Tim Tharp

Oh my God! Where has this book been all my life?! Why am I just now reading it?!? This is hands down the most honest look at teenage "romance." There aren't knights in shining armor. People have flaws, there is no perfect relationship. There is no happy ending, this is a real look at how many guys are... not perfect! Instead of the usual girl meets perfect boy (ie knight in shining armor) this is the story of a boy who isn't perfect. He's a funny likable guy and girls love him, but he's not show more a good guy and he knows it. The whole time you root for bad boy Sutter to turn his life around and be the boyfriend that Aimee loves and deserves. But life isn't always that cut and dry! People have real flaws to work with! Sutter is a high school student who drinks from sun up to sun down, he's always the life of the party. Girls love him, guys want to be him. He's so at ease with everything and takes nothing seriously. He has no life ambitions and just lives from day to day. Then comes Aimee a shy, quiet nerd, Sutter thinks that she can be his charity case and he'll give her the skills and confidence that she so desperately needs. But of course that's not how it works does it? They start to fall in love with each other. She brings out a new side in Sutter that he's not sure he likes.

Soo funny, witty, honest, and heartbreaking. I loved this book and the movie adaptation of it. Miles Teller was THE PERFECT choice to portray Sutter. A definite must read and a must see! show less

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

“The Spectacular Now” by Tim Tharp is a highly entertaining and surprisingly insightful story of a teenage alcoholic. A high school senior Sutter Keely is exactly a person you want to have at your party - he is hilarious, spontaneous and charming. Although an algebra teacher is giving him a hard time, his girlfriend wants to break up and his relationships with his parents are far away from perfect, nothing can bring Sutter down because he and his best friend whiskey show more don’t worry about the past or the future, they live in the spectacular now. One morning after one of such spectacular nows Sutter wakes up on the lawn in an unfamiliar neighborhood. That’s where he meets Aimee, a mousy nerd whose self-confidence is practically nonexistent. But fear not, Sutterman with his spiked 7UP is here to change Aimee for better… or for worse.

MY THOUGHTS:

1) On the story:

“The Spectacular Now” is hilarious and fast-moving. The whole story is told from Sutter’s perspective and it feels like you are actually in his head. I was also pleasantly surprised by the depth of this book because I was kind of expecting something like “A Walk to Remember” by Nicholas Sparks (you know, one of those unlikely romances with a heartbreaking ending). The ending is indeed heartbreaking, but absolutely not what I was predicting. I didn’t really like the ending though because it is quite depressing and hopeless. However, it is actually the ending that makes this book so good, partly because it is so heartrending and partly because it is so realistic.

Relatable and multidimensional characters are another reason why the whole story is so deeply moving. I could really understand all personages and their motives. For example, I really cared about Sutter and found myself rooting for him rather than judging him. Just like in real life, in this story nothing is simply black or white, there are no absolute heroes nor villains.

2) On writing:

Tharp’s writing is incredibly engaging and flows effortlessly. None of the dialogues feel forced, none of the language, which is packed with teen slang, sounds artificial. Although the story is told from the first person’s perspective, other characters are very well developed. Finally, the message is loud and clear but the author doesn’t judge or preach; he just invites us to Sutter’s world and leaves us here to explore, think and feel on our own.

VERDICT: 4 out of 5

The story reads like a breeze, but the message is harrowing and it will haunt you long after you finish the book. It’s a great read for both teens and adults! show less

Sutter Keely is not your normal YA novel teen: he's friendly, smart (-alecky), funny, articulate, adventurous, and an alcoholic. At turns, achingly self-aware and then obtuse, 'The Sutterman' stumbles through his senior year, learning a bit about his long-absent, deadbeat dad, befriending a "loser" girl, Aimee, and --most of all-- having a good time. The reader not only sees the bad choices he makes but cares enough to feel sad about them. But this is no After-School Special: Sutter is still show more "God's Own Drunk" at the end of the book.

The voice is authentic; the actions ring true = a more harrowing look at the dangers of drinking than any MADD pamphlet. show less

Sutter Keely is the life of the party at his high school: he never really gets into any big trouble, and he's not one to think to hard about consequences before jumping in and loving life. Yeah, maybe he carries a flask of whisky, but he's not an actual drunk. When he and his girlfriend Cassidy break up, his life takes a spin and he suddenly meets Aimee Finecky, who is so not his type.

The book dates itself with references to email and MySpace, but it captures the feeling of high school show more perfectly which makes it perfect and maddening at the same time. Much like its main character. Though Sutter most assuredly has his problems and is not the most reliable of narrators, I really liked him and rooted for him all the way. show less