Goodreads Choice Awards 2025
Grasshopper Jungle

Questions About Grasshopper Jungle

by Andrew Smith

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Answered Questions (7)

Why do movies get R ratings for using the "F-bomb" but write a book wabout teenagers and call it YA or teen book, fill it with crude language and it's perfectly accepted and even lauded?
Bat Girl I think Andrew Smith said it best himself, when he wrote this:
https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2...
"I do not write for kids; I write for readers."
…moreI think Andrew Smith said it best himself, when he wrote this:
https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2...
"I do not write for kids; I write for readers."
(less)
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Is this book worth the read? It looks good, but meh
Kyra This book was definitely worth the read in my opinion! If you're into contemporary YA fiction (think John Green's novels about teenagers and love in t…moreThis book was definitely worth the read in my opinion! If you're into contemporary YA fiction (think John Green's novels about teenagers and love in the present day) and some gore (let's just say this book takes some wild, somewhat unsettling turns), you may like this book! It follows the story of a boy, Austin, who has a nice girlfriend, but is questioning his sexuality because he finds himself in love with both his girlfriend AND his (gay) best friend, Robby. In small town Ealing, Iowa, this isn't the most accepted thing. But it's about so much more than that: the end of the world, what history is, and how our lives connect.

I will note, though, that the writing style is very odd and quirky, and some may have a problem with the repetitiveness (because it definitely is repetitive) of the style, but I personally loved the way the novel was written.(less)
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Several people describe Grasshopper Jungle as, "WTF did I just read!" I think this might describer a new sub-genre, and maybe even the next big trend, because I felt the same way about I Crawl Through It by A.S. King. Is this a new direction in YA lit?
Tyler Pierce I don't think this is a new direction, mostly because it's definitely not going to sell lots of copies due to concerned parents who refuse to expose t…moreI don't think this is a new direction, mostly because it's definitely not going to sell lots of copies due to concerned parents who refuse to expose their children to bad language. PSA: your kids are going to pick up swear words when they enter middle school no matter what you do. Don't resist it.(less)
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I'm on page 75,im not really digging it, should i keep going?"
Cari NO - all the reviewers seem to love it - I HATE it. It was repetitive, weird, jumped around too much and weird.
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what age group would this be suitable for?
annika burman I think it would be best for "mature" high schoolers and up if we're acting all parental. Otherwise, I would push it to eighth graders.

The author him…moreI think it would be best for "mature" high schoolers and up if we're acting all parental. Otherwise, I would push it to eighth graders.

The author himself says he writes books not for kids, but for readers. I would definitely agree with this book. It includes topics related to growing up, but I think someone could read this without paying that much attention to those aspects. As long as you're fine with the narrator talking about his horniness every other page, I think you'll be fine. (less)
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Unanswered Questions (2)

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