Status
Available
Call number
Call number
F Hal
Collection
Publication
New York : Farrar Straus Giroux, c2007.
Description
After his father dies and his mother goes into rehab, Eddie moves from the suburbs into his cousin's Boston loft, where he gradually adjusts to being one of the few white kids in a progressive private school, and learns how to feel like a normal teenager.
Subjects
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User reviews
LibraryThing member edspicer
Halpin, Brendan. (2007). How Ya Like Me Now. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 208 pp. ISBN 0-374-33495-1 (Hardcover); 16.00
I have a definite weakness for books with chapter ending zingers that tie the chapter themes together or add that sarcastic/ironic bit of spice that perfectly matches or
I have a definite weakness for books with chapter ending zingers that tie the chapter themes together or add that sarcastic/ironic bit of spice that perfectly matches or
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contrasts the message and tone of the previous pages. Halpin does this over and over in this bitterly funny book about Eddie's dysfunctional mother and dead father and his attempt to fit into a new private school. For example, the end of chapter two (after we have been given a tour of FA CUE, the school, and its "partners") Mr. Harrison dismisses Alex and Eddie's "associates" and welcomes the 1st year associates (9th graders) with "Yes! The Odyssey of Homer! Let's put out a Cyclops's eye this morning, shall we?" (17) Eddie is also attempting to fit into a new home with another teen in it, Alex. Alex's very typical teenage angst at the end of chapter 6 in which he is disgusted with his parents, who have taken in Eddie, is very real, especially because Alex also recognizes that they are partly correct, even if he will not admit this to others. A weakness of many novels is the inability to differentiate main characters; Alex and Eddie are very different yet still share that teen camaraderie and that teen identity. The book is very funny while, at the same time, probing the harmful (but well meaning) counseling and advice adults are prone to give (often without every listening or asking questions). The school portrayal with its arbitrary rules and procedures is subject to both ridicule and admiration. There are, however, gaps in this portrayal, as this school seems to exist for the sake of one marketing project. The same gaps are true for Alex's parents although some leeway must be granted for the teen viewpoint we are receiving. I do love the way Alex rushes out after thanking his dad for cooking "the horrible crap" at the end of chapter 8 (p. 71). Eddie's conflicted feelings about his mom seemed very believable to me. I also especially enjoy the way Eddie wanders into relationships and then seems shocked when he suddenly realizes that his future may, indeed, include girls. Students who like I Love You, Beth Cooper may also like this one. Show Less
LibraryThing member ewyatt
Eddie has been taking care of himself and the household for more than a year. After his dad died, his mom turned to painkillers and soon developed an addiction. When the whole situation unravels and Eddie's mom goes to rehab, Eddie moves in with his aunt, uncle and cousin, Alex, in Boston. He goes
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to school at CUE, an alternative high school where finally Eddie feels it is ok to be smart and achieve. This is a quick engaging read about Eddie's struggle to heal and fit in at a new school with friends and maybe even find romance. Both Eddie and Alex though really different at first find they have a lot to learn from each other and grow to rely on each other. Show Less
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
I seriously considered giving this four stars, but it didn't quite meet my criteria for that. Does this have an unforgettable character, if not a MacBeth or Jean Valjean, then a Sherlock Holmes or Horatio Hornblower? Does it have a gorgeous prose style or unique voice that I feel writer's envy? Did
But it did make me smile madly more than once and smile through a lot of passages. And if the teenaged Eddie and his cousin Alex aren't up there with the most memorable fictional characters, they are likeable and the voice and personalities do seem plausibly late adolescent. This young adult novel also did several things that pleased me. I liked how it built the bonds between the cousins and a group of young people that were relatable and that each had distinct personalities. I liked the low-key, low-angst take on race relations. (Eddie, a suburbanite, transfers into Alex's urban school.) As someone who spent three years in the area, I found it a pleasure to recognize the Boston setting. I liked that instead about being about the EVIL of American business, that in the subplot about the marketing class the book gives a glimpse of the adventure and creativity behind enterprise.
In other words, if I don't see this book as a keeper I'll be reading again and again, I can say I thoroughly enjoyed this light, quick read. It's sorta guy-lit only for the teen set. A good, fun read.
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I cry? Did it make me think? Show me a world I didn't know? Surprise me with an amazing plot twist? Make me laugh out loud? No.But it did make me smile madly more than once and smile through a lot of passages. And if the teenaged Eddie and his cousin Alex aren't up there with the most memorable fictional characters, they are likeable and the voice and personalities do seem plausibly late adolescent. This young adult novel also did several things that pleased me. I liked how it built the bonds between the cousins and a group of young people that were relatable and that each had distinct personalities. I liked the low-key, low-angst take on race relations. (Eddie, a suburbanite, transfers into Alex's urban school.) As someone who spent three years in the area, I found it a pleasure to recognize the Boston setting. I liked that instead about being about the EVIL of American business, that in the subplot about the marketing class the book gives a glimpse of the adventure and creativity behind enterprise.
In other words, if I don't see this book as a keeper I'll be reading again and again, I can say I thoroughly enjoyed this light, quick read. It's sorta guy-lit only for the teen set. A good, fun read.
Show Less
LibraryThing member kathryn123
How Ya Like Me Now was about a boy named Eddie. Eddie's mom has spent all her time getting high on OxyContin, and always left Eddie to take care of himself. He doesnt have a father figure around either because his father passed away, so when Eddie's mom goes into rehab and his aunt and uncle take
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him away to Boston, everything changes. His new school, which he attends with his cousin Alex, there's a CEO instead of a principal, classes are held in an office building, and the students. As for Alex, it's bad enough that he has to share his bedroom with Eddie, but his parents are on his case about including his quiet cousin in his social life as well. As time goes on they learn to respect one another and look out for each other and become very close. Show Less
Pages
201