The Absolute Value of -1

Jun 28, 2011 Catie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, ya

Sometimes I read so many mediocre young adult books in a row that I just start to despair of the whole section. I start to question why I spend so much time over in YA…I mean…these books are obviously not written for me. I find so many of them to be far too casual, superficial, and unrealistic…not to mention poorly written. Every once in a while though, I come across a book like this, that’s so well written and honest and devastating, that I know why I keep crossing the aisle.

Lily, Noah, and Si...more Sometimes I read so many mediocre young adult books in a row that I just start to despair of the whole section. I start to question why I spend so much time over in YA…I mean…these books are obviously not written for me. I find so many of them to be far too casual, superficial, and unrealistic…not to mention poorly written. Every once in a while though, I come across a book like this, that’s so well written and honest and devastating, that I know why I keep crossing the aisle.

Lily, Noah, and Simon are friends of convenience. They walk to school, get high, and waste time together. Lily and Noah are each in love with someone that they can’t really have, and Simon is completely disconnected and insular. They greatly impact each other’s lives, but they barely know each other at all. Each is given a chance to narrate roughly the same series of events, and the reader is slowly allowed past the outward personalities that these characters wear like masks.

As I read the beginning pages of each of these sections, I felt conflicted about each of these characters in turn. Lily is a spoiled bitch; Noah is a horny stoner; Simon is a heartless jerk. Gradually, through each affecting and revealing narration, the cracks start to show, until each character is laid bare. Each of these characters is a distinct, fully realized person, and each has his or her own slanted view of the events that occur within this book. At the end of each section I would think “this character is my favorite.” They’re all my favorite. Lily is the good girl and gifted math student who changed herself one piece at a time until she couldn't find a way back. Noah acts like an obnoxiously happy buffoon to smother the massive amount of rage and humiliation that he carries around. Simon is dealing with his father’s illness, and making an earnest attempt to be normal, but deep inside he’s confused and festering.

The writing is simple, but evocative and painfully real. I also think that it’s a complete stroke of genius to begin and end the novel with small sections narrated by Suzanne, Simon’s sister. Her words add a nauseating, uncomfortable pall to the whole novel, and then gift it with a little bit of beauty and hope at the very end.

I can understand why this novel will not appeal to everyone: it contains difficult topics, and not a single one of these characters is a likeable person. This is an author that doesn't sanitize anything or pull punches. For me, this is a perfect example of teen angst done the right way: the way that is so familiar and real that it draws me right back into that cramped, uncomfortable head space of the teenage years.

Perfect Musical Pairing

Chevelle – Still Running

This kind of music will always remind me of my younger days, back before my tender elderly ears went the way of wussiness. Also, I think that if I don’t pick a harder song, Maja is going to have me declared persona non grata in Croatia…and apparently they have really great coffee there, which I am always willing to pander for. I know that they re-recorded this song in another album, but this version is way better!(less)

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Sep 08, 2010 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction, read-in-2010, cybils-2010-nominations

I can see this being a nominee for either the Morris or the NBA. A lot of swearing, but the themes and realistic portrayal of a subgroup of teens is spot on.
Full review here: http://stackedbooks.blogspot.com/2010...

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Oct 22, 2010 Vahini Naidoo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Steve Brezenoff’s the Absolute Value of |-1| is an unapologetic look at the lives of three teenagers as they grow up. The voices are distinctive, the characters fully rounded and the story at times insightful, at others heartbreaking and funny.

I finished this book in one night. The prose is so clean, and carries just the right amount of emotional resonance.

But. I wouldn’t say I’m in LOVE with this book. I’m just kind of severely crushing on it (if my romance comparison here doesn’t help you to...more

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Oct 04, 2010 Laura de Leon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, netgalley, nook, review-copy, ya, blogged

(3.5 stars, rounding up because it picked up at the end)

This book got off to a slow start for me. I found Lily interesting in a fairly abstract way, but I never found her or her story compelling.

It really picked up for me when the book switched viewpoints, and I started to see Noah's perspective on some of the same events. If anything, Noah is a less interesting character, but the shift really pulled me in.

Then we got to Simon's section. I hadn't been interested in him either, but once I saw his...more

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Jan 22, 2012 Carmen Yeung rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-2012-advisory

This book is about this three teenagers that use to be bestfriends. When they got into highschool, everything changed. This friendship consist of Noah, Simon and Lily. They started off the book with Lily's point of view, she faced a lot of challenges in life. She had this major crush on this guy that was her friend for so long, Simon. Even though she liked him, she was revolved with even bigger problems in life - her parent's divorce problem. Everything surrounding was just so tiring and very p...more This book is about this three teenagers that use to be bestfriends. When they got into highschool, everything changed. This friendship consist of Noah, Simon and Lily. They started off the book with Lily's point of view, she faced a lot of challenges in life. She had this major crush on this guy that was her friend for so long, Simon. Even though she liked him, she was revolved with even bigger problems in life - her parent's divorce problem. Everything surrounding was just so tiring and very painful. She didn't want to communicate with Simon, because she always want to show the best side of her to him. She didn't want to tell Noah, since he is always high or very awkward when they are together. The only reason why he was so awkward around Lily is because Noah himself likes her. Noah, i think is very friendly, but only if he don't do drugs. He is this bond in the friendship, the "glue". Without him, the friendship would fall apart. Simon on the other hand looks very cool and careless, but deep inside him he was hiding problems that he dont want to share with anyone else. Simon knows how much Lily loves him, but he just cant help not caring. He has a father that has cancer and is suffering a lot. All he can do is to cover all his emotions and pretend to be strong. Simon has a sister, she is the one that suffered a lot, since she was much closer to her father. At the end, his dad died of cancer... painfully. Simon's sister suzanne ran because she has to escape from reality. Everyone in this story ended up sadly, everyone wanted to escape reality. Lily pretended she was with Simon, Noah pretended he was with Lily when hes high. Everyone was just struggling, even till the end.
I thought this book was too emotional, because it was kind of overwhelming having to do with so much problems at the same time. But i liked this book because it was told with different perspective and it gives me this ohh moment when i found out that simon actually knows how Lily had a crush on him for a while. Also, i was just gasping how Lily is so smart but she can actually be friends with Noah and not get influenced. I liked how they portraited the characters differently, so there is a contrast between people. For example, Suzanne and Simon, one is very weak and one is very strong. They both experienced the loss of a very important family member, but still they have different emotions. I enjoyed reading different perspectives, because it gives me this new idea or feeling for this one specific character. I would recommend this to many other teens, because it is a book that actually talks about teen issues that anyone can be facing at all times; family issue, drugs, love, life. Overall, i really liked reading this book.(less)

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Sep 12, 2011 Doug rated it 4 of 5 stars

High school: Noah loves Lily, Lily loves Simon, Simon loves pot; Noah deals pot. I was lucky enough to never be a vertex in a warped little quadrilateral precisely like this, but the geometry of misery feels plenty familiar and accurate anyway. Brezenoff lays it out in first-person narration from the three principles, with book-ending asides in a sibling’s voice.
I have four teeny quibbles with this book. It bounces around in time quite a bit, and I was sometimes a little confused between “now,”...more High school: Noah loves Lily, Lily loves Simon, Simon loves pot; Noah deals pot. I was lucky enough to never be a vertex in a warped little quadrilateral precisely like this, but the geometry of misery feels plenty familiar and accurate anyway. Brezenoff lays it out in first-person narration from the three principles, with book-ending asides in a sibling’s voice.
I have four teeny quibbles with this book. It bounces around in time quite a bit, and I was sometimes a little confused between “now,” “a little while ago,” and “back in junior high.” There are a couple of plot elements that provide an element of gravitas but don’t seem strictly necessary and are maybe a touch pat. Every now and then, Brezenoff’s teens seem a little too self-aware, especially Lily:

I wasn’t always a cigarette-smoking bad girl. Not by any means. In seventh grade, I made a fairly conscious decision, as a matter of fact, to try on some juvie shoes over my straight laces. . . I figure someday, maybe during college, or, hell, even after if I’m really feeling it, I’ll just take the juive shoes off, dust off my Mary Janes, and here’s good Lily. Give her an A+ and a job, please.

Finally, the novel is set in Long Island, and the protagonists are fans of New York’s American League baseball team. That’s actually not what bugs me. My issue is that to show support, they will don a “Yankee cap,” singular, which to me sounds like it should be a Confederate flag in a universal “No” circle. Maybe it’s a Long Island quirk?
But these are minor concerns, and I think this book gets an awful lot dead-on right. It doesn’t moralize. The teens aren’t “good kids” or “bad kids,” just kids trying to muddle through the best they can. (Their parents are another story; they are decidedly “bad parents.”) Lily, Noah, and Simon’s voices are distinct, credible, and compelling – Brezenoff doesn’t downplay their flaws to make them more likable. The overlapping narrative structure means that a few of the same events are seen from multiple perspectives, and they’re a little different: the dialogue and action don’t match exactly, which I think is quite a nice touch, demonstrating the subjectivity of memory and how we all engineer our own stories a little bit.(less)

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Mar 26, 2011 T. rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-lit

There is an audience for this book, but it is not me. Upon finishing the book, I yelled "What the hell." I only kept reading in hopes of making sense of the story and the connections.

In this story, there are three stoner friends. One (Noah) loves the girl (Lily). The girl (Lily) loves the other boy (Simon). Simon is dealing with stuff at home involving his dad. The same events are told in their three points of view and this is where I got confused. Generally, each story line ties into a few mai...more

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Dec 30, 2010 Donna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-bitten

Don't let those blurbs fool you. The only one that's the most relevant is Lily's. The others all look like they're wrapped up in some weird love triangle of angst but it's so much more than that. Except for Lily. That's really all it is about since she had such tunnel vision for Simon.

Again, Carolrhoda Lab has not let me down with one of their books. Brezenoff's writing digs so deep, gets down underneath the emo and the angst and the teenagery to something so much more powerful. Lily and Noah ar...more Don't let those blurbs fool you. The only one that's the most relevant is Lily's. The others all look like they're wrapped up in some weird love triangle of angst but it's so much more than that. Except for Lily. That's really all it is about since she had such tunnel vision for Simon.

Again, Carolrhoda Lab has not let me down with one of their books. Brezenoff's writing digs so deep, gets down underneath the emo and the angst and the teenagery to something so much more powerful. Lily and Noah are chasing pipe dreams, from a pipe. Just not each others. And Simon, he's the absolute value. He's not a positive or a negative. He's the normal, the end result of walking through the absolute and coming out the other side alive.

The story is told in three very distinct points of view: Lily's, Noah's and Simon's and they all cover relatively the same timeline but you get to see the world from different eyes and it makes all the difference in the story.

Lily's story is rose-colored but running, like red ink splattered with water. She has her eyes set on Simon and she's so blinded by that want she doesn't see the forest for the trees. There is no forest, no trees. Just Simon. Noah's world is a baked out Scooby van with douchier friends. Like Lily, he's so blinded by the path he's made out for himself that he can't see the change. Or doesn't want to. So he envelopes himself in a protective seal in order to save himself. He likes what he has. It saves him from what he walks away from every day and it's worked. Why change something that works so well? It could ruin everything.

And Simon. Simon's the be-all end-all of the storyline, in so many ways. His piece of the puzzle is the most powerful, the most poignant. When he cries, you can feel his tears hitting your hand. You can feel the pain he feels when he starts learning hard truths. And through his eyes we see just how absolutely far away from Lily and Noah he really is. From their eyes, he's the quiet dude that keeps to himself but smokes a lot of bud. No one digs any deeper and if they tried, he really wouldn't let them in. But he's not. He's coping. He's normal. Sort of.

There really wasn't anything about this book not to love. I could have been reading the stories of three real kids for how authentic all three voices sounded. The only issue I had with any part of the story was Suzanne. I'm not sure of her relevance nor if she was even necessary for the story. As Simon's sister she was definitely a crutch for him and at times I found their relationship uncomfortable for how close they were. I saw the path it was headed on really early on but I don't know why the story went there, especially since it happened so late in the plot (like the last few pages) and the aftermath wasn't delved into at all except they kept their distance from each other at the grieving. I honestly don't know if it was another wrench in the spokes of life or if there's a bigger picture I'm missing. I just didn't find that particular part necessary. I think it was too underdeveloped for what it became.

Other than that, this could be a life study of teenagers in the wild. This is what it's like to be a fly on the inside of their craniums. You see how they act and you're privy to what they think and it's so much deeper than the cigarettes and beer and weed and cutting class and slang and whatever. There's pain and torment and sorrow and loss and longing and love going on underneath it all and Brezenoff captured it all fantastically. Reading from one cover to the other was as effortless as walking from one side of the room to the other. At the end I wanted more, especially of Simon. There was so much left hanging there that I didn't want it to end. But it did. And it was oh so good while it lasted.(less)

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Dec 28, 2010 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark, life, not-graphic, voice, ya

It's been said "nobody loves no one."* No one wants to be alone and it's easy to fixate on someone to want. The hard part is loving someone who loves you back with circumstances and timing that allow it to work. That's not the story of this book. No, this offers three-and-a-half studies of characters who yearn for those they can't have. Each tells his or her version of the story in turn, relating the events from an individual perspective and in a distinct voice. They're real and believable and,...more

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Oct 14, 2010 Kari rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-or-review-from-publisher-author, books-i-own, read-teen

The Short Version:
A multiple voice narrative, each distinct in it's own way, and a hugely realistic portrayal of events make The Absolute Value of -1 a painful but enlightening read. The interactions between these three friends aren't as great as they seem, and the slow realization for the trio comes as a new shock, each time. Mixing in love and lust, drugs, and a need for both connection and solidarity, Brezenoff has pitched a beautiful look that will resonate with plenty. The writing shifts sl...more The Short Version:
A multiple voice narrative, each distinct in it's own way, and a hugely realistic portrayal of events make The Absolute Value of -1 a painful but enlightening read. The interactions between these three friends aren't as great as they seem, and the slow realization for the trio comes as a new shock, each time. Mixing in love and lust, drugs, and a need for both connection and solidarity, Brezenoff has pitched a beautiful look that will resonate with plenty. The writing shifts slightly with each new section and character perspective, but still holds a strong, connected note that ties all three together and to the author. Though the ending was abrupt and left me feeling confused in some ways, the overall story is phenomenally well done and beautiful in its integrity and realism.

The Extended Version:
Unflinchingly raw and achingly real, The Absolute Value of -1 centers around three teens who are a mess of their own making, bringing each other down in the process. With insight straight into all three character's minds, the reader gains a strong connection to each.

Lily is sarcastic and flippant, but struggling with the divorce of her parents and the often constant presence of her mom's post-split boyfriend. Much of what she does centers around wanting Simon to notice her, and her several year long crush on him is painful and palpable. Things through her eyes have a certain dominating depressed air about them, with bits of hope and happiness mixed in. Watching the way Noah acts towards her is frustrating, and Simon often comes off an uncaring jerk- but that's only through her eyes.

Noah loves girls, especially Lily. His seemingly harassing comments, when seen with his perspective, are failing attempts at compliments. Brezenoff handles this forwardness beautifully, painting a highly realistic and gripping teenager. Noah spends much of his time getting high, and smokes cigarettes in the intervals. He provides Lily and Simon, and it often seems as though the weed is the only real tie this trio has. Mixing in Noah's home life creates a sympathetic edge to a brash character, tying the entire picture up in a great way.

Simon was the most intriguing of the three for me. His uncaring nature takes a new turn once the reader is thrust into his mind. With flashbacks of growing up, his closeness to his sister, and his relatively tight-knit family now having to deal with the father's sickness, Simon has more on his plate than he knows what to do with. While he knows about Lily and Simon's home lives, he hides his own worries and fears. Feeling a growing need to get his life back on track, Simon starts pushing away from the others before he even realizes it. Simon's section was the most heartbreaking and thought provoking, and absolutely unadulterated in its reality.

Despite the three different sections, each with a different character's narrative, Brezenoff kept the pace relatively steady. This isn't a high action book, but rather an intimate look into these character's minds and lives. The same general time line is told from each perspective, shedding new light on the same events or giving it a different angle. All three characters were gutting and flawed, but that added to the striking realism infused throughout the pages of this book.

Things build quickly towards the end of the book and explode in a shocking ending. The final section, which mirrors the beginning and gives a brief glimpse into the mind of Suzanne, Simon's sister, throws an interesting hook that I admittedly had a hard time swallowing. Though I felt the ending was jarring in its abruptness, that in part due to how deeply connected to the characters I felt. The final section and ending are the only criticisms I have of this otherwise stunning book. These three are facing real issues, handling them with all the fumbles that could be expected and more, and Brezenoff doesn't hold anything back in their portrayal.

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Aug 09, 2010 Megan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-and-young-adult, 4-stars, fiction

The Absolute Value of -1 pulls no punches.

The structure of the book is what initially appealed to me: three sections, each narrated by one of a trio of friends, primarily describing a series of events that defined their sophomore year of high school. (There are also two short passages by a fourth character that bookend the three main sections.) One of the most important lessons I learned in high school was that my truth wasn't necessarily the same truth experienced by even my closest friends, an...more

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Aug 09, 2010 Alisha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-s, young-adult, e-books-i-ve-read

The Absolute Value of -1 was angst galore. But that's okay, because I embrace Angst like the old frenemy he is. So, no problems on that front at all. The Absolute Value of -1 takes everything that made you ache and hurt in high school and puts it right up there for everyone to see and feel all over again. It makes you realize that the hurt and heartache you were suffering...is pretty much a staple in high school life. Yep, high school. It's almost always angsty and very rarely all pretty.

The mai...more The Absolute Value of -1 was angst galore. But that's okay, because I embrace Angst like the old frenemy he is. So, no problems on that front at all. The Absolute Value of -1 takes everything that made you ache and hurt in high school and puts it right up there for everyone to see and feel all over again. It makes you realize that the hurt and heartache you were suffering...is pretty much a staple in high school life. Yep, high school. It's almost always angsty and very rarely all pretty.

The main characters Lily, Noah, and Simon are the typical kids you wave to in high school, or glance at with annoyance, or just avoid like the plague really. These three teens are dealing with a love triangle of sorts (anybody else getting horrible Dawson's Creek flashbacks?). Guy likes Girl, Girl likes Other Guy, and Other Guy really doesn't give a shit about either Girl or Guy. It's poetic if you really think about it. However, this really isn't your typical Love Triangle Romance novel because said triangle is really just a small part of the overall story. Most of their angst isn't coming from your typical teen romance, but mainly from their home lives which range from terrible (Guy) to Okay (Girl) to "Wow, can things get more screwy?" (Other Guy). Their pain is all very real and very cringe-worthy.

The Absolute Value of -1 is not written in the typical YA fashion. It has Lily, Noah, and Simon narrating one part of the book respectively and then you have Suzanne (Simon's sister) who narrates a small part at the very beginning and a smaller part at the very end. With exception of Suzanne, they're all telling the same events through their eyes, with major bits left out of the other narratives because they weren't really known by those particular narrators. I was very surprised that the book was far from repetitive. With every new narrator, there was something else revealed, some new facet of the narrator's personality, and it was fascinating.

So, The Absolute Value of -1 was a pretty angsty, yet poignant read. A couple of parts also had me cringing and squicking, but I guess that's natural reaction to some things that happened. The only thing that bothered me was that we didn't get into Suzanne's inner thoughts as much as the other characters (but I understand that this wasn't her story, she was merely a part of it). Overall, it was an extremely quick read and I'm glad I read it.

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May 21, 2011 Cathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: death, teen-book

Three stoner high school kids hang out day after day not doing much. Lily, a math phenom, likes Simon, but he's not so into her; he's like a slippery bar of soap in a shower and she can't hold onto him. Noah is a dealer whose father beats him and who is hot for Lily. He sometimes invites popular jocks over who hate Simon and like to beat the crap out of him since he won't give them any respect. The book is told from each of their viewpoints and the reader gets the same scenarios from three point...more

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Sep 22, 2010 Crystal rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, for-review, tour-1-arc-tour, read-sep-2010

Why I read this: It sounded interesting, simple as that.

How is the novel driven: It's all about the characters - this is the story of Noah, Lily and Simon who are friends in some ways and yet not friends in others and it's told from each of their points of view, so it's all character.

My thoughts: I couldn't write my review of this one right after I finished it. I admit I don't write most of my reviews right after I finish the book, but with this one I needed to think about the book for awhile. W...more Why I read this: It sounded interesting, simple as that.

How is the novel driven: It's all about the characters - this is the story of Noah, Lily and Simon who are friends in some ways and yet not friends in others and it's told from each of their points of view, so it's all character.

My thoughts: I couldn't write my review of this one right after I finished it. I admit I don't write most of my reviews right after I finish the book, but with this one I needed to think about the book for awhile. Why? Because it is so real that it made me stop and think. Yes there are a lot of YA books out there that look at teenagers just like they are, but there are just as many that aren't completely real. Neither one is better than the other, but when a book like this comes along, it just makes me think.

Told from the point of view of three apparent friends, Lily, Noah and Simon, you get each ones' views on the friendship, their own life and that of their friends. Lily's life is in a downward spiral, one she freely admits at the beginning she could have stopped. Noah's life is at the bottom and has been for awhile. Simon, he's somewhere in-between and until his story is told (and his is told last) you aren't really sure where Simon is. It's an interesting contrast of a book, showing the story from all sides. Showing how what one person sees can be different from what actually is. I found the book fascinating. It was hard to put down and hard to read at the same time. Hard to read because of the harshness of these kids' lives. It's all there in black and white and this isn't a happy story, but it is a worthwhile story.

I finished The Absolute Value of -1 almost 3 weeks ago but it has stuck with me. If you like a serious YA novel from time-to-time or all the time, I highly recommend this one. I enjoyed this book and it will continue to stay with me and hopefully make me aware as my sons become teenagers of things going on in their lives. Steve Brezenoff writes an amazing story and does a great job getting into the heads of these three teenagers and keeping the book moving along for the readers' enjoyment.

My Rating: 4.5/5.0(less)

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Apr 07, 2013 Jacinta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The thing I would like to point out about this book, the feature of it that really made it worthwhile, is the absolute realism of it. Nothing was glorified or sugar-coated: not the drug use, the cigarettes, the alcohol, or (and especially) the characters. None of them are perfect - in fact, each individual is pretty screwed up.
The author was also very realistic with the way in which situations were relayed or remembered. When shown one scenario through the perspectives of each of the three main...more

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Sep 26, 2010 Tara rated it 5 of 5 stars

LOVED this book. Some of the most authentic teen voices I've ever read, pitch-perfect dialogue, and flawed, fully-realized characters I wanted to smack and hug at the same time :) I was especially impressed with how well Brezenoff differentiated the voices of his characters, something many authors (including myself) seem to struggle with. As a teen, I knew a few Noah's and at least one Simon. Brezenoff did a great job with Lily too. I was the underachieving smart girl with mostly guy friends in...more

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Sep 17, 2010 Katelyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

We all know that no two people are the same. Everyone deals with different situations, everyone has an image they want to project to others, and everyone deals with problems (be they big or small) at some point in their lives. Steve Brezenoff introduces us to Noah, Lily and Simon and gives us a taste of his take on relationships and what brings us together and the distance that is inevitably between us.

I've really become a fan of author's giving us multiple narrators and points of views. This bo...more

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Jun 03, 2010 Sherry rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Absolute Value of -1 shows the reader different points of view from four characters. Three characters perspectives on the same period of time is used throughout the majority of the book whereas the fourth character leads the introduction and then brings about the end of the novel.

Brezenoff did an astounding job with each of his individual characters. To read the same thing occur three times and in such different ways, it was written extremely well. The characters of Noah, Lily and Simon are...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Naomi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-but-boring

Scrolling down the reviews and raves of this book have made me feel like a sabotager or just a plain hater for melodramatic books like these but I have read many books dealing with conflicts of all kinds fictionally. You could say i was disappointed with the writing style. The lack of precision for words and the loose language. I have nothing wrong with vulgarity though I would like sarcasm with witticism. Before you read this book, I recommend you read Pieces of Us before you rate this book. Wi...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Alex rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff

How I heard about the book: I was wandering my library one day looking for a book. This one kind of just intrigued me.

Summary: (from Goodreads) Noah, Lily, and Simon have been a trio forever. But as they enter high school, their relationships shift and their world starts to fall apart. Privately, each is dealing with a family crisis—divorce, abuse, and a parent’s illness. Yet as they try to escape the pain and reach out for the connections they once cou...more

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Oct 29, 2011 Hannah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, own-finished-copy

I absolutely loved Steve Brezenoff's Brooklyn, Burning (review), so I was really excited to read his debut. While the writing is just as great in The Absolute Value of -1, I didn't like it quite as much as Brooklyn, Burning, just because I couldn't really connect to two of the main characters.

The book starts out with a chapter from Suzanne's point of view. That part really confused me, but I figured that was the point and just kept reading. Then there's a longer part from Lily's point of view, w...more I absolutely loved Steve Brezenoff's Brooklyn, Burning (review), so I was really excited to read his debut. While the writing is just as great in The Absolute Value of -1, I didn't like it quite as much as Brooklyn, Burning, just because I couldn't really connect to two of the main characters.

The book starts out with a chapter from Suzanne's point of view. That part really confused me, but I figured that was the point and just kept reading. Then there's a longer part from Lily's point of view, which I really, really liked. Lily's a great, fully-developed character, and I could easily relate to her and her unrequited love for Simon. I'm not even sure what it was about her that made me like her so much, but I did. Her voice is great and so real. I loved Lily's humor and all of her quirks - the way she thinks is unique and so entertaining.

Then came Noah's part. I felt for Noah, too, since his life definitely hasn't been easy, but... I don't know. For some reason, I just didn't like him all that much. Technically, his character is good, too, complex, flawed and realistic. But personally, I just couldn't connect to him. Maybe I could have, if I'd read about him longer, but his part is by far the shortest and there's no real development in his story, so I never built up a real relationship with Noah.

And then there's Simon. Honestly, I disliked Simon from his first chapter on, when he describes Lily as "short and sort of on the ugly side." Maybe I was still hung up on liking Lily so much, but it really upset me how he could say something like that about Lily, knowing how much she likes him. I liked him less and less as the story continued - how he leads Lily on, doesn't care at all about her feelings, starts hanging out with Melanie, and doesn't even feel the need to properly break up with Lily - ugh! I wanted to slap him throughout the book. Again, he's a well-written character, and I felt for him about the whole thing with his family, but I just couldn't see past what an ass he is to Lily. And when I can't relate to a character, it's really hard for me to get into a story, so I felt somewhat removed from everything that happened to Simon.

The writing, however, is what made this book work - like I said in my review of Brooklyn, Burning, Steve Brezenoff's prose is sparse but beautiful, matter-of-fact most of the time but still conveys loads of emotions, and addresses lots of issues without sounding preachy. That's what carried the novel, for me (aside from Lily - I just love Lily...).

I feel bad for giving The Absolute Value of -1 just 3 stars - it's a really, really good book, and it's more like 3.5 stars. But I don't give star ratings to show whether a book is bad or good; they're about how much I personally enjoyed them, and I couldn't really get into a large part of the book because I disliked the narrators. Since relating to characters is different for everyone, though, I do recommend The Absolute Value of -1, simply because Steve Brezenoff's writing is amazing. But if you haven't read either The Absolute Value of -1 or Brooklyn, Burning, I'd recommend reading Brooklyn, Burning first.

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Jan 02, 2012 Jessica Secret rated it 4 of 5 stars

From shutupimreading.blogspot.com

Going into The Absolute Value of -1, I had no idea what to expect. I just knew I'd heard it was good and it was about three friends. Aside from that, I had no real idea what it was even about. Luckily, it didn't matter because I ended up liking it anyway.

-1 is told in three parts, each with a different narrator that each had a different and (really) authentic voice. Going into a part, I would dislike a character...until I read their narration. All three character...more

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Dec 01, 2010 Bookworm1858 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, read-2010, ya-read

The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff
Lerner, 2010
289 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars

Source: Netgalley

Summary: Told from multiple perspectives, looking at the entwined lives of four young people as they try to live their lives.

Thoughts: It opens with someone named Suzanne in a way that confused me. Then it jumps to the first part with Lily sharing about her awful family and telling her story about her love for Simon; I really identified with her feelings about the boy even though her copious...more

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Sep 28, 2010 Sara Grochowski rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, own

Having never heard of THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF -1, I had no expectations as I cracked the cover. Not one. Which is why I was shocked to discover that this novel, Steve Brezenoff's YA debut, has landed squarely on my Best of 2010 list.

The novel is divided into three main sections - one for each character - but the first and last pages are told by Suzanne. I'll admit to being a bit confused when I saw her name printed largely on the first page... there's no mention of a Suzanne in the description. I...more Having never heard of THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF -1, I had no expectations as I cracked the cover. Not one. Which is why I was shocked to discover that this novel, Steve Brezenoff's YA debut, has landed squarely on my Best of 2010 list.

The novel is divided into three main sections - one for each character - but the first and last pages are told by Suzanne. I'll admit to being a bit confused when I saw her name printed largely on the first page... there's no mention of a Suzanne in the description. It doesn't take long to figure out who this mysterious narrator is, but it takes the majority of the novel to make sense of her role and meaning to each of the main characters.

I ended up preferring Lily and Noah over Simon. I appreciated seeing the events unfold from each POV, but Simon set me on edge. Even at the end of the novel, I wasn't completely sure I understood his motivations, which made is actions difficult to reconcile. In the end, I resigned myself to disliking his character, which was difficult for me because I can't help but try to connect with each character, even in a small way.

I found it easy to identify with Lily. She's the typically high school girl, in love with a boy who is oblivious to her. Or worse, is completely aware and chooses to act oblivious. I feel confident saying that every girl feels like a Lily at some point, whether it occurs in high school or later.

Noah was my favorite character, though it's hard to say exactly why. Part of me wonders if it's due to the fact that he had the smallest section. It's almost like when you meet someone for the first time and you think they're pretty cool, but then, the more you get to know them, the more you're aware of their flaws. And then they just don't seem so cool anymore. Simon and Lily's flaws were painfully clear, while Noah was just a stoner boy with an unrequited crush. He was much easier to like. Maybe I would have ended up liking him less if he was more of a focus, but I still can't help wanting to hear more of his story.

THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF -1 is unflinchingly honest and beautifully written. I'm very curious to see what Steve Brezenoff offers next, but, in the meantime, I'll be pondering this novel's final pages...
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Sep 25, 2010 Kelsey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished-copies-review

The Absolute Value of -1 was an original and unique young adult debut novel that was very different than anything I’ve read before.

For starters, it was told in four different perspectives: Suzanne, Noah, Lily, and Simon. I enjoyed getting to know each of these characters and to learn about their opinions on each other and their different experiences. Simon had the biggest section and, by the end, I felt I knew his character the most. He had been through a tough time and his life was by no means...more

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Jul 02, 2011 Sharli rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

I think we don't really understand how different things must seem from someone else's point of view and this book shows us exactly that.

The story is divided in parts, each told from the point of view of one the characters, Lily, Noah and Simon and giving us their side of hte story. We get to read about the same events from each of heir perspectives and although that may seem repetitive, it really isn't. Things change so much from one character to the other and it makes you understand how every l...more

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Oct 31, 2010 Jamie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: debuts-2010, 2010, young-adult, contemporary, own, signed

The Absolute Value of -1 is, well, a bit different. And I must say, I like different. The story follows Noah, Lily, and Simon and is mostly told from their three perspectives. Noah loves Lily who only has eyes for Simon who really doesn't give a crap. As they enter high school, it's as if time is moving too fast, too many things are happening simultaneously, and the once tight trio is being pulled apart at the seams. I felt like this is the same story of so many of our own lives, the ever-changi...more The Absolute Value of -1 is, well, a bit different. And I must say, I like different. The story follows Noah, Lily, and Simon and is mostly told from their three perspectives. Noah loves Lily who only has eyes for Simon who really doesn't give a crap. As they enter high school, it's as if time is moving too fast, too many things are happening simultaneously, and the once tight trio is being pulled apart at the seams. I felt like this is the same story of so many of our own lives, the ever-changing world around us and the way we deal - or don't deal - with it.

Thanks to 1 ARC Tours, I was able to read this copy before its release. Ideally I would have posted this review closer to that date, but this was a novel I had to digest slowly. When I finished it I sort of felt a bit shell-shocked and actually waited several days before starting anything new, which is most unlike me. The more I thought, and the more I continue to think about it, the more I appreciate its freshness. Steve Brezenoff's debut is raw and gritty and you can't read it without feeling a little dirty by the end. That said, it was painfully realistic and one of the best contemporary YA novels I've read this year. Who doesn't like a little dirt sometimes?

I was just talking the other day about my love for dual narratives, and this is another perfect example. It's technically not a dual narrative because there are actually four perspectives throughout the book, but you get the idea. The story begins with Lily, then we hear from Noah, and finally we end with Simon. These three voices are sandwiched by brief thoughts from Suzanne, Simon's older sister. As the story moves from voice to voice, things that were fuzzy become clear and each character becomes more human in the eyes of the reader. I must admit that during Lily's narrative, I was not a big fan. But as the story moved on to Noah and Simon, I really started to love her through their eyes. I almost wish the story would have circled back to her, but don't worry - it's kind of perfect the way it is.

With the recent fantasy craze (I'm a fan, too!), The Absolute Value of -1 is an excellent example of the greatness that can be found in contemporary YA. So the next time you need a break from faeries and dragons or if contempt is normally more your thing, consider picking up a copy of Steve Brezenoff's debut.

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Aug 06, 2010 AtenRa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, ya-fiction

The Absolute Value of -1 is a book about three teenager's, Noah, Lilly and Simon,relationships, and how they change as they grow older along with their perception of the world and the way it works.This is a book about their lives.

I know that you are all probably thinking that you've read books with a similar, if not the same, theme before.But I would suggest that you don't think about all the other books you've read on the subject and read this one with an open mind.

I liked The Absolute Value of...more

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Sep 01, 2010 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Books that deal with younger characters have always had a draw for me. Especially when they deal with the subjects that most parents don't seem to want to broach with their children. It always seemed to me that kids will find the information that they are looking for one way or another, so wouldn't you rather it be accurate? At least if a book properly and effectively deals with a touchy subject, a younger person can get the information that they are seeking. Books like this have power.

The Absol...more Books that deal with younger characters have always had a draw for me. Especially when they deal with the subjects that most parents don't seem to want to broach with their children. It always seemed to me that kids will find the information that they are looking for one way or another, so wouldn't you rather it be accurate? At least if a book properly and effectively deals with a touchy subject, a younger person can get the information that they are seeking. Books like this have power.

The Absolute Value of -1 does deal with some difficult subject matter. I find it only fair that I warn you that pot smoking, shop lifting and mild violence lie within the pages. Buried in there is also teenage feelings and confusion over love and lust. However as an educator I know that these big ticket items are, in fact, a part of most younger lives at some point. As much as we would all like to pretend that teenage lives are sugar and spice, that simply isn't true. As Simon, Noah and Lily each show respectively, your home doesn't have to be a specific way for you to begin to follow a certain path. Instead it is the individual experiences in a person's life that lead them to down one road or another.

Told in sections from each character's point of view, this book shows us how the same set of moments can be experienced three different ways. It was fascinating to have that depth into each character's memories. Simon, Noah and Lily are each so different, and yet when you see the same story through each of their eyes you find that they have common links. Watching them grow, watching them make mistakes, it was as if there were real people right there in front of me. I think this is book perfectly embodies the concept of a "coming of age" story.

What I loved about The Absolute Value of -1 was that it was raw. This was a look at the inner workings of these children, and their thoughts. I especially felt invested in Simon, and struggled when he struggled. I saw myself in him as he fought to break away from that was defining him. I'll admit that Steve Brezenoff knows how to weave a story that draws you in and pulls emotions forth that aren't always easy to deal with. There were many moments where I found myself teary eyed, and others where I found myself so angry. This book touched me in a way that I can't quite put into words.

Plain and simple, this story is beautiful. However if you're picturing lyrical writing and sweeping scenes, you're missing the point of this book. Truth is, The Absolute Value of -1 is a gritty, realistic read and that is what I adored about it. Steve Brezenoff has no qualms with diving into the darker parts of his characters' lives, and I think that is really important. Although this was a difficult read, I feel I came away from it a better person somehow. Recommended 100%.(less)

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Oct 15, 2010 Cait rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, reviews

I can honestly say I don’t remember ever reading a book quite like THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF -1. Told in four points of view, the book follows three friends, Lily, Simon and Noah, through a few months of their grade ten school year. The story is raw, honest and unapologetic. Lily, Simon and Noah exist in (what we called in high school) the “druggie” clique. All three smoke (cigarettes and weed), skip school and drink, are all quite smart and in Lily’s and Simon’s cases were/are on team sports. It’s...more

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