I got this book from my local library so it qualifies for the Library Love Challenge! Fantastic!
I've read Tom Perrotta books before and enjoyed them - he's most well known for Election (which was made into a movie with Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon) and The Leftovers, which is now a series on HBO, but not as much for this novel, which came out in 2000.
Daniel, the main character, is a Junior at Yale University in 1982. It alternates its locations between Yale, in New Haven, CT and Daniel's working class town in New Jersey, where Danny goes for spring break. We follow Daniel as he attempts to navigate certain situations (some seriously and other comically), from romance, to work and danger. His romantic interests and their other relationships also complicate things, as does his father's work driving a lunch truck called the "Roach Coach."
I love Perrotta's ironic wit, his ascorbic style and his sarcasm, all of which are present in this novel. He is one of my favorite authors for this reason. However, this book is not one of my favorites. I felt like I was reading about a more modern day Holden Caulfield and found myself wondering how many times a person could whine/make so many dumb mistakes/be such an a'hole before he figures it out. It was a story that had been told already and wasn't original (granted Catcher in the Rye was written many moons ago, but still if you read this book, I don't think that you can help but make the comparison). The characters, however, are all gems. You can't help but see them and hear them while you're reading about them. They are quite memorable and very well developed. The book itself is short and a quick read.
Generally though, stick with some of Perrotta's other books. This one you can skp.
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