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The Big Crunch

3.56 of 5 stars 3.56 · rating details · 958 ratings · 211 reviews

A funny, clear-eyed view of the realities of teenage love from National Book Award winner Pete Hautman.

June and Wes do not "meet cute." They do not fall in love at first sight. They do not swoon with scorching desire. They do not believe that they are instant soul mates destined to be together forever.

This is not that kind of love story.

Instead, they just hang around in

...more

Hardcover, 288 pages

Published April 1st 2011 by Scholastic Press

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May 05, 2012 Sara rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction

The jacket of this book describes it as “a love story for people not particularly biased towards romance.” The novel follows two teenagers — June, the daughter of a consultant who is always on the move, and has learned to keep herself disconnected in each new place; and Wes, a “semi-cool semi-geek” who lives in the little Minnesota town to which June’s family has recently relocated. On the first few days of school, June goes through the usual motions of trying to find a couple of decent girls an...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: family-story, romance, school-story, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. June rarely stays at one school for more than six months, as her father's job (downsizing and streamlining failing companies) moves them often. She's learned not to hold on to anything, including friends, and especially boyfriends. Wes has lived in Minneapolis his whole life, and has just broken up with his long-term girlfriend because she was too omnipresent. Neither are looking for serious romance, and when they find themselves irresistibly drawn together, it takes them completely by surprise....more

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Feb 23, 2012 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen

Pete Hautman is a Lake Wobegon Minnesotan like me and he's a funny thoughtful guy as a public speaker so when I saw that this book was up for an award today I grabbed it and finished it in a day. The book is billed as being an atypical romance novel. Wes and June are juniors in high school. Wes has just ended a serious relationship with his girlfriend Izzy and he's disjointed. June has a nomadic lifestyle because of her dad's job so she's used to changing schools frequently and deals by being de...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Wandering Librarians rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: boy-appeal, family, fiction, friendship, realistic-fiction, romance, ya

June and Wes do not fall in love at first sight. They do not think it's destiny they met. They hardly even noticed each other at first, and then Jen starts dating one of Wes' friends. June and Wes do finally find each other, but it's right before June learns that she's moving. Again. And that's a problem, because June has been taught to sever all connections every time she moves.

This was a thoughtful book and one I enjoyed reading. I certainly appreciated there was no eye contact from across and...more June and Wes do not fall in love at first sight. They do not think it's destiny they met. They hardly even noticed each other at first, and then Jen starts dating one of Wes' friends. June and Wes do finally find each other, but it's right before June learns that she's moving. Again. And that's a problem, because June has been taught to sever all connections every time she moves.

This was a thoughtful book and one I enjoyed reading. I certainly appreciated there was no eye contact from across and room and then they knew they were destined to be 2gether 4eva 4L. June and Wes came together slowly. They became aware of each other. They become interested in what the other person is doing. They talk, a little. But then June starts dating Jerry, Wes' friend. And Wes realizes he feels kind of funny about that.

The book is divided into four section: Fall, winter, spring and summer. The emotion that each sesction expresses is pretty well illustrated on the cover of the book. This is one of the few times that I feel like the cover of the book was actually made for this particular story, rather than just picking a stock image that sort of fits. In the fall, June thinks Wes is weird and Wes thinks June looks like a fish. In winter, for a brief moment, they get to be together. Then June leaves, and it's spring. Finally it's summer, and they see each other again.

June was a fascinating character. Because of her father's job, her family moves constantly. She often doesn't even finish a school year in one place. She's become an expert at making friends and finding a group. Getting herself a boyfriend and then completely disengaging when it's time to move again. June is not looking for anything or anyone that requires an emotional attachment because she knows she'll be leaving soon. She started dating Jerry because he was nice enough and acceptable as a boyfriend. That was pretty much all she felt for him though. It was actually kind of disturbing the way her parents didn't allow her to contact any of the people she'd met in the many places they'd lived. "The past is the past," they said, and it was best not to make any attachments. June has to delete all the numbers from her phone and everything. Her parents think they are sparing their child, when they are actually royally screwing her up.

When June and Wes finally collide (literally, they smack heads in a convenience store), they only get to be together for a matter of weeks, and really, they have one date. Then June finds out she's moving again, and tries to distant herself from Wes. For the first time, it's really difficult. She's created an attachment and there's nothing she can do about it.

What follows is an incredibly realistic portrayal of a long-distance high school relationship. They miss each other. June finds she just can't break it off and move on. She gets permission to talk to Wes on the phone. And they do, but time goes on. They think about each other less, even while they talk every day. They aren't perfect. They annoy each other sometimes. Sometimes they don't really feel like talking to each other. It wasn't fantasized at all. June probably would have eventually moved on if she went on not seeing Wes, even though she missed him, but then Wes decides to be crazy and romantic and drives hundreds of miles to see her, which ends with him getting arrested for car theft (it was all a misunderstanding) and both June and Wes get into trouble.

Over the summer, June gets a job that's close to Wes that allows them to see each other every day. The book ends with June and Wes having a very philosophical discussion about what comes next. They don't know what's going to happen. They don't swear to each other that they'll always love each other or that they'll always be together, because they both know that they might not. It's left very open. You can believe that they continue their relationship and end up together, or you can believe that they grow up and grow apart. It doesn't say, and that was really nice. You're left with a feeling that they'll both be OK though, in the long run, and that was very satisfying. (less)

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Nov 13, 2011 Peyton rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: coming-of-age, romance, young-adult

What makes The Big Crunch stand out is its examination of the non-romantic details of an everyday relationship; this is a romance that everyone can relate to. Wes and June are (mostly) believable, but the real star of the book is their familiar journey.

There are a couple of issues, though. For one, Hautman's version of teenage love is completely physical. He never shows us why these two lovebirds love each other. Wes loves to kiss June, but we never see why he loves to kiss June. We are supposed...more

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Sep 01, 2011 Sarah BT rated it 4 of 5 stars

About the Book: When June and Wes first meet, Wes thinks June looks like a fish girl. June thinks Wes is weird. June starts to date Wes's friend Jerry, but she's not really interested in him. June and Wes start to spend time together and they realize that a romance might be developing. But then June's Dad gets another new job and they have to move. Will June and Wes stay together and can first love really last?

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Thank you Pete Hautman for writing a fantastic look at contem...more About the Book: When June and Wes first meet, Wes thinks June looks like a fish girl. June thinks Wes is weird. June starts to date Wes's friend Jerry, but she's not really interested in him. June and Wes start to spend time together and they realize that a romance might be developing. But then June's Dad gets another new job and they have to move. Will June and Wes stay together and can first love really last?

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Thank you Pete Hautman for writing a fantastic look at contemporary romance and first love! No vampires, no love triangles, no major family drama or issue driven plots. This is just a contemporary love story about meeting someone, falling in love, falling out of love, and wondering where it all leads.

Pete Hautman evokes the feelings of first love so perfectly. How at first June and Wes aren't sure about each other, then they want to spend time together, then they can't live with out each other. The ups and downs of teen relationships are played out throughout the course of the year that the book takes place. It's not a fairy tale and it's not a perfect romance, but it's realistic.

I've seen it compared to When Harry Met Sally and in some ways I can see that. The book advertises itself as a book that's not a romance yet is romantic and I think that describes it perfectly. This isn't a love at first sight with lots of swooning and sweeping romance. Instead this is a romantic story about two teens who eventually collide into each other's lives and figuring out what exactly they mean to each and how to make their relationship work.

I would have liked a few more things fleshed out a bit more, like Wes and June's relationship first taking off which seemed a bit sudden to me. And after they're together awhile, they're debating on if and when they should have sex, but that seemed a little out of place because it's mentioned here and there and then forgotten. But maybe that adds a more realistic feel to it because they don't have everything figured out and they are navigating things together. It's not tied up in a pretty bow either, which I really enjoyed.

Overall it's a great read and great for anyone looking for a break from the paranormal romances and instead looking for a good romantic story.

Book Pairings: The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott, An Abundance of Katherines by John Green, Forever by Judy Blume
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Jul 03, 2011 Marina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary, realistic-fiction, romance, pov-times-two-or-more

The Scoop:

Wes and June don't have a fun "how we met" story. They kinda, sorta, literally bumped into each other after floating in and out of each others orbits at school.

Wes had broken up with his girlfriend and the beginning of the school year and June had just moved to Minnesota--her sixth move in four years due to her father's job as a workout specialist (not as in gym club but as in turning failing companies around). Wes was flailing through life, not really sure what was going on with hims...more The Scoop:

Wes and June don't have a fun "how we met" story. They kinda, sorta, literally bumped into each other after floating in and out of each others orbits at school.

Wes had broken up with his girlfriend and the beginning of the school year and June had just moved to Minnesota--her sixth move in four years due to her father's job as a workout specialist (not as in gym club but as in turning failing companies around). Wes was flailing through life, not really sure what was going on with himself and June was, well, essentially consolation-dating his best friend, Jerry. After so many moves she had her friend-making plans down pat--"find a group of girls she could hang with, and a guy." If she hung out with the book club she'd end up with a "moody Chuck Palahniuk/Kurt Vonnegue/Life-Sucks-and-Then-You-Die" brooder. If she joined the high-fashion crowd it would be "a guy witha thumb ring, always playing with his hair and agonizing over the length of his jeans." And, if she tried out for cheerleading she'd end up with some jock. (pg. 7) In the end, June befriends a trio of girls self-named "The Three Bitches" (like Musketeers) who have the self-appointed job of having fun. Things roll along smoothly between Wes and June and their respective friends and social circles until the night the literally knock each other senseless in a grocery store. June, for all her moving and leaving things behind, suddenly wants to belong and create more permanent relationships. Wes, after being unfocused in school and in life suddenly finds his life and wildly fluctuating emotions revolving around June and what she is doing--these wild emotions end up hurting and costing him his best friend. This story isn't about a passionate romance with adventure and jealousies. This is the subtle story of two people who didn't think they needed each other finding out what it means to be in love.

My Thoughts:

The story of Wes and June was a layered and quiet story of two young people finding their place in life and what they want out of it. Both of them were good, solid characters. I liked how June had names for the different voices she heard in her head--Sarcastic Jane, Pragmatic Jane, Scornful Jane, etc. It was easy for me to connect with June when I was able to hear all of her different voices so you could really know what was going on with her--moving so often and following the beliefs of her father ("There is no reverse in Time Machine") has to be hard on a teenager but her parents not allowing her to keep any connection to friends she made was really kinda mean. Wes was a little more enigmatic--he fluctuates between being focused on life and school and then he changes direction and becomes obsessed with cleaning out the family's garage. He seems like he is floating through life and, even before the break-up with his first girlfriend, had a hard time making an emotional connection with the people (outside of his family) in his circle.

Let me first get this out of the way because it bugged for the first few chapters of the book--the jacket flap talked about the main girl character as "Jen" so when I started reading the book and it was actually "June" it jogged me off course a bit. After a while she made jokes about her name and I got over it and started to really enjoy the journey that she and Wes took to find each other and stay together. It was a nice quiet, romantic story and after all the fantasy, high adventure books I had been reading lately it was a good change. There really wasn't a plot to follow except for how knowing each other changed the course of June and Wes's lives and how they chose to go forward to the future. No more "There is no reverse in Time Machine" for June who wants to forge a connection with people instead of starting with a sad, blank slate every few months. No more unfocused life meandering for Wes--he starts to show some ambition when he has a goal in mind that revolves around June and their future. In the end it was a good, solid read about a growing relationship but the lack of tension or any significant build-up to major events became a little bit of a downside for me. I'm all for quiet and sweet and happy but there's also something to be said for overcoming some major adversity to really prove your love and devotion. Although, I will give Wes props for "borrowing" his friend's car, driving four hours to where June was and ultimately getting arrested just to see her.(less)

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Jun 04, 2011 Suzanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: peach-consideration

Is it possible to write a YA novel that centers around teen romance that a guy might actually read? Maybe, and if so, this could be that book. A down to earth approach to the way that love can sneak up on us, perhaps stronger for starting with friendship and acquaintanceship rather than flirtation and well, lust.

It helps that Wes and June are both third-person narrators: dual perspectives on their seasons of change. It also helps June that she has learned to make friends fast because her dad's c...more

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Apr 01, 2011 Cindy Hudson rated it 4 of 5 stars

June’s dad fixes things for companies in trouble, but once he’s done, he moves on to the next job. That’s why June has spent so much of her life moving from place to place and learning not to let friends get too close. Her dad’s mantra is to never look back, but she can’t help wishing for a place to settle down and stay for a while.

Minnesota would never be her first pick for that place, until she meets Wes. Wes has recently broken up with his girlfriend, and he doesn’t really want to get involv...more

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Mar 28, 2011 Lesley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

Man, can Pete Hautman write accurately about what it's like to be a teen! The one drawback to this book, and the reason I didn't give it 5 stars, is that it's so realistic that it may not stand out in a world where everything is turned up to 11. I hesitate to call this book a "romance" because it implies sweeping emotions and insurmountable obstacles and dramatic climaxes. But the emotions in the book are quite sweeping--they sweep up Wes and June in ways that confuse and frighten them. And ther...more

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Mar 23, 2011 Ashley - Book Labyrinth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fave-covers

Overall this book was cute. I think it had potential to be more, but it somehow failed to reach that level. June and Wes are just normal teens who meet through school, form a connection, and fall in love. That's probably the best part of this book -- that it's not the typical 'eyes meet across the room, I'm instantly in love with you' type of relationship that seems to prevalent in YA lately. However, it doesn't mean that it's not typical in other ways. There wasn't anything particularly unique...more

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Mar 05, 2011 Nicole rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: authentic and typical

Shelves: ya

Sidenote: The front flap copy refers to the main female character as Jen. Repeatedly. Her name is June. Not once is she called Jen. Oops.

This is sort of like that movie 500 Days of Summer. There seems to be a whole lotta "unconventional" love stories coming through the pipeline these days. But, although this one is tagged as one of those "This is not a love story" love stories...it is. Just because it's not love at first sight doesn't mean it's not conventional.

I sound antagonistic, but I'm real...more

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Mar 03, 2011 Jennifer Rayment rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Good Stuff

* Lovely realistic tale of first love
* very honest simple and so real, author knows and understands the up and down emotions of teens. Really brought me to my teen years & made me feel almost nostalgic
* poignant and beautifully written
* Teens trying to find their place in life, bumping around aimless at times and making stupid decisions -- yup pretty damn realistic from my memories
* Delightful quirky humour
* Although there was very little excitement, I just couldn't put t...more

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Feb 05, 2011 cecilia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: blue-covers, green-covers, red-covers, yellow-covers

How to describe The Big Crunch? Well, I'd liken it to a rather nice stroll through the park - nothing extraordinary or supernatural, but sometimes normal and sweet is a welcome change from all the vampires and zombies and smoldering eyes. The pacing seemed a little slow, especially at first when Wes and June go about their separate lives in the same high school bubble. They'd brush against each other every so often, but drift apart again without more than a backwards glance. When they finally "c...more

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Jan 22, 2011 Meredith rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, female-protagonist, male-protagonist, realistic, teen

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This was more of a 3.5 star book for me.

I loved the "Fall" and "Winter" sections of the novel, but I felt like the story lost its way after that. Wes and June spent lots of time staring off into space and acting generally mopey, and many of the secondary characters simply disappeared or stopped being important to the story in the way they were during the first part of the book. I'm glad I read the last page of this one, because Hautman explains that originally he'd written the book to end about...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Elizabeth Fragala rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Set in a Minnesota suburb, boy meets girl, handled well for YA readers. Nothing explicit, yet not trite. The parents were a little too Charlie Brown-esque for me; almost non-existent.

Some of my favorite paragraphs:
"I like thinking about things that are far away. It's the in-between stuff that's hard. It's easy to think - to talk - about things that won't happen for a long time. Like living in a real house, or having kids, or the end of the world. The same goes for close stuff - what's going to...more

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Mar 07, 2011 Sydney →☺ rated it 3 of 5 stars

What I really liked about this book;;
• The characters. They were all really real and relatable, not blown-out-of-proportion and overly perfect like in a lot of YA books with a romance. Wes and June were really likable, which is one of the reasons I kept reading. They had their flaws, and that just made me like them all the more.
• The relationship between Wes and June. Unlike sooo many YA books you see, this book didn't use the cliche "boy/girl of my dreams... literally" or "instantaneous, deep,...more

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Nov 24, 2010 Chelsea rated it 5 of 5 stars

The first time Wes meets June, he thinks her mouth is too wide and her eyes are too far apart. June, in return, thinks his hair is shaggy. It would seem these two were not meant to be together right from the start. And yet, against all odds, their paths continue to cross. Thus begins a romance where nothing is easy to explain or simple to figure out. Navigating through friends, family, and their own heads, Wes and June fumble towards a unique happy ending.

Wow, this book was incredible. It's funn...more

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Sep 26, 2010 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I chose this book because I wanted to read something light, something happy. The Big Crunch delivered... I think.

June's family moves every few months due to her father's job, and she has learned not to attach to people. She's learned which social circle to hang out with because they're semi-interesting -but not so interesting as to make her miss them. She's not looking for love, but doesn't refuse when Jerry, the shy-ish awkward guy running for class president asks her out. Jerry is safe. Jerry...more I chose this book because I wanted to read something light, something happy. The Big Crunch delivered... I think.

June's family moves every few months due to her father's job, and she has learned not to attach to people. She's learned which social circle to hang out with because they're semi-interesting -but not so interesting as to make her miss them. She's not looking for love, but doesn't refuse when Jerry, the shy-ish awkward guy running for class president asks her out. Jerry is safe. Jerry isn't complicated and he doesn't make her heart go pitter-patter.

One day as she listens to Jerry talk about his friend Wes (who, by the way, sort of-kind of slammed him into a locker that day) and all the terrible things he's done to Jerry, she decides that Jerry just sounds wimpy and whiny.

Meanwhile, Wes and June keep bumping into one another. Sometimes literally. They collide in a convenience store and Wes accidentally gives June a black eye. Lots of awkward exchanges happen between the two of them, and some are really cute.

As you probably have guessed, Wes and June start to fall for each other. This is all well and good, until June's family has to move again. Wes and June talk on the phone, they text, they think about one another. But it's just not the same as being together. You can't dance with your man if he's in another state.

They try their best to fix that problem, and I'm semi-sure they succeed. The end didn't have much in the way of a conclusion. It was more like somebody hit the pause button and said, "The end!". I was taken completely by surprise when I realized I was on the last page.

Overall, the book was written in what I call, "Tunnel-Of-Love Vision". As in, they're in love, so nothing else is of any importance at all. The whole book was purely about the love story. Definitely an "emotion based" book, not an action-packed adventure. That was fine with me, it's what I was looking for. But I wouldn't have minded a bit more substance to the story.

It wasn't a bad book, not at all, I enjoyed it. I just wish there would have been more of an ending.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

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Oct 19, 2011 Brandy Painter rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, young-adult

Originally posted here.

I have been wanting to read The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman ever since I read Kate's review of it at Book Aunt earlier this year. It is not often you find a book about ordinary every day teens in a typical relationship in YA books. No one here discovers their romantic interest is a vampire/werewolf/fallen angel/creature of Faerie. No one here turns out to have magical or supernatural powers or a hidden mythical heritage. There are no tragedies/disasters/psychological trauma...more Originally posted here.

I have been wanting to read The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman ever since I read Kate's review of it at Book Aunt earlier this year. It is not often you find a book about ordinary every day teens in a typical relationship in YA books. No one here discovers their romantic interest is a vampire/werewolf/fallen angel/creature of Faerie. No one here turns out to have magical or supernatural powers or a hidden mythical heritage. There are no tragedies/disasters/psychological traumas in the characters past. It really is a book about two average kids who have a very typical relationship. If that wasn't attractive enough there is also the amazing cover which I just like to stare at.

The synopsis is not exactly true. There is a fair amount of swooning scorching desire, teenage hormones and all that, but not at the first meeting. They do have chemistry and a strong attraction but it is far more realistically portrayed. It is easy to put oneself in the place of Wes and June because most people reading this have experienced, are experiencing, or want to experience the same sort of relationship.

Wes and June are both great characters on their own as well. June has moved around a lot and developed a snarky yet accurate assessment of all high schools and teenagers everywhere. She is a little prickly because she is never in anyone place for very long and views all relationships as temporary. She dates a boy because she feels sorry for him. She creates drama between herself and Wes by yelling at him for things that are not is fault and beyond his control. Wes is just a regular guy who plays video games and poker with his friends. He does crazy things without thinking them through all the way and then wonders how it happened when he finds himself in more trouble than he imagined possible. Both characters find themselves receiving some swift and stern parental intervention at one point. Everything about this book is highly relateable to anyone who is or ever has been a teenager.

Note on Content: This is a book where the main characters are juniors in high school. There is a scene where they attend a party with underage drinking (though they do not partake). There are also some discussions o of sex and sexual desire.(less)

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Apr 11, 2011 Tiff rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, read-in-2011, cover-love, 2011-releases

Background:
Since I'm a high school librarian, 99.9% of my checkouts come directly from my school (except audio books). I rarely browse other libraries since I am already surrounded by an awesome selection of books each day. I have been using the public library system to request audio books, however, and the other day I took a quick glance at some audio books and found a few shelves of new YA fiction in the same place. The cover of The Big Crunch drew me in immediately, reminding me of the movie...more

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Jan 31, 2011 Midnight Bloom rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Big Crunch is one of the most sincere and realistic contemporary reads I've ever read. For sure, this is a romance novel... but it's not in a way that the two characters feel an instantaneous attraction and fall head-over-heels in love at first sight. No, this was an everyday story that I think anyone could relate with... and that's the aspect I thoroughly enjoyed while reading this novel.

On the first day of junior year, Wes surveys his classmates in his language arts class only to briefly p...more The Big Crunch is one of the most sincere and realistic contemporary reads I've ever read. For sure, this is a romance novel... but it's not in a way that the two characters feel an instantaneous attraction and fall head-over-heels in love at first sight. No, this was an everyday story that I think anyone could relate with... and that's the aspect I thoroughly enjoyed while reading this novel.

On the first day of junior year, Wes surveys his classmates in his language arts class only to briefly pause on the new student who he immediately pegs as Aqua Girl for her eyes. June is well used to the routine of being the 'new girl' at school. She's already been to over 5 schools in the past few years, constantly moving because of her father's job. She doesn't even notice Wes in her first class; she's just tired of having to really connect with anyone when she knows she's just going to move away again soon. So when she meets Jerry Preuss, a friend of Wes, she knows he's a safe option to date and that she won't feel bad saying goodbye when the times comes like it always does. But throughout the course of the year, June and Wes will become irrevocably closer than they ever would have thought on that very first day...

It's the oddest thing, but even though nothing absolutely amazing or exciting occurs, I still found it quite difficult to put this book down. I simply became lost in Wes and June's story! The novel is told in alternating points of view in third person but sometimes it's really random the way it comes about. Sometimes it switched after a chapter... and sometimes it was after only a few paragraphs. Despite this fact, it really wasn't confusing at all to read and simply added to the story, allowing you to see how Wes and June felt about each other and really giving you a feel for their personalities.

Wes and June are truly just your everyday teens that you and I could know in our own lives. They're your average students who attend school, hang out with friends... you know, ordinary stuff. As their feelings for each other grow, you can see just how well these two connect and understand each other, and the drama that forms which stands of chance of stopping them from being together is entirely out of their control. It's how each of them deal with these obstacles that have you holding your breath and crossing your fingers that Wes and June will make to the other side okay together.

I really do feel like this novel is flying completely under everyone's radar... which is just wrong! If you're looking for a not-so-typical romance story with a touch of offbeat humour and quirkiness, then definitely take a closer look at Pete Hautman's The Big Crunch.
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Jun 18, 2011 Claudia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-book-challenge-150-books, ya-books, kindle

Fun... I can see these two, June and Wes, at my school. June's dad moves the family a couple of times a school year, and it's probably time for the family to slow down, to think about June for a change. She's so good at being the new girl, but she shouldn't have to!

Wes is typically lovable. Goofy friends, smart, but embarrassed by his little sister's brutal honesty.

June and Wes notice each other immediately and ignore their attraction until they literally bump into each other...and June gets a...more

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May 10, 2011 Allison Bailey rated it 5 of 5 stars

I decided to read this book after reading a stellar review on a magazine website (the name of which I can't remember). I had never heard of it before, but it sounded like a fun change from my usual reading. The Big Crunch is the story of two high school students: June, whose family moves about every six months because of her father's job, and Wes, who has just broken up with his first girlfriend. This story does a great job of avoiding cliches or current trends- Wes is not mesmerized or filled w...more

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Jan 29, 2011 Newengland rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished-in-2011, ya

THE BIG CRUNCH requires patience. That and an affinity for character books. Neither June nor Wes is terribly exciting, but they grow on you, in their ordinary, suburban kids in Minnesota way. Of course, the Minnesota part is fleeting for June. Her father is one of these errant job knights who works a year here, a year there. That's tough on a kid, and high school senior June has learned to adjust by not letting herself get attached to guys.

Of course, that strategy is made-for-YA failure, in this...more

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Feb 06, 2011 Emma rated it 1 of 5 stars

After reading How to Steal a car I was pretty sure I was done with Pete Hautman. It isn't that his writing is bad or anything but it's very stark and the characters are sometimes thin, a little flat. And I also have a hard time identifying with the disaffected youth of America who seem to just have a massive case of ennui.

Anyway, I gave The Big Crunch a try because I fell in love with its cover. I knew it would be a book I would either love (as much as I love the cover) or it would be the book t...more

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Sep 03, 2011 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: coming-of-age, humor, romance, young-adult

June has grown up in a thousand different cities thanks to her dad's job, but has always been able to move on to the next one. Things change though when her family has a stint in Minnesota and she meets Wes, a boy her age just getting over a past relationship. The Big Crunch ends up being a realistic tale of boy meets girl without the movie magic, telling the story of two teens as they try to deal with their feelings for each other in a not so perfect situation.

As I alluded to in the summary, th...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Levi rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: young lovers

Shelves: fiction-novels

The book is split into the four seasons. I started with Fall on a bright, reflective spring day while sitting at the cemetery. Over the next couple weeks I got through Winter and Spring with appropriate weather to match, then had to set the book aside when the late snows would not let up. Last weekend we finally got a blast of summer, so I finished the Summer section out on the deck. It is a reflective book to match reflective transitions of the year.

The story is a no-frills account of the buddi...more

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Apr 25, 2011 Jess - The Tales Compendium rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, awwww

The Big Crunch can be summed up in three words; sweet, real and tender. It is a beautiful, heart-felt read that felt believable and described the confusing emotions that we are bestowed during those pesky, but vital, teenage years. The confusing, unfamiliar feelings. The irrational outbursts, spontaneous actions and obsessive behaviour. It's all there, in varying degrees.

This is no paranormal instantaneous love affair. It's not filled with end-of-the-world battles, evil 'beautiful' girls or over...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Rahnuma rated it 1 of 5 stars

I thought this book was going to be interesting when I picked it up from the shelf of the library attracted to the cover and the description. There was no character or plot development at all. I felt like the last couple of chapters were unnecessary since they did not add anything to the plot. I had to really force myself to get through this book because it was so boring. I don't really understand the relationship between June and Wes either. They just happen to feel this gravitational pull towa...more

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Contemporary

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About Pete Hautman

Pete Hautman is the author of Godless, which won the National Book Award, and many other critically acclaimed books for teens and adults, including Blank Confession, All-In, Rash, No Limit, and Invisible. Mr. Was was nominated for an Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America. Pete lives in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Visit him at petehautman.com.

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Quotes from The Big Crunch

“We connect through our dreams. Like we could be a thousand miles apart and I'd still know you were there.” — 5 people liked it

“The first step to success it's to imagine it” — 4 people liked it

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