Review Detail

I read SEX & VIOLENCE at the recommendation of a book-loving friend, and he was so very right - I needed to read this book. I wish I had read it sooner. If you want a summary, scroll up or read one of the other reviews. I'm just going to talk about my reactions to the book and what I liked.

What I loved: The narration. Evan's point of view is interesting, hilarious, and authentic. I really liked seeing how he saw the world, other people, and himself. His way of referring to things with capital letters and giving himself and other people names (Dirtbag Evan, Tan Redhead) is really familiar and endearing. I kind of fell in love with Evan, all parts of Evan, throughout the book. I learned about his good sides and the bad things about him, and I ended up really liking all of it.

What I wanted more of: Evan's feelings near the end. We were so inside his head, right there, for the whole book. I felt like it got a little distant at the end. Evan was changing, his life was going in directions he never expected it to go, and I wanted to be right there with him. A little more emotion and internal narration near the end would have been nice. And by nice I mean probably induced me to ugly crying, so take that as you will.

Verdict: Fucking amazing. 5 stars. Incredible. Powerful. Intense. Emotional. Heart-wrenching.

Read if: You are a guy and you want a real book. You are a girl and you want a really real book. You like Andrew Smith's books. You read Charm & Strange and want something else just as deep and intense and emotional.