Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “The Haters” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

The Haters

Jesse Andrews (Goodreads Author)

3.43 · Rating details · 5,160 ratings · 1,005 reviews

Do you have a favorite band?

Okay. Good. Unfortunately, it also sucks. And Wes and Corey can tell you exactly how.

There is nothing Wes and Corey can’t hate on. Even bands they love. In fact, they are incapable of loving anything without relentlessly figuring out ways to hate it, too.

And so when they are sent to a place as soul-crushing as jazz camp—which is populated almost ...more

Get A Copy

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published April 5th 2016 by Harry N. Abrams

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The Haters, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Fairytales for Wilde Girls by Allyse Near

Cover Buys

74 books — 9 voters

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

My Best 2016 Choices

144 books — 13 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.43 ·

Rating details

· 5,160 ratings · 1,005 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of The Haters

Oct 08, 2015 Jesse Andrews added it · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

I feel pretty confident that this is my finest second novel yet.

flag 509 likes · Like · see review

Dec 02, 2015 Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-young-adult, genre-contemporary, 2015-reads

From the moment I read Me and Earl and the Dying Girl a year ago, I've been regularly baffled to see that readers with whom I usually agree described it as annoying and not in the slightest funny. I mean, I shipped this book like crazy, as I tend to do with favorites, but I know that humor is personal, therefore I came to the conclusion that Jesse Andrews = Laughing Anna. You can't imagine how stunned I am to find The Haters... annoying.... and not in the slightest funny. Karma is such a bitch, ...more

flag 116 likes · Like · see review

Dec 02, 2015 Kelly (and the Book Boar) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs, pretty-on-the-outside, funny-haha, read-in-2015, road-trippin

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

What a fitting title to review this week.

The Haters is what happens when Wes, Corey and Ash (three teens who do indeed meet at band camp) decide to ditch those zeros and see if they can’t turn themselves into heros – of the music scene.

Wes and Corey have been buds for a long time. The main goal of their friendship? To find the “Unpoisonable Well” – music so good, so pure, so true that it can’t possibly be hated on (and also how ma ...more

flag 67 likes · Like · see review

Aug 17, 2015 Lala BooksandLala rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites

This book was hilarious. If you dug the humour in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, I don't doubt you'll laugh out loud at this one too. It was very teenage boy raunchy and rambly and I was all about it.

The story follows 3 teenagers at band camp, who early in the book decide to "escape" and go on their own tour; problem is, they are a 1 day old band and have a lot to learn about their music, each other and even themselves. It's a fun, funny story but with some backbone. My favourite thing about it This book was hilarious. If you dug the humour in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, I don't doubt you'll laugh out loud at this one too. It was very teenage boy raunchy and rambly and I was all about it.

The story follows 3 teenagers at band camp, who early in the book decide to "escape" and go on their own tour; problem is, they are a 1 day old band and have a lot to learn about their music, each other and even themselves. It's a fun, funny story but with some backbone. My favourite thing about it was the way the story was told. The pacing of it was so great, kept me interested, and also had these really quirky little extras; lists and charts and references to Youtube videos to check out; it was so solidly written and those little additions brought it to another level.

I have to say, this book would make an incredible movie - and I really hope it happens. It felt very Me and Earl meets Paper Towns. You've got dorky boys, the unattainable girl, a road trip, but then throw in some great musical references and band performances. Oh and throw in some more sex and drugs; it kind of reminded me of the humour vibe that Superbad has. It was a grand, cinematic feeling narrative overall and I'm obsessed with the friendship between Wes and Corey, but also of course how the dynamic changed with Ash thrown into the mix. The friendships and relationships felt so authentic and as far as male teenage narrators go, this was one of the most convincing I've read.

The music aspect of the story was perfectly done. There was enough band discussion to make sure it felt like the main storyline, but not so overly described that it would be polarizing; band geeks and non band geeks alike can appreciate the story. I was in school band for 4 years and jazz band for 2 - but that is not at all what drew me to this story or why I enjoyed it so much. In fact, I pretty much hated jazz band (baritone saxophone, and lemme tell you - I was terrrrrrible) and thus was not prepared to appreciate the jazz references and elements of this. But since the narrator was so authentic, I felt myself relating to him and caring about his interests regardless of my own personal feelings towards them. I also LOVED all the kooky characters they met along the way. The situations they ended up in and the places they played their music at were so atmospheric that I could totally picture being there right along side them.

I was so prepared to give this a 5/5 but somewhere in the last quarter of the novel it started to slow down in the hilarity. And not in a "let's make the switch from humour to a solid life lesson" way that novels often do; but rather it just got kind of dull. It felt like maybe the author didn't quite know how what ending he wanted until he got there, and just kinda threw it together.

Overall, I highly recommend this. Jesse Andrew's brand of humour is not for everyone, but I would say for certain that especially if you enjoyed his debut novel, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, this will also be right up your alley.

I was sent an ARC of this book via Netgalley and ABRAMS KIDS for review purposes. ...more

flag 42 likes · Like · see review

Nov 30, 2015 Larry H rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

I'd rate this 3.5 stars.

Full disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Many thanks to NetGalley and ABRAMS Kids for making it available!

I never read Jesse Andrews' Me and Earl and the Dying Girl , because just when I discovered the book, the movie was about to come out, and I hate reading books just before I see the film adaptation. Then, of course, I never got around to seeing the movie, so I figured I'd jump on the chance to read I'd rate this 3.5 stars.

Full disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Many thanks to NetGalley and ABRAMS Kids for making it available!

I never read Jesse Andrews' Me and Earl and the Dying Girl , because just when I discovered the book, the movie was about to come out, and I hate reading books just before I see the film adaptation. Then, of course, I never got around to seeing the movie, so I figured I'd jump on the chance to read his second book, The Haters . I'm glad I did, because while it didn't blow me away as I hoped it would, it made me laugh out loud more than a few times, and yeah, it moved me, too.

Wes and Corey have been best friends since childhood. They have a number of things in common, including a love of all kinds of music, as well as the uncanny ability to pretty much hate on every type of music as well. They share a fairly juvenile sense of humor (including the teenage boy-fueled obsession with the word "dick") but they're both a little more sensitive than they let on as well. When they get the opportunity to attend jazz camp, they're both pretty excited—and then they arrive to find it's almost all guys who are utterly pretentious, and most are more talented than they are.

And then they meet Ash. She's free-spirited, older than they are, inexplicably hot, and she shares their absolute love of music. After jamming together for more than three hours they think they've found kindred musical spirits. When circumstances at jazz camp don't quite go their way, Ash has a brilliant idea: the only way they can achieve greatness as a band is to hit the road and play wherever, whenever they can. So they leave camp (and their cell phones) behind and take off in Ash's SUV for The Haters' Summer of Hate Tour. What could possibly go wrong?

The Haters is wacky, funny as hell, a little moving, and pretty juvenile (not that that's a bad thing). Having never read Andrews' writing before, I don't know if this book is similar to his first or if his way of storytelling is unique for this story, but it took some getting used to. Wes is a terrific narrator but he used a simile or metaphor in almost every sentence in the first 10-20 percent of the book, and some of them were references to obscure musicians or musical styles that went over my head. I almost gave up on the book, but I'm glad I persevered, because it's a really enjoyable read if you know what to expect.

Juvenile dialogue aside, this is a book about friendship, lust, music, growing up, adventure, and the positive and negative effects parents can have on us. This book has a great deal of heart, which is what makes it more than just your average book about kids in a band. I definitely need to go back and read Me and Earl and the Dying Girl , too.

See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo.... ...more

flag 20 likes · Like · see review

Jan 11, 2016 Laura rated it liked it · review of another edition

What to say about Haters? ...Uhhhhh...

Well it is written by Jesse Andrews. A writer with a voice like no other. I love his style and if I was just discussing that I would be “oohhh”-ing and “aaahhh”-ing all over the page right now. The way he describes and sketches a moment or emotion—especially awkwardness--is mind-blowingly perfect. A simple, almost throw away wink in time from this man sticks with me like it happened in real life. As if I was right there! Like here….

“Corey managed to drink fo ...more

flag 19 likes · Like · see review

Jan 19, 2017 Gabby rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: fans of Paper Towns by John Green

Shelves: contemporary, disappointed, 3-star-books, young-adult, annoying-characters, audiobooks-i-listened-to, liked-it, read-in-2017

This book is hard to rate because I liked it, but some parts of it really annoyed me. I should mention this is my first time reading a book from Jesse Andrews, I haven't read Me & Earl & the Dying Girl yet, so this is my first time being exposed to his writing style, and it's okay in my opinion. His writing style reminds me of John Green, and I'm not a huge John Green fan. This book is ridiculously funny at times and at other times it's very annoying. Wes, Corey and Ash all decide to start a ban This book is hard to rate because I liked it, but some parts of it really annoyed me. I should mention this is my first time reading a book from Jesse Andrews, I haven't read Me & Earl & the Dying Girl yet, so this is my first time being exposed to his writing style, and it's okay in my opinion. His writing style reminds me of John Green, and I'm not a huge John Green fan. This book is ridiculously funny at times and at other times it's very annoying. Wes, Corey and Ash all decide to start a band and they ditch jazz camp and head out on the road together. So this book is 99% road trip as their band tries to find bars and venues to play in.

The characters annoyed me a little. Mostly just Ash. She's this insanely gorgeous but unattainable girl that joins Wes and Corey in a band and she kind of leads them both on and it's very annoying. She reminded me a lot of Margot from Paper Towns in that way. The hot girl who knows she's hot and uses it to her advantage by taking advantage of guys who think she's hot type of thing. And as I said this book is really funny at times, but the jokes are very immature and there's a shit load of penis jokes in this book, which isn't a bad thing but it gets old after a while.

The writing style got on my nerves at times. Maybe this is because I listened to the audiobook, but instead of writing regular dialogue the story will go like this:
Wes: (whatever he says)
Corey: (whatever he says)
Wes: (whatever he says)
Ash: (whatever she says)
and it's so irritating listening to dialogue written this way in an audiobook. Maybe I'm just nitpicking here but it drove me nuts and this is the way the dialogue is written for most of the book. It just sounds really choppy when the narrator has to pause and say who's speaking and then read the dialogue and go back and forth.

The humor in this book is very teenage boy, not that that's necessarily a bad thing but it isn't for everyone. At times it worked for me and I thought it was funny and at other times I found it to be annoying. Wes's overall "voice" is what made me want to keep reading. Even if the other characters drove me nuts sometimes, I really liked Wes throughout the whole story. But unfortunately this is a typical meh YA novel that I'm not going to remember in a few weeks. ...more

flag 17 likes · Like · see review

Apr 01, 2016 Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Booktubeathon Challenge #1 - read a book w/ yellow on the cover: complete!

This might be a 3.5. It wasn't as funny or enthralling as I had hoped it would be, but it definitely feels better than your average run of the mill 3 star contemporary. I'm a little torn on this one. Blah. Will potentially write a real review tomorrow after I've distanced myself from this a bit. ...more

flag 17 likes · Like · see review

Nov 29, 2015 Erin Dunn rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

I won The Haters from the Goodreads Giveaways program. Thank you to Goodreads!

http://angelerin.blogspot.com/2016/05...

Guys, I'm sorry. I've seen lots of love for this book, but it just was not for me. It's a shame because I was so THRILLED to have won it from Goodreads. I just could not get into it. I did not care for the characters at all. The writing style was not for me either. I also don't think the humor of the novel was the kind of humor that I enjoy. Even though I was not enjoying the nov ...more

flag 16 likes · Like · see review

Feb 25, 2016 Drew rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult

This book was something special, because it made me do something that's quite rare from a book - it made me laugh out loud. Multiple times.

If you know me, you know it's practically impossible for a book or movie to make me cry, and the same goes for laughter. The biggest reaction a comedy book will get from me is the occasional snicker. But The Haters was just freaking hilarious.

I thought it was even funnier than Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, and that was pretty funny. If you go into this expe ...more

flag 15 likes · Like · see review

Nov 07, 2017 Cori Reed rated it it was ok

I just...am sad.

I didn't like the humour in this book at all. In fact, I actively disliked it. Yes, it is a book with two teenage boys as central characters, but that doesn't mean that every joke needs to involves dicks and inserting dicks into dogs or meat grinders. The jokes pretty much killed the whole experience for me.

...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Feb 16, 2016 Nicole Craswell rated it did not like it

1.5

TW: Non-consensual drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and sexual assault (all of which are laughed off, joked about, and handled really poorly in general)

I wanted to love this book, I really really did. Unfortunately I realized about 200 pages in that I was definitely hate reading by then. I remember absolutely loving Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and feeling like its sarcasm and cynicism felt so honest and accurate to how teenagers feel and talk. But in this book it all just felt way too forced. I 1.5

TW: Non-consensual drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and sexual assault (all of which are laughed off, joked about, and handled really poorly in general)

I wanted to love this book, I really really did. Unfortunately I realized about 200 pages in that I was definitely hate reading by then. I remember absolutely loving Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and feeling like its sarcasm and cynicism felt so honest and accurate to how teenagers feel and talk. But in this book it all just felt way too forced. I found myself constantly rolling my eyes at all three of the main characters. They were all being incredibly stupid and making horrible decisions throughout the majority of the book but it wasn't even the kind of bad decisions that you can understand their motivations and justify them for the characters. No, these were just teenagers making stupid, reckless choices.

All three of the main characters felt flat and I got pretty bored of them after a few chapters. There's only so much surly, cynical teen angst one person can handle. And I'm honestly just so tired of reading about teenagers who think they're better than everyone else because... What? You have better music taste? You don't "conform" to what the adults want you to do? Spoiler alert kiddos: maybe the adults are telling you to do things for a reason. Maybe instead of just rejecting what they say for no good reason you should try to understand why they're doing things like saying it's not cool to just run off in the middle of a camp where the camp is responsible for your safety and wellbeing.

The entire time I was reading this I was kinda just low key annoyed and not just with the characters. The whole story was rampant with weird coincidences and situations that were seriously pushing my suspension of disbelief.

And Ash... Oh my... I really wish I had something good to say here beyond the fact that she might be asexual representation? Maybe? She states near the beginning of the book that she's not interested in boys or girls but then later on its not clear if she actually meant she's asexual or if she was just being kind of dramatic and too-cool (which is something that I really hate to question but she seemed to be dramatic and too-cool for things a lot...). But other than that she pretty much just seemed like a cut and paste manic pixie dream girl. She's this mysterious beautiful girl who pulls our male protagonist out of his mundane life. So conveniently is talented in the exact area he needs her to be, so conveniently is able to provide the funds and means to take him on the trip of a lifetime, and her only flaws seem to be that she has trouble expressing her emotions/communicating. I really wanted her to be this cool offbeat rocker girl but ugh she just felt way too Alaska Young (or MGS before her whole "I'm a person not a concept for you to worship" speech). Also I s2g some variation of "she's not like the other girls, she's basically just one of the guys, she's not a 'girly girl'" was brought up like 5 times. If you should know only one thing about me, it's that I absolutely despise that in books. Like female characters not being traditionally feminine is fine, that's great! But what's not fine is saying that makes her any less of a girl or putting down other girls for being traditionally feminine.

I'm just so disappointed in this book as a whole. I really wanted to love it. I mean I've been really road trip and/or music based books lately but this one just felt painfully forced with tropes, scenes, and characters cut and pasted from every other cliche forced quirky YA book. ...more

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Jan 16, 2016 Truman32 rated it really liked it

The common refrain around New Years Eve is that wherever you go, whatever you do, it never lives up to the hype. You always end up at the shitty party with the weird people while everyone else is out having an absolutely fabulous time. I feel it’s safe to say that teen movies and novels fall into this as well. No matter your experiences in high school it will always, always fall short to what you see or read. What is wrong with me? I never met some crazy sexy whimsical girl, impulsively went on The common refrain around New Years Eve is that wherever you go, whatever you do, it never lives up to the hype. You always end up at the shitty party with the weird people while everyone else is out having an absolutely fabulous time. I feel it’s safe to say that teen movies and novels fall into this as well. No matter your experiences in high school it will always, always fall short to what you see or read. What is wrong with me? I never met some crazy sexy whimsical girl, impulsively went on a road trip/adventure, and always had smart and funny things to say.

The Haters, Jesse Andrews’s (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) new novel proudly continues this genre where every moment is monumental, every party is unhinged, and, like Texas, everything is just so much bigger.

But I have to tip my hat to Andrews, despite this, he has written one heck of a fun book.

Wes and Corey are two teen musicians at Jazz camp. Their deal is that they hate on stuff they actually like (like 70’s band Kool and the Gang) —mock it so that they stay emotionally removed. Both kids are somewhat nerdy and hating provides a safety net that protects their feelings from getting hurt. Enter into the picture, Ash, an exotic, offbeat, yet foxy young lady who plays guitar, sings and even writes her own songs. Like pubescent catnip, Ash has these boys tangled and ensnared as if they were wrapped in the tentacles of an octopus made entirely of boiling hormones. Jazz Camp, seeming kind of lame, the three bust out, form their own rock band and hit the road trying to make music, trying to make romance, and trying to experience life.

Now, that is all fine and good, but the main reason to read this is that it is funny. It is laugh out loud, get strange looks and have people slide slowly away from you as you snort, harrumph, and chortle on the T funny. Seriously, if you attempt to read it while attending your uncle’s funeral, watching Schindler’s List, or while the judge is sentencing you for that traffic violation, you will be screwed. Andrews writes a great line, he sets up his jokes like a seasoned comedian working the 10PM shift at the Comedy Store, and he never goes for the cheap laugh. The humor builds organically from the characters and their wit and observations. Andrews never mocks his cast, there is a warmth and understanding to the way he writes about them and their actions.

Having no dying girl in this book, The Haters might seem at first glance a little more disposable then his previous bestseller, but there are still many poignant moments to get that pumpy organ in your chest thumping a little more quickly.

The Haters is like the early John Hughes movies. It’s a special book with heart and lots of laughs.
...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Mar 11, 2020 Kristen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: made-me-laugh, young-adult, contemporary

I love the way that Andrews writes a book like he has no clue how to write a book.

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Oct 19, 2016 Sparkleypenguin rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-contemporary, ya-romance

This book started off pretty good. The writing style really goes with the atmosphere of this book. I kept getting Whiplash vibes from this book, not from the perspective of there is this crazy teacher about to wreck your life but just it was all about the music. That was pretty cool. But then the writing style started to get annoying and I started not liking it at the last 20-10 chapters of this book (if you could even call them chapters...). I did like how it dealt with sex/drugs/and alcohol. I ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Aug 15, 2016 sabrina rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary

The characters were pretentious, the humor was repetitive, for some unknown reason 90% of the dialogue was written in play format (???), and honestly, what kind of person runs away from home with no money, no phone, no food, no anything? And runs away knowing what kind of trauma they're putting their parents through? And just trusts the person that's like "hey come with me let's run away and make sure to leave your phone behind"??? And then later continues to trust absolute strangers that could ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Oct 31, 2020 Roxanne rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: my-unpopular-opinions, dnf, 2020

DNF at 58%

I’m bored and I don’t care. There’s nothing “wrong” with this book. The writing is fine but I just don’t care about the characters and what they’re doing or why they’re doing it. I’m surprised by my feelings to be honest because I normally like road trip stories and typically enjoy plots centred around music. But this one didn’t hold my interest.

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Sep 23, 2015 Michelle (Pink Polka Dot Books) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: tbr-2016

4.5 Stars. Definitely didn't like it as much as Me and Earl... But it's still written in that same humor and word vomit that I loved from MAEATDG, so yes!!!!

Wes and Corey are high school kids from Pittsburgh going to jazz camp in New Jersey for 2 weeks. Upon arrival, it's not turning out to be all that great. It's 99.9% boys (really really annoying boys), and after a try-out, they get put in the least talented jazz group.

During a brutal rehearsal, a scene erupts, leaving the pair sticking up for ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Oct 08, 2015 India rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: laughed-a-lot, love-triangle, read-on-kindle, 2016, reviewed

Wes and Corey, best friends, decide to attend jazz camp. The camp for geeks. Not for the great jazz musicians of tomorrow. At least, not those in the Gene Krupa band. But of course, that's where the duo meets Ash Ramos.

Ash, who plays guitar loud and with flair and with no sense of rhythm at all. Ash, who when with the Gene Krupa band, sounds terrible. Ash, who when with Wes and Corey, sounds amazing. So together, Wes, Corey, and Ash leave jazz camp. They will embark on a tour.

So they hop in Ash' ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jan 19, 2016 Krystianna rated it really liked it · review of another edition

YES! I'm so glad that Jesse wrote another book. I don't think this one was as amazing as Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, but I still fairly enjoyed it. Review to come!

**Thank you so much to Amulet Books for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review!**

I have always been the biggest fan of music, so as soon as I heard about The Haters, I knew it was going to be something that I loved. In addition, it was written by none other than the amazing Jesse Andrews, who wrote Me and Earl an ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jun 14, 2017 Jennifer Leigh rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, reviewed, contemporary

Do you think a book can make you a Hater? Well, I think that is what happened after reading The Haters by Jesse Andrews. The book follows Wes and Corey on their journey through band camp and then escaping band camp with their new friend Ash. As they start their own band, they have to find gigs and other ways to get their music out there before the end of band camp.
With the varying types of dialog and the very awkward scenes about male genitalia. The book did not have a good resonance with me.
Fo ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jan 27, 2016 Ashley rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: net-galley, arcs, 2016-release

DNF at about 60%. I'm surprised I made it this far with all the dick jokes and strange dialogue. The synopsis of the story sounded promising, but I didn't see any of that in the story. The characters were hard to connect with and I wasn't sure where the whole thing was going. I might go back later to see what happens, but I'm not sure yet.

Thanks to NetGalley, ABRAM Kids, and Amulet Books for the ARC. ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jan 27, 2017 Rida Imran rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2017

So basically alot like everyone else i too had extremely high expectations because Me and Earl and the Dying Girl was dope, hilarious and awesome.
Well i like how he shows a teen's thoughts he obviously knows it right.
But there's just so many dick jokes one can take and i just didn't find this book that interesting, only finished it cause i thought it would get better ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Mar 02, 2016 Liv rated it did not like it · review of another edition

(2.5) full review posted on my blog:https://curlyhairbibliophile.wordpres... ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jul 31, 2017 Chloe Grant rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Couldnt finish it- Too boring!

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 01, 2018 Tina rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: dnf, audiobooks-2018, beat-the-backlist-2018, library-2018, netgalley-edelweiss-2018, 2018-reads

DNF At 76%

I loved Me, Earl and the dying girl but i wasn’t a fan of this one. I tried pushing myself to finish it but i just can’t do it.

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Dec 14, 2017 Diana rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Not entirely satisfied with the ending and off put by some of the 'dick' jokes and descriptions, I did enjoy this book by the author of Me, Earl and the Dying Girl. There were some original text devices and the characters were sympathetic. A good YA book. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Feb 25, 2016 Heidi rated it liked it · review of another edition

Three stars: A road trip book packed with juvenile humor that made me laugh.

Wes and Corey are surrounded by dudes at jazz camp. They actually have no idea why they are there as they are mediocre musicians at best. It isn't a surprise when they land in the worst band at jazz camp. The one redemptive factor in the bad band is there is actually a chick. A girl who plays the guitar. Wes and Corey are both immediately attracted to this strange girl, and they even stick up for her, to the point that Three stars: A road trip book packed with juvenile humor that made me laugh.

Wes and Corey are surrounded by dudes at jazz camp. They actually have no idea why they are there as they are mediocre musicians at best. It isn't a surprise when they land in the worst band at jazz camp. The one redemptive factor in the bad band is there is actually a chick. A girl who plays the guitar. Wes and Corey are both immediately attracted to this strange girl, and they even stick up for her, to the point that they kick themselves out of the band. When Ash proposes they hit the road and ditch jazz camp, Corey and Wes don't hesitate. What follows is a hilarious road trip filled with mad cap adventures, bad music and life lessons. Will the trio get a good gig?
What I Liked:
*I was a big fan of Andrews debut novel, Me Earl and the Dying Girl, so I knew I had to read Haters his sophomore novel. I enjoyed the juvenile humor and the eclectic writing style, and even though this one doesn't quite measure up to his first novel, it still made me laugh out loud.
*The humor is what makes this novel shine. Mr. Andrews has his own unique writing style. He incorporates several forms of writing which make this book a mash up. For instance, you get hilarious, fake Wikipedia entries, movie script like dialogue, funny band name definitions, ridiculous song lyrics and so on. I love the mad cap writing style, and the zany humor. This book made me giggle and snicker. Be warned, if you aren't a fan of male juvenile humor, especially dick harm jokes, you won't like this one as it is packed full of boy jokes. I tend to have a deviant sense of humor, so I enjoyed it.
*The other reason this book was fun was because it is a road trip book. This is a spur of the moment, fly by the seat of your pants road trip. It is a mad cap adventure with several zany encounters. I especially liked watching the gang try to book gigs. The end up playing at some interesting venues, like a Chinese restaurant.
*Even thought the book has a light hearted, juvenile tone to it, there are several moments that are rather heart felt. I liked exploring Wes and Corey's friendship, learning about Wes' dog, and watching them all struggle with growing up.
*The ending is a bit sudden and rather open ended, but it is also realistic.
And The Not So Much:
*Wes and Corey are music connoisseurs, and in fact, their friendship was built on their shared love of music. It was kind of a let down that while on their epic road trip that they didn't take their music more seriously. I could never tell whether there were moments when they were actually good or not. Was their music completely terrible?
*Ash is a bit frustrating. I really wanted to like her, but there is something off putting about her. I get she is angry at her parents and rebelling against her upbringing, but I wanted to peel back her layers and find the vulnerable girl underneath. I kept hoping there would be a moment where she showed some true heart, but I never got to the point where I connected with her.
*The middle of the book started to lag a bit. I didn't like the unnecessary conflict amongst the group. I also thought that situations started to get a little far fetched.
*I was expecting this to end with an impactful life lesson or a take away message, but that doesn't happen either. Don't go into this one looking for a life changing read.
*Be warned this book is packed full of male humor, i.e. dick jokes, it also has sex, drinking, drug use etc. Definitely a book for more mature teens.

Haters is not a book for everyone. It will appeal to a select audiences, mainly those with a deviant sense of humor. It made me laugh. I always appreciate Mr. Andrews entertaining and eclectic writing style. However, this was a book that fell short for me. It didn't quite measure up to Me, Earl and the Dying Girl. Still if you want a light hearted book that will make you giggle, give it a try.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for or this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Nov 19, 2015 Kris Mauna rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-reading, contemporary

I'm a huge fan of Jesse Andrews's writing. I really connected with Me and Earl and the Dying Girl - the book and the movie - but I just didn't connect with the characters in this book or their story..

Wes and his best friend, Corey, are spending their summer at jazz camp, and don't seem particularly thrilled about it especially when it seems like there will be just guys at this camp. Enter Ash, the charming and free-spirited guitar player. After meeting Ash, the three of them end up bonding while I'm a huge fan of Jesse Andrews's writing. I really connected with Me and Earl and the Dying Girl - the book and the movie - but I just didn't connect with the characters in this book or their story..

Wes and his best friend, Corey, are spending their summer at jazz camp, and don't seem particularly thrilled about it especially when it seems like there will be just guys at this camp. Enter Ash, the charming and free-spirited guitar player. After meeting Ash, the three of them end up bonding while jamming out together for 3 straight hours.

I have to say that the music aspect to this story is very entertaining. I loved the detailed descriptions of the three of them playing. I enjoyed all of the musical references also. It was a lot of fun to read.

After meeting Ash and jamming out together, and having the most fun any of them have had in a long time.. Ash tells them that they should hit the road, instead of staying at jazz camp, because that's how they will become a real band. This is when the story started to lose me. First off, I didn't enjoy Ash as a character and she felt like a manipulator to these boys, and I do say boys because they are only 16 when she is 19, and she was a bit selfish. So why would they choose to go along with Ash when they hardly know her? I guess I'm not a teenage boy though so maybe I would've understood this more if I was..

The road trip begins and we learn more about these characters, which I appreciated. The only character I truly felt anything for was Wes. I think Andrews has a great way of capturing the teenage voice in his characters and I felt like Wes was a unique version of a teenager right now. As for Ash and Corey, I just couldn't connect with them even after learning more about their past and who they truly were. About half-way through the story I was still only able to connect with Wes while Ash and Corey became more annoying for me.

As the story continues they run into multiple problems, which all include crappy places to play and weird run-ins with people. Some of the situations were pretty funny. One of the reasons why I love Jesse Andrews's writing so much is for the humor. I know a lot of people didn't enjoy the humor in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, but I loved it. It's very much the same in this book, and this is one of the things I did enjoy about the book. There were way too many dick jokes though and a few parts that were a bit disgusting (seriously TMI), but overall most parts were funny.

The last part of the book was exciting and I enjoyed seeing how these three lonely souls seemed to have found a sense of home together.. Then everything blows up in their faces and they are left to deal with the consequences of all of their choices. I thought the book wrapped up nicely.

Overall, this book wasn't for me. There were a few things I enjoyed but not enough to say that I liked it. I think Jesse Andrews is a fantastic writer though, and even though I didn't connect with this book as much as I hoped I would, I still enjoyed his writing. I think this book will be great for other people but it just wasn't for me.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys music, sarcastic/dry humor, or just coming-of-age stories because even though I didn't enjoy this story that doesn't mean you wouldn't! ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

May 29, 2017 K. Haas rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Jesse Andrews second novel, "The Haters," may be even better than his debut, "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl," which is saying a lot.
Stocked in the Teen Fiction section at Barnes & Nobles, this coming-of-age story sends its teen protagonists on an independence-fueled music tour filled with drugs, sex, violence and the grisly (but not too grisly) consequences of those decisions. It stays funny throughout the story with both sophomoric and enlightened jokes.
If this book doesn't make you feel like ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Love YA Like Crazy: Episode #15: 'The Haters' by Jesse Andrews	1	4	Sep 15, 2016 04:11PM
Win The Haters and a Music CD	1	4	Jun 02, 2016 07:40PM
All About YA : The Haters	1	15	May 18, 2016 11:12AM
Book Giveaways: "The Haters" Prize Pack Giveaway	1	12	Apr 19, 2016 03:28AM
Free Books, .99, ...: "The Haters" Prize Pack Giveaway	1	5	Apr 19, 2016 03:28AM
Advanced Copies f...: "The Haters" Prize Pack Giveaway	1	21	Apr 19, 2016 03:26AM