A New York Times Notable Book
Winner of the Great Lakes Book Award and the 21st Century Award from the Chicago Public Library
Raised ... read full description
Winner of the Great Lakes Book Award and the 21st Century Award from the Chicago Public Library
Raised ... read full description
reviews
Aug 04, 2011
Trevians
rated it: 
I guess I know Rich Cohen in a roundabout way, since I worked with New Trier students in the 1980s. The picture of his friends on the cover includes a friend of his, (ironically named Jamie) though not the kid Jamie Drew is based on. (I have a suspicion he is who Tom Pistone is based on.) I have been working with North Shore teenagers for 40 years, and the book forced me to remember some of the 50 or so special kids who touched me, not just for their unusually intense angst, the unusual lack of
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Sep 14, 2010
Jason
rated it: 
I have to admit that I'm a bit biased when it comes to boys' coming of age stories. Stand By Me is one of my favorite movies, and I just really like that genre. This is the first memoir I've ever read, so I can't really compare it to anything else. However, let me say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Basically this dude (Rich Cohen) talks about his senior year of high school through his late 20s. The heaviest focus is the senior year, and first year of college, and most all of More...
Basically this dude (Rich Cohen) talks about his senior year of high school through his late 20s. The heaviest focus is the senior year, and first year of college, and most all of More...
Dec 16, 2009
Andrew
rated it:
At some point in their lives, everyone meets someone cut from that blueprint Cohen fleshs out here in Jamie Drew. Lake Effect captures, in his own words, "what happens to such friendships when the afternoon runs into evening." A simple and beautiful memoir.
Jan 09, 2011
Steve
rated it: 
Nice story of growing up on the North Shore of Chicago suburbs. But Cohen never fills out Jamie enough to make me understand why he is so admired. He often talks about the "great things" Jamie has done, but never describes them. When he does it comes off as nothing more than sophomoric, drunk/drugged hijinks. When he does give us some of Jamie's talk it comes of as simple stoner BS. And I have a real problem w/ white suburban kids so in love w/ Chicago blues, pontificating on how t
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Sep 21, 2011
Dana
rated it: 
This is a good book, especially if you have grown up on the North Shore of Lake Michigan (north of the city of Chicago), which I have. You know what Mr. Cohen is talking about and you know the places he describes. It hits home because of the way the "North Shore" was and still is. It's worth the read for anyone with difficulties growing up and those who are from this area.
Feb 20, 2009
Brandon
rated it:
Charts the course of one of those life-changing friendships. The kind that form and shape both involved, even when the friendship becomes little more than a reminder of what it used to be, and a guage to how far life as moved as the horizons of adolescent possibility have narrowed into the present day what is.
Nov 15, 2007
ba
rated it:
Imagine you grew up in Glencoe, and you tried to write a Keruac novel in the style of Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine. Upon finishing your manuscript, you soaked it in a rusty bucket of piss and jitterbug perfume in the backyard for a few days. Then you let it dry in the sun, until the piss-smell is only evident within inches of the paper...
Ok, it's not all that bad. I read it all the way through, and enjoyed it for the most part. I found the style tiresome, but you may not. All the d More...
Ok, it's not all that bad. I read it all the way through, and enjoyed it for the most part. I found the style tiresome, but you may not. All the d More...
Sep 16, 2009
Nancy
rated it:
Memoir of growing up on the North Shore of Lake Michigan, just north of Chicago. Self absorbed, but well written.
Mar 19, 2011
Alex
rated it:
could relate to this book somewhat,about the same age although different place, and country.
Feb 07, 2009
bought this book at The 99 Cent Store because it has advance praise from Liz Phair
Oct 07, 2008
Michelle BF
rated it:
I was excited to read this regional great lakes set memoir for book club but it didn't hook me. There were good moments on the lake and some good writing and easy reading but this writer and I had totally different lives and made very different decisions in life (drugs being one, sex another). It was hard for me to relate to him and I was a little excited because we both grew up in the same time frame. Maybe it's the guy thing. I thought I was getting over that--I-can-only-read-girls-because
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Jul 30, 2009
Clare
rated it: 
read half way and got tired of him being impressed by himself - first 20 pages were entertaining...
Jun 21, 2009
Book
rated it:
Charts the course of one of those life-changing friendships. The kind that form and shape both involved, even when the friendship becomes little more than a reminder of what it used to be, and a gauge to how far life as moved as the horizons of adolescent possibility have narrowed into the present day what is.
Aug 09, 2008
Theo
rated it:
Descriptions of moments and places that made me feel I was in these places never visited, moments never experienced. Hit home on a number of levels having grown up in the 80's. Explores the quiet growth and accompanying pain of male friendships.
Aug 14, 2008
Kim
rated it:
Not much going for this dull autobiography. Only kept my interest because he is talking about the area where I live, so the name dropping kept it tolerable.
Feb 06, 2009
Nancy
rated it:
This is the memoir of a young Chicago man reflecting on his high school / early college days and one particular friendship
Nov 29, 2011
Nov 01, 2011
Sep 21, 2011
