Grasshopper Jungle came out YESTERDAY, but I had the lovely opportunity of reading it as an ARC. It deserves all of the hype. Such an awesome book..another home run for Andrew Smith.
In case you haven't read his other book(s), I'll also enclose my review of WINGER, which I LOVEEDDDDD. So yeah, read these two books ASAP.
Funny story about Winger: the twins in my family (they're 5 years old) saw me reading Winger this summer, and commented about the nosebleed. They kept asking me why Ryan Dean had a nosebleed, so just to tease them, I told them that if you don't read a lot, you'll get a nosebleed. To this day, they have someone read them a book every night to avoid said nosebleeds. Whenever I'm reading, they ask about the "nosebleed boy"...don't know if I should be worried or call it a victory for book lovers everywhere.
In case you haven't read his other book(s), I'll also enclose my review of WINGER, which I LOVEEDDDDD. So yeah, read these two books ASAP.
Funny story about Winger: the twins in my family (they're 5 years old) saw me reading Winger this summer, and commented about the nosebleed. They kept asking me why Ryan Dean had a nosebleed, so just to tease them, I told them that if you don't read a lot, you'll get a nosebleed. To this day, they have someone read them a book every night to avoid said nosebleeds. Whenever I'm reading, they ask about the "nosebleed boy"...don't know if I should be worried or call it a victory for book lovers everywhere.
Hey, how's it going, Andrew? (YA Fandom Frenzy in Chicago, November 2013)
To say the absolute least, this book was strange. I love Andrew Smith’s writing style and his characters. They have the most unique voices and are so exciting to read about. Andrew Smith did not disappoint in this regard with this. To be completely honest, I don’t know what kind of genre to put this book under because it’s simply like nothing I’ve ever read before.
Austin Szerba tells the tale of how he and his best friend, Robby, ended the world as we knew it by the advancement of six-foot tall insects in Iowa. Along with this, the reader learns about Austin’s Polish background, which sounds strange, but totally worked. Humanity is being obliterated, the world is in chaos, yet Austin still has his hormones to deal with. Austin is in love with his girlfriend, Shann, but has unexplained feelings for Robby as well. He is in the midst of war with six-foot tall praying mantises and his sexual orientation.
Overall, Grasshopper Jungle was an amazing read. Every page of the book surprised me, and left me wanting more. Andrew Smith told an honest story about the complexity of humans. I was constantly reminded that humans aren’t easily figured out and don’t fit into nice little packages. Once again blown away by Smith’s range from laugh out loud to feeling all the things. Only for very OPEN-MINDED readers for sexual content and language.
This was a memorable read. Andrew Smith is a very funny and captivating author. Funny little comics are spread throughout the book, and really add to the reading experience. Five out of five stars.
Ryan Dean West is a junior at a boarding school. He’s a great student and a really good athlete. There’s just one thing that sets him apart from the other kids…he’s 14. Throughout the book, Winger has to come to terms with what it’s like to be the youngin’ and still fit in. That’s not the point of the book though! It covers some intense topics. Through all of life’s crazy complications, Ryan Dean manages to survive and find some happiness. Ryan Dean has to figure out the important things in life throughout the novel especially when the unexpected happens.
Andrew Smith gets you laughing out loud at some points, and crying like a baby at others. The best authors make you feel the widest range of emotions, and Andrew Smith did just that.
Let me know if you have read any of these books, and what you thought in the comments!
