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Notes from the Blender

by Trish Cook, Brendan Halpin (Goodreads Author)

3.53 of 5 stars 3.53 · rating details · 692 ratings · 147 reviews

Declan loves death metal--particularly from Finland. And video games--violent ones. And internet porn--any kind, really. He goes to school with Neilly Foster and spends most of his classroom time wondering what it might be like to know her, to talk to her, maybe even to graze against her sweater in the hallway. Neilly is an accomplished gymnast, naturally beautiful, and a...more

Hardcover, 240 pages

Published May 24th 2011 by EgmontUSA (first published July 23rd 2010)

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Jun 05, 2011 oliviasbooks rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, ya-contemporary, multiple-povs-letters, read-2011, swapped-or-given-away, male-point-of-view, love-story-romance

"Notes from the [Family] Blender" is a book which grew only slowly on me because of one of the two main characters (yes, this book has switching points of view by two different authors): During the first chapters the guy, Declan, presents himself to us as the kind of teenage boy I always thought I could live without knowing: The sort that is forever playing violent xBox-games, listening to music which revels in sheer brutality, watching non-stop internet porn and talking the rest of the time abo...more "Notes from the [Family] Blender" is a book which grew only slowly on me because of one of the two main characters (yes, this book has switching points of view by two different authors): During the first chapters the guy, Declan, presents himself to us as the kind of teenage boy I always thought I could live without knowing: The sort that is forever playing violent xBox-games, listening to music which revels in sheer brutality, watching non-stop internet porn and talking the rest of the time about their own penis and its voluntary and involuntary activities. Ughh. The reader gets the chance to peek beyond this partly constructed persona a little farther into the story, when Neilly, the girl-part of this strangers-become-siblings-in-a-patchwork-family-equation, detects the hidden sweet traits of her "new bro" on the spot, smiles cheekily and unoffendedly about his guess-how-many-goth-chicks-I-have-nailed-bragging, threw in some counter-remarks and unabrasedly went ahead to instruct him about how to get a girl without pointing out that she sees straight through his armour. I unexpectedly started to like Declan and cheer for him right along with Neilly. I began to understand the emotions he had piled up inside of his mind since his mother's car-crash-death which happened right in front of his eyes. And in the end I felt for him even in situations Neilly did not.
Neilly is a heroine I instantly liked. Same goes for her mother Carmen. The rest of the parental crowd (three more guys) and another new step-brother, the angelic Griffin, did not convince me so much. Also I think that the church aspect is a bit too preachy, a bit overdone. In case you wonder: No, this story does not point out the usual Christian doctrine. The church youth group both sets of parents urge their offspring to attend is one that worships Jesus, Buddha and Mother Earth in one person, has the congregation's motto "Love Makes A Family" inscripted above the entrance and offers commitment ceremonies to same-sex couples whom the state Neilly and Declan reside in refuses to unite in marriage. In addition the evils of drinking alcohol and taking drugs were shouted repeatedly at the reader along with the debatable message that it is super-easy and cool to stay away from illegal substances, because the interestingly wicked people abstain anyhow. All fine and alright with me, but I like it better when authors drive down the road determined to tell a great, believable story withought swaying into the sermon line and without stopping at picnic areas to to hand out flyers on "How to improve our intolerant and godless society".

Recommended to fans of multiple-point-of-view-contemporary YA who do not mind to be lectured a bit.(less)

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Mar 20, 2013 Cassie Gutman rated it 3 of 5 stars

Declan loves death metal–particularly from Finland. And video games–violent ones. And internet porn–any kind, really. He goes to school with Neilly Foster and spends most of his classroom time wondering what it might be like to know her, to talk to her, maybe even to graze against her sweater in the hallway. Neilly is an accomplished gymnast, naturally beautiful, and a constant presence at all the best parties (to which Declan is never invited). She’s the queen of cool, the princess of poker fac...more Declan loves death metal–particularly from Finland. And video games–violent ones. And internet porn–any kind, really. He goes to school with Neilly Foster and spends most of his classroom time wondering what it might be like to know her, to talk to her, maybe even to graze against her sweater in the hallway. Neilly is an accomplished gymnast, naturally beautiful, and a constant presence at all the best parties (to which Declan is never invited). She’s the queen of cool, the princess of poker face, and her rule is uncontested– or it was until today, when she’s dumped by her boyfriend, betrayed by her former BFF Lulu, and then informed she’s getting a new brother–of the freaky fellow classmate variety. Declan’s dad is marrying Neilly’s mom. Soon. Which means they’ll be moving in together.

I’ll start off by saying that I think the summary is a little misleading. The story does not revolve around Declan’s struggle with liking Neilly. It actually is a really interesting story, and it makes me sad that the summary seems to focus on only that.

The book follows their journey to becoming good friends and discovering a little bit more about themselves along the way. I liked Declan, but I thought it was weird how much he talked about sex. I mean, obviously guys do. But we could just assume that, and I was a little tired of reading it every chapter. By the same stroke, Neilly was a stereotypical girl, and I got annoyed at her constant “What should I do?” and “OMG I HATE HER.”

But aside from that, it was a pretty cute story. I really enjoyed the development between Neilly and her personal faith. She ended up attending this cute little unitarian church that Declan’s aunt (I think?) was either a member of or preached at. It was the best part of the book, as that was where the characters were truest to themselves and they actually learned things. I liked that.

Not a whole lot to say about the rest of it. Not a bad read if you’ve got nothing else to do. The title also earned an extra point by itself. I like the title. (less)

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Nov 25, 2012 Mrs. S rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

I picked this book up because in one way, it's pretty similar to my WiP (newly blended family with a girl and guy about the same age). However, it is about a million times more hilarious than I will ever be. I loved both metalhead/part-time Unitarian sexton Declan and "nerves of steely Neilly", but Declan was the one who made me laugh out loud. His voice is so goofy and gross and sincere all at the same time, which I think is how I remember my close guy friends from high school. Neilly also tota...more

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Feb 10, 2012 BAYA Librarian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Declan is your average teenage boy, into death metal, violent video games and internet porn. He lives with his father. Both father and son seem unable to get over the loss of Declan’s mother. So imagine Declan’s surprise when he finds out that his dad suddenly getting married to the mother of the hottest girl in his class!

Neilly is perfect, and popular. Her only bump in the road is that her boyfriend just broke up with her and her best friend appears to be involved. Oh yeah and her dad is about...more

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Jan 11, 2012 Justin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, young-adult, romance

I’m a bona fide genre enthusiast, so I’ve been trying to expand my reading out into general literary fiction, both in adult and YA titles. This one seemed like a safe bet: an odd-couple story, replete with quirkiness and devoid of any sci-fi gimmicks. I never really got enthusiastic about it, but it ended up being a decent, enjoyable read.

Declan is a fairly typical suburban teenage boy, but ever since the death of his mother, he has hidden behind a thorny exterior. Immersed in Finnish death meta...more I’m a bona fide genre enthusiast, so I’ve been trying to expand my reading out into general literary fiction, both in adult and YA titles. This one seemed like a safe bet: an odd-couple story, replete with quirkiness and devoid of any sci-fi gimmicks. I never really got enthusiastic about it, but it ended up being a decent, enjoyable read.

Declan is a fairly typical suburban teenage boy, but ever since the death of his mother, he has hidden behind a thorny exterior. Immersed in Finnish death metal, porn, and violent video games, he gleefully cultivates a loner persona, though he’s secretly as insecure and desperate for affection as any other teenage boy. He'd love to get the time of day from popular girls like Neilly Foster, who he’s pretty sure isn’t even aware of his existence. Neilly, meanwhile, has problems of her own. Her dad is getting remarried, and she just found out that her boyfriend cheated on her with her best friend. Worst of all, she recently walked in on her mom cavorting with a secret paramour. Who, by the way, happens to be Declan’s dad. When their twitterpated parents decide to drop another bomb on them- everyone’s going to move in together and be a nuclear family- Declan and Neilly decide that their lives might as well be over. However, as they prepare for their impending forced relocation, they discover that they might have more in common than meets the eye. All that remains is for Neilly to get over her preconceived notions of who Declan is, and for Declan to be able to consider sharing a roof with Neilly Foster without his thoughts immediately heading into the gutter.

I liked this book immediately. The authors handle the teen voice pretty well (at least as far as a rapidly aging person like myself can tell), and the two protagonists are charming and likeable. This book uses the familiar trope of alternating first-person perspectives each chapter, but the transitions are seamless. Declan and Neilly are strong and distinctive enough characters to ward off any confusion at the narrative jumps. Most importantly, there’s a humor and sweetness about this story that stays consistent from beginning to end.

There’s also a predictability to the proceedings, though, and that kept me from getting too excited about it. I also ran into a few minor annoyances as I read. The heavy emphasis on the characters being straight edge, or at least taking a dim view of drinking and drugs, felt a bit preachy to me. It fit well with the story, especially with Declan, where it is actually a pretty interesting bit of characterization. But it gets thrown into Neilly’s chapters, too, and no real effort is made in the plot to make it a shared outlook or experience between the two of them. That makes it an organic bit of character development, true, but it also has a whiff of “just say no” when presented this way in a teen novel. Speaking of Declan, even though I liked his chapters the best, the masturbation jokes got a little tired. Yes, teen boys are eternally horny, and yes, it doesn’t take much to rev up the ol’ internal sexual fantasy machine. Some of the humor derived from that angle flew into American Pie territory, though, which didn’t really do anything for me.

All in all, while I didn't think this one was much of a standout, it was competent and enjoyable. It works in the way you would expect it to, and provides interesting characters and a positive, funny story. It's a solid choice for those who like upbeat teen slices of life, or quirky romances.(less)

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Dec 31, 2011 Melanie Denzer rated it 3 of 5 stars

An enjoyable and quick read, this book did not live up to its potential. There were a lot of romantic comedy type cliches (made tolerable and even slightly humorous by the main characters acknowledging them) and the secondary characters were a bit too two-dimensional. I knew how the plot lines would end before they'd barely begun. There was far too much swearing and sexual language (courtesy of the male main character) for my tastes. I suppose it was on par with the actual thoughts of a teenage...more

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Dec 18, 2011 Suzanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

I can be such a sap. Really, I'm a bit of the same kind of sap Declan in this novel is. He appears to be all black-clad death metal hard edges and really he's kind of a softie who deeply mourns the mother killed when he was nine by a drunk driver and yearns for a girl who gets him. Okay, not so much with the girl and the FRANK depictions of teen male tumescence and porn fantasies, but I, too, like my alterna-rock (love the Replacements references here!) and sneer a bit at the glass half-empty wo...more I can be such a sap. Really, I'm a bit of the same kind of sap Declan in this novel is. He appears to be all black-clad death metal hard edges and really he's kind of a softie who deeply mourns the mother killed when he was nine by a drunk driver and yearns for a girl who gets him. Okay, not so much with the girl and the FRANK depictions of teen male tumescence and porn fantasies, but I, too, like my alterna-rock (love the Replacements references here!) and sneer a bit at the glass half-empty world around me. I'm not proud of the sneering, but at least I admit it. Does that count for something?

Anyway, enough about me. What is this: a diary? So, Declan, named for Elvis Costello--the real name, obviously--is horrified and powerfully aroused at the surprise development that his dad has not only been secretly dating but actually knocking up and proposing to the mom of his Victoria's Secret caliber fantasy girl, Neilly. How can he ever share a house with such an X-rated libido stimulant. Oh, wait, he will face the peril.

Actually, he finds that Neilly is a real person and a kind one going through more than the shock of a mom about to be a mom again with a total stranger to her, Declan's dad. She's also set to be the person of honor at her father's commitment ceremony with a guy. That she's over, but not so much thata her so-called boyfriend did a little dental work on her best friend Lulu while she was out of town. Now she is feeling angry and alone. The only she seems to be able to relate to is Declan. The only place she seems to want to be in the Unitarian youth group meetings run by Declan's aunt Sarah, coincidentally the same church where her dad's ceremony is set to take place.

Written by a male and female author in alternating chapters, the "blending" of the voices totally works. A great depiction of what it's like to be caught in the mash up of blending families and the spin cycle of teenaged life Wonderfully tolerant of love making families, all manner of families, the ultimate message is positive and life-affirming--that's where my secret sappiness comes in. The world may be vampire; life is a fatal disease, blah, blah, all true. But while the patient lives, survival hinges on the life support of connection and affection--for just as long as it can. This book gets that.

(less)

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Dec 12, 2011 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Unitarians, liberals

I absolutely loved this book. This may be because I recognized my own family and experiences with Unitarian Church in it, and there are so few books that so prominently feature this little known liberal religion. Anyone with a very liberal upbringing will enjoy little details such as the father's misguided attempt to frankly discuss sex with his son ("Do you want to know anything else? Like how it feels? I had the same terrified reaction as the protagonist when my own mother tried that line on m...more I absolutely loved this book. This may be because I recognized my own family and experiences with Unitarian Church in it, and there are so few books that so prominently feature this little known liberal religion. Anyone with a very liberal upbringing will enjoy little details such as the father's misguided attempt to frankly discuss sex with his son ("Do you want to know anything else? Like how it feels? I had the same terrified reaction as the protagonist when my own mother tried that line on me at 13). The only other books I've ever read that feature the Unitarian youth experience are the Alice books by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. But in this case, the church featured much more prominently as a center of healing for two teens undergoing complicated upheavals within their newly blended families. The two future step-siblings unexpectedly find themselves seeking comfort within the same church, after finding out that their parents are remarrying one another. Declan is a lover of heavy-metal and violent video games, with an overactive adolescent sex drive, whose father has sent him off to spend weekends with his aunt and her partner at their church. He works as the sexton (because he's "bringing a ton of sex"). Neilly had rejected religion after her father left her mother for a man, because she refused to believe in a God that wouldn't love and accept her father. When she wanders into the Unitarian Church, she is perplexed by the combination of a painting of Jesus, the Buddha, and a gay pride flag (giving creedence to the old joke that UU is the "salad bar of religions"). At any rate, the youth group acts as a place of healing for both teens (as well as the center of their romantic lives- but in typical Unitarian fashion, Declan's aunt's partner Sarah notes that "spirituality and sexuality can coexist. It's kind of silly to pretend that our spiritual selves don't live in bodies with hungers and urges." To which Declan politely requests that his aunt not use the word "urges" around him ever again.") (less)

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Oct 20, 2011 Karin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: funny, quirky, realistic, awkward-boys, heavy-metal, parents, relationship-problems, relationships, stepfamilies, siblings, high-school, hormones, young-adult-fiction, favorites, borrowed-from-the-library

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Jul 13, 2011 Jeanne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Declan and Neilly are at opposite ends of the social spectrum at their school and they're about to be step-siblings. It comes as a huge suprise to each of them. Dec's mom died when he was nine. He didn't know his Dad, Thomas was seeing anyone, let along getting that someone pregnant and planning on getting married. Neilly finds out about Thomas when she goes home early from school one day and finds her mom and Thomas making lunch, clothes only in towels. Dec lets it slip about the half-brother o...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Jeretta Hall rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

It's actually not a bad book. The story and the characters are interesting. And and I will say that Brendan Halpin is quiet hilarious in his writing skills! One of the main characters (Declan - which I LOVE THAT NAME)is a quiet boy who likes metal, veganism and appears to be scary, but is really a big softie underneath. He has his fair share of problems and by the end, he doesn't resolve them, but he does at least find ways to better cope with them. The other main character Neilly, attempts to b...more

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Mar 30, 2011 Cynthia (A Blog about Nothing) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review posted on: http://mundiemoms.blogspot.com/

Once again I found myself thinking while reading this novel how I wished I had read these type of books when I was in high school. I think that teens today can really relate to the two main characters in this one, I would've loved to have read and connect with both Declan and Neilly when I was sixteen. They are both characters filled with a turmoil of emotions and very confused which is how I felt many times when I was younger, and these two autho...more Review posted on: http://mundiemoms.blogspot.com/

Once again I found myself thinking while reading this novel how I wished I had read these type of books when I was in high school. I think that teens today can really relate to the two main characters in this one, I would've loved to have read and connect with both Declan and Neilly when I was sixteen. They are both characters filled with a turmoil of emotions and very confused which is how I felt many times when I was younger, and these two authors have done a great job in adding the humor that makes Notes from the Blender a lighthearted fun read.

I've been enjoying reading books written by a collaboration of a male and female author, it’s actually a lot of fun seeing the different voices in these characters and really being able to tell the difference between the two. Declan was very much like a teen guy, realistic, very awkward and hormonal, Neilly was the beautiful popular girl that falls in love for the wrong reasons with the wrong person and is a bit shallow, they are both complete opposites but they come together in this novel and end up helping each other grow and change throuought the story. While reading Notes from the Blender I found that I was liking Declan a lot more, he seemed more my type of character, very confused and definitely clueless about girls, it was extremely funny to read the situations he got himself into. Neilly seemed to me to be a little self-centered at the beginning and she did take a bit longer to grow on me, but by the end I understood that I would’ve probably felt like the world was against me back when I was a teenager after finding out all the unexpected surprises she gets at the begining of the novel, it would have been extremely overwhelming. I ended up loving both!

I really loved that we get to see a few good parents in this one, which we hardly ever see in YA fiction. The parents, even though not always understanding, they are supportive and involved in the lives of these teeganers, they were also pretty funny and brought a few smiles to my face while reading this novel. Notes from the Blender is a well written contemporary story with flawed, angry and confused characters that touches on heavy topics like divorce, grief, heartbreak, first love and the difficulty about dealing with bullies and teasing about homosexuality. It’s all mixed into the lives of these two characters but in a way that is not intense or uncomfortable, we see them grow and become a family together and find a great underlying message in a story that will appeal to both male and female teen readers. (less)

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Aug 31, 2010 Claire rated it 4 of 5 stars

Declan's mom died in a car crash when he was nine. He blames himself and is Angry because of her death. He copes with Death Metal, violent video games and online porn. He is pale, skinny and wears band t-shirts. Neilly is pretty and popular. Told in alternating first person we know in excruciating detail exactly how much Declan crushes on Neilly.

Each weekend Declan stays with his Aunt Sarah, a Unitarian Minister and her partner. This adds a feminine element to his life and a bit of cash because...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Azuree rated it 4 of 5 stars

Declan, a sophomore, and Neilly, a juinor, are blindsided when they find out his Dad and her mom have been secretly dating and are not expecting a child. As if that wasn't enough, Declan, who's been on a death-metal-my-soul-is-black binge since his mom died, has to deal with the fact that not only is his new step-sister the girl he's been lusting after, but that he's also going to have to move out the only house he's ever know, the one with all of his mom's memories. Neilly is also dealing with...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Elle (Ligia) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic, favorites, humor, kindle-ebook, must-read, oh-my-heart, read-in-2012, reviewed, stand-alone

Eeek!

I just finished reading Notes from the Blender and I’m grinning so hard my cheeks hurt and I’m actually tearing up too. Damn, it was good.

Notes from the Blender we follow Declan and Neilly.

Declan is a teenage boy obsessed with metal music, he wears black all the time, he plays way too many video games and is a little bit of a pervert. In a completely hilarious way. He doesn’t have many friends, and that probably has more to do with his choices than with him being socially awkward, because I...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Jomayra Berrios rated it 4 of 5 stars

A fun, quick read! I mean, I read it in a few hours (while I was supposed to be studying, mind you) and I really liked it.

It was very funny, and I found myself loving every single character (even the ones I think I was supposed to hate), but I just found a way to relate to every single one of them and like them for who they were.

I do have to agree with almost everyone in the reviews, the main male character- Declan- is a very *clears throat* horny, teenager. But, I have to say I actually loved...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

Notes from the Blender is one of the books my dear, lovely friend Jordan brought back from ALA for me. When I read the blurb on the back, I was hugely skeptical about how this was going to go. It sounded like a manga plot, because they love the step-sibling thing (and the sibling thing, which we do now too apparently, as there's a new YA book about that which I both do and really do not want to try) and I just didn't know if it was going to be my jam, as they say.

Actually, I really liked it! Don...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Mery St. Clair rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: sin-terminar

He de decir, primero que nada, que el libro no me gustó. L
La novela cambia constantemente de narración, pasando entre Declan y Neilly.
Desde el primer capítulo, las autoras nos narran un poco de la vida de ambos. Declan, perdió a su madre desde pequeño, y ha estado viviendo con su padre y él solos. Declan escucha música fuerte, con letras de asesinos y violaciones, etc. Le gusta la pornografía, pasar horas con sus videos juegos, pero sin embargo, los fines de semana debe ayudar a su Tía en la igl...more He de decir, primero que nada, que el libro no me gustó. L
La novela cambia constantemente de narración, pasando entre Declan y Neilly.
Desde el primer capítulo, las autoras nos narran un poco de la vida de ambos. Declan, perdió a su madre desde pequeño, y ha estado viviendo con su padre y él solos. Declan escucha música fuerte, con letras de asesinos y violaciones, etc. Le gusta la pornografía, pasar horas con sus videos juegos, pero sin embargo, los fines de semana debe ayudar a su Tía en la iglesia. ¿Gran contradicción, verdad? Su padre estaba preocupado por toda la violencia que Declan tiene en su vida, así que lo obligó a pasar sus fines de semana así.
Luego tenemos a Neilly. La vida de ella tampoco es perfecta. Su padres se divorciaron hace tiempo, ¿La razón? Su padre es gay, ¡Sí! ¡Gay! Y lo peor fue enterarse que el mejor amigo de su papá, al cual ella llamaba tío, era su pareja. Cuando la escuela se enteró, ella fingió no importarle los chismes, las bromas y palabras a sus espaldas, se endureció. Después de un tiempo, la paz llegaba a su vida, tenía una buena amiga, un novio popular y que la quería, su papá se casaría pronto, y la relación con su mamá era cercana, hasta que un día… ¡Todo se va por la borda! Su novio termina con ella, en el baño la más chismosa de la escuela le dice que su mejor amiga se besó con su novio el fin de semana que ella viajo con su papá, ¡Delante de todos! Y para colmo, al llegar a su casa (Más temprano de lo normal) descubre a un hombre calvo, medio desnudo, en su casa, ¡Su mamá no estaba trabajando horas extras, como decía! El por día de su vida, más la noticia de que ellos se casarían, ya que su mamá estaba embarazada.
¿Se preguntaran porque no me gustó?
Porque los personajes no estaban definidos, es decir, Declan llora en varios capítulos, se unen encaprichados contra sus padres, Neilly es dulce y después una perra, creyendo que todo el mundo está en su contra y despreciando a la gente.
Hubo escenas divertidas, que me hicieron reír, pero que me parecieron irónicas en mal aspecto. Es decir, ¿Tu papá te dice que se casara porque embarazo a una mujer y te ríes? Me pareció una acción sobreactuada.
Además, la iglesia me pareció mal puesta en la historia, las autoras querían que tuviera un papel importante en las vidas de los protagonistas, pero consideré que exageraron con eso. Es decir, el chico va a la iglesia, no deja de tener erecciones al pensar en vivir con Neilly, y escucha música violenta, ¡Poco creíble! Y el romance no me fue creíble.
Otra cosa que no me gustó, fue sin duda la narración, bastante plana a mi gusto.
Pero bueno, quizás a alguien más le encanté el libro, pero a mí no.(less)

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Nov 05, 2012 Quinky rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

This book didn’t go as I thought it would be. It’s a good thing too. If it did, it wouldn’t be as special. Hence it is way better than my expectation.

One of the reason I love reading young adult books is that, sometimes underneath all the innocence lays a very heavy truth/messages. This book is somewhat like that though not as serious. There’s definitely heavy stuff going on but it’s over laced by humor that if you don’t look carefully you’ll miss it. Amongst it are topics like letting go, accep...more

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Aug 20, 2011 Jodi Papazian rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-reads

Oh boy. I really disliked this book. I thought that Notes From the Blender was going to be a quirky, entertaining and modern twist on a blended family story. From the blurb in the jacket, I thought that Declan was going to have some massive crush on Neilly only to find out that she didn't even know he existed. Not quite. Apparently, Neilly is merely the star in his teen-fueled fantasies.
I found the attempt at humor to be crude and a bit disturbing. The characters were boring and I couldn't rea...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Cheyenne Current rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-of-friends, family-related, unexpected-romance, no-relationship-development

First, I must say that I absolutly love the character Declan. I thought he was the most believable character out of this entire story. He was metal, sensitvive and every other things that regular teenage boys are. Declan is probably going to be the most realistic male-teenage character you will ever read about in any book, he was that good. This story was interesting and I liked the alternate POVs but sometimes, I really just wanted to read about what Declan wanted to say. Sorry, but this guy is...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Lesley rated it 3 of 5 stars

It's a tribute to the appealing tone and voice of this book that I kept reading it even after I realized it would be hard to identify an audience to recommend it to. Both narrators are believable and sympathetic, but will typical boy readers want to read a book with cute pink ballet flats on the cover? And will typical girl readers want to read a book that opens with the male narrator's father finding his porn stash and frequent references to masturbation? On the one hand, the main message of th...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Cecelia rated it 4 of 5 stars

I seem to be on a contemporary YA kick. Maybe because it’s summertime. Or maybe I’ve gotten sick of fantasy (not likely)? Whatever the case, I’ve been lucky and enjoyed some top-notch reading in the genre this year, including Sean Griswold’s Head, Epic Fail, and today’s pick, Notes from the Blender.

Two things drew me to this book: the contrast presented on in the cover art, and the summary. Okay, so mostly it was the summary. But a cute cover that ‘matches’ the tone of the book never hurts, eith...more I seem to be on a contemporary YA kick. Maybe because it’s summertime. Or maybe I’ve gotten sick of fantasy (not likely)? Whatever the case, I’ve been lucky and enjoyed some top-notch reading in the genre this year, including Sean Griswold’s Head, Epic Fail, and today’s pick, Notes from the Blender.

Two things drew me to this book: the contrast presented on in the cover art, and the summary. Okay, so mostly it was the summary. But a cute cover that ‘matches’ the tone of the book never hurts, either, and this one certainly captures the quirky/fun/hilarious vibe of the novel. Beside both of those things, Princess Bookie’s review caught my eye last week. Sometimes that is all it takes.

Notes from the Blender is a funny, crazy, angsty, REAL book. It’s the kind of thing I read now as an adult and appreciate, but wish with all my heart I’d picked up in high school, when I was so busy judging everyone and everything. It’s heartfelt and sweet, and it made me laugh out loud multiple times. It’s the kind of book that I’d read aloud to my roommate in bits just so I could see her eyebrows fly up. It’s special.

The book is narrated in two voices – Neilly and Declan take turns telling their story. Both of these kids are going through rough spots, and they’re dealing with adjustment to a blended family at the same time. Just like real life, there are poor decisions, combustible situations, and a lot of odd and hilarious moments.

There are several strong side characters in addition to Declan and Neilly, and one that I identified with was Declan’s Aunt Sarah, who is a Unitarian minister. Her part in the plot is small, but she’s still a fun, loving woman dedicated to helping others heal. She’s the sort of character you want to meet in real life. Not perfect, but kind and dedicated (the person you'd be if you put more effort into it, maybe). Notes made me reflect on multiple paths of personal development when it wasn’t making me snort with laughter. And that combo is a very good thing.

Recommended for: older teens, guys AND girls, readers who have experienced blended families (and who hasn’t these days?), those looking for a strong dose of humor in their contemporary YA lit, and anyone who has caught themselves wondering what an authentic male teen voice sounds like (horny and all).(less)

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Apr 29, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-fiction

Notes from the Blender is written in such a way that the main characters, Declan and Neilly, seem to be speaking directly to you. The conversational tone gives the feeling that they're sharing their most honest feelings with the reader. It's very easy to get sucked into Notes from the Blender. The alternating points of view, from Declan to Neilly, chapter by chapter, do well to show each side of simultaneous events. The book is almost painfully honest in some parts, to the point that some reader...more

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Jul 05, 2011 Tracie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-lit, high-school

Two teenagers try to deal when their respective parents marry. Dec's mother was killed in a car accident when he was nine. He's never gotten over his anger about this which he channels into internet porn, heavy metal and violent video games. He sure as heck isn't pleased when his Dad tells him he's remarrying and his fiance is pregnant. The only plus side is that his new stepsister is smokin' hot and they seem to be bonding through their anguish. For her part, Neilly, isn't too thrilled about t...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: humor, read_2011, ya

Declan and Neilly may go to the same school, but they might as well be worlds apart for all the attention Neilly has ever paid Declan, though Declan has certainly noticed her. Neilly is pretty and popular, while Declan loves death metal and video games. Then one day both their worlds are turned upside down, when Neilly finds her Mom with Declan’s Dad. Suddenly they’re about to become family . . .

Told in alternating chapters from both perspectives, this is a smart, hilarious, and realistic portra...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Hayley rated it 4 of 5 stars

A cute tale of the unique form families take in the 21st century, this story fights the image of the cookie-cutter American dream. Sixteen-year-old Declan lives with his widower father, blaming himself for the untimely death of his mother and immersing himself in the world of death metal. Sixteen-year-old Neilly lives with her divoriced mother, and worries about who to take to her father's commitment ceremony now that her boyfriend has dumped her for her best friend. These two very different tee...more

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Aug 31, 2011 Lady Lioness rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: tbr-journal, genre-young-adult, read-august-2011

This book gets four stars because it's perfect. I know that sounds counter-intutive, but it was really too perfect. I felt like it was the basis for a teen comedy starring Emma Stone. I mean, I'd pay $9 to see it, but it was a glossy version of normal.

There's a lot of emotion thrown around. Dec is angry at his mother's death. Neilly is overwhelmed by all the changes in her life. Dec is horny and Neilly has a crush. Things could go horribly awry, but how do these teenagers deal with this intense...more

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Jul 11, 2011 kb rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4ever-young-adult

Ever since Wendelin Van Draanen's Flipped happened in my life, I've been on the search for the most engaging YA novels told in alternating points of view. That has led me to Rachel Cohn and David Levithan and Susan Colasanti, whose works I adore, and most recently, to this book. Sadly, its eye-catching cover wasn't an assurance to a magnetic story. Not that I'm saying it wasn't fun (your biggest crush "becomes" your sister, ain't that fun!) and touching because it was; I just didn't fall in love...more

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Sep 27, 2010 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: boys, girl-books, funny, high-school, ya, arc

Declan and Neilly live in two very different worlds. Declan is a loner who loves him some Finnish death metal, violent video games, porn and the untouchable Neilly Foster. Neilly is the beautiful popular girl who in one day loses her boyfriend, best friend, and finds out her mom is getting married, to Declan's Dad. This is the hilarious story of what it means to be a family, what it means to be a friend, and how through all the chaos its possible to find the ones who truly care for you.

I liked...more

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“I think honesty is important like you said. But what I actually think is that the key to a good relationship is forgiveness, because without it we're all completely screwed. [...] Because we're all human, and we all make mistakes. Without forgiveness, we'd all be walking this Earth angry and alone, and I think that would really suck.” — 2 people liked it

“She had a foul mouth. I didn’t think I could be more smitten.” — 2 people liked it

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