book, before pulling us back a few months to seventeen-year-old William Plum, on his daily commute through New York City on his way to school. This morning is a little different as a beautiful girl catches his eye on the train. The trip is over all too quickly for William, but Westmore Academy (and his best friend Philip) await.

William takes great pride in his grades, and Westmore is the place to get them. A school for the exceptionally wealthy or intelligent, William hopes to use them as a stepping stone on his way to his dream college- Oxford. In the two categories who frequent the school, William is a part of the former (though he has the grades to be the latter), and Philip the latter. William's mother is a celebrity chef working for HGTV, while his father was recently given the title "American Surgeon". Both parents excel at their work, but life at home is far from perfect.

His mother, Grace, is on the verge of being an alcoholic, and struggles to deal with the fact that her husband is never home, and that he rarely ever speaks. Mike (William's father) on the other hand, is haunted by the souls he couldn't save, and the family members left behind to grieve for them. He's aware his own family is slipping out of his grasp, but his duty to his patients is too strong to deny. 
Both parents are so involved in their own problems that William's are often unseen too. They know very little about their son at all. In fact, William is the youngest person ever to win the Hemingway Award, and his father hasn't even read the essay which one him the prize.  

William is positive the award will land him a place in Oxford however, and couldn't be happier. His current life is nothing special. In fact, he and Philip are each other's only friends. Outcast and bullied at school- Philip for being poor and black, and William for being an insufferable smart-ass, William's only joy is when he and Philip are together. 

With all that in mind, William can't believe his luck when Heidi (an attractive cheerleader) asks him out on a date. His first date ever. He bends over backwards to meet her requests, but unfortunately- after possibly one of the worst first dates in the history of the world- William finds himself in court with drug charges. It doesn't matter that he had no part in it, or that the drugs in his system were literally force-fed him by Heidi, the judge is unmoved, and sentences him to ninety days community service at Gateway Community Centre. 

For William, this is the end to his dream. He will be living on the premises, and for those three months will have no schooling. Which means no graduation. No Oxford. Even if he managed to graduate, the black mark on his record would be enough to keep him out. And just like that William goes from a life of monetary privilege, to working in one of the poorest areas of the city.

There is one star left in his black sky, however. By sheer coincidence, the girl from the train works in the kitchen. And she is everything he needs. While the rest of his life crumbles from beneath him, Noe is the only constant, and the only one who listens. 

REVIEW

I want to start with William. He is without a doubt the most interesting aspect of this entire book. He has (in his own words), "dry wit, biting candour and word mastery", and that is certainly an apt description of the teen. However, there is a lot more to him than that. He is sarcastically snarky, quite pretentious, but still very likeable and funny (through his wit). It's hard to have a good combination of irritating arrogance, and undeniable endearment. He delivers a lot of his lines with dead-pan snark, which is aided by the strong writing itself. It is clever, all delivered straight and plays a little on social satire. I am a big fan of this style of writing- with its terrifyingly blunt descriptions of the world, delivered with humour and intelligence- which don't exactly soften the truths, but make them a little more palatable. It's not sugar-coating exactly, it's more like it shows you your bleak existence and then gives you a hug to make you feel less lonely and depressed.

That in a nutshell is basically William. Brutally honest, yet not heartless. His mannerisms and sense of humour struck me as quite British in a way, despite him being a New Yorker. In fact, he reminded me a little of Artemis Fowl. Lonely and isolated by his own intelligence and arrogance. That aside, his personality is a fantastic base for the rest of the story to play off of. Some of it is his own doing, true, but William is now at a stage in his life where it's all coming to a head. As he tries to cope with the whirlwind that is his life and the people in it, more and more gets piled on top of him, and with no one to turn to it's only a matter of time before it overwhelms him- dragging him (and anyone else in the vicinity) down. All the while, he's still struggling to determine his own identity, as this is a coming-of-age story in its purest form, as he chases his image of the "All American Dream", and discovers which dreams are actually worth chasing.

His parents' have their arc too, and each member of the Plum household is given a second chance. It's up to them how they use it. They're not just second chances, they're the last chance. If they get it wrong this time, it's all over.

The plot itself (considering the genre) is quite slow-moving. It's typical of this genre to be more character driven than plot driven, and because of that this is more a story about William and his interactions with the world around him and the people in it. I didn't have a hard time getting through the book, however I did have a hard time getting back to it once I put it down. Because of the plot, there's very little tension, so I didn't feel a desperate need to race to continue reading. Don't get me wrong, once I did pick it up again I flew through the pages, but the story is all about the characters, so I equate my need to read it with them. They're like friends. Some friends you miss the moment they're out of sight, and you can't wait to see them again. The characters in this story didn't quite reach that level, but it is a rare level to reach. To me, they were more like friends that I throughly enjoyed spending time with, but ones I don't see that often, and I'm content with that.

The tension finally builds in the last quarter of the book, as consequences finally take affect. The story draws on the age old theory that everything in the world is somehow connected, as it goes full circle. 

There are some corny moments that come from the story of a first love from a teen's POV, but they work well when interlaced and contrasted against the harsh, gritty reality they're surrounded by. Everyone has problems, and money doesn't change that. Regardless of whether you lack it or have an abundance, as the characters show. 

The ending is suitable (if played a little safe and unrealistically), and brings everything around full-circle, with no difficulties pulling the relevant emotions from its readers. I do wish the author had been a little more daring with his ending, but I can see why he chose this one. 

A story full of charm and "whimsy", though to be honest the main reason I kept reading was William. His personality is entertaining and pleasant- despite his sharp tongue. I found that he was the only character I honestly cared about, but through him I cared for the other characters too. They are so vital to his existence, that you can't help but have some of his intense emotion rub off on you too. 

That's what I think I enjoyed most about this book. Everything is so raw. William tells it like it is, no holding back. None of that taking hundreds of pages to explain how he feels, and you have to give him credit for that. He may be a snarky smart-ass, but his emotions are pure and heartfelt, and that was what captured me. 

Disclaimer: I received this book through a giveaway. This is not a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% my own.

There's Something About Alex

First Paragraph:

"I can tell my parents are unhappy by the way they smile at waiters. In that small act of ingratiation I can see the custody battle to come. It won't be fought in the courtroom but in HMV and Game. Stocks in Nintendo will soar as my affections are auctioned off to the highest bidder. My teeth will rot."










   Amazon/ Amazon.co.uk

Ostrich by Matt Greene is a blunt book about the different ways one person can feel ostracised (hence the title) through the eyes of a twelve year old boy.

PLOT

Alex is an "almost thirteen" year old boy, though his mind seems much older. In his own words, he is a "worldy and cynical" person. Alex is different. Not just in any of the usual ways (though he is some of those too). Alex has a brain tumour. If the school grapevine wasn't enough to get the info around, the shaved head is. 

But for all Alex's 'cynicism', he is quite an optimistic, young boy. His surgery is scheduled and soon he hopes to be on the road to recovery. Not just for himself, but for those around him too. If the first paragraph didn't tip you off, Alex's parents' marriage has hit a snag. The stress of daily life, added to the stress of Alex's condition, has taken its toll on them, leaving him on the outside as they 'politely' squabble the days away. But is that all there is to it? What exactly is going on with his parents' marriage?

REVIEW

It's a little hard to pinpoint what this book is about, because it's not really about anything. It's more Alex's observations and perceptions of the world around him. It's a little slice-of-life, coming-of-age, with Alex's illness and the way it affects not just him, but those around him adding a darker tone to the story. 

There are a lot of off-topics mentioned in this book, that most people tiptoe around. Here, they are laid bare. From religion, sexuality, terrorism, illness, bullying, racism, puberty, divorce, depression and many others, this book incorporates a lot of big issues, some more 'controversial' than others. Some are only briefly mentioned (with a passing comment) and some are the basis for the entire story. All are spoken of bluntly, viewed through the eyes of a boy who doesn't necessarily even understand them. Satire is woven through almost every page, with keen quips at the world around us. 

The writing is without a doubt the strongest element. The wordplay is incredibly clever, and the way the author manipulates the language is a treat. I wouldn't say this is a funny book, but I would say it was witty- which is much the same thing, but requires more intelligence. 

I adore Alex himself. A dead-pan, incredibly smart main character. He's bright, friendly, funny, but also damaged- as can be expected. A very inquisitive boy, he's filled with the 'wonder of the world' and feels the need to explain his newest discoveries of what is mostly useless trivia (though sometimes subtly relevant) to his readers. His tumour causes 'absences' (literal blackout periods for him, that look normal to others), causing him to become incredibly perceptive, so he's very good at noticing things other people would miss. And how much do I love him for having a 'To Google' list?

As for his explanations? They are basically tangents, though interesting and entertaining (for the most part). Their nature and use are a little reminiscent of the excerpts from the Guide in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. On the whole irrelevant, but enjoyably odd and sometimes quite apt.

At its core, this is a story about how the people in our lives affect us, especially when we're young and still becoming people ourselves. Alex embarks on a mission to find the truth about his parents not because he wants to know, but because he needs to. They say 'the truth will set you free'. Though in my experience, that is highly dependant on the particular truth in question. While some may 'set you free', others hit you in the gut, stealing your breath away and leaving you gasping in a heap on the floor and remembering another idiom- 'ignorance is bliss'.

I won't say anything about the ending- not one thing. There is nothing I could say that would describe it well enough, without giving anything away. It can be a little confusing, and a little ambiguous or perfectly clear depending on your interpretation of it. In my opinion, exactly what happened is unclear, but definite- in that I know what happened, but I don't know how or why. I can make educated guesses, but that's all they'd be.

I could tell you how the ending made me feel, but that in itself would be a spoiler. If I told you it made me happy, you could guess it was too. If I told you it broke my heart, you could guess the nature of that ending. If I told you it completed me, you'd probably think I was a little obsessed. If I told you it was all three, you'd be confused. So really, I can't tell you anything. How did it make me feel? The answer is obvious isn't it? It made me feel the way it made me feel. Nothing more, nothing less. 

Was it the perfect ending to the book? No. I'd like to say it was a very good ending, and one befitting the story, but this is one of those stories that will be undeniably personal. For the most part people react in similar ways to an ending. This story however, it's anybody's guess how an individual will take it.

Personally, I loved this book. The down-to-earth reality, the feeling that everything has a consequence, kept light and funny through Alex's unintentional (mostly) humour. However, this is a love it/hate it book. Which side you're on will vary according to you.

I wanted to briefly mention one thing. This book has been compared to "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time" and "The Perks of Being a Wallflower", but I'm not going to do that because I want you to go into this book with no preconceptions about it. Don't think about what you think it will be, just read it. Don't think about it in terms of other stories, just think about it. In my opinion, there's no faster way of ruining something than to go into it believing it to be something else. A perfect example? Going to a movie based on a book you love. You spend the entire time complaining about what they did differently. I learnt long ago that the secret to enjoying things with similarities, is to completely forget they have any relevance to each other. Oh and fyi, while I would say the above books mentioned have similarities (what doesn't), I wouldn't necessarily say they were anything alike. I don't like this book because it reminds me of something else, I like this book for itself.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy of this book through a giveaway. This is not a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% my own.