Anything You Want by Geoff Herbach

Feb 09, 2016 Sarah rated it liked it

Shelves: r2r-read, netgalley-edelweiss, young-adult, romance, contemporary, read-2016

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Fire and NetGalley.)

You do it. You and Maggie Corrigan do it all the time. Again and again and again, he said.
Right. We like to celebrate out love. I said.
Jesus Christ, Taco. Is she on birth control? he asked.
No. I laughed. Why would she be? As I tend to be delusional but not totally stupid, I began to think.
Oh shit. Are you using condoms? he asked.
No. Were not serious about it, okay? Were ...more

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Jan 18, 2016 Inge marked it as did-not-finish

DNF 31%

I'm not even sure what I just read, but it wasn't the book I signed up for. Given the blurb, this could have been an amazing book. Instead, I got a hot mess. I'm all for positivity, but the way Taco handles situations is way too peppy. I'm all for calling people "dingus", but not if you're doing it every 5 pages. I'm all for introducing sex to YA, but not if you're too stupid to tie your own shoelaces. Seriously, these two go at it like rabbits, but neither of them even thought about ...more

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May 19, 2016 Morris rated it it was ok

Shelves: do-not-recommend, run-run-away-fast, 2016-reviews

Im going to put it right out there. I really disliked Anything You Want. Had it not been for the ending this would be a one star review.

Taco, our main character, is dealing with the loss of his mom, an absent dad, an alcoholic brother, and now an unexpected pregnancy with his girlfriend. Now, I actually read the author defending Taco as an incurable optimist. My dislike for Taco is not due to that, or the fact that hes not the smartest item on the menu, but because the way he is written is ...more

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Jul 13, 2016 Jacqueline J rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, pregnancy, from-readers-world

I enjoyed this book. I initially agreed with some other reviewers who say that Taco was too naive to be believable but once I accepted him and his personality it didn't bother me. However, if you've ever read any Junie B. Jones stories, this guy is the male high school equivalent of Junie B. I love Junie B. so I tended to like Taco. Also at the end of the book you really understood why he was the way he was.

The book was told through the eyes of Taco so you didn't know Maggie really well but she ...more

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Dec 24, 2015 Ms. Yingling rated it it was amazing

E ARC from Netgalley.com

Taco is an exuberant high school junior who is addicted to Maggie, a wild cheerleader whom he is dating. Her parents are less than thrilled about their relationship, which explains why he tries to climb in through her bedroom window. They are even less thrilled when he falls and breaks his coccyx. This sidelines his football career and causes him to miss some school, but Maggie's guilt ridden parents ease up their restrictions, and Maggie spends more time at Taco's house. E ARC from Netgalley.com

Taco is an exuberant high school junior who is addicted to Maggie, a wild cheerleader whom he is dating. Her parents are less than thrilled about their relationship, which explains why he tries to climb in through her bedroom window. They are even less thrilled when he falls and breaks his coccyx. This sidelines his football career and causes him to miss some school, but Maggie's guilt ridden parents ease up their restrictions, and Maggie spends more time at Taco's house. His father has moved away for work after Taco's mother's death, and his older brother Darius spends his time drinking or working, so the two use their lack of supervision to decide to "do it". Repeatedly. Eventually, Maggie becomes pregnant, and Taco is both thrilled and terrified. He is an eternal optimist, so despite his problems, he makes plans to marry Maggie and raise their child. His problems are legion-- in order to pay off his fine for climbing Maggie's house and disturbing the peace, he is "volunteering" for Nussbaum, a local lawyer. He's also trying to keep good grades and be in the school play, but also takes a night shift job in the hospital to earn money. Maggie's behavior is erratic, Darius starts to drink even more heavily, their father isn't sending money, and Taco's world comes crashing down around him. Luckily, support comes from an unexpected source, and Taco's optimism is reaffirmed as he is able to move forward.

This is a frenetic, roller coaster ride of a book, filled with the misguided energy that only the young seem to have. Herbach is a master of the teen male voice, and Taco's personality jumps off the pages. Maggie's scattered reaction to her pregnancy, as well as her interactions with her angry but concerned parents, is also pitch perfect. The father is conspicuously absent and reticent when presence, and the adults in Taco's life are all baffled by his behavior but supportive when they figure out its causes.

The best part about this book was Taco's relentless optimism. Without it, this would have been just another depressing book about a boy dealing with death, abandonment, pregnancy, drinking and all the other sad issues, but Taco's mother imbued him with a spirit that made him able to say, even on the worst days "Today is the best day of my life, and tomorrow will be even better."

My only quibble with the book is that it is not meant in any way for middle grade readers; the language and descriptions are circumspect and perfectly appropriate for high school, but just a bit much for middle school. It seems hard to imagine that a teenager today would be as clueless about birth control as Taco is, but since there are still unplanned pregnancies, this must have some shred of truth in it. It is also disappointing that SourceBooks is issuing this only in paperback-- Herbach's writing is of the caliber that makes this an instant high school classic, and he deserves a better binding! ...more

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Jan 14, 2016 Linda (un)Conventional Bookworms rated it it was ok

Shelves: ya, review-books, contemporary, netgalley, arc, ya-with-sex, may-release, 2016-releases, read-in-2016, coyer-summer-2016

This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
Anything You Want is a strange little story where the narration reads like a stream of consciousness from Taco's point of view.

Review - (un)Conventional Bookviews

Taco is the kind of youth that seems too naive and simple-minded to function fully in the real world. My 14-year-old boy is much more mature and critical than Taco was! And the fast pace where Taco shared every single thought going through his mind at the time was exhausting! If I had been in a room with This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
Anything You Want is a strange little story where the narration reads like a stream of consciousness from Taco's point of view.

Review - (un)Conventional Bookviews

Taco is the kind of youth that seems too naive and simple-minded to function fully in the real world. My 14-year-old boy is much more mature and critical than Taco was! And the fast pace where Taco shared every single thought going through his mind at the time was exhausting! If I had been in a room with Taco, I think I would have asked him to shut up after a couple of minutes, that's how his word-debit (not to say word-womit) affected me! And don't even get me started on his girlfriend, Maggie! At the start of Anything You Want, they were freshmen, and then, juniors for the rest of the story. And they had had some kind of sex-ed, because Taco recalled some of it once it was way too late.

Anything You Want is not a romance, far from it! And while there are a lot of things that annoyed me, there were some important subjects that were touched as well. Like, safe sex, absent parents, death of a parent, alcoholism, responsibility, staying positive in the face of adversity, working hard at school, living with consequences of our choices and actions. Which is definitely a lot to cover in 320 pages of fast-paced thought process, right? And that is the main reason I didn't really enjoy the story very much. The narrative voice was grating, and I found Taco to be way too dis-connected from what was happening around him. At the same time, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him! His mom had died the year before, his dad moved away for work reasons, and Taco and his older brother Darius were left to fend for themselves in a new house.

Not much made a lot of sense in Anything You Want, at least not for the first 80% of the story. When Taco finally started looking at his life and how to move forward seriously, and with help from on of the fe responsible adults in is surroundings, I felt like the story did have some merit after all. And I think that maybe younger teens might enjoy Taco and his incessant babbling about 'doing it' and how he's a 'Maggie-junkie' and so on. However, to reach the target audience, the cover might have to be changed, because I don't know many teen boys who'd pick up a book with this one...

Fave Quotes - (un)Conventional Bookviews

Fave Quotes - (un)Conventional Bookviews

We stood in the hall at school, leaned up against her locker as a bunch of freshmen, a total wad of screaming monkeys, ran by on their way to gym.

So things were crap, and I began to lose the pep in my cucumber. I was seriously beginning to think my mom was wrong about everything, and maybe life really is terrible like Darius always says. ...more

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Dec 28, 2015 Deniz rated it it was ok

2.5 Stars
To be honest, I think I am so not the target audience of this book.
I have a feeling that this would be much more liked by guys than by girls.
I am not a girly girl and in fact I love dude books quite often. I simply quite often used to think that's such a dude thing to say.
I mean Taco is your happy go lucky teen- who behaves as horny and stupid as many teens do. Half the time he was behaving like an utter child most of the time he was totally ignorate. I actually think alot of teens ...more

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Apr 25, 2016 BookCupid rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult

What would happen if Napoleon Dynamite had a child?

Dingus, life just ain't fair for Taco. Ever since his mom died from cancer, his dad took off leaving him in the care of his older brother Darius, who is an alcoholic. But before you think that this is a sad story -- I must warn you -- Taco is an extremely positive person. He has problems with the law, works nights, volunteers on the weekend, goes to school and is dealing with a pregnancy (he had no idea she could get pregnant unless they did it ...more

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Jan 26, 2016 Brittany rated it really liked it

Anything you want by Geoff Herbach. I read an advanced readers copy. The advanced readers copy was tilted Knocked. My English teacher went to the NCTE conference and bought a copy. This book was amazing and a life lesson. Some parts were dumb and childish. Maggie and Taco are a freshmen couple. They are faced with a decision to raise a child or not.

I really liked that the author said that they were only freshmen so humans can learn a lesson. Also that it is interesting. The things I didn't like ...more

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Jan 20, 2016 Sara (Freadom Library) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, coming-of-age, netgalley, 2016-releases, standalones, read-2016

This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/

I received an e-ARC of this book from Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Critically
Plot 3.5 out of 5 stars
I found the plot of this book to be really quick to read but it kind of turned me off in the beginning. Its filled with drama and craziness and a lot of different deep themes. Theres teen pregnancy, abandonment, death, alcoholism, mental health and how people deal with grief. Its very day This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/

I received an e-ARC of this book from Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Critically
Plot – 3.5 out of 5 stars
I found the plot of this book to be really quick to read but it kind of turned me off in the beginning. It’s filled with drama and craziness and a lot of different deep themes. There’s teen pregnancy, abandonment, death, alcoholism, mental health and how people deal with grief. It’s very day to day driven but it packs a punch where it matters most.

Writing Style – 3 out of 5 stars
It’s a narrative driven kind of writing style. The writing style is reflected as the main character’s voice, his thoughts and feelings expressed directly to the reader as in a form of a diary. It threw me off a bit too because of the way the characters thinks. He’s very young and immature and naive. However, it’s very simple, fast paced and quick to read so it was easy to finish.

Characters – 3.5 out of 5 stars
If you don’t know already, my favorite kinds of books are the ones that are character driven, they are the ones that usually end up making my favorites list. While I didn’t exactly like the main character in the beginning, Taco began to grow on me. He’s really naive and delusional in many ways, he has a distorted view of the world and not many people seem to notice that. But he’s also very sweet and resilient and strong and has such a positive outlook on life that most people can’t help but be enamored by him, just like me. It took me awhile to connect with him because he annoyed me so much so quickly but he has the kind of charisma that you can’t help but be captured by. However, my biggest problem was with the side characters. Some of them I felt were strange and had no real point of being part of the plot while others got on my last nerve and made me hate them to the depths of my being. Yet there’s a constant theme of damage and vulnerability and “not quite right” kind of personalities that still made them all interesting to read about.

Emotionally
(view spoiler)[I was apprehensive in the beginning because I wasn’t a big fan of the narrative but this book ended up stealing my heart.

The plot is deeper than it seems. We follow Taco, a young guy who’s been dealt with a lot of tragedy in his life but who tries his best to keep a positive attitude with all things. Things take a turn for the crazier as he finds out his girlfriend is pregnant and he does his best to make things great again. I’m going to suggest something that I never have before but that I find completely necessary. Before you read this book, do yourself a favor and read the author’s Goodreads review. You’re probably thinking “Sara, why the hell would I do that? It would obviously be unbiased.” And I’ll explain why. Unfortunately, the cover and synopsis don’t accurate represent the kind of themes and messages this book is trying to convey, his review does. And I am so grateful that Kat, Cristina and I (the two other bloggers I read this with) read that first before delving into the book because it left us a lot more open minded to the actual content. This is not a contemporary romance, this is a coming of age story about a very unlikely, slightly annoying teenage boy who thinks like a teenage boy but with the biggest heart I’ve ever read. Don’t let the cover mislead you because it could turn you off from a book that has a lot more to say than people realize early on. That being said, I was not a fan from the beginning. Taco has a very specific way of thinking which I found naive, obnoxious and downright annoying as hell. It was too young and immature and sometimes even stupid that I even contemplated quitting which I never do. Yet slowly but surely, he won me over, he has incredibly endearing personality. The plot itself was all over the place, there were a lot of things going on at once which is not usually my cup of tea. But it highlighted my favorite part of the book which is Taco’s character development.

Taco is a cute, naive little cinnamon roll you guys. He can easily be annoying which happened to me but he’s really sweet and genuine and wholly convinced that every day is his best day ever. He’s had a really tough life: his mom died when he was young, his dad abandoned him to help keep food and the table and his depressed brother is the person in charge of their life. Yet, he never lets these things get him down at all. However, that kind of mentality starts to take a toll on him, where he tries to make everything great and amazing when it’s not like that at all. He has the toughest time accepting that it’s okay to feel sad and disappointed and frustrated and overwhelmed and how that doesn’t mean he’s the disappointment. I love his growth and how his personality changes over the course of the book and it was the sweetest, most heartbreaking journey I’ve ever read.

My biggest problem is the secondary characters. It was so frustrating to see how the people around Taco did not take into account his state of mind for a really long time. They insulted him and ridiculed him and there were very few people who understood his personality and cared about him enough to get him help and counsel. Those people I really loved, they were so needed that when they finally showed up I just wanted to shout hallelujah to the roof tops. Some of the characters had their own demons to overcome and while I understood that, it still made me incredibly angry how their problems become more important than their supposed loved ones. Yet how unwavering Taco felt about them. It really makes you think and take notice of how you treat the people around you, specially those you love.

Overall, this book took me by surprise, it wasn’t at all what I was expecting. I had a hard time getting into it, but once I did, I fell in love with the main character and his journey. The plot was a little much sometimes and the side characters left a bit to be desired but the effect of the entire book on me was a positive mind. I definitely recommend this book as long as you go into it with an open mind. (hide spoiler)] ...more

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Apr 09, 2016 Karina rated it it was ok

Shelves: netgalley, arc, books-reviewed, mental-health

Seriously, this is the hardest review I had ever made. And I really dont know where to start. So this book review might just be so random and just turn our to be a rant.

The story is told on Tacos point of view. So Taco, our main character - who loves to say dingus almost all the time - is head over heels with Maggie Corrigan. Taco, invited Maggie to be his date on their upcoming prom and Maggie said yes and thats where it all started. Maggie and Taco became officially together.

The story is about ...more

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Feb 04, 2016 Jessica Brooks rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-i-haves, earc, arcs-i-wants, male-pov, teen-pregnancy

Five stars*

Here's the thing. This is Geoff Herbach. I've only read one of Geoff's other YA book so far, but that was enough for me to know that Geoff has a distinct voice. He writes like a teenage guy who may not be the most intelligent thing in the world but has a humacious heart (and a whole lot of things going on that he has no control over). If you don't like Geoff's voice, you probably won't like AYW. (Check out his other books. Read a first chapter online. See if his thing is your sort of Five stars*

Here's the thing. This is Geoff Herbach. I've only read one of Geoff's other YA book so far, but that was enough for me to know that Geoff has a distinct voice. He writes like a teenage guy who may not be the most intelligent thing in the world but has a humacious heart (and a whole lot of things going on that he has no control over). If you don't like Geoff's voice, you probably won't like AYW. (Check out his other books. Read a first chapter online. See if his thing is your sort of thing, too, before assuming he's not going to sound like a guy.)

Personally, I LOVE Geoff's voice. I love how real his books are. I love how you think the narrator is just telling you all of this random stuff (and sometimes you're like, "Okay, TMI...") but the storyline slowly unravels and you begin to understand WHY the characters are doing the dumb stuff they are. I love how even if you think some of them are crazy, or you don't trust them, you suddenly find yourself starting to ROOT for them because they're not just two-dimensional, obnoxious characters, they're REAL. They're the kind of characters you'd want to get to know in real life because they'd bring a smile to your face. They're your friend's brother. Your neighbor across the street. That kid your daughter hangs out with once in a while who seems sweet (but secretly, you feel sorry for them and wish you could just give 'em a big 'ol hug).

Anything You Want is a book about a guy who has lost a lot and has to keep on keeping on, regardless; then does something dumb and has to figure out how to solve a problem that is quite unsolvable. He has had no choice but to grow up, and grow up he does. BUT. His mother has died, his dad is a jerk, his brother's out of control, he's still in high school--and he ACTS LIKE A TEENAGE BOY. (Not some perfect AP student, let's not get all hipster/perfect student/stereotypical here--Taco is just a kid trying to get by the best he knows how with what he's got.) How many teen pregnancies are there? (A lot.) How many times did one or both sexes end up assuming it somehow just wouldn't happen to them? (A lot.) This is not new. This is not surprising. This is, a lot of times, life.

Is Taco naive? YES. Is he probably a little too into Maggie and her sensuous ways? YES. But the kid is young and doing what he can figure out what to do. He's not mature. (He wants to be, of course.) He's flailing around trying to make something of everything and he's doing a dang good job of it, if you ask me. It's his personality; it's the way Geoff wrote him.

And I love him for it. This book isn't just a random character who is a bit naive and ends up a dad way before he planned to. It's a book about love, and growing up, and learning to let go of the things holding you back and being willing to say, "Yeah, this seems like a shitty decision at the moment, and boy have I made a lot of those, but in the big, grand scheme of things, this is the mature way to go." It's about being considerate of others. It's about family.

Like I said, I love Geoff's voice. I love who Taco refers to throughout the entire book. I will read anything Herbach because he is honest and writes real people and brings a whole different voice to the YA table. He writes what people think all the time, and are often too afraid to voice. And honestly, in the world of YA, I think it's pertinent that characters like his come alive. There's a target of readers not often hit (nor necessarily huge in their overall demographic) who would likely read much more often if they were exposed to Geoff's handiwork. YAY for Anything You Want.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

...more

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Jan 22, 2016 Lauren (My Expanding Bookshelf) rated it liked it

Shelves: ya, romance, contemporary, 2-5-star

Actual Rating: 2.5/5

Anything You Want was not what I expected at all. It's a strange book and I did come close to DNF'ing it, but I'm so glad I didn't. It's a very quick, fun read centred around Taco, a boy who finds out his girlfriend is pregnant and also seems to have no luck at all.

For a good portion of Anything You Want, I just did not get Taco at all. I can't make up my mind whether he is naive, overly optimistic or (excuse my language) just plain fucking stupid! Therefore, I've kind of Actual Rating: 2.5/5

Anything You Want was not what I expected at all. It's a strange book and I did come close to DNF'ing it, but I'm so glad I didn't. It's a very quick, fun read centred around Taco, a boy who finds out his girlfriend is pregnant and also seems to have no luck at all.

For a good portion of Anything You Want, I just did not get Taco at all. I can't make up my mind whether he is naive, overly optimistic or (excuse my language) just plain fucking stupid! Therefore, I've kind of decided he's all three. He just cannot get his priorities straight whatsoever and this really annoyed me. He does not act his age at all and is actually immensely immature. However, he has been through a lot in the past few years and this has in a way enabled him to get away with so much. But, by the end of the book, he is almost, but not quite, a completely different person. The character development is amazing. He matures so much and really gets his head straight. And I sort of liked him by the end.

I really felt sorry for Taco's brother, Darius. He's been left to look after Taco yet he still has his own problems himself and can't handle everything. Their dad really is awful for leaving them in such a situation that is in effect poverty. I'm glad the story ended the way it did for both boys and they get the support they deserve.

Maggie, Taco's girlfriend, is another character who I just couldn't comprehend. She is just so unpredictable that you never know what she will say or do next. And she is just so immature. Taco and Maggie together are just a recipe for disaster.

Anything You Want is told from Taco's perspective. It's as unpredictable as it could get with Taco's impulsive decisions and the narrative occasionally veering off on a tangent. However, the ending is probably perfect and, although it is bittersweet, I don't think it could have gone any better for Taco. he actually begins to show some logic by the end so perhaps he isn't as stupid as he makes out. Not all plot points are tied up, but it still finishes neatly with the hope that Taco is on the up.

Far from being my favourite book, Anything You Want is an interesting and unique read. I think I'd recommend it to younger teens though as they might appreciate the humorous side of the story more. I'm not sure if I will read more by Geoff Herbach, but never say never.

I received a copy of Anything You Want via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This review and many more can be found at My Expanding Bookshelf. ...more

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Apr 22, 2016 Christina Mandelski rated it it was amazing

I hardly ever start and finish a book in a day, but I picked up this arc yesterday at TLA and, having enjoyed Geoff's other books, I really wanted to see what was up with Taco, especially given the conflicting reviews I'd browsed. I couldn't put it down. Now I am not this book's target demographic, by any means, I am in my forties and have two teenagers of my own (one more Taco-y than the other). So, as a mom, I wish that Taco & his girlfriend hadn't had all that blissfully clueless, ...more

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Jan 08, 2016 Gae Polisner rated it it was amazing

*this reviewer doesn't generally assign star ratings but is changing her rules for this one book because she loves it so hard and believes it is misunderstood. You may read author Geoff Herbach's note if you are curious as to more about this, here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...*

I really loved this book -- and more importantly its main character Taco Keller -- so hard, and give it ALL THE STARS. I am a huge fan of Herbach's voice as a writer, and this is my favorite of all his YA books ...more

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Feb 07, 2016 Hannah Siddiqui rated it liked it

Started off as the cheesiest, most immature thing I had ever read. Literally. There were plenty of times that I wanted to DNF it, but I'm so glad I stuck it through. Even though it's a solid 2.5 star read (I always round up), the ending was beautiful, and really made up for the rest of the book. Full review to come.

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Dec 14, 2015 Brenda Kahn rated it really liked it

Shelves: unreliable-narrator, first-person, dysfunctional-family, 2016-reading, naive-narrator, teen-pregnancy

Oh Taco, Taco! How I ached for you! Your unrelenting optimism made me wince and want to adopt you!

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May 07, 2016 Cynthia rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, tear-jerking, funny, read-for-review, contemporary, netgalley, 3point5-stars, 2016-released, read-in-2016

View this review and more others on Let's Say It's a Blog.

*Digital ARC was received from publisher through Netgalley*

Rating: 3.5/5

I had such a long complicated journey with this book during the past two weeks.

The blurb promises a story of how a barely-17 years old boy working on to be a bright student, promising drama actor, and perfect dad, all at once. It does sound totally unlikely. Except this is Taco Keller were talking about. Tacoas he earned the nickname ever since forevermight be the ...more

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Apr 10, 2016 Cynthia (Bingeing On Books) rated it it was ok

Shelves: arcs

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Did you ever read one of those books that just made you MAD while reading it? I'm not even talking a little mad here, I am talking full on furious for 85% of the book. Yeah, I was furious with Taco for most of the book, I swear I yelled at him a million times and then somehow I became slightly less angry with him. It was a roller coaster for sure.

Let's talk about the things in this book that had me ranting:

Taco's dad

OMG, ...more

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May 10, 2016 Ari rated it liked it

Original review: The Daydreaming Bookworm

*I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

*2.5 stars!*

William Taco Keller is an easy going fella who is head over heels in love with Maggie Corrigan. They are inseparable, even though Maggies parents disapprove of their relationship. But things get crazy when Taco learns that Maggie is pregnant. Now Taco has to figure out a way to provide for his new family while keeping up with school and staying out of trouble. Sometimes ...more

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Feb 20, 2016 Giselle rated it did not like it

Shelves: damn-it-was-okay, dropped-books, boring-narration, romance, disappointing, arc, netgalley, dnf

*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher (Sourcebooks Fire) via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 53%

Admittedly, I requested this book because of its lovely cover and interesting premise. The cover reminds me of Morgan Matson's books. Since this book is a YA Contemporary with 320 pages, I thought I'll probably just fly through it but oh boy, I was wrong. Anything You Want, titled "Knocked" on my kindle, is a YA Contemporary Fiction that's remarkably underwhelming with *I received an eARC of this book from the publisher (Sourcebooks Fire) via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 53%

Admittedly, I requested this book because of its lovely cover and interesting premise. The cover reminds me of Morgan Matson's books. Since this book is a YA Contemporary with 320 pages, I thought I'll probably just fly through it but oh boy, I was wrong. Anything You Want, titled "Knocked" on my kindle, is a YA Contemporary Fiction that's remarkably underwhelming with a shortsighted, boring narrator. This book deals with Unplanned Pregnancies, Alcoholism, Parental Neglect, Unexpected Adult Responsibilities and UNREALISTIC OPTIMISM.

Taco loves Maggie-even more than the tacos that earned him his nickname. And she loves him right back. Except, all that love? It gets Maggie pregnant.

ANYTHING YOU WANT is not a book you would WANT to read. Taco Keller, our inordinately positive 16 year old narrator, don't take anything seriously. This is a 320 page book, more than half of these pages have been spent on Maggie and Taco engaging in multiple sexual intercourse but none of them was able to think about possible pregnancy or anything related to Birth Control - a ludicrous scenario that's hard to imagine. Both of the characters were markedly immature throughout the book and used optimism the wrong way. Taco was so obsessed with Maggie simply because she's stereotypically beautiful and smexy (an active member of Cheerleading Team) and he's willing to do anything she wants, thus the title. He's willing to take any bait for Maggie because he thinks they're in love with each other.

Taco was not mawkishly sentimental for one but I was sure as hell he's ridiculously naive it's not even funny. He used words like "dingus" and "little friend" (monthly period) multiple times in the book and he thought his girlfriend was possessed by a ghost because of her erratic mood. Are you serious? He didn't even realize that his actions will have some considerable consequence. I think his character was "supposed" to be quirky, silly and entertaining but it turned out hysterically annoying most of the time. I wasn't invested enough with the characters and the narration to continue further with the story. I haven't read any book written by Geoff Herbach but I've heard his book, Stupid Fast, is an award-winning book: Abraham Lincoln Award Nominee (2014), Cybils Award for Young Adult Fiction (2011), Wisconsin Library Association Outstanding Book Award (2012).

*Thank you Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for the advanced copy.
Review also posted here: Utopian Boulevard ...more

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Feb 10, 2016 Mandy Peterson rated it really liked it

If you did not finish this book, you did yourself a disservice. The few chapters at the end had me in tears - good tears but it was hard seeing two teenagers having to grow up so fast. Their sudden growth was a little brutal after all of the positivity and impulsiveness in the preceding pages.
Let me go back. Taco is relentlessly upbeat. I mean, RE-LENT-LESS-LY. As the story goes on, he explains why and how it is a coping mechanism and what happens when he acknowledges that life isn't roses wall ...more

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Apr 20, 2016 Aimie rated it did not like it

Shelves: read-2016, young-adult, arc

Anything You Want is a contemporary YA standalone.

Anything You Want mainly revolves around Taco getting Maggie, his girlfriend, pregnant. I don't know what to say...

Taco is such a weird character to read. He was clueless throughout the majority of the novel and let me feeling that his mindset was definitely younger than his real age. He, nor Maggie, did not consider putting on a condom or even getting on birth control (really, anything would have done the trick people). This let me feeling ...more

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May 02, 2016 Boundless Book Reviews rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult, lissa-s-reviews, humor

(1.5 stars)
Im not really sure how I feel about this book. It was ok, but didnt grab me. And to be honest Im not a fan of Taco. He seemed oblivious to the world. I really couldnt understand him. He drove me bonkers.

Taco, is a high schooler and has been love with Maggie for quite some time. Like any normal teenager they decided to do something, without exactly thinking of the consequences. He gets himself into so much trouble. Its gotta be difficult to live without his mother and his father. Who ...more

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May 20, 2016 Connie rated it really liked it

Shelves: ebooks, free-copies, netgalley, read-in-2016, brcmay2016

Source: I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for a honest review from the publisher, via Netgalley, with thanks to both!
Cost: Free

Title: Anything You Want
Author: Geoff Herbach
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Overall Rating: 4 stars

This book is very close to being a favourite. Simply because I think Geoff Herbach has a genius and comedic writing style, and I love that in my YA almost as much as I love angst. This book pairs angst and comedy with such a difficult topic like teenage ...more

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May 08, 2018 Dove rated it it was amazing

BRO THIS BOOK IS SO DUMB BUT I LOVED IT SO MUCH! LIKE AS I WAS READING IT, I WAS AWARE OF HOW DUMB IT WAS, BUT I WAS ADDICTED! It's like super entertaining in a childish rubbish kind of way. It was so dumb that I wanted to know what would happen, so I couldn't stop reading it. It was just so funny, and light-hearted, it was a good mind-numbing book to read as a break from school work. I got through it super fast, and I hate to admit but I really enjoyed it thoroughly. It's about this guy, who ...more

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Jul 10, 2018 Sue Holmes rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary, arc, 2016, beating-the-backlist-2018-challenge

*Review copy received from publisher

A rather strange but oddly compelling story of a very naive stumbling through life.
The cover is very misleading.

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Dec 05, 2015 Rachel's Book Reviews rated it did not like it

Shelves: read-in-2016

.5 - DNF.

I've been trying to read this book since the 5th of December.
It's driving me out of my ever dingus-loving mind.

I don't even know WTF I read. I really don't.

I don't know what kind of drug Geoff is on, but it has definitely started rotting his brain. I think Taco was supposed to be some kind of manic-pixie dream boy, but that's definitely not what he is.

What Taco is, is dumber than a post. Like, too stupid to live, dumb. I don't like throwing stuff like that around. I really don't. ...more

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Apr 18, 2016 Cristina (My Tiny Obsessions) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Read full review HERE

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I will admit that when I requested this book, I thought it was a regular contemporary young adult romance, and well Im so happy it was not! I never felt so emotionally drained as the moment that I finished reading this book. I sobbed! Yes, I cry easily on books, that is very true, but I dont SOB that often. This book had me sobbing ugly by the end, as in, I was crying so damn much that I couldnt really see the letters

I liked the book from the start, because Taco was an Read full review HERE

description

I will admit that when I requested this book, I thought it was a regular contemporary young adult romance, and well… I’m so happy it was not! I never felt so emotionally drained as the moment that I finished reading this book. I sobbed! Yes, I cry easily on books, that is very true, but I don’t SOB that often. This book had me sobbing ugly by the end, as in, I was crying so damn much that I couldn’t really see the letters…

I liked the book from the start, because Taco was an unbelievable narrator. The story was told in such a funny way, that until about 45% of the book, I was laughing out loud like a crazy person. I loved Taco right away!

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I don’t even know how to best describe Taco as a character, because he was the most unique protagonist that I ever read. He’s such a good, fun and optimistic person, even if he sometimes is a bit delusional. But I understood why he was delusional like that, which made me appreciate his take on life all the much more. I wouldn’t be able to see life like he did, if I had gone through what he did. So, kudos Taco, you truly are a gem!

The pregnancy situation is just a drop on the ocean mess that Taco’s life, but even though it was a bit crazy, I loved how he faced the situation: life dealt him lemons, he tried to make lemonade. He loved Maggie, loved the peanut size baby, he wanted to be the best person/dad/boyfriend/student/ everything he could be, and he gave it his best. And he did it all alone.

What really got to me was how no one was there for a person who tried to be there for everybody. Things as simple as one of his friends bringing him meatball subs, had me tearing up, and it will do the same to you, once you realize that Taco doesn’t have food at home. Still, with nothing to eat, being an awesome student, doing extracurricular activities, volunteer work, taking care of himself and his house (and his pregnant girlfriend), he still manages to work so he can give money to his very ungrateful “lady pal”… I wanted to kick Maggie’s ass…

This book kind of destroyed me, people. It was all about growing up and how sometimes doing what’s best, is not the same as doing what makes you happy.

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I loved Taco, and I wish there were more of him in this world. I was glad that someone stepped up to help him, because no 17 yo kid should have to take as much as he did. I would urge you to read this book! It’s so good! It made me see some things in a totally different light… ...more

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Dec 29, 2015 Madi ~☆TheBookNerdDiaries☆~ rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: dnf, netgalley-arc-s, read-but-deleted-for-space

*I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and this has in no way affected the contents of this review.*

DNF at 12% and a whopping total of 0 stars. This book was annoying as heck. I'm not against positivity or anything but Taco (Yep, he is literally named Taco.) was so happy about everything. His dog could have died and he probably would have been like "Yay! He'll watch over me now and yada yada yada *insert peppy things here*!"

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