What do you think?
Rate this book
Life After Genius
Theodore Mead Fegley has always been the smartest person he knows. By age 12, he was in high school, and by 15 he was attending a top-ranking university. And now, at the tender age of 18, he's on the verge of proving the Riemann Hypothesis, a mathematical equation that has mystified academics for almost 150 years. But only days before graduation, Mead suddenly packs his bags and flees home to rural Illinois. What has caused him to flee remains a mystery to all but Mead and a classmate whose quest for success has turned into a dangerous obession.
At home, Mead finds little solace. His past ghosts haunt him; his parents don't understand the agony his genius has caused him, nor his desire to be a normal kid, and his dreams seem crushed forever. He embarks on a new life's journey -- learning the family business of selling furniture and embalming the dead--that disappoints and surprises all who knew him as "the young Fegley genius."
Equal parts academic thriller and poignant coming-of-age story, LIFE AFTER GENIUS follows the remarkable journey of a young man who must discover that the heart may know what the head hasn't yet learned.
At home, Mead finds little solace. His past ghosts haunt him; his parents don't understand the agony his genius has caused him, nor his desire to be a normal kid, and his dreams seem crushed forever. He embarks on a new life's journey -- learning the family business of selling furniture and embalming the dead--that disappoints and surprises all who knew him as "the young Fegley genius."
Equal parts academic thriller and poignant coming-of-age story, LIFE AFTER GENIUS follows the remarkable journey of a young man who must discover that the heart may know what the head hasn't yet learned.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published October 11, 2008
10 people are currently reading
265 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
March 24, 2010
this is one of the rare occasions when i wish i could call the author and vent my frustration about devoting hours of my life to their craft only to be shoved down a literary trap door. i am flat out annoyed by how ridiculous this story became. ridiculous and lazy and negligent.
when you meet the main character mead, you are at first tempted to not go on his journey because you're sure you've heard it all before. ten year old boy, wildly smart and ostracized by his peers, somewhere-ville small town usa, parents with unrealized dreams who make all the wrong choices when trying to set it right for their kids. throw in a hearthrob older cousin who plays softball and a quarry where the kids make daring leaps all summer and you know where this story is going.
but you forge ahead, because in the opening chapters there is something compelling about the language and a hint of something new about this coming of age tale. and so you follow mead through incidents with bullies, puberty and embalming and then to college where he discovers girls, cd players and seduction at the hands of a wealthy, conniving elder classman who has problems of his own with old dad. blah blah blah. i am not going to talk about plot points because they're average at best.
and then, for no reason at all (although, perhaps, a feeble spin at holden caulfield's repeated use of "damn" or "and all"), mead starts saying "shit" every dozen sentences. literally. we're talking scores of "shit" littered all over the second half of the novel. standing alone or tossed in mid sentence. for instance: "time enough to get some work done, to finish mapping out that stupid outline for the dean. visiting mathematicans. shit. that's heady stuff." OR (not half a page later) "the dean has invited professional mathematicians, the most brilliant minds in the field, to come listen to me. me! shit i am going to look like a fool up there on that stage."
i struggled through the second half of the book (one must never put a book down once started), trying to avoid those "shits" like literary landmines. impossible. by the time i came to the end of the book (and to a finale that was actually more offensive than the landmines!), i felt like i had been pelted with cactus plants all afternoon.
in short: no go on Life After Genius.
when you meet the main character mead, you are at first tempted to not go on his journey because you're sure you've heard it all before. ten year old boy, wildly smart and ostracized by his peers, somewhere-ville small town usa, parents with unrealized dreams who make all the wrong choices when trying to set it right for their kids. throw in a hearthrob older cousin who plays softball and a quarry where the kids make daring leaps all summer and you know where this story is going.
but you forge ahead, because in the opening chapters there is something compelling about the language and a hint of something new about this coming of age tale. and so you follow mead through incidents with bullies, puberty and embalming and then to college where he discovers girls, cd players and seduction at the hands of a wealthy, conniving elder classman who has problems of his own with old dad. blah blah blah. i am not going to talk about plot points because they're average at best.
and then, for no reason at all (although, perhaps, a feeble spin at holden caulfield's repeated use of "damn" or "and all"), mead starts saying "shit" every dozen sentences. literally. we're talking scores of "shit" littered all over the second half of the novel. standing alone or tossed in mid sentence. for instance: "time enough to get some work done, to finish mapping out that stupid outline for the dean. visiting mathematicans. shit. that's heady stuff." OR (not half a page later) "the dean has invited professional mathematicians, the most brilliant minds in the field, to come listen to me. me! shit i am going to look like a fool up there on that stage."
i struggled through the second half of the book (one must never put a book down once started), trying to avoid those "shits" like literary landmines. impossible. by the time i came to the end of the book (and to a finale that was actually more offensive than the landmines!), i felt like i had been pelted with cactus plants all afternoon.
in short: no go on Life After Genius.
December 30, 2023
i listened to a manic homeless woman read this book on tiktok live. she picked it up from a free little library and proceeded to read the ENTIRE goddamn book on live. i don't know which i hate more, the woman who threatened to kill her kids and screams on tiktok all day while her family desperately wants her home and in treatment, or the novel itself.
May 17, 2025
rereading in 2024/2025 w victor: I'm not laughing anymore 😐 the fact that this completely incomprehensible, openly homophobic, incel manifesto levels of misogynistic book got the author an agent and i still can't get one genuinely makes me want to end it all
original review: This is the most completely fucking insane book I've read all year. Video review here https://youtu.be/3IhEgSYbFGk
original review: This is the most completely fucking insane book I've read all year. Video review here https://youtu.be/3IhEgSYbFGk
January 9, 2012
I lied a little bit. I haven't actually finished reading this book, but at page 110 I have grown so tired of it that I thought I'd read the reviews here to see how it all plays out. Unfortunately, no spoiler alerts, so I might never learn what the mystery is and if Meade ever gets his young life together. I couldn't help thinking that the author was trying desperately to write Catcher in the Rye for the 21st century. The writing is so self-conscious, contrived and clichéd, and I just hated to see the way Meade was treated throughout his life; it borders on sadistic to put this poor character, and the reader, through such torment with no real pay-offs or even enlightenment. To me, it is a depressing book and a very sad commentary on human nature. I found little to like in any of the characters, including Meade, and the small dingy world they all inhabit and the mystery wasn't enough to pull me through to the end.
Later that day...
Well, I cheated (first a liar and now a cheater, this book is making a monster out of me!) and skipped over to the last two chapters, just to give myself a sense of "closure" (hate the term, but it's useful here). If anything, the ending of the book made me hate it even more, it left me with a dull empty feeling and the sense of being had - which makes me angry. It's been a long time that a book has caused this kind of visceral anger in me and I have reduced my initial two star rating to just one. Perhaps it is mean-spirited of me, but I wonder if this book was published simply because the author is in the publishing business herself. You know that old expression, "it's not what you know, but who you know"; in my opinion, this book should never have been published. (the cover is quite good though)
Later that day...
Well, I cheated (first a liar and now a cheater, this book is making a monster out of me!) and skipped over to the last two chapters, just to give myself a sense of "closure" (hate the term, but it's useful here). If anything, the ending of the book made me hate it even more, it left me with a dull empty feeling and the sense of being had - which makes me angry. It's been a long time that a book has caused this kind of visceral anger in me and I have reduced my initial two star rating to just one. Perhaps it is mean-spirited of me, but I wonder if this book was published simply because the author is in the publishing business herself. You know that old expression, "it's not what you know, but who you know"; in my opinion, this book should never have been published. (the cover is quite good though)
November 3, 2011
This was a weird one for me. I liked the story, even though it was a bit odd, but I didn't really connect with the main character. But the mystery of why Mead came home was pretty engaging. I just wanted to know why. The story jumps around through different times in Mead's life. It got to be a bit confusing at times, as Mead also seems to be having a bit of a nervous breakdown throughout the story. But the jumping around really adds to the mystery of what happened and if Mead really is starting to loose his mind.
Mead appears to have had a rough social life growing up. Being so smart and so much younger than the kids he's in school with made him a bit of a target for bullies and such. So it's really no surprise that once Mead goes to college young he's still an outcast. Herman, Mead's best friend/mortal enemy tries to befriend Mead for a while and has to take a HUGE step to get Mead to really open up. But as the story progresses we learn that while Herman seems to have been born with the silver spoon his life wasn't really all that easy.
Even though I didn't particularly care for either of the main characters there was something about this story that I couldn't walk away from. It was so out there at times and yet so "normal". It's so hard to describe. Even the ending was a bit odd, and it left more questions than it answered. But at the same time most of the really important stuff is cleared up before we get to the end. Like I said it's hard to describe...
Mead appears to have had a rough social life growing up. Being so smart and so much younger than the kids he's in school with made him a bit of a target for bullies and such. So it's really no surprise that once Mead goes to college young he's still an outcast. Herman, Mead's best friend/mortal enemy tries to befriend Mead for a while and has to take a HUGE step to get Mead to really open up. But as the story progresses we learn that while Herman seems to have been born with the silver spoon his life wasn't really all that easy.
Even though I didn't particularly care for either of the main characters there was something about this story that I couldn't walk away from. It was so out there at times and yet so "normal". It's so hard to describe. Even the ending was a bit odd, and it left more questions than it answered. But at the same time most of the really important stuff is cleared up before we get to the end. Like I said it's hard to describe...
March 9, 2009
Mead Fegley is a genious and goes to college at a young age to study mathematics where he has a real aptitude, but his journey to college is waylaid and he rushes home a few days prior to his presentation of an important paper on a noted mathemician's theorem. Jacoby's tale is split into three separate time lines, which are her way of showing how Mead turned out the way he has, what happened in college and why he left. This non sequential story worked for me although I could see how it would not work for everyone. The most recent timeline is right before his presentation of the paper and graduation from college, one of the other timelines is three years before when he started going to school and the other is about his life as a youth. There are a lot of side issues that Mead has to deal with besides the main one. Firstly, there is the death of his cousin. Then there is his cold mother. Finally there is the situation with his Aunt's reaction to his cousin Percy's death and finally there is his situation with Herman Weinstein, a student in his college who he is running away from. In the end Mead does grow up a little and take awareness of his life, but as in all decent books its the journey of self discovery that is the main thing and I thought this journey was handled well.
July 27, 2013
Mead Fegley is a solitary 15-year-old prodigy who flees his oppressive, well-meaning family for the wilds of a prestigious university in Chicago.
I find the book intriguing and a wonder to read, thought provoking and conversational. With the structure of the suspense with Mead without reason stopping home, despite the fact that what he chooses to do after he returns home was never revealed, Jacoby provides readers with the urge to read page after page to find out what goes on next. For some that wants to be on the top of the world as a genius, this novel provides another perspective, from the first person narrative point of view, as a matter of fact. As an unique individual in the society of one, Mead insulated himself from family and schoolmates out of self-preservation and desires to connect.
The novel, however, appears to be unfinished, and there really should be a sequel to what happens next, with Mead finding out his real purpose in life, are some topics untouched at the end of the novel.
I find the book intriguing and a wonder to read, thought provoking and conversational. With the structure of the suspense with Mead without reason stopping home, despite the fact that what he chooses to do after he returns home was never revealed, Jacoby provides readers with the urge to read page after page to find out what goes on next. For some that wants to be on the top of the world as a genius, this novel provides another perspective, from the first person narrative point of view, as a matter of fact. As an unique individual in the society of one, Mead insulated himself from family and schoolmates out of self-preservation and desires to connect.
The novel, however, appears to be unfinished, and there really should be a sequel to what happens next, with Mead finding out his real purpose in life, are some topics untouched at the end of the novel.
July 29, 2008
Totally great, almost surreal story about a boy genius who loses it six days before he is supposed to graduate from college (at age 18). I'm totally fascinated by extraordinary minds and this book really captures the anguish that can go along with being just a little bit different.
It's an adult book, but I think it would appeal to fans of YA as well.
It's an adult book, but I think it would appeal to fans of YA as well.
May 17, 2025
It's DONE.
Not the longest book ever written, but the longest book ever read.
What a crock of homophobic and misogynistic nonsense. I get that this was supposed to be a coming-of-age story, but none of the "character development" happens until the last thirty pages of this 500-page odyssey???? And the rest of the book just nothing happens; we don't know the "stakes" or why Mead does what the gay villain has done to him and all the people around him until the very end. It's just fluff occasionally interspersed with homophobia and weird graphic depictions of masturbation? I guess to shock the reader to keep them reading/awake?
On the other hand, this is the first woman-written exploration of an incel's path to becoming a man (which we never actually see happen!)
Shit. How the hell did this get through a publishing house? I'd be ashamed to be named in the acknowledgements section of this.
It's also written poorly. Idk. I want to stop thinking about this book bye.
Not the longest book ever written, but the longest book ever read.
What a crock of homophobic and misogynistic nonsense. I get that this was supposed to be a coming-of-age story, but none of the "character development" happens until the last thirty pages of this 500-page odyssey???? And the rest of the book just nothing happens; we don't know the "stakes" or why Mead does what the gay villain has done to him and all the people around him until the very end. It's just fluff occasionally interspersed with homophobia and weird graphic depictions of masturbation? I guess to shock the reader to keep them reading/awake?
On the other hand, this is the first woman-written exploration of an incel's path to becoming a man (which we never actually see happen!)
Shit. How the hell did this get through a publishing house? I'd be ashamed to be named in the acknowledgements section of this.
It's also written poorly. Idk. I want to stop thinking about this book bye.
October 29, 2008
What could drive a brilliant young man to leave college eight days before graduation, without his degree, and return to his hometown to work in the family Mortuary business?
Being a genius is a difficult thing. For Theodore Mead Fegley, it has brought him nothing but grief. He started high school at the age of twelve, finished in three years, and started college at the age of fifteen. He has always been younger and smaller than everyone else. And, of course, the victim of taunts, ridicule and pranks for his entire school career. He is thrilled to go to college, where he thinks he will be among equals, learned individuals who will value his intellect. Poor kid, how wrong he is.
To facilitate the brand new start Theodore feels he is getting with college, he starts to go by his middle name, Mead. Unfortunately, the very first day he is reminded, yet again, that he is different from everyone else and does not fit in. Girls are too old for him, he is too young for drinking and partying, he has little in common with other young men on campus. His life is lonely and friendless. His only real friend, his cousin Percy, is off pursuing his dream of baseball glory. Percy sends a constant stream of postcards to Mead, letting him know what is going on in his life. But since Mead has no friends he doesn't really know how to BE one, so he never responds to Percy's postcards.
Mead excels at mathematics and spends his college career working on solving the Riemann Hypothesis, a 150 year old mathematical theory. When Herman, a wealthy and attractive fellow math student, befriends Mead it seems a little strange to him that this guy would want to spend time with him. But Herman offers to help Mead on the Riemann Hypothesis so, against his better judgement, Mead allows himself to go along with Herman's schemes. The results will force Mead to change, come to some important realizations about life and to see his parents and family through new eyes.
With Life After Genius, M. Ann Jacoby has written a wonderful story about the process of growing up. It is not enough to be smart, maturity lies in the ability to put aside your selfish concerns and do what is better for others, both people you love and people you may not like very much. She reminds us all about the discomforts of our school days when all we wanted was to be included, be liked, be part of the "in" crowd. You will fall in love with Mead Fegley, a sweet and awkward boy who learns the most important part of being a man.
Being a genius is a difficult thing. For Theodore Mead Fegley, it has brought him nothing but grief. He started high school at the age of twelve, finished in three years, and started college at the age of fifteen. He has always been younger and smaller than everyone else. And, of course, the victim of taunts, ridicule and pranks for his entire school career. He is thrilled to go to college, where he thinks he will be among equals, learned individuals who will value his intellect. Poor kid, how wrong he is.
To facilitate the brand new start Theodore feels he is getting with college, he starts to go by his middle name, Mead. Unfortunately, the very first day he is reminded, yet again, that he is different from everyone else and does not fit in. Girls are too old for him, he is too young for drinking and partying, he has little in common with other young men on campus. His life is lonely and friendless. His only real friend, his cousin Percy, is off pursuing his dream of baseball glory. Percy sends a constant stream of postcards to Mead, letting him know what is going on in his life. But since Mead has no friends he doesn't really know how to BE one, so he never responds to Percy's postcards.
Mead excels at mathematics and spends his college career working on solving the Riemann Hypothesis, a 150 year old mathematical theory. When Herman, a wealthy and attractive fellow math student, befriends Mead it seems a little strange to him that this guy would want to spend time with him. But Herman offers to help Mead on the Riemann Hypothesis so, against his better judgement, Mead allows himself to go along with Herman's schemes. The results will force Mead to change, come to some important realizations about life and to see his parents and family through new eyes.
With Life After Genius, M. Ann Jacoby has written a wonderful story about the process of growing up. It is not enough to be smart, maturity lies in the ability to put aside your selfish concerns and do what is better for others, both people you love and people you may not like very much. She reminds us all about the discomforts of our school days when all we wanted was to be included, be liked, be part of the "in" crowd. You will fall in love with Mead Fegley, a sweet and awkward boy who learns the most important part of being a man.
October 27, 2008
Life After Genius by M. Ann Jacoby is a book that examines one young genius' struggle to find himself and his place in his own family and society.
Theodore Mead Fegley's father runs a furniture store and funeral home with his brother Martin, while his mother's main goal in life is to push her son to achieve as much as possible and not squander his intelligence. The pressure mounts for Mead as he speeds through his elementary and high school years, reaching the University of Chicago at age 15.
The narrative easily shifts from the present to the past, and the chapter breaks make it easier to keep the timeline in perspective with details about what period in Mead's life is witnessed and what location he is in. Mead is a young teen thrust into academic life with peers who are much older and experienced. Mead's life takes a stark turn when he meets Herman Weinstein, a fellow mathematics student at the university. Mead's pushed aside as his faculty advisor chooses Weinstein over Mead after the professor is offered a department head position. Mead is angered by the turn of events, but only until he finds a new mentor, Dr. Alexander. Mead throws himself into the Riemann Hypothesis, and he hopes to either prove or disprove the hypothesis, which has been debated for more than 100 years.
Jacoby easily weaves in events from Mead's past into his present and how those events shape Mead and his actions at the university. Herman insinuates himself into Mead's life, and tensions rise until Mead finds himself running home to rural Illinois before graduation, his major mathematical presentation, and his valedictorian speech.
While math problems make me cringe, this story brought me back with the discussions of matrices--math I actually understood at one point--but Jacoby does a great job of including this information without burdening or boring the reader. As Mead's life unfolds and the mystery grows more intense, the pages flow quickly as the reader grows more anxious to find out why Mead left the university. This novel is dubbed as an academic thriller, but it is more like a coming of age story. Mead finds himself, what's important to him, and how to cope with his reality.
Theodore Mead Fegley's father runs a furniture store and funeral home with his brother Martin, while his mother's main goal in life is to push her son to achieve as much as possible and not squander his intelligence. The pressure mounts for Mead as he speeds through his elementary and high school years, reaching the University of Chicago at age 15.
The narrative easily shifts from the present to the past, and the chapter breaks make it easier to keep the timeline in perspective with details about what period in Mead's life is witnessed and what location he is in. Mead is a young teen thrust into academic life with peers who are much older and experienced. Mead's life takes a stark turn when he meets Herman Weinstein, a fellow mathematics student at the university. Mead's pushed aside as his faculty advisor chooses Weinstein over Mead after the professor is offered a department head position. Mead is angered by the turn of events, but only until he finds a new mentor, Dr. Alexander. Mead throws himself into the Riemann Hypothesis, and he hopes to either prove or disprove the hypothesis, which has been debated for more than 100 years.
Jacoby easily weaves in events from Mead's past into his present and how those events shape Mead and his actions at the university. Herman insinuates himself into Mead's life, and tensions rise until Mead finds himself running home to rural Illinois before graduation, his major mathematical presentation, and his valedictorian speech.
While math problems make me cringe, this story brought me back with the discussions of matrices--math I actually understood at one point--but Jacoby does a great job of including this information without burdening or boring the reader. As Mead's life unfolds and the mystery grows more intense, the pages flow quickly as the reader grows more anxious to find out why Mead left the university. This novel is dubbed as an academic thriller, but it is more like a coming of age story. Mead finds himself, what's important to him, and how to cope with his reality.
April 26, 2015
I'm a fan of nonlinear storytelling and I'm a fan of mystery/secrets and their drawn out reveals; combine these elements and I'm sold. But here, things were done in a way that I almost didn't care if I ever learned the details behind this huge upset in Mead's life. One reason why this didn't work for me is likely due to the nuggets of repetition in places where we should have been getting more clues to lead us along. The sort of clues that, no matter how simple, intrigue us and make us eager to read more. But, no. We're run through circles, being fed the same pre-digested clues from the same dirty spoon, only to find the reveal to be nothing more than we readers could already surmise on our own. A letdown on top of the slow lead-up.
Another key thing that made this read less than enjoyable was an annoyance with the main character. I have no sympathy for his constant complaints of being friendless particularly when he continues to be cold, dismissive, and humorless (despite some caustic sarcasm) when anyone tries to talk to him, all while blaming it on the age difference instead of his own faults and trust issues. That age difference of a few years wouldn't mean squat if he didn't act like such a dick to everyone. It's all about the personality and he has none. Granted, I've known many people just like him, so this isn't to say that he's not a realistic character. Just one I wouldn't mind punching in the face a few dozen times to help set him straight.
Additionally, the ending felt incredibly flat and only proved to me that Mead hasn't changed
Another key thing that made this read less than enjoyable was an annoyance with the main character. I have no sympathy for his constant complaints of being friendless particularly when he continues to be cold, dismissive, and humorless (despite some caustic sarcasm) when anyone tries to talk to him, all while blaming it on the age difference instead of his own faults and trust issues. That age difference of a few years wouldn't mean squat if he didn't act like such a dick to everyone. It's all about the personality and he has none. Granted, I've known many people just like him, so this isn't to say that he's not a realistic character. Just one I wouldn't mind punching in the face a few dozen times to help set him straight.
Additionally, the ending felt incredibly flat and only proved to me that Mead hasn't changed
December 29, 2011
A coming-of-age story, if anything, is what Life After Genius develops into as the life of Mead Fegley unravels and re-ravels as he struggles with choices he makes in his final year of college. Mead, a childhood genius who, quite easily, is accepted into college at the age of 15, and is set to graduate at 18 decides, willingly, to throw away his entire education. His reason to do this? To give up possible fame of becoming the closest person in history to get anywhere near disproving or proving the Riemann Hypothesis, as well as his entire education, I found, very, very silly. Albeit, this story hops from one time in Meads life to another, from his childhood, to the present, the future, and back again. This style of writing is not confusing, as it adds to the interest of the book, although it does become an immediate frustration once the mystery of why Mead came home begins to unfold.
I must say this book was interesting, and I found myself leached to it for two days straight. With both the arrangement of the chapters, and the impressive setting and character descriptions that help you imagine each scene, this book will not disappoint if you are looking for a gripping read. It keeps you wanting, which keeps you reading. However, in the end you are left with many questions; the only downside to the novel. After everything begins to add up, and you think you know what will happen, it ends. Just like that, three hundred and eighty some pages later, it ends without an explanation. That is the only downside, and that is why this book is lacking its final star.
I recommend this book to any young mind that enjoys coming-of-age stories, as this is one that may resemble well-known novels of the same genre, it is able to stand its own.
I must say this book was interesting, and I found myself leached to it for two days straight. With both the arrangement of the chapters, and the impressive setting and character descriptions that help you imagine each scene, this book will not disappoint if you are looking for a gripping read. It keeps you wanting, which keeps you reading. However, in the end you are left with many questions; the only downside to the novel. After everything begins to add up, and you think you know what will happen, it ends. Just like that, three hundred and eighty some pages later, it ends without an explanation. That is the only downside, and that is why this book is lacking its final star.
I recommend this book to any young mind that enjoys coming-of-age stories, as this is one that may resemble well-known novels of the same genre, it is able to stand its own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2014
I finished this book in a day. Couldn't put it down. Loved every second of it. At least, until I got to the last page, realized it was over and now I'm dealing with emotional trauma dealt at the hands of a book! This was going to be one of my all-time favourite books, but I don't know how to cope with the ending. If the author had tied up more of the loose ends I wouldn't have thought twice about giving it five stars. And maybe that's part of the point of the book; life isn't tidy and things are rarely finished up neatly when it's all said and done. But just because life is that way doesn't mean that's how I want my books to end! Argh! I'm traumatized I tell you! Traumatized!
September 29, 2012
Insulting. The author attempts to speak from the mind of a scientific prodigy without first-hand experience with being a genius, prodigy, or mathematician (not to mention a teenage boy...). While she is lauded for how well she pulls it off, I simply was infuriated by how hard she tried and how hard she failed to do so.
August 3, 2019
This was a really good book but the ending was horrible. It was rushed and very disappointing. You are lead that you are going to get to know his final decision but it ends with him jumping off a cliff to save someone ,who tried to steal his research, from drowning.
December 29, 2009
This book was the longest, more boring, must muddled and "ugly" book I have ever read! Agck!
January 22, 2011
I just couldn't finish it. Normally I will push through in the hopes it might get better but I just couldn't do it any more.
November 29, 2011
A predictable, and not especially cleverly written piece.
Sometimes it is hard to write up characters who are smarter than yourself.
Sometimes it is hard to write up characters who are smarter than yourself.
July 3, 2013
I hate this book more than any book I have ever read.
August 21, 2014
I kept waiting for the book to get better. Nope. It was horrible. What a waste of time.
August 15, 2020
Theodore “Mead” is smart. So smart he has been pushed through school younger than most. His mother overbearing and his father keeps to his funeral business. The only family member that treats him normal is his cousin Percy. Mead starts college away from all his family. Just as he is about to graduate Mead breaks from the pressure of everything, his school, his future, friendships, and mysterious past.
I am not usually into dramatic contemporary books but I did like this one. In some ways, I related to Mead’s breakdown. He is learning who his without others telling him who they want him to be. I like the back and forth through time. It kept me interested in the story and made the mystery all the more mysterious.
The ending was not horrible but not great either. It was an ending I did not see coming. A lot of the book I could not predict and that usually makes for a good book.
I thought for the first book from an author the book was well written and kept my attention. I am curious about her next book if there is one.
I am not usually into dramatic contemporary books but I did like this one. In some ways, I related to Mead’s breakdown. He is learning who his without others telling him who they want him to be. I like the back and forth through time. It kept me interested in the story and made the mystery all the more mysterious.
The ending was not horrible but not great either. It was an ending I did not see coming. A lot of the book I could not predict and that usually makes for a good book.
I thought for the first book from an author the book was well written and kept my attention. I am curious about her next book if there is one.
January 18, 2020
Avis mitigé sur cette histoire de surdoué qui, a 18 ans , termine son cursus universitaire de mathématiques mais plaque tout à 8 jours de la remise des diplômes. Par une série de flash-backs, on découvre l’entourage familial, les problèmes relationnels de Mead avec ses « camarades »de classe du fait de son caractère particulier et de sa précocité ... La seule chose qui l’anime est sa passion des mathématiques . Le personnage principal n’est pas spécialement attachant mais on se demande ce qui l’a fait renoncer si près du but et la fin est plutôt décevante à mon goût. On ne s’ennuie pas mais ce n’est pas hyper original.
December 11, 2018
2 1/2 stars.
Mead is a rather arrogant, socially clumsy genius who is about to graduate college at 18. Unfortunately, some bad stuff has gone down and Mead would rather go back home to his small town life than stay at university. This story jumps around in the timeline, telling stories of Mead's distant and recent past interspersed among stories of his present. You'll meet the head of department who ignored Mead at first but obsessed over him later, the professor who kept Mead going in the right direction, and the frenemy who probably ruined everything.
It was just too stressful for me.
Mead is a rather arrogant, socially clumsy genius who is about to graduate college at 18. Unfortunately, some bad stuff has gone down and Mead would rather go back home to his small town life than stay at university. This story jumps around in the timeline, telling stories of Mead's distant and recent past interspersed among stories of his present. You'll meet the head of department who ignored Mead at first but obsessed over him later, the professor who kept Mead going in the right direction, and the frenemy who probably ruined everything.
It was just too stressful for me.
March 10, 2025
What an enjoyable & rather quirky book. I loved it, especially the many humorous lines sprinkled throughout the story. Warning, the ending may not be satisfying to a lot of readers but it didn't ruin it for me. It's not a bad ending, just not as resolved as one might hope... This is the kind of book I know I'm going to re-read some day.
November 17, 2017
The characters and story are good. But it just kind of went on a little too long. The nagging question I'm left with is What does being a friend really mean? It makes you think about those relationships that were hard. The ones you let go and the ones you kept.
May 13, 2020
I’m not a big math follower. But I’m left with the feeling “Is Herman just a figment of Meads imagination” Does Mead suffer from mental disease? Every time I thought the story was going to go in a direction I was turned around.
April 12, 2024
An interesting story about the inner life of a child who enters college early and has never had stable social relationships or friendships. He struggles also with responsibility, duty, honesty, what to believe and who to trust. (personal HC)
August 12, 2018
Closer to 2.5 stars, once you factor in the last 50 pages or so.
March 13, 2023
all of the characters in this book should seek professional help, and me probably also, after devoting my weekend to finish it nevertheless reached an ending like this.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews