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237th out of 1,164 books
—
5,977 voters
Inexcusable
by
Chris Lynch
"I am a good guy. Good guys don't do bad things. Good guys understand that no means no, and so I could not have done this because I understand."
Keir Sarafian knows many things about himself. He is a talented football player, a loyal friend, a devoted son and brother. Most of all, he is a good guy.
And yet the love of his life thinks otherwise. Gigi says Keir has done someth...more
Keir Sarafian knows many things about himself. He is a talented football player, a loyal friend, a devoted son and brother. Most of all, he is a good guy.
And yet the love of his life thinks otherwise. Gigi says Keir has done someth...more
Paperback, 176 pages
Published
May 8th 2007
by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
(first published May 8th 2005)
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Nov 17, 2010
Tatiana
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fans of books with unreliable narrators
I've seen this book recommended as a companion novel to Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak and really, the main character of Inexcusable, Keir, could have easily been IT.
The novel starts with Keir's friend, Gigi, screaming at him, accusing him of rape.
I am so sorry.
"What are you sorry for, Keir?" Gigi screams again, grabbing me by where my lapels would be if I had a jacket on, or a shirt, or anything. She can't get a purchase because I have no clothes, and very little fat, because I have been good a...more
The novel starts with Keir's friend, Gigi, screaming at him, accusing him of rape.
I am so sorry.
"What are you sorry for, Keir?" Gigi screams again, grabbing me by where my lapels would be if I had a jacket on, or a shirt, or anything. She can't get a purchase because I have no clothes, and very little fat, because I have been good a...more
Sep 27, 2007
Lacey Louwagie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
only people smart enough to see through the protagonist
Shelves:
youngadult
I've been wanting to read this book since before it was published. It's about a high school boy whose girlfriend accuses him of raping her. He doesn't think he's capable of rape and he doesn't think that what happened really was rape.
I was hoping that this book would explore the gray areas and the differences in perspective when it comes to a girl's experience of rape vs. a boy's perception of it. I was hoping it would enlighten readers -- male readers especially -- that just because it doesn't...more
I was hoping that this book would explore the gray areas and the differences in perspective when it comes to a girl's experience of rape vs. a boy's perception of it. I was hoping it would enlighten readers -- male readers especially -- that just because it doesn't...more
11 likes · like · see review
After reading a lot of good reviews (from the likes of Hornbook, VOYA, Kirkus, and School Library Journal) I thought that this book was going to be amazing, but honestly I felt a little let down. It's true that hearing the "bad guys" point of view is refreshing, and the book is well-written, but half the time I just wanted Keir to realize already that he was making up excuses for himself and acting like a total jerk. Maybe that was the point, but I just didn't feel engaged. I think teen readers...more
This was not exactly a good book...I tried to read it for quite awhile (thirty pages or so...way more than I should have given it) The main character, Keir, is having a fight with his girlfriend because he supposedly did something wrong and he doesn't remember. The book rambles on for about two hundred pages (or so I have been led to believe from the first thirty) and then gives a horrible ending. (I was too curious) I would never recommend this!
This book was incredible. The story was a very scary one, but I loved the book. It had a very unique way of telling the story. It was sort of flashback theme that eventually led up to present time. This made it hard to understand at first but once you got it everything just seemed to click. Books that do this are my favorite. I thought it was given in a very risky perspective but that’s what made the book what it was. It wouldn’t have been the same if we would have known that Keir had been lying...more
3 likes · like · see review
the book is about this guy named keir sarafian and he is a senior at high school. he is in love with a girl named Gigi but Gigi has a boyfriend. but keir and gigi are really good friends. so at the day of the graduation i believe keir goes to see his sister to college but gigi goes with him and since there was nobody and it was late they spent the night there. but supposevely keir raped gigi. it doesnt really has a lot of details in what really happened,so keir does not remember doing such a thi...more
1 like · like · see review
Jun 13, 2009
Sarah
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-2009,
young-adult
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Inexcusable is about a senior in high school named Keir Sarafian who struggles to accept something he has done to his best friend/crush Gigi Boudakian. It switches from the events that occurred in the previous 24 hours to the aftermath of his impulsive actions.
Inexcusable has a very unique aura that surrounds it. Several components of the book left me disappointed, but the overall appeal of the book remains intact. For example, none of the characters showed drastic development, which disappointe...more
Inexcusable has a very unique aura that surrounds it. Several components of the book left me disappointed, but the overall appeal of the book remains intact. For example, none of the characters showed drastic development, which disappointe...more
One of the most controversial and debated novels of 2005, this National Book Award finalist shows the awful results of passion that burns out of control. The narrator, Keir Sarafian, is a self-proclaimed "good guy" who describes his good life, loving family, and athletic success. But the reader slowly comes to realize that what Keir says and what the truth is are not always the same. The good guy persona melts away as Kier describes events that happen around him or to him, but they're never real...more
3 likes · like · see review
This is a small, rather unassuming looking little book that packs a punch. The day I started it, a friend asked "So what's inexcusable?" and I said, "As far as I can tell, the main character is."
Entering in the midst of a fight, you get off on wobbly feet. One half of the fight thinks he's right, and the other half thinks he's insane. So Keir Sarafian sets about telling us what a good guy he is, documenting it, and rationalizing the instances where it seems he might be anything else. Meanwhile,...more
Entering in the midst of a fight, you get off on wobbly feet. One half of the fight thinks he's right, and the other half thinks he's insane. So Keir Sarafian sets about telling us what a good guy he is, documenting it, and rationalizing the instances where it seems he might be anything else. Meanwhile,...more
It was very interesting to read this book, especially as it is told by the rapists point of view. I had heard a little about this book in my Young Adult lit class, and I was really interested to read it. Once I started reading it, I was amazed at how well Chris Lynch wrote it. It really shows how we tend to justify everything we do, and when we get in trouble we try to convince the other person that they are over reacting and we didn't do anything wrong. Even though there was so much to prove th...more
It was interesting and I really wanted to know what in the world was going on so I kept reading but I did not like it all that much. It was an interesting (albeit disturbing) story, but could have been better. The main character is a football player who conintuously tries to convinve the reader that he is a "good guy" and that nothing is his fault. The character has a "quasi-alcoholic" father who lets him do whatever he wants and seems to be oblivious to what kind of stuff his son is getting in...more
This book was kind of creepy. It was interesting to read it from the perspective of the one doing the crime. I will admit, though, that the style of the book was hard for me to read. And it was really hard for me to get past that and enjoy the book. The sentences were so short and almost incomplete that I had a hard time following. It just didn't flow for me, and that was distracting.
I WOULD NOT recommend this book for anyone younger than 15. The descriptions are too intense for anyone younger t...more
I WOULD NOT recommend this book for anyone younger than 15. The descriptions are too intense for anyone younger t...more
I liked this book a lot but I was also sorely disappointed. I believe that if I read this novel before having people tell me how good it was (I had been wanting to read this for three or four years and was super excited to finally do so) I would have liked it more. I strongly recommend this book to be read by anyone teaching high school and college students because it gave me an eye into what my male students could be thinking as well as helped me realize things about myself. I will join the ban...more
I heard absolute raves about this book, so of course, I had to read it. Rape is a tough issue, and I felt that this book addressed it well. Lynch did an excellent job of building up the suspense and the emotion. For me, the accounts of the main character’s previous actions—especially the vandalism of the statues—felt almost like types or precursors to the ultimate “Inexcusable” act that Keir would eventually commit. I found that aspect, the building and leading up to the rape, extremely well wri...more
At first I was interested in Inexcusable because it seemed like something different from what I normally read, and my Young Adult Lit professor suggested it to the class. It seemed like reading a book from a rapists point of view would just be interesting. I typically don't like novels that are "real" (as in they come from a persons perspective in my own day and age, and have to deal with real world problems) but I thought this book seemed interesting enough that I'd give it a try.
I personally d...more
I personally d...more
This book is just wow. It's really good, but also very....different. I was debating on rating this five or four stars, and decided on four because I would have liked this to have more details about some of the events leading up to the conflict. This book is completely told from the view of a rapist. He has a very narrow view of himself and the events that unfold around him. There are many things that happen that are very obviously messed up and wrong that he does, such as crippling a boy on an o...more
Keir Sarafian knows many things about himself. He is a loyal friend, a devoted son, and a brother of two older sisters. Most of all he was a good guy and everyone knew that.
Everything in Keirs life has been doing very well up intill the love of his young life thinks otherwise, she thinks he's a horrible person. Gigi (his love) says Keir has done something awful and something unforgetable, inexusable...
The book starts out with Gigi yelling and screaming at Keir for something that he has done,...more
Everything in Keirs life has been doing very well up intill the love of his young life thinks otherwise, she thinks he's a horrible person. Gigi (his love) says Keir has done something awful and something unforgetable, inexusable...
The book starts out with Gigi yelling and screaming at Keir for something that he has done,...more
Lynch's Inexcusable is the first person narrative of a high school senior whose childhood best friend accuses him of raping her after they had sex. The story starts with Keir asserting his innocence and in stream of consciousness narration stating that he does not know why she keeps telling him that and wishes she would stop. The chapters go back and forth between the present-just after he has supposedly raped Gigi-to various moments from the year that have shaped him. Over the course of the nar...more
It took me a while to really get into this book. The first chapter was so engaging and made me want to read more; it was the back story that bored me at times. I wanted to fast forward to the end and find out if what I thought was happening really happened. I found the ending to be a little predicable. I knew that Gigi was raped; there were plenty of hints throughout the novel. I was just unaware of how it all came together. I was furious with Keir. I could not believe that he was trying to just...more
I still cannot decide whether or not I really liked this book. I had mixed feelings about it all the way through the reading. I can't say for certain if I liked the book, but I can say that I appreciated the book. Chris Lynch somehow made these very normal, real characters seem both likable and despicable simultaneously. He then uses these characters and tells a controversial story about an accidental rapist through them. Many of the characters are stupid. They make really dumb decisions mainly...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This book describes how perfect circumstances can still destroy a perfect reputation. Throughout the novel I found myself frustrated with Keir's apathetic attitude. Coming from a seemingly tolerable family, Keir found himself on the outskirts of popularity, yet within the inner circle. His personality jived between coolness and insecurity. This contrast develops the perfect storm for teenage drama and adolescent alternate realities. I enjoyed how the book gave the reader a glimpse of the ending...more
Oct 09, 2012
Erin Mccall
added it
Inexcusable is the bleak, moving and unresolved battle Keir Sarafian fights against himself to put together the pieces leading up to the night of his high school graduation. Keir, our biased narrator, goes back and forth between recounting his senior year chronologically and pleading for Gigi to see him as the sweet, moral, loving guy he views himself as. Yet while Keir is struggling to keep Gigi, his best friend and infatuation, from leaving the room where he may have just raped her, Keir is s...more
With my personal rating system, I rarely ever rate things "1 star". To me, 1 star = DESPISE WITH THE WHITE HOT INTENSITY OF A THOUSAND SUNS!! RAAAAWR!!
While 2 stars = I hate it, but not enough to go "rawr" with anger.
But I really did dislike this book. But I think this deserves 1 1/2 stars, though I'm too much of an asshole to rate it just plain ol' one star, so it's two stars :|
I hated this book. Hated it because of the main character.
What an asshole. What an IDIOT.
I'm glad that at the end Keir...more
While 2 stars = I hate it, but not enough to go "rawr" with anger.
But I really did dislike this book. But I think this deserves 1 1/2 stars, though I'm too much of an asshole to rate it just plain ol' one star, so it's two stars :|
I hated this book. Hated it because of the main character.
What an asshole. What an IDIOT.
I'm glad that at the end Keir...more
This is a pretty powerful book.
It's about Keir, football jock, in his last year of high school. He does not hold himself accountable for anything that has happened in his life. He lives with his father who aids in letting Keir think everything he does is okay and doesn't hold him accountable for anything either.
When Keir and his best friend and crush gigi end up in a situation that ends with a date rape Keir has no thought that he did anything wrong. Gigi says she said no, Keir's response is I...more
It's about Keir, football jock, in his last year of high school. He does not hold himself accountable for anything that has happened in his life. He lives with his father who aids in letting Keir think everything he does is okay and doesn't hold him accountable for anything either.
When Keir and his best friend and crush gigi end up in a situation that ends with a date rape Keir has no thought that he did anything wrong. Gigi says she said no, Keir's response is I...more
Hmm, I think I'm still getting used to the teen-lit genre and what it's trying to accomplish. I thought the book was insightful, and clear on how someone with a "good boy" mindset can get himself into trouble, and the confidence and popularity that comes from one event in school, propelling him towards such. Yet, I felt there was something untold when I got to the end. Now, before you think of me a pervert, hear me out: the narrative between current time and the past was quite creative, and I li...more
This book somewhat creeped me out, which usually makes me like books even more though I'm not sure that is the case with this one. Kier was such an awful narrator that I was getting annoyed with what he had to say, and creeped out at the same time. Because I went into the book knowing that he was liar, I believe I read it differently. He had a warped perspective of life and because of his justification of things he enabled himself to become a bad guy while always being a good guy. I'm still real...more
What an interesting point of view! I never have, and probably never will, experience being a rapist, so it was really interesting to see the thought process of one. One of the most interesting things about this book was that, the whole time, the reader is almost convinced that nothing happened because the scenes aren't super graphic and Keir is pretty convincing. The justification that Keir constantly uses to make himself feel alright about his actions is amazing and almost (almost) sucks the re...more
I didn't really like it. It was ok at best. The narration irritated me as there was less description and more repetion of how he was a good guy, and things weren't what they seemed. I didn't like the set up, and I thought the overall way it was written bit the dust. It didn't capture my attention like the story idea should have. I had to force myself to keep reading it. I wouldn't really recommend it, but then again the fact it has an award says a lot of people liked it. So who knows? Maybe I'm...more
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Chris Lynch is the Printz Honor Award-winning author of several highly acclaimed young adult novels, including KILL SWITCH, ANGRY YOUNG MAN, and INEXCUSABLE, which was a National Book Award finalist and the recipient of six starred reviews. He is also the author of FREEWILL, GOLD DUST, ICEMAN, GYPSY DAVY, and SHADOWBOXER, all ALA Best Books for Young Adults; EXTREME ELVIN WHITECHURCH, and ALL THE...more
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“Your family should be there. Your family should always be there. What does it say about you if they aren't?”
—
10 people liked it
“I thought about mistakes I had made in the past. I thought about when things went wrong. And I realized it was never an issue of intent, but of intensity. I was a good guy, recall.”
—
3 people liked it
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Nov 17, 2010 11:54am
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