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shareen17's review against another edition
4.0
I think this author does a good job of writing characters who act as teens would really act, and speak as teens would really speak. The story is more subtle than dramatic, so more like real life.
christiana's review against another edition
3.0
Firstly: June. June, June, June. What is your deal, June? You're all hating the moving and then you're all falling in love and then you're all screwing things up.
And what was it about everyone not calling people back in this book? Every time I turned the page, someone was calling someone, looking at the caller ID, and ignoring the call. Or hanging up on each other! And then after they hung up on each other they would text each other. Society, I'm sad about you if this is what we're doing now.
And the ending was spectacularly anticlimactic. So then I looked up Pete Hautman and he's, like, written stuff before. This is not his first attempt. Pete (can I call you Pete?), I like your character development. I like that your characters are real. I don't like the decisions your characters make because I don't think it's in keeping with their actions and feelings. I don't suppose you'd like to rewrite this, so maybe we just keep in mind for next time?
Also, there's some porn talk in this book. And the porn talk sometimes puts me off of recommending it in ze library. Otherwise, not that much to be concerned about-not even language.
And what was it about everyone not calling people back in this book? Every time I turned the page, someone was calling someone, looking at the caller ID, and ignoring the call. Or hanging up on each other! And then after they hung up on each other they would text each other. Society, I'm sad about you if this is what we're doing now.
And the ending was spectacularly anticlimactic. So then I looked up Pete Hautman and he's, like, written stuff before. This is not his first attempt. Pete (can I call you Pete?), I like your character development. I like that your characters are real. I don't like the decisions your characters make because I don't think it's in keeping with their actions and feelings. I don't suppose you'd like to rewrite this, so maybe we just keep in mind for next time?
Also, there's some porn talk in this book. And the porn talk sometimes puts me off of recommending it in ze library. Otherwise, not that much to be concerned about-not even language.
jackiehorne's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 A bit slow-paced at the start, and the ending seemed overly insightful, too grown-up, given the characters. But still, an engaging character study of first love, that moment when you realize that someone who you are amazingly drawn to is also drawn to you, and the joys of exploring that mutual attraction.
alboyer6's review against another edition
3.0
This was a good story about a girl and about a boy. She moves a lot because of her dads job. He's only lived in Minnesota. She dates his friend and their worlds keep colliding. This book follows their friendship through the year, season by season. The end was just a bit disappointing and flat.
mbrandmaier's review against another edition
3.0
This book is true to life... there is no neat happy packaged ending.
janjem's review against another edition
4.0
Finally, a teenage romance that's something you could recommend to teens!
brandypainter's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted here.
I have been wanting to read The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman ever since I read Kate's review of it at Book Aunt earlier this year. It is not often you find a book about ordinary every day teens in a typical relationship in YA books. No one here discovers their romantic interest is a vampire/werewolf/fallen angel/creature of Faerie. No one here turns out to have magical or supernatural powers or a hidden mythical heritage. There are no tragedies/disasters/psychological traumas in the characters past. It really is a book about two average kids who have a very typical relationship. If that wasn't attractive enough there is also the amazing cover which I just like to stare at.
The synopsis is not exactly true. There is a fair amount of swooning scorching desire, teenage hormones and all that, but not at the first meeting. They do have chemistry and a strong attraction but it is far more realistically portrayed. It is easy to put oneself in the place of Wes and June because most people reading this have experienced, are experiencing, or want to experience the same sort of relationship.
Wes and June are both great characters on their own as well. June has moved around a lot and developed a snarky yet accurate assessment of all high schools and teenagers everywhere. She is a little prickly because she is never in anyone place for very long and views all relationships as temporary. She dates a boy because she feels sorry for him. She creates drama between herself and Wes by yelling at him for things that are not is fault and beyond his control. Wes is just a regular guy who plays video games and poker with his friends. He does crazy things without thinking them through all the way and then wonders how it happened when he finds himself in more trouble than he imagined possible. Both characters find themselves receiving some swift and stern parental intervention at one point. Everything about this book is highly relateable to anyone who is or ever has been a teenager.
Note on Content: This is a book where the main characters are juniors in high school. There is a scene where they attend a party with underage drinking (though they do not partake). There are also some discussions o of sex and sexual desire.
I have been wanting to read The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman ever since I read Kate's review of it at Book Aunt earlier this year. It is not often you find a book about ordinary every day teens in a typical relationship in YA books. No one here discovers their romantic interest is a vampire/werewolf/fallen angel/creature of Faerie. No one here turns out to have magical or supernatural powers or a hidden mythical heritage. There are no tragedies/disasters/psychological traumas in the characters past. It really is a book about two average kids who have a very typical relationship. If that wasn't attractive enough there is also the amazing cover which I just like to stare at.
The synopsis is not exactly true. There is a fair amount of swooning scorching desire, teenage hormones and all that, but not at the first meeting. They do have chemistry and a strong attraction but it is far more realistically portrayed. It is easy to put oneself in the place of Wes and June because most people reading this have experienced, are experiencing, or want to experience the same sort of relationship.
Wes and June are both great characters on their own as well. June has moved around a lot and developed a snarky yet accurate assessment of all high schools and teenagers everywhere. She is a little prickly because she is never in anyone place for very long and views all relationships as temporary. She dates a boy because she feels sorry for him. She creates drama between herself and Wes by yelling at him for things that are not is fault and beyond his control. Wes is just a regular guy who plays video games and poker with his friends. He does crazy things without thinking them through all the way and then wonders how it happened when he finds himself in more trouble than he imagined possible. Both characters find themselves receiving some swift and stern parental intervention at one point. Everything about this book is highly relateable to anyone who is or ever has been a teenager.
Note on Content: This is a book where the main characters are juniors in high school. There is a scene where they attend a party with underage drinking (though they do not partake). There are also some discussions o of sex and sexual desire.
rosalind14's review against another edition
3.0
I definitely expected more from this than what I got. While the synopsis sounded promising and the writing was decent, I didn't really see that there was a purpose to the story or the characters (whose names I've already forgotten). I wouldn't necessarily say reading this was a waste of my time, but I didn't get much out of it and I wouldn't really recommend it. I'd elaborate but the book has already made its way out of my head.
cleah's review against another edition
5.0
The first time Wes meets June, he thinks her mouth is too wide and her eyes are too far apart. June, in return, thinks his hair is shaggy. It would seem these two were not meant to be together right from the start. And yet, against all odds, their paths continue to cross. Thus begins a romance where nothing is easy to explain or simple to figure out. Navigating through friends, family, and their own heads, Wes and June fumble towards a unique happy ending.
Wow, this book was incredible. It's funny, sad, tender, and exciting. The only other book by Pete Hautman I have read was Sweetblood, which I also enjoyed very much. Still, this one was above and beyond good. The characters, the emotions, the situations were all so raw and realistic. It showed the honest side of love - that it always isn't the clean-cut, love-at-first-sight other books make it out to be. On the contrary, Hautman creates a rather messy situation for these poor characters. I found it difficult to sympathize with June sometimes, as she wasn't very nice a lot of the time. But Hautman gives her a viable back story to explain her reserve. Readers won't be able to help but root for Wes, especially the males out there. Which brings me to one last comment: this book is equally great for girls and boys. Each will have someone to identify with, and the scenarios are common enough to speak to just about anyone. Hautman writes all of his secondary characters excellent too, with Wes' friends supporting him and June's acquaintances having their own agendas. I'll say it one last time - this book was amazing. A short read that's highly recommended!
Wow, this book was incredible. It's funny, sad, tender, and exciting. The only other book by Pete Hautman I have read was Sweetblood, which I also enjoyed very much. Still, this one was above and beyond good. The characters, the emotions, the situations were all so raw and realistic. It showed the honest side of love - that it always isn't the clean-cut, love-at-first-sight other books make it out to be. On the contrary, Hautman creates a rather messy situation for these poor characters. I found it difficult to sympathize with June sometimes, as she wasn't very nice a lot of the time. But Hautman gives her a viable back story to explain her reserve. Readers won't be able to help but root for Wes, especially the males out there. Which brings me to one last comment: this book is equally great for girls and boys. Each will have someone to identify with, and the scenarios are common enough to speak to just about anyone. Hautman writes all of his secondary characters excellent too, with Wes' friends supporting him and June's acquaintances having their own agendas. I'll say it one last time - this book was amazing. A short read that's highly recommended!