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The Great American Whatever
From the award-winning author of Five, Six, Seven, Nate! and Better Nate Than Ever comes “a Holden Caulfield for a new generation” ( Kirkus Reviews , starred review).
Quinn Roberts is a sixteen-year-old smart aleck and Hollywood hopeful whose only worry used to be writing convincing dialogue for the movies he made with his sister Annabeth. Of course, that was all before—before Quinn stopped going to school, before his mom started sleeping on the sofa…and before the car accident that changed everything.
Geoff, Quinn’s best friend who insists it’s time that Quinn came out—at least from hibernation. One haircut later, Geoff drags Quinn to his first college party, where instead of nursing his pain, he meets a guy—okay, a hot guy—and falls, hard. What follows is an upside-down week in which Quinn begins imagining his future as a screenplay that might actually have a happily-ever-after ending—if, that is, he can finally step back into the starring role of his own life story.
Quinn Roberts is a sixteen-year-old smart aleck and Hollywood hopeful whose only worry used to be writing convincing dialogue for the movies he made with his sister Annabeth. Of course, that was all before—before Quinn stopped going to school, before his mom started sleeping on the sofa…and before the car accident that changed everything.
Geoff, Quinn’s best friend who insists it’s time that Quinn came out—at least from hibernation. One haircut later, Geoff drags Quinn to his first college party, where instead of nursing his pain, he meets a guy—okay, a hot guy—and falls, hard. What follows is an upside-down week in which Quinn begins imagining his future as a screenplay that might actually have a happily-ever-after ending—if, that is, he can finally step back into the starring role of his own life story.
304 pages, Paperback
First published March 29, 2016
135 people are currently reading
9699 people want to read
About the author
Tim Federle
19 books701 followersTim Federle is the showrunner and executive producer of "High School Musical: the Musical: the Series," which he created for Disney+. His novels include the New York Times Notable Book "Better Nate Than Ever" and its Lambda Literature Award–winning sequel—which Lin-Manuel Miranda called “a wonderful evocation of what it’s like to be a theater kid” (New York Times). A film adaptation of Nate, written and directed by Federle, premiered on Disney+ on April 1, 2022. The film stars Aria Brooks, Joshua Bassett, Lisa Kudrow, and Rueby Wood as Nate.
Tim’s hit series of cocktail recipe books, including "Tequila Mockingbird," have sold over half a million copies worldwide. He cowrote the Broadway musical adaptation of "Tuck Everlasting," and won the Humanitas Prize for cowriting the Golden Globe and Academy Award–nominated Best Animated Feature "Ferdinand," starring John Cena and Kate McKinnon.
A former Broadway dancer, Tim was born in San Francisco, grew up in Pittsburgh, and now divides his time between Los Angeles and the internet.
Tim’s hit series of cocktail recipe books, including "Tequila Mockingbird," have sold over half a million copies worldwide. He cowrote the Broadway musical adaptation of "Tuck Everlasting," and won the Humanitas Prize for cowriting the Golden Globe and Academy Award–nominated Best Animated Feature "Ferdinand," starring John Cena and Kate McKinnon.
A former Broadway dancer, Tim was born in San Francisco, grew up in Pittsburgh, and now divides his time between Los Angeles and the internet.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,025 reviews
April 3, 2016
My rating has moved between 4 and 2 stars, then halfway back again. There are definitely good things about The Great American Whatever, but I honestly just want to tell you to read Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda instead. It has all the warm, funny bits but without the self-masturbatory writing style, overdone loss of a loved one, and tedious film trivia.
As I said, though, this is not really a negative review. I really enjoyed some of the humour, especially in the beginning, mostly because the narrator - Quinn - is cynical and sarcastic. His morning negativity is relatable and really funny:
Made me giggle.
And if I'm being honest, I can totally see why this book has gotten so many starred reviews. It's a book with diverse characters, a nice LGBT romance, a nice road to recovery from grief aided by said romance, and a quirky "outsider" protagonist who knows everything about movies. It goes down smooth and easy, while doing absolutely nothing new.
It's almost like the author was working off a checklist: diversity... check. Romance... check. Loss of a family member and subsequent getting on with one's life... check. What does this book actually do that a number of others don't? Where does it stand out? I can't tell you.
At least Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda is just a funny book that doesn't take itself too seriously. This book reminds me of novels like The Fault in Our Stars and Mosquitoland where everything is so contrived, so deep and meaningful that you can feel the author giving themselves a self-congratulatory pat on the back while writing. I'm amazed that people see these philosophers as the "perfect voices of YA" when I cringe every time I remind myself they're supposed to be teens!
This review sounds really negative, so I'll say once again that this book is fun in parts and I liked the portrayal of a platonic relationship between a gay teen and his straight male friend But books have been doing what this book does a lot over the past few years and, of them all, this isn't even close to being the most memorable.
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As I said, though, this is not really a negative review. I really enjoyed some of the humour, especially in the beginning, mostly because the narrator - Quinn - is cynical and sarcastic. His morning negativity is relatable and really funny:
It actually sounds amazing to dive into the pool right now. A freezing one. Headfirst. In the shallow end.
If I took out my broken AC and cracked the window, I’d have to confront the reality that I might hear, like, birds, or worse: the merry squeals of neighborhood children. And who has the stomach for that kind of unannounced joy at this hour?
Made me giggle.
And if I'm being honest, I can totally see why this book has gotten so many starred reviews. It's a book with diverse characters, a nice LGBT romance, a nice road to recovery from grief aided by said romance, and a quirky "outsider" protagonist who knows everything about movies. It goes down smooth and easy, while doing absolutely nothing new.
It's almost like the author was working off a checklist: diversity... check. Romance... check. Loss of a family member and subsequent getting on with one's life... check. What does this book actually do that a number of others don't? Where does it stand out? I can't tell you.
At least Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda is just a funny book that doesn't take itself too seriously. This book reminds me of novels like The Fault in Our Stars and Mosquitoland where everything is so contrived, so deep and meaningful that you can feel the author giving themselves a self-congratulatory pat on the back while writing. I'm amazed that people see these philosophers as the "perfect voices of YA" when I cringe every time I remind myself they're supposed to be teens!
This review sounds really negative, so I'll say once again that this book is fun in parts and I liked the portrayal of a platonic relationship between a gay teen and his straight male friend But books have been doing what this book does a lot over the past few years and, of them all, this isn't even close to being the most memorable.
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June 23, 2021
This was so bad that I immediately deleted it from my precious brain.
Immediately I remember very little of this, because I hated it desperately and I wanted to never think about it again.
I do remember that the romance was Bad Vibes, including sex pressure, and the friendships were Bad Vibes, including a lot of lying and a lot of dramatic departures at the reveal of said lying, and the family stuff was Bad Vibes, including a newly dead member and an oblivious member, and the protagonist was Bad Vibes, mostly due to the fact that he was intolerably annoying and unbearably full of himself.
So I guess I do remember more than I'd like.
Bottom line: Not my favorite!
--------------
remind me not to do that again.
review to come / like 1 star? yikes
--------------
going into this blind just because i like the title.
life: i live it on the edge.
--------------
reading all books with LGBTQ+ rep for pride this month!
book 1: the gravity of us
book 2: the great american whatever
Immediately I remember very little of this, because I hated it desperately and I wanted to never think about it again.
I do remember that the romance was Bad Vibes, including sex pressure, and the friendships were Bad Vibes, including a lot of lying and a lot of dramatic departures at the reveal of said lying, and the family stuff was Bad Vibes, including a newly dead member and an oblivious member, and the protagonist was Bad Vibes, mostly due to the fact that he was intolerably annoying and unbearably full of himself.
So I guess I do remember more than I'd like.
Bottom line: Not my favorite!
--------------
remind me not to do that again.
review to come / like 1 star? yikes
--------------
going into this blind just because i like the title.
life: i live it on the edge.
--------------
reading all books with LGBTQ+ rep for pride this month!
book 1: the gravity of us
book 2: the great american whatever
March 4, 2017
this my favorite book of 2016
May 1, 2016
I started out loving this book and then I just went back and forth between loving and being a little bit bored. But that's okay, not all books can blow you away.
Some Spoilers
I loved Quinn and I felt so sorry for him in losing his sister and his father left. I felt bad for his mother too. It's like they both just gave up for several months and I can understand that, totally!
Quinn's sweet friend Geoff decides to start dragging Quinn out and then sets him up with his first boyfriend. It was sweet and something Quinn needed.
The end was really good but there was one part where Quinn was reading messages on his phone that just about broke my heart. I'm going to leave it there because I don't write reviews good enough to explain without major spoilers.
Lets end with some EXCERPTS
"Dude," he says, grabbing for his nose and laughing through his hand. Evidently it smells like I haven't had a shower in a month-ish, which I haven't-ish. "Your room makes me embarrased to be a teenage boy," Geoff says, stepping inside. "And that's saying something, because I literally name my farts, for Pete's sake."
Poor Pete. Who is Pete? And why do people do such terrible things, just for his sake?
•••••••
"Hey," Geoff says. "What happened to your head?"
I look back at the bathroom floor. A severe clump of my hair is lying in a heap by the sink, like it was making a prison break from my scalp and got gunned down. (If you haven't seen Escape from Alcatraz, by the way, put it on the list. Great movie.)
•••••••
"It's hot as balls in here," some guy shouts from the couch.
Carly hands me a 7UP (not Sprite--and yes, there's a difference), and some girl goes, "I love this song," and pulls up the "hot as balls" guy (temperature, not looks; like definitely not my type) from the couch, and they start dancing around a little. The guy's got moves, but the girl is all elbows and knees, and I find myself staring at these mystical college people in a way that might be bordering on stalker-ish if I'm not careful.
"You look like a stalker, Quinn," Geoff says, sneaking up and holding out a little plate of carrots.
"Jesus," I say, "are you off to feed a bunny or something?"
•••••••
He puts his hat back on. "Quinn, I've known for, like, ever. Unless you're confessing that you're in love with me--"
He stops. His face goes a little white. "Oh God, I mean--if you are, I'd be flattered, but--"
"Ew, Geoff. Please. You name your farts. Seriously."
I certainly had a good time with these two best friends and their banter. They were hilarious together most of the time and Geoff was sensitive to Quinn's sadness and what not. He even brought those little carrots for Quinn to eat because Quinn and his mom had only been eating crap food for months.
Anyway, I did enjoy the book and I loved the boys. They were a hoot!
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
Some Spoilers
I loved Quinn and I felt so sorry for him in losing his sister and his father left. I felt bad for his mother too. It's like they both just gave up for several months and I can understand that, totally!
Quinn's sweet friend Geoff decides to start dragging Quinn out and then sets him up with his first boyfriend. It was sweet and something Quinn needed.
The end was really good but there was one part where Quinn was reading messages on his phone that just about broke my heart. I'm going to leave it there because I don't write reviews good enough to explain without major spoilers.
Lets end with some EXCERPTS
"Dude," he says, grabbing for his nose and laughing through his hand. Evidently it smells like I haven't had a shower in a month-ish, which I haven't-ish. "Your room makes me embarrased to be a teenage boy," Geoff says, stepping inside. "And that's saying something, because I literally name my farts, for Pete's sake."
Poor Pete. Who is Pete? And why do people do such terrible things, just for his sake?
•••••••
"Hey," Geoff says. "What happened to your head?"
I look back at the bathroom floor. A severe clump of my hair is lying in a heap by the sink, like it was making a prison break from my scalp and got gunned down. (If you haven't seen Escape from Alcatraz, by the way, put it on the list. Great movie.)
•••••••
"It's hot as balls in here," some guy shouts from the couch.
Carly hands me a 7UP (not Sprite--and yes, there's a difference), and some girl goes, "I love this song," and pulls up the "hot as balls" guy (temperature, not looks; like definitely not my type) from the couch, and they start dancing around a little. The guy's got moves, but the girl is all elbows and knees, and I find myself staring at these mystical college people in a way that might be bordering on stalker-ish if I'm not careful.
"You look like a stalker, Quinn," Geoff says, sneaking up and holding out a little plate of carrots.
"Jesus," I say, "are you off to feed a bunny or something?"
•••••••
He puts his hat back on. "Quinn, I've known for, like, ever. Unless you're confessing that you're in love with me--"
He stops. His face goes a little white. "Oh God, I mean--if you are, I'd be flattered, but--"
"Ew, Geoff. Please. You name your farts. Seriously."
I certainly had a good time with these two best friends and their banter. They were hilarious together most of the time and Geoff was sensitive to Quinn's sadness and what not. He even brought those little carrots for Quinn to eat because Quinn and his mom had only been eating crap food for months.
Anyway, I did enjoy the book and I loved the boys. They were a hoot!
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
March 31, 2016
I'd rate this 3.5 stars.
"When I'm about to do something that makes me nervous, I imagine how the ideal screenplay version of events would play out. As in: I wish my life were a screenplay that I could write. Because if you leave it all up to fate, who knows how your movie's going to turn out? So far mine's a fairly standard coming-of-age LGBT genre film, with a somewhat macabre horror twist."
The last six months have been quite tough for 16-year-old Quinn Roberts. There was a time when all he really cared about was writing screenplays for movies his sister Annabeth would direct, hanging out with his best friend Geoff, and trying to work up the courage to come out of the closet. But that was before the car accident which changed everything, leaving him and his mother to wallow in their grief and basically hibernate in their house. Quinn hasn't been to school, or even in public, in six months, and he certainly hasn't thought about writing any more screenplays.
Geoff has decided six months of grief is enough, and he's determined to get Quinn out of the house and back into life again. And he's pulling Quinn straight into the deep end, taking him to his first college party, where he meets Amir, a guy (a college guy!) who gets his pulse racing. But how do you try to charm someone when your knack for witty dialogue has abandoned you?
Quinn is unprepared for how Amir makes him feel, despite the fact he can never do or say the right thing when he's around him. (And don't even talk about their bowling date.) But what Quinn is even less prepared for is the secrets that everyone has been keeping with him. How was life going on around him and he wasn't even aware of what was happening among those he cared about? Should he feel betrayed, angry, sad, or some combination of all three? And how is he supposed to get on with his life?
The Great American Whatever is a sweet, sappy, quirky book about how you find the strength to pull your life together when it's been ripped apart. It's about friendship, love, infatuation, grief, secrets, and the movies—not in that order. And it's about finding out the things you've always believed in aren't always true. You really feel for Quinn, even if you wish that someone in his life would just shake him from time to time to snap him out of his funk. But that being said, he's definitely a memorable character.
I enjoyed this book, although I felt Quinn's narration a little hard to follow at times, but I guess that was a reflection of his ADD. Tim Federle draws you into the story very quickly, and makes you care about these characters. It's definitely a book that makes you smile, makes you chuckle, and may even make you tear up from time to time. This is another book I'm so glad kids coming to terms with their sexuality will have to rely on.
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
"When I'm about to do something that makes me nervous, I imagine how the ideal screenplay version of events would play out. As in: I wish my life were a screenplay that I could write. Because if you leave it all up to fate, who knows how your movie's going to turn out? So far mine's a fairly standard coming-of-age LGBT genre film, with a somewhat macabre horror twist."
The last six months have been quite tough for 16-year-old Quinn Roberts. There was a time when all he really cared about was writing screenplays for movies his sister Annabeth would direct, hanging out with his best friend Geoff, and trying to work up the courage to come out of the closet. But that was before the car accident which changed everything, leaving him and his mother to wallow in their grief and basically hibernate in their house. Quinn hasn't been to school, or even in public, in six months, and he certainly hasn't thought about writing any more screenplays.
Geoff has decided six months of grief is enough, and he's determined to get Quinn out of the house and back into life again. And he's pulling Quinn straight into the deep end, taking him to his first college party, where he meets Amir, a guy (a college guy!) who gets his pulse racing. But how do you try to charm someone when your knack for witty dialogue has abandoned you?
Quinn is unprepared for how Amir makes him feel, despite the fact he can never do or say the right thing when he's around him. (And don't even talk about their bowling date.) But what Quinn is even less prepared for is the secrets that everyone has been keeping with him. How was life going on around him and he wasn't even aware of what was happening among those he cared about? Should he feel betrayed, angry, sad, or some combination of all three? And how is he supposed to get on with his life?
The Great American Whatever is a sweet, sappy, quirky book about how you find the strength to pull your life together when it's been ripped apart. It's about friendship, love, infatuation, grief, secrets, and the movies—not in that order. And it's about finding out the things you've always believed in aren't always true. You really feel for Quinn, even if you wish that someone in his life would just shake him from time to time to snap him out of his funk. But that being said, he's definitely a memorable character.
I enjoyed this book, although I felt Quinn's narration a little hard to follow at times, but I guess that was a reflection of his ADD. Tim Federle draws you into the story very quickly, and makes you care about these characters. It's definitely a book that makes you smile, makes you chuckle, and may even make you tear up from time to time. This is another book I'm so glad kids coming to terms with their sexuality will have to rely on.
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
February 4, 2016
Here it is folks: my first great read of 2016. So great in fact, that I think it will still be one of my best reads of the year when the year is actually, you know, over. I laughed (a lot), I blubbered (a lot), and wished a million times that more authors (especially YA authors) wrote with a voice as unique, effortlessly hilarious, and emotionally spot-on as Tim Federle.
Full disclosure: I had a major author-crush on TF the minute I picked up Better Nate Than Ever, which quickly turned into full-on author-love after Five, Six, Seven, Nate -- and now, after TGAW, I'm pretty sure we've entered into a lifelong, committed author-librarian relationship. Where you lead, I will follow, Tim Federle. Anywhere. That you tell me to.
Full disclosure: I had a major author-crush on TF the minute I picked up Better Nate Than Ever, which quickly turned into full-on author-love after Five, Six, Seven, Nate -- and now, after TGAW, I'm pretty sure we've entered into a lifelong, committed author-librarian relationship. Where you lead, I will follow, Tim Federle. Anywhere. That you tell me to.
October 17, 2019
I think it's safe to say the rating here is three and a half stars. I feel that is just, more than fair. Don't get me wrong, the novel is great, American, but it is also a whatever; I came off it feeling duped and maybe a little swindled by it. Like some people, books should be refundable too, by that I mean, we should be able to unread them and forget that we ever read them in the first place. I don't regret reading this, I just wished it had more, more to offer, that it was more. And then again, I didn't want to stop reading it, so it was skillful. But like most first time joys, it was too frustrating to be truly joyous, I did enjoy most of it, ugh I don't know! Great cover though. I am listening to Ár Var Alda by Warduna and it's obviously affecting me.
Okay, we need to talk about Quinn Roberts. Our Designated Driver (No, not Ryan Gosling:)) here. He was full of it, full of himself. He was vulnerable, sad, insightful, giving, selfish, irritating, poignantly funny. He annoyed me, he amused me. In other words, he was real. It's not what he wasn't charming, he did charm me. But man, was he self-centered. Listen, I like self-centered characters. I am one in most of the stories. But Quinn just takes the prize here. I mean, I loved his friend Geoff, who kinda reminded me of Alo Creevey from the third generation of Skins, that's how I pictured Geoff anyways. I even liked Quinn's sister and she was fucking dead. Spoilers, I think? And that was his whole arc, by the way, not being gay or coming out. (Also, I can easily see Brie Larson or Melissa Benoist playing Annabeth in the movie, if they end up making one)
Another thing, maybe it is a very personal pet peeve, but I am not a fan of when they try to sell you a book saying its main character is Holden of this generation. Um, how about no. How about letting a YA book featuring a troubled teen stand on its own merits? When the fact of the matter is, I didn't even like the original Holden. I loved Catcher in the Rye and what he had to say but he didn't really do anything; he decided to go and then he decided to stay. Compared to Holden, Quinn did loads. To me, there is only one who could have been the next Holden and that's the protagonist of Back Roads by Tawni O'Dell, and even Harley Altmyer wasn't anything like Phoebe's brother.
I am not sure if this book was marketed as gay YA, but it felt like just normal fiction to me, mainstream which is good. Maybe it's my dislike of sub-genres or labels in general. Though I was expecting this to be, well, heavy. Funny thing, I thought this would be more like Ari and Dante and that one to be like this. Light.
Like many others, I wasn't feeling the whole Amir angle, he was just too bland. I guess, he was there to move the plot along, which is fine. It is just, there was nothing there, their relationship felt empty, but that wasn't even the most egregious part. What irked me was the tired trope of getting over the death of a loved one bit. Was not expecting that at all.
I must say that for some reason this novel kept reminding me of Perks of Being a Wallflower, the movie, not the book.
I probably didn't read the synopsis right, I thought this would be about Quinn making movies with his sister Annabeth. Whatever happened to that novel? Where was that? I would have read it, and I am sure of it, cherished it as well.
July 20, 2017
Finally finished this book! It was really pretty good once I sat down and finished it. Check out my full review on my booktube channel at http://www.youtube.com/peterlikesbooks
September 26, 2016
Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars!
I wasn’t quite sure what to think about The Great American Whatever before I started reading it. I had recently read a few other young adult contemporaries and a few of them also dealt with LGBTQ+ themes. It’s not like The Great American Whatever had bad reviews, I had actually heard a lot of fantastic things about it, but for some reason I was a little hesitant to start reading it. Something similar happened to me not too long ago after I read too many psychological thrillers consecutively. They all started to blend together. What could have potentially been a terrific psychological thriller got a low star rating from me, possibly just because I was bored of the genre. I didn’t want this to happen with The Great American Whatever, but I did have it on my #ReadThemAllThon TBR and it was time to take a chance, bite the bullet and jump right in.
The Great American Whatever tells the story of a teenaged boy named Quinn who has just lost his older sister to a terrible car accident. Quinn is struggling to move forward and hasn’t been able to go to school, interact with his best friend Geoff or simply leave his house since it happened. That is until Geoff finally convinces Quinn to go to a college party with him. It’s there that he meets the mysterious and attractive Amir.
The writing style was so fantastic within this novel. It had me laughing and chuckling constantly and I absolutely enjoyed the hell out of reading it. It was so casual and relatable and I just never wanted it to end. The Great American Whatever is definitely one of the best coming of age stories I’ve read in a long time. While it was definitely funny and witty, it also dealt with some heavier topics. We learn about the death of Quinn’s sister and the tragic details that led to her death. The Great American Whatever is full of life lessons that all teens, and even 20-somethings like myself, should definitely read about.
What I loved the most about The Great American Whatever was, even though it definitely did feature a romantic relationship, it also focused on friendship and the bond between Quinn and Geoff. Best friends are just as important as love interests, especially within young adult fiction. It’s amazing to read about the ups and downs between two best friends, sometimes more-so than the ups and downs within a romantic relationship. I absolutely loved reading about the friendship between Quinn and Geoff.
As mentioned, The Great American Whatever is one of the best coming of age stories that I’ve read in a while. I’m so glad that after my initial hesitation, I decided to finally pick it up and give it a read. I’m also extremely eager to read more from Tim Federle because honestly, his writing style is perfection. The Great American Whatever is definitely a book that will stay with me for a long time.
--
Initial Post Reading Thoughts:
I loved this. The writing style was fantastic. I absolutely loved the voice that Tim Federle gave our main character, Quinn. This was a beautiful coming of age story that friendships, first loves and terrible losses.
April 5, 2016
Tight, snappy writing with just enough humor and sorrow. Brilliant.
February 2, 2017
Quite The Novel Idea ~ Words from the Clouds
4.5 stars
This is Tim Federle's first YA book and it's fantastic. Just wanted to mention that right away. I love Tim Federle's books. I've read two so far (still haven't gotten to Five Six Seven Nate, sorry!) and both I loved. And you know what, I'm going to add this author to my author auto-buy list. There. Now let's talk about this book a bit, shall we?
The writing in this book is perfect for me. I just loved Quinn's voice. There was a lot of humor and I laughed a lot reading this, which I liked. Because this story could have been so depressing and I would've enjoyed it a lot less if it were. I loved the 4th-wall-breaking in the narration. I always love that, because it's funny and reminds me of Deadpool, who is awesome. There are also a few short snippets in screenplay form and I loved that too because it added a lot to the story and Quinn's character. Honestly, there are SO many quotable lines in this book. So go read it because it would be rude to just copy & paste the whole book in my review. Yes, of course I loved the story itself too. Why wouldn't I?
But, like is usually the case for me, it's the characters and their relations that stand out to me. Characters can, for me at least, make or break a story. I need to love them and connect with them and root for them. And I did all of that with the set of characters in this story. I loved Quinn's mom. I loved Geoff, Quinn's best friend. I loved their relationships with Quinn. Quinn and his mom have such a beautiful relationship and it was so nice to read about a teenage boy that genuinly loves his mom. I loved the bromance between Geoff and Quinn. Their friendship is so great and I loved the two of them together.
So yes, I love Quinn. So much so that I'm adding him to my favorite characters list. I love his humor. I love his voice, his love for old movies,... I just love his entire personality and I really felt for him and I wanted to jump into the book and give him a hug. I love how he deals with his sister's death and how realistic it felt. Really, I just want him as my friend. There's a sorta kinda romance with a guy named Amir but I didn't get into that completely. It never felt like a real romance. But that's okay, because the romance was just about the last thing that mattered in this book.
So should you read this book? Hell yes you do. The Great American Whatever is a funny and touching story that contemporary fans absolutely must read.
4.5 stars
This is Tim Federle's first YA book and it's fantastic. Just wanted to mention that right away. I love Tim Federle's books. I've read two so far (still haven't gotten to Five Six Seven Nate, sorry!) and both I loved. And you know what, I'm going to add this author to my author auto-buy list. There. Now let's talk about this book a bit, shall we?
The writing in this book is perfect for me. I just loved Quinn's voice. There was a lot of humor and I laughed a lot reading this, which I liked. Because this story could have been so depressing and I would've enjoyed it a lot less if it were. I loved the 4th-wall-breaking in the narration. I always love that, because it's funny and reminds me of Deadpool, who is awesome. There are also a few short snippets in screenplay form and I loved that too because it added a lot to the story and Quinn's character. Honestly, there are SO many quotable lines in this book. So go read it because it would be rude to just copy & paste the whole book in my review. Yes, of course I loved the story itself too. Why wouldn't I?
But, like is usually the case for me, it's the characters and their relations that stand out to me. Characters can, for me at least, make or break a story. I need to love them and connect with them and root for them. And I did all of that with the set of characters in this story. I loved Quinn's mom. I loved Geoff, Quinn's best friend. I loved their relationships with Quinn. Quinn and his mom have such a beautiful relationship and it was so nice to read about a teenage boy that genuinly loves his mom. I loved the bromance between Geoff and Quinn. Their friendship is so great and I loved the two of them together.
So yes, I love Quinn. So much so that I'm adding him to my favorite characters list. I love his humor. I love his voice, his love for old movies,... I just love his entire personality and I really felt for him and I wanted to jump into the book and give him a hug. I love how he deals with his sister's death and how realistic it felt. Really, I just want him as my friend. There's a sorta kinda romance with a guy named Amir but I didn't get into that completely. It never felt like a real romance. But that's okay, because the romance was just about the last thing that mattered in this book.
So should you read this book? Hell yes you do. The Great American Whatever is a funny and touching story that contemporary fans absolutely must read.
April 4, 2016
3 stars overall with 4 stars for some parts in the later half of the book and near the end.
*edit: rating changed *
---
If I took out my broken AC and cracked the window, I’d have to confront the reality that I might hear, like, birds, or worse: the merry squeals of neighborhood children. And who has the stomach for that kind of unannounced joy at this hour?
Quinn and I are on the same page with not being morning people, give me a few hours to connect with the waking world haha.
This one intrigued me right away when I saw the blurb on Amazon. While it didn't blow me away completely, it is still a very good read that was hard to put down at times. It doesn't stand out in a big way, but holds its own well.
Pros:
The cover and Quinn's name (shallow? oh well :-P)
The writing kept me interested/engaged
Amir and Quinn's romance/courtship, whatever you want to call it :)
The humor
Geoff and Quinn's friendship
The fact it took place in Pittsburgh... always fun to read a novel set in your home state and a city you've been to quite a few times (It was my first road trip, 2007).
It mentions Kennywood! :-D. I squealed and told my friend who laughed at my glee ;-) I was right there with Quinn and the gang as they went on the Jack Rabbit and hit the food stands.
One particular scene between Ricky and Quinn that leads to something else that me smiling big later on.
Quinn's passion for movies
Cons/so-so's:
Even though I felt bad for Quinn and his mom losing Annabeth, I never felt fully invested emotionally (perhaps this was intended, as Quinn was keeping himself numb?)
The 'scenes' Quinn wrote out in his mind for certain parts of the story... it threw me out of what was going on and broke up the flow a bit.
It felt like hanging out with an old friend with Quinn, but it was hard to connect with him fully.
---
The ending had me wanting to give Quinn and his mom a big hug... crossing my fingers for both of em.
This review is a bit all over the place (partly due to goodreads deleting my first one, grr) but partly because I am of two minds on the story itself. I loved it, but not in love with it as a whole.
All in all, I would recommend... a nice way to escape the real world for a few hours and make a new friend... missing Quinn already but not sure if will be re-reading it at all.
*edit: rating changed *
---
If I took out my broken AC and cracked the window, I’d have to confront the reality that I might hear, like, birds, or worse: the merry squeals of neighborhood children. And who has the stomach for that kind of unannounced joy at this hour?
Quinn and I are on the same page with not being morning people, give me a few hours to connect with the waking world haha.
This one intrigued me right away when I saw the blurb on Amazon. While it didn't blow me away completely, it is still a very good read that was hard to put down at times. It doesn't stand out in a big way, but holds its own well.
Pros:
The cover and Quinn's name (shallow? oh well :-P)
The writing kept me interested/engaged
Amir and Quinn's romance/courtship, whatever you want to call it :)
The humor
Geoff and Quinn's friendship
The fact it took place in Pittsburgh... always fun to read a novel set in your home state and a city you've been to quite a few times (It was my first road trip, 2007).
It mentions Kennywood! :-D. I squealed and told my friend who laughed at my glee ;-) I was right there with Quinn and the gang as they went on the Jack Rabbit and hit the food stands.
One particular scene between Ricky and Quinn that leads to something else that me smiling big later on.
Quinn's passion for movies
Cons/so-so's:
Even though I felt bad for Quinn and his mom losing Annabeth, I never felt fully invested emotionally (perhaps this was intended, as Quinn was keeping himself numb?)
The 'scenes' Quinn wrote out in his mind for certain parts of the story... it threw me out of what was going on and broke up the flow a bit.
It felt like hanging out with an old friend with Quinn, but it was hard to connect with him fully.
---
The ending had me wanting to give Quinn and his mom a big hug... crossing my fingers for both of em.
This review is a bit all over the place (partly due to goodreads deleting my first one, grr) but partly because I am of two minds on the story itself. I loved it, but not in love with it as a whole.
All in all, I would recommend... a nice way to escape the real world for a few hours and make a new friend... missing Quinn already but not sure if will be re-reading it at all.
May 23, 2016
Man, I loved this book. The characters really jump into your heart.
April 4, 2018
Quinn lost his sister months ago, and now his friend has decided to help him get back out there in the world, work through his grief, and find him his first real boyfriend. The dialogue of The Great American Whatever by Tim Federle feels quite natural, and also very sarcastic. My favorite aspect of this story has to be Quinn's love of classic movies. I also really liked Geoff, Quinn's friend who is trying to help him. This novel also does a good job at making you feel a variety of emotions for our cast while still be incredibly relatable. By the way, the author also narrates the audiobook and he does a brilliant job of bringing his characters to life. The narration and audio production certainly earns a star all on its own. This novel is definitely worth trying if you like John Green, David Levithan, Rainbow Rowell, or John Corey Whaley.
January 10, 2018
tim federle gives me heart eyes.
ok i didn't enjoy this as much as i did the first time around, which was around 2 years ago. 2016 i rated 5 stars, 2018 3 stars. i can't give you a solid explanation as to why my rating changed so much, that was many moons and many many books ago, but i can at least explain my rating for this time around.
while federle's character's are charming, i didn't connect to them. i really like quinn and his quick wit, badass sense of humor, and how he's basically a walking history of film museum, but i didn't have that emotional connection that makes me ob-freaking-sessed (hi kaz brekker) and why do i do this to myself nauseous hi dorian havilliard.
geoffrey was fine, amir was fine, mom was fine, annabeth was fine, everyone was fine. i didn't particularly like or dislike the cast of characters, they were just kinda there, and because of that, i knocked off the two stars.
but boy oh boy do i heart tim federle's writing style. it's quirky, different, refeshing, and mother effing hilarious. brownie points to any author who can write from the POV of a teenager and not make us all sound like horny superficial idiots.
i look forward to reading more of federle's work, i'm a fan, and despite my hiccup with the characters, i devoured the great american whatever within a matter of hours and any novel that can make me actually laugh is definitely worth picking up.
so not my favorite, 2016 julie would disagree and prob cuss me out but 2018 julie dgaf and has been working out so come at me former self
(also wouldn't this be the cutest freaking coming of age movie???? just sayin', lionsgate.)
ok i didn't enjoy this as much as i did the first time around, which was around 2 years ago. 2016 i rated 5 stars, 2018 3 stars. i can't give you a solid explanation as to why my rating changed so much, that was many moons and many many books ago, but i can at least explain my rating for this time around.
while federle's character's are charming, i didn't connect to them. i really like quinn and his quick wit, badass sense of humor, and how he's basically a walking history of film museum, but i didn't have that emotional connection that makes me ob-freaking-sessed (
geoffrey was fine, amir was fine, mom was fine, annabeth was fine, everyone was fine. i didn't particularly like or dislike the cast of characters, they were just kinda there, and because of that, i knocked off the two stars.
but boy oh boy do i heart tim federle's writing style. it's quirky, different, refeshing, and mother effing hilarious. brownie points to any author who can write from the POV of a teenager and not make us all sound like horny superficial idiots.
i look forward to reading more of federle's work, i'm a fan, and despite my hiccup with the characters, i devoured the great american whatever within a matter of hours and any novel that can make me actually laugh is definitely worth picking up.
so not my favorite, 2016 julie would disagree and prob cuss me out but 2018 julie dgaf and has been working out so come at me former self
(also wouldn't this be the cutest freaking coming of age movie???? just sayin', lionsgate.)
January 26, 2016
FIRST FIVE STARS OF THE YEAR!
Quinn Roberts should be Ryan Dean West's (of Winger) best friend. Even though this was my first Tim Federle book and obviously I've never met Quinn before, it was immediately like being reunited with an old friend. He was so funny and perfectly quirky and just the right amount of heartbroken; and rightfully so, after the tragic death of his sister that he believes to be all his fault. There were times that the story moved a little slowly and of course, Quinn could be terribly frustrating in his grief and I don't really get the title, but none of it matters. His voice and character were so strong and so loveable that I'd read this over and over again. This is one of those books that you even read every single word of the acknowledgements trying to delay the inevitable conclusion. It's that good.
Quinn Roberts should be Ryan Dean West's (of Winger) best friend. Even though this was my first Tim Federle book and obviously I've never met Quinn before, it was immediately like being reunited with an old friend. He was so funny and perfectly quirky and just the right amount of heartbroken; and rightfully so, after the tragic death of his sister that he believes to be all his fault. There were times that the story moved a little slowly and of course, Quinn could be terribly frustrating in his grief and I don't really get the title, but none of it matters. His voice and character were so strong and so loveable that I'd read this over and over again. This is one of those books that you even read every single word of the acknowledgements trying to delay the inevitable conclusion. It's that good.
August 16, 2022
So good. It reminded me a lot of Me & Earl & the Dying Girl, but slightly more developed? Like that book was funny, but this plot was a bit more interesting. I loved the humour and the characters.
August 24, 2017
Having just read Me & Earl & the Dying Girl so recently probably was a disservice to this book, though I found this book less grating all around than I did Me & Earl & the Girl Who Doesn't Apparently Deserve Having Her Name in the Title.
Like Me & Earl, The Great American Whatever is about a teenage boy living in Pittsburgh who has dreams of making films one day. In this book, 16-year-old Quinn wants to be a screenwriter, and instead of working with his best friend, most of his work is accomplished with his slightly older sister, Annabeth. Oh, and his best friend, Geoff. But the difference here is there is no title-nameless character dying of cancer, though Quinn's personal tragedy is his sister died six months ago in a car accident right outside of the high school - inspired by true and local events, from what I understand. When she dies, his dreams of screenwriting die with her, and he finds himself tormented by her death and the last text he sent her, etc. etc. Something that is prevalent in today's culture is texting and driving, though that's not quite the direction this story took (THANK GOD).
The other difference between the books is that Quinn is just beginning to learn early on in the story that he is gay. The majority of the story surrounds this detail, his coming-out, his acceptance of himself, his new-found romance. His sister's death is there, in the background, and it rears its head on occasion to move the story along, but it's not so much a story about her as it probably could have been as far as coming-of-age stories go.
Quinn's personal journey starts with him leaving his house for the first time in about six months since his sister died. Life begins when you do, so they say, and this is no less true for Quinn. His eyes are opened to realities he had been hiding from all along, he learned stuff about himself and the people he loves, and he maintains that annoying teenage self-deprecating humor throughout (though way less annoying than in Me & Earl).
Another quick read as I am learning these contemporary young adult novels can be. There are no explosions or hobbits or anything remotely interesting, but because I live in Pittsburgh I could appreciate the local references. Though funny how no one seems to be complaining about the name-dropping of localities the same way everyone freaked the fuck out about in Tomorrow and Tomorrow, and in this book it's even less important to story than in Sweterlitsch's. Mentions of the Incline? Check. A ride on the Good Ship Lollipop? Check. I could go on. And on.
I found out after finishing this that the author's original intention had been for this to be a book written for adult readers - the characters would be about a decade older than they are currently, and the backstory of Annabeth's death would be much further in the past. To me, this sounds like a much better read. I don't know why he allowed the publishers or whomever to talk him into turning into a "book for kids" (his words, not mine), but I think it's an injustice to the story that could have been told.
Great line: "Mom's from the generation of people who believe that no event can occur unless they've seen it listed in the paper first."
I wish I had come up with that. What makes it so powerful is that we all know nothing is official until it's posted or shared on Facebook. (Or, rather, that's my generation. Lord knows what the kids are doing now. SnapChat? Except doesn't that all go away in 24 hours when you post stuff? That's strange. Whatever.) So the author (or Quinn, since it's from his perspective) is acknowledging that this older generation did the same thing, though it had to be in the paper. And this is also true, but we don't often look at it the same way for whatever reason. Obituaries, weddings, engagements, fake news - if it wasn't in the paper, it's unlikely some people would ever have found out about things. I remember my grandparents reading obituaries of their old friends in the newspapers. I found that strange and fascinating.
Now we can turn Facebook pages of the deceased into memorial pages.
I don't know what I'm getting at exactly, but at least Federle's book did make me think and it made me way less grumpy than Me & Earl. I feel I still need to disclaim that young adult books aren't my thing - I don't read them normally, and when I do they annoy me. There's an audience out there much better suited for readings of this nature, and I do hope that many of them find this book. Particularly younger readers dealing with the first tragedies of their lives, their first major loss (whether it's a family or a friend, rarely do teenagers make it through their high school years without losing someone), and readers who are struggling with their own sexuality. I like to think that this book shows a change in trends in how gay characters are portrayed and accepted because, really, we need to get the fuck over this whole "Someone is different from me and I must now hate them" bullshit rhetoric. There's also a person of color in this book, and only one, but he was there nonetheless. A gay person of color, wtf, right? Let's have more of that sort of diversity in the books our young people read because, guess what, it's not all white and cis out there, let's stop pretending that it is and let's stop whitewashing the stories we tell.
I can see why other readers have made a connection to this book, but it still feels a bit too precious to me just because I'm not in this age-range any longer and have already dealt with a lot of the issues discussed within. The point is - I lived through it all, and so will you.
Like Me & Earl, The Great American Whatever is about a teenage boy living in Pittsburgh who has dreams of making films one day. In this book, 16-year-old Quinn wants to be a screenwriter, and instead of working with his best friend, most of his work is accomplished with his slightly older sister, Annabeth. Oh, and his best friend, Geoff. But the difference here is there is no title-nameless character dying of cancer, though Quinn's personal tragedy is his sister died six months ago in a car accident right outside of the high school - inspired by true and local events, from what I understand. When she dies, his dreams of screenwriting die with her, and he finds himself tormented by her death and the last text he sent her, etc. etc. Something that is prevalent in today's culture is texting and driving, though that's not quite the direction this story took (THANK GOD).
The other difference between the books is that Quinn is just beginning to learn early on in the story that he is gay. The majority of the story surrounds this detail, his coming-out, his acceptance of himself, his new-found romance. His sister's death is there, in the background, and it rears its head on occasion to move the story along, but it's not so much a story about her as it probably could have been as far as coming-of-age stories go.
Quinn's personal journey starts with him leaving his house for the first time in about six months since his sister died. Life begins when you do, so they say, and this is no less true for Quinn. His eyes are opened to realities he had been hiding from all along, he learned stuff about himself and the people he loves, and he maintains that annoying teenage self-deprecating humor throughout (though way less annoying than in Me & Earl).
Another quick read as I am learning these contemporary young adult novels can be. There are no explosions or hobbits or anything remotely interesting, but because I live in Pittsburgh I could appreciate the local references. Though funny how no one seems to be complaining about the name-dropping of localities the same way everyone freaked the fuck out about in Tomorrow and Tomorrow, and in this book it's even less important to story than in Sweterlitsch's. Mentions of the Incline? Check. A ride on the Good Ship Lollipop? Check. I could go on. And on.
I found out after finishing this that the author's original intention had been for this to be a book written for adult readers - the characters would be about a decade older than they are currently, and the backstory of Annabeth's death would be much further in the past. To me, this sounds like a much better read. I don't know why he allowed the publishers or whomever to talk him into turning into a "book for kids" (his words, not mine), but I think it's an injustice to the story that could have been told.
Great line: "Mom's from the generation of people who believe that no event can occur unless they've seen it listed in the paper first."
I wish I had come up with that. What makes it so powerful is that we all know nothing is official until it's posted or shared on Facebook. (Or, rather, that's my generation. Lord knows what the kids are doing now. SnapChat? Except doesn't that all go away in 24 hours when you post stuff? That's strange. Whatever.) So the author (or Quinn, since it's from his perspective) is acknowledging that this older generation did the same thing, though it had to be in the paper. And this is also true, but we don't often look at it the same way for whatever reason. Obituaries, weddings, engagements, fake news - if it wasn't in the paper, it's unlikely some people would ever have found out about things. I remember my grandparents reading obituaries of their old friends in the newspapers. I found that strange and fascinating.
Now we can turn Facebook pages of the deceased into memorial pages.
I don't know what I'm getting at exactly, but at least Federle's book did make me think and it made me way less grumpy than Me & Earl. I feel I still need to disclaim that young adult books aren't my thing - I don't read them normally, and when I do they annoy me. There's an audience out there much better suited for readings of this nature, and I do hope that many of them find this book. Particularly younger readers dealing with the first tragedies of their lives, their first major loss (whether it's a family or a friend, rarely do teenagers make it through their high school years without losing someone), and readers who are struggling with their own sexuality. I like to think that this book shows a change in trends in how gay characters are portrayed and accepted because, really, we need to get the fuck over this whole "Someone is different from me and I must now hate them" bullshit rhetoric. There's also a person of color in this book, and only one, but he was there nonetheless. A gay person of color, wtf, right? Let's have more of that sort of diversity in the books our young people read because, guess what, it's not all white and cis out there, let's stop pretending that it is and let's stop whitewashing the stories we tell.
I can see why other readers have made a connection to this book, but it still feels a bit too precious to me just because I'm not in this age-range any longer and have already dealt with a lot of the issues discussed within. The point is - I lived through it all, and so will you.
July 19, 2016
Actual rating: 3.5
"That's actually the most confusing part about being alive without knowing the end of your own hero's journey. You never know if it's time to go home or head into battle. You never know if you've already faced your biggest monster."
It seems that every single person who has read this has come to the same conclusion; some parts of this book were interesting and amazing and others just... meh. I debated whether to round this book's rating up to four stars or down to three for a full half hour after finishing it. Some parts were just like "wow, this guy is great; totally love the humor and the setting" and others more "um okay, what's going on, and why is it happening."
Alright, so I guess this is when I state the pros and cons of this adorable, little (under 300 pages) book.
Pros:
Quinn's humor and Quinn in general. I loved his character, and his smart aleck ways. A lot of YA authors overdo it when it comes to sarcasm (come on guys; we aren't that bad) but Tim Federle managed to snag the voice of a pessimistic teenager perfectly. His writing just complimented and added to the effect of this novel. His writing is definitely part of what boasted this novel toward the higher rating.
I loved the setting. I've never been to Pittsburgh, but now I feel like I have. All the little things were what really added to the word picture Federle painted of the city.
I know lots of people found this aspect of the novel irritating, but I enjoyed all the obscure film references. While 99.9% of them went right over my head, I thought it was an authentic look into the mind of a writer, whether a novelist or a screenwriter. I feel like this is how the mind of a fangirl/fanboy works, regardless of what your obsession is.
I loved the way Quinn's PTSD was dealt with. It was much different than the way Drew's was portrayed in the novel I finished before this, The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley, and that's why I loved it. It showed how different people grieve in different ways. A+.
Finally, I adored the relationship between Quinn and his mother and Quinn and Geoff. They were the platonic relationships of the novel, but they were the ones that got this book the four star. I loved how Quinn's mother was involved and had a part of his development. And I just loved Geoff's character, and how despite all their secrets and fights, he and Quinn where best friends. It was fantastic.
And now for the worst part of reviewing; critiquing.
Cons:
I didn't like Amir's relationship with Quinn. It was rushed, awkward, and while I didn't have anything against his character, I just discovered I really didn't care. Like at all. Usually I adore the love interests, but Amir didn't do anything for me. He was a bit of a cardboard cut out without any development.
The pacing was wonky. One minute I was like leaning forward in anticipation, the next I was "starfished" on my bed waiting for it to pick up again.
Ew, I hate negative feedback. Makes me feel odd. Good thing I'm done. :)
Despite it's flaws, I'd recommend The Great Amercian Whatever. It was a short, fun read with a lovable narrator and fun voice. I will be reading more from Tim Federle.
"That's actually the most confusing part about being alive without knowing the end of your own hero's journey. You never know if it's time to go home or head into battle. You never know if you've already faced your biggest monster."
It seems that every single person who has read this has come to the same conclusion; some parts of this book were interesting and amazing and others just... meh. I debated whether to round this book's rating up to four stars or down to three for a full half hour after finishing it. Some parts were just like "wow, this guy is great; totally love the humor and the setting" and others more "um okay, what's going on, and why is it happening."
Alright, so I guess this is when I state the pros and cons of this adorable, little (under 300 pages) book.
Pros:
Quinn's humor and Quinn in general. I loved his character, and his smart aleck ways. A lot of YA authors overdo it when it comes to sarcasm (come on guys; we aren't that bad) but Tim Federle managed to snag the voice of a pessimistic teenager perfectly. His writing just complimented and added to the effect of this novel. His writing is definitely part of what boasted this novel toward the higher rating.
I loved the setting. I've never been to Pittsburgh, but now I feel like I have. All the little things were what really added to the word picture Federle painted of the city.
I know lots of people found this aspect of the novel irritating, but I enjoyed all the obscure film references. While 99.9% of them went right over my head, I thought it was an authentic look into the mind of a writer, whether a novelist or a screenwriter. I feel like this is how the mind of a fangirl/fanboy works, regardless of what your obsession is.
I loved the way Quinn's PTSD was dealt with. It was much different than the way Drew's was portrayed in the novel I finished before this, The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley, and that's why I loved it. It showed how different people grieve in different ways. A+.
Finally, I adored the relationship between Quinn and his mother and Quinn and Geoff. They were the platonic relationships of the novel, but they were the ones that got this book the four star. I loved how Quinn's mother was involved and had a part of his development. And I just loved Geoff's character, and how despite all their secrets and fights, he and Quinn where best friends. It was fantastic.
And now for the worst part of reviewing; critiquing.
Cons:
I didn't like Amir's relationship with Quinn. It was rushed, awkward, and while I didn't have anything against his character, I just discovered I really didn't care. Like at all. Usually I adore the love interests, but Amir didn't do anything for me. He was a bit of a cardboard cut out without any development.
The pacing was wonky. One minute I was like leaning forward in anticipation, the next I was "starfished" on my bed waiting for it to pick up again.
Ew, I hate negative feedback. Makes me feel odd. Good thing I'm done. :)
Despite it's flaws, I'd recommend The Great Amercian Whatever. It was a short, fun read with a lovable narrator and fun voice. I will be reading more from Tim Federle.
May 19, 2016
***Audiobook*** I tend to be very wary of "author read" audiobooks. Just because you can write a book doesn't mean you can narrate it. If you don't believe me, try listening to The Lovely Bones on audiobook. Not good. However, I listened to the sample of this one and found Tim Federle to be a very capable narrator. After listening to the whole book, I can assure you he does a phenomenal job. This is a very charming coming of age story about Quinn, who is grieving the loss of his older sister. My heart hurt for him and his mother. It's like they just kind of checked out of life for a few months, but I enjoyed watching them put the pieces back together. Even though this deals with a serious subject, there are a lot of laughs too. Quinn is hilarious!
November 30, 2016
I buddy read this with my teen daughter. She read the hardcover while I listened to the audiobook. We both adored Quinn. He was such a great character. The humor was spot on and we loved it! We will both be checking out more by this author.
My Rating: 5 stars
My Daughter's Rating: 4 stars
My Rating: 5 stars
My Daughter's Rating: 4 stars
June 30, 2018
Out of the 11 books that I picked up and started the other day, I decided to continue and finish this book. The Great American Whatever... has a nice ring to it. Quinn our main character had some really awful titles to go with his screenplays and this book title is just so appropriate. I'm giving this book 3.5 stars.
Quinn is described, as the next Holden Caulfield, according to a blurb found on the front cover. I read Catcher in the Rye back in high school so I can't quite remember whether that is true or not. What I can say is true is that I enjoy reading pessimistic narratives. I find it to be truthful and real. Nothing in life is wonderful and great all the time. We have crappy days, weeks and sometimes years. So to read about a teenage boy who is coming of age and coming out and dealing with the loss of his sister is something real.
Quinn is an almost 17 year old teen from Pittsburgh when we first meet him. His sister died in a car crash 6 months ago and his world just stopped. His sister was literally his everything. So for the past six months of his junior year he has just sat in his room and disappeared. His mom decided to do the same. Around the first day of summer, Quinn's friend Geoffrey decides he wants his friend back and forces him outside. This day is the first of some traumatizing, yet cleansing events. If I told you I'd spoil the book.
I found Quinn's dialogue funny and sad. His hurt was mostly warranted. It confused me at how possessive he was of his sister. I guess I've never been in his situation. I have siblings, but have never felt it was necessary to assume there likes and dislikes. Everything he went through the grief, guilt and dread of living without his sister was genuine. At times though Quinn did seem super selfish and reckless. The "like" and "duh" that was Quinn's voice irked me. I live in California and we don't use the word "like" that often and we are all "valley girls" just kidding.
What I really want to say is I was happy to see boys cry, both gay and straight. I was happy to see that the book ended in a happier way (spoiler) and that Quinn found the courage and strength to pursue his goals without his sister holding his hand. "Win, grow up!" was a great way to end the book.
Overall I've giving this book a 3.5. It was a quick and engaging read. I felt invested in the characters and needed to know what happened next. However, this is a contemporary coming of age story that, in itself means, I will probably never pick up again.
Quinn is described, as the next Holden Caulfield, according to a blurb found on the front cover. I read Catcher in the Rye back in high school so I can't quite remember whether that is true or not. What I can say is true is that I enjoy reading pessimistic narratives. I find it to be truthful and real. Nothing in life is wonderful and great all the time. We have crappy days, weeks and sometimes years. So to read about a teenage boy who is coming of age and coming out and dealing with the loss of his sister is something real.
Quinn is an almost 17 year old teen from Pittsburgh when we first meet him. His sister died in a car crash 6 months ago and his world just stopped. His sister was literally his everything. So for the past six months of his junior year he has just sat in his room and disappeared. His mom decided to do the same. Around the first day of summer, Quinn's friend Geoffrey decides he wants his friend back and forces him outside. This day is the first of some traumatizing, yet cleansing events. If I told you I'd spoil the book.
I found Quinn's dialogue funny and sad. His hurt was mostly warranted. It confused me at how possessive he was of his sister. I guess I've never been in his situation. I have siblings, but have never felt it was necessary to assume there likes and dislikes. Everything he went through the grief, guilt and dread of living without his sister was genuine. At times though Quinn did seem super selfish and reckless. The "like" and "duh" that was Quinn's voice irked me. I live in California and we don't use the word "like" that often and we are all "valley girls" just kidding.
What I really want to say is I was happy to see boys cry, both gay and straight. I was happy to see that the book ended in a happier way (spoiler) and that Quinn found the courage and strength to pursue his goals without his sister holding his hand. "Win, grow up!" was a great way to end the book.
Overall I've giving this book a 3.5. It was a quick and engaging read. I felt invested in the characters and needed to know what happened next. However, this is a contemporary coming of age story that, in itself means, I will probably never pick up again.
July 29, 2017
Woah. This was quick and sad and super fucking funny all at the same time. I'm surprised by how much I was engrossed in the story - I couldn't put it down.
Do you like:
- gay protagonists
- funny, REAL teenagers (think SIMON VS)
- screenwriting
- sad but hopeful contemporaries
- really addicting, fast-paced books
- stories that don't completely center around the romance
Read THE GREAT AMERICAN WHATEVER. It's a good book. Not a remarkable or new favorite book, but it is damn good.
Do you like:
- gay protagonists
- funny, REAL teenagers (think SIMON VS)
- screenwriting
- sad but hopeful contemporaries
- really addicting, fast-paced books
- stories that don't completely center around the romance
Read THE GREAT AMERICAN WHATEVER. It's a good book. Not a remarkable or new favorite book, but it is damn good.
April 17, 2021
3.5?? But like a generous 3.5. Maybe even a 3.75, but I can't be sure.
This book is hell to review, to be honest. I picked it up because I saw something saying it had the "Holden Caulfield of the modern generation" and if you've heard any of my ramblings on The Catcher in the Rye, you'd know that that's something that will probably make me pick up a book. It is a truth universally acknowledged that if you reference my favorite book in the blurb of yours, I'm more inclined to pick it up.
Did it deliver? Uh. Sort of? Quinn was a really good lead and I really liked him, but I think that calling him the next Holden Caulfield is too high of praise (and, in my own opinion, a crown that belongs to Tori Spring of Solitaire). I did enjoy his inner monologue and I actually caught myself laughing at times. My biggest issue is that the story felt like it was all over the place. And I get that with the running theme of the Hero's Journey it was probably meant to subvert it, but it didn't feel like there was a plot. And not in a "the aimless wandering of the lead and what they experience is the plot" way, but in a "things happen, but they sort of feel random" way. The beginning was pretty calm and slow and my favorite part of the book, but the author then more or less dropped in all of the plot at the end.
All in all, I still got a kick out of this one. As far as Teenage Mental Health Books go, it's on the better end, and I would recommend it.
This book is hell to review, to be honest. I picked it up because I saw something saying it had the "Holden Caulfield of the modern generation" and if you've heard any of my ramblings on The Catcher in the Rye, you'd know that that's something that will probably make me pick up a book. It is a truth universally acknowledged that if you reference my favorite book in the blurb of yours, I'm more inclined to pick it up.
Did it deliver? Uh. Sort of? Quinn was a really good lead and I really liked him, but I think that calling him the next Holden Caulfield is too high of praise (and, in my own opinion, a crown that belongs to Tori Spring of Solitaire). I did enjoy his inner monologue and I actually caught myself laughing at times. My biggest issue is that the story felt like it was all over the place. And I get that with the running theme of the Hero's Journey it was probably meant to subvert it, but it didn't feel like there was a plot. And not in a "the aimless wandering of the lead and what they experience is the plot" way, but in a "things happen, but they sort of feel random" way. The beginning was pretty calm and slow and my favorite part of the book, but the author then more or less dropped in all of the plot at the end.
All in all, I still got a kick out of this one. As far as Teenage Mental Health Books go, it's on the better end, and I would recommend it.
May 29, 2016
I was initially drawn to this one by the cover and title. I mean, look at it. It’s great! Plus, while I haven’t read the whole thing yet, I’ve heard great things about Federle’s Nate books. I’m glad I checked it out, because while I had some reservations with the story and characters, I enjoyed this book overall.
First of all, it’s hilarious. I think the only way I can really show you this is by just giving you a quote.
If I took out my broken AC and cracked the window, I’d have to confront the reality that I might hear, like, birds, or worse: the merry squeals of neighborhood children. And who has the stomach for that kind of unannounced joy at this hour?
The writing, the symbolism, the movie references were all top notch. In my opinion, the thing that fell flat was the plot. There honestly wasn’t much there. I thought it fell flat. And I also wished I could reach in and just shake Quinn a bit. I wanted to connect with him a bit more than I did. Which isn’t to say I didn’t connect with him at all; it was just difficult sometimes to understand him and connect with his feelings. And you guys know how much I despise insta-love, and there’s a bit of that here.
The bottom line: Funny, smart, and sarcastic. I liked that part of the book a lot. It was a bit hard to connect with the book at times and I wasn’t overly fond of the insta-love, but the book is a quick, fun read, so I definitely enjoyed that!
First of all, it’s hilarious. I think the only way I can really show you this is by just giving you a quote.
If I took out my broken AC and cracked the window, I’d have to confront the reality that I might hear, like, birds, or worse: the merry squeals of neighborhood children. And who has the stomach for that kind of unannounced joy at this hour?
The writing, the symbolism, the movie references were all top notch. In my opinion, the thing that fell flat was the plot. There honestly wasn’t much there. I thought it fell flat. And I also wished I could reach in and just shake Quinn a bit. I wanted to connect with him a bit more than I did. Which isn’t to say I didn’t connect with him at all; it was just difficult sometimes to understand him and connect with his feelings. And you guys know how much I despise insta-love, and there’s a bit of that here.
The bottom line: Funny, smart, and sarcastic. I liked that part of the book a lot. It was a bit hard to connect with the book at times and I wasn’t overly fond of the insta-love, but the book is a quick, fun read, so I definitely enjoyed that!
April 1, 2016
This book is incredible -- a new favorite, for sure. I was expecting something light-ish and fun, and while this is definitely funny, there's so much depth, too. What struck me the most was the notion of people you used to admire, idolize, even, losing their appeal -- maybe an old friend you haven't seen in a while, or a new one who reveals something unattractive about himself. Loved the movie references, the friendship between Quinn and Geoff, the relationship between Quinn and Amir, especially Highly recommend this to fans of ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL, since it also mixes humor and tragedy, has a film buff main character, and (oddly enough) is set in Pittsburgh.
September 11, 2016
Eh, 2.5 stars... Lost my attention and really didn't care for this towards the end!! Some scenes were UBER cheesy and then others were just painful to read. Wouldn't read again and wouldn't really recommend it
July 6, 2016
Audiobook Review
If you could sum up The Great American Whatever in three words, what would they be?
Funny, fluffy and liberating!
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Quinn’s story was really good. I enjoyed listening to his internal dialogue, his way of seeing movies in everything and most of all, how he discovered his true and better self. I really liked the whole book. What I liked the most was how real and genuine Quinn’s struggles in life were. He lost his sister and with that he lost himself, or at least that’s how everybody saw it. For me, he needed that time of isolation to accept who he really was, to accept that the plans he had with his sister weren’t going to happen the way they planned, but it didn’t mean they wouldn’t happen at all, and… That time also helped him understand what he wanted to do with his life.
What about Tim Federle ’s performance did you like?
I loved the fact that author himself did the narration for his own book. I loved his voice, his inflexions and the emotions he transmitted while he was reading. Tim’s voice had a perfect voice for Quinn. Tim’s performance In the moments Quinn had with Amir, or the moments he was with his best friend Geoff, or when Quinn was talking with his mom, was very accurate and made this audiobook very enjoyable.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Well of course there has to be a movie about this book. And Quinn must be the filmmaker of his own movie *chuckles* The perfect tag line would be: My life is more than a great whatever.
If you could sum up The Great American Whatever in three words, what would they be?
Funny, fluffy and liberating!
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Quinn’s story was really good. I enjoyed listening to his internal dialogue, his way of seeing movies in everything and most of all, how he discovered his true and better self. I really liked the whole book. What I liked the most was how real and genuine Quinn’s struggles in life were. He lost his sister and with that he lost himself, or at least that’s how everybody saw it. For me, he needed that time of isolation to accept who he really was, to accept that the plans he had with his sister weren’t going to happen the way they planned, but it didn’t mean they wouldn’t happen at all, and… That time also helped him understand what he wanted to do with his life.
What about Tim Federle ’s performance did you like?
I loved the fact that author himself did the narration for his own book. I loved his voice, his inflexions and the emotions he transmitted while he was reading. Tim’s voice had a perfect voice for Quinn. Tim’s performance In the moments Quinn had with Amir, or the moments he was with his best friend Geoff, or when Quinn was talking with his mom, was very accurate and made this audiobook very enjoyable.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Well of course there has to be a movie about this book. And Quinn must be the filmmaker of his own movie *chuckles* The perfect tag line would be: My life is more than a great whatever.
All in all, great book with an awesome audiobook. I recommend it to Young Adult readers who wants something different to read.
April 9, 2018
I started this one in my now-classic "Oh I Love The Author Let Me Pick Up This Book And Figure Out What It Is About From The First Chapter" method. And then I got scared because it is a grief book. I put it aside for a while.
I have a knotty history with grief books. I couldn't deal with them for a long time, as it seemed to be needless focus on something I never wanted to happen. And then I lost my brother to Cancer, and I started to see the point of books with tragedy in them. Something that big warps the story around it. I didn't necessarily want a book that was entirely focused on the grieving process, but I wanted stories that acknowledged that it could happen to people. Grief representation, as it were. it was also around that time that people started giving me books that focused entirely on tragedy— the Nicholas Sparks school of what I am unapologetic about terming grief porn.
All of this to say that when I hit books with tragedy in them I am super, super cautious. I am happy to say that in this case my caution was unfounded. It is in no way grief porn. It's barely even grief-focused. It's grief-representation, really. Quinn has this tragedy which has utterly messed up his life, but it's not about him deriving meaning from it, or "moving on". It's about him making a synthesis of what his life was going to be, vs. what it's going to be now. And really valuably, as the book goes on he realizes that even if his sister HAD lived, his life wouldn't have been what he pictured. He was always going to have a different life. His sister had secrets, and life is messy.
There are a lot of really INTERESTING things that this book does. We meet Quinn as a vicious wisecracker, to the point that it is actually difficult to read his internal dialogue. But as he starts to get his feet underneath him. It eases out. By the end he can laugh at himself. Which is an omigodDIFFICULT thing to do. There is all this stuff about rejecting narrative structure, because Quinn sees everything through a screenwriter's eyes and life keeps breaking the mould. The romance important, but in the end it's family and friends which are gonna be the cornerstones in his life.
Funny, real, brutally un-sentimental.
I received an ARC of this book through the goodreads firstreads program.
I have a knotty history with grief books. I couldn't deal with them for a long time, as it seemed to be needless focus on something I never wanted to happen. And then I lost my brother to Cancer, and I started to see the point of books with tragedy in them. Something that big warps the story around it. I didn't necessarily want a book that was entirely focused on the grieving process, but I wanted stories that acknowledged that it could happen to people. Grief representation, as it were. it was also around that time that people started giving me books that focused entirely on tragedy— the Nicholas Sparks school of what I am unapologetic about terming grief porn.
All of this to say that when I hit books with tragedy in them I am super, super cautious. I am happy to say that in this case my caution was unfounded. It is in no way grief porn. It's barely even grief-focused. It's grief-representation, really. Quinn has this tragedy which has utterly messed up his life, but it's not about him deriving meaning from it, or "moving on". It's about him making a synthesis of what his life was going to be, vs. what it's going to be now. And really valuably, as the book goes on he realizes that even if his sister HAD lived, his life wouldn't have been what he pictured. He was always going to have a different life. His sister had secrets, and life is messy.
There are a lot of really INTERESTING things that this book does. We meet Quinn as a vicious wisecracker, to the point that it is actually difficult to read his internal dialogue. But as he starts to get his feet underneath him. It eases out. By the end he can laugh at himself. Which is an omigodDIFFICULT thing to do. There is all this stuff about rejecting narrative structure, because Quinn sees everything through a screenwriter's eyes and life keeps breaking the mould. The romance important, but in the end it's family and friends which are gonna be the cornerstones in his life.
Funny, real, brutally un-sentimental.
I received an ARC of this book through the goodreads firstreads program.
May 6, 2016
I'm sure I would have enjoyed this book if I had read the print edition, but listening to the audio definitely bumped it from really good to great. As I was listening I kept thinking about how perfect the voice of the reader was for the character, so when I found the author did the audio, it made perfect sense! Tim Federle is a wonderful author and narrator, and I hope he continues to write more YA.
A few things that I loved about this book:
1. It's set in Pittsburgh and the setting feels so authentic. The city is almost like another character in the book. It's clear the author loves this city while also recognizing it's quirks and flaws.
2. The main character Quinn is a realistic teen boy who is flawed but lovable. He has moments of selfishness that are redeemed by moments of pure kindness (especially in relation to his mom).
3. It's a book about dealing with grief and coming of age that is also FUNNY. Quinn's voice is so sharp and sarcastic. I loved it.
4. The ending is satisfying but not overly tidy. It felt completely right.
A few things that I loved about this book:
1. It's set in Pittsburgh and the setting feels so authentic. The city is almost like another character in the book. It's clear the author loves this city while also recognizing it's quirks and flaws.
2. The main character Quinn is a realistic teen boy who is flawed but lovable. He has moments of selfishness that are redeemed by moments of pure kindness (especially in relation to his mom).
3. It's a book about dealing with grief and coming of age that is also FUNNY. Quinn's voice is so sharp and sarcastic. I loved it.
4. The ending is satisfying but not overly tidy. It felt completely right.
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