April 14, 2016

The Haters - Jesse Andrews



Title: The Haters 
Author: Jesse Andrews
Pages: 352
Publisher: Amulet Books
Source: Netgalley
Goodreads rating: 


About: For Wes and his best friend, Corey, jazz camp turns out to be lame. It’s pretty much all dudes talking in Jazz Voice. But then they jam with Ash, a charismatic girl with an unusual sound, and the three just click. It’s three and a half hours of pure musical magic, and Ash makes a decision: They need to hit the road. Because the road, not summer camp, is where bands get good. Before Wes and Corey know it, they’re in Ash’s SUV heading south, and The Haters Summer of Hate Tour has begun.


My book club read Me and Earl and the Dying Girl many many moons ago, so when I heard that Jesse Andrews was coming out with a new book I was very excited.  Plus it promised to be about MUSIC and ROAD TRIPS which are two of my favorite things ever.

I'm going to say right off the bat that I really enjoyed The Haters.  The humor was on point and felt true to life, it didn't try too hard.  The main characters were fun, if familiar: two (boy) best friends who encounter a girl they don't really understand.  Pop culture references, crazy side characters, absent parents, free flowing money, hater-ade.  All these things swirled together to make an awesome road trip book.

I loved the chapter titles that were really just continuations of the other sentences.  I usually blow past quotes and chapter breaks and stuff and these really made me sit up and take notice.  I laughed.  Out loud.  A lot.  Be prepared to be judged if you're reading this in public.  I also really loved that it was as if Wes was telling the reader the story.  The interjections of, 'I really didn't want you to find this out' and, 'this is why I didn't say anything earlier' really made it feel like you were sitting there with a friend who is recounting what happened during this epic summer journey.

I couldn't find much to hate about The Haters, which, incidentally, is kind of the point.  Don't forget, it's fun to hate on stuff, but it's more important to love it.

2 comments:

  1. Great review!! I liked this one too :) I was fun to hear things from Wes's perspective. He was a really 'out there' kind of guy, but funny and gross and endearing in his own way.

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    1. I totally agree about Wes. Glad to hear you liked it too!

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