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rhiannoncs's review
2.0
This book was really solid most of the way through - a story about a high school kid with a dream to become a hard-hitting journalist, who has his dreams crushed and his self-image distorted when confronted with reality. And all written in the great style of Rob Thomas, the creator of Veronica Mars.
I really enjoyed most of it - I liked the main character for some reason, even though he behaved like a selfish ass for most of the book. Also, I'm among the ideal target audience now, as the cultural references are pretty dated, but they are dated from the period when I was in high school, so it worked for me.
However, the book kind of loses direction really badly. It's like Rob Thomas wanted to write two books - one with the plot summary I gave above, and one about an American kid's adventures in Ireland, and he just decided to slap them together. Really sloppily. And I don't mind the fact that it has an ambiguous ending; in fact I'm all for a book in which the cocky teenager learns that he's not quite as smart as he thinks he is, and that the world kind of sucks sometimes. But if we could have come to that conclusion without the weirdly condensed separate novel that is the last 50 pages, that would have been great.
I really enjoyed most of it - I liked the main character for some reason, even though he behaved like a selfish ass for most of the book. Also, I'm among the ideal target audience now, as the cultural references are pretty dated, but they are dated from the period when I was in high school, so it worked for me.
However, the book kind of loses direction really badly. It's like Rob Thomas wanted to write two books - one with the plot summary I gave above, and one about an American kid's adventures in Ireland, and he just decided to slap them together. Really sloppily. And I don't mind the fact that it has an ambiguous ending; in fact I'm all for a book in which the cocky teenager learns that he's not quite as smart as he thinks he is, and that the world kind of sucks sometimes. But if we could have come to that conclusion without the weirdly condensed separate novel that is the last 50 pages, that would have been great.
shinychick's review
2.0
This one, I must say, felt like it was not quite as good as the others. The entire premise is seeing how the entertainment industry relies and works solely on how a person looks, and how a 'genuine' guy from Texas slowly realizes this. It was a bit of a stretch at the end, as well.
thechronicknitter's review against another edition
2.0
Patrick Sheridan is a 17 year old senior who lives in the rural Texas town of Doggett. His deepest dream is to become a journalist for a print newspaper, though his father would prefer that he become something far more practical, like a lawyer or a doctor. When his school starts getting a news broadcast, Classroom Direct, which is made with teens in mind he is given an amazing opportunity. They are looking for student broadcasters to join them for the end of their senior year in Los Angeles.
Months go by and Patrick has all but forgotten about his application. When he returns one night from necking his girlfriend of 2 years, Kate, his father tells him of a phone call from Los Angeles from a Libby of Classroom Direct. They watched his audition tape, and they want him to be a student broadcaster for the rest of the year with the possibility of staying on as a permanent anchor is he does well! His parents, both very strict parents who are devour Roman Catholics are somewhat reluctant (his mother more than his father) finally relent and let him go.
When Patrick arrives in L.A. he is still a sheltered, kind and respectful young man. He believes in his dreams, that this opportunity can get him there. When he arrives at his apartment building he gets lost and stumbles upon the teen star, Robin Ferris. When he asks how he “gets out of here?” she tells him to “let his ratings go to hell” which I feel says it all (though she does give him directions on how to get out of the apartment complex).
At the studio the next day he “helps” pick out the other student broadcaster who is to be his partner. It is not the student he would have chosen. There is a young woman with a wonderful recommendations, amazing written article, but she is overweight. The studio head, Prentiss Scott, cares more about image and about winning the “diversity lottery” so goes with a black young woman from inner-city D.C. with horrifying grammar but a good voice named Shayla Roberts.
Now, Patrick is adopted and has darker skin than his Irish parents. His hair is dark and curly and since his acne cleared up due to medication, he is startlingly handsome. When he arrives in L.A. he is taken shopping and the outfits purchased for him are stereotypical things such as ostrich boots, ten-gallon hats, cowboy shirts with rhinestone buttons, vests with fringe, and belts with big shiny buckles. It’s then that Patrick begins to realize that he is a prop to win the hearts and minds of rural teens who live down south (and perhaps in the Midwest). Shayla, on the other hand is glaring stereotype being from the inner city of D.C., in a low socioeconomic class, poor education, and has a mostly absent mother leaving her and her sister as the chief caregivers of two younger siblings. Since the book is written from Patrick’s perspective we are aware that he knows he is a prop and see him both go along with it and fight it. While there are some comments that make me feel that Shayla is also aware that she is only there for the “diversity lottery” (and doesn’t care because money is money) I think that this book would be better served if Thomas had written in a conversation between them where they talk about how they are props so that readers are aware that’s what is happening and also how both characters feel about it. If Shayla had actually been a fleshed-out character I think a lot could have been done and said about L.A. (which it seemed was the point of the book).
I did enjoy the overall idea of what L.A. does to young/child stars in terms of the early access to total independence, drugs, alcohol, clubs and other places where they should not be, sex, attention etc. and the difficulty of dealing with all of those things when you don’t have the guidance of your parents. Patrick also has contact with his birth mother which creates some tension in the story, though it plays less of a part than one would have thought given the revelation.
In reading the summary on the back I had thought that the L.A. bit would have been a short bit where Patrick’s life spirals out of control and then the existential experience in Ireland would take up the majority of the book. Makes sense to me as I felt like getting grounded and figuring out who he is and what he wants in life would not be a quick experience. While he is in Ireland for a month or so it takes up approx. 50 pages of the 266 pages book. This part felt tacked on. Thomas mentions in his ‘thanks’ before the prologue that he spent time in Ireland researching for this book. It seemed as though he needed to use this information because he told people he was writing a book that took place in Ireland and felt like he could just throw it together.
I think that Thomas was making some important points about Hollywood and what it does for both the children and adults that enter its clutches. It’s too bad there wasn’t more diversity and Thomas didn’t do more with the characters, Patrick included. Even at the end Patrick seemed jaded and broken but perhaps that was the point?
Months go by and Patrick has all but forgotten about his application. When he returns one night from necking his girlfriend of 2 years, Kate, his father tells him of a phone call from Los Angeles from a Libby of Classroom Direct. They watched his audition tape, and they want him to be a student broadcaster for the rest of the year with the possibility of staying on as a permanent anchor is he does well! His parents, both very strict parents who are devour Roman Catholics are somewhat reluctant (his mother more than his father) finally relent and let him go.
When Patrick arrives in L.A. he is still a sheltered, kind and respectful young man. He believes in his dreams, that this opportunity can get him there. When he arrives at his apartment building he gets lost and stumbles upon the teen star, Robin Ferris. When he asks how he “gets out of here?” she tells him to “let his ratings go to hell” which I feel says it all (though she does give him directions on how to get out of the apartment complex).
At the studio the next day he “helps” pick out the other student broadcaster who is to be his partner. It is not the student he would have chosen. There is a young woman with a wonderful recommendations, amazing written article, but she is overweight. The studio head, Prentiss Scott, cares more about image and about winning the “diversity lottery” so goes with a black young woman from inner-city D.C. with horrifying grammar but a good voice named Shayla Roberts.
Now, Patrick is adopted and has darker skin than his Irish parents. His hair is dark and curly and since his acne cleared up due to medication, he is startlingly handsome. When he arrives in L.A. he is taken shopping and the outfits purchased for him are stereotypical things such as ostrich boots, ten-gallon hats, cowboy shirts with rhinestone buttons, vests with fringe, and belts with big shiny buckles. It’s then that Patrick begins to realize that he is a prop to win the hearts and minds of rural teens who live down south (and perhaps in the Midwest). Shayla, on the other hand is glaring stereotype being from the inner city of D.C., in a low socioeconomic class, poor education, and has a mostly absent mother leaving her and her sister as the chief caregivers of two younger siblings. Since the book is written from Patrick’s perspective we are aware that he knows he is a prop and see him both go along with it and fight it. While there are some comments that make me feel that Shayla is also aware that she is only there for the “diversity lottery” (and doesn’t care because money is money) I think that this book would be better served if Thomas had written in a conversation between them where they talk about how they are props so that readers are aware that’s what is happening and also how both characters feel about it. If Shayla had actually been a fleshed-out character I think a lot could have been done and said about L.A. (which it seemed was the point of the book).
I did enjoy the overall idea of what L.A. does to young/child stars in terms of the early access to total independence, drugs, alcohol, clubs and other places where they should not be, sex, attention etc. and the difficulty of dealing with all of those things when you don’t have the guidance of your parents. Patrick also has contact with his birth mother which creates some tension in the story, though it plays less of a part than one would have thought given the revelation.
In reading the summary on the back I had thought that the L.A. bit would have been a short bit where Patrick’s life spirals out of control and then the existential experience in Ireland would take up the majority of the book. Makes sense to me as I felt like getting grounded and figuring out who he is and what he wants in life would not be a quick experience. While he is in Ireland for a month or so it takes up approx. 50 pages of the 266 pages book. This part felt tacked on. Thomas mentions in his ‘thanks’ before the prologue that he spent time in Ireland researching for this book. It seemed as though he needed to use this information because he told people he was writing a book that took place in Ireland and felt like he could just throw it together.
I think that Thomas was making some important points about Hollywood and what it does for both the children and adults that enter its clutches. It’s too bad there wasn’t more diversity and Thomas didn’t do more with the characters, Patrick included. Even at the end Patrick seemed jaded and broken but perhaps that was the point?
3smallsalsmum's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
epilieaspiechick's review against another edition
4.0
My full review can be found on the Epilie Aspie Chick blog!
However, like every good moral story... Patrick lasts about 15 seconds in LA before he starts compromising his ethics and beliefs in order to fit in and blend with the others around him. It doesn't take very long before he's in strip clubs, drinking, doing drugs, sleeping with girls, lying, skipping church, and cheating on his girlfriend. When he used to cling closely to the religious beliefs of his parents, he now is living a life where he's completely rejected them. Too bad his naughty behavior catches up to him and ends up getting in the way of his Classroom Direct gig, ends up in the hands of his parents, and with his girlfriend seeing him cheating.
Rob has this amazing ability to write a character with such flair that you want to connect with and understand. Patrick's fall is one with spectacular penache and its interesting to see just what secrets he ends up finding along the way. Considering he's been told that he only gets what he wants due to his looks, maybe he is doing this to fight that view from others. Maybe he's trying to convince himself. Either way, its hard to understand his reasons behind what he does and as much as I hate to say this, he's no Veronica Mars (really, when is book 3?!?!).
However, like every good moral story... Patrick lasts about 15 seconds in LA before he starts compromising his ethics and beliefs in order to fit in and blend with the others around him. It doesn't take very long before he's in strip clubs, drinking, doing drugs, sleeping with girls, lying, skipping church, and cheating on his girlfriend. When he used to cling closely to the religious beliefs of his parents, he now is living a life where he's completely rejected them. Too bad his naughty behavior catches up to him and ends up getting in the way of his Classroom Direct gig, ends up in the hands of his parents, and with his girlfriend seeing him cheating.
Rob has this amazing ability to write a character with such flair that you want to connect with and understand. Patrick's fall is one with spectacular penache and its interesting to see just what secrets he ends up finding along the way. Considering he's been told that he only gets what he wants due to his looks, maybe he is doing this to fight that view from others. Maybe he's trying to convince himself. Either way, its hard to understand his reasons behind what he does and as much as I hate to say this, he's no Veronica Mars (really, when is book 3?!?!).
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