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3rd out of 332 books
—
528 voters
Maybe With a Chance of Certainty (Tales from Foster High #1)
by
John Goode (Goodreads Author)
Kyle has worked hard at being the invisible student, toiling through high school in the middle of Nowhere, Texas. Brad is the baseball star at Foster High. Both boys are damaged in ways that the rest of the world can’t see. When they bond over a night of history tutoring, Kyle thinks that maybe his life has taken a turn for the not-so-lonely.
He finds out quickly that the p...more
He finds out quickly that the p...more
ebook, 2nd Edition: Expanded Version, 98 pages
Published
October 19th 2011
by Dreamspinner
(first published June 1st 2011)
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My original review for the short version of this book released as a daily dose said simply “I loved this one but way too short... not sure how I will wait for the sequel”
After reading the extended addition my opinion changed drastically. I hated the addition to the story. This ruined the book for me. I found Kyle’s inner monologue longer and less interesting in second half. The never ending car metaphor got tiring to read about.
What I really hated (view spoiler)...more
After reading the extended addition my opinion changed drastically. I hated the addition to the story. This ruined the book for me. I found Kyle’s inner monologue longer and less interesting in second half. The never ending car metaphor got tiring to read about.
What I really hated (view spoiler)...more
12 likes · like · see review
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This is a great story about two boys in high school getting to know each other better over a history tutoring session. The storyline really is as simple s that, but the richness of Kyle's thoughts and fears is amazing and well portrayed. There are a few surprises along the way, as Kyle learns more about Brad and why he was asked to help. This short book is written with great sensitivity, showing there is a depth to the characters which makes me hope for a sequel.
9 likes · like · see review
Oh my! What a lovely story! The author can say all he wants, but it's really a fairy tale in which Kyle is the nerd and Brad is one of the most popular guys in the school. Apparently, the plot is simple and cliché, but there's so, so much more I'm happy I gave it a try.
This is the second book I read where the author does justice to the young population (the first is Underlying). I'm truly fed up with the overly childish guys that are supposedly seventeen. Guys don't blush all the time, you know....more
This is the second book I read where the author does justice to the young population (the first is Underlying). I'm truly fed up with the overly childish guys that are supposedly seventeen. Guys don't blush all the time, you know....more
3 likes · like · see review
As you walk on by...Will you call my name?...When you walk away...
Kyle is BROKEN. He knows it. How could he not be, he is at the mercy of an alcoholic and abusive mother. He also is aware that that feeling he has of being "different", when it becomes something that he can no longer avoid, will only make his life more difficult. He just wants to fade away. Walk the halls of Foster High unseen, just wait these four years out unnoticed. He's good at it too, he's perfected the art of invisibility.
U...more
Kyle is BROKEN. He knows it. How could he not be, he is at the mercy of an alcoholic and abusive mother. He also is aware that that feeling he has of being "different", when it becomes something that he can no longer avoid, will only make his life more difficult. He just wants to fade away. Walk the halls of Foster High unseen, just wait these four years out unnoticed. He's good at it too, he's perfected the art of invisibility.
U...more
8 likes · like · see review
This really brought back memories of high school. I think I was pretty numb most of the time - and that was definitely my defensive position. The author did a great job of capturing those horrible feelings of insecurity and impending disaster/doom. And of course I love the homage to the Breakfast Club (thank you John Hughes). I hope to read more from this author.
5 likes · like · see review
Excellent coming of age short story, cute and funny with hints of nostalgic 80s teen angst movies. :)
ETA: I forgot the 2nd edition released today! So, got the extended version and will be reading. I did skim a part in the middle and looks like not all's well in the land of YA love. ;)
ETA 11/2/11: I read this story when it first came out as a short back in June. When it was re-released in a longer version I had to pick it up. I read it from page one (a must to get the full impact) and loved it...more
ETA: I forgot the 2nd edition released today! So, got the extended version and will be reading. I did skim a part in the middle and looks like not all's well in the land of YA love. ;)
ETA 11/2/11: I read this story when it first came out as a short back in June. When it was re-released in a longer version I had to pick it up. I read it from page one (a must to get the full impact) and loved it...more
4 likes · like · see review
Very sweet story. 3.75 stars.
Love the 1st person POV. For as long as I can think of I tried to steer clear of 1st person narration. I didn't like it. That changed when there was a book that I totally wanted to read, but which was, unfortunately, at that time, written in 1st person. (In case anyone is wondering: The book I'm refering to is Darkly Dreaming Dexter.)
Ever since I've started to read all the books that I had avoided until then. And I started to love it. This book is a really good exam...more
Love the 1st person POV. For as long as I can think of I tried to steer clear of 1st person narration. I didn't like it. That changed when there was a book that I totally wanted to read, but which was, unfortunately, at that time, written in 1st person. (In case anyone is wondering: The book I'm refering to is Darkly Dreaming Dexter.)
Ever since I've started to read all the books that I had avoided until then. And I started to love it. This book is a really good exam...more
This review is for the expanded (novella length) version of the original short story. Very sweet coming of age story. Both characters are broken in their own way but I LOVE that it's the withdrawn and bullied Kyle that (view spoiler). Can't wait for the sequel.
2 likes · like · see review
I’m going to deviate slightly from my usual first paragraph summary format in beginning this review to admit that John Goode was not an author on my radar. I stumbled upon Maybe With A Chance of Certainty, well, by chance, as I was perusing the Internet for new book releases. What immediately caught my attention was the title, specifically, the contradictory terms it contained. I found the play on words quite clever and wondered what the significance was to the actual story. Although the story s...more
"I don't remember the moment I knew I was broken...but I do recall when I started to understand it might be okay. It was the moment I fell in love with the boy with the green eyes."
Sigh.
Kyle is the loner in school - intelligent, socially awkward, alcoholic abusive mother. Gay.
Brad is the star of the baseball team, one of the gods of high school. Popular, beautiful. Unattainable.
When Brad asks Kyle to tutor him in history, it sparks a change in both young men that has to be read to be savored.
I L...more
Sigh.
Kyle is the loner in school - intelligent, socially awkward, alcoholic abusive mother. Gay.
Brad is the star of the baseball team, one of the gods of high school. Popular, beautiful. Unattainable.
When Brad asks Kyle to tutor him in history, it sparks a change in both young men that has to be read to be savored.
I L...more
14 likes · like · see review
I'll probably end up changing this to a five...not that I'm fickle or anything. This was a great read, but there were so many extended analogies interweaving themselves together, I know I didn't think like that as a teen- so I found it kind of jarring...especially the allusions to Charlie Brown that a modern kid would probably not have experience of.
Of course, the story was very well written and engrossing, and I loved the character- but then I grew up with Top Gun and The Breakfast Club and Ch...more
Of course, the story was very well written and engrossing, and I loved the character- but then I grew up with Top Gun and The Breakfast Club and Ch...more
LOOOOVED this story. It's sweet and hot and tugs at the heartstrings the whole way through. I find myself hoping that I get to hear more about Kyle and Brad. It left me feeling warm and happy, that's for sure!
3 likes · like · see review
So I didn't like this book. I will try to explain why in a thought out way. :)
What I did like
Underneath the crap that pissed me off, there is a cliche nerd/jock high school story. The fact that it is cliche is not realy a problem. It's more of a trope than a cliche, and we know what to expect, so that's fine. And what I liked was the way that was handled. It moved quickly and there wasn't a lot of unnecessary angst. I like the way Kyle stood up for himself.
What I did not like
1. This book was ove...more
What I did like
Underneath the crap that pissed me off, there is a cliche nerd/jock high school story. The fact that it is cliche is not realy a problem. It's more of a trope than a cliche, and we know what to expect, so that's fine. And what I liked was the way that was handled. It moved quickly and there wasn't a lot of unnecessary angst. I like the way Kyle stood up for himself.
What I did not like
1. This book was ove...more
1 like · like · see review
This book drew me in immediately. I absolutely love John Goode's writing style. Kyle's inner monologue is highly entertaining as he navigates the awkwardness of his interactions with Brad:
"Awesome. Thanks, man," he said, turning around and then pausing. "Um, I hate to ask this... but I really don't know your name." He seemed contrite and embarrassed all at once, which made him about a thousand times more attractive in my eyes. I paused for an impossibly long moment as I realized I didn't know m...more
I don’t remember the moment I knew I was broken…
but I do know the moment I began to feel fixed.
It was the day the green-eyed boy fell in love with me.
Sweet story about the school "celebrity" and the school "nerd" falling in love.
I liked Kyle a lot... I really felt for him and wanted him to have his fairytale ending so bad! He was so broken at first, but I feel like he grew a lot from the beginning till the end. He went from ignoring the insults thrown his way, to standing up for himself and fo...more
Review: A very charming story from the close point of view of a young man growing up and coming to terms with what he is, and what he’s *not*.
Review for Brief Encounters Reviews: http://briefencountersreviews.com/201...
The story is all from Kyle’s point of view, flavoured by his self-deprecation and caution. But we can see wit and passion in him, as well. There’s a lot of description in comparison to dialogue, but I wasn’t tempted to skim. Kyle’s background seeps out in his daily commentary on s...more
Review for Brief Encounters Reviews: http://briefencountersreviews.com/201...
The story is all from Kyle’s point of view, flavoured by his self-deprecation and caution. But we can see wit and passion in him, as well. There’s a lot of description in comparison to dialogue, but I wasn’t tempted to skim. Kyle’s background seeps out in his daily commentary on s...more
1 like · like · see review
Sad start and very hopeful end. I love both MC's but most of all I love the writing style. I have to read more books by John :)
I finished the extended version of this story and I loved it. I have to say that I found the sad parts of the story more believable then the happy for now ending. How sad is that. I want to believe it though.
Something that I noticed this time was the tone of voice. It sounds like the voice of an adult looking back on this part of his life. I don´t think it is written tha...more
I finished the extended version of this story and I loved it. I have to say that I found the sad parts of the story more believable then the happy for now ending. How sad is that. I want to believe it though.
Something that I noticed this time was the tone of voice. It sounds like the voice of an adult looking back on this part of his life. I don´t think it is written tha...more
2 likes · like · see review
A charming short story that, for me, really captured the angst of being 17 - when every turn is an opportunity for clumsiness. The writing, here, is anything but clumsy, though. Very evocative and ringing true to our narrator, Kyle. That the author chose to confine the action of the story to a few small events allowed Kyle to come shining through. He's a bit of a teen-aged everyman - so I could find aspects of his character to identify with - but also witty and observant. Just the sort of charac...more
So besides having a great title, Maybe With a Chance of Certainty is a fun read with a wry, bright and engaging narrator, Kyle. He's pretty insightful too, although occasionally his insight went further into the vehicle analogies than I could follow. The up-and-down swings of hope and despair that Kyle went through were very realistic for high-school to me. The all-around perfect boy Brad turns out to have some feet of clay. And the resolution is satisfying. There are some great lines, which I a...more
This is a great beginning to an overall story. In this 1st part we get the initial meeting of our two romantic leads through the eyes of Kyle, the more invisible of the two. While the scenes they have together are nice and move the story along, the majority of the book is about Kyle. His inner dialogue, thoughts and feelings, highs and lows, and a realistic view of his life thus far. These scenes could be a disappointment if you are hoping for a quick resolve or a traditional romance.
Considerin...more
Considerin...more
Okay - first of all, I have to say most of my GR friends LOVED this book. I'm sorry, but I disliked the character of Brad so much that I just couldn't see past to anything else. This story is on my "read-rage" shelf. It's not a full-out frenzied rage, more of a slow bubbling rage, but nonetheless...Up-sy Daisy - you're on the read-rage shelf.
Kyle's a high school student who tries to fly under the radar. He never looks anyone in the eye and doesn't talk to anyone. All of a sudden, the most popula...more
Kyle's a high school student who tries to fly under the radar. He never looks anyone in the eye and doesn't talk to anyone. All of a sudden, the most popula...more
2 likes · like · see review
I read this bc it seemed to have decent reviews and I was looking for something not too heavy and this seemed like as good a book as any for what I wanted. It started out OK but, went downhill fast in my opinion. The whole story felt extremely rushed. At the beginning of the book, these two characters have never even spoken to each other and then a few pages later they're kissing? Oh and by the way, prior to said kiss Kyle doesn't even know that Brad is in the closet and Brad only has a suspicio...more
3 likes · like · see review
Some books you just “click” with. They don’t have to be perfect; they just have to suit you as a reader. For me this was one of those books; I loved it from the very first page, and that feeling didn’t let go of me.
Kyle is a lonely guy. He doesn’t realize it because he’s just trying to get through each day, but he has no one in his life he can talk to. His mother is an abusive drunk, his father is out of the picture, and every day in high school he’s the guy that no one specifically taunts, but...more
Kyle is a lonely guy. He doesn’t realize it because he’s just trying to get through each day, but he has no one in his life he can talk to. His mother is an abusive drunk, his father is out of the picture, and every day in high school he’s the guy that no one specifically taunts, but...more
Okay, I admit, I put this one off because of the setting. Did I really want to read about teenage angst? I just KNEW that it would end in heartbreak and I would forever curse the cruelty of high school. I was so utterly and absolutely one hundred percent Wrong.
John Goode manages to convey in a short piece what most authors fail to do in a full length novel. The voice, characterization, and plot immersed me in the world of Foster High and had me on the emotional roller coaster of Kyle's journey...more
John Goode manages to convey in a short piece what most authors fail to do in a full length novel. The voice, characterization, and plot immersed me in the world of Foster High and had me on the emotional roller coaster of Kyle's journey...more
2 likes · like · see review
10 likes · like · see review
I tried to like this book, but at best I can only say I didn't hate it. Their relationship progressed way too fast to be realistic - and I'm judging them by high school standards, where relationships are built and destroyed within the span of a week.
I mean, I remember those days: talking to one guy and it's like HURGHHH I LOVE YOU FOREVER I'LL GET A WOMB FOR YOU PLEASE DON'T GO, but these two fellas are pushing it. Within 3 days, they go from virtual strangers to Really Love You, moving so fast...more
I mean, I remember those days: talking to one guy and it's like HURGHHH I LOVE YOU FOREVER I'LL GET A WOMB FOR YOU PLEASE DON'T GO, but these two fellas are pushing it. Within 3 days, they go from virtual strangers to Really Love You, moving so fast...more
It started out with 5 stars! Entertaining! Intriguing!
Then the insta-bond crying jag happened.
*Awkward* Eh... 4 stars.
It was only a little ridiculous. I don't know if it was the dialogue or the delivery. Either way, I didn't feel it. But I had hope! Just a minor glitch, it will get better, right?
Nooooooo! What the heck was that ending??!!!!
Brads previous behavior is completely inconsistent with his grand gesture at the end. Bullcocks! Brambles! Bangles!
Please excuse the expletives, I'm jus...more
Then the insta-bond crying jag happened.
*Awkward* Eh... 4 stars.
It was only a little ridiculous. I don't know if it was the dialogue or the delivery. Either way, I didn't feel it. But I had hope! Just a minor glitch, it will get better, right?
Nooooooo! What the heck was that ending??!!!!
Brads previous behavior is completely inconsistent with his grand gesture at the end. Bullcocks! Brambles! Bangles!
Please excuse the expletives, I'm jus...more
This book was absolutely awesome! I started reading not really knowing what to expect. I was also a bit hesitant thinking that the subject might bring back too many bad memories from my own high school days. But I needn't have been afraid. John Goode has done a phenomenal job with this book. His writing is so good! He envelopes you in words until you feel like you are part of the story and can see what the characters are seeing, hear what the characters are hearing, and even smell what the chara...more
This was almost like a prologue. It was short, but it left me wanting more.
This was told in Kyle's POV with him describing in detail his life as an invisible teen in high school. In his head he has so many faults and insecurities. Other than being smart he feels he is an outcast. Typical of every teenager who thinks they are never as good as the rest of their peers.
This story takes place over one tutoring session with the school Jock God. Brad is everything Kyle will never be. Reading about Kyl...more
This was told in Kyle's POV with him describing in detail his life as an invisible teen in high school. In his head he has so many faults and insecurities. Other than being smart he feels he is an outcast. Typical of every teenager who thinks they are never as good as the rest of their peers.
This story takes place over one tutoring session with the school Jock God. Brad is everything Kyle will never be. Reading about Kyl...more
1 like · like · see review
Fairly typical and unrealistic.
I liked Kyle, but I wanted to see more of his home life. Wanted to see more of the mother who apparently made his life a living hell and made him so awkward, afraid to be noticed, etc.
I'm torn about the romance. I just don't see it as realistic. The level in which Brad holds at school, I really doubt how easily he made a move on Kyle, etc. Also, Kyle tells a teacher some really intense things and I just do not believe that the teacher would ignore it. He'd at the...more
I liked Kyle, but I wanted to see more of his home life. Wanted to see more of the mother who apparently made his life a living hell and made him so awkward, afraid to be noticed, etc.
I'm torn about the romance. I just don't see it as realistic. The level in which Brad holds at school, I really doubt how easily he made a move on Kyle, etc. Also, Kyle tells a teacher some really intense things and I just do not believe that the teacher would ignore it. He'd at the...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YA LGBT Books: Maybe With a Chance of Certainty *may include spoilers* | 118 | 77 | Apr 14, 2012 07:01am | |
| Dreamspinner Press: John Goode | 24 | 48 | Mar 26, 2012 07:44pm | |
| Dreamspinner Press: Maybe with a Chance of Certainty by John Goode | 1 | 20 | Oct 19, 2011 08:05am |
John Goode is a member of the class of '88 from Hogwarts school of wizardry, specializing in incantations and spoken spells. At the age of 14 he proudly represented District 13 in the 65th Panem games where he was disqualified for crying uncontrollably before the competition began. After that he moved to Forks, Washington where, against all odds, dated the hot, incredibly approachable werewolf ins...more
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“I don't remember the moment I knew I was broken...but I do know the moment I began to feel fixed. It was the day the green eyed boy fell in love with me.”
—
38 people liked it
“I mean honestly, who just sits around in a house with a bunch of short guys waiting for their prince to come? So your mom is a bitch and wants to kill you because her mirror told her to? Cry me a river why don't you? Your big plan is sitting around cleaning house waiting for the other shoe to drop? And speaking of shoes, everyone has been picked on by mean girls. You do not wait for some old lady to pop in and transmogrify some innocent rodents just so you can sneak in to a dance under false pretenses. And let's say you do sneak in. For the love of all that is holy take your mask off and look the guy in the face and say. “Hi, I'm Cindy from down the street, I have this thing at midnight. Can we do coffee later?” This nonsense with a shoe and searching the entire village for one girl, it's crap.”
—
20 people liked it
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