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229th out of 667 books
—
1,071 voters
The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To
by
D.C. Pierson
A wildly original and hilarious debut novel about the typical high school experience: the homework, the awkwardness, and the mutant creatures from another galaxy.
When Darren Bennett meets Eric Lederer, there's an instant connection. They share a love of drawing, the bottom rung on the cruel high school social ladder and a pathological fear of girls. Then Eric reveals a sec...more
When Darren Bennett meets Eric Lederer, there's an instant connection. They share a love of drawing, the bottom rung on the cruel high school social ladder and a pathological fear of girls. Then Eric reveals a sec...more
Paperback, 226 pages
Published
January 26th 2010
by Vintage
(first published January 1st 2010)
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This is a fantastic book. While everything I’d read about it made it out as if the majority of the book detailed Darren and Eric on the run after Eric’s power is made known, that aspect of the story is actually only about a third of the book. The real story is the friendship between Darren and Eric, which is incredibly realistic and painfully accurate in its depiction of what it felt like to be a teenager. More than anything else, the territory tread by this book is the feeling of not belonging,...more
I was drawn into this book from the very first couple of pages. I loved the voice of the narrator Darren, and his friendship with fellow dork Eric. Their endless work on a fully-integrated sci-fi universe comprising films, books, graphic novels, and MMOGs amused me. The writing is lovely, true, and funny. I actually loved the first few pages of the book so much that I left it on the shelf for weeks; I felt sure, based on something the back cover blurb said, that it was going to break my heart an...more
This book subverted all my expectations. It is not pretentious or wanna-be witty. It's not really science fiction or fantasy, but it's also not really contemporary. This is a story that doesn't sit comfortably in any one category.
I liked the main character a lot. He did stupid things, but they were really believable stupid things. Even as the story got more fantastical, it was still very grounded. I also liked how the ending was not what you might expect. It actually reminded me of Chuck (the TV...more
I liked the main character a lot. He did stupid things, but they were really believable stupid things. Even as the story got more fantastical, it was still very grounded. I also liked how the ending was not what you might expect. It actually reminded me of Chuck (the TV...more
1 like · like · see review
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Aug 27, 2012
L-Isabella Conner
added it
First I will say this: I loved this book!
The story of Darren is a typical one for a teenage high school going boy with no real friends and finds comfort in his drawing.
Darren goes home after school and eats whatever leftovers are in the fridge he shares with his older brother and father, both of whom never really seem to be around. Although his brother does make a few appearances as the laugh-maker.
Darren is living the life of a loner until he meets Eric. Standing in front of Darren’s desk he co...more
The story of Darren is a typical one for a teenage high school going boy with no real friends and finds comfort in his drawing.
Darren goes home after school and eats whatever leftovers are in the fridge he shares with his older brother and father, both of whom never really seem to be around. Although his brother does make a few appearances as the laugh-maker.
Darren is living the life of a loner until he meets Eric. Standing in front of Darren’s desk he co...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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I did not enjoy this book one bit. It was hyped as hilarious, and unless you're a 13-year boy (maybe - I wouldn't know for sure) there was nothing even amusing about it. Pierson spends no time at all building Darren's character so you aren't sure whether you like him or not and then he throws in Eric with no background either, so I was left wondering how and why the two would even be friends. Darren's brother is a psycho - no one acts that weird, and Eric just dropping the bomb about his conditi...more
1 like · like · see review
Dec 22, 2011
Beverly
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
14-16 year olds
Recommended to Beverly by:
indiebound.org/nextlist
Shelves:
young-adult-books
I guess I am too old and not cool enough to truly appreciate D.C. Pierson's debut novel, The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep. To me it read like a story written from Dawson's Creek Meets Pretty Little Liars - except in this case it is - Nerdy Little Losers. The science fiction elements don't become significant to the story until the last third, and by then they seem like an after thought. That is too bad because there was so much potential for a great science fiction adventure. Most of the story is taken...more
Well, it was light years better than the last book I read featuring a high school guy protagonist (Carter Finally Gets It). In fact, in the ranks of books seeking to capture the high school experience it's a solid entry that honestly portrays teenage friendship, betrayal, and first love. The narrator's consistent tone, reflections on his mistakes, and insights into the world make the book a really good, fast read--so good in fact, that I didn't want to put it down.
The problem? I thought it was g...more
The problem? I thought it was g...more
This book was built on so much pop culture that you can't consider yourself a pop culture fanatic without it. Kind of like when everyone talked about the latest episode of "Lost" around the water cooler, but better. Genius debut novel about two self-avowed high-school nerds who spend their spare time dreaming up a film, comic book, and toy franchise, complete with time travel, robots, mad scientists, and evil corporations, and find themselves in the middle of a real-life science-fiction crisis....more
This book ws so horrible I couldn't even stand it. It was about a 17 year old boy(Eric)who could't sleep and wasn't affected by it! Then he got to be friends with a normal guy named Darren, and then they start making drawings for a movie they will one day "produce".
Eric who can't sleep starts having these mad fits almost every day. he just stays in his room for the whole day. So the kid tells darren about his "gift". Darren actually BELIEVES this!!!
Who in the entire world would belive such a s...more
Eric who can't sleep starts having these mad fits almost every day. he just stays in his room for the whole day. So the kid tells darren about his "gift". Darren actually BELIEVES this!!!
Who in the entire world would belive such a s...more
The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To is DC Pierson's wildly, original debut novel that combines common coming-of-age experiences with an eccentric, though exciting plot that involves running from the government.
Narrator and teenager Darren Bennett is an artist (not a draw-er, as some lame, prissy high-school girls call it) who keeps to himself for the most part. Dwelling in his own brilliant and creative imagination, all he wants to do is draw and work on a screenplay without bringing unn...more
Narrator and teenager Darren Bennett is an artist (not a draw-er, as some lame, prissy high-school girls call it) who keeps to himself for the most part. Dwelling in his own brilliant and creative imagination, all he wants to do is draw and work on a screenplay without bringing unn...more
The book is pretty much sumarized by the title of it. The main character meets a boy who can't sleep ever and doesnt have to. He is a very smart kid, had lots of talents, reads lots of books etc. but he is at the bottom of the high school social ladder. DC Pierson does a good job of showing what the real high school social ladder is like that most authors don't. He shows the social networking sites, the parties, the girls, the relationships, and of course: The drama. I personally didn't like thi...more
I didn't realize this was a teen book when I first read the review, but it didn't stop me from enjoying it one bit. (That reminds me I have to start the Hunger Games series soon.) In the SE Hinton tradition, there's almost no mention of adult characters in the book--parents and teachers exist, but don't really exert any influence on the teen leads: Darren, the narrator; his friend Eric, who can't sleep and doesn't have to; and Christine, the girl the both end up dating. Eric and Darren are two h...more
I can bet that I will be thinking about this book for some time, which is usually a sign of a good book. The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To has its flaws, but I think that the overall story makes up for the flaws to a certain extent.
When you start the book you will most likely be overwhelmed by how wordy it is. It's difficult to read at times, and hard to understand if you don't follow geek culture. Once you get used to the writing the story is quite interesting.
Every high school has th...more
When you start the book you will most likely be overwhelmed by how wordy it is. It's difficult to read at times, and hard to understand if you don't follow geek culture. Once you get used to the writing the story is quite interesting.
Every high school has th...more
Darren is a straight-up geek in hiding -- the kind of quiet, nondescript, high-school sophomore with social anxiety who does his best to blend into the background and avoid speaking to anyone. His mom split, his dad is barely around to parent, his older brother is kind of a bullying idiot (think Chet in Weird Science), and all Darren wants to do is be left alone so he can enjoy his video games, comics, and sci-fi movies in peace. One day a new classmate named Eric makes friends with him, and soo...more
2 likes · like · see review
Desultorily ambitious, written in an oh-so-Generation-Y tone of voice, THE BOY WHO COULDN'T SLEEP AND NEVER HAD TO is a quirky, humorous, genre-bending outing by debut author DC Pierson. The protagonist, Darren, is just your average fantasy comic-loving nerd hiding from the world's usual teen-aged terrorists (like his older brother and his friends, for one, two, three, and four), when he meets Eric, a kid who doesn't sleep.
This is where our contemporary realistic novel begins to play mind games...more
This is where our contemporary realistic novel begins to play mind games...more
The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had to was an interesting experience for me: I started reading the typical story of the nerd teenager that nobody pays attention to; and ended up finishing a fantasy/pseudo science-fiction story involving monsters and cyborgs and all kind of stuff that we can find in movies like star wars or avatar... The latter is not my preferred reading and had someone told me that this book is about that; I had never read it. But the fantastic thing of this book is that I...more
From the first few pages the voice of Darren Bennett drew me into his inner world. He was smart, sarcastic, and somewhat endearing, although at times I found him a little irksome. His constant contemplation of the world around him were interesting, but his habit of being against anything even remotely mainstream, to the point sometimes where it seemed like he purposely shut himself on the outside.
Eric Lederer was a curiosity. While the reason for his condition was never quite explained, Pierso...more
So basically I picked up this book after seeing a post where a kid had to read it for school and was asking someone to tell him what it was about so he didn't have to. The author himself commented and rather intelligently (and not at all rudely) shamed the kid into avoding a rather short and very interesting book he'd probably enjoy, while making actually dropping tantalizing hints about it. So I picked it up and read it through and I found I enjoyed it.
I didn't love it but basically I feel like...more
I didn't love it but basically I feel like...more
1 like · like · see review
Eric doesn't sleep. He physically cannot and does not seem to require it. It's like a super power, or possibly a super curse. No one knows, until he becomes friends with Darren, who spends his days and nights in a fairly isolated fantasy world. Darren's entire world and beliefs are changed when he finally comes to believe Eric; if one person with a super power exists, then anything really is possible. The world really is full of infinite potential. But when Darren and Eric fall for the same girl...more
I went into this book knowing little about it besides the obvious fact that it's about a who who can't sleep and never had to. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I could relate to the two characters, having once been a geeky high school student myself. Pierson nailed the realistic basis of high school hierarchy, and he also managed to find nothing but truth in the fact that it's a kill or be killed environment where your best friend will sleep with your girlfriend at the drop of the hat.
A...more
A...more
Reading this book is like seeing that loner kid in the cafeteria sitting all by himself. You really want to sit with him, maybe invite him to your birthday party, but are afraid - not just of social suicide but also by the fact that maybe he'll resent you, or stalk you, or that your intervention will make things worse. I really wanted to like this book but I couldn't bring myself to at all. It's not that it's terrible - it's just...boring. And I really don't think I'll be doing the book or the a...more
Three of the most entertaining books that I've read in the past three years have all been about high school: King Dork, I Love You, Beth Cooper, and The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To. All three of these have been first novels, written by a musician, a television screenwriter, and an actor/comedian respectively. Each book was honest, smart, sweet, and sad. Each one dealt with parents and sex and they were all full of curse words, and each truly made me laugh out loud.
And every single o...more
And every single o...more
Its About Friendship.....
"Thats him, Officer, he's the one who laughed when those kids who thought they were going to school went to Heaven instead"!
"The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To" offers alot of different things - coming of age, teen rebellion, sci-fi fantasy, young love, but most importantly it offers the value of friendship.
Two high school loners (Darren & Eric) become friends. Friends who both happen to enjoy drawing, video games & sci-fi fantasy! They decide to emba...more
"Thats him, Officer, he's the one who laughed when those kids who thought they were going to school went to Heaven instead"!
"The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To" offers alot of different things - coming of age, teen rebellion, sci-fi fantasy, young love, but most importantly it offers the value of friendship.
Two high school loners (Darren & Eric) become friends. Friends who both happen to enjoy drawing, video games & sci-fi fantasy! They decide to emba...more
Right up my fucking alley.
Sci-fi with a candy coating (that candy being the high school coming-of-age-ish story) and lots of hilarious observation. Life as a sixteen-year-old who girls didn't want to sleep with. Reading books and playing video games about stuff of scifi and fantasy that you just wish - not seriously, but maybekindasortaforhalfasecond semi-seriously - was true and possible but, again, we live in the real world and the real world doesn't just pick you, the protagonist of your worl...more
Sci-fi with a candy coating (that candy being the high school coming-of-age-ish story) and lots of hilarious observation. Life as a sixteen-year-old who girls didn't want to sleep with. Reading books and playing video games about stuff of scifi and fantasy that you just wish - not seriously, but maybekindasortaforhalfasecond semi-seriously - was true and possible but, again, we live in the real world and the real world doesn't just pick you, the protagonist of your worl...more
Okay... so this one starts out really funny and clever, then unfortunately about ¾ of the way through gets really, really lame. I have to say, I’m deeply disappointed in the lost potential of THE BOY WHO COULDN’T SLEEP AND NEVER HAD TOO. I really liked nerdy artist or draw-er Darren Bennett and quirky nerdier and special friend Eric Lederer, but when things start to get “real” the story lost me completely. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but I didn’t expect the story to go there and I wasn’t h...more
This book was okay. It started off with Darren, who likes to draw and one day Eric comes up to him and asks what he's drawing, the beginning of their friendship. They brainstorm ideas for drawing and plots for future books/movies. Eric decides to tell Darren that he doesn't sleep. Ever. When his secret gets out, the government is after him. This is the part that got a little boring for me. I don't want to spoil anything so I'll just say that the ending was totally unexpected. I hated the ending....more
Grade: C-
L/C Ratio: 30/70
(This means I estimate the author devoted 30% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 70% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown:
40% - Surviving high school
25% - Sci-fi
25% - Friendship
10% - Adolescent romance
Employing first-person narrators is a risky endeavor. If the reader fails to connect with that one character, all of the book's merits can be spoiled. And that's part of the problem with Pierson's novel. Darren, a high scho...more
L/C Ratio: 30/70
(This means I estimate the author devoted 30% of his effort to creating a literary work of art and 70% of his effort to creating a commercial bestseller.)
Thematic Breakdown:
40% - Surviving high school
25% - Sci-fi
25% - Friendship
10% - Adolescent romance
Employing first-person narrators is a risky endeavor. If the reader fails to connect with that one character, all of the book's merits can be spoiled. And that's part of the problem with Pierson's novel. Darren, a high scho...more
This is probably one of the most fascinating stories I've ever read. While I've wondered what it might be like to never be tired or have to sleep, I've never put as much thought into it as DC Pierson. I've never wondered about what would happen if we couldn't dream or how much our imaginations need to escape and dream up all our crazy thoughts when we're unconscious. Pierson creates a wonderful story with very real, young, fleshed out characters. Darren's reactions to his friend Eric's unbelieva...more
It started with so much promise. In fact, for the first hundred pages or so it was probably the best book I've read in a long time. The author manages to capture the hopeless optimism of high school perfectly, and even the unreal aspects of the characters seem believable and relatable. For those who are relatively familiar with geek culture, the references are often and very funny. However, after the midway point of the book the brilliant characters that I'd loved all seemed to disappear. The ac...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep | 1 | 2 | Sep 26, 2012 03:58pm | |
| Author schools kid for not reading his book | 1 | 11 | Aug 14, 2012 11:23pm |
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“My imagination is something of a badass.”
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47 people liked it
“It's like seeing your teacher outside school. It's them, but they're all wrong and out of context”
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4 people liked it
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