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audreychamaine's review against another edition
3.0
Popular young adult book author Chris Crutcher describes memories from his childhood, adolescence, and early adult years in short chapter stories. Crutcher recalls how he became a Stotan, how his brother shot him in the head and got away with it, why he was tricked into thinking that Jesus had an older brother named Esus, and much more.
Fans of Crutcher’s works will enjoy reading the stories that inspired his writing, and finding out the sources for many of Crutcher’s characters. Crutcher shows us how a normal childhood is always anything but.
Fans of Crutcher’s works will enjoy reading the stories that inspired his writing, and finding out the sources for many of Crutcher’s characters. Crutcher shows us how a normal childhood is always anything but.
bibliophile1019's review against another edition
5.0
In February, I heard Chris Crutcher speak at the Ohio Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (OCTELA) and he talked about his life. I laughed so hard I nearly cried, so I immediately added his memoir to my to read list. It did not disappoint.
Chris tells about his life growing up in the small town of Cascade, Idaho, and how his childhood influenced his career in writing. He talks about his brother, who could make anything sound "neat", which usually led Chris to get into trouble. He also talked about questions of religion and his temper, both of which often got him into trouble. He was also a "bawlbaby," which also led him to get into trouble. (See a trend here?) My favorite three stories focused on his brother: the time his brother convinced him to urinate in the heating grate and then close all the windows in the house to mask the smell form the neighbords, the time his brother convinced him it would be "neat" for Chris to run along the ditch and let him take shots at him with a BB gun, and the time his brother told him about Esus, Jesus's older brother who had all the ideas but nobody knew about.
Crutcher clearly shows how all of these events contribute to his writing in some way, giving insight into where a writer gets their ideas for fiction. He has a funny, self-deprecating tone that is sure to grab the attention of even the most reluctant reader. I was a bit unclear on the intended audience, however. The book was shelved in the adult memoirs at my library, but it seemed out of place based on its slim volume and larger than normal font. I would recommend this to any high school student, and more mature middle school readers, since it does contain a lot of language (which is par for the course with Crutcher). All in all, a delightfully finny read that made me laugh out loud.
Chris tells about his life growing up in the small town of Cascade, Idaho, and how his childhood influenced his career in writing. He talks about his brother, who could make anything sound "neat", which usually led Chris to get into trouble. He also talked about questions of religion and his temper, both of which often got him into trouble. He was also a "bawlbaby," which also led him to get into trouble. (See a trend here?) My favorite three stories focused on his brother: the time his brother convinced him to urinate in the heating grate and then close all the windows in the house to mask the smell form the neighbords, the time his brother convinced him it would be "neat" for Chris to run along the ditch and let him take shots at him with a BB gun, and the time his brother told him about Esus, Jesus's older brother who had all the ideas but nobody knew about.
Crutcher clearly shows how all of these events contribute to his writing in some way, giving insight into where a writer gets their ideas for fiction. He has a funny, self-deprecating tone that is sure to grab the attention of even the most reluctant reader. I was a bit unclear on the intended audience, however. The book was shelved in the adult memoirs at my library, but it seemed out of place based on its slim volume and larger than normal font. I would recommend this to any high school student, and more mature middle school readers, since it does contain a lot of language (which is par for the course with Crutcher). All in all, a delightfully finny read that made me laugh out loud.
yabetsy's review against another edition
4.0
Can you relate to an older, horrible sibling? No? Never had a problem with a few little words? "-your name here-, want to try something?" Run, do not walk, run.
beths0103's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed listening to Chris narrate the audio version of this memoir. What really stood out for me was chapter 13, which is where he justifies the strong language and less-than-pretty situations he writes about in his books and why he will always write about controversial topics. I immediately ordered a copy of the book after reading that chapter. I will give it to any parent or administrator who challenges a book in my classroom.
asimilarkite's review against another edition
5.0
Chris Crutcher's childhood in Cascade, Idaho is artfully told with wit, humor, anger, and a TON of great great stories. I would definitely recommend this book to teenagers, whether or not they had read any of Crutcher's other books -- Crutcher's young life was hilarious and sad, and above all, Crutcher is a great storyteller.
lorathelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Crutcher narrates his autobiography very well. He tells stories from his life that include tales from his childhood and experiences from working with troubled children and families as a therapist. It is with these stories that Crutcher teaches the reader, just as he was taught growing up. The reader also gets a glimpse into Crutcher's childhood, which wasn't as perfect as it seems. The reader begins to truly understand all the different family members and they become actual people instead of just names that Crutcher likes to talk about.
Crutcher is an excellent storyteller and that shines through in this book. I laughed and cried and truly enjoyed listening to Crutcher's beliefs and thoughts on many subjects.
Crutcher is an excellent storyteller and that shines through in this book. I laughed and cried and truly enjoyed listening to Crutcher's beliefs and thoughts on many subjects.
bofadeez's review against another edition
funny
informative
slow-paced
2.0
I don’t like autobiography’s. Was all over the place . But it was funny and relatable
marthalclausen's review against another edition
5.0
This is the first book I've read by Chris Crutcher and I laughed out loud throughout. I especially enjoyed the moments when the stories would end for a minute and Crutcher's philsophies would begin. Without the serious side this would still have been a great read, but the quiet moments turn it into a must-read. It will only take a few hours and you won't be sorry!
ceciliamagoogle's review against another edition
3.0
Read-a-likes: The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid,