I Love You, Beth Cooper (P.S.)

published	April 1st 2008 by Harper Perennial
binding	Paperback
isbn	0061236187 (isbn13: 9780061236181)
ebook
pages	272
description	Denis Cooverman wanted to say something really important in his high school graduation speech. So, in front of his 512 classmates and their 3,000 ...more [close] Denis Cooverman wanted to say something really important in his high school graduation speech. So, in front of his 512 classmates and their 3,000 relatives, he announced: "I love you, Beth Cooper." It would have been such a sweet, romantic moment. Except that Beth, the head cheerleader, has only the vaguest idea who Denis is. And Denis, the captain of the debate team, is so far out of her league he is barely even the same species. And then there's Kevin, Beth's remarkably large boyfriend, who's in town on furlough from the United States Army. Complications ensue. [close]
date added	06-10-07 edit book

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Maggie rated it:

(review of isbn 0061236179)

05/04/08

bookshelves: books-to-make-you-chuckle

Read in October, 2007

recommends it for: anyone who likes a funny book

When I read this book, I had no idea that the author, first-time novelist Larry Doyle, was an established television writer, with writing credits for "Daria," "Beavis and Butthead," and "The Simpsons," but I easily could have guessed. I Love You, Beth Cooper has the frantic pace and zany, unrealistic plot points that are necessary to keeping a television audience (especially the youthful ones of the aforementioned shows) interested for the whole half-hour. It is f...more When I read this book, I had no idea that the author, first-time novelist Larry Doyle, was an established television writer, with writing credits for "Daria," "Beavis and Butthead," and "The Simpsons," but I easily could have guessed. I Love You, Beth Cooper has the frantic pace and zany, unrealistic plot points that are necessary to keeping a television audience (especially the youthful ones of the aforementioned shows) interested for the whole half-hour. It is full to bursting with cliches of high school and suburbia and the scenes all feel like they are cut and pasted from less than average teen movies, but damn it, it works. This novel reads like a movie; if all the creative people behind Superbad could merge into one and create a novel, this would be that novel. The humor is very similar, and I think it works even better on the page. Indeed, the laughs-per-page ratio found in Beth Cooper is one of the highest I've ever encountered (I suppose the only close competition here would be America: The Book and Good Omens).

Like Superbad, the main thrust of the action in I Love You, Beth Cooper takes place within a single evening in the lives of a pair of geeky high school boys. Denis and Rich have just graduated from a suburban high school in Illinois and are making a lame attempt to make the most of their graduation night after Denis's extremely unconventional valedictorian speech: in "the stilted manner of adolescent public speakers throughout history," Denis Cooverman stood in front of the entire assembled audience and declared his love for hyper-popular, uber-pretty, head-cheerleading Beth Cooper, the blond goddess who has sat in front of him in alphabetical order for a dozen years of public education.

Shortly after, Denis and Rich are the only guests at Denis's graduation party (the first of two teenage parties featuring alcohol and totally unsupervised: this one is a nice twist as the only alcohol is a warm bottle of champagne left by Denis's parents for a bit of modest celebration). The pair are stunned when unlikely plot point no. 1 brings Beth and her interchangeable best friends to Denis's house. The mishaps and the cliches escalate at an exponential rate as Beth drags Denis into her party girl lifestyle for the evening. A second house party (this one with copious amounts of alcohol and, again, no parental supervision), an angry and extremely violent boyfriend, a cabin in the woods, a shower scene, a chase, a heroic rescue, multiple fist fights and a few brushes with death leave Denis completely disillusioned; the girl he has idealized for his entire adolescence is nothing more than human, and very flawed at that. This is a girl who comes only a hair's breadth from performing sex acts to get alcohol, a girl who sleeps around, a girl who hasn't planned for her future, a girl who is, in all likelihood, already past her peak.

I Love You, Beth Cooper is, in a lot of ways, a sad story about growing up and the changes that everyone faces in that time surrounding high school graduation; the extended adolescence provided by American culture is over and the real world beckons. It's this juxtaposition of innocence and maturity that provides such a wealth of material for all of the many, many books and movies and television shows centered on it. Beth Cooper, for all of its emotional heft, is still primarily a screamingly funny and excessively entertaining read; it would be a mistake to pass it by, especially if your memories of high school graduation are still fresh....less

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Meagan rated it:

(review of isbn 0061236179)

03/26/08

Read in September, 2007

This is one of those classic teen movies that is quoteable and funny, but it also is making fun of those movie while throwing back omages to them. The best part: It's a novel, not a movie.

High School Graduation speech Denis Cooverman, debate team captin, total nerd, and validictorian declares his love for Beth Cooper head cheerleader, most popular girl in school. He also throws in a few nameless aqusations and how he feels about everyone else in their class.

Besides the upset principle ...more This is one of those classic teen movies that is quoteable and funny, but it also is making fun of those movie while throwing back omages to them. The best part: It's a novel, not a movie.

High School Graduation speech Denis Cooverman, debate team captin, total nerd, and validictorian declares his love for Beth Cooper head cheerleader, most popular girl in school. He also throws in a few nameless aqusations and how he feels about everyone else in their class.

Besides the upset principle and parents, he oesn't seem to of made an effect. Everyone is ignoring him, like usual and Beth Cooper has disappeared. Well, until she suddenly shows up and tells him it was "sweet, so I'll have to let you live." Then her crazy military boyfriend shows up and wants to kill Denis. He invites Beth over to his party, which he justmade up, anyway.

What follows is an incrediblly crazy night that is perfectly befitting. The book is pretty hilarious and the charecters are beleivable. Doyle makes fun of these types of stories while also respecting them and of course, the book IS one. Every Chapter page has a quote from said movies. It kind of tests your knowledge in a way because it says who the charecter is who said, but not the movie it came from.
I was able to identy a few, but here's some examples.

"Just once I want to do something right" Jim Stark
"She's going to show her boobs. Thank you Jesus!" Roland Faye
"He's just doing it to get a rise out of you. Just Ignore him." Claire Standish
"That was way harsh, Tai." Cher Horowitz
"love makes room for fault." Gidget Lawrence
"it's really human of you to listen to all my bullshit"Samantha Baker
and even
"I;ve just had the best summer of my life and now I have to go away. It's not fair." Sandy Olsson

The night is crazy and according to Denis's counth they break at least 10 laws. I particulary like the supporting charecters of Denis's supposedly gay friend Rich and Beth's smart but reserved friend Cammy. Treece plays almost too much like the slut from mean girls, even in the way she looks and dresses, but it's forgivable.

I definately recomend this. It's a pretty quick read. And it is funny, which is hard to find....less

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Sara rated it:

(review of isbn 0061236179)

01/18/08

Read in September, 2007

recommends it for: fans of high school flicks who find themselves saying "I wish I could READ this movie!"

although I'm unabashedly female, I read Esquire magazine without fail every month, so when this book by frequent Esquire contributor Larry Doyle came out, I figured it was worth a read.

I Love You, Beth Cooper! is a pretty funny, quick-moving, if wholly unbelievable story that would translate really well into one of those rollicking R-rated "end of high school" teen movies. I'll be incredibly surprised if the film rights for this book haven't already been purch...more although I'm unabashedly female, I read Esquire magazine without fail every month, so when this book by frequent Esquire contributor Larry Doyle came out, I figured it was worth a read.

I Love You, Beth Cooper! is a pretty funny, quick-moving, if wholly unbelievable story that would translate really well into one of those rollicking R-rated "end of high school" teen movies. I'll be incredibly surprised if the film rights for this book haven't already been purchased -- and if they haven't, perhaps I should option them.

the story follows possibly the most important night of geeky protagonist Dennis Cooverman's life so far -- his high school graduation. after nursing a completely unrequited crush on uberbabe Beth Cooper for his entire high school career, valedictorian Dennis decides to proclaim his love for her at the end of his graduation speech. this turns out to be a pretty bad idea, considering that Beth's army boyfriend, Kevin, is in attendance and has no qualms about giving Dennis the ass kicking of his life as a graduation present.

in a moment of confidence, Dennis invites Beth and her posse of equally gorgeous, equally vapid hangers-on to a "party" at his house later that night -- a party consisting only of Dennis and his possibly gay best friend Rich. by some insane stroke of luck, the girls actually show up, throwing the night into a tailspin involving car accidents, raging parties, multiple ass beatings, and first sexual experiences -- namely, everything you'd expect from a teen movie about the last day of high school.

the more I think about it, the more this book felt like a treatment for a script than an actual novel. adding to that fact is that it's littered with current pop culture references, which pretty much ensure that it won't exactly stand the test of time. as a story, though, it's enjoyable and funny and weighs just a little more than fluff, with likeable characters and good writing.

edited to add:
called it! I just read this morning (01/18/08) that I Love You, Beth Cooper! is being made into a movie with Michael Cera and Hayden Panettiere tapped to star....less

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Jennie rated it:

(review of isbn 0061236179)

01/02/08

Read in October, 2007

recommends it for: Anyone who wants a good laugh.

Plot: Denis Cooverman is a short, sweaty nerd and extremely unpopular. When he gives his graduation speech, he confesses his love for Beth Cooper, one of his classmates, who doesn't even know that he exists. Denis invites her to his party and hilarity ensues. Beth Cooper and her friends take Denis and his friend, Rich, for a wacky ride around town. Denis gets the shit kicked out of him by Beth's army boyfriend. He also ends up loosing all of his clothes and wearing only a poncho, but best of all...more Plot: Denis Cooverman is a short, sweaty nerd and extremely unpopular. When he gives his graduation speech, he confesses his love for Beth Cooper, one of his classmates, who doesn't even know that he exists. Denis invites her to his party and hilarity ensues. Beth Cooper and her friends take Denis and his friend, Rich, for a wacky ride around town. Denis gets the shit kicked out of him by Beth's army boyfriend. He also ends up loosing all of his clothes and wearing only a poncho, but best of all, he gets to kiss Beth Cooper. In other words, Denis Cooverman has the time of his life.

Evaluation: This book was hilarious. Just when you thought that Denis couldn't suffer any more humiliation, he gets slammed with a mountain of awkward moments. He was beaten up so many times that I was quite shocked that he was still standing at the end of the novel. Throughout the story, he's covered in blood, bug bites, sweat and lord knows what else, yet, there is something attractive under all the grim and I think that Beth realizes this as well. There's a sweetness to Denis, so it's not surprising that there's a Lloyd Dobbler quote in the novel right under a drawing of Denis. Denis is the modern day Lloyd. He respects and loves Beth for who she is even if it's less than perfect.

Larry Doyle, who is the author of this book, creatively mixes Say Anything, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Revenge of the Nerds all into one narrative. Doyle's descriptions and the physical humor of the characters in the novel could easily be translated to the big screen, which isn't a surprise since Doyle is a former writer for The Simpsons. Even the pathetic drawings of Denis at the beginning of each chapter will make the reader chuckle and wonder what could possibly befall this pathetic character next.

I really recommend this book to anyone that is a nerd or was once one and not afraid to admit it. The reader will cringe and feel glad that they're not the ones getting beaten to a bloody pulp or getting an erection in front of their dream girl. Yes, this book is filled with humiliating moments and that's the beauty of it....less

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Tony rated it:

05/02/08

bookshelves: awesome-books, the-best-of-the-best

This is one of the funniest books I've ever read.

I'd read it when our library first got it and laughed my butt off. They just released the new paperback edition and it was even better the second time. This book is a great achievement, as far as books that can make you laugh go.

High school can either be great or it can suck. There is no in between and if you were like me and valued learning Dungeons and Dragons rules over getting loaded and laid on the weekends, then it was sucky. I laugh...more This is one of the funniest books I've ever read.

I'd read it when our library first got it and laughed my butt off. They just released the new paperback edition and it was even better the second time. This book is a great achievement, as far as books that can make you laugh go.

High school can either be great or it can suck. There is no in between and if you were like me and valued learning Dungeons and Dragons rules over getting loaded and laid on the weekends, then it was sucky. I laugh because I can actually say, in the post-Napoleon Dynamite era, "I remember when geeks got NO respect in high school."

In a style reminiscent of AMERICAN GRAFFITI, the whole novel takes place in one night and follows Denis, the debate team captain (read: biggest nerd), after he proclaims his love for Beth Cooper (read: hottest girl in school) in a speech at graduation. The outcome is a hilarious and sometimes even moving adventure with Denis and Beth and their friends. Add in a raging maniac named Kevin that may or may not be Beth's boyfriend to keep the pace. What you have a great coming of age book that isn't too cheesy or sentimental, but rather very realistic (while being appropriately absurd for that great comedic touch).

It's sort of a painful realization when the main characters describes one of his favorite memories of high school as reading THE MAN WHO MISTOOK HIS WIFE FOR A HAT while his buddy watched THE VALACHI PAPERS on the dvd player and it calls to mind countless weekends for me (still does!). That's a great example of how the author, Larry Doyle, doesn't sugar coat the high school experience. For further proof, just take a look at the numerous essays, included in the paperback edition, at the end written by various people about their most humiliating high school stories.

All in all, it's a great novel that has me excited for more books by Doyle. He knows how to write comedy (he wrote for THE SIMPSONS) and he knows how to carry a story along. Give it a shot, I guarantee you'll be surprised by how often you find yourself laughing....less

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Doctorteeth rated it:

(review of isbn 0061236179)

12/29/07

bookshelves: fiction, humour, library

Read in December, 2007

recommends it for: former high school nerds, current high school nerds, fans of The Simpsons

On the day of his high school graduation, debate captain Denis Cooverman makes his valedictorian speech. He stands up in front of the podium, and it starts off typical and boring enough. Until he says the following five words: "I love you, Beth Cooper." This declaration of love for the head cheerleader - as well as a few other choice statements - stuns the crowd, and sets into motion a series of events that turns Graduation Night into the craziest, most dangerous, and exhilirating n...more

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Davey rated it:

(review of isbn 0061236179)

09/16/07

Read in September, 2007

Denis Cooverman, the valedictorian of his high school class, decides to use his commencement speech to air some dirty laundry, the get some stuff off his chest, and mostly just confess:
“I love you, Beth Cooper.”
Of course, Beth Cooper is pretty and popular and Denis is nerdy and unpopular and she has no idea who he is. This leads to one night of Denis and his best friend Rich going on a mad adventure with Beth Cooper, all the while being followed, threatened and beaten up by Beth Cooper...more

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Nick rated it:

(review of isbn 0061236179)

09/13/07

Read in June, 2007

recommends it for: John Hughes fans

I just started this, so I'm talking out of my ass, but early predictions say I'm gonna be giving this send up to teenage angst and misery a thumbs down for trying too hard to be clever and timely with its product name dropping and for borrowing heavily from movie quotes and references that even I, an avid film geek, find lazy and derivative. Just watch the John Hughes movies that this book yearns to be. Or better yet, read MORTIFIED: REAL PEOPLE. REAL WORDS. REAL PATHETIC edited by David Nad...more

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Crystal rated it:

(review of isbn 0061236179)

08/07/08

bookshelves: couldn-t-get-through

Read in August, 2008

recommends it for: Fans of overdone high school movies

So when you are 38 1/2 weeks pregnant, know that your time of reading whatever whenever is quickly coming to an end and have a zillion books on your to-read list that you know you will never get to how long do you give a book before writing it off? In this case 35 pages.

I can definitely see the audience for this book but I'm just not it... especially at this point.

On the day of his highschool graduation Denis Cooverman gives a graduation speech like no other, including telling his crus...more

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Scott rated it:

(review of isbn 0061236179)

09/19/07

Read in July, 2007

recommends it for: anyone

The beginning of this book has some of the funniest writing I have seen in a very long time. Although, as I noted to my friend, Amy, some of the humor might be lost on someone who was never an adolescent boy.

The middle does kind of drag on a bit, as the "main character constantly getting the crap kicked out of him" theme gets a bit overplayed. But it does end nicely.

I think every guy, at some point in high school, had a Beth Cooper. That's why it is so funny.

Mine was Chr...more

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Joanna added it (review of isbn 0061236179)

03/16/08

bookshelves: fiction

Read in March, 2008

"Denis was afraid of many things. A very long list of them could be found in a manila folder in the office of Dr. Maple, the phobophilic lady psychiatrist Denis had seen from the age of five until twelve as a result of his parents having too much disposable income (Denis's therapy was completed successfully at age thirteen, a typical outcome for Dr. Maple, who suffered from ephebiphobia, a fear of teenagers). But of the myriad things Denis feared--which included, briefly, a fear of misusin...more

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Ken rated it:

(review of isbn 0061236179)

06/02/08

Read in June, 2008

Sure the "coming of age" premise has been repeatedly mined for readers but its a rich genre and if done well (Catcher in the Rye, Youth in Revolt) it can stand proudly next to any other novel on your bookshelf. This one is a keeper. With near perfect characterizations we can see many of the people that populated our High School years. Geeks, Bullies, Beauties, and well, I'm sure remember you them well yourself. But the core of the story is Denis's Cooverman's love for Beth Cooper, a g...more

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sam rated it:

(review of isbn 0061236179)

04/29/08

Read in April, 2008

Do you enjoy movies like Superbad and Knocked Up, that have a bit of a whacked out sense of humor that is somehow so wrong yet rings so true?

Then you will enjoy reading I Love You, Beth Cooper by Larry Doyle.

Denis has had a crush on Beth Cooper since the start of high school when he was seated behind her in class. Beth doesn't know he exists. But when Denis gets up to give his graduation speech, he decides to proclaim his love for the star cheerleader. And it just gets crazier from t...more

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Evan rated it:

06/01/08

bookshelves: recently_read

Read in May, 2008

I Love You, Beth Cooper was supposed to be a movie. This did not surprise me. There are a number of sight gags and action sequences that would work visually more than in the book (turning around with his fly down, when Kevin destroys Denis's house, etc). Still, the book is funny and even the things designed for visuals (and Doyle's cartoonish sensibility comes through time and again in satisfying jolts) work more often then not.

The only drawback to the novel is that it treads familiar groun...more

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Joe rated it:

(review of isbn 0061236179)

06/04/08

Read in June, 2008

A quick, light, and frothy read but like many light and frothy concoctions, it leaves you craving something more substantial.

There are some great one-liners and several laugh out loud moments but overall, there really didn't seem to be much of a point to the story. With the exception of Denis, the other characters are one dimensional and you really don't care about them or what happens to them.

As another reviewer stated, this reads like a movie or a screenplay novelization and that does...more

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Jason rated it:

(review of isbn 0061236179)

07/30/08

Read in July, 2008

recommended to Jason by: Ken Bibb

This book is all about making you laugh. The story is shallow, as are most of the characters.
While there were probably more moments in this that made me laugh aloud than any book since Hitchhikers Guide, it completely lacked any of the emotional or philosophical satisfaction Hitchhikers brought.
And, in an odd way, it's almost too funny. It's like the author kept going back and trying to make sure every single sentence had a joke in it. In that sense, although there are plenty of extremely...more

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Sera rated it:

07/21/08

bookshelves: comedy

Read in July, 2008

recommended to Sera by: Entertainment Weekly

I was so excited to read this book, and boy, was I disappointed. Doyle was writing the screenplay the same time that he was writing this novel, which didn't work for the book at least, because it reads too much like a screenplay. There is action scene after action scene in the book, which left the characters fairly underdeveloped for my taste. I didn't think that the book overall was that funny, although I did get a few good chuckles in two or three times. Unfortunately, the laughs are far a...more

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Joani rated it:

(review of isbn 0061236179)

08/17/07

Chick lit doesn't really do it for me. Thank god Larry Doyle isn't a chick.

If he was, I might have found "I Love You Beth Cooper" to be cheesy, nauseating and a little bit pathetic. But coming from the perspective of a lovelorn geek with his heart on his sleeve, I thought it was endearing, quirky and totally funny.

His main character Denis Cooverman, a valedictorian with hyperactive sweat glands, uses his moment at the podium to declare his love for Beth Cooper, the head cheer...more

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Liz rated it:

(review of isbn 0061236179)

06/28/08

Read in June, 2008

This reads like Not Another Teen Movie: The Novel, but with more product placement and less political correctness. It works - it's very funny, and enough stereotypes are turned around to keep things unpredictable. The narrator's snarky, cynical tone had me cracking up and kept me interested in a plot that I might have found too ridiculous to accept, had said narrator not pointed out that the plot was utterly ridiculous and difficult to accept.

Everyone in the book is fully aware of how...more

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Jen rated it:

(review of isbn 0061236179)

03/10/08

Read in March, 2008

It started off promising... really, it did. I'll admit it, I was a nerd in high school, so I can relate to Denis Cooverman a little bit. He uses his time at the podium during his high school graduation ceremony (valedictorian, of course) to criticize some of his classmates before professing his love for popular girl Beth Cooper.

The promising beginning didn't really go anywhere, unfortunately. Denis, who was repeatedly beaten up and made fun of during his school career, continues to be b...more

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