Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Teen Angst? Naaah...A Quasi-autobiography




The events in these stories are real. Some names have been changed so I don’t get yelled at.


Ned Vizzini writes about the weird, funny, and sometimes mortifying moments that made up his teen years. With wit, irony, and honesty, Teen Angst? Naaah . . . invites you into his world of school, parents, street people, rock bands, friends, fame, camp, sex (sort of), Cancun (almost), prom, beer, Nintendo, the cool (and almost cool), and more. A Holden Caulfield for Generation Y, Ned Vizzini is an original voice to be reckoned with, read, and enjoyed.

from bn.com

Nathan says 5 stars...
I opened this book to find the first chapter entitled "Nintendo Saved Me," and I instantly fell in love. Ned Vizzini captures the essence of the teenage years with a realism that seems achieved so easily. Vizzini recalls all the quirky details of junior high to senior year with a humor, wit, and depth that makes one look beyond his prose into the very soul of the author. Whether it be ranting about the evils of the Collegeboard or explaining how he tried illegal narcotics before sampling alcohol, Vizzini involves the reader in the story at a core level. Oh, I haven't mentioned yet, there are footnotes*. The book looks a little kid-ish, with its cartoons and large text, but I promise, it's not. I would suggest this for slightly older demographic, but most YA book audiences will be fine with it. Final verdict - this book is bold and refreshing. A must-read for YA fanatics, I mean the word quasi is in the title, what's not to love?


*I LOVE footnotes. They are delicious and quirky interjections that make a book all the more interesting.

5 comments:

Sadako said...

This looks really good. The comparison to Catcher in the Rye made me think of the book King Dork by Frank Portman which I also really loved.

BN Book Blog said...

It's a lot less angst ridden than Catcher, so I like it. Ned is more positive, but also much funner: a real win-win.

Lenore Appelhans said...

I'm totally into the Nintendo Wii fit, but other video games seem like a waste of time when I could be READING!

Cassie G said...

1. You didn't tell me Ned Vizzini wrote this! Did you read It's Kind of a Funny Story? It was fantastic!
2. I adore footnotes to the max, and your description is perfect.
3. The word quasi is a winner.

Unknown said...

Well Cassie-
1. Yes, I did read It's Kind of a Funny Story. It is uber-great. Love Vizzini's writing to the max.
2. Good.
3. Yeah, it would win the power ball were word entries in gambling events.

~Nathan

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