I had mixed feelings about both of these books…and had trouble deciding whether or not to recommend them.
Loner by Teddy Wayne
Fiction (Released September 13, 2016)
224 Pages
Bottom Line: Skip it…I think.
Affiliate Link: Amazon
Source: Publisher (Simon & Schuster) via NetGalley
Plot Summary: High school geek David Federman hopes to change his social fortunes at Harvard University, becoming obsessed with gorgeous dorm-mate Veronica Morgan Wells on the first day of school.
My Thoughts: I’m a sucker for campus novels, so I was willing to give Teddy Wayne’s latest a shot despite not being enamored with his previous novel, The Love Song of Jonny Valentine. It took me awhile to get into Loner, but the farther I read, the more I was dying to find out how the entanglement between David, Veronica, and David’s girlfriend (Sara, Veronica’s roommate) would resolve itself. David reminded me of Can’t Buy Me Love‘s Ronald Miller, a geek who acquired some measure of social status through questionable associations with a popular girl before flying too close to the sun…and his downward trajectory reminded me a bit of the desperate spiral in Belinda McKeon’s Tender (but, please don’t take this as a comparison to Tender as an overall book!).
When all was said and done, I’m not sure I bought David’s personality evolution or the ending of the book. His motivation for his actions at the end was completely unclear. Did he want another level of attention? Was it out of anger or vengeance or a thirst for power? I also wondered if Loner was intended to address a social issue. If it was, it merely dipped a toe in that pool rather than doing a cannonball into the deep end. Finally, the writing was a bit uneven…brilliantly capturing what it might be like to be an outsider at Harvard at times and resorting to over-the-top pretension at others. As you can see, I’m a bit conflicted about Loner overall.
The Trouble With Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon
Fiction (Released July 12, 2016)
352 Pages
Bottom Line: Skip it…I think.
Affiliate Link: Amazon
Source: Purchased (Publisher: Scribner)
Plot Summary: During the sweltering summer of 1976 in England, the disappearance of their adult neighbor (Margaret Creasy) ignites two ten year old girls’ (Grace and Tilly) curiosity about community, God, and neighborhood secrets.
My Thoughts: The Trouble With Goats and Sheep was an up and down book for me, sporting high highs and low lows. It has two characteristics I generally love in my reading: releasing background information about characters in drips and drabs (like Did You Ever Have A Family) and melding a coming of age story with a crime or mystery (like My Sunshine Away and Only Love Can Break Your Heart). I was immediately captivated by ten year-old Grace’s voice, which manages to be childlike without being childish. She sounds clever and unique, yet still maintains her innocence.
I had never met anyone who had nearly died, and in the beginning the subject was attacked with violent curiosity. Then it became more than fascination. I needed to know everything, so that all the details might be stitched together for protection. As if hearing the truth would somehow save us from it.
And Cannon’s writing, in general, blew me away…at first. She showed a propensity for writing about emotions like they are physical things and, on the flip side, giving inanimate objects emotion. Worrying was “packed away” and “made silent.” A room looked “tired and unhappy.” This writing trick piqued my interest early on, but it appeared so often that it felt gimmicky by the end. Every time I spotted another example, I’d roll my eyes and think “here we go again.” The story also took far too long to advance through the middle…I felt like we weren’t much farther at 75% than we were at 25%. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed Cannon’s style during the first 25% and some of the surprises towards the end.
I think I liked both these books more than you did. Loner I loved and read in one day.
Sheeps and Goats was more problematic. I also felt it was too long. When’s it going to end. And I don’t think i really enjoyed it until about 75% of the way through and then I went Aha! This is a pretty damn good book. Of course, it’s been months since I read it and I can’t remember what brought on that feeling.
I agree Goats and Sheep was too long…and, as I mentioned in my review, not much happened through the middle. I did enjoy the ending, but a good ending can’t usually save a book for me if I didn’t enjoy the journey.
When Sheeps and Goats first showed up, there were a lot of great reviews on it, but since then I’ve seen a few that are more like yours. Interesting…
Loner intrigues me, because it sounds kind of like a male Eileen, and I loved Eileen. I haven’t read it, of course, so I could be way off on that.
Interesting about Goats and Sheep – I never really read many reviews when it first came out.
And – I haven’t read Eileen, but it was on my radar back when it came out…I just didn’t get around to it. But, you’re the second person I’ve heard that loved it…so maybe someday.
Such a great comparison to Tender- I had completely forgotten that. She behaved horribly.
I can see a maybe on both of these. Definitely on Loner. I liked Goats and Sheep more than you did, but agree it had some plot issues. I just fell so hard for Tilly and how awful little girls can be.
I was nervous to make that comparison because the overall books are not the same at all…just that one piece of it!
The Trouble with Goats and Sheep is one I just couldn’t get through. I think I went into it expecting so much and at 50% I still didn’t feel that invested in the story. I do agree that I loved her writing and that the voice of Grace was wonderful. Maybe one day I’ll try again. You’re the second person I’ve seen who felt that way about Loner but I do love that it reminded you of Can’t Buy Me Love so I may have to check it out soon.
I wish I’d DNF’d Goats and Sheep.
And – Loner overall didn’t remind me of Can’t Buy Me Love (it’s much darker), but just the main character reminded me of Ronald Miller…albeit a darker, more sinister version of him!
I don’t believe I have heard of either of these books, and from the sounds of it that may be a good thing. Hopefully, your next reading choices will be a bit better for you!
Yeah – best to pick something else I think 🙂
I always appreciate the honesty of your book reviews!
Thank you 🙂
Well, that’s a bummer. I wish at least one had worked for you. 🙁 I enjoyed Goats and Sheep, but I was also coming off of two books that were complete let downs and was hoping for something to hit. Oh, well. On to the next…
I thought it was going to be a hit in the beginning! Alas…
Waaaah! I have both of these in my TBR stack (both because of the glowing reviews they’ve received) – maybe I’ll go in with slightly lower expectations now!
Sorry to bust the bubble 🙂