Jared Reck

Had not heard a thing about this book before it caught my eye on Blogging for Books, but it really grabbed my attention once I started reading it. Yes, it's YA, and has a lot of familiar elements, but there were some totally unexpected moments. It felt real. Matt's dilemmas with the girl next door/best friend and his passionate relationship with basketball all felt honest, even to woman of a certain age. (I'm not so old that I don't remember first love.) I loved the character of Mr Ellis, show more and wished I'd had him for an English teacher when I was a freshman. And thanks to this book, I'm going back and picking up Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which I've started and stopped several times in the past. I need to read the tree scene, especially since I hd my own tree scene when hiking in the mountains last weekend.

Good job, Jared Reck

Thank you to Blogging for Books and the publisher for sending me a copy.

From the publisher:
The unrequited love of the girl next door is the centerpiece of this fiercely funny, yet heart-breaking debut novel.

Fifteen-year-old Matt Wainwright is in turmoil. He can’t tell his lifelong best friend, Tabby, how he really feels about her; his promising basketball skills are being overshadowed by his attitude on the court, and the only place he feels normal is in English class, where he can express his inner thoughts in quirky poems and essays. Matt is desperately hoping that Tabby will reciprocate his feelings; but then Tabby starts dating Liam Branson, senior basketball star and all-around great guy. Losing Tabby to Branson is bad enough; but, as Matt soon discovers, he’s close to losing everything that matters most to him.

Good job, Jared Reck. show less

I really don't know how to start this review, other than it is everything! And I hope that this book gets the recognition and praise that it deserves! This is an outstanding debut and I am already looking forward to reading more by this author soon...

A word of caution, be prepared for some major gushing and I apologize ahead of time if some things may not fully make sense - it's been 2 months since I've read this book, but it feels like I read it yesterday! The love I have for this story is show more strong...

Told from a basketball-playing-poetic-big brother-best friend forever-teen boy, Matt's inner monologue is by far the truest psyche and temperament that I have ever seen in a book! Matt knows who he is and how he feels at all times, unfortunately, that doesn't all come out well whenever he tries to put it into words or actions, especially if he's upset or put on the spot. If he could, he would scream out to the world how much he adores his Tabby - his childhood best friend. So imagine how he feels when Tabby starts dating a guy named Liam, the guy that Matt is aspiring to be - the star player on the basketball team. Matt knows that Liam is a good guy, but feels threatened and unworthy and does not know how to deal with this new situation. He feels like he's lost Tabby already when she's clearly still there, but he just doesn't know how to deal with his emotions. But when an unexpected tragedy occurs and Matt's life is flipped upside-down, everything for Matt feels like a lie and unreachable. He doesn't know what to do except to act out and make things worse...

This book has EVERYTHING you could ever want! The entire cast of characters is so wonderful, heartwarming and real! The author captures everyone's personality and delivers such genuine people - I can't express how wonderful it was to read such authentic personalities. The family dynamic, how they all relate and truly love each other. Matt's relationship with Tabby and Trip, how hard it is to be a teen boy nowadays, his true feelings for Tabby, his family and teachers; and then, how he deals with the shock of loss and finally seeing things in a bigger perspective and accepting that there is more than just what is in front of him... I can't say more or give specifics because I fear I may spoil important parts of the story. Just trust me when I say that every person, moment and feeling in this story is important and palpable!

The writing is exquisite, insightful, beautiful... divine!
And Matt's story will melt you and make you think twice about slowing down and appreciating every moment in your life, even the smallest ones. And how differently everyone deals with anger, loss, and grief.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good laugh and a tissue-worthy heartfelt story!

*I received an ARC copy of this book for a book tour from the publisher and my honest review. All thoughts here are my honest opinion and words. show less

Oh goodness, I'm not even sure how to approach this review. I made assumptions from the cover and short synopsis, but boy was I wrong. This read wasn't at all bright times, it was sad shades of grey with bursts of color. It was shadows with hints of sunlight. It was happiness with secrets and grief.

Marty and Tabby are two of the most well wrote characters I've ever read about. They were developed in such an intricate manner and their relationship was one of a kind. They had a connection show more that went deeper than high school crushes. They leaned on, confided in, and loved one another. They grew up together and formed a bond like no other. Matt may have felt something different than she did, but both knew that what they had was quite special.

The twist about 3/4 the way through left me a tad bewildered. I'm pretty sure I read those words and my jaw fell to the ground. I wanted it all to be a dream, but I learned to appreciate it. I saw the inspiration and growth laced within the words and I found myself more immersed in the unknown. I saw the story in a new light and found hope in tragedy.

My initial thoughts were that this was a messy story with wild emotions and teenage jealousy, but looking back I see a rich story with deep characters and awesome life lessons. I definitely recommend it to readers of all ages and genders. show less

Have you ever cried over a book about food, family and love? I did, many times reading this book. Oscar & his Farfar, a team of two, cooking/baking/frying together, Oscar trying to convince his Farfar that all he wants to do after graduation is to keep doing all that with him, his Farfar teaching him life lessons one at a time, not wanting him to just settle. MaryLou, or Lou to everyone else, Oscar’s frenemy but actual soulmate, bringing Oscar and Farfar even closer together. The secondary show more cast of characters we wonderful: the best friends, Jorge & Jesus, the troublemaking freshman Terrance, who added humor to the story & the teachers who believed in Oscar from the start. If you didn’t have an appetite for donuts before this book, you will be wanting to make them after you finish it. show less