| Title | : | Since You Left Me |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 160684296X |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781606842966 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 320 |
| Publication | : | First published August 28, 2012 |
For Sanskrit Aaron Zuckerman, it isn't easy to believe. Especially when all the people you care about leave.
His Dad left after the divorce. The love of his life left in second grade. His best friend in Jewish school found God and practically left the planet. Now his yoga teacher Mom is falling in love with her spiritual guru, and she’s threatening to leave, too.
In a desperate attempt to keep his family together, Sanskrit tells just one small lie. And for a while it seems to be working. Because people start coming back. Sanskrit might even get the family he always wanted.
There’s just one little thing in his way. The truth.
Since You Left Me Reviews
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Dear YA readers, bloggers, contemporary afficionados, HURRY UP and discover Allen Zadoff. Seriously, Zadoff’s books are not buzzed or reviewed enough which makes me feel dismayed. I’m pretty sure a lot of you enjoy witty contemps with awkward, realistic male main characters. If so, you NEED to read Zadoff’s works. His latest, Since You Left Me totally does not disappoint on the humor front.
Read the rest of my review here> link goes live 8/17/12 -
How do you find out what you believe in a world where everyone is telling you what you should believe? This is the issue for Sanskrit Aaron Zuckerman, the hero of my new novel set in Los Angeles. What's it like to be a religious school kid who doesn't believe? That's Sanskrit's problem, every day of his life. I'm very proud of this new novel. It encompasses a lot of my experience living in my adopted city of L.A., my complicated relationship with Judaism growing up, and my run-ins with the diverse and occasionally exotic spirituality that is a part of life in this city. Oh yeah, and like Sanskrit, I had a killer crush on a girl in second grade who I didn't talk to for the next ten years. That sucked.
I'm thrilled to share the new book with you. -
"But in life, ending with an exclamation point feels good. I just never knew it before."
"Maybe that's what love is. You lose yourself. You go insane. But it's temporary insanity."
"But I need to give it to you. For myself. Without forgiveness, how can we move forward?"
"God. Thank you. Not because things worked out, because they didn't. I can't thank you for making things work out, but maybe I can thank you for being with me while they didn't." -
Super new title from Allen Zadoff.
Sanskrit Aaron Zuckerman is on a journey to find himself. Which isn't easy when:
You have an absentee father distracted by waiting for "the big one."
You have a mother who spends most of her time upside-down.
You have a sister who extorts your money for her silence.
You have a best friend who's had a religious experience.
You have a crush on a girl so hard you can only refer to her by her initials.
You have a commitment to school life that includes wearing the appropriate headgear.
You have a dead grandfather who pays your tuition.
You've just told the biggest lie one can tell that involves them all.
So, who do you turn to when all paths lead to and away from understanding?
Could it be the guru in white?
How do we create our own identities?
How important are the names we are born under?
Who gets to choose the path we walk?
Intant "ladders" to The Crucible and Pete Hautman's Godless. This book would work well with Amy Fellner Dominy's OyMG. For a stretch, pair up Zadoff's new title with Night or The Chosen to weigh out the condition of finding oneself in the midst of their faith.
So much to say about SINCE YOU LEFT ME. Zadoff keeps getting better with each book in presenting male characters in a time of crisis and exploration. Don't miss this fantastic author your young young guy readers. But. . .don't discount Zadoff's books for your young lady readers. As much as we say Cosmopolitan and Seventeen are sometimes gateways into how young ladies think, Zadoff's books pull back the curtain into all-too-familiar--but not often discussed or explored--adolescent scenarios.
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Video review here:
http://www.60secondrecap.com/potw/sin...
Sanskrit Aaron Zuckerman seems to spend his life losing things. Which is why it’s so strange when he tells a lie that makes people think he’s about to lose his mom…and even stranger when he discovers he may actually be losing her, too.
This coming-of-age story follows Sanskrit as he navigates ordinary issues like high school, friendships, and a gigantic crush, as well as more difficult subjects like parent-child relationships and faith. All of which is to say that in another author’s hands, Since You Left Me could be pretty heavy on the angst, but in Allen Zadoff’s, this semi-typical teenage fare is treated instead with humor and grace. There are no easy answers for Sanskrit, but by the end of this story, he’s at least become a little more thoughtful—and so, perhaps, have Zadoff’s readers. -
I am a waffler. I am a half-star giver. This book is a definite 3 1/2 stars for me. I enjoyed the writing and loved the character of Sanskrit...up until the end. Seriously, I felt like everything fell apart in the last twenty or so pages. Too many revelations and strange resolutions. Up until then, I really enjoyed it.
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Not my sort of book a all -
Amazing!
Sanskrit is an amazing kid even if he doesn’t know it himself! He gets in all kinds of trouble at school and at home but he eventually figures it all out. Bravo! -
Since You Left Me is a forthcoming brand-new YA novel by Allen Zadoff, who is also the author of Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can’t Have and My Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies. The story centers on sixteen-year-old Sanskrit Aaron Zuckerman, a student at a Jewish high school who is struggling to have faith. It’s difficult to grasp the concept of God when everyone around him keeps failing him. His mom seems to love yoga more than she loves either of her kids. Sanskrit’s dad manages to visit with his kids one weekend a month, but he spends most of his time preparing for the “big one.” Even Sanskrit's best friend Herschel has grown distant since taking a trip to Israel and coming back with a deep devotion to HaShem (the name for God in Judaism). And there’s The Initials - a girl so special to Sanskrit he can’t even say her name. She stopped speaking to him nearly ten years ago, and he still has no idea why. Things only get more complicated when Sanskrit, tired of making excuses for his mother’s absence at school functions, lies and says she was in a terrible accident.
I am really interested in the way religion and religious people are treated in young adult fiction, which is why I initially downloaded this book from NetGalley. From the get-go, I knew that I had made a good choice. I am not especially familiar with Jewish culture, but my lack of prior knowledge truly didn’t matter, as Zadoff incorporates lots of details to set the scene. In the space of a few chapters, I understood the significance of Sanskrit’s role as the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, the idea of young adults being “flipped” when they visit Israel, and the varying ways in which Jews practice - or don’t practice - their religion. I also really felt for Sanskrit, whose desire to believe is constantly getting tangled up with his skepticism about the existence of God. I think teens, especially, can relate to Sanskrit’s desire to know himself, and to know what he believes and feel settled about it, because most of us go through that type of identity crisis during adolescence.
The other really great thing about this book is how it confronts unfortunate circumstances with a sense of humor. Much of the comic relief in the story comes from Sanskrit’s little sister, Sweet Caroline, who is twelve, but growing up too fast due to her parents’ absenteeism. The dialogue between the two siblings is one of the highlights of the story, and rings very true to the way brothers and sisters interact with one another. I also really enjoyed the absurdity of Sanskrit’s mother’s love affair with an Indian guru, who meditates in the yoga studio bathroom and finds followers by claiming to believe in nothing.
Though this book will probably appeal to Jewish teens, I really see it as a story for everyone. Lots of common themes run through the story - divorce, parents who start dating again, sibling relationships, best friendships, lies, faith, and identity - and readers will find plenty to love about Sanskrit and many of the supporting characters as well. It’s wonderful to find yet another young adult novel with religious themes that judges neither the believer nor the non-believer for his personal choices. No matter where teens are in their journeys of faith, they can find a kindred spirit in Sanskrit. -
2.5 stars at best.
Don't you absolutely hate it, whenever you come across a book that you are so positive that you'll love- only to be gravely disappointed?
That's exactly what happened with me. From the very beginning, I was so sure this would be one of those rare books that would make me reflect on life and who am I as a person. Sadly, this is not the case. I ended up finishing the book in a matter of six hours, exclaiming, "That's it?!" as if I were some unsatisfied lover, and pushed the book aside to reflect- not on how amazingly life changing it was, but how the author seemed to avoid situations that should've been dealt with head on, and instead treated them as if they were a slight inconvenience in the plot. Obviously, they were much more than that.
That's like having your arms hacked off, and claiming that it's only a 'flesh wound' (points for Monty Python reference, anyone?)
Oh, and lets not forget to mention that there's little to no character development whatsoever. Seriously. All of the characters aren't much different from when they were first introduced.
The only positive thing I like, is despite it's irritating aspects, it was a rather entertaining page turner for most parts.
Now, if certain things were addressed, and weren't made to seem as if they were hastily compiled for a quick finish, this book certainly would've gotten a much better rating and review. But unfortunately, that's not the case, and I don't recommend this book for any serious, avid readers. -
After reading Zadoff's previous works Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have (which apparently I did not review) and My Life, The Theater, and Other Tragedies, I requested this expecting another great contemporary read from the male perspective. And I would say that I found a sensitive and endearing male voice in the person of Sanskrit Aaron Zuckerman (yes that is his first name as bestowed upon him by his yoga-obsessed mother).
Sanskrit's life isn't going so well. As evidenced by the title, he feels pretty abandoned. His parents are divorced with his mother deeply enmeshed in her yoga studio and his dad barely managing to parent on the weekends. His younger sister Sweet Caroline (yes, that is her full name, like the song) is kind of annoying, as younger sisters are and she seems to be developing her own life away from the family. Sanskrit's crush is forever out of reach. And his former best friend has discovered God after a trip to Israel. His now-deceased grandfather left him an inheritance that can only be spent on school where he must receive a Jewish education despite his own lack of faith.
But the book opens at the parent conference for his orthodox Jewish private school, his flaky mother doesn't show. Since his stubborn behavior already has him on the trouble-list, he blurts out a lie, just a little lie to buy him some time. Unfortunately that little lie has big consequences; some people start to draw nearer but what will they do when the truth is discovered?
Like I said above, I really liked Sanskrit whose voice is compelling and kept me turning the pages even though I knew some bad things would happen as his lies are found out. Because once you tell one lie, you usually end up telling more to cover your tracks. His lies get pretty big but I never lost my sympathy and connection to Sanskrit.
What I didn't like so much was his mother whose guru comes to visit before taking her back to India with him. I just could not handle how selfish she was. I get being frustrated with your life but you don't abandon your kids; you just don't. Plus she was so resistant to Sanskrit's opinions, which were spot-on even if he wasn't always able to present them as well. I just really disliked the mother and consequently the end. I didn't think much of the father either but he wasn't in the book that much. Sweet Caroline, though somewhat a pain, was pretty cute :) I want to emphasize the importance of their family to the story as it comes to take center stage while the lie percolates at Sanskrit's school.
Overall: A warm novel about family and truths featuring a strong male voice.
Cover: I really like the colors-they're very bold and bright and stand out from all those covers with people on them. The plane is also relevant to the plot. -
There Will Not Be A Test At the End
First off, please understand that you don't need to be a Torah scholar or a student of Talmudic law to fully enjoy this book. There will not be a quiz about Maimonides at the end. You didn't have to be an Evangelical Christian to get the point of "Rapture Practice", and I'm pretty sure that while Bing Crosby was a Roman Catholic, that didn't figure heavily when he picked up the Academy Award for "Going My Way".
There is a lot of Jewish culture and religion in this book, but that's not the point. There's also a lot of Los Angeles in the book, and that's not the point either.
There is a Mother, a Father, a best friend, a girl, life, school, a community, and a very perplexed teen, and that, actually, is the point.
In a review of his book that Allen Zadoff posted elsewhere, he observed that "[This novel] ...encompasses a lot of my experience living in my adopted city of L.A., my complicated relationship with Judaism growing up, and my run-ins with the diverse and occasionally exotic spirituality that is a part of life in this city. " Now, he could have addressed these issues as an adult in an adult oriented book. Maybe that would have been interesting, maybe not. What Zadoff did do was create a brilliantly precocious, observant, funny, confused and endearing young character who is the perfect hero/fool for wrestling with those issues.
This is one of those happy books that appeals to a wide age range. A younger reader can identify with the hero, sympathize with his plight, and enjoy the sometimes rollicking humor. At a certain level young Sanskrit speaks directly to the concerns of younger readers, (Jewish or not). On the other hand, an older reader can filter Sanskrit's thoughts and experiences through a different set of lenses and enjoy and appreciate what the author is trying to accomplish. Either way is a win.
So, you can emphasize what you like in this book - family, questions of faith, abandonment, love, guilt, yearning, lying, belief, the meaning of life, heartache, responsibility, hope, the dangers of yoga - it's all there. And it's there for all readers, and there in the most entertaining, appealing, engaging and generously good-hearted fashion imaginable. A nice find.
Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book. -
I'm in a bit of a quandary here. See, I enjoyed this book. I liked Sanskrit's voice. His sense of humor was right on, and his uneasy place among the more-observant Jewish students and professors at his private school was interesting to me. His Big Problems--the accident he invented that got bigger than he anticipated, his mother's sudden life changes--earned his angst and my interest. And I'm a sucker for spunky tween little sisters, like Sweet Caroline. All good, right?
Well, I have a big reservation. Sanskrit's dad--presented as kind of a mess of a human being, although a more or less decent guy--makes a few remarks throughout the book that really startled me. One is a weird nickname based on religious garments (non-Jewish ones) and one is a stereotype of hygiene habits in a particular country (a non-Western one). I won't quote them here, as I read an advance copy, and perhaps these have changed going into the final version--I have no way of knowing, as the book comes out a few weeks from now. They weren't huge or hateful, but they were enough to give me pause; if they remained in the final version, I might not choose to stock this in my classroom. I don't think they "ruined" the story, and I do actually think they were fairly realistic. Sanskrit's dad is a flawed guy and I guess not every YA character who says something obnoxious has to wind up being A Terrible Horrible Person. But I don't know that I could justify his remarks if a parent showed up and wanted to know why I gave their kid this book. That's just teacher-me speaking, but I felt I had to include a mention of that in my review. Reader-me thought it was an interesting way to flesh out that character, but YMMV.
I suppose my final word on this for now is: if you like funny, flawed male narrators, you will enjoy this book. I would never tell anyone that they couldn't or shouldn't read it. Just realize that, as in the real world, you may come across ideas or statements that you don't like, so be ready to read with a critical eye.
Disclaimer: I received this title as a free, advance e-book. This review is my own honest opinion. -
Wow. I really like this book. It is the first of Allen Zadoff’s books that I’ve read but I will definitely read more of his. It’s about a teenage boy in his junior year of high school trying to get by, to live, to figure things out.
The author gently skewers the school community for their lack of care. Teachers, students, and administrators were all rushing in to “help” Sanskrit when they believed his mother was in a serious accident. But they never actively tried to visit or give any real help. And they didn’t bother at all, really, when they realized that the young man and his sister had very little in the way of parental caring, but just interpreted this according to their own rules and created “contracts” for Sanskrit and his mother to follow. The school knew not to even try to contact the father at all--the father who saw his own children only two days out of the month. Almost funny was the group of students who were willing to be good Samaritans, but only for a minute at a time.
Sanskrit realizes near the end of the book that everyone is trying. They are all doing different things: religion, yoga, meditation, public works, etc, to try to figure out how to live their lives. And it is what he is doing also, trying to figure out how to live his life with some level of meaning.
The lesson here is that we all have to find what works for us, and that we’re all trying, everyone doing what they think will work. We are all trying.
By the way, loved the name Sweet Caroline.
Favorite Quote:
“Don’t you talk to your mother like that.”
“Fine.” I say.
“This is why I don’t usually make breakfast.” Mom says, “Because you don’t appreciate me.”
“Seaweed salad and mangoes isn’t breakfast, Mom. It’s what people eat after a shipwreck.” -
In the end, it's a bit hard to shelve this, which is not to say that I didn't thoroughly enjoy it! It was a very fast read, much faster than I'd been anticipating; really engrossing and snappy and fun. I got a continual kick out of Sanskrit's younger sister being called Sweet Caroline, as in their dad legit named her that, after the song. And she'd decided to OWN the name and if Sanskrit ever just called her 'Caroline' she'd holler after him, "it's SWEET Caroline!"
I loved the way the sections were broken up too. Each one seemed to end with a thought or a line of dialogue, but then the next line would be "That was what ___ said/thought when...", showing that the line was in fact the start of the next section. But it still more or less fit in with what had come before. At first I have to admit I found it a little jarring, but I quickly became used to it and then really just grew to love it.
Okay, the story. So Sanskrit's mother flakes on him when she's meant to be at parent-teacher night... and so he blurts out that there's been an accident. A terrible accident. And of course the story grows and spirals, and he has the whole Jewish community thinking that his mother is lying in a coma in a hospital 30 miles away (so no one will try to visit), and there's a fundraiser for her being planned and everything. All the while she's of course healthy and alive at home, and also falling in love with - and deciding to go off to India with - a guru she met on the internet.
I think to say much more would be to spoil. It's basically the story of Sanskrit coming to terms with his feelings for his mother, and his religion - which was kind of forced on him, when his holocaust survivor grandfather died and left money for him that could ONLY be used for a Jewish education. It's a fun and fast-paced story, very wittily written and vividly described and I loved it! -
There's a reason why I love Allen Zadoff's books.
The Story:
Everyone believes in something. Almost everyone.
For Sanskrit Aaron Zuckerman, it isn't easy to believe. Especially when all the people you care about leave.
His Dad left after the divorce. The love of his life left in second grade. His best friend in Jewish school found God and practically left the planet. Now his yoga teacher Mom is falling in love with her spiritual guru, and she’s threatening to leave, too.
In a desperate attempt to keep his family together, Sanskrit tells just one small lie. And for a while it seems to be working. Because people start coming back. Sanskrit might even get the family he always wanted.
There’s just one little thing in his way. The truth.
My Notes:
1. This book was hilarious. Sanskit was so funny! Many of his jokes made my day.
2. The story was okay. Not as good as Zadoff's two other books I've read, but I still pretty much enjoyed it.
3. I thought the dysfunctional relationship between Sanskrit and his mother was very well executed. Zadoff has done a brilliant job of it!
4. I liked the unique perspective of the lead character being Jewish and attending a Jewish school. Learnt a lot about that religion and their culture!
5. There were plenty of surprising revelations which brought something fresh to the table. Oh how I love surprises.
6. The ending, while bittersweet, sort of had a nice closure to it. I dig.
7. Thought-provoking in some areas. I like books that make me mull things over!
Verdict:
An enjoyable read, written none other than one of my favourite contemporary YA authors. If you haven't yet read a book by Zadoff, I'd suggest you hurry it up! -
The Teaser: Never say "horrible" when making up an accident as an excuse. That's the first lesson that Sanskrit Aaron Zuckerman learns at the beginning of his second semester, junior year. An "accident" could be a fender bender or a narrowly avoided squirrel in the road and is easily played off later. A "horrible accident" involves medical care and probably dismemberment and requires a lot of work, sister-bribing and parent manipulation to maintain. But when Sanskrit's mother forgets a mandatory parent-teacher conference, he panics and soon finds this lie getting bigger and bigger as he struggles to reconnect his family, including his obnoxious sister, space cadet mom, her new creepy Indian guru boyfriend (although, really, Sanskrit would be perfectly fine if he would go away forever), absent father, supremely religious former best friend, and the absolute true love of his life- who hasn't spoken to him since second grade.
What Stood Out: Zadoff has proved again and again that he writes sad sack protagonists really well. You just want to give poor Sanskrit a hug and tell him that everything will be okay. As a kid who made up a little lie that just keeps snowballing farther and farther out of control, Sanskrit is someone that you find yourself rooting for. I was always trying to guess three steps ahead to see how he'd get himself out of a particular jam, and I was almost always wrong.
What Didn't Work: There's a bit of clutter around the denouement and everything feels a bit rushed at the end, but I think that frantic pace is intentional and was used to relatively successful effect. Overall this is a really enjoyable, escapist romp, which when you consider the serious topics it purports to tackle, can come off a little insincere. -
After his parents’ divorce, Sanskrit Zuckerman lives with his ditzy mother who seems to put more time and consideration into her yoga center and her new boyfriend, a spiritual guru. Sanskrit’s best friend had a religious awakening, which Sanskrit doesn’t understand, and he pines for the girl from his past whom he still loves. Sanskrit is the grandson of a deceased Holocaust survivor. His grandfather left him money, but only on the condition that it’s used for a Jewish education. This does not sit well with Sanskrit, because he doesn't want to be shaped by his grandfather’s ideals.
All these conflicts are set off or revealed after Sanskrit’s mother doesn’t show up at a parent-teacher conference at his Jewish academy, thanks to her forgetfulness and irresponsibility. He lies and says that his mother was in a horrific car accident. This puts Sanskrit in the limelight of an outpouring of care and support from his school, meanwhile he’s under pressure to keep the lie concealed. While outwardly it looks like his mother is out of his life because she’s in the hospital, in reality she is becoming more distant because she’s falling for the guru who’s pulling her away from Sanskrit and his sister. It’s hard for Sanskrit to keep his family together when it’s disjointed to begin with.
The writing is light and humorous, while it also deals with serious family and religious matters. There were also many surprises—just when I thought I had a character or situation figured out. I haven’t read Zadoff before, but after reading and enjoying SINCE YOU LEFT ME I’d like to read his previous books. I received the galley from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. -
Sanskrit is a boy dealing with a lot of concerns. He is compelled to attend a Jewish school because of a stipulation in his Grandfather’s will but feels a fake because he doesn’t believe in the Jewish faith. Which doesn’t help when his best friend, Herschel, finds religion and doesn’t seem like the same person.
His parents are divorced and feels his yoga mad mother has no time for him. He never got over his first crush and with all these things swirling around it’s no wonder he invents a lie when his mother fails to turn up for his parent/teacher evening.
I like Sanskrit a lot and couldn’t help but feel a whole load of sympathy for him. He’s struggling with beliefs and very unsure of himself. And although he’s far from a stereotypical teen he tells his story with teenage angst, wit and sarcasm but for all that it’s heartbreakingly sensitive.
Performance
MacLeod Andrews' narration reflects the sentiments and feelings perfectly and all the character portrayals are spot on.
Thoughts
This is a delightful story, very different and written with lots of humour but underneath dealing with more serious matters such as religion and family dynamics. The writing and narration really bring the characters to life and pull you into the story. There’s real depth and uniqueness…I loved it. -
This is a teen romance. Not between two star crossed lovers or vampires and werewolves, but between a family.
I found this on a whim. I was just browsing through the "New Books" section in my local library and I was drawn to this for some reason. Read a little bit of the blurb and skimmed through the beginning. To be honest, when I read the beginning I wasn't too keen about it. But it was not a book I felt worth giving up on. I was interested in the main character.
The main character got very annoying and contradicting for a bit, but his growth is beautiful. I also enjoyed the fact that I got to learn a little bit more about Jewish culture. I never knew a whole lot about how they live their faith. And as a woman of Christianity, I always figured that Jewish people treat their faith much differently. However, reading this book showed me that we believe in a very similar way: our elders forcing us to go to services, getting criticized when we sin, etc. This book enforces that we all make mistakes but we're forgiven. Importantly, this book shows that we grow immensely after our mistakes.
I knocked off a star because I wasn't much a fan of his writing style. However, I found the story it self very beautiful.
If you haven't read it, definitely give it a try! -
I laughed out loud a couple of times!
For Sanskrit (yes, that's his name!), things are not going smoothy at school: his best friend has become distant, he feels excluded from most groups, and the girl he is head over heels for no longer acknowledges his existence. Things aren't great at home either: his divorced mother is falling in love with her guru and threatening to leave. In a moment of panic, he tells a lie. He quickly realises his error and decides to tell the truth and apologies. But the lie starts to work in his favour, and he ends up delaying the final moment of truth...
Fresh writing, modern, funny, I wanted to stick with Sanskrit and find out what happened in the end! And I wasn't disappointed. The adult characters are absolutely infuriating throughout the book (want to shake them and tell them to be more responsible), but Sanskrit's maturity just about makes up for all of them. -
3.5
Sanskrit hates his life. His parents are divorced, his best friend isn't the same since a trip to Israel and he hasn't talk to the girl he likes since second grade. Everything begins when his mother doesn't show up at a parent-teacher conference, so he decides to tell everyone a lie. But this leds to situations he wouldn't have expected and everything starts to go out of control. Now his entire school is trying to help him and is constantly asking about her mother's accident, and the only thing he can do is keep lying because every time he tries to say the truth something stops him. And to make things worst his mother is falling for her guru, a spiritual lider who has come from India to see her.
Since you left me is a novel to entertain the reader. It can make you laugh with some of Sanskrit's ideas but it also has some cute moments. -
Sanskrit Aaron and Sweet Caroline (yes - for the Neil Diamond song) have the wackiest mother I've ever read in a YA novel! She's a complete loony, nut job, basketcase - you name, she's it! Oh, and sel-fish! When it comes to parenting, she's definitely a fish out of water! Boy of boy does she know how to mess up her kids. Since You Left Me had me laughing out loud and pulled on my heartstrings. Life is really crazy for these siblings, and Allen Zadoff's sense of humor comes shining through on pretty much every page of this novel. (Kind of made me want to see what else is going on in that creative brain of his, ya know? - Like "Being John Malkovitch")
You want a different type of YA novel? Off the charts weird and wacky and ridiculous when it comes to parents? Lol funny? Then this will definitely be the novel. :D -
I really liked
Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have so I was excited when I received this one to review. It's a good book about a teenage boy with a self-absorbed mother and a fairly absentee father. When his mother doesn't show up for parent-teacher conferences, he makes up an excuse that snowballs. Characters were pretty well written. It will appeal to a very limited audience (fairly observant Jews) and has references that most others will not understand. -
It didn't seem like it would be my thing at first, but the buzz on Allen Zadoff was great and I love the books I've read from Egmont. Zadoff's writing is smart and funny and quirky and the cast of characters was so unique. This novel surprised me by how much I enjoyed reading it. I laughed out loud quite a few times, but also had my heart wrenched a few times. Will definitely seek out more of his books.
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I read Allen Zadoff's books because he is one of the few authors whose writing makes me laugh out loud and stifle a sob. I've also recommended Allen's boy-friendly books to my teenage son, who has rewarded me by finishing them and discussing with me. If you're looking for a good read for the reluctant boy reader in your life, or if you just want to enjoy an intelligently-written YA novel, I recommend this book.
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Sanskrit's mom has to go on record as one of the worst (well...all things considered). I had no patience for her, and none of the real issues that needed to be confronted were ever confronted. Sanskrit may be immature, but it still feels like he got the short end of the stick here. Between this and Resau's Notebook series, I think I'm done with flighty mothers for a while.
Can I get an "OH VEY!"? -
Sanskrit has horrible parents. He is forced to attend a strict Jewish school even though he currently doesn't believe in God. And, in a moment of panic, he told a really big lie. Sanskrit's story is an interesting search for something or someone to believe in. And just like in real life, there are no easy answers. (Subject matter makes this one for older teens)
