Number of Pgs.: 532
Publication date: February 19, 2013
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Genre: YA, Contemporary
How I got the copy: library
Rating: 2.5-3 stars
From Goodreads:
On April 21, 2008, Steven "Crash" Crashinsky saved more than a thousand people when he stopped his classmate David Burnett from taking their high school hostage armed with assault weapons and high-powered explosives. You likely already know what came after for Crash: the nationwide notoriety, the college recruitment, and, of course, the book deal. What you might not know is what came before: a story of two teens whose lives have been inextricably linked since grade school, who were destined, some say, to meet that day in the teachers' lounge of Meadows High. And what you definitely don't know are the words that Burn whispered to Crash right as the siege was ending, a secret that Crash has never revealed.
Until now.
Michael Hassan's shattering novel is a tale of first love and first hate, the story of two high school seniors and the morning that changed their lives forever. It's a portrait of the modern American teenage male, in all his brash, disillusioned, oversexed, schizophrenic, drunk, nihilistic, hopeful, ADHD-diagnosed glory. And it's a powerful meditation on how normal it is to be screwed up, and how screwed up it is to be normal.
Plot: 6/10
Characters: 7/10
Setting: 4/10
Pacing: 2/10
Style: 3/10
Cover: I love this cover. The matches look like the twin towers and go perfect with the title and story. I remember seeing it at #TeaTime and immediately adding it to my goodreads.
22+50=72 (3 Stars)
Imagine The Perks of Being a Wallflower and the movie Remember Me had a baby, but they were smoking crack during the pregnancy...the result is Crash and Burn. While it realistically captured High School and mental illness like Perks, I felt the drug use, sex, and f bombs were a little excessive. We get it Crash, you're a stud. I think the reason I didn't let myself DNF it was because it's told from his POV like a conversation and he is very conceited so it would make sense that he'd try to make himself seem cool every five seconds. But if any of that bothers you, you might want to skip this book.
Crash's verbally abusive relationship with his dad reminded me of the one in Remember Me. I wished I could reach through the pages and bitch slap his dad multiple times. I was kind of frustrated though because their relationship never truly develops. In fact, it felt like none of the characters really developed or changed. Felicia was my favorite character. I pictured Sophia Vergara every time! David reminded me of this kid I went to elementary school that threw desks, kicked the principal, and snapped highlighters. So I understood Crash's fear. Crash has ADHD and he just accepts that he has a hard time learning and struggles through life. I liked that the author showed how hard school can be fore kids with this and how dr.s and teachers just pump them with meds these days.
Each chapter rotates between the past (starting from elementary school: Crash meeting David Burnett) to the present (Crash trying to write the book about the siege). But I think because the author and his character have ADHD his story was very scattered. It was hard for me to focus and keep things straight. I felt like I had ADD to be honest. And it didn't help that the font is extremely small and there are 532 pages. At least there were constant surprises I wasn't expecting that keep me reading. Still, I went into the book thinking it would be all about the siege when really that was only like two chapters worth of the book at the very end. I felt like I was reading forever--like I was running towards a mirage in the desert...never getting any closer to the end.
If you're looking for a male point of view that touches on realistic raw topics like mental illness, drug addiction, abusive relationships, death, etc...then this is the book for you.
Also, if you're a boy and read this book can you please tell me if it is realistic? Are guys really that much of pigs? P.s. Mr. Hassen- I did not appreciate that comment about Jersey girls being easy. We may not pump our own gas and we spend the summers at the shore, but we are not all the cast of that show The Jersey Shore!
Crash's verbally abusive relationship with his dad reminded me of the one in Remember Me. I wished I could reach through the pages and bitch slap his dad multiple times. I was kind of frustrated though because their relationship never truly develops. In fact, it felt like none of the characters really developed or changed. Felicia was my favorite character. I pictured Sophia Vergara every time! David reminded me of this kid I went to elementary school that threw desks, kicked the principal, and snapped highlighters. So I understood Crash's fear. Crash has ADHD and he just accepts that he has a hard time learning and struggles through life. I liked that the author showed how hard school can be fore kids with this and how dr.s and teachers just pump them with meds these days.
Each chapter rotates between the past (starting from elementary school: Crash meeting David Burnett) to the present (Crash trying to write the book about the siege). But I think because the author and his character have ADHD his story was very scattered. It was hard for me to focus and keep things straight. I felt like I had ADD to be honest. And it didn't help that the font is extremely small and there are 532 pages. At least there were constant surprises I wasn't expecting that keep me reading. Still, I went into the book thinking it would be all about the siege when really that was only like two chapters worth of the book at the very end. I felt like I was reading forever--like I was running towards a mirage in the desert...never getting any closer to the end.
If you're looking for a male point of view that touches on realistic raw topics like mental illness, drug addiction, abusive relationships, death, etc...then this is the book for you.
Also, if you're a boy and read this book can you please tell me if it is realistic? Are guys really that much of pigs? P.s. Mr. Hassen- I did not appreciate that comment about Jersey girls being easy. We may not pump our own gas and we spend the summers at the shore, but we are not all the cast of that show The Jersey Shore!
"I'm not gonna lie to you. I'm not exactly the hero that everyone says I am" -Crash and Burn
"Don't you know, Crash, that we are like Voldemort and Harry Potter? We are dependent on each other." The look in his eyes left no doubt as to which of us was which. It was not lost on me that Voldemort will not rest until Harry is dead." -Crash and Burn
"Don't you know, Crash, that we are like Voldemort and Harry Potter? We are dependent on each other." The look in his eyes left no doubt as to which of us was which. It was not lost on me that Voldemort will not rest until Harry is dead." -Crash and Burn
