You know things are bad when your dreams come with a washed-up '80s soundtrack
Henry "Hen" Birnbaum's sister, Sarah, missing for over a yea... read full description
reviews
Apr 29, 2011
Say
rated it: 
i always had the thing for geeky and nerdy guys, guys who is not worth another glance once you passed by them. but when you get to talk to them, you will ask yourself "you make so much sense." i thought henry "hen" (yes. like a rooster....har har!) was one of those guys. he being a music guru (well, more of the 80's and 90's) was cool but as the story goes i just couldnt like the guy. i dont know maybe it's just me but eventhough he has a wide expertise in music, i liked
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Sep 22, 2010
Adele
rated it: 
I am a shallow being. I freely admit to be as such as I purchased this book based on the title, cover art and the fact that it was authored by a man. Turns out that my puerile ways resulted in a great read told from a teen male perspective and a new (much needed) male YA author in my arsenal - not a bad day's work.
There are so many things to like about Ehrenhaft's exploration of a teen romance gone kaput, a friendship strained and a sister at a distance. Introspective, sensitive and More...
There are so many things to like about Ehrenhaft's exploration of a teen romance gone kaput, a friendship strained and a sister at a distance. Introspective, sensitive and More...
Jun 23, 2010
Sam.
rated it: 
There's one word particular word that doesn't seem fit to describe "Friend is Not a Verb". That is riveting.
I read this in audiobook form - since in my current location acquiring paper copies isn't exactly possible - and found the voice actor quite entertaining. I listenened to it while drawing and doing other things, and found it to a very enjoyable read. However, in the moments it was paused there wasn't exactly a gnawing to want to go back to it. A dying to absolutely h More...
I read this in audiobook form - since in my current location acquiring paper copies isn't exactly possible - and found the voice actor quite entertaining. I listenened to it while drawing and doing other things, and found it to a very enjoyable read. However, in the moments it was paused there wasn't exactly a gnawing to want to go back to it. A dying to absolutely h More...
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Feb 21, 2010
Katie M.
rated it:
Ugh.
This book was... well, I guess I'll just start with positives.
For starters, I loved all of the pop culture that was put into this book. There was mention of seventies, present, and so much about the nineties that I appreciated (I really think I should have been 16 in the nineties instead of now.. or the mid-late sixties.. but back to the topic!)I have a tendency to get really excited when things that I know or like are thrown into a book, and that's probably where most of the More...
This book was... well, I guess I'll just start with positives.
For starters, I loved all of the pop culture that was put into this book. There was mention of seventies, present, and so much about the nineties that I appreciated (I really think I should have been 16 in the nineties instead of now.. or the mid-late sixties.. but back to the topic!)I have a tendency to get really excited when things that I know or like are thrown into a book, and that's probably where most of the More...
May 22, 2010
Falling Off The Shelf
rated it:
This review was originally posted on my review blog : http://fallingoffthehself.blogspot.com
Henry "Hen" Birnbaum has been going through a lot this year, and it hasn't all affected him for the better. When his sister Sarah first ran away a year ago, it really tore him up. All he knew was that she did something she wasn't supposed to do, and was now a fugitive of the law. His own parents won't even give him the run-down on what his sister has done, although they know perfe More...
Henry "Hen" Birnbaum has been going through a lot this year, and it hasn't all affected him for the better. When his sister Sarah first ran away a year ago, it really tore him up. All he knew was that she did something she wasn't supposed to do, and was now a fugitive of the law. His own parents won't even give him the run-down on what his sister has done, although they know perfe More...
Aug 12, 2010
Brandi
rated it:
Everything changed after Hen’s sister Sarah disappeared a year ago. No one knows where or why she went, but there are speculations everywhere that she is in some kind of trouble. Since his sister vanished, Hen has fallen in love (he thinks), played the bass guitar in his girlfriend, Petra’s, band (subpar, at best), and managed ridiculously paranoid parents (he’s not going to run away, you know). Now everything is slowly crumbling to Hen’s feet. Petra dumped him and kicked him out of the band
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Oct 02, 2010
Liza
rated it:
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. Ehrenhaft created an interesting premise, but then followed it up with a very whiny protagonist. In fact, I enjoyed the side story of Hen's missing sister more than I did his own story.
The humor and New York City setting were fun and enjoyable, and the story is definitely edgier than the lame-o cover advertises. In fact, if I were Ehrenhaft, I'd be very ticked off about the cover.
I can see some teens enjoying this book More...
The humor and New York City setting were fun and enjoyable, and the story is definitely edgier than the lame-o cover advertises. In fact, if I were Ehrenhaft, I'd be very ticked off about the cover.
I can see some teens enjoying this book More...
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Oct 04, 2010
Lady
rated it:
I initially picked this up based on many reviews in the Blogosphere listing it as a great read, and was very pleasantly surprised to see that this novel about a teenage guy is actually written by a guy! It's not often that I come across contemporary teen fiction with a male author and it's a nice change to read. That said however, I was a little disappointed with the way Emma is portrayed in one scene (which I won't spoil), but I thought he painted her as far to traditionally 'girly', especially
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Jun 03, 2010
Nick
rated it:
I couldn't put this book down. I did find the payoff to be a little weak, in that the the reader is never given any fair clues to the "mystery" subplot, and the extra money at the end didn't quite make sense. [A house in the Dominican Republic selling for that much money???:] The main story was a lot of fun...even if the band Journey isn't as bad as the main character thinks, but I have to agree that it's a little weird to hear them with their new lead singer.
The title may have m More...
The title may have m More...
Jun 06, 2010
Kimberly
rated it:
This was a fun, quick read. Nothing ground-breaking, and the multitude of pop culture references will date it very quickly. The wrap-up of the missing sister at the end was really odd...I didn't really buy it. But the suspense kept me reading, and the dialogue was mostly very good.
HOWEVER, the protagonists hate Journey and refer to the band as only being liked by their middle-aged parents and others like them. Seriously? EVERYONE likes Journey! Am I wrong? Don't teenagers st More...
HOWEVER, the protagonists hate Journey and refer to the band as only being liked by their middle-aged parents and others like them. Seriously? EVERYONE likes Journey! Am I wrong? Don't teenagers st More...
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Jun 15, 2010
Lena ♫ ♪
rated it:
I just could not get into this book. I tried, I really did, but after 100 some-odd-pages, I just had to call a quits.
The protag, Hen, got on my nerves. I don't know why exactly. Maybe it was the excessive whining and rambling about his rock star dreams. Or the attempt at emotions which didn't register to me as realistic. Or maybe it was the(random statements) (placed in parentheses) (which can be very distracting to the story/plot).
All and all, this just wasn't the More...
The protag, Hen, got on my nerves. I don't know why exactly. Maybe it was the excessive whining and rambling about his rock star dreams. Or the attempt at emotions which didn't register to me as realistic. Or maybe it was the(random statements) (placed in parentheses) (which can be very distracting to the story/plot).
All and all, this just wasn't the More...
Dec 03, 2010
Shannon
rated it:
I am not a huge fan of the teen angst book genre, which is how I would describe this book. I struggle to find a reason to care about characters who's lives seem so different than mine, unless they are altered (by magic or time or something) to a point where it becomes another world. I don't care much for current adult contemporary books either. Stories of dysfunctional families and more urban or trendy lifestyles are hard for me to get into.
I guess that is why this book was just an More...
I guess that is why this book was just an More...
Sep 16, 2010
Erica
rated it:
Liked it at first,
and then it just didn't
have a plot anymore.
The first half is great!
Fast-paced, cleverly written,
interesting characters...
but then, I don't know.
I stopped caring about any of
them after a while. None of the
characters or conversations were
realistic.
Hen is a big whiner and wants to be
a rock star...and that's what he talks
about for more than half the book.
The ending is cheesy More...
and then it just didn't
have a plot anymore.
The first half is great!
Fast-paced, cleverly written,
interesting characters...
but then, I don't know.
I stopped caring about any of
them after a while. None of the
characters or conversations were
realistic.
Hen is a big whiner and wants to be
a rock star...and that's what he talks
about for more than half the book.
The ending is cheesy More...
May 30, 2010
Claire
rated it:
Fun read.Lots of Drama. Hen(ry)narrates a year or so. His sister has mysteriously disappeared, reappeared - no explanation - and now disappeared again. He plays bass in a rock trio, taking lessons from a friend of his missing sister. He is hoping to get some kind of intelligence on where his sister might be and what she is doing. He has been going with Petra, but what is it with Emma? Will they get an agent for their band? Will he discover what is going on with his sister?
Mystery, romance, More...
Mystery, romance, More...
Oct 22, 2010
Krish
rated it:
Hen's sister, Sarah, has mysteriously disappeared with a pack of her friends, and no one will tell him why. The police are looking for her, because she's committed some crime. Hen misses Sarah because she was a buffer between him and his overprotective parents. He's a bass player in his ex-girlfriend's band, PETRA, his best friend is the girl next door, Emma, and his life is in shambles. This book crosses the genre lines and is part mystery, part romance and part coming of age story. Set in
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May 23, 2011
I'm tackling my books-that-are-smaller-than-the-first-Harry-Potter-book pile. I started with Lark and moved on to this one; this is another small one that packs a whollop of a good story into a fast read.
Henry may have become one of my favorite protagonists to read through the eyes of of. He manages to complain without being whiny, think deeply without trying to appear intentionally philosophical, and make sarcastic or ironic jokes without ever breaking character. He's got the head o More...
Henry may have become one of my favorite protagonists to read through the eyes of of. He manages to complain without being whiny, think deeply without trying to appear intentionally philosophical, and make sarcastic or ironic jokes without ever breaking character. He's got the head o More...
Aug 10, 2010
Jessica
rated it:
Let's start with the positives shall we? I always like to get off on a good foot. This book is pretty funny. Plain and simple there are parts in this book where I found myself laughing out loud, "Hen" or Henry, the main character, is witty and ridiculous at times. He tends to surround himself with other characters of the same magnitude, and watching them interact with one another can be pretty hilarious.
I also very much enjoyed the multiple pop culture references in the sto More...
I also very much enjoyed the multiple pop culture references in the sto More...
Feb 02, 2011
Jacquelyn
rated it:
A decent book. About a teenage boy, whose sister ran away over a year before the book begins. His parents know where she is and why she left, but no one will talk to him about it. Then the missing sister comes home, adding to the mystery.
Well written, the voice of the narrator is pretty true to life. A few quirks in the book led me to skim some parts (they were written in italics so I knew when they were coming).
Fortunately everything is explained and wrapped up nicely in the end.
Well written, the voice of the narrator is pretty true to life. A few quirks in the book led me to skim some parts (they were written in italics so I knew when they were coming).
Fortunately everything is explained and wrapped up nicely in the end.
Jan 13, 2011
Joanne
rated it:
The writing was different than I'm used to. Sometimes this bothered me, but for the most part it was nice to read something a little different. I wasn't able to guess what the big revelation at the end was going to be, but I wasn't very surprised to find out what it was. The rest of the story seemed fairly predictable. I'm glad I read this book because I usually read book that are from the female perspective and it's nice to read something from a male perspective sometimes.
Aug 15, 2010
Jennifer
rated it:
Cute read, I really liked Henry (aka Hen) and his dealing with a lot of blows during his life, missing sister, no band or girlfriend, and wack-a-doo parents. But, the ending and the much held back reasons for his sister's disappearance was pretty darn lackluster once we found out the reasoning and didn't seem a big deal to keep from Hen (and the reader) for 98% of the book. Plus, the coupling at the end, pretty much expected. How can you not when you have best buds of the opposite sex. Still a c
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May 06, 2011
Krista
rated it:
The writing was different than I'm used to. Sometimes this bothered me, but for the most part it was nice to read something a little different. I wasn't able to guess what the big revelation at the end was going to be, but I wasn't very surprised to find out what it was. The rest of the story seemed fairly predictable. I'm glad I read this book because I usually read book that are from the female perspective and it's nice to read something from a male perspective sometimes.
Jun 12, 2011
Virginia
rated it:
*sigh* Where did I get this recommendation? I knew within the first chapter that I wouldn't like this story. Instead, I slogged through because I knew it wouldn't take more than an hour or two to get through. The protagonist was annoying and Emma is the only person I liked. I guess there were some interesting plot points, but other than that, blech.
Mar 20, 2011
Karen
rated it:
Very clever book - a little mystery, a little romance, a little adventure. I loved all the 90's references - that was my favorite part of the book. Unfortunately, I think they would fly right over the heads of most of my students. I'm trying to read more books with male protagonists, and I'm going to check out more by this author.
Jul 11, 2010
Hat of Nikitich
rated it:
I couldn't invest myself in this. I took issue with how self-conscious and dry the narrative was. You could argue that's a stylistic choice, given the character and his point of view -- and you'd be right -- but I didn't feel like it was executed with any real charm or grace.
That said, it was fairly cute.
That said, it was fairly cute.
Jan 31, 2010
Lisa
rated it:
The title made me think this book would be about social networking, but unfortunately this was not so. It is more about a kid in a 90's nostalgia band and the reasons his sister has disappeared. Dissapointingly this mystery is wrapped up in the final chapter, but there were no substantial clues along the way.
Sep 15, 2010
Brandon
rated it:
Friend is Not a Verb is about a 16 year old boy named Hen who is having band drama, and girl drama while his sister has gone completely missing. This book was great at the beginning and was very interesting. As it got towards the middle I started losing interest, and it got very boring and stayed boring. Overall the book was okay. I recommend this book to people who like realistic stories, and drama stories. I wouldn't recommend this book to people who like exciting, and action packed stories.
Nov 01, 2010
Brenda
rated it:
A contemporary young adult novel. A good story, and from what I can remember pretty clean. Again, a pleasant surprise considering my hesitation with male authors. I thought the revelation of the reason for his sister's disappearance would be a little grander, but it was still pretty cool.
Aug 23, 2010
Bria
rated it:
This book has a very unfortunate cover - makes it seem like you're about to read a Sarah Dessen book. Instead this was an edgy, hip book about a high school boy in NYC that will appeal to teen boys, especially those interested in music (if you can get them to look past the cover.)
Nov 11, 2010
JulesQ
rated it:
This was pleasant enough. Nothing that I'm going start demanding everyone read right this second. Probably nothing I'll bother recommending to anyone. But if someone were to be all "Jules, I'm thinking about reading this book" I'd be like, "Cool, I read that. It's pretty good."
Mar 01, 2011
Erin
rated it:
Cute. Reminiscent of Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist, but not really as good as that. Still, a sweet little story with nice storytelling. If it were a movie, Michael Cera could rightly play the main character (whereas I believe he was mis-cast as Nick in that movie).
